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Villanueva flags ?9.8-B cut to free tuition fund

A SENATOR warned on Friday that a P9.757-billion decrease to the government’s free tuition subsidy could undercut the implementation of a reform law he authored, as the Commission on Higher Education’s overall budget fell by more than a quarter for 2027.

CHED’s proposed 2027 budget stands at P35.453 billion, down P12.916 billion or 26.7% from its 2026 level. Inside that reduction, the allocation for Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, the government’s free tuition fund, falls from P37.547 billion to P27.790 billion, Sen. Joel Villanueva said.

The cut lands as Republic Act 12325, the law enhancing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, moves toward implementation.

‘We must also prepare for the implementation of Republic Act 12325, enhancing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, the I authored and co-sponsored,’ Villanueva said during the CHED and SUCs budget briefing.

Only 12.6 percent of Tertiary Education Subsidy grantees in the first semester of Academic Year 2025-2026 came from 4Ps households, a gap RA 12325 was designed to close by directing subsidies more precisely toward disadvantaged learners.

‘I authored this reform because the subsidy was not reaching the students who needed it most. A smaller budget makes that job harder, not easier,’ Villanueva said.

He took note of other CHED programs that received additional funding allocations, with the commission;s Student Financial Assistance Programs having a proposed P3.185 billion budget for 2027 from this year’s P2.154 billion, which will allow it to expand beneficiaries from 42,128 to 49,243.

Villanueva expressed relief that the Doktor Para sa Bayan program, or the Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program, received ample funding for next year. With an allocation of P1.232 billion, the program will support 4,557 continuing scholars and provide scholarships to 700 incoming medical students.

‘Take note of the increase in our scholarship and financial assistance programs. More of our students are getting help, and we intend to keep pushing that number up,’ Villanueva said.

Campi remains optimistic despite slide in auto sales

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) said the double-digit decline in vehicle sales last August is a ‘temporary setback’ and that the auto industry’s performance will return to positive territory in the succeeding months.

Data from Campi and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed that their member brands sold 29,611 vehicles in August, down from 37,319 units in July and from the 36,714 units recorded a year ago.

In January to August, Campi-TMA member brands sold 271,336 vehicles lower than the 305,381 units in the same period last year.

For the entire industry, estimated year-to-date sales reached 300,550 units as of August, Campi said.

‘We’re still optimistic that vehicle sales will bounce back over the next few months through yearend,’ Campi President Jose Maria Atienza said, noting that demand should recover as operating conditions normalize.

The decline was broad-based across vehicle categories, based on industry data. Passenger-car sales fell 10.3 percent to 55,030 units from 61,358 units a year earlier, giving the segment a 20.09-percent share of total industry sales.

Commercial vehicles, which accounted for 79.91 percent of the market, declined 11.4 percent to 216,306 units from 244,023 units.

Asian utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles, both within the commercial-vehicle segment, fell 10.6 percent to 48,515 units from 54,292 units.

Light commercial vehicles slid by 11.3 percent to 161,676 units from 182,240 units. Campi-TMA figures also showed that light-duty trucks and buses declined by 16.4 percent to 3,765 units from 4,503 units, while medium-duty trucks and buses dropped 14.4 percent to 1,967 units from 2,298 units.

Heavy-duty trucks and buses recorded the steepest decline, with sales plunging 44.5 percent to 383 units from 690 units a year earlier.

Among Campi-TMA member brands, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. led the pack in August with 14,594 units, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 3,570 units and Suzuki Phils. Inc. with 1,350 units.

EV sales

Data from Campi-TMA also showed that electric vehicles (xEVs) accounted for 34.5 percent of the market in August, bigger than their share in the same month last year and second only to April’s 37.2-percent peak.

Sales of electric vehicles, covering battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), reached 45,403 units during the eigh-month period, up 146.2 percent from 18,439 units a year earlier.

Their share of total industry sales more than doubled to 16.73 percent from 6.04 percent.

