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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Emergency: UNICEF needs $3.6bn for 48m children in crises

The UNICEF is urgently in need of $3.6 billion to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to 48 million children living through conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies in 51 countries in 2018, reports NaijaAgroNet.
UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes, Manuel Fontaine disclosed in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, noted that around the world, violent conflict is driving humanitarian needs to critical levels, with children especially vulnerable. Conflicts that have endured for years – such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, among other countries –  continue to deepen in complexity, bringing new waves of violence, displacement and disruption to children’s lives.

“Children cannot wait for wars to be brought to an end, with crises threatening the immediate survival and long term future of children and young people on a catastrophic scale. Children are the most vulnerable when conflict or disaster causes the collapse of essential services such as healthcare, water and sanitation. Unless the international community takes urgent action to protect and provide life-saving assistance to these children, they face an increasingly bleak future,” Fontaine said.
According to Communication Specialist UNICEF Nigeria, Eva Hinds, parties to conflicts are showing a blatant disregard for the lives of children, hence children may not only be coming under direct attack, but are also being denied basic services as schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure are damaged or destroyed. Approximately 84 per cent ($3.015 billion) of the 2018 funding appeal is for work in countries affected by humanitarian crises borne of violence and conflict.

The world is becoming a more dangerous place for many children, with almost one in four children now living in a country affected by conflict or disaster. For too many of these children, daily life is a nightmare.
The spread of water-borne diseases is one of the greatest threats to children’s lives in crises. Attacks on water and sanitation infrastructure, siege tactics which deny children access to safe water, as well as forced displacement into areas with no water and sanitation infrastructure – all leave children and families at risk of relying on contaminated water and unsafe sanitation. Girls and women face additional threats, as they often fulfil the role of collecting water for their families in dangerous situations.

“117 million people living through emergencies lack access to safe water and in many countries affected by conflict, more children die from diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation than from direct violence,” said Fontaine. “Without access to safe water and sanitation, children fall ill, and are often unable to be treated as hospitals and health centres either do not function or are overcrowded. The threat is even greater as millions of children face life-threatening levels of malnutrition, making them more susceptible to water-borne diseases like cholera, creating a vicious cycle of undernutrition and disease.”

As the leading humanitarian agency on water, sanitation and hygiene in emergencies, UNICEF provides over half of the emergency water, sanitation and hygiene services in humanitarian crises around the world.

When disasters strike, UNICEF works with partners to quickly provide access to safe drinking water, sanitation services and hygiene supplies to prevent the spread of disease. This includes establishing latrines, distributing hygiene kits, trucking thousands of litres of water to displacement camps daily, supporting hospitals and cholera treatment centres, and repairing water and sanitation systems. These measures save lives, have long-term impact and pave the way for other important services like health clinics, vaccination programmes, nutrition support and emergency education.

The largest component of UNICEF’s appeal this year is for children and families caught up in the Syria conflict, soon to enter its eighth year. UNICEF is seeking almost $1.3 billion to support 6.9 million Syrian children inside Syria and those living as refugees in neighbouring countries.

UNICEF said that working with partners and with the support of donors, intends in 2018 to provide 35.7 million people with access to safe water; Reach 8.9 million children with formal or non-formal basic education; Immunize 10 million children against measles; Provide psychosocial support to over 3.9 million children; Treat 4.2 million children with severe acute malnutrition.
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Monday, January 29, 2018

'A presidential poison for Buhari'

'A presidential poison for Buhari': Commentary@ITREALMS:  To us here in Nigeria, a colony is nothing new. The colony of Lagos established by the British in 1861 has famili...

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Feed the future Nigeria visiting scholars programme extends deadline

The Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project visiting scholars programme for 2018 has gotten a new deadline extension till February 28, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The programme, which seeks application from the all states across the federation, entails successful applicants will visit the Michigan State University.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that at least, five graduate students visiting scholars will fill the positions for the academic year 2018 starting in August till May 2019.

Also on offer, NaijaAgroNet gathered, are three at the Masters level and two (2) at the PhD level.

The Masters Level positions will be awarded for a maximum 1 semester, and the PhD Level, a maximum of 2 semesters.

