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Sunday, July 30, 2017

MeCAM partners GAIN, SBN on Nutrition Symposium 2017

A media-based non-governmental advocacy group, the Media Centre Against child Malnutrition (MeCAM) has disclosed its partnering with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Scale-up Nutrition Business Network (SBN), to boost information sharing on nutrition in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.
A press statement endorsed by the Director, Outreach at MeCAM, Mrs. Julie Ekong and made available to NaijaAgroNet, said the partnership is sequel to the forthcoming MeCAM Nutrition Symposium scheduled to hold in Lagos on Friday, August 4, this year, with the theme "Malnutrition, child development and the media."
She quoted the National Coordinator of Media Centre Against child Malnutrition (MeCAM), Mr. Remmy Nweke, as saying, the partnership would go a long way in scaling up media participation in the crusade to better the lots of Nigerians on nutrition with the right and accurate information.
Specifically, he said that the partnership would benefit child development and the role of media, in a developing economy like Nigeria and beckoned on other stakeholders to emulate GAIN by partnering with MeCAM in this auspicious event.
Nweke, who doubles as the Group Executive Editor at DigitalSENSE Africa Media, also said that at the forthcoming Nutrition Symposium by MeCAM, would see to the leadership of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Scale-up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) taking discussion on “Communicating Nutrition Messages to Stakeholders: Role of the Media.”
The GAIN and SBN team, he confirmed, would be led by Country Team Lead at GAIN and coordinator of SBN Nigeria, Uduak Igbeka, and would dwell on the sub-theme with expertise and dispatch, alongside other experts with vast experiences on the subject matter.
Further, he quoted the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as recently declaring that estimated 12.9 per cent of the Nigeria’s 190m population has been projected to be among some 5 million undernourished people in the world today.
Nweke revealed that MeCAM is resolute to use this symposium to not just draw public attention to the threat that malnutrition poses to the future of the country, but to also correct the impression that this menace is restricted to the poor.
He emphasized that UNICEF had estimated, at least 2.5m Nigerian children suffer from acute malnutrition (SAM), thus posing the danger of many of them being at risk of death unless properly treated and of course with right information.
This situation, he said, represents clear and is dangerous to the socioeconomic wellbeing of the entire country.

MeCAM, he said, is peopled exclusively by journalists, and mediapreneurs to push the narratives to save the Nigerian child from the danger of malnutrition through scaling up reporting and advocacy, among others.

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Friday, July 28, 2017

Osinbajo commissions $1.5bn fertilizer plant

The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has commissioned $1.5 billion fertilizer plant in Nigeria city of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The fertilizer plant, NaijaAgroNet gathered was built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited at the cost of $1.5 billion, with production capacity of 4000 metric tons (MT) of nitrogenous fertilizers per day or 1.5 MT per annum.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that the acting President used the opportunity to remind all Nigerians that time has come for them to grow whatever they eat and produce whatever they consume.

“What Indorama is accomplishing today is very much in line with President Buhari’s vision for a country that produces what it consumes and grows what it eats. If you had to sum up our vision for the Nigerian economy in a few words, these would suffice. Grow what we eat, produce what we consume,” he said.

Prof Osinbajo commended Indorama for keying into the Presidential Fertilizer initiative which President Buhari launched last year to make fertilizers cheaper nationwide.

“At the end of last year, the President launched a Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, to ensure the availability of cheaper fertilizer to our farmers, to support what we’re doing in agriculture, in the production of rice and wheat and other staples.

“That Fertilizer Initiative, now well underway, has created significant economic opportunities for companies like Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals Limited.

“I have been informed that Indorama will this year alone supply about 360,000 Metric Tons of Urea to Fertilizer blenders, which, in turn, will produce NPK fertilizer for the benefit of farmers across the country.


“This is the kind of economic progress we’re after, in which every unlocked opportunity proceeds to unlock several others, across multiple sectors of the economy.”

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GE, Miller Center launch second cohort healthymagination

The General Electric (GE) and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship has launched the second cohort of the healthymagination Mother and Child Programme in effort to accelerate health innovations in Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This programme, NaijaAgroNet reports selected 14 African social entrepreneurs who will benefit from training and mentorship aimed at improving maternal and/or child health outcomes.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that the healthymagination Mother and Child Programme would avail selected enterprises to receive training and mentorship aimed at improving and accelerating maternal and/or child health outcomes in Africa.