In August alone, 7,066 xEVs were sold or 214.9 percent higher than last year’s 2,244. However, this was 0.3 percent below July’s 7,089 units.

‘The continued growth in xEV adoption highlights the strong potential of the market,’ Atienza said.

HEVs remained the largest xEV segment in the eight-month period, with sales rising 62.9 percent to 23,764 units from 14,585 units. BEV sales jumped 293 percent to 12,883 units from 3,278 units, while PHEV sales soared to 8,756 units from just 576 units.

In August, HEVs accounted for 42.46 percent of xEV sales, followed by BEVs at 34.66 percent and PHEVs at 22.88 percent.

The figures cover BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs recognized by the Department of Energy as of September 8.

No Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi, Umahi declares

David Umahi, Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, has ruled out the existence of the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ in Ebonyi State, insisting that the State remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Umahi made the declaration on Friday while inspecting Section Two of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway at Ado in Benue State, amid growing political disagreements over the cross-party coalition associated with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Responding to questions about his relationship with Wike and reports that the Coalition was taking root in Ebonyi, Umahi said he was not aware of any Wike-backed candidates in the State.

‘If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State,’ he said.

The Rainbow Coalition has been presented by Wike as a multi-party platform for mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, while allowing politicians to retain their party affiliations and make independent choices in governorship and legislative contests. The arrangement has, however, drawn opposition from some APC governors who have expressed concern about its implications for the party and its candidates.

Umahi, who defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in 2020, also revisited the circumstances surrounding his defection, accusing the PDP of failing to adequately recognise the political interests of the South-East.

‘We supported PDP. We voted for presidents in PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,’ he said.

He said politicians were free to campaign in Ebonyi but warned against hate speech and activities capable of creating tension in the State.

‘Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches and you want to take those speeches, and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that,’ Umahi said, adding, ‘Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State.’

The minister also defended his support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, linking his position to the administration’s infrastructure programme and reforms.

‘What gave rise to this is because I believe in President Bola Tinubu. I believe that he’s the one called by God. I believe in his vision. I believe in his reforms. I believe he’s the best person that I have worked with and for, and I’m very proud of working for him and working with him,’ he said.

Umahi also rejected claims that his position as Works Minister had led to the concentration of federal projects in the South-East, saying the projects were part of the Federal Government’s wider national infrastructure programme.

‘I’m not on my own. The President is my boss. So where will he be when I corner all projects to Southeast?’ he asked, adding that although the South-East might not rank first, second or third in the distribution of federal projects, ‘definitely they will not be the last.’

On the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway, Umahi directed contractors handling Section Two to accelerate construction and open additional work fronts while engineers resolve challenges around the Ado Bridge.

He also ordered that no buildings along the existing alignment should be demolished pending the Federal Government’s review of the route.

‘My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it. So you just have to continue your work and go around those buildings until we come to look at it,’ he said.

Umahi said engineering challenges could be resolved and urged the contractors to sustain work on the project.

‘I do not believe in engineering that anything is impossible,’ he said.

Opposition claims grid batteries unlikely to solve rooftop solar woes

New grid batteries will help Sri Lanka absorb surplus solar power nationally, but will not open up rooftop connections where neighbourhood transformers are already full, two Parliamentary Committees heard on 22 and 23 September. Households that can still connect now face either a far less favourable tariff or a battery bill of over Rs. 1 million.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) challenged the premise behind the curbs on rooftop solar. ‘If there is no alternative below the marginal cost, prices cannot be reduced,’ it told the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) last week.

Marginal cost is the cost of the most expensive power the system must buy, typically from oil-fired plants, which CoPF members said still supply about 40% of generation. The PUCSL rejected the argument that surplus solar has little value, saying daytime power is cheap only because of rooftop solar.

A rooftop system feeds into the neighbourhood transformer serving its street. When too many roofs export power at midday, that transformer overloads and the utility refuses new connections.

