2 more prep standouts announce plans to join UNK wrestling teamPresident Bola Tinubu has appealed to a Brazilian firm and one of the world’s leading meat processing companies, JBS S.A, to invest in the country’s $2.5bn livestock sector, assuring the company of a good return on their investment. Speaking at the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Nigerian Government and the JBS S.A in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Thursday, Tinubu said his administration was focused on driving both international and local investments into the sector to resolve the prevalence of farmer-herder crisis. He described the partnership as a significant step towards eradicating hunger, reducing poverty, and fostering economic prosperity in the country. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday. In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed escalating conflicts between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers, particularly in the Middle Belt region. These clashes, primarily driven by competition over land and water resources, have resulted in significant loss of life and displacement. For instance, in 2018, approximately 2,000 fatalities were recorded due to such conflicts, according to the Africa Centre. Additionally, incidents such as the 2023 Mangu violence in Plateau State led to over 100 deaths and displaced thousands of residents. Since the previous administration, the government’s move to implement various measures, including establishing grazing reserves and promoting ranching, has suffered from inadequate infrastructure and resistance from some communities, with pundits calling for a comprehensive policy framework that balances the interests of both farmers and herders. Related News HOSTCOM urges Tinubu to ignore calls for NUPRC boss suspension Tinubu eyes livestock sector reform, investment to curb farmer-herder clashes UPDATED: Senate approves Tinubu’s $2.2bn loan request However, Tinubu argued that Thursday’s agreement in Brazil would work, saying the Federal Government believed in the company’s existing reputation. The President called on the company to see the considerable potential in what he called Nigeria’s $2.5bn livestock investment, especially with its vast population and tap into it, given JBS S.A’s globally recognised expertise in guaranteeing food security. He said, “We’ve heard so much about you regarding the reputation, and we believe in the partnership we are forging today. “Food security is extremely important. As we talk right now, there is hunger. However, there is huge hope. And you are one of those hopes that we are looking at.” Before he visited Brazil, the President had commissioned a team of Nigerian officials and private sector players to take advantage of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio to conduct a study tour of Sao Paulo, Brazil and explore the opportunities in livestock development, meat processing, seed development and multiplication for key grains. In his remarks, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mahia, who led the delegation, reported to the President that the team embarked on guided, extended and intensive tours of companies on the scale of their global reach, the integrated nature of their operations as well as the deployment of advanced technology. The company employs over 200,000 people across its subsidiaries in more than 50 countries in the world, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, among others. Meanwhile, the founder and President of the JBS group, Wesley Batista, said the company remained the largest employer of labour in Brazil with over $79bn in revenue already in 2024.CBC resurrects plans for live New Year’s Eve broadcast specials
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Sony’s cloud streaming makes the PlayStation Portal far more usefulSome tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns National Politics | Federal hostility could delay offshore wind projects, derailing state climate goals National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . 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