According to the Executive Director, healthymagination, Mr. Robert Wells, the winners emerged after a rigorous application and evaluation process, and accelerate maternal health outcomes across Africa with impact areas including, Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and more.

The second cohort of entrepreneurs, he said, are currently attending a three-day, in-person workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The workshop, NaijaAgroNet gathered is packed with core business principles into a powerful forum facilitated by senior-level Miller Center mentors and GE business leaders.

Mr. Wells also said that the programme is designed to help the organizations acquire business fundamentals, improve their strategic thought processes, and articulate business plans that demonstrate impact, growth and long-term financial sustainability.

“Solving local health challenges calls for locally-adapted interventions and innovations, and Social Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa are playing a major role in this regard. The healthymagination Mother and Child programme will continue to provide them with mentorship and in-depth training, accelerating health innovation and furthering our goal to increase the quality, access and affordability of maternal and child health,” he said.

Executive Director of Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Dr. Thane Kreiner, said “GE’s mission to work on better health for more people is evidenced by our continuing partnership to help social enterprises scale their impact. This cohort’s impact aligns with the target indicators for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3. Miller Center is honored such amazing social enterprises applied to this Mother & Child accelerator program.”


The kick-off workshop will be followed by a six-month, online accelerator programme with in-depth mentorship from Silicon Valley-based executives and local GE business leaders. The accelerator and mentorship programme will culminate in a “Premier Pitch” event in Africa where the 14 organizations will present their respective enterprises to an audience of potential investors.

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Monday, July 24, 2017

Ghana to host West Africa Agrofood

The city of Accra, capital of Ghana, is warming up to host the 2017 West Africa Agrofood show billed for December this year, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The German trade fair specialists, FairTrade disclosed this to NaijaAgroNet, noting that the 4th edition of Agrofood & Plastprintpack West Africa slated for 05-07 December 2017 at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that producers of process and packaging technology obviously see great chances for business in Ghana and the surrounding West African countries, hence they are participating in this event.

Official national pavilions, NaijaAgroNet gathered, have been confirmed by Algeria, Belarus, France and the Netherlands, in addition to leading exhibitors from 10 countries.

According to VDMA German Food Processing and Packaging Association, Ghanaian imports of process and packaging technology increased by 10 per cent in 2016 to 77 million euro whereas West African imports of the same also went up by 10 per cent to 557 million euro.

Also, the association said, Ghanaian imports in the plastics, printing and packaging sector rose sharply last year, as Plastics technology up 4 per cent to 23.4 million euro; Printing and paper technology up 32 per cent to 22.4 million euro; and Packaging technology up 2 per cent to 30.1 million euro.

FairTrade told NaijaAgroNet they were not surprised that producers of process and packaging technology saw the opportunity in Ghana and its surrounding West African countries.

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Thursday, July 20, 2017

Good rains bring hope to war-torn Syrians

The rain falls in the country of Syria offer some hope to the war-torn region says two United Nations agencies, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) gave this hope while assessing the situation in the country on the latest Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) made available to NaijaAgroNet

According to the Acting FAO Representative in Syria, Adam Yao, and WFP Representative and Country Director in Syria, Jakob Kern, good rains have brought some hope for the war-torn country with better rainfall within the Euphrates River watershed which meant greater water flows and higher water levels in many of the country's reservoirs.

Wheat and barley production slightly improved in 2017 compared to last year due to the better rainfall and improved access to agricultural land in some areas. Main constraints continue to be the high cost or unavailability of inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer, and the destruction of infrastructure for irrigation and storage.

Pasture conditions have improved because of the better rainfall, which will partially ease pressure from high fodder prices. Herd sizes have stabilized albeit at a very low level. The main constraints continue to be high fodder prices, insufficient coverage of veterinary services and insecurity that limits access to grazing areas in some parts of the country.


Gradual improvements in security and the opening of some key supply routes have allowed trade to slowly recover and urban markets to function in several parts of the country. In parts of eastern Aleppo where the entire infrastructure and markets have been heavily destroyed, recovery has started at a very slow pace. Across the country, food prices continue to be close to the record high, with the exception of the governorates of Deir-ez-Zor, Al-Hasakeh and Rural Damascus.