Separately, officials told the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development chaired by MP S.M. Marikkar last week that this is the bottleneck in congested urban areas. Yet the National System Operator (NSO) is placing its batteries at grid substations, several steps up the network. Its tender covers 16 substation batteries of 10 MW and 40 MWh each, a total of 160 MW, of which two have been commissioned.

These can absorb surplus power for the national system, but they cannot relieve an overloaded transformer on a street in Kotte. The tendered sites also appear to lie largely outside the Western Province, where congestion is worst.

Marikkar said the battery build-out would benefit ground-mounted solar farms in the regions where the batteries are being installed, while doing nothing for rooftop households in Colombo. He noted that large-scale producers already enjoy concessions, including duty-free import of megawatt-scale batteries, which household buyers do not receive.

He said adding or upgrading a rooftop system in areas such as Kotte and Kolonnawa was now effectively impossible. He urged that Western Province rooftop users be given priority for battery capacity, and that the Government take responsibility for storage.

Batteries at the neighbourhood level, which could ease the bottleneck, have not yet started. The PUCSL said it approved a Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) proposal for such batteries about three months ago, while one from Electricity Distribution Lanka (EDL) has been delayed.

Households that can still connect will pay more for the same panels. Net metering and net accounting, which let owners offset each unit of solar power against a unit bought from the grid, are closed to new connections.

New users must go on ‘Net Plus,’ selling all their output at a feed-in tariff (FiT) of about Rs. 23 per unit for small systems while buying all their power at the retail rate, which is around Rs. 100 per unit above 180 units a month. Contracts are capped at 12 years. A CoPF member warned that new users could end up paying more rather than saving. Existing agreements are unaffected until they expire.

The NSO told the CoPF last week that daytime solar output of over 2,000 MW now matches daytime peak demand of 2,500 to 2,600 MW, so any new solar must come with storage. For a household, that means a battery. Marikkar said a 5 kW household battery with an inverter costs at least Rs. 1 million.

The duty exemption for megawatt-scale batteries was granted around the close of the NSO tender, but household batteries still attract duty. CoPF Chairman MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said the Government had put ‘the cart before the horse’ by ending net metering before storage became affordable.

A PUCSL guideline allows ‘zero-export’ systems, which use solar power on site without feeding it into the grid, and consumers may also go fully off-grid. The PUCSL said solar with a battery pays off at current tariffs, but that upfront capital is the barrier.

The rules themselves are contested. A Cabinet-approved tariff policy restricts new connections to ‘Net Plus,’ while the PUCSL, which now holds the power to set FiTs under the new Electricity Act, determined its own tariffs in August.

The Energy Ministry directed that the Cabinet policy prevail and referred the PUCSL tariffs to the Cabinet, where they await approval. The NSO argued that net accounting gave supernormal returns and that pressure to keep it came from solar companies.

The PUCSL warned that consumption from January to 21 September rose to 14,062 GWh from 11,637 GWh in the same period of 2023. It said that without prompt action, the reserve margin could be breached, bringing shortages or higher prices.

Dr. de Silva said the authorities must come up with a plan.

Separately, the CoPF approved Rs. 17.2 billion for the NSO to cover a deficit from the first quarter, when the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) failed to submit its tariff proposal on time. A targeted subsidy that shielded low-usage households from an 18% tariff increase has ended.

Interkonstruct strengthens Nigeria’s marine energy support capacity with two accommodation support barges

As activity across the upstream sector accelerates, demand continues to grow for reliable, locally supported marine infrastructure that keeps complex energy projects safe and on schedule.

InterKonstruct, the marine service arm of Konstructum Contracting Company Limited (KCC), a Nigerian-owned energy and infrastructure investment holding company, addresses this operational need through its fleet of two accommodation support barges, the African Lifter and African Fjord.

Together, the vessels provide accommodation for up to 700 personnel, alongside significant heavy-lift and deck capacity to support a wide range of offshore operations.