The student’s primary research supervisor who must be from a Nigerian University is expected to actively participate in the programme.

The advisor will be invited (and funded) to visit MSU for a period not exceeding 30 calendar days.

Those who meet the criteria and are interested, are advised to submit the materials as specified in the documents for the programme funded by USAID Nigeria Mission.


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Family Planning: LASG tasks media on accurate information

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olajide Idris, has charged Nigerian media to ensure propagation of accurate information on Family Planning (FP), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Dr. Idris in his address to a three-day workshop on Advance Family Planning (AFP) Smart Media Advocacy by the Pathfinder International in Lagos, commended the orgnisers and enjoined all hands to be on the deck.

The Commissioner represented by the Director, Family Health Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Shade Oludara, said, “Media needs to spread the correct information at all times, and not confuse the people the more.”

Oludara who led a delegation comprising the Coordinator Family Planning, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Okaga Sidiat, stressed that Lagos would soon enter into some community health campaigns which media could help in propagating.

Equally, the Commissioner highlighted some traditions and misconceptions militating against adequate Family Planning uptake, especially on Modern Contraceptive Prevalent Rate (MCPR) in the state.
In some instance, he said, “Some people told our FP team in one of their sensitization programs that family planning is bad and as a woman, you need to bring out all the eggs God has given you by birthing, else it would turn to cancer.”

Equally speaking, Dr. Okaga, who doubles as Coordinaator, Reproductive Health in the state, urged media practitioners to always approach her office for confirmations and clarifications where necessary.

This, she said would forestall any misinformation, hence Pathfinder is trying to close this gap with this workshop.

She further outlined some key words media practitioners in family planning should take note of to include, Contraceptive Prevalent Rate (CPR), FP - family planning; and RH - Reproductive health to name a few.

According to her, when family planning is properly done, mortality rate will reduce drastically to over 30 per cent and meeting the target of 74 per cent CPR uptake by end of 2020.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Associate Director at Pathfinder International office in Nigeria, Dr. Habeeb Salami, said that the workshop objective is to change the narrative on family planning in the country for good.

Dr. Oludare later inaugurated the Lagos State Family Planning Media Working Group, led by Mrs. Chioma Umeha.


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Thursday, January 25, 2018

Onshore wind power now affordable, solar to halve by 2020 - Study

The cost of generating power from onshore wind has fallen by around a quarter since 2010, with solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) electricity costs falling by 73 per cent in that time, according to new cost analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), reports NaijaAgroNet.

The IRENA study, NaijaAgroNet reports, highlighted that solar PV costs are expected to halve by 2020, stressing that the best onshore wind and solar PV projects could be delivering electricity for an equivalent of USD 3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), or less within the next two years.

Also, NaijaAgroNet reports that global weighted average costs over the last 12 months for onshore wind and solar PV now stand at USD 6 cents and USD 10 cents per kWh respectively, with recent auction results suggesting future projects will significantly undercut these averages.

According to the Executive Summary of the study, onshore wind is now routinely commissioned for USD 4 cents per kWh. The current cost spectrum for fossil fuel power generation ranges from USD 5-17 cents per kWh.

The Director-General at IRENA, Adnan Z. Amin, was quoted as saying, “This new dynamic signals a significant shift in the energy paradigm. These cost declines across technologies are unprecendented and representative of the degree to which renewable energy is disrupting the global energy system." 

The study, NaijaAgroNet gathered was recently released on the first day of IRENA’s Eighth Assembly in Abu Dhabi on ‘Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017’ highlights that other forms of renewable power generation, such as bioenergy, geothermal and hydropower projects in the last 12 months have competed head-to-head on costs, with power from fossil fuels.

The findings, NaijaAgroNet reported, had noted that by 2019, the best onshore wind and solar PV projects will be delivering electricity for a USD 3 cents per kWh, significantly below the current cost of power from fossil fuels.

NaijaAgroNet equally reports that for IRENA, competitive procurement practices together with the emergence of a large base of experienced medium-to-large project developers competing for global market opportunities, are cited as new drivers of recent cost reductions, in addition to continued technology advancements.  