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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Wheat harvest improves in Syria

Syria is likely to witness an improved wheat harvest this year, says the latest Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM), reports NaijaAgroNet.

CFSAM is a joint effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

According to two agencies, food security in parts of Syria is slightly better than the same time last year due to an improved security situation and enhanced access to humanitarian assistance, but the overall situation remains far worse than before the war, two UN agencies warned. 

CFSAM estimates a total wheat production at 1.8 million tonnes - 12 per cent more than last year's record low but still less than half of the pre-conflict ten-year average.

The mission's report released today estimates that 6.9 million Syrians are still food insecure while an additional 5.6 million people are likely to become food insecure without the regular food assistance they receive every month.

Adam Yao, Acting FAO Representative in Syria, said that for some Syrian families, there is a small shaft of light in the darkness, despite the immense challenges, agriculture continues to provide food for the country.

“With the evolving security situation, more farmers are expected to have access to cultivate their land again. Now is the time to step up our support, as agriculture is more important than ever for the livelihoods of many," Yao said.  

For WFP Representative and Country Director in Syria, Jakob Kern, "The small improvement in the availability of food for Syrians is promising, but the needs remain high. More must be done to provide food for families affected by the crisis, WFP and FAO are working together to make food security a reality for the people of Syria."

Access by humanitarian organizations to some besieged areas has improved compared to last year. Yet access continues to be heavily constrained in Deir-ez-Zor, where life-saving air-drops of food and other supplies continue, and in Ar-Raqqa where the situation has become critical due to continued fighting. In Ar-Raqqa, shops are destroyed and the cost of the standard food basket has jumped by 42 percent between May and June this year.


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Pix: David Beasley, Executive Director, WFP

Green energy offerings comes to Africa

The solar pioneer, Gigawatt Global has extended its services to Africa with provision of solar street lights in Bujumbura, Burundi, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Chief Executive Officer, Gigawatt Global , Yosef I. Abramowitz, made this disclosure, saying that by expanding investments from commercial scale projects to include off-grid additionally, the company has positively impacted lives of millions of people in Burundi and throughout Africa.

Downtown Bujumbura, he said, just got a little brighter, thanks to an innovative partnership between Mayor Freddy Mbonimpa and Gigawatt Global, a founding member of United States Power Africa's Beyond the Grid programme.

Abramowitz also said that this week solar-powered ‘light islands’ began appearing in the heavily-trafficked central bus station and nearby marketplace, extending commercial hours and personal safety. 

“The city of Bujumbura is very pleased to be working with Gigawatt Global on this important solar street lighting project,” said Mayor Freddy Mbonimpa. “This project will enhance security as well as provide opportunities for economic development to the citizens of Bujumbura. It is the hope and wish of all involved that this project can spread throughout the city, as well as expand to other cities in Burundi within the near future.”

Gigawatt Global is now in discussions to scale the solar-powered ‘light islands’ program throughout the city and in other major Burundian towns.

“We are grateful and pleased to work with the city of Bujumbura, and the Honorable Mayor Freddy Mbonimpa to realise this important first step of the solar street lighting project,” said Michael Fichtenberg, Managing Director of Gigawatt Global Burundi.

“We intend to expand throughout the capital and to other locations as part of our larger program of green electrification in Burundi, with 40 'light islands' planned in the first phase of the program,” Fichtenberg continued.

“Every country in which we develop commercial scale solar fields will receive additional benefits like these ‘light islands’ and rural electrification with mini-grids.”


Gigawatt Global, which provides 100 per cent financing for its projects, pioneered commercial scale solar power plants in sub-Sahara Africa, launching the first one in Rwanda in 2014, which is currently supplying 6 per cent of the country's generation capacity. Gigawatt Global will complete a 7.5 Mw solar field in the Gitega region of Burundi in the next six months, which will supply 15% of the East African country's generation capacity. Similar projects are currently being developed in 10 African countries, including Liberia and South Sudan, among many others. 