Renewed investor confidence, recent regulatory reforms, and an industry push to convert development licenses into producing assets are driving higher field activity across Nigeria.

Brownfield maintenance, greenfield development, and offshore decommissioning campaigns depend heavily on specialized marine assets capable of housing workforces, staging heavy equipment, and operating in shallow or swamp environments where conventional vessels face operational limits.

Interkonstruct serves this specific market need. Operating as a joint venture between Interoil Services Limited and Konstructum Marine Services Limited, the company combines more than two decades of Interoil industry experience with the project execution capability of Konstructum to deliver targeted marine support focused on safety, efficiency, and operational performance.

The asset portfolio features the ABS-classed African Lifter, built in 2009, which provides fully air-conditioned accommodation for 400 personnel, a 950-square-meter deck with 10-tonne-per-square-meter load strength, a 38-tonne crawler crane, a 25-tonne pedestal provisions crane, and an S61N-compliant helideck. Operating alongside it is the ABS-classed African Fjord, built in 2008, offering accommodation for 300 personnel, a 1,600-square-meter deck with 15-tonne-per-square-meter load strength, a 75-metric- tonne pedestal crane, and an AS 332 L2-compliant helideck.

Both support barges meet ILO 92 and IMO Resolution A468 (XII) accommodation standards and feature eight-point mooring arrangements along with integrated firefighting, lifesaving, and navigation systems. These combined technical specifications enable both vessels to execute floating construction, hook-up and installation, shutdown maintenance, and decommissioning work in shallow-water fields.

‘Controlling owned, asset-backed marine capacity gives operators the schedule certainty and operational confidence required to execute complex offshore campaigns,’ said Abayomi Awobokun, Director at Interkonstruct.

‘By delivering accommodation, heavy-lift capabilities, and technical execution through a single integrated interface, we reduce interface risk for our partners while directly supporting the national drive to scale energy production in shallow-water and swamp environments.

‘Looking forward, Interkonstruct plans to expand its operational footprint by adding platform supply vessels and client-tailored assets to its portfolio, broadening its support capabilities across both shallow-water and deepwater offshore operations” He added.

Perituza concludes second AI workshop

Perituza Software Solutions, a Houston-headquartered technology company with operations in Colombo and New Delhi, has successfully concluded the second edition of its Applying AI in Corporate Workflows workshop series, this time focusing on sales operations.

Following the inaugural workshop, which brought together professionals from the advertising, PR, media buying and agency sectors, the latest session turned its attention to corporate sales teams, bringing together professionals from banking, FMCG, tourism and other industries to explore how artificial intelligence can optimise sales workflows.

The workshop was held recently at Bistro des Marées, Cinnamon Life, and focused on proven strategies for applying AI within corporate sales functions. Rather than concentrating solely on emerging tools and their capabilities, the session examined how organisations can maximise their AI investments, determine whether to buy vs. build software tools, and establish a strategic foundation for AI adoption.

Live demonstrations, ranging from off-the-shelf AI tools to customised CRM integrations, AI agents, and automated workflows, illustrated practical use cases that deliver immediate ROI. Additionally, the session showcased how organisations can optimise their existing Microsoft 365 subscriptions, leveraging tools such as SharePoint and Teams, to build cost-effective alternatives to third-party SaaS platforms.

‘Showing people what AI can produce is not the same as making AI work for an organisation,’ said Perituza APAC Co-CEO and General Manager Yuka LaTulippe said: ‘For us, the starting point is defining the value that AI implementation is expected to deliver, whether it’s reclaiming hours lost to administrative work, shortening sales cycles, or enhanced capabilities such as real-time revenue forecasting. That focus on value ensures AI is applied where it generates true ROI. The purpose of this workshop was to help participants understand how AI can help their corporate sales teams scale and win in the marketplace.’

A central theme of the workshop was the gap between AI interest and meaningful business results. Participants explored why investing in software does not automatically translate into return on investment, and why organisations need to identify expected outcomes before determining where technology can create value. The session also emphasised the importance of comprehensive change management, from resolving workflow bottlenecks to targeted upskilling and updated employee job descriptions.

