1.0 OPENING

The meeting commenced with an opening prayer. His Excellency, the Chairman, welcomed all members and thanked them for attending. He noted that the meeting would be short, as it had been prompted by recent time-bound developments requiring expeditious handling. He stated that given the urgency of the matter at hand and the number of people present, the Forum might not go through the minutes of the last meeting.

Mr. Emmanuel Essien, the Secretary, stated that the agenda for the day was an update on the soya beans intervention.

2.0 READING OF CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE FEDERAL MINISTRY

His Excellency informed members that the major issue before the Forum was a letter received from the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Investment, which had arrived on Friday. He invited the Secretary to read the letter so that members could have a full understanding of its contents.

The Secretary read the letter, noting the following details:

·         Date: 11th April 2026

·         Addressee: The Chairman, Ambassador Oguntuase Kayode, Nigeria-Benin Advocacy for Development Forum

·         Subject: Urgent Appeal for Intervention on the Declining Price of Soya Beans

·         Signatory: Obagi Edozie Edmond, Director of Commodities and Export Department, for the Permanent Secretary

His Excellency thanked the Secretary for the reading.

3.0 ISSUE OF THE FORUM'S CONTACT ADDRESS

His Excellency noted that another issue tied to the letter was the Forum's contact address. He explained that the courier had been looking for the Forum and had taken the letter to Lukuguma, where he had previously used as a contact point, but there was nobody there to receive it. He clarified that the location in Lukuguma was a block of apartments owned by many people, and that he only owned one apartment there, with no one stationed at his apartment. He further explained that when the courier could not reach him or deliver the letter, he did not know how they eventually got his telephone number, but that one Mr. Akisanya called him and informed him about the letter, after which it was sent to him on WhatsApp.

4.0 BACKGROUND ON PRIOR CORRESPONDENCE AND THE MINISTRY'S INVITATION

His Excellency provided background context, noting that when the Forum was writing letters for the soya beans intervention, they wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Minister of Trade, Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Minister of Agriculture. He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture was supposed to be the lead ministry to handle the issue. He informed members that they had received a correspondence from the Central Bank approximately a month ago, in which the CBN stated that the intervention rates the Forum was advocating were not within their primary mandate.

He further noted that the Minister of Industry and Trade had shown interest in their letter and had invited the Forum for a meeting by 11 o'clock on the 21st of May. He stated that the Ministry had described the Forum as one of their critical stakeholders, and that the Forum had to prepare itself adequately.

His Excellency stated that he was seeing the invitation in two forms:

1.      As an opportunity for the Forum to introduce themselves and establish a strategic partnership with the Ministry; and

2.      As an opportunity to advance their advocacy on the declining price of soya beans.

He explained that for those reasons, he had personally called the meeting two days in advance, to look at how they would go about the presentation so that they could make an impactful contribution at the meeting with the Minister. He expressed the belief that the presentation would also solidify their partnership with the Minister of Trade, which he described as a very critical government department in the context of their work. He noted with regret that many members had not turned up for the meeting, but stated that they could not cancel it as the issue had to be examined very carefully.

He further informed members that Alhaji Alaso-Adura had informed him that he would be going to Lomé, as there was a meeting taking place there, but that he had sent some input which they would look at during the meeting, and could modify, add to, and make use of whatever was useful.

His Excellency then shared his thinking on the presentation, stating that it should first of all include introducing the Forum to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and also making the Ministry aware that the Forum could partner with them on the issue of trade, particularly between Nigeria and Benin Republic, and specifically along the Nigeria-Benin border corridor. He then threw the issue open to the floor for further discussion.

5.0 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS

Alhaji Lasisi Bisiriyu Fanu described the invitation as a welcome development.

His Excellency invited further contributions and noted that members should look at how to go about the matter, including the presentation they would make, the level of participation, and the attendance. He stated that they should focus on the presentation first before looking at participation.

Dr. Raji spoke next. He expressed sincere thanks to His Excellency and to all members of the Forum. He noted that when he heard about the invitation, he was surprised, as the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment was the only ministry with that mandate, covering commerce and trade. He stated that he had indeed known that the CBN's mandate did not cover that area and apologized for that. He described the development as very welcome and noted that the Forum was now being recognized.

Dr. Raji stated that the Forum's presentation should first cover how many farmers they were looking at, both in the Republic of Benin and in Nigeria, given that they were covering two countries. He noted that the presentation should also cover the level of soya beans production in a given year, suggesting they take data covering three years. He stated that those were the kinds of things they needed to present, as they had to be able to counter objections as to why the intervention should not be done. He noted that if a committee were to be set up, they should look at the paper they had presented earlier, as that paper already contained some of the solutions and would help in a long way to determine what their stance would look like and how their request would align with the letter they were responding to. He stated that the Ministry had the mandate to act in line with what the Forum had said, if they were able to match the points adequately.

