Abdullahi Zuru, GM, Labana Rice Mills By Abdallah el-Kurebe The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Markets II declared Labana Rice Mills, among other rice millers in Nigeria, as a reliable partner for sustainable economic growth. Experts from the Agency, led by the Director of Economic Growth and Environment, Mr. Nduka Okaro are undergoing assessment tours to ascertain the Agency’s impact in the Northern part of the country. During a visit to Labana Rice Mills in Birnin kebbi, Kebbi state, Okaro observed that the partnership between USAID and Labana Rice Mills had remarkably improved the economic wellbeing of rice…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The death of a national diploma student of the Polytechnic of Sokoto State in the early hours of Saturday, Muyideen Salawu has been attributed to acute malaria. Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Aminu Ibrahim spoke in Sokoto on Saturday against a peaceful demonstration by students of the polytechnic, who allege that the lack of adequate water and electricity supply as well as non functional clinic, were responsible to the student’s death. According to him, “It is untrue that the student died due a waterborne disease. Malaria was the cause of his death. Our clinic is fully functional and…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) has said that during the last year, African farmers planted a total of 3.5 million hectares of Biotech/GM Crops. This was also during the 20th year of global GM crops commercialization. The Director of the Afri-Center of ISAAA, Dr. Margaret Karembu who presented Africa’s report during the launch of the 2015 Annual Report on Global Commercialization of Biotech Crops, said that so much was achieved in the continent on biotechnology and biosafety during the year under review. “For Africa, 2015 was the 18th year of successful commercialization of…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe A high level individuals from across Africa, led by former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Accra, Ghana launched a prestigious new award called the Africa Food Prize (AFP). A statement issued by the president of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr. Agnes Kalibata revealed that the award, which is worth $100,000 would recognize outstanding individuals and institutions that were contributing to the development of farming in Africa. According to her, “The US $100,000 accolade will recognize outstanding individuals and institutions that are changing the reality of farming in Africa from a struggle…
African Farmers Planted 3.5 Million Hectares of Biotech/GM Crops in 2015, the 20th year of global GM crops commercialization Nairobi (April 13, 2016) – Today the world celebrates the 20th year of successful commercial planting of biotech crops. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA, AfriCenter) will launch the Annual Report on Global Commercialization of Biotech Crops 2015, highlighting the milestones on biotechnology and biosafety achieved in Africa during this period. “For Africa, 2015 was the 18th year of successful commercialization of biotech crops. The cumulative hectarage from 1998 to 2015 in Africa stood at 3.5 million hectares (Ha). Three countries,…
Environment Minister, Amina Mohammed with the Programme Committee of OFAB By Abdallah el-Kurebe Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed has assured that Nigeria was ready to deploy biotechnology to boost the economy of the country. She said this while answering questions by Journalists shortly the members of the Programme Committee of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa paid her courtesy visit to her office on Tuesday. The Minister explained that while Nigeria was blessed with experts in biotechnology, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) was also there to ensure the safety application of the technology. “Biotechnology has…
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal inspecting farm machinery at the Henan Haofeng Machinery Manufacturing Company in Henan Province, China Sokoto government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Henan Province of China for the establishment a demonstration farm and boosting of agriculture in the state. With this agreement, Sokoto has become one of the beneficiaries of the 100 agricultural projects to be sited in developing countries which was announced by the Chinese President, Ji Xinping during the South-South Cooperation meeting held in September 2015. The deal will see to the application of new technology for cultivation of crops such as corn,…
Gas Emission By Dele Oni Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth and is notably recognized within the frame of a number of attached identities, such as being the biggest producer of petroleum in Africa. While it is invariably advancing to become one of the top producers in the world, the country has really come a long way as a fossil fuel-based economy to achieving yet another identity as one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in Africa. The country is yet to find a place among the fully industrialized nations in the world that have…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe Abidjan, Cote d’IVoire – April 9, 2016: The FAO Regional Conference for Africa, which ended on Friday in Abidjan, Cote d’IVoire has unveiled new beneficiaries of the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund (ASTF) to support their national agricultural priorities. Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director General and Coordinator of Natural Resources revealed that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Islamic Republic of Gambia and Swaziland would access $750,000, broken into $250,000 each. She added that while the funds for the DRC, would be used to complement and scale up successful FAO participatory interventions that promote rural women…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire – April 8, 2016: Ministers of Agriculture from the countries of the African continent rose from the 29th FAO Regional Conference for Africa held between 4th and 8th April, 2016 in Abidjan, capital of Cote d’Ivoire with a collective declaration to take decisive action to fight food insecurity and climate change. The declaration encouraged countries, actors in the private sector, the civil society and international organisations to work with Africa to “enhance the capacity of our countries to improve national institutional governance for direct and international access to climate finance, and to develop transformational…