Solutions Ground supported the event as a strategic partner.

Solutions Ground CEO Lakshan Madurasinghe said: ‘Businesses are looking for results, not another abstract discussion on AI capabilities. Bringing professionals from different industries into one room made it clear that, although their sales environments are different, many of the underlying challenges are similar. The value of a workshop like this is in helping participants look at their own processes differently and identify where AI can improve the bottom line.’

The workshop reflects Perituza’s broader approach of ‘Pragmatic Technology, Measurable Impact.’ The company’s capabilities include AI-driven sales automation and sales intelligence, alongside custom technology platforms, Microsoft Dynamics 365 consulting, Microsoft 365 consulting and legacy system modernisation.

Perituza also works with organisations on AI assessments and readiness, digital transformation support, Microsoft Dynamics 365 consulting, and technology training, supporting businesses from strategy through to execution.

413,587 telecom complaints expose Nigeria’s service crisis in H1 2026

Nigeria’s mobile network operators received 413,587 complaints from subscribers in the first six months of 2026, highlighting persistent problems around network quality, billing, data depletion and failed transactions despite efforts by operators to improve customer service.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that Airtel accounted for the largest share of complaints at 228,992, followed by MTN with 124,405, Globacom with 56,810 and T2mobile, formerly 9mobile, with 3,885.

The scale of complaints provides a fresh measure of the gap between Nigeria’s rapid expansion in mobile connectivity and the experience of consumers using the networks.

While 98.38 percent, or 406,938, of the complaints were recorded as resolved, the volume of complaints points to the continuing pressure on operators as subscribers demand more reliable service and greater transparency over charges.

Data depletion was one of the issues attracting particular attention. MTN recorded 12,212 complaints relating to data depletion between January and June, the highest among the four major operators. Airtel followed with 9,806, while Globacom recorded 1,373 and T2mobile five.

That means the three largest operators by subscriber base received 23,391 data depletion complaints during the period.

The complaints come at a time when mobile internet has become more expensive for Nigerian consumers following the telecom tariff increases approved by the NCC.

For subscribers, the concern is no longer simply whether they can afford to buy data, but how long the bundle will last once purchased.

MTN, which crossed 100 million subscribers in July, has faced significant consumer scrutiny over data usage. The operator has rejected allegations that it arbitrarily deducts customers’ data and has pointed to changes in the way modern smartphones and applications consume internet capacity.

At its Data on Trial event, MTN highlighted high-definition video, automatic video playback, software updates, cloud backups, social media activity and background synchronisation as some of the activities that can rapidly consume data.

The company has also introduced tools including daily usage reports and a data calculator to give customers greater visibility into their consumption.

The NCC and operators have similarly attributed unexpected depletion to factors including device settings, applications, malware and background processes rather than arbitrary deductions by networks.

But the technical explanation has not completely resolved the consumer dispute. The underlying problem is increasingly one of trust.

A subscriber who experiences slow internet, fluctuating network signals or dropped connections may find it difficult to reconcile a rapidly falling data balance with what appears to be poor network performance.

That perception becomes more pronounced when the cost of staying connected rises.

Nigeria’s telecom users are now paying more for connectivity following the approved tariff adjustment, making every gigabyte more valuable to households, students, businesses and other heavy data users.

The result is a growing tension between how operators measure data consumption and how consumers experience it.

The NCC’s wider complaint figures show that data depletion is only one part of the problem.

Quality of service covering voice and data, billing, failed payment transactions, top-up problems, number portability, value-added services and SIM-related issues also generated significant complaints during the six-month period.

Airtel had the highest resolution rate among the two largest operators, resolving 99.38 percent of its complaints, while MTN resolved 96.57 percent. Globacom recorded a 99.04 percent resolution rate, while T2mobile recorded 88.57 percent.

