The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on proper regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). According to a statement issued in Abuja, the Director-General of NBMA, Dr Rufus Ebegba said that there was the need for government agencies to work together to that GMOs are well analysed to ascertain that there is no risk to Nigerians or the Nigerian environment before they are commercialised. He said NBMA was established to ensure that the practice of Modern Biotechnology that resulted in GMOs was safe for both humans and…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
As agribusiness thrives in Nigeria, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the Corporate Farmers International (CFI) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Thursday launched the Nigeria Stock Brokers Agribusiness Group (NSBAG). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the official launch was held in Lagos at the IITA premises in Ogba. Dr Kwesi Atta-Krah, Director, Country Alignment and System Integration, IITA said that it was time to transform agriculture from a mere culture based to a business. Atta-Krah said that agriculture as a culture was no longer productive. “It has come to a point where agriculture should not…
The Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP), a World Bank Assisted Project, achieved 80.50 per cent of its 10,000 beneficiary-targets. Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos at a news conference. Onasanya said that $122,108,469.32 was spent on the project but $3,162,276.68 was yet to be disbursed. He said that the project was to strengthen small and medium scale commercial farmers to access improved technology among others. The eight-year-project initiated on July 30, 2009 and ended on May 30,2017 was solely to strengthen agricultural production systems and…
Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) has started sensitising school children across the country to the benefits of locally produced rice in terms of its quality and availability. Mr Kojo Sagoe, Policy Advisor for CARI, made this known on Thursday in Abuja at the celebration of Nigerian rice and cultural day of Asokoro Community Staff Secondary School. He said that the Policy Advocacy Unit of CARI just developed the initiative to convey the message on local rice to the parents through their children. “The programme entails identifying one or two schools that would organise end-of-the-year party for students, while finding out…
The Food and Agriculture Organistaion (FAO) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) on Friday distributed farm machinery to nine groups in Ebonyi. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was initiated under a tripartite agreement between the Nigerian Government, South Korea and FAO under the South-South Cooperation. Dr Babandi Amin, Director, Federal Department of Agriculture in the ministry, noted that the focus of the project was on the development of the rice value chain in Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire. Amin, represented by Dr Fatima Aliu, the ministry’s Rice Value Chain Desk…
Some residents in Sokoto State say the sudden increase in the prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities may negatively affect the coming Christmas celebration. A cross-section of the residents, who spoke with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Friday, complained that the situation was compounded by the prevailing cash crunch in the country. They however, attributed the situation to the economic challenges facing the country. A resident, Raymond Olayi of Catholic Church of Christ, Sokoto said that many people might not be able celebrate Christmas this year due to the current economic situation. He, nonetheless, advised the…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe A strange disease between Thursday and Friday last week has killed three persons in Mabera area of Sokoto metropolis. The deceased persons, Abdullahi Lawal, a mechanic and husband of one wife and five children; a 15 year old secondary school student, Bello Zoramawa and 14 year old house help, Nasiru Kamba died as a result of an unconfirmed ailment. Newsdiaryonline investigations reveal that the symptom of the disease were bleeding from the eyes and diarrhoea. Mother of Bello, who could not reveal her name told our reporter that her son fell sick on Thursday was was treated…
Highlights agribusiness as solution to Africa’s youth unemployment DES MOINES, United States of America, October 18, 2017/ — The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has called for global support for Africa’s young farmers and “agripreneurs”, highlighting how agribusiness is the answer to the continent’s youth employment. In collaboration with the Initiative for Global Development, the Association of African Agricultural Professionals in the Diaspora (AAAPD), Michigan State University, Iowa State University, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the AfDB brought together stakeholders to discuss how to expand economic opportunities for Africa’s youth throughout the agricultural value chain, from lab to farm…
According to the AfDB President, so huge is the potential of African savannahs that the World Bank called the Guinea savanna zone “one of the major underutilised resources in Africa DES MOINES, United States of America, October 19, 2017/ — The savannahs of Africa cover a mind-boggling 600 million hectares, of which 400 million hectares are cultivable, the President of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), Akinwumi Adesina, has said. But just 10% of this is cultivated, a mere 40 million hectares, Adesina said Wednesday, while speaking at a session titled “Transformation of the African Savannah Initiative (http://APO.af/vSoKvu)” at the 2017 World Food Prize-Borlaug…
The fall armyworm reportedly has a foothold in 28 nations in Africa, and it feeds on crops that include maize, which more than 200 million Africans depend on for food security DES MOINES, United States of America, October 19, 2017/ — The world’s anti-hunger organizations have an opportunity to prevent widespread destruction of African crops by stopping the spread of an insect, warn three of the most respected thinkers on international agriculture. However, the international community must act swiftly, in cooperation, and on a large scale to do so. The fall armyworm reportedly has a foothold in 28 nations in…