Beware! Nigerian children plan takeover on November 20

NaijaAgroNet:

Yes, beware, the World Children’s Day (WCD) is on 20 November, and they youngsters are ready for the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This follows the planned commemoration for this year, NaijaAgroNet reports that children across the world would ‘takeover’ high-profile moments in the media, politics, business, sports, music and entertainment to raise awareness on the most vulnerable and hardest to reach children. 

Children, according to UNICEF Nigeria, would raise their voices in solidarity with the world’s most disadvantaged children.

Also, children would shine a spotlight on the most pressing challenges faced by their generation, even as more than anything else on this day, “we seek your support to make this an advocacy moment for children’s right by children themselves.”

UNICEF equally outlines some children takeovers already confirmed;

1.      Children takeover prominent roles at Hilton Hotel.

2.     Presentation by a Nigerian child at the Ted talk-like Regional African Dialogue in Accra Ghana.

3.     Children’s visit to Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club and takeover of management and games at the Club.

4.     Children takeover broadcasts at Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria

5.     Children takeover broadcasts at Kaduna State Media Corporation

6.     Children takeover broadcasts at Ebonyi State Broadcasting Service

7.     Children takeover broadcasts at Broadcasting Corporation of Abia state

8.     Children takeover broadcasts at Imo state Broadcasting Corporation

9.     Children takeover broadcasts at Anambra Broadcasting Service

10.  Children takeover broadcasts at Cross River Broadcasting Corporation

11.  Children takeover broadcasts at Radio Bayelsa

12.  Children takeover broadcasts at Radio Rivers

13.  Children take over broadcasts at Rhythm FM

14.  Children takeover broadcasts at Inspiration FM (Radio)

15.  Children takeover broadcast at Lagos Television

16.  Children takeover broadcast at Radio Lagos, Eko FM

17.  Children takeover broadcasts at Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria

18.  Children takeover broadcasts at Nigerian Television Authority

19.  Children takeover broadcast at Breeze FM Akure

20.  Children takeover broadcasts at Positive FM Akure

21.  Children takeover broadcasts at Bauchi State Television

22.  Children takeover broadcasts and the Managing Director’s role at the Bauchi Radio Corporation

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: VP Osibanjo with some Nigerian children during a visit. courtesy: premiumtimesng.com

Peace is impossible without food security

NaijaAgroNet:

Experts participating at the Noble Peace Laureates Alliance in Rome, have declared that peace is impossible without food security, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Leading discussion on this was the Communications Director, at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Enrique Yeves said, in his introduction to the session on, "Perspectives for Integral Disarmament" that freeing the world from hunger is essential if “we want to build long-lasting peace."

After steadily declining for over a decade, he noted that global hunger is on the rise again, affecting 815 million people in 2016, or 11 per cent of the global population.

“At the same time, multiple forms of malnutrition are threatening the health of millions worldwide,” he said.

The increase, he emphasized has reached 38 million more people than the previous year, which is largely due to the proliferation of violent conflicts and climate-related shocks.

Rural areas and their populations, FAO officer said, have continued to be the most affected by conflicts, as attacks on farming communities undermine rural livelihoods and displace people from their homes

"Just as conflict leads to hunger, hunger can also lead to conflict," Yeves said, stressing that peace is a prerequisite to achieving food security and ending this "vicious circle."  

Further, the FAO Communications Director warned that conflict has driven northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen to the brink of famine and triggered acute food insecurity also in Burundi, Iraq and elsewhere.

He noted that 489 million of the 815 million chronically food-insecure and malnourished people in the world live in countries affected by conflict.

Expressing optimistic that agriculture is part of the solution, he cited for instance that over 75 per cent of the world's poor and food insecure depend on agriculture and natural resource-based livelihoods, in conflict situations, agriculture and food security can give new life to affected homes and communities, bringing people together and driving recovery.

"The right mix of humanitarian aid and rural development can set the foundations for rebuilding livelihoods," he said.

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Zero hunger by 2030 is still possible

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food andAgriculture Organisation (FAO) has reiterated determination that the zero hunger by 2030 is still very possible, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Although the prevalence of hunger has increased in some parts of the region, the 2030 goal is still within reach. But more investment will be needed to improve food systems across the region, a call also repeated at the opening of the regional symposium.

"Good nutrition depends on raising awareness about healthy foods and choices, as well as efficient, affordable and sustainable systems to deliver that food," said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. "If we are to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger in this region, we must invest to improve our food systems and pool our knowledge and resources to meet our current food and nutrition challenges head on."

The symposium is an integral component of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025, which seeks to increase investments and actions to improve people's diets and nutrition. Recent innovations and the latest research in nutrition and food systems from this region, as well as the rest of the world, are being examined over two days.