“Turning to renewables for new power generation is not simply an environmentally conscious decision, it is now – overwhelmingly – a smart economic one. Governments around the world are recognizing this potential and forging ahead with low-carbon economic agendas underpinned by renewables-based energy systems. We expect the transition to gather further momentum, supporting jobs, growth, improved health, national resilience and climate mitigation around the world in 2018 and beyond,” Amin said.  

Further, NaijaAgroNet reports that IRENA study underscored that auction results are signaling that offshore wind and concentrating solar power projects commissioned in the period between 2020-22 will cost in the range of USD 6-10 cents per kWh, supporting accelerated deployment globally.


“IRENA projects that all renewable energy technologies will compete with fossils on price by 2020,” he said.

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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Lagos tackles domestic waste, begins allocation of bins to houses

In the wake of recent restructuring of the waste management system in Lagos state, the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) has commenced the allocation of bins to residences in Lagos State to ensure each building gets a dedicated waste bin for proper disposal of waste, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The bin, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is a 240-liter or 1,100 liter green receptacle with an orange lid, which is currently being deployed to houses across Lagos.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that the exercise kicked off recently with targets to deliver 20,000 bins in two months beginning from Agege and Ikoyi areas of Lagos State with allocation based on property size, number of occupants and other factors.

CLI affirmed that the bins, which have been electronically tagged to facilitate prompt collection of waste and reduce incidences of theft and waste spillover, would eventually get to all houses in the state. Residents are expected to dispose their waste in the bins, which will be emptied regularly by Vision scape Sanitation, the Waste Collection Operator charged with residential waste collection.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Abiodun Bamigboye, reassured Lagosians that the various waste challenges they were concerned about would be effectively tackled by the Cleaner Lagos Initiative.

“Well-equipped and trained workers known as Community Sanitation Workers (CSWs) have been deployed, bins are currently going around to every house and fleets of vehicles suitable for specific purpose are on ground to deliver the task,” Bamigboye said.

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Friday, January 19, 2018

Nigerians spoil for war: Cow meat boycott takes effect February 1

There is an online cow meat boycott campaign currently going on in Nigeria over the reported incessant attacks on Nigerian Christians, who invariably are the most patronisers of cow meat in the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

They also alleged that killed Christian bodies are now being used in the preparation of Suya, a popular delicacy made usually from cow meat, unfortunately for other Christians to consume unknown to them.

Investigations by NaijaAgroNet showed that the campaign which is trending on all available social media including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Telegram, was to protest the attacks on other Nigerians especially the Christians by members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and other unidentified herdsmen across the country.

Part of the message sighted by NaijaAgroNet indicated that the boycott takes effects from February 1st, and urging “Christians all over Nigeria have been asked to stop eating of Cow meat.”

The message insisted that since cow meat are now being “breeded with human and Christian bloods being murdered in cold blood on daily basis without government doing anything, would amount to double killing for those Christian victims.”

The campaign insisted that the ban from eating Cow Meet should be taken seriously as from February 1st in “solidarity for the lives of our dear Christian brothers and sisters killed by wicked Islamist group.”

Urging more people, especially Nigerian Christians to eat, ”more of fish, bush meat, pig, native goat, chicken, duck, snails, etc.”

The unendorsed prayer to Christendom, that Christian elders have discovered and come to the conclusion that Muslims love the life of Cows more than the life of Christians, alleging, “they have gone as far as killing Christians to prepare suya  for Christians to eat.”


For the campaigners, “Christians are the promoters of their sales of Cows and that is enough for them to respect Christians since we are the promoters of their businesses.”

They imagined the Southern Kaduna killings of over 1000 Christians slaughtered by Islamist, but the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led All Progressive Congress (APC) government kept quiet and rather reacted to the death of cows.

For the campaigners, “this is the only way we (Christians) can crumble their economy and bring them to their kneels to respect Christians.”

They equally appealed to Christians to share the protest message on Facebook, and WhatsApp on their contacts until it gets to everyone Christian in Nigeria.


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More trouble for PMB: NAPF demands for Piggery colony

There seems to be more headaches coming the way of Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari as the National Association of Piggery Farmers (NAPF) has written him, alleging marginalization and demanding for a start, piggery colonies in 19 northern states, reports NaijaAgroNet.