The NCC said the complaints were handled under the Quality of Service Business Rules 2024 and the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2024, which establish standards and timelines for resolving consumer complaints.

According to the regulator, publishing the data provides insight into complaint trends, service-quality problems, compliance with regulatory obligations and the responsiveness of service providers.

But the numbers also reveal an important shift in Nigeria’s telecom market.

With mobile penetration expanding and data becoming central to banking, commerce, education, entertainment and work, consumers are becoming more sensitive to the quality and value of the service they receive.

MTN’s 12,212 data depletion complaints therefore represent more than a dispute over disappearing megabytes. They reflect a broader challenge for an industry that must convince consumers that higher connectivity costs are producing measurable value.

As of July, MTN had 100.9 million subscribers, Airtel 66.76 million, Globacom 23.63 million and T2mobile 3.61 million.

The complaint figures suggest that Nigeria’s next telecom challenge may not simply be getting more people online. It will be ensuring that those already online trust the networks enough to keep paying for the service.

Tiseza wins global award for the third year in a row

The Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (Tiseza) has been named Africa’s Best Investment Promotion Agency for 2026, its third consecutive recognition at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Global Foundation Awards.

The award was presented in Dubai this week, recognising Tiseza’s role in promoting and facilitating investment.

The recognition comes as registered investment projects in Tanzania more than tripled from 252 in 2021 to 915 in 2025, according to Tiseza data. Approved investment capital also rose from $3.7 billion to $10.95 billion over the same period. Tiseza board member Felista Lelo said the award reflected Government and institutional efforts to improve the investment environment.

‘The award is a great honour for the nation and Tiseza. It shows the confidence that the world has in Tanzania and reflects the results of efforts being made by our Government and institution to create an enabling investment environment,’ she said.

Tiseza Director General Gilead Teri said the recognition marked the third consecutive year the authority had received international awards in different categories.

He said Tiseza won an award in 2025 for its use of information and communication technology through its One-Stop Facilitation Centre.

Mr Teri attributed the latest recognition to business and regulatory reforms undertaken since 2021.

CARIBBEAN-AGRICULTURE-Caribbean Week of Agriculture underway in Jamaica

The 20th edition of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) has gotten underway here with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness urging the region to ensure that agriculture becomes increasingly export oriented and able to compete globally.

Holness told the opening ceremony that in time, agricultural modernisation must embrace digital technologies, precision farming, improved crop varieties, and more efficient production systems.

‘These innovations must become accessible to small and medium-sized farmers, who constitute an important part of the Caribbean’s agricultural economy. Technology should not be viewed as something reserved for large commercial operations.’

Ho;ness said that there is also the need to develop financing arrangements, shared services, and extension programmes that allow small producers to benefit from advances in agricultural science.

The CWA is being held under the theme ‘The New F.A.C.E of Caribbean Food Systems’ with the organisers indicating that it highlightes four key areas, namely Food Security, Agri-Business, Climate-Smart Technologies and Export Expansion. The week long event has brought together more than 600 delegates representing agriculture and fisheries ministers, farmers, fisherfolk, policymakers, researchers, private-sector representatives, development partners and youth from across the Caribbean to advance discussions on the future of regional food systems.

Holness told the opening ceremony that technology is accessible and ‘we must find ways to get it into the hands of our artisanal farmers for whom the technology may not be native.

‘We must get our young people, for whom technology is native, to apply it to agriculture,’ he said noting that equally important is the development of agriculture as a commercially attractive sector for young people.

‘Our region possesses a generation of talented young people with education, technological skills, and entrepreneurial ambition to transform agriculture. We must create the conditions in which they can see farming, agri-processing, and agricultural technology as viable and rewarding careers.

‘This means improving access to land, financing, modern equipment, technical training, and reliable markets. It also means creating opportunities throughout the agricultural value chain, including logistics, processing, packaging, marketing, and distribution.’

