This is the first in a three-part series making the case that the development of biotech traits for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance are the most substantial innovations in sustainable agriculture in the last three decades. Here, I lay out the context in which I believe they should be assessed relative to other innovations competing for the crown. In part two, I lay out the data and evidence of their overall environmental impacts. And in part three, I’ll make my closing argument after looking at the impacts on Argentina, China, India, Pakistan and South Africa. If you haven’t watched the new…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Vice President, Power, Energy, Climate and Growth complex of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Amadou Hott has disclosed that the bank has approved a grant of 1.5 million dollars (about N540 million) to support power project in Jigawa state, Nigeria. Disclosing this in an interview in Abidjan on Saturday, he said: “In Nigeria, there are some projects we are doing. Presently, we have approved in Jigawa state, a grant of more than 1.5 million dollars to develop a project to build two times 100 megawatts. The grant has just been approved by the board two days ago. “The idea…
At the presentation of his prize cheque in Lagos, Miracle Ikechukwu Igbokwe, the 2018 winner of the Big Brother Naija, spoke about his new status, how he plans to spend his N25 million cash prize, and his future ambition. How do you feel about the presentation of cheque and other prizes you won today? Miracle Ikechukwu Igbokwe: I feel very great. Who wouldn’t feel great? I won N45 million. The cash prize being N25m and I have a car. So, it’s actually a great privilege. I’m happy, I’m excited because this is kick-starting my main goal of becoming a billionaire.…
By Mark Lynas Underneath the busy, green exterior it doesn’t take long to discover that this is a country that faces serious environmental and agricultural challenges Every time I visit Uganda, I am struck by what a vibrant, lively country it is, and how blessed with abundant natural resources, including Lake Victoria, full of fish and surrounded by lush green vegetation. But underneath the busy, green exterior it doesn’t take long to discover that this is a country that faces serious environmental and agricultural challenges. Unfortunately, politics has got in the way of efforts to protect the nation’s fragile ecosystem…
In February and March this year, importers of solar panels suddenly discovered a new anomaly; the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) was forcing them to pay between 5% and 10% import duty on solar panels. This was a new development contravening a federal government law that put zero percent import duties on solar panels to encourage the use of renewable energy and diversification of power sources. With an estimated population of over 180 million, Nigeria still generates a reported 7,000 megawatts of electricity and transmits about 5,222 MW of this volume. According to a Power Generation Report by the Ministry of…
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Alabama, Birmingham offered insights into why some people’s hair may turn gray in response to a serious illness or chronic stress. A new study on mice, published in the open access journal PLOS Biology discovered a connection between the genes that contribute to hair color and the genes that notify our bodies of a pathogenic infection. According to the researchers, when a body is under attack from a virus or bacteria, the innate immune system detects them and responds by producing signaling molecules called interferons. Interferons signal to other cells to take…
Plant scientists at UK’s John Innes Centre unraveled the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle that opens up the potential for rapid synthesis of cancer-fighting compounds. In a study in the journal Science, the researchers led by Sarah O’Connor, identified the last missing genes in the genome of the periwinkle that are devoted to building the chemical vinblastine after 15 years of research. This valuable natural product has been used as an anti-cancer drug since it was discovered in the 1950s. Found in the leaves of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), it proved to be a potent inhibitor of cell division and used against…
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Sani Aliyu has said the agency would conduct the largest national AIDS survey in june. Announcing this at a news conference on “Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey’’ on Thursday in Abuja, the DG said the survey would be in collaboration with the United States Government, Global Funds, UNAIDS, Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO), among others. Aliyu noted that the survey which would last for six months, would be conducted across the 36 states and the FCT. According to him,the survey will determine…
New technology developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists at Iowa State University could allow anyone with a smartphone to see crops much the same way trained plant breeders and scientists do. The researchers’ findings, published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate how artificial intelligence can identify a range of common stresses in soybeans. The technology can improve efficiency for plant breeders and farmers, and it demonstrates the growing value of automation in agriculture. ISU agronomists and engineers started by collecting a large dataset of around 25,000 images of soybean stresses taken in…
By Diana Kwon President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a proposal to prohibit Chinese students and scientists from working on sensitive research at US universities, The New York Times reported this week (April 30). The proposal stems from fears that researchers from China may steal intellectual secrets. According to the Times, US universities are particularly vulnerable to espionage. Defense Department statistics suggest that, in 2014, academic institutions were the target of almost a quarter of the efforts from foreign countries to access sensitive information. The restrictions may include certain projects with “military or intelligence value,” such as those involving advanced materials…