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Bujumbura Mayor and Gigawatt Global leaders Michael Fichtenberg and Nathaniel Johnson sign the solar 'Light Islands' deal

Nigeria breaks world record with more girls out of school – Malala

The Pakistani activist, student and United Nations UN Messenger of Peace and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai, has revealed that Nigeria has broken world record with more girls out of school than anywhere else in the world, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Malala made this disclosure during a working visit to Abuja and Maiduguri on Monday, lamenting that despite Nigeria riches, its record of girls child out of school remain alarming.
“Nigeria is the richest country in Africa, but has more girls out of school than any country in the world,” said Yousafzai. “Studies are clear — educating girls grows economies, reduces conflict and improves public health. For these girls and for their country’s future, Nigeria’s leaders must immediately prioritise education.”

According to UNICEF sources, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 displaced and almost 1,400 schools destroyed since the start of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009. Three million children in the northeast are in need of support to keep learning.
While in Maiduguri, the epicenter of the crisis in northeast Nigeria, Malala visited schoolchildren in a camp for displaced families and secondary school girls at Yerwa Government Girls School.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that while the 90 camps and camp-like settings in Maiduguri house thousands of families, more than three-quarters of the 600,000-plus displaced people are living with family, relatives or friends in host communities, placing an additional burden on local schools.

Beyond the crisis in the northeast, she noted that Nigeria already had the largest number of children out of school in the world – over 10.5 million. Among primary school-aged children not in school, only five per cent are dropouts: three-quarters of them will never step foot in a classroom, and the majority are girls.

Across West Africa, 46 per cent of primary school-aged children not in school are Nigerian. Globally, one in five children not enrolled are Nigerian.


“We will do everything in our power to make sure all children can keep learning. We believe that education – especially for girls, is the single most important way to bring hope, peace and prosperity not just for this generation, but for also for future generations,” said Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria.

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Monday, July 17, 2017

Ghana Startup Awards: Food for All Africa wins social enterprise prize

The Ghana-based Food For All Africa programme has been named the social enterprise of the year at the 2017 Premium Bank Ghana Startup Awards, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The ceremony organized last weekend by The African Network of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) at the Movenpick Hotel on Thursday 13thJuly, 2017 saw of over 150 startups in Ghana being honoured various categories including Media, Agriculture, Health, Education, Social enterprise, FinTech and Technology.

The Startup awards, the organisers said, was designed to recognize and reward the works and contributions of startups to the Ghanaian economy and also create a thriving community of startups collaborating and empowering the Startup Ecosystem.

Receiving the award on behalf of Food for All Africa programme, Chef Elijah Amoo Addo who was recently awarded by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace was full of excitement for the impact the organization is creating within Ghana’s food supply chain.

Chef Elijah also told NaijaAgroNet after the awards that Food for All Africa programme vision of creating efficiency and sustainable means of nutrition for the vulnerable in society and asked the media and all stakeholders to support them to have parliament pass the National Food Donors encouragement Bill which will ensure that the vulnerable in society have a regular means of nutrition.

He urged stakeholder to support the programme in the quest to buy a mobile kitchen van which they will use for providing daily meals to the vulnerable in society.

Chef Elijah dedicated the award to his hardworking team at Food for All and called on businesses within the food supply chain to support with their excess food since food for all is a shared social responsibility.

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

UN memorial for late Osotimehin

The United Nations (UN) would Friday, July 14, 2017 hold a memorial service for the late Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The memorial service, NaijaAgroNet gathered is in honour of the late Professor, who was passed away on June 4, 2017 in New York.

Information reaching NaijaAgroNet news desk affirmed that UN sees this honour as an important and solemn event to be held at Green Lawn, Front Yard of the UN House, Plot 617/618 Diplomatic Drive in central business district, Abuja.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that until his death, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin was the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) since 2011.

Osotimehin was a Nigerian physician, who served as Minister of Health, and later became the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, holding the rank of Under-Secretary-General.


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Commission urges ICT use to drive SDGs

The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has urged policymakers, the private sector and other partners to make deployment of broadband infrastructure a top priority in strategies to accelerate global development and progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reports NaijaAgroNet.

A statement presented at the 2017 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which is ongoing in New York City 10-19 July 2017 to guide global efforts on the achievement of the SDGs.