Dr. Raji spoke again, noting that not all members had seen said letter. He noted the need for the secretariat to re-circularize the letter to members so as to identify what the letter was requesting. He also noted the need to write the ministry informing them of the recipient of the letter and assurances of attending the meeting. He stated that those data were very important.

His Excellency spoke next, noting that it was also pertinent for the Forum to identify the time and date when the complaint about declining soya beans prices was first brought to them, and also to identify the groups that drew their attention to the issue, as those groups would be their reference point. He noted that the Forum was not farmers but an NGO, and that in their letter to the Ministry they had been advocating on behalf of some people. He stated that it would be pertinent and very helpful if those groups that made the complaint could also be accommodated and present at the meeting. He stated that he did not know whether the Secretary had a record of those groups.

The Secretary responded that they had not been given any group list, and that the original complaint had come in the form of a letter from Alhaji Alaso-Adura. He noted that it was at that point that Alhaji Alaso-Adura had used his company's letterhead to write the official correspondence that was received and acted upon.

His Excellency noted that while they were preparing to also write letters to those three bodies, they had requested to know which group the complaint had come from.

His Excellency noted, however, that while they were receiving the letter, they had started the ball rolling and had begun discussions. He noted that there was one agricultural group that had made the complaint, which included a group from Shaki and another from Chikanda and Baruten Local Government Area.

Alhaji Barka responded that he was not conversant with the details, but that in their presentation they needed to highlight that they had received a complaint from a specific named group and should not be anonymous about it. He noted that he would contact the Secretary of BARCCIMA after the meeting and then get back to the Forum.

His Excellency suggested that it would be better to contact the Emir of Yashikira, who would be able to provide specifics on whether it was a cooperative society, an agric group, or any other recognized body, so that the group could be properly cited as the Forum's reference point.

Alhaji Barka confirmed that he would get across to the Emir and help identify the group properly. His Excellency directed that as soon as the information was obtained, it should be passed to the committee that would be set up that day.

Dr. Raji noted that it was not only a matter of identifying the group, but also of obtaining data from them. He noted that the Forum needed to know what their volume had been in the last two years, what the quantity was, when the price decline started, and what the reason was.

His Excellency noted that the Forum also needed to know the selling price at that particular time. He noted that they should also know the opening stockholding at the beginning of the period, and that when it came to the question of buying off excess stock from the farmers, the Forum should know the specific quantity involved so that they could present concrete figures for the cost of buying off those stocks.

Dr. Raji advised that Mr. Emmanuel Essien should also do some research work, noting that he was very good at it.

Alhaji Alaso-Adura congratulated Prince Yemi Akran on the successful burial of his late father. He noted that the Emir of Yashikera had promised to delegate somebody to attend the Abuja meeting. He noted that he had seen the presence of Baruten Local Government.

His Excellency noted that Alhaji Barka would clarify some of the things they needed to do. He reiterated that Dr. Raji had stressed the importance of having statistics and data for the meeting. He noted that they must talk with facts and figures, that they needed data and papers, and that they could not go there just talking without facts. He noted that they needed to go through what had been done in the past, identify those things that were useful for the assignment, and then build on them further. He noted that the Minister of Trade was looking for solutions to problems.

His Excellency noted that from his own preliminary enquiry and preliminary readings he had been going through since they received the letter, it appeared that the price of soya beans was not seriously on the decline but appeared to be rising. He noted that his fear therefore was that they did not know whether the decline was peculiar to the area or to the people who made the complaint, and that they had to establish that.

Alhaji Barka confirmed that it was, but noted that from his own personal experience, sometimes the price was higher than what he had sold. He noted that he had sold a bag for ₦45,000 two weeks ago and had sold it for ₦40,000 yesterday.

His Excellency noted that those were the kinds of information they needed to present, because the Ministry would be relying on the Forum as people they believed were at the grassroots level and knew what was happening. He noted that they must have a reference date and a reference period, establishing when the complaint was made to them, what the price was at that time, what it was a year after, and what it was currently.

Dr. Raji spoke next. He noted that there were a lot of trade problems outside the shores of Nigeria, and that when one looked at trade facilitation, there were a lot of problems along the line that needed to be addressed, especially when it came to cross-border trade. He noted that he was happy there was going to be a meeting in NACCIMA towards the end of the year on trade facilitation to which he had also been invited. He noted that he wanted to use the example of what happened to ginger in the north central states, noting that Nigerian ginger was the best all over the world and was very expensive, but that suddenly there was a trade war underneath the whole thing and what happened was that the ginger, which was the best in the world, fell below its proper standing in the world market. He noted that they were therefore not out of place in querying the kind of decline they were talking about with soya beans. He noted that he thought the Secretary should go a step further and do some research work on international trade.

His Excellency noted that they could also ask whether the Ministry was prepared for that kind of trade war and what measures they had to counter it. He noted that as they discussed with the Ministry, they would also be posing questions about things the Ministry was supposed to have done but had not done, so that the Ministry would be on their toes.