The aim is to discuss concrete actions that result in higher quality and more efficient production, processing and distribution of food, in addition to healthy and sustainable diets. In order to achieve those goals, participants will work toward activating regional and global partnerships and networks that promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

The Asia-Pacific forum is one of five regional symposia that are taking forward the outcomes of the International Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems and Healthy Diets held last December in Rome.

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Pope Francis warns, says real priorities relegated due to nuclear spending

NaijaAgroNet:

The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis has warned that the real priorities facing humankind, are relegated to second place as a result of the expenses incurred by nations in the escalation of the arms race, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Addressing audience at the global event on atomic disarmament included 11 Nobel Peace Laureates, some of whom are part of FAO's Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance, the Pope listed some of the real priorities that needed to be tackled to include the fight against poverty, the promotion of peace, the undertaking of educational, ecological and healthcare projects, and the development of human rights.

"Weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, create nothing but a false sense of security. They cannot constitute the basis for peaceful coexistence between members of the human family, which must rather be inspired by an ethics of solidarity," the pontiff told participants  of the International Symposium on Disarmament Prospects for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament.

The FAO's Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance, NaijaAgroNet gathered is a group aimed at tackling the twin problems of hunger and violence in the agency's ongoing work to promote sustainable development and resilience across the world. It includes Nobel laureates Oscar Arias Sánchez, Tawakkol Karman, Betty Williams and Muhammad Yunus.

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UN agencies, policy makers, private sector pool efforts

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations agencies, policy makers, private sector are pooling efforts  to boost sustainability of food security and nutrition, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This was contained in the latest report's findings, released in Bangkok at the Asia-Pacific Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition, recently.

The symposium has drawn some 250 parliamentarians, policy-makers, academicians, researchers, students, civil society, the private sector and development partners from countries across the region and beyond.

Experts will discuss policies and programmes that can enable better production, processing and distribution of food, as well as more effective ways to promote better nutrition and healthier diets. The symposium is convened by FAO in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the World Bank.

The symposium was opened by FAO's Special Goodwill Ambassador for Zero Hunger in the region, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, who called upon the participants to work together to find solutions. "The world has committed to zero hunger and improving nutrition as a key outcome of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We must look at improving our current systems of production and patterns of consumption, and set a course of action."

The FAO report also highlighted a call for more innovations to stem food loss and food waste, in a cost-effective manner, which could also play an important part in improving overall food systems.

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Peace is impossible without food security

NaijaAgroNet:

Experts participating at the Noble Peace Laureates Alliance in Rome, have declared that peace is impossible without food security, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Leading discussion on this was the Communications Director, at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Enrique Yeves said, in his introduction to the session on, "Perspectives for Integral Disarmament" that freeing the world from hunger is essential if “we want to build long-lasting peace."

After steadily declining for over a decade, he noted that global hunger is on the rise again, affecting 815 million people in 2016, or 11 per cent of the global population.

“At the same time, multiple forms of malnutrition are threatening the health of millions worldwide,” he said.

The increase, he emphasized has reached 38 million more people than the previous year, which is largely due to the proliferation of violent conflicts and climate-related shocks.

Rural areas and their populations, FAO officer said, have continued to be the most affected by conflicts, as attacks on farming communities undermine rural livelihoods and displace people from their homes

"Just as conflict leads to hunger, hunger can also lead to conflict," Yeves said, stressing that peace is a prerequisite to achieving food security and ending this "vicious circle."  

Further, the FAO Communications Director warned that conflict has driven northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen to the brink of famine and triggered acute food insecurity also in Burundi, Iraq and elsewhere.

He noted that 489 million of the 815 million chronically food-insecure and malnourished people in the world live in countries affected by conflict.

Expressing optimistic that agriculture is part of the solution, he cited for instance that over 75 per cent of the world's poor and food insecure depend on agriculture and natural resource-based livelihoods, in conflict situations, agriculture and food security can give new life to affected homes and communities, bringing people together and driving recovery.

"The right mix of humanitarian aid and rural development can set the foundations for rebuilding livelihoods," he said.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Anti-grazing bills: Lagos NUJ says FG must take a stand on Fulani herdsmen menace

NaijaAgroNet:

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has been charged to take a stand over the menace of Fulani herdsmen across the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) gave this charge at its meeting held at the Combo Hall, Lagos State Television, Agindingbi, last weekend.

In a communique made available to NaijaAgroNet, NUJ while reacting on the state of the nation and the union, outlined some six-point as enunciated by the communiqué committee, made up of Ajibola Abayomi, Eniola Ajayi, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Chidinma Agu and Olalekan Olagunju, frowned at the spate of anti- grazing bill being championed by various states across the country, lamenting that FG silent over the matter is no longer golden.