Holness said that the Caribbean must move beyond the traditional perception of agriculture as simply an occupation and recognise it as an industry with considerable potential for innovation, enterprise, and wealth creation.

He said another important priority is expanding private sector investment.

‘Governments have a responsibility to provide enabling infrastructure, establish an effective regulatory environment, and support research and development. However, the sustained transformation of Caribbean agriculture will require significant investments from the private sector.

‘We need commercially viable agricultural projects capable of attracting patient capital, supporting economies of scale, and establishing lasting relationships between producers, processors, distributors, and retailers.’

Holness using Jamaica as an example, told the delegates that the agriculture system in the Caribbean needs to establish long-term supply contracts for farmers.

‘We tend to see agriculture as a short-term endeavour that is not bankable. If we’re going to have any radical change in our agriculture, the government must be an instrumental partner alongside the private sector in the establishment of a system of long-term supply contracts where farmers can invest with the security of knowing there is a market for their products.

‘I’m therefore pleased that this year’s programme provides opportunities for direct engagement between investors and agricultural enterprises, including the presentation of investment opportunities by the Jamaica Agro-Investment Corporation.

‘We must translate these opportunities into bankable projects and productive investments,’ Holness said, adding that there is also considerable scope to improve the integration of agriculture into the region’s tourism economies.

‘Throughout the Caribbean, tourism generates substantial demand for agricultural produce, seafood, and processed products. Strengthening these commercial linkages can create reliable markets for local producers while encouraging improvements in quality, consistency, and efficiency.

‘However, our ambitions cannot end at supplying domestic markets. Caribbean agriculture must become increasingly export-orientated. Our farmers and agricultural enterprises should be able to compete on the basis of quality, reliability, innovation, and price.’

Holness said that this requires more efficient shipping and logistics, appropriate cold storage, infrastructure, internationally recognised standards, and better coordination throughout agricultural value chains.

‘Regional integration must facilitate the process. The Caribbean should be a market in which competitive agricultural producers can expand their operations, achieve economies of scale, and reach consumers across national boundaries.

‘We must address the transportation bottleneck, unnecessary administrative requirements, and non-tariff barriers that restrict agricultural commerce within our region,’ Holness said, noting that greater regional agricultural trade should be driven by productivity, competitiveness, supported by infrastructure, and efficient markets.

‘Of course, our agricultural ambitions must also recognise the realities of climate change,’ he said, noting that the experience of Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica in October last year leaving an estimated US$9.9 billion in damages, ‘reminds us that climate resilience is an economic necessity. Investments in irrigation, drainage, protected agriculture, improved infrastructure, and disaster risk management are essential to protecting productivity and reducing the long-term costs of extreme weather events’.

He said the reconstruction efforts present an opportunity to incorporate these considerations into the future development of Jamaica’s agricultural sector, praising the ‘extraordinary achievements of our farmers.Jamaica’ who have secured the CARICOM Farmer of the Year title for five consecutive staging of this event, including 2026.

‘This record demonstrates the considerable talent and entrepreneurial capacity within our agricultural communities. It is a reminder of what our region can accomplish when the ingenuity of our farmers is supported by appropriate investment, technology, and public policy.’

Holnwss said that the Caribbean poses substantial agricultural potential and that realising that potential requires a sustained commitment to improving productivity, encouraging enterprise, and creating the conditions for our producers to compete successfully.

‘The value of this gathering will ultimately be measured by the investments mobilised, commercial partnerships established, and practical reforms implemented after our discussions are concluded.

‘Let us leave Jamaica with renewed determination to build an agricultural sector that generates greater prosperity for our farmers, creates rewarding opportunities for our young people, and contributes more significantly to the economic growth of our region,’ Holness said.

Earlier, Jamaica’s Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said that it was necessary for the Caribbean to strengthen its capacity to produce more ‘of our agricultural inputs here in the region, including things like organic fertiliser, because our food security cannot just be measured by how much food we produce, especially if that production remains heavily dependent on input source outside of the region.

