The Federal Government in conjunction with the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has started the training of 250 farmers in Niger in cassava and rice entrepreneurship. The State Programme Coordinator (SPC) of IFAD-VCDP, Dr Mathew Ahmed made this known at the opening of one of the entrepreneurship workshops in Minna on Friday, adding that the aim of the workshops was to enable those trained to train other farmers in the state. “If you must do well in agri-business, you must utilise this training and step it down to other members of your group…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The United Nations (UN), through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) has released two million dollars to sustain the response to a deadly cholera outbreak in Yobe, North-east Nigeria, that could affect thousands of people. Authorities said since the beginning of the outbreak, which was officially declared in four local government areas on March 28, 404 cases and 15 deaths have been reported. According to a statement by Samantha Newport, Head of Communications, OCHA Nigeria, the UN and its partners activated an immediate emergency response in the affected communities in support of the State Ministry of Health. “However, additional resources are…
The Government of Tanzania on Thursday set aside 307 million U.S. dollars for the construction of the 2,100 megawatts (MW) Stiegler’s Gorge hydropower project in the Selous Game Reserve. Stiegler’s Gorge hydropower project is the world’s renowned wildlife area, a Senior Official said on Thursday. Medard Kalemani, the East African nation’s Minister for Energy, told the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma that the allocated budget for the mega power project was about 41 per cent of the ministry’s budget. “The government has so far evaluated the tenders for the project that will help Tanzania in its quest to graduate…
The President of African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), Akinwumi A. Adesina, and the Bank’s Board of Governors held a high-level session on “Climate and Disaster Risk Financing” focusing on the Role of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) (www.AfricanRiskCapacity.org) and the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Program (ADRiFi) on Wednesdayin Busan, Korea. The high-level session, part of the 53rd African Development Bank Group Annual Meetings underway in Busan, Korea, provided a platform for African Ministers of Finance, the Economy and Planning, who form its Board of Governors, to extend ongoing discussions between the Bank and regional member countries on the importance of disaster risk financing…
Europe can no longer turn its back on the benefits of genetically modified crops – Observer editorial For a generation, a campaign by the green movement against the growing of genetically modified crops has held sway across Europe. These foodstuffs are a threat to health, the environment and the small independent farmer, NGOs have argued. As result, virtually no GM crops have been grown on Europe’s farms for the past 25 years. Yet hard evidence to support what is, in all but name, a ban on these vilified forms of plant life is thin on the ground. In fact, most scientific reports…
Market update: Good business prospects for the agrofood, plastics and packaging industries in Côte d’Ivoire and West Africa According to GTAI Germany Trade & Invest of 16 May 2018, Côte d’Ivoire is becoming the bread basket of West Africa(https://goo.gl/kJPmWm). Agriculture and the food industry, especially in Abidjan, have been very dynamic for years, both in production and processing. Further investments will follow. Both sectors also enjoy a prominent regional position as they also supply the other francophone countries of the region, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Togo and Benin. The increasing demand for food throughout the rather homogenous French-speaking…
A new study conducted by a team of scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority reveals that a potato variety genetically engineered to resist potato blight can help reduce the use of chemical fungicides by up to 90 percent. The approach uses two tools: a genetically modified (GM) potato along with a new pest management strategy. Potato blight, caused by the water mold Phytophthora infestans, causes significant losses to potato farmers worldwide. Farmers resort to spraying their crops with fungicides on a weekly basis to control the disease. The international team of scientists developed the IPM2.0 approach which involves growing…
The Africa Innovation Summit (AIS) (www.AfricaInnovationSummit.com) today announced the innovators selected from across the continent to exhibit their solutions at the forum, which will take place from 6 to 8 June 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda under the esteemed patronage of His Excellences President Paul Kagame and Pedro Pires (ex-President of Cabo Verde and 2011 Mo Ibrahim Laureate). The AIS serves as a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue and a catalyst for coalition and action towards building robust innovation ecosystems in Africa. AIS 2018 will focus on innovation as a tool to address Africa’s pressing challenges. An important aspect of AIS 2018 will focus…
The 53rd Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) opened in Busan, Korea, on Monday with a call on African Governments to create the right environment for the private sector to lead the continent’s industrial revolution. Participants also advocated for a balance between the role of the State and the private sector. Korea was presented as a good model for industrialization which African countries can learn from. “Korea’s example is incredible. Korea was as poor as any African country in the 1960s with a low per capital income. Today, thanks to the determination of its people and its commitment…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) (www.AFDB.org) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (www.UNIDO.org) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, May 21 to step up collaboration to boost Africa’s industrialization. “The Bank launched in 2016 its Industrialization Strategy for Africa 2016-2025, which was the outcome of collaborative work with UNIDO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The signing of the present MoU is key to our Strategy’s implementation,” said African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina. “The Bank already benefits enormously from UNIDO’s expertise in developing policies, programmes and knowledge tools which supports our member countries…