NAPF in the letter addressed to the Presidency, and sighted by NaijaAgroNet which was signed by one Ogbuefi Animam Eze, who claimed to be the National Secretary of NAPF, also sent copies to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Defence, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Aka Ikenga, Oodua Peoples' Congress (OPC), Ijaw National Congress (INC), Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and Nzuko Umunna deplore the marginalization of the association by the Federal Government.

“Our pigs have been variously targeted for elimination in several Northern states. Those Sharia compliant states have refused to allow our legitimate businesses to thrive. Our members have been hounded and harassed by the Hisbah Police and others. We deplore this,” the group said.

They also alleged that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) led Chief Audo Ogbeh, has paid deaf ears to our plight, as members demand that the marginalization must stop in order to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Based on the foregoing, NAPF raised a six-point demand top on agenda being the demand for a 20-hectare Piggery Colony in the 19 Northern States especially Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Borno and Gombe.

NAPF insisted that equal opportunities should be given to all farmers and herders throughout the federation and went on to demand from the National Assembly the passage of a law on “Piggery Colonies in all Northern states.”

Further, NAPF demanded that a section of the Nigerian Army be employed in the protection of pigs and pig farmers form any attack, proposing FMARD set aside a budget allocation for the importation of Pig Feed from Argentina, whereas a special department of Piggery in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should be created.


“Dear Mr. President, we are law abiding association. We prevent our members from being provoked by the government-backed Hisbah/Islamic horde that aim to destroy our pig farmers. We shall not be involved in attacking and killing the anti-piggery people in the Sharia States. If these things are not done, we can no longer guarantee that our members would not deliberately target our transducers,” NAPF said.

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Thursday, January 18, 2018

Cattle colonies, insult on Nigerians – CAN

The spate of agitations over planned establishment of cattle colonies by the Federal Government of Nigeria, have been wholesomely described as an insult on Nigerians, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) stated this in Abuja, Tuesday, saying that this is a term every Nigerian should condemn and resist.

CAN through the General –Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Dr. Musa Asake, at the National Christian Centre, Tuesday, told newsmen that every Nigerian should condemn in strong terms and resist the attempt by this pro-Fulani government that 'cattle colonies' shall be established all over the country.

“This is an insult on all Nigerians. The idea of 'cattle colony' presupposes that the Fulanis are colonial masters,” CAN said.

Wondering, “How and when one ethnic group transmuted into a ‘colonial master’ over all the other 388 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria is unknown?”

Besides, CAN pointed out that this came up after Nigerians roundly rejected “grazing reserves”.
Further, alleged that the cattle colony is the handiwork of Islamists trying to deceive with change of nomenclature.

Emphasising that again and again, “Muslim leaders from the northern part of the country have demonstrated inability to respect the secularity of the Nigerian State and leave religion as an individual conviction according to Section 38 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution.”


CAN, therefore, demand from President Muhammadu Buhari, a holistic response to curb the horrendous menace of the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram, who to all intent and purpose have launched Jihad in Nigeria.

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LASEMA rescues stucked woman from mud @Iyana-Oworo

The Response Team of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has rescued a middle-aged woman stucked in the mud under the 3rd Mainland Bridge, inward Berger Iyana Oworo in the early hours of Wednesday, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This incident, NaijaAgroNet gathered, came barely two weeks after a similar incident occurred with a middle-aged man was rescued alive by the LASEMA Response Team and other emergency agencies at the opposite end of the  same environment.

General Manager LASEMA Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, disclosed that the middle aged woman whose details could not be ascertained as at press time, was found trapped in the mud under the intersection wing of  the 3rd mainland bridge outward Iyana Oworo.

The victim, he said, was walking through the muddy soil and eventually got trapped in the mud.

According to him, the timely intervention of the LASEMA Response Team, the Lagos State Fire Service and other emergency responders culminated into the rescuing alive of the victim. The victim was rescued  with the aid of the LRU heavy duty equipment (Crane) assisted by officials of the Lagos State Fire Service .Upon rescue the victim was administered first aid treatment and later moved to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital for proper medical treatment.