‘We must leave CWA 2026 with a regional framework around inputs. We must confront the long-standing challenge of transportation and trade across the region. We will not deliver regional food security if we cannot move agricultural goods efficiently and affordably across the countries that produce them in this region.’

Green said that shipping, logistics, sanitary requirements should now be aligned ‘and I hope at the end of the CWA, we will move forward to say we have a seamless movement of goods across the region’.

He said that the Caribbean must also adopt the adoption of climate smart technologies, noting that ‘across our region, solutions already exist.

‘How to use water more efficiently, how to increase productivity, how to make better use of data, how to strengthen our ability to withstand climatic shocks. We must share best practises and ensure that they’re implemented at scale.

‘We are clear that this cannot be done by one government alone. It requires all our governments. But more importantly, it requires all our farmers. It requires all our fisher folks, our private sector, financial institutions, researchers, development partners, working towards common objectives.’

Green said that the weeklong event will have over 80 technical sessions, five high-level plenary discussions, alongside ministerial meetings, business engagements, exhibition, trade shows, the participation of youth and women.

‘We will use CWA 2026 to lead the new face of Caribbean food.,’ he added.

he Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) is organized under the auspices of the ‘Alliance ‘ for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu, alongside host governments and international partners. The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM Secretariat hosts and coordinates the flagship regional platform.

Landgate Investments Strengthens Delivery Track Record with Completion of Landgate Homes

Landgate Investments Ltd has strengthened its delivery track record with the completion and handover of Landgate Homes, a residential development located on Hitech Road, behind Lagos Business School, Ajah.

The completed development was officially opened and handed over at a Grand Opening and Handover ceremony held on September 3, 2026, marking an important milestone for the company and the subscribers who had invested in the project.

For Landgate, the significance of the project extends beyond the completion of another development. In a real estate market where confidence is closely tied to delivery, moving a project from development plans to completed homes that subscribers can physically experience represents an important part of building long-term trust.

The handover event brought together homeowners, real estate professionals, subscribers, members of the Landgate team and guests, giving attendees the opportunity to experience the completed development and see the finished homes firsthand.

Landgate Homes comprises 3-bedroom terrace homes with boys’ quarters, located within the Ajah axis and behind Lagos Business School.

Speaking on the milestone, Chief Executive Officer of Landgate Investments Ltd, Mr. Taoheed Oyelakin, said the completion of the project reflects the company’s commitment to its subscribers and its approach to real estate development.

‘The Grand Opening and Handover of Landgate Homes is a significant milestone for us. It is rewarding to see a development that started as an idea become a real community where people can take possession of their homes and begin a new chapter.

For us at Landgate, this is also about delivering on our commitment to our subscribers and creating homes and communities that people can be proud to own.’

The completion of Landgate Homes comes at a time when delivery and transparency remain important considerations for property buyers and investors.

For developers, the process does not end with marketing a project or securing subscribers. Construction, project completion, handover and the eventual experience of the property are critical parts of the customer journey.

Landgate’s approach is centred on developing residential and investment properties across strategic locations, with projects designed around different needs within the real estate market.

The completion of Landgate Homes therefore provides both an opportunity for existing subscribers to take possession and for prospective buyers and real estate professionals to experience a completed Landgate development.

Use one strong photograph from the September 3 handover showing a meaningful moment rather than a generic crowd shot. Suggested caption: ‘Guests and stakeholders at the Grand Opening and Handover of Landgate Homes.’

Building What Comes Next

With Landgate Homes now completed and handed over, the company is turning its attention to its next development, Morayo Hostels, a government-approved project located directly opposite Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

The project is positioned around the demand for student accommodation within the university community and represents another dimension of Landgate’s approach to developing properties around identifiable market needs.

For Landgate, the transition from one completed project to the next is part of a broader focus on building and delivering properties across different segments of the market.

The company will now focus on the construction and delivery of Morayo Hostels while continuing to develop its portfolio of residential and investment opportunities.