Makinde inspects 6 PHCs, pledges to pay insurance fees for 1,500 enrollees

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The Oyo State Governor, ’Seyi Makinde, on Friday, commissioned the Renal Dialysis Unit, High Dependency Unit and the Diabetes Screening and Treatment Centre built inside the Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan.

The projects were built and equipped with the support from Global Fund, the Afolabi Family of Kaderu Compound, Ibadan and the Lions Clubs International, District 404 B1, Nigeria.

Ogun engages 1,200 farmers on new Ofada rice farm

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Ogun State Government has made provisions for direct and indirect jobs in order to engage 1,200 farmers in the newly cultivated 100 hectares Ofada rice farm at Shagbon village, Eggua in Yewa Local Government Area of the state, reports BusinessDay.

The Ogun State commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Ronke Sokefun disclosed this during an inspection tour to the farmland, and said that the project would employ 200 main farmers and at least 1000 farm assistants, while government will provide incentives such as rice seeds, fertilisers, and also buy back the produce after harvest.

NaijaAgroNet gathered from the statement of the Commissioner for Agriculture,  that  Ogun State Government will not only be provide the land for the planting of the rice, but would be responsible for provision of  viable rice seeds and other inputs needed to ensure a bumper harvest

Based on the challenge over land clearing faced by the farmers,  she said, the ministry had embarked on clearing and ploughing of the land to be used for planting late maize, short Nerica rice, and then to make way for the Ofada farmers’ rice to be planted  and improved on their production.

In his response during the visit, a representative of the farmers, Azeez Adeniji commended the gesture of state government for the farmland project and pledged the farmers’ commitment to ensure that the farmland succeeds.

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FG saves 1,500 children from lead-contamination

a site at the mining in Zamfra, courtesy: HRW

The Federal Government of Nigeria has released fund for the cleaning up of lead-contaminated village in northern Nigeria.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan may have lived up to 

his promise in releasing funds to clean up lead-contaminated villages in across the country, especially to save the lives of those affected who are mostly children in the state of Zamfara, reports, Human Rights Watch.

It was also gathered that by releasing the funds would facilitate paves the way for at least 1,500 children in urgent need of life-saving medical treatment in northern Nigeria to receive treatment.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Jonathan promised in May 2012 to allocate $4 million, about N627,999,679, for environmental remediation and safer mining practices to address what has been described as the worst lead poisoning epidemic in modern history, but no funds had been forthcoming.

This week’s announcement followed a sustained awareness-raising effort by domestic and international organizations, including a joint Facebook campaign by the Nigerian Youth Climate Action Network and Human Rights Watch.
 

“President Jonathan’s decision to release the cleanup funds could be life-saving for countless children,” said Jane Cohen, health researcher at Human Rights Watch, adding that after years of living in contaminated homes, children will now be able to live and play without risking their lives.

The lead-affected villages are located in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara, a region where artisanal gold mining is an important source of livelihood. High levels of lead in the rock ore, combined with traditional, labor-intensive mining practices have caused widespread lead poisoning, especially among children.

According to official estimates, more than 400 children have died from lead poisoning in Nigeria, and more than 1,500 have elevated lead levels and are at risk of long-term disability and death.

 Remmy Nweke/NaijaAgroNet.com.ng

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