The House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Agricultural Production and Services and Water Resources to collaborate with relevant agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria became self-sufficient in fish production in the next two years. This followed the House’s unanimous adoption of a motion by Hon. Olawale Raji (Lagos-APC) at plenary on Wednesday. The house tasked the committees to ensure that enabling environment existed for increased private sector investments and development of a policy framework for implementation of a phased ban on importation of fish and fish products. The green chamber also mandated its Committee on Maritime…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Coordinator of Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Mr Emmanuel Ijewere has stressed that embracing Genetically Modified (GM) foods would increase sufficiency, security and rescue the rural poor from the pangs of hunger. He said that in spite of criticisms that trails the introduction of GM crops in Nigeria’s foods and farming system, GMOs were not new crops invented by scientists, explaining that GMOs were the same conventional crops that were improved on to tackle persistent issues of food shortages and insect infestation on crops. He said that the foods would not only be produced in more quantity, but could also have…
As African heads of State gather in Addis Ababa this week to discuss winning the fight against corruption, Nachilala Nkombo, Country Director of WWF, Zambia and member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel outlines three steps to beat corruption in the agriculture sector – the lifeline for many of the continent’s most vulnerable people. This week, at a meeting of the African Union, heads of state have an opportunity to make progress in the fight against corruption. Corruption cheats the continent’s people and governments out of approximately $50bn each year, money that could be spent on realising the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision of an ‘integrated, prosperous and peaceful…
Nigerian cocoa farmers have threatened to go on a nationwide strike if Federal government does not address the neglect of the sector. The National Executive Council of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), in a communiqué signed by its National President, Raimi Adeniji, the National Secretary, Adeola Adegoke as well as representatives of 14 states after their meeting in Akure, alleged that in spite of the diversification of Nigeria’s economy to Agriculture, government had neglected the sector. The farmers threatened to stage a protest in cocoa producing states in the country as well as in Abuja and Lagos. Faulting…
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), African Development Bank (AfDB) and other stakeholders flagged off the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) to revitalise agriculture in Africa. The AfDB Agricultural Economist and TAAT Programme Manager, Dr Jonas Chianu said at the inauguration which took place in Ibadan on Monday that the multi-year-multi-partner TAAT programme was funded by the regional bank. He further explained that the programme was a concept that was based on ‘Africa Feeding African’ core priority of AfDB and aligned with the bank’s 10-year strategy (2013 to 2022) for inclusive and green growth in the continent. “TAAT…
The Kogi Government has partnered with Synergos Nigeria to evolve a Cassava Value Chain policy as part of efforts to reposition the agriculture sector in line with the Federal Government’s policy. Synergos Nigeria’s Field Manager for Kogi, Benue and Kaduna states, Mr Victor Adejoh, while implementing the State Partnership for Agriculture (SPA) disclosed in Lokoja on Monday that Kogi had concluded arrangements to organise a Mini Summit on Cassava from where the policy would evolve. While disclosing that the summit was a brainchild of the Agricultural Vision Group (AVG) and Agricultural Innovation Group (AIG) of the SPA, he added that…
The technical committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme has disclosed that it was collaborating with the University of Agriculture, Umudike and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to produce seed yams for export. The Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Simon Irtwang said on Saturday in Lagos that farmers would be provided with the yam seeds to plant for export. “One of the challenges with the flag-off of yams exported in June 2017 was that the yams were exposed to the sun before being selected for export. Once yams are exposed in the sun for long, the process of decaying sets…
The National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) has appealed to Federal Government to support the institute to revive its vandalised liquid nitrogen plant for the storage of animal semen. The Director of the Institute, Prof. Clarence Lakpini made the call in Shika, Zaria when the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh visited there on Saturday. The director said that the institute had resorted to using chilled semen for artificial insemination since the plant was vandalised in the 1980s, Lakpini noted that effective artificial insemination would help to increase the production of animals to meet the increasing demand of…
Oyo State Butchers Association will partner with Oyo state government on the feasibility of the proposed centralised abattoir in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state. Briefing newsmen in Lagos on Friday, the butchers said after they toured facility of the Lagos State Centralised Abattoir situated in Oko-Oba that would collaborate to ensure that Oyo state floated the same facility. Led by the Special Adviser to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi on Community Relations, Alhaji Abidemi Siyanbade, the Oyo Butchers were in Lagos to understudy the operations of the centralised abattoir in Lagos. H e told newsmen that the visit, made at…
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has disclosed that the Federal government plans to establish extension offices in each of the 774 local government areas of the country as part of renewed effort to boost food production. He stated during an inspection tour of the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) and the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaisons Services (NAERLS) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on Friday. Ogbeh who will also visit the National Animal Production and Research Institute (NAPRI) as well as Division of Agricultural Colleges (DAC) said that establishing the extension offices in each…