Blown aspect of the hospital By Abdallah el-Kurebe Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has ordered the closure of the state owned Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital located at Unguwan Rogo area of Sokoto town. This followed an unscheduled visit by the Governor to assess the state of facilities which many in the state described as appalling. Health professional have voiced concern over the substandard facilities at the hospital, and have urged the government to intervene for the benefit of the populace. A visit to the hospital showed that apart from lack of basic health facilities, the integrity of the buildings cannot…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Key Points: Off-grid technology can catalyse sustainable development for even the 1.1 billion without electricity in the remotest “last mile” communities Bottom-up approach key to achieving SDG7 Energy Access for All GoalHub and spoke models combining hybrid mini-grids and solar home systems can provide starting point Governments need to create integrated off-grid and grid extension strategies Small-scale finance and support for off-grid entrepreneurs now more important than centralised aid programmes Women and youth can play vital role Now need to move ambition beyond lighting and phone charging to demonstrating more productive uses of renewable energy 1.1 billion people are still…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe Sokoto State Executive Council, during its third meeting since its inauguration a year ago, on Wednesday approved the expenditure of N1,660,000,000 to procure 9,000 metric tones of assorted fertilizers for this year’s rainy season. Commissioners of Agriculture, Umaru Nagwari; Information, Abdulkadir Jeli Abubakar; Environment, Muhammadu Sifawa and that of Health, Dr. Balarabe Kakale jointly briefed news men shortly after the meeting. The Council also approved the purchase of rice faro variety for rice farmers as well as procurement of 16,000 water pumps for distribution to dry season farmers to the tune of N392 million and approved a…
Stakeholders at the workshop organised by CropLife West and Central Africa in Abuja By Etta Michael Bisong The Federal Government has called on stakeholders to ensure the use of quality and safe pesticides to tackle the concerns in agricultural production, as well as environmental protection to foster sustainable economic development in Nigeria. Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who made the call in Abuja during a workshop organised by CropLife West and Central Africa, lamented that the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDPs) were the twin topical concerns that bedevil growth in agriculture and global environmental…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The issue of food security lies strongly in sustainable food production by the smallholder farmers who form the larger population in agricultural production. It is in general agreement that since the larger percentage of farmers in the African continent are smallholders and many of who live in the rural communities, policies in sustainable agricultural development should should be seem to protect smallholder agriculture as well as farmers’ interests in all ramifications. There is no doubt that agriculture is the backbone of the African economy and available statistics reveal that it accounts for 20% of the region’s GDP.…
– African ingenuity this year showcases breakthroughs in malaria and other public health burdens, smart solutions for farmers and dynamic power initiatives … – The Tryctor is a mini tractor modelled on the motorcycle – Safi Sarvi Organics is a low-cost fertilizermade from purely organic products and waste from farm harvests GABORONE, Botswana, May 9, 2016/ — The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) (www.AfricanInnovation.org) today announced the top 10 nominees for its landmark programme, the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA). Now celebrating its 5th year under the theme “Made in Africa”, IPA is the premier innovation initiative in the African continent, offering a grand share prize of US$150 000 and…
One Acre Fund, a nonprofit agriculture organization, today announced the official opening of its Malawi and Uganda operations BUNGOMA, Kenya, May 5, 2016/ — One Acre Fund (http://www.OneAcreFund.org), a nonprofit agriculture organization that supplies smallholder farmers with the financing and training they need to increase their incomes and food security, today announced the official opening of its Malawi and Uganda operations. Malawi and Uganda began as pilots in 2013 and 2014 respectively. One Acre Fund now serves 400,000 smallholder farmers—with an estimated two million people in those households—across East and Southern Africa. “The majority of the world’s poor are hard-working…
The partnership will initially focus on countries in Africa including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda WASHINGTON, February 4, 2015/ –GeoPoll (http://www.geopoll.com), the world’s largest real-time mobile survey platform, is announcing a strategic partnership with Control Union, global leader in agricultural certifications, food safety, and sustainability. Partnering allows Control Union to tap into GeoPoll’s multimodal mobile platform and database of 200 million users, giving them access the fastest and most cost effective data collection method available in emerging markets. Together, GeoPoll and Control Union will utilize mobile surveys to engage and educate smallholder farmers in emerging economies, with the goal of…
Prof. Sir Brian Heap of Smart Villages Initiatives By Abdallah el-Kurebe * “Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity and an environment that allows the planet thrive.” Ban Ki-moon * An estimated 1.3 billion people remain without access to electricity and 2.7 billion are still cooking on harmful and inefficient stoves. Many live in remote rural village communities and until they have access to energy services, little progress can be made to develop and improve their lives. – Poor Peoples Energy Outlook 2014 * In West Africa, almost 165 million people did not have…
L-R: Gen. Zakari in handshake with Gov. Tambuwal By Abdallah el-Kurebe Sokoto government has requested for the posting of more youth corps members that are specialised in medicine, mathematics and the English Language to be posted to the state. Governor Aminu Tambuwal made the request when the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Sule Zakari, paid a visit to Sokoto Government House on Tuesday. He said that more manpower was needed to complement government’s efforts, especially with his administration’s emphasis on health and education. “We need more doctors and teachers of mathematics and English…