6.0 FORMATION OF AD HOC COMMITTEE

His Excellency spoke next, noting that he thought they should set up a committee. He stated that it should be a small committee. He noted that Dr. Raji had his way with such things and had even been the anchor person on the initial committee. He stated that Dr. Raji should be part of it. He noted that Mr. Emmanuel Essien would serve as secretary to the committee to put things down. He noted that Alhaji Umar Barka should be part of it. He noted that Alhaji Alaso-Adura, whatever his commitments, could always be relied upon for more information, and that he had already sent some information. He noted that he himself would also be part of it. He noted, however, that he would just be on the supervisory side to see how things were going, because at the end of the day he might be involved in the delivery and presentation of the paper, and it was therefore not good for him to be outside of it, so that he would know what was happening before arriving at anything he wanted to say.

Dr. Raji spoke next, advising that the Secretary should give them the Terms of Reference for the committee, so that they knew what they were in for, what they were searching for, and what they were anticipating to get at the end of the day. He noted that the Terms of Reference would give them a pathfinder on how to navigate through the issue and have a successful outcome.

Mr. Emmanuel Essien responded that he was listening and taking notes. He noted, however, that the issue of the Terms of Reference was not something that could just be determined just like that, as it could only come from the deliberations they were having. He noted that through the deliberations, there had been suggestions from everybody about one thing or another, and there had also been references made for the President of the Baruten Chamber of Commerce to get some information from his Director General, and that he had also heard a reference made to the Emir of Yashikera. He noted that it was only when all of those things were put together that they could actually have a direction and put up a Terms of Reference. He noted that as it stood, there was no data on the ground. He noted that they also needed someone to give them the list of those localities and organizations whose details could be used, because when they approached the Ministry they had to give facts and references that could be checked.

His Excellency noted that even from the discussion they were having that evening, they could draw up their Terms of Reference. He noted that the first thing they needed to do was to introduce themselves, as it was now an opportunity to introduce the Forum to the Minister of Trade. He noted that the Minister might be around for the meeting, and that it was therefore a high-level representation and an opportunity they had been looking for. He noted that they had to grab it and then move to their presentation. He noted that in terms of timeline, by Tuesday they should be able to come up with something.

Mr. Emmanuel Essien noted that Tuesday would be better so that if there were any last-minute modifications, they could be made on time.

His Excellency noted that he would handle the issue of introduction and representation. He stated they should come up with the outline of what they wanted to present and how they wanted to present it. He noted that the presentation would be in slide form. He noted that the format would be discussed with the Secretary at the back end.

7.0 ATTENDANCE AT THE MINISTRY MEETING (21ST MAY 2026)

Dr. Raji noted that he would be part of the meeting.

It was noted that Alhaji Alaso-Adura would be in Lomé at that time.

His Excellency noted that he would be there.

Mr. Emmanuel Essien noted that he would not be available, as he had a prior engagement that had been fixed before the date of the Ministry meeting was set, and that the two were coinciding exactly at the same time. He noted that the meeting he was attending required his presence as he was meeting the main person at that same place. He noted that unfortunately he would not be able to be there.

It was stated that Madam Malaika had travelled to Morocco.

Alhaji Barka noted that he had relocated to Ilorin since a long time. He noted that he was in the midst of doing primaries and hence would be unavailable.

His Excellency noted that he would talk to Ambassador Ndaman and find out his programme. He noted that Ambassador Ndaman shuttled between Abuja and Zamfara, and that he would try to locate him. He noted that after the programme, he would tell him to get across to the Secretary. He noted that he would call him personally.

His Excellency noted that for now, they would expect the committee to start work immediately, and that by Tuesday they should be able to get something to present.

8.0 FINANCIAL MATTERS

His Excellency noted that, setting aside the soya beans issue, he wanted to check whether there was any information on financial matters. He noted that there was no information and that members were not contributing.

His Excellency noted that by God's grace, they were going to formalize a member's position as Financial Secretary. He noted that they would put the member's name among those who should be receiving alerts, to know whatever was happening with the account.

9.0 CLOSING

His Excellency thanked everybody that had attended the meeting, describing it as an ad hoc meeting. He used the forum to congratulate Prince Yemi Akran for hosting them and for successfully praying for Baba. He noted that Prince Yemi Akran had been very committed to the group and that that was why they went all the way to ensure adequate representation. He thanked those who had also represented the Forum in all forms.

His Excellency asked whether there was any other issue to be addressed before closing.

In the absence of any other issue, Alhaji Umar Barka moved the motion for the adjournment of the session.

The motion was seconded by Alhaji Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi.

Prince Yemi Akran gave the closing prayer.

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10.0 ACTION ITEMS SUMMARY

SIGN-OFF

Minutes Prepared By:

Mr. Emmanuel Essien

Secretary, NBADF

Confirmed By:

His Excellency, Ambassador Oguntuase Kayode

Chairman, NBADF