The GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter is a compact, handheld agricultural innovation developed to help farmers, grain traders, feed manufacturers and aggregators accurately assess grain moisture levels before storage, processing or sale. Moisture management plays a vital role in modern agriculture, as excessive moisture in harvested grain can result in post-harvest losses, mould development and aflatoxin contamination, all of which threaten food safety, grain quality and farm profitability. Created by Sesi Technologies in Ghana, GrainMate reflects a growing push towards climate-smart and climate-resilient agricultural technologies tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses across Africa. The device is already widely…
Author: Newsdesk
Liberia’s Ministry of Agriculture has officially launched a major farm-to-market road rehabilitation initiative in Bong County, marking a significant step towards strengthening agricultural value chains and improving rural livelihoods. Implemented through the Tree Crops Extension Project Phase II (TCEP-II), the project will see the construction and rehabilitation of 59 kilometres of critical feeder roads designed to improve market access for farmers across the county. The road works have been divided into seven lots covering key farming communities and some of Bong County’s most productive agricultural zones. Once completed, the improved road network will provide farmers with more reliable links to…
The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee on Book Ranking and Selection, to strengthen the quality and affordability of textbooks used in Nigerian schools. The initiative is aimed at addressing gaps in the current textbook approval process, which has allowed poor-quality materials, lack of standardisation and excessive financial burden on parents, to thrive. Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said that the existing system had failed to adequately validate and rank textbooks before approval. He said that this had led to a situation where some subjects had up to 50 approved books…
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC), often described as the “great equalizer,” may be failing people aged 60 and above, a health expert has warned. Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, a Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health, gave the warning in an interview with reporters on Monday in Abuja. Anyaike said older adults continue to face financial hardship and inadequate care despite the promise of UHC. According to him, global health systems largely prioritize infectious diseases, maternal health and child care, leaving the rapidly growing elderly population underserved. “By 2050, one in six people worldwide will be over 60,…
Dr Kazeem Abubaker, a materials engineering researcher, has urged the Federal Government to abandon the “grow now, clean later” development model, insisting that economic prosperity must go hand in hand with environmental protection. Abubaker gave the advice in an interview with reporters on Monday in Abuja, warning that delaying action on pollution poses a serious risk to Nigeria’s future. He cautioned that ignoring environmental issues could trap the country in toxic air, depleted natural resources and enormous clean-up costs for future generations. According to him, focusing solely on rapid economic growth without strong environmental regulations risks triggering severe public health…
France has rejected the offer from US President Donald Trump to join the “Board of Peace” tasked with overseeing governance and economic reconstruction in Gaza. The United States had sent invitations to several dozen world leaders, offering three-year membership with the option to pay $1 billion for permanent membership. The body is set to work alongside a technocratic administration during a transitional phase in the enclave. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, responding to the offer, said Paris “must say no because, at present, the charter of the Board of Peace extends beyond Gaza and therefore exceeds the scope of…
The Anambra State Government, through the Special Anti-Touting Squad, has arrested six illegal revenue collectors operating around the River Niger bridges and communities in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state. The suspects were apprehended on Monday at different locations during a coordinated operation, following investigations that revealed they had been extorting residents, transport operators, and investors under the guise of collecting levies. The Managing Director of the Special Anti-Touting Squad, Monday Nwokoye, said the arrests were in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive that illegal cash collections must cease in the state. Nwokoye said the operation was triggered…
After Australia’s ban on the use of social media by children aged under 16 years, France and the UK are also said to be considering similar restrictions for children. France is currently debating bills for a similar ban for those under 15 years of age, including one championed by President Emmanuel Macron himself. French public health watchdog ANSES also ruled last week that social media has numerous detrimental effects for adolescents, particularly girls. Meanwhile in Britain, 61 MPs on Sunday urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to implement a ban on social media for young teens, criticising “successive governments” for having…
The National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) on Monday emphasized the need for systems thinking and citizen participation to enhance effective policymaking and implementation in Nigeria. The NACETEM Director-General, Dr Olushola Odusanya, made the assertion at an Executive Training on Systems Thinking and Systems Dynamics for Decision Makers and Policymakers held in Lagos on Monday. The training, organized by NACETEM in partnership with House of Representatives lawmakers from Kosofe Constituency, carried the theme: “Systems Thinking for Transformational Legislative Leadership.” It was reported that systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on how different parts of a system…
A US-based foundation, Quantus Medical Foundation (QMF), has urged hospital management across Nigeria to always accept emergency cases in a bid to save lives. The founder of QMF, Dr Nnenna Ihekoromadu, made the call during the flag-off of the “WeCare Nigeria Initiative” at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, on Monday. She noted that some patients rushed to hospitals in emergency situations are often refused care for reasons such as lack of beds, non-availability of medical doctors, and understaffing of medical personnel. “We are calling on hospital management to put a ban on patient rejection in emergency…