By Abdallah el-Kurebe Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has observed that insecurity, unemployment and food insecurity were some of the problems that are retarding the nation’s development. Receiving the new Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello in his Palace in Sokoto on Thursday, the Sultan stressed the need for action towards addressing the current security challenges in Zamfara state and some parts of the country. While calling on security agencies and other stakeholders to assist in addressing the problems in order to ensure societal development, Abubakar also called on leaders “to be just and fair in the discharge of their responsibilities.…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) has sworn in 52 new Medical Doctors that studied for the 2012/2013 academic session. Accepting the new Medical Doctors into medical practice on behalf of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria on Tuesday, State Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Abdulgafar Jimoh urged them to “lead with decorum, mutual respect and be advocates of clinical governance.” The Vice Chancellor (VC) of UDUS, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru called on the Doctors to abide by their professional oath and be good ambassadors of the institution. “What you did in the last six…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe For the first time in the whole of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, the Bone and Joint Orthopedic Hospital, a private entity based in Sokoto has successfully performed a hip replacement on Hajiya Rukayya Muhammad (65) of Wamakko local government area of the state by three surgeons. The Bone and Joint Orthopedic Hospital has therefore joined other orthopedic hospitals in Abuja, Lagos and other places in the country to perform that kind of surgery. Dr. Muhammad Oboirien, who is the Medical Director of the Hospital said that the woman had damaged hip, which resulted from severe arthritis,…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The World Health Organization(WHO) has said that at least, 240,000 children would be immunized during the Injectable and Oral Polio Vaccination campaign scheduled to hold between 2nd and 6th May in Sokoto North, Sokoto South and Wamakko local government areas (LGAs) of the state. The Supplemental Immunization Officer of WHO, Dr. Ana Elena Chevez disclosed this on Wednesday at a roundtable meeting with members of Journalists Against Polio (JAP) on Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV). She explained that children living in the three local government areas required higher level of protection because the areas were classified as vulnerable to…
Mohammed Rahman doesn’t know it yet, but his small farm in central Bangladesh is globally significant. Mr. Rahman, a smallholder farmer in Krishnapur, about 60 miles northwest of the capital, Dhaka, grows eggplant on his meager acre of waterlogged land. As we squatted in the muddy field, examining the lush green foliage and shiny purple fruits, he explained how, for the first time this season, he had been able to stop using pesticides. This was thanks to a new pest-resistant variety of eggplant supplied by the government-run Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute. Despite a recent hailstorm, the weather had been kind,…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe Twenty-three (23) African and European research partners are presently collaborating on a long term research and innovation towards a sustainable improvement of food and nutrition security and the livelihoods of African farmers. A report by the Natural Resources Institute in Finland says that the focus of the research is on sustainable intensification of the agrofood system in Africa. “The research will understudy the consequences of sustainable intensification of food production to the environment, economy and society.” It observed that farming practices have impacted negatively on the environment as a result of which many people still do not…
Prof. Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu, Director-General/CEO, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja Nigeria has finally joined the league of Biotechnology countries. This is contained in a statement by Prof. Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu, Director-General/CEO, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja. President Goodluck Jonathan has signed the National Biosafety Agency Bill, which is a milestone in the domestication of modern biotechnology in Nigeria a giant stride that will allow the country to join the league of countries advanced in the use of this cutting edge technology as another window to boost economic development in Nigeria. It will create more employment, boost food production that will…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe Nigeria has finally joined the league of biotechnology countries with the signing the National Biosafety Agency Bill into law by President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday. The Law seeks to domesticate modern biotechnology used by advanced countries as cutting-edge technology to boost economic development. A statement signed by the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of National Biotechnology Development Agency, Prof. Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu stated that the Act would “create more employment, boost food production that will put a smile on the faces of farmers and elevate hunger if given good attention by government.” According to the statement, “The National Biosafety…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe Delegates from 30 countries from around the world, attending an International Agri-Biotech and Biosafety Communication Conference (ABBC-2015) in Nairobi have called on the Kenya Government to lift a 2-year ban on GMO imports. Addressing the delegates comprising of farmers, scientists, policy makers, private sector, the media and science communicators, the Principal Secretary in Kenya’s Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Dr, Wilson Songa emphasized the role of agricultural biotechnology in propelling the country towards prosperity. “To harness this potential the GMO import ban must be lifted,” he said. In addition, he said that Kenya has adequate capacity…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said although there would be enough water to produce food for 10 billion people in 2050, consumption rate and the impact of climate change would still threaten food security and water supplies in many regions. According to the report already, water scarcity already affects more than 40 percent of the world’s population because too much water was being used to produce food. FAO and the World Water Council (WWC), in the joint report stated that by 2050, 60 percent more food would be needed to feed the world’s people,…