Tiamiyu who supervised the rescue operation said it is difficult to ascertain why and how the incident occurred as the lady was said to be presently traumatized and requires medical attention for stabilization. He however advised that Lagosians should be very careful when moving around muddy area. 

He enjoined residents to report any emergency in their surroundings in time through the emergency toll free number 112/767.

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Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Group urges IGP to disarm Hausa-Fulani in Benue

NaijaAgroNet
The Tiv community in Lagos State, under the auspices of Mdzough U Tiv (MUT), has called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim K.Idris, to  urgently disarm the irate Hausa -Fulani youths in Benue State, especially Makurdi, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This call was made through MUT President General, Prince Aondowase Ikyernum Kajo, following Saturday and Sunday night attacks on their host community in Wadata area of Makurdi where some Tiv residents were killed, others sustained varying degrees of injuries and their houses burnt by the rampaging youths.

They alleged that intelligence information at their disposal indicated that there is a huge stockpile of dangerous arms and ammunitions in mosques, homes, shops and many other unidentified places by the Hausa -Fulani residents in the state.

With the kind of arms these rampaging youths were brandishing, and recklessly attacking Makurdi residents, it means they are well prepared to do the worst, hence, the urgent need to clampdown on the aforementioned places and confiscate those weapons.

It would amount to double standards by the Nigerian security agencies (soldiers) who hastily arrested the Benue State livestock guards who were on a legitimate duty protecting their communities against marauding Fulani herdsmen terrorists but looked the other way when other tribes are causing severe harm to the lives and property of our people with more highly sophisticated weapons.

Remember that during the state government Amnesty program, only  Benue indigenes submitted over 700 arms to the state. It is not logical for people who are armless to be living in the midst of their dangerously armed visitors that are daily inflicting pains on them unchallenged.

We also warn that those sponsoring these irate youths recently drafted to Benue with no viable source of living to cause chaos paving the way for a declaration of state of emergency in Benue should have a rethink as such diabolical agenda would not succeed in our state.

We thank the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, for standing firm with his people in these trying times. We also thank the Benue Traditional Council, led by HRM Prof. James Ayatse, Tor Tiv V, heads of all the socio-cultural organizations in the state and religious leaders for their efforts to see that these unprovoked attacks on our people stop.

We equally thank other critical stakeholders in this struggle to save our lives especially media professionals, social media activist, civil society organizations, the good people of Benue and well meaning Nigerians for standing with us.

We deeply sympathize with the families who lost their loved ones and  also wish the injured speedy recovery.


This is as we call on President Buhari who is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces to end this pogroms against Benue people by Fulani herdsmen terrorists.

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Monday, January 15, 2018

Lagos arrests 30 cart pushers over illegal refuse dumping

NaijaAgroNet:
Lagos State Government on Monday arrested 30 cart pushers for dumping refuse indiscriminately on road medians in some areas of the State in the middle of the night, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Chairman of the State’s Task Force on Environmental and Other Special Offences (Enforcement Unit), SP Olayinka Egbeyemi who made rhis know to  NaijaAgroNet, said the arrest was in line with the recent ban on the activities of cart pushers and wheel barrow operators by the State Government.

Egbeyemi, who affirmed that the activities of cart pushers in the State are illegal, said investigations found them culpable in dumping refuse on the road side especially at night thereby sabotaging efforts by the Government to keep the State clean. 

He said the Government is poised to go all out to prosecute any persons found to be working against the new waste management policy encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), saying the programme is designed to revolutionalise waste administration in line with global best practices when fully operational.

“There are reports that refuse are littering the Lekki, Victoria Island, Ajah and other parts of the State and investigations reveal that it is the handiwork of unscrupulous elements within Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and their outside sponsors who are not comfortable with the new arrangement for the management of waste in the State and are hell bent on sabotaging government effort and frustrating them from carrying it out.

“The State Government has vowed to go all out against the saboteurs and after their sponsors and punish them in line with the laws of the State.

“We also need to let Lagosians know that it is illegal to use cart pushers to evacuate refuse and they should stop encouraging it. There are PSP vehicles that come around to pack refuse and they are the ones they should patronise and not these cart pushers.