“The Federal Government was challenged to come up with a stand following reactions of various states against the grazing bill in order to curtail violence between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen,” the congress charged, kicking against the plan by the Federal Government to clamp down on the social media.

On the 2018 budgetary allocation by the Federal Government, the congress presided over by its newly elected chairman, Dr. Qasim Akinreti, said the allocation of 6 per cent of the fund to the education sector as against the 26 per cent recommended by the United Nations, and as such advised the government to give higher percentage to the sector to engender development.

In addition, the congress urged a step up of professionalism among journalists via training and retraining of members into online publication, in order to raise the level of professionalism and operate within the ethics of the profession.

Further, the congress resolved:

“That it was high time the Union researched and championed new marketing models to aid media development so as to meet its financial obligations and commitments in the changing phase of the economy;

“To set up Welfare Committee to assist Journalists facing challenges and also to liaise appropriately with management of media houses on prompt payment of salaries;

“Committees set up to look into various crises on land matters were given up to January 2018 Congress to submit their reports to enable the Union take a position on the way forward.”

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Poor diets, ill-equipped food systems growing threat to nutrition

NaijaAgroNet:

The Asia-Pacific region, home to most of the world's undernourished people, needs urgent action to improve diets and reset its food systems which are critical to the delivery of healthy, nutritious foods, says the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the findings of FAO's 2017 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition report, there is a pressing need to tackle malnutrition alongside further promotion of the consumption of healthier foods while curbing the growth in consumption of unhealthy foods. 

In addition to further investment in agriculture, the report also underlines an urgent need to step up investment in other areas to tackle malnutrition, such as improvements to sanitation, access to safe drinking water, improving diets during the first 1,000 days of life and policies and promotions to increase consumption of diverse nutrient-rich foods.

While food security has improved for millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region, hunger and malnutrition appear to be on the rise in some areas, the report warns. The latest figures indicate roughly half-a-billion people are undernourished in Asia and the Pacific.

The situation is particularly dire for children below the age of five. Overall, one-in-four suffers from stunting.  However, the report also finds that, during the last 15 years, obesity is on the rise, with "significant increases" in the prevalence of overweight children, particularly in South Asia, that is from three per cent to seven per cent and Oceania, from five per cent to nearly 10 per cent.

Isaac Oyimah with agency reports/GEE

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Use antibiotics wisely to combat rising drug resistance

NaijaAgroNet:

Leading up to 2017 World Antibiotic Awareness Week, slated between November 13 and 19, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are together calling for responsible use of antibiotics in humans and animals to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Antibiotic resistance, NaijaAgroNet report, is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world and threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases.

Also, NaijaAgroNet reports that infections affecting people including pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning and gonorrhoea - and animals alike are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.

Antibiotics, experts say, are often overprescribed by physicians and veterinarians and overused by the public. Where they can be bought for human or animal use without a prescription, the emergence and spread of resistance is made worse.

They also cited examples of misuse include taking antibiotics for viral infections like colds and flu, and using them as animal growth promoters on farms or in aquaculture.

To tackle these problems, WHO, FAO and OIE are leveraging their expertise and working together in a ‘One Health' approach to promote best practices to reduce the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes in both humans and animals.

"Antibiotic resistance is a global crisis that we cannot ignore," says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. "If we don't tackle this threat with strong, coordinated action, antimicrobial resistance will take us back to a time when people feared common infections and risked their lives from minor surgery."

"The overuse of antimicrobials blunts their effectiveness, and we must reduce their misuse in food systems," says José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO. "Antimicrobial veterinary medicines are a crucial tool for animal health and welfare and safe food production, but they are by no means the only tool."

"Like in human health, veterinary medicine has tremendously progressed thanks to antibiotics. Preserving their efficacy and availability through their responsible use associated with good husbandry and prevention practices, is therefore essential to preserve animal health and welfare," highlights Dr Monique Eloit, Director-General of OIE. 

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Pix: Prof. Adewale, Minister of Health

General Motors targets autonomous future vehicles

NaijaAgroNet:

The General Motors (GM) is targeting to launch the autonomous future vehicles, come Monday, November 30, 2017, in San Francisco, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) General Motors, Mary Barra made this disclosure while reviewing the automaker’s third-quarter earnings.

Although she did not provide details, according to agency reports, quoted Barra as saying GM would launch a mix of at least 20 new all-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles globally by 2023, including two in the next 18 months.

“We are committed to an all-electric future,” Barra said during the third-quarter conference call, stressing that GM is “confident” it can make the vehicles profitable.

According to the reports, GM shares have surged about 30 per cent this year to record highs since the company began trading shares at $33 a share in November 2010.

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