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Monday, January 31, 2022

CS-SUNN supports 3 more states to domesticate NCFN - NaijaAgroNet

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The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has supported three states in the latest efforts to domesticate the National Committee on Food and Nutrition (NCFN) Terms of Reference for operationalization at the states, reports 
NaijaAgroNet.

These states, NaijaAgroNet gathered included Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Right standards create right incentives says CDB boss, Mrema - NaijaAgroNet

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The Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, has asserted that right standards create the right incentives, reports 
NaijaAgroNet.
Elizabeth Mrema
Today, NaijaAgroNet reports that over 500 sustainability standards exist and are used for key global exports and imports. In addition to coffee and chocolate, these include tea, bananas, cocoa, palm oil, timber and cotton.

Friday, January 28, 2022

Experts: Voluntary sustainability standards to protect biodiversity - NaijaAgroNet

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Experts have declared that voluntary sustainability standards could play a bigger role in conserving the planet’s resources and strengthen the new post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
The Rainforest Alliance is a voluntary sustainability standard for agriculture 
and forestry products and tourism businesses. © K I Photography

The global community is failing to meet the scale of the biodiversity crisis that threatens to wipe out over 1 million animal and plant species, putting our economies, food security and health at risk.

NCC-CSIRT identifies two cyber vulnerabilities - ITREALMs

NCC-CSIRT identifies two cyber vulnerabilities - ITREALMs

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has independently identified two cyber vulnerabilities currently on the prowl, reports ITREALMS.

This is coming as NCC advised Nigerian telecom consumers on the measures to be taken to get protected from these vulnerabilities.

Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde in a press statement available to ITREALMS, said the CSIRT, in its first-ever security advisories less than three months after its creation, has solely identified the two cyber-attacks targeting the consumers and proffer solutions that can help telecom consumers from falling victims to the two cyber vulnerabilities.

The first is described as Juice Jacking, which can gain access into consumers’ devices when charging mobile phones at public charging stations and it applies to all mobile phones. The other is a Facebook for Android Friend Acceptance Vulnerability, which targets only Android Operating System.

According to CSIRT security Advisory 0001 released on January 26, 2022, with Juice Jacking, attackers have found a new way to gain unauthorized entry into unsuspecting mobile phone users devices when they charge their mobile phones at public charging stations.

Many public spaces, restaurants, malls and even in the public trains do offer complementary services to their customers in a bid to enhance customer services, one of which is providing charging ports or sockets.  

However, an attacker can leverage this courtesy to load a payload in the charging station or on the cables they would leave plugged in at the stations.

Once unsuspecting persons plug their phones at the charging station or the cable left by the attacker, the payload is automatically downloaded on the victims’ phone. This payload then gives the attacker remote access to the mobile phone, allowing them to monitor data transmitted as text, or audio using the microphone. The attacker can even watch the victim in real time if the victims’ camera is not covered. The attacker is also given full access to the gallery and also to the phone's Global Positioning System (GPS) location.

When an attacker gains access to a user’s Mobile phone, he gets remote access to the User’s phone which leads to breach in Confidentiality, Violation of Data Integrity and bypass of Authentication Mechanisms. Symptoms of attack may include sudden spike in battery consumption, device operating slower than usual, apps taking a long time to load, and when they load they crash frequently and cause abnormal data usage.

The NCC-CSIRT, however, proffered solutions to this attack to include using ‘charging only USB cable’, to avoid Universal Serial Bus (USB) data connection; using one’s AC charging adaptor in public space; and not granting trust to portable devices prompt for USB data connection.

Other preventive measures against Juice Jacking include installing Antivirus and updating them to the latest definitions always; keeping mobile devices up to date with the latest patches; using one’s own power bank; keeping mobile phone off when charging in public places; as well as ensuring use of one’s own charger, if one must charge in public.

On the other hand, the NCC-CSIRT Advisory 0001 of January 27, 2022, warns that Facebook for Android is vulnerable to a permission issue which gives privilege to anyone with physical access to the android device to accept friend requests without unlocking the phone. The products affected include Versions 329.0.0.29.120 of Android OS.