The Commission, a high-powered community, including top CEO and industry leaders, senior policy-makers and government representatives, international agencies, academia and organizations concerned with development – outlines the many ways that broadband can improve global sustainable development, and in so doing, better the lives of millions around the globe.

These include addressing basic needs such as healthcare and food production, and helping lift people out of poverty through e-commerce opportunities and job growth, monitoring climate change and planetary processes, and bridging the digital gender divide.

"We must work together," said the Commission in its statement, "to harness the opportunities and benefits of ICTs, new and emerging technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, as well as broadband-based technologies, while safeguarding against their downsides and risks. This will be critical to achieve the SDGs and realize the future we want. Let us seize the historical opportunity of the SDGs to build a model of sustainable development anchored by universal access to affordable broadband technologies and digital literacy in order to fulfil a future where no one is left behind."

"The theme of the 2017 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is 'Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world'. The Broadband Commission statement to the HLPF highlights the critical role of ICTs to do so, and outlines the fundamental role broadband technology can play in helping the world achieve its most pressing sustainable development goals," said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General. "Their statement urges HLPF attendees to recognize the need for the global roll-out of broadband infrastructures, devices, applications and services to make progress towards achieving the SDGs."


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Tuesday, July 11, 2017

OECD, FAO predict decline growth in world food prices

The duo of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have predicted a decline in growth in the world food prices, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A joint press statement on the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026, informed NaijaAgroNet that the global food commodity prices are projected to remain low over the next decade compared to previous peaks, as demand growth in a number of emerging economies is expected to slow down and biofuel policies have a diminished impact on markets, according to the latest 10-year agricultural outlook published today by the OECD and FAO.

The Outlook also predicted that vegetable oils, sugar and dairy products are expected to be main provider of additional calories over next decade.

Equally, the Agricultural Outlook, NaijaAgroNet gathered indicated that the completed replenishment of cereal stocks by 230 million metric tonnes over the past decade, combined with abundant stocks of most other commodities, should also help limit growth in world prices, which are now almost back to their levels before the 2007-08 food price crisis.

The report foresees per capita demand for food staples remaining flat, except in least developed countries. Additional calories and protein consumption over the outlook period are expected to come mainly from vegetable oil, sugar and dairy products.

“Growth in demand for meat is projected to slow, with no new sources of demand projected to maintain the momentum previously generated by China,” part of the outlook showed.

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Monday, July 10, 2017

Mozambique goes to UK for first deepwater gas Summit

The Mozambican Government in partnership with Eni have advanced plans to host the first Deep Water Gas field Development Summit in October, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This follows the recent signing of the Coral South floating LNG facility which became the first of its kind for the African nation.

NaijaAgroNet reports that this marks the start of an implementation phase for the gas industry of Mozambique, with more such deals expected to move from planning phase into fruition, the economy will see the benefits from this new business in the country.

The Mozambique Gas Summit & Exhibition, would take place in October with extensive cover of latest developments in Mozambique’s gas industry.


The three-day event, NaijaAgroNet gathered is being organized by acclaimed oil and gas events company, the CWC Group, in partnership with Mozambique’s national hydrocarbon’s company ENH.

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Friday, July 7, 2017

USAID lifts African CNC with agro transformation grant

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is advancing undisclosed grant to the Africa Lead II and the CAADP Non-State Actors Coalition (CNC) in support of initial CAADP four countries including Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This was a key resolution from the just ended meeting of Africa Lead II and the CAADP Non-State Actors Coalition (CNC) in Ghana.

The grant is to support CAADP in Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, and Kenya in the first phase.

The official communique from the meeting made available to NaijaAgroNet invited interested organizations to submit a brief concept paper in order to earn the chance to apply for resources and support, build relationships and networks with key actors in CAADP, and put their idea into action.

The grant activities, NaijaAgroNet reports, would help to create and effectively bring about approaches towards improving citizen engagement in national food security investment priorities as outlined by the CAADP themes.

NaijaAgroNet equally reports that interested non-state actors should submit proposals with focus on aligning Non-State Actors (NSA) programme design and development to the CAADP agenda to support relevant National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) priorities.

Also, NaijaAgroNet  reports that proposal should include on how to make use of agricultural performance data relevant to specific CAADP themes for advocacy and strategic communication purposes; and ready to generate relevant data sets to support the ongoing monitoring of CAADP progress.

