The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is championing a new home-grown school feeding model designed to ensure that children are fed with nutritious foods produced within their own communities. Dr. Daniel Willy, AATF’s Senior Manager for Policy, Agribusiness and Commercialisation, disclosed this during a panel discussion at the ongoing World Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Kenya. Willy said the model—which could be replicated across African countries—aims to reduce dependence on imported food by sourcing school meals directly from local farmers. He explained that AATF was not introducing a new technology but rather an innovative procurement…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has revealed that Kenya lost about 20.4 billion Kenyan shillings (approximately $158 million) in five years due to delays in adopting biotechnology. Dr. Daniel Willy, Senior Manager, Policy, Agribusiness and Commercialisation at AATF, disclosed this on the sidelines of the ongoing World Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Kenya. He noted that biotechnology remains one of the key scientific tools for improving crop varieties and enhancing food production. “You can use biotechnology, for example, to help crops protect themselves from pests. The application is used in Tella maize (Bt maize),…
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has urged the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), to report science accurately to support Africa’s drive for a food secure and climate resilience future. Dr Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of the AATF gave the advice at the opening ceremony of the IFAJ World Congress of Agricultural Journalists 2025, on Wednesday in Kenya. He said that accurate science reporting was crucial, as its impact extended beyond fields and laboratories. Kanangire, represented by Vitumbiko Chinoko, Project Manager, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), AATF, said the convergence of technology, media and innovation offered Africa an unprecedented…
An elite military unit in Madagascar has announced the overthrow of President Andry Rajoelina after the national assembly voted to impeach him for “desertion of duty.” Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of the elite CAPSAT military unit, told AFP on Tuesday that the group had taken control of the government. “We have taken power,” he said after reading a statement at a government building in the capital, Antananarivo. According to Randrianirina, a transitional committee composed of officers from the army, gendarmerie, and national police will assume presidential duties. “Perhaps in time it will include senior civilian advisers. It is this committee…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised $1 billion in pledges during its first European fundraising round held in Berlin, marking a major step toward strengthening its financial independence and long-term planning capacity. About $700 million came from new commitments by European governments and philanthropic organizations, while $300 million were earlier pledges from the EU and African Union. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the initiative would help the WHO plan ahead and respond swiftly to global health emergencies. “Sustainable financing gives WHO the certainty to plan and the flexibility to act,” he noted. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described…
A new global report has revealed that one in every six bacterial infections recorded in 2023 was resistant to antibiotic treatment — a growing threat that health experts warn could escalate into a global health crisis without stronger, real-time monitoring systems. According to the report, antibiotic resistance is surging, with over 40 percent of pathogen–antibiotic combinations showing increased resistance between 2018 and 2023, rising by 5–15 percent annually. Some regions, including South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, recorded resistance levels as high as one in three infections. The findings coincide with a call by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB),…
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called for faster and more consistent adjudication of corruption cases across Nigeria. Speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop for judicial officers at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja, on Monday, Dr. Aliyu stressed that the judiciary plays a vital role in ensuring that corruption does not pay and that offenders are denied the proceeds of their crimes. He said strengthening the capacity of judicial officers is crucial to achieving a corruption-free Nigeria, adding that effective justice delivery requires both…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered over ₦446 billion and restrained an additional ₦142 billion under forfeiture orders, alongside ₦30 billion in cash recoveries within one month. The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed this during the Monthly National Joint Security Briefing in Abuja. According to him, the commission recorded remarkable achievements in September, describing the development as a demonstration of institutional strength in the fight against corruption. “This is a sign of strength to further eliminate corruption in Nigeria. During the period under review, the ICPC received 19 petitions…
Economic reforms are never painless. Across Nigeria today, the story is the same — families cutting meals, businesses shrinking operations, and workers watching their wages lose value faster than they earn them. Yet, on paper, the figures tell a different story. Government reports and international lenders point to “positive macroeconomic momentum,” boasting of improved revenue collection, renewed investor confidence, and fiscal discipline. But behind those neat graphs and upbeat briefings lies a harder truth: the reforms, while necessary, are not yet touching lives. The Nigerian economy may be turning a statistical corner, but the average Nigerian is still standing in…
From the end of the Cold War to the challenges of the 21st century, the Nobel Peace Prize has celebrated individuals and organizations that have shaped humanity’s pursuit of peace, freedom, and dignity. Since 1990, laureates have ranged from reformers who dismantled authoritarian systems to campaigners who fought for human rights, disarmament, and climate justice. In 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev was honored for his pivotal role in ending the Cold War through reforms in the Soviet Union. A year later, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar received the award for her non-violent struggle for democracy. The 1990s saw a series of…