“We want to notify all these cart pushers that their activities are illegal in Lagos. Lagos is a mega city and we have all it takes to collect refuse. So, the issue of going to the streets and collecting refuse and then dump same on the road is an act of sabotage to the government,” he said.

Egbeyemi said the suspects arrested would soon be charged to court for prosecution, just as he assured that Government would leave no stone unturned in keeping the State safe and clean.

Besides, the Task Force Chairman said that the enforcement would continue across the State until the activities of cart pushers and other unscrupulous elements found to be frustrating government’s efforts are completely brought to a halt.

“For the past two to three weeks, we have been noticing refuse on the roads and investigations have revealed that part of those carrying out such act and sabotaging government efforts are these cart pushers and probably there might be some people behind them,” Egbeyemi said.

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Pix: cart pushers, courtesy The Punch

Sunday, January 14, 2018

FG calls for media self-control in Benue herdsmen attack

The Federal Government (FG) has appealed to the media and public commentators to exercise utmost restraint in their coverage of the fallouts of the what it described as recent farmers and herders clash in Benue State in order not to further inflame passion and worsen the situation, reports NaijaAgroNet.

In a press statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, and made available to NaijaAgroNet, the Minister of Informationand Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said while the Federal Government is working hard to address the situation with a view to preventing a recurrence, not just in Benue State but everywhere across the country, it is incumbent on the media and public commentators not to engage in actions that can aggravate the crisis.

''Lest we are misunderstood, we are neither saying the media should not cover the crisis nor asking public commentators to desist from commenting on it. All we are saying is that both must be circumspect.

''The current poisoned atmosphere of incendiary comments, unrestrained use of pictures and footages that offend human sensibilities as well as fingerpointing can only exacerbate the situation and complicate ongoing efforts to end the crisis,'' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government is absolutely saddened by the loss of lives and the destruction of property resulting from the crisis, and recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, in commiserating with the Benue Governor, unreservedly condemned the killings and also assured of the necessary security measures to prevent further attacks and bring the perpetrators to book.


He said the Federal Government has also mapped out short and long-term solutions to the incessant clashes between farmers and herders, including a planned conference of stakeholders, and assured of the government's strong determination to find a lasting solution to the farmers/herders' clashes.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

Related stories:

Nimbo attack: Police arrests five suspected Fulani ... - NaijaAgroNet



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Thursday, January 4, 2018

Insert Braille signs in currency notes - Abacha Adebesin

The Monitoring Officer, Justice, Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), Mr. Abiodun Abacha Adebesin, has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to lead agitations for the insertion of Braille signs on currency notes, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Braille, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired and is traditionally written with embossed paper.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered Braille users could read computer screens and other electronic supports thanks to refreshable braille displays available nowadays.

Making this call, Mr. Adebesin, noted that its high time global financial institutions consider adding Braille signs on our paper currencies in fulfillment of the one of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of not leaving any one behind.

As said by Adebesin, the blinds have been cheated on so many occasions because they rely on people to determine the denominations of the money they are holding and this is really saddening.

“If this done by all financial institutions in the world with the support of IMF and world bank, this will be in line with agenda 2030 'Leave no one behind'.

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Herdsmen killing in Benue, invitation to civil war – Yaro

The Benue State chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Abba Yaro has described the massive killing of over 50 Benue people by the Fulani herdsmen as an invitation for civil war, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet in Abuja, Yaro decried the recent killings as an attempt to spark second civil war in Nigeria, insisting that, it is clear case of ethnic cleansing around the Benue Valley which must be stopped immediately.

While calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately call the Fulani  to order and as well direct security agents to fetch out the killers, he also called on all Benue Sons and daughters, irrespective of Party affiliation to rise in defense of Benue Community.

"This is above Party politics, it is human lives, how can you kill a pregnant woman and removed the unborn child yet slaughtered it? It is barbaric, unspeakable and generally unpalatable".

Yaro says the Anti Open Grazing Law in Benue is not targeted at any section of the people but for the general security of Benue State, a measure against cattle rustling and a solution to herders/farmers clash.

"The implementation is ongoing and we are in support of our governor, we are not deterred, the Anti Open Grazing Law has come to stay.

