The World Bank has approved a loan of $400 million for a food safety improvement project to help China reduce food safety risks. Multiple measures were built into the project to assist farms and food enterprises to improve compliance with food safety regulations and achieve food safety certification standards, World Bank said. Good agriculture practices would be promoted, and using biodegradable plastic mulch, eco-friendly food packaging and plastics, the bank said. Efforts would go into upgrading public infrastructure for improved water quality and waste management. Risk-based preventive controls for maintaining a safe food environment from “farm to plate’’ would also…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
CAF has appointed Moroccan officials to officiate at Saturday’s crucial 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Nigeria and Benin Republic. NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, stated on Friday that 42-year-old Rédouane Jiyed, an international referee since 2009 and currently one of the highest-rated referees in Africa would be the centre referee. “He will be assisted by Lahsen Azgaou (Assistant Referee 1), Mostafa Akarkad (Assistant Referee 2) and Samir Guezzaz (fourth official) – all Moroccans. “The Match Commissioner is Yameogo David and Ghanaian Julius Ben Emunah is the Security Officer,’’ he added. The statement also said that…
At least, 72 per cent Nigerians are ready to accept the COVID-19 vaccine, says the African Center for Diseases Control (Africa-CDC). A statement on Friday from Africa-CDC made this known as part of the findings of a report released by the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC) Consortium in Addisa Ababa, Ethiopia. It revealed levels of acceptability in other countries as follows: Nigeria (72 per cent), South Africa (61 per cent), Zimbabwe (61 per cent), Zambia (53 per cent). Others are Mozambique (75 per cent), Egypt (78 per cent), Kenya (59 per cent), and the Democratic Republic of Congo…
The Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation, AATF, Cowpea Project Manager, Dr Issoufou Kollo has observed that inadequate scientific capacity in most African countries, is the reason for low adoption of modern biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa. He made the observation in a keynote address to legal practitioners and officers during a two-day workshop on biotechnology and biosafety held recently in Abuja. “In many countries, even the capacities to conduct basic agricultural research had regressed,” said Dr. Kollo. According to him, the regression has exposed the unpreparedness of African scientists to address unnecessary propaganda against their work in modern biotechnology. “Many do not…
The Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha says biotechnology can play a vital role to increase the country’s food security by 50 per cent in 2050. Mustapha said in an interview in Abuja on Friday, that biotech crops could address food challenges such as population growth, urbanisation and ageing as listed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Others are climate change, agricultural productivity and innovation, transboundary pests and diseases, nutrition and health as well as food losses and waste. He said that the deployment of biotechnology tools could enable plant breeders to adapt effectively to climate…
By Habibu Harisu The Sokoto state government has confirmed the death of two students of Government Girls College Sokoto and infection of 70 others following an outbreak of gastroenteritis. The state Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Kulu Haruna confirmed th development at a news conference in Sokoto on Friday. According to her, the school has been closed and 20 students were presently at the isolation centre to prevent the spread of the disease. While further confirming that the incident occurred from March 24, and the infected students were taken to the hospital for treatment, Dr Haruna however dismissed speculation…
Mustapha Shehu is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the Sokoto North local government, in the council elections scheduled to hold on Saturday. A journalist, Shehu was Director Press during Attahiru Bafarawa administration and before his nomination as aspirant, he was a Special Assistant to Governor Aminu Tambuwal. He spoke to select journalists on what the people of the local government area should expect from him. Excerpts: The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, just officially confirmed you as its candidate for the chairmanship of Sokoto North local government council election. What should the people expect from you? Sokoto North is…
A coalition has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly on the high cost of (COVID-19 tests in private laboratories in Lagos State. The call is contained in a statement issued by the Coalition Against High Cost of COVID-19 Test in Lagos (COHCTL), signed by its Co-Convener, Dotun Atilade on Friday in Ibadan. COHCTL is a network of NGOs and Civil Society Organisations with special interest in the survival and wellbeing of the citizens during COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 era. “The exorbitant cost has led to the low percentage of tested population so far,”. The group called for a timely…
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, says since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country, a total of 2,036 deaths and 149,882 recoveries have been recorded as at March 25, across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The NCDC also announced on its official Twitter handle on Thursday that the deaths and recoveries include 97 new cases and five deaths, same day. It also said that it managed 1,015 community recoveries in FCT and 10 community recoveries in Akwa Ibom State in line with its guidelines. The agency said that the data from the FCT…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has urged Point Of Sale (POS) operators to always obtain customers’ identities and strictly comply with financial regulations in their transactions. Mr Bawa Usman, the EFCC Zonal Head in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, made the call when the leaders of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents visited the commission on Thursday. Usman urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks and other stakeholders in the financial industry to assist toward sanitising the POS business, in recognition of its acceptability by the citizens. He said more improvements were…