Together, soil and water form the foundation of food security, and without urgent action, both are at risk. World Soil Day on 5 December highlights this connection through the theme ‘Soil & Water: A Source of Life’. Prof Driekie Fourie, nematologist at Syngenta Seedcare, said in a statement that this message was especially relevant for South Africa’s agriculture sector. “Soil and water are not separate challenges. They form a single, interconnected system that underpins food security and long-term agricultural viability.” She noted that water scarcity often drew public attention, yet soil degradation continued largely unchecked. “Topsoil is increasingly vulnerable to…
Author: Newsdesk
Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, says his company will become the world’s number one fertiliser producer by 2028. Speaking on Thursday at the Imo economic summit, the billionaire said the group is investing heavily in fertiliser and plans to grow output from 3 million tonnes of urea to 12 million tonnes in the next three years. “We are investors and I can tell you in the next three years, the programme that we have in the group, we’re investing heavily in fertiliser,” he said.
No fewer than 14,000 Bauchi farmers are to benefit from a climate resilient agriculture intervention to encourage productivity and enhance food security. The three-year smart agriculture programme is being implemented by the Heineken Africa Foundation through the Nigerian Breweries Plc.. Mr Chukwuemeka Aniukwu, Head of Public, External and Government Affairs, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said this during the inauguration of the programme, on Thursday in Bauchi. He said the foundation would invest about N4 billion to facilitate implementation of the programme in seven local government areas of the state. Anuikwu said the programme was designed to empower farmers and build climate…
The Zamfara State Government has announced that the recent cholera outbreak, which affected numerous communities across the state’s 14 Local Government Areas (LGAs), has been successfully contained, with no active cases currently reported. The development was disclosed by the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Nafisa Maradun, during an After Action Review Meeting on the cholera response, held at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in Gusau. Dr. Maradun was represented at the meeting by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Yusuf Haske. Characterizing the achievement as evidence of the administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and people-centered governance, Dr. Maradun provided a…
Stakeholders in the veterinary sector have called for a strong legal framework to ensure effective management of animal health in the country. The call was made in Uyo during a four-day stakeholders’ review meeting on the draft Animal Health Bill, with participants drawn from the Federal and State Ministries of Agriculture, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), and Orixine Consulting. In her remarks, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, said there was an urgent need to provide strong legal backing for effective animal health governance in the state and the country at large. Offor, who was represented by…
Mr Daniel Amos (APC–Kaduna) has provided free medical surgeries valued at N120 million for no fewer than 1,600 constituents in Jema’a and Sanga Federal Constituency. Amos inaugurated the fourth edition of the medical outreach on Thursday at the Patrick Yakowa Hospital in Kafanchan, saying the initiative was designed to improve the quality of life of his people. “Today is not just another ceremony. It marks another chapter in our collective journey toward accessible, affordable and community-rooted healthcare,” he said. “It is a reaffirmation of our belief that leadership must touch lives in practical, measurable and meaningful ways. It is our…
The Federal Government has charged 464 newly inducted foreign-trained medical laboratory science graduates to uphold professionalism, integrity and precision, while resisting malpractice and quackery in Nigeria’s healthcare system. Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja at the 12th Induction and Oath-Taking Ceremony of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN). Salako said the ceremony demonstrated a collective commitment to strengthening institutions, empowering professionals and advancing a people-centred health system anchored on quality, trust and accountability. He noted that medical laboratory scientists play a crucial role in diagnosis, treatment…
Society for Family Health (SFH), a leading public health organization, says it will support the enrollment of 1.9 million people living with HIV into the national health insurance system. The Managing Director, Dr. Omokhudu Idogho, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja. He reaffirmed SFH’s commitment to supporting the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the next implementation phase, which integrates comprehensive HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) and Family Planning (FP) services into the national insurance package. According to him, the new phase includes convening stakeholder sessions to map NHIA-accredited facilities offering HIV, TB and FP services, as…
An agriculture expert, Mr. Sunday Obasi, has urged Nigerians and small-scale farmers to adopt all-year-round farming techniques, particularly organic and climate-resilient agriculture, to boost national food security. Obasi, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, gave the advice during an All-Year-Round Farming Training held on Thursday in Abuja. The training was organized by the Allied Products Initiative (FFAPI). Obasi stressed the need for Nigerian households and smallholder farmers to embrace improved dry-season farming techniques to increase food supply, reduce high market prices and economically empower women. According to him, proper planning, water management, land preparation…
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in partnership with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has launched a major multinational initiative aimed at accelerating coordinated blue economy actions across the Horn of Africa. The new programme, titled Building Blue Economy Resilience and Prosperity in IGAD & the Horn of Africa (BE-Prosper), was formally approved during a three-day event held at the IGAD headquarters in Djibouti from 17–19 November. The launch brought together senior government officials, development partners, technical experts and representatives from regional institutions. Speaking on behalf of IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, Mohy Tohami, Director of Economic Cooperation and Regional Integration…