With this, the attacker will be able to add the victim as a friend and collect personal information of the victim, such as Email, Date of Birth, Check-ins, Mobile phone number, Address, Pictures and other information that the victim may have shared, which would only be visible to his/her friends.

However, to be protected from the Facebook-associated vulnerability, NCC-CSIRT in the security advisory recommends to users to disable the feature from their device’s lock screen notification settings.

The NCC-CSIRT was inaugurated in October, 2021 to provide guidance and direction for the constituents in dealing with issues relating to the security of critical infrastructure in their possession, and periodically assess, review and collate the threat landscape, risks, and opportunities affecting the communications sector, in order to provide advice to relevant stakeholders in those regards.

As the telecoms-industry specific intervention, the objective of which aligns with the objective of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) document published by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NCC-CSIRT ensures continuous improvement of processes and communication frameworks to guarantee secure and collaborative exchange of timely information while responding to cyber threats within the sector.

In recent times, NCC-CSIRT has raised series of cyber-vulnerability awareness based on security advisories it receives from the Nigerian Cybersecurity Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), which is the national body for the implementation of the NCPS objective. However, Juice Jacking and Facebook for Android Friend Acceptance Vulnerabilities are the two first-ever cyber vulnerabilities published by the NCC-CSIRT.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Kigali set for APAC continent wide gathering - NaijaAgroNet

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Kigali, the Rwandan capital is set for the African Protected Areas Congress (APAC) ever in history, come March 2022, reports NaijaAgroNet.
The congress, NaijaAgroNet gathered is to chart the way forward for a new funding model for Africa’s protected areas.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Buhari launches 13 rice pyramids - NaijaAgroNet

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Nigerian President, General Muhammadu Buhari, retired, has urged citizens to be patient because the price of rice in the market is expected to fall as the country recently launched 13 pyramids of rice paddy, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Buhari made these calls on Tuesday in Abuja noted that the growing food production in the country, especially the expansion in rice farming, will bring down prices of food, thereby making it more affordable for all.

Monday, January 17, 2022

Lagos CS-SUNN commences week-long workshop on 'winning proposals' - NaijaAgroNet

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The Lagos State chapter of the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has concluded plans for a week-long capacity building for its members on ‘winning proposals’ reports NaijaAgroNet.
Disclosing this, the chapter coordinator, Dr. Mrs Modupe Akinyinka, said the exercise would hold for qualifying members only with the theme: Writing grant winning proposals.

Friday, January 14, 2022

NLNG approves 100% LPG production into Nigeria market - NaijaAgroNet

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The Board of Directors of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has approved the supply of 100% of the company’s LPG production (Propane & Butane) to the Nigerian market. Consequently, NLNG will prioritize the domestic market for 100% of its Butane production, otherwise known as cooking gas.
The milestone is coming just three months after the company supplied its first Propane cargo into the domestic market and has developed a scheme to sustainably supply Propane for usage in cooking gas blending as well as in agro-allied, autogas, power and petrochemical sectors of the Nigerian economy to further deepen gas utilisation in Nigeria.

FRA: Most comprehensive assessments of forestry says FAO – NaijaAgroNet

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The Global Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) has been described as the most authoritative and comprehensive assessment of forests and forestry, reports NaijaAgroNet.
The latest of these assessments (FRA 2020), 
NaijaAgroNet gathered, contains detailed regional and global analyses for 236 countries and territories to meet the needs of the diverse stakeholders: private and public sectors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the media, academia, etc.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Forest data gets $7m to enhance accuracy, accessibility - NaijaAgroNet

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In order to make forestry more sustainable and resilient, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Finland have signed an agreement to enhance the capacity of countries in forest resources and data management especially in Africa worth $7 million, reports NaijaAgroNet.
The agreement, NaijaAgroNet gathered is coming from multi-donor project to be implemented jointly by the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment and National Forest Monitoring teams over a period of four years, with an initial $2,3 million contribution provided by Finland.