“Applicants may propose new projects or scale up small projects that have demonstrated success. Awardees will be expected to share evaluation results and key lessons, and periodically disseminate activities and outcomes with the broader community.  If your organization is working towards creative solutions for these objectives in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, or Senegal, please review the application and submit your idea,” our source told NaijaAgroNet.
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UNICEF says lack of fund threatens education in conflict, disaster zones

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm that lack of sufficient fund is threatening education for millions of children caught up in conflicts or disasters, reports NaijaAgroNet.

UNICEF raised this flag ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that out of the $932 million needed this year for education programmes in emergency countries, UNICEF has so far received recorded voluntary contributions of less than $115 million.

Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEF’s latest and youngest Goodwill Ambassador, said in Hamburg, Germany.

“The funds are necessary to give 9.2 million children affected by humanitarian crises access to formal and non-formal basic education,” Almellehan said.

Pointing out that without education, children grow up without the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the peace and the development of their countries and economies, aggravating an already desperate situation for millions of children,” said Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEF’s latest – and youngest – Goodwill Ambassador, speaking from Hamburg, Germany, where she is representing UNICEF at the G20 Summit. “For the millions of children growing up in war zones, the threats are even more daunting: Not going to school leaves children vulnerable to early marriage, child labour and recruitment by armed forces.”  

Funding gaps for UNICEF education programmes in some of the world’s hot spots vary from 36 per cent in Iraq, to 64 per cent in Syria, 74 per cent in Yemen and 78 per cent in the Central African Republic.

Pursuing educational opportunities has been cited as one of the push factors leading families and children to flee their homes, often at great risk to their lives. A survey of refugee and migrant children in Italy revealed that 38 per cent of them headed to Europe to gain access to learning opportunities. A similar survey in Greece showed that one in three parents or caretakers said that seeking education for their children was the main reason they left their countries for Europe.

For children who have experienced the trauma of war and displacement, education can be life-saving.

When I fled Syria in 2013, I was terrified I would never be able to return to school. But when I arrived in Jordan and realized there was a school in the camp, I was relieved and hopeful,” said Muzoon. “School gives children like me a lifeline and the chance of a peaceful and positive future.”

As an education activist and Syrian refugee, Muzoon joins forces with UNICEF to speak out on behalf of the millions of children who have been uprooted by conflict and are missing out on school.

“I urge world leaders to invest in the futures of children living in emergencies -- and by doing so invest in the future of our world,” Muzoon said.


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PEI exChange debuts for online matching platform

A United Kingdom-based international non-governmental organization (NGO) and charity entity, Planet Earth Institute (PEI) , has advanced plans to unveil its ​PEI exchange during the forthcoming ​#ScienceAfrica UnConference later this month, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The PEI exChange, NaijaAgroNet gathered is the first online matching platform for all individuals working and interested in Africa.

PEI Chairman and Trustee, Hon Lord Paul Boateng, said the unveiling has been slated for 20th July​, 2017 and noted that PEI exChange is a new website that aims at connecting all people working in and passionate about Africa.

“Based on user-identified criteria, including countries and regions of focus, industries, skills and experience, the PEI exChange provides personalised matches to help users make their ‘Big Ideas for Africa’ happen. These could include charitable projects, a new technology, a business plan, an academic collaboration or more,” he said.

Users, he said, will be matched with like-minded people who have the skills, expertise, and experience to support their projects on and for the continent.

“Once connected, the PEI exChange real-time chat function facilitates collaboration, allowing users to share contacts and expertise, build networks, and create interest-focused groups.

The PEI exChange also features a ‘Big Ideas Map’, which displays projects, initiatives, businesses, and collaborations happening in and for Africa. Users can post their own projects, follow and support others, and stay up-to-date with challenges and opportunities on the ground.


The PEI exChange will be unveiled during the PEI’s fifth #ScienceAfrica UnConference, which is hosted by the Rt Hon Lord Boateng. Held under the banner of ‘Big Ideas For Africa: Celebrating the Continent’s Science and Technology Pioneers’, the UnConference aims to recognise the individuals and groups creating scientific and technological innovations that not only benefit  the continent, but also the world. Participants come from diverse backgrounds, including business, academia, policy and civil society. The UnConference will also be live streamed and people are encouraged to use the #BigIdeasforAfrica hashtag on Twitter to engage in discussion about science, technology and innovation in Africa.

