The coordinator of the Agripreneur Youth Empowerment Programme (IYA) of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture’s (IITA), Miss Evelyn Ohanwusi has said that the programme has been successful. Speaking to newsmen in Ibadan on Friday, she said that IYA was established in Nigeria in 2012 to strengthen youth participation in agricultural transformation through agri-business establishment and growth and had made substantial progress in empowering African youths for self-employment through agribusiness. “The IYA seeks not only to empower African youths to become employers in the Agribusiness sub-sector but also to assist them to grow their businesses,” she said. Ohanwusi said that…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) of the International Food for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has inaugurated a seed laboratory in Ebonyi to provide improved seeds for farmers. The State Coordinator, Mr Sunday Ituma disclosed on Friday in Abakaliki while addressing the beneficiaries of the programme’s mechanised equipment supply scheme that the inauguration would solve the state’s seed needs. According to him, the project would provide certified seeds to farmers as well as stimulate efforts to boost agricultural production. “The equipment to test the seeds has been sent to us by our headquarters and the commissioner for agriculture is expected to…
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh has called on Nigerian scientists to advise the Federal Government on the acceptability or otherwise of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Ogbeh who made the call when he paid a working visit to the Agricultural and Veterinary Complex of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on Saturday said that opinion from indigenous scientists on the matter would help in forming government’s decisions on the acceptability or otherwise of the organisms. “Genetic modification has been greeted with scepticism in Europe. It has been seen with suspicion in Africa. Within the reality of science and…
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina has asserted that Agriculture must lead in Africa’s acceleration of industrialization in order to create jobs, reduce poverty and promote inclusive economic growth. Stating the Bank’s position at the launch of the 2018 African Economic Outlook in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday, stressed that the infrastructure projects were among the most profitable investments any society could make as they sustain countries’ economic growth. “This significantly contribute to, propel and sustain a country’s economic growth. Infrastructure, when well managed, provides the financial resources to do everything else,” he said. Noting that economic diversification…
In order to boost agricultural activities as well as educate farmers on best agricultural practices, the Federal government has distributed 370 motorcycles to support extension services across the country. The distribution was done in Zaria on Friday by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh. The Minister said that the Federal Government would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS) to train more extension agents in the country. Decrying the collapse of extension services following the termination of the World Bank sponsored Agriculture Development Programme (ADP), Ogbeh also noted…
The Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI), Alhaji Tijjani Tumsah has said that the committee would focus on improving agricultural activities in the region to make it Nigeria’s food basket. Briefing Journalists on the activities of the committee in 2017 as well as the plans for 2018 in Abuja on Friday, he stressed that it had the mandate to coordinate interventions in the Northeast. “Our mandate was to coordinate all interventions going on in the North East and as it moves to the recovery phase, plans are already underway to improve agriculture production. In 2018,…
The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has said that the Apex bank would push for the production of tomato, cocoa and palm oil across the country in 2018. He stated this when he visited the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh in his office on Wednesday. The CBN governor said that the move was aimed at supporting government’s effort to ensure self-sufficiency and reduce food importation. He added that he was at the ministry with a view to work out strategies that would actualise President Buhari’s pronouncement that rice importation would end by…
The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in conjunction with McGeorge Consulting, Ilorin has trained 40 youths in cassava value chain in Ilofa, Oke-Ero local government area of Kwara state. Aimed at boosting food security in the week long agripreneurship training, the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni said on Wednesday that the empowerment scheme was designed to educate the youths on cassava production and processing. Represented by the Head of Women and Youth Division, Mrs. Abigael Eyilade explained that the participants comprised of 32 males and eight females drawn from the 10 wards of the local…
The state Coordinator of FADAMA III Additional Financing (AFII) programme in Anambra, Chukwuka Egbueh has commended the state government for working on agricultural programmes targetted at boosting food security in the state. He said in Awka on Wednesday that Governor Willie Obiano had embarked on progrannes that would impact positively on the people of the state. “Governor Obiano has done well by promptly paying the state’s counterpart funds for the FADAMA III projects. This has been attested to by international donors,” he said. Egbueh explained that the governor had compelted irrigation projects as well as construction of roads to connect rural…
The Manager of Yobe Pilot Livestock Development Programme, Dr Mustapha Gaidam has called for intensive sensitisation and mobilisation of stakeholders before the enforcement of the ban on open grazing. Mustapha who gave the advice in Damaturu on Tuesday said, “There is the absolute need for dialogue, intensive education, sensitisation and mobilisation for both crop and livestock farmers to appreciate the advantages. “So far, the anti-open grazing law enacted by Benue, Taraba, Ekiti and Edo states has failed to serve the purposes for which it was established, considering the unfortunate incidences in Benue and Taraba. “The law was intended to provide solution to…