"Nigerians should not see the killings as a Benue problem but National crisis, the absence of peace in Benue is an absence of peace in Nigeria.

"We must treat it as a national ethnic cleansing by the Fulanis and collectively pressurize Mr President to put an end to it. If Boko Haram can be defeated, IPOB stopped, Fulani killings can be stopped", he observed. 

He further call on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Buratai, the Interior Minister Lt Gen Danbazau, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris to protect Benue community or "we rise in self defence, which will amount to the second civil war."

Yaro emphasized that, "if the Fulanis are not called to order by the relevant authorities to stop the ethnic cleansing, like the lawless Fulanis are doing, Benue people shall take laws into their hands in selfdefense".


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Monday, January 1, 2018

Canada responds to multiple food crises in sub-Saharan Africa with $19.8m

The Canadian government has responded to multiple food crises in the sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, with the sum of $19.8 million, about N70,967,741,935.48 billion, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, Canada said, would assist in addressing the critical needs of millions of vulnerable people across sub-Saharan Africa, including women and children suffering from a lack of access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their daily needs —the result of severe drought and conflict.

Proclaiming this via the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Ambassador Marc-André Blanchard, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, the $19.8 million is additional funding to address extreme levels of food insecurity in Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda.

In these seven countries and neighbouring regions, Canada’s funding of experienced and trusted Canadian and international partners will respond to critical humanitarian needs. This includes the provision of basic necessities, such as emergency food, potable water, adequate sanitation, health care, shelter and protection services.

“Canada is pleased to provide critical humanitarian assistance to address the effects of drought and conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa and to ensure those requiring emergency assistance are reached. Today’s announcement will help save lives, alleviate suffering and bring relief to people who need urgent help,” Marc-André Blanchard said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that in March 2017, Canada voted close to $120 million in humanitarian funding in response to severe food crises in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

Also, between March 17 and June 30, 2017, Canadians generously donated over $21.3 million to registered Canadian charities in response to humanitarian crises, including an unprecedented famine, food insecurity and conflict-induced displacements affecting over 55 million people across Africa.


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Over 20,000 babies born on New Year’s Day in Nigeria - UNICEF

About 20,210 babies were born in Nigeria on the New Year’s Day, so says the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Also, UNICEF challenges nations around the world to make sure more newborns survive their first days of life, stressing that Kiribati’s Christmas Island, a small island in the Pacific, will most likely welcome 2018’s first baby; the United States, its last.

Globally, over half of these births are estimated to take place in nine countries including Nigeria -20,210; India - 69,070, China — 44,760, Pakistan — 14,910, Indonesia — 13,370, United States of America — 11,280, Democratic Republic of Congo — 9,400, Ethiopia — 9,020 and Bangladesh — 8,370.

While many babies will survive, some will not make it past their first day. In 2016, an estimated 2,600 children died every day of the year, on the day they were born. For almost 2 million newborns, their first week was also their last. In all, 2.6 million children died before the end of their first month. Among those children, more than 80 per cent of all newborn deaths are due to preventable and treatable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia.

 “This New Year, UNICEF’s global resolution is to help give every child more than an hour, more than a day, more than a month - more than survival,” said Terry Durnnian, Acting Representative of UNICEF Nigeria. “We call on the government and partners to join the fight to save the lives of millions children by providing proven, low-cost solutions.”

Over the past two decades, the world has seen unprecedented progress in child survival, halving the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday to 5.6 million in 2016. But despite these advances, there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month account for 46 per cent of all deaths among children under five.

Next month, UNICEF will launch Every Child Alive, a global campaign to demand and deliver affordable, quality health care solutions for every mother and newborn. These include a steady supply of clean water and electricity at health facilities, the presence of a skilled health attendant during birth, disinfecting the umbilical cord, breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, and skin-to-skin contact between the mother and child.


 “We are now entering the era when the entire world’s newborns should have the opportunity to see the 22nd Century. Unfortunately, nearly half of the children born this year likely won’t. A child born in Sweden in January 2018 is most likely to live to 2100, while a child from Nigeria would be unlikely to live beyond year 2072,” Durnnian said.

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