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Thursday, July 6, 2017

UN chief calls for stronger AU-UN partnership

The Deputy Secretary-General at the United Nations (UN), Mrs Amina Mohammed has called for strengthening the relationship between the African Union (AU) and UN, to strengthen the promised development for Africa’s youth, reports NaijaAgroNet.

In her address at African Union Summit, Ms. Mohammed said that the AU’s thematic focus this year on youth is a “powerful reminder” of the core principle at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the AU’s strategic framework known as Agenda 2063 and other global agreements, namely, creating a better world for the next generation.

“For the 226 million young people aged 15 to 24 living in Africa today, these agendas address challenges and opportunities that are integral to their futures,” she said.

“Today you are here taking decisions that will ensure that Africa benefits from the full potential of all its people, including young women and men,” she added, in a nod to this year’s theme of Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through investments in Youth.

“Investing in our youth today reaps the dividend of a peaceful and prosperous Africa tomorrow.”
Addressing leaders from across the continent who have gathered at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ms. Mohammed called for “building new bridges between us, and fortifying the ones that already exist” to deliver on the promises of the development agenda for Africa and its people.

In April, the UN-AU annual conference in New York resulted in a joint framework for enhanced partnership on peace and security. The two organizations are now preparing a joint framework on sustainable development, focusing on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and of Agenda 2063, according to Ms. Mohammed.

She also noted that the UN will be collaborating with the AU on a new UN-European Union initiative to be launched at the UN General Assembly this September to end gender-based violence around the world.

The deputy UN chief also highlighted some of the other areas where the UN and the AU are working more closely, including on efforts to enhance the UN’s partnership with Africa’s regional economic communities in areas of peacekeeping, elections and democratic transitions.

Secretary-General António Guterres recently reiterated the need for “predictable, reliable and sustainable” financing for AU peace operations, and is said to be working on a set of concrete proposals for the UN Security Council.

“Our efforts should continue to be based on urgency, flexibility and innovation to improve complementarity, cost-effectiveness and impact,” Mohammed said.

She also echoed Mr. Guterres’ call at the G7 summit in Italy, where he urged world leaders to invest in young people, with stronger investment in technology, relevant education and capacity-building in Africa.

“The challenge of strengthening Africa’s human capital, starting with its young people, has galvanized commitments to promote their rights and invest in quality and relevant education at all levels, health, science and technology and innovation,” said Ms. Mohammed.


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... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Nutrition: SBN Nigeria overtakes Zambia in growth

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network Nigeria has overtaken its Zambia counterpart in growth, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The manager, SUN Business Network, Mr. Jonathan Tench, revealed this to NaijaAgroNet at a one-day SUN Business Network convening in Lagos, Tuesday.

According to him, SBN Nigeria at the last count, has 53 members on the network, therefore leading in Africa.

This was the position occupied by Zambia in Africa until Tuesday on membership of Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network.

He also told NaijaAgroNet that the London-based SUN has over 250 companies in Africa that have signed up on its members.

“Nigeria is coming highest in Africa beating Zambia to it, membership of SUN,” he said.

Also speaking, the Team Coordinator for SUN Nigeria, Uduak Igbeka urged Nigerian actors in the nutrition subsector, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to embrace SUN and make their impacts known as far as scaling up nutrition is concerned.

She noted that in less than a year of establishing SBN in Nigeria, it has garnered 53 members on the network.

The event saw two sessions, namely the “Access to Finance for Business in Nutrition” and “Supporting Partnership Sector to Contribute to Nutrition in Nigeria” with professor of Food Science and Technology at Bells University of Technology, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela.


Other dignitaries that graced the event included the Director, Programmes at Civil Society, Scale Up Nutrition Nigeria (CS-SUNN) Mrs Beatrice Eluaka, Regional Director, Ashoka, Josephine Nzerem, Director, Dangote Foundation, Dr. Francis Aminu, Senior Programme Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Victor Adjero, Dr. Ndidi Nwuneli of Sahel Capital & Partners among others.

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... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology