African govts, banks, IDPs pledge $30bn on agric development

NaijaAgroNet:

The week-long 2016 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) ended at the weekend, with some $30 billion, about N9,467,550,000,000 trillion investment pledged by the governments, financial institutions and International Development Partners (IDPs), reports NaijaAgroNet.

These pledges, NaijaAgroNet gathered came on the wheels of the theme "Seize the moment: Securing Africa's Rise Through Agricultural Transformation" and will spur commitments to African farmers and agriculture sector on the continent for new and more broad opportunities for economic growth.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that AGRF 2016 which attracted over 1,500 delegates from 40 countries, included some African Heads of State, global business leaders, government ministers, farmers, agribusiness firms, financial institutions, civil society groups, scientists, and International Development and Technical Partners (IDTPs).

According to NaijaAgroNet, most of them pledged in excess of US $30 billion dollars in investments over the next 10 years to increase production, income and employment for smallholder farmers and local African agriculture businesses.

As said by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) which acts as the secretariat of AGRF and led by its president, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the pledges are the largest single package of financial commitments ever delivered to African agriculture.

“It is backed by the broadest coalition ever assembled to support a transition from subsistence to income-earning agriculture in Africa,” she said.

The AGRF partners, Kalibata noted afforded the meeting to embrace a detailed action plan that commits to achieving specific milestones over the next 16 months as part of the “Seize the Moment” campaign that served as the theme for AGRF 2016.

NaijaAgroNet recalled that “Seize the Moment” was first launched in April at the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP) Partnership Platform in Accra, Ghana. It has quickly become a rallying point for accelerating work around the African Union’s 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the auditorium of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenyan President, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, said the transformation of Africa will only work if Africans transform agriculture.

“This meeting has been not only important, but also very urgent, because we are coming together at a time when our continent is filled with incredible opportunity, but at the same time it also is faced with profound threats in almost equal measure,” he said.

Kenyatta championed the pledges by declaring that his government will invest US $200 million, so that at least 150,000 young farmers and young agriculture entrepreneurs could gain access to markets, finance and insurance.

The Rwandan President, Mr. Paul Kagame who accompanied Kenyatta on stage, challenge African leaders and around the world to harness the potential of agriculture to fight hunger and poverty on the continent.

Rwanda, he disclosed emerged as a strong example of what investments in agriculture can achieve, stressing that according to the World Bank, Rwanda under his leadership achieved dramatic reductions in poverty, “owing largely to increased productivity and commercialization in the agriculture sector.”

“We should not only seize the moment but continue the momentum for the transformation of agriculture and economies on our continent,” President Kagame, emphasising “Agriculture is not just one sector of the economy amongst others – it’s the backbone of the economy.”

Equally speaking at the closing ceremony, Kenyan Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Willy Bett, commended President Kagame and President Kenyatta for their commitment to the forum, and urged delegates to “do our part and drive this agenda forward.”

Remmy Nweke in Nairobi/ED, Ops

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AU identifies priority actions for sustainable small-scale fisheries

NaijaAgroNet:

The Head of NEPAD’s Natural Resources Governance Programme, Dr Hamady Diop, has said that they have identified priority actions for sustainable development of small-scale fisheries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Diop made this known at an AU-IBAR and NEPAD Agency’s joint side-event on Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa, held in Rome recently.

“The Policy Framework and Reform Strategy acknowledges the diversity of uses of fish resources and advocates a broad, inclusive approach to fisheries management and aquaculture development,” he said.

Diop also noted that the priority is a blue print for fisheries and aquaculture to effectively contribute to Africa’s transformational goals.

He pointed out that Africa’s priority actions for the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries include strengthening the governance of the sector; improving the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food and nutritional security, and wealth creation; as well as reducing the susceptibility of small-scale fisheries to climate change and related risks.

In the case of aquaculture, priority actions, he said, among others include establishing an enabling environment; improving service delivery; capacity building; trans-boundary ecosystem management for aquaculture, and; innovation, which also entails research and development.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa addresses  conservation and sustainable resource use; Small scale fisheries development, Sustainable aquaculture development, Responsible and equitable fish trade and marketing, Strengthened regional and sub regional cooperation, Awareness Enhancing and human capacity development and High seas fisheries.

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African media must take charge of African narratives – Nyaggah

NaijaAgroNet:

African media practitioners have been tasked to take charge of narratives coming from the continent, says the Executive Director, Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), Mr. Muchiri Nyaggah, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, he said, must be done specifically in the coverage of agriculture sector whilst enmeshing the narratives with relevant data in order to tell the stories more explicitly.

Nyaggah gave this charge in a presentation he made at a three-day Reporting Agriculture workshop in Abidjan, the Cote D’Iviore capital organised by the Africa Media Initiative (AMI) in conjunction with the World Bank.

Dwelling on “Using Data in Reporting on Agriculture in Africa” Nyaggah cited an instance with the recent report on Kibera’s people which was largely exaggerated to be between 800,00 and 1million people; purportedly living in the shanty town in an area of only 255 hectares, meaning that population density is so high that people have only about 1 meter space per three persons each.

The report, he noted however, added that over 100,000 children were believed to be orphans due to the high incidence, but according to him, this story was very far away from the truth because it was being reported from the eyes of foreign media elements in collusion with some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who did not do their home-works well.

To take charge of the narrative, Nyaggah said Africa needs evidence to fix it’s challenges, because, “He who has the data controls the narrative.”

African media practitioners, he said, could only hold their governments accountable when their stories or narratives are backed with evidences based on relevant data, giving another instance that the World Health Organisation (WHO) otherwise known as the World Health Assembly (WHA) has target on nutrition that there would be about 40 per cent reduction in the number of children under 5 who are stunted by 2025.

He pointed out that story on nutrition for instance has data from WHO to back it up, such narrative would make a better sense both in understanding and seriousness by the authorities, mostly in a developing economies like Africa.

Nyaggah recalled that in 2014, the African Union Heads of State and Government recommitted themselves to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) principles and objectives in Malabo.

He emphasised that 65 per cent of Africa’s labour force is employed in the agriculture sector and contributes just over 30 per cent of the continent’s GDP, coupled with the increasing need to achieve food sufficiency for 1.5 billion people by 2020 makes agricultural transformation pivotal to achieving the Health Policy Initiative (HPI) objectives.

The LDRI boss, insisted that African media practitioners have not been very philanthropic with the power of narratives due to lack of supporting data and enjoined them to explore the use of data in their editorial contents.

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ACP, FAO sign MoU to boost capacity building

NaijaAgroNet

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in collaborating with the African Caribbean and Pacific Group States (ACP), are intensifying efforts aimed at enhancing capacities to cope with the challenges of climate change, sustainable food production and security, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Memorandum of Understanding to this effect signed by the Secretary General ACP Group, Patrick Ignatius Gomes, and the FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is intended towards supporting the 79 ACP member countries to work assiduously to achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals that will be agreed later this year.

The MoU commits both ACP and FAO to jointly promote and contribute to the implementation of activities planned within the Fund's framework.

It also factorizes procedures aimed at enhancing an -ACP South-South Cooperation programme for food security and agriculture, including technology sharing, knowledge exchange and policy dialogue between tropical countries.

Key areas under the expanded collaboration, NaijaAgroNet learnt, is to engage the private sector to support the development of efficient and inclusive agrovalue chains. The emphasis will be on targeted agricultural commodities, both food staples and cash crops, and on smallholders, farmer- and producer organizations and small and medium enterprises.

More so, the collaboration will be identified by ACP members which are likely to be projects to harness private-sector support in building efficient and inclusive agricultural value chains that will help smallholder farmers meet export market regulatory requirements, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Other measures will aim at hunger eradication, better nutrition and sustainable economic practices.

Cyriacus Nnaj/ GEE
 
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Emulate President Jammeh, Gambian farmers tasks African leaders

 NaijaAgroNet

The President of the National Farmers Platform of The Gambia (NFPG), Alagie Bassi Mboge has charged African leaders to emulate President Yahya  Jammeh's footstep in boosting agricultural production and productivity, reports NaijaAgroNet .

Mboge made this call in an interview with news men in The Gambia, saying that the ongoing presidential tour to meet with farmers across the country is a clear demonstration that President Jammeh is taking the lead to ensuring that decades of importation of rice become a thing of the past in the country.

He described Jammeh as a president with a difference whose ambition is to ensure that not only The Gambia becomes food self-sufficient, but also the whole of Africa.

Mr. Mboge also commended the President for the laudable initiative of meeting farmers, and discussing with them the way forward in addressing some of their key concerns regarding the attainment of Vision 2016, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE

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AU, Harvest Plus sets to promote farming technologies

NaijaAgroNet

African Union commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Tumuslime Rhoda Peace, has said that the union would partner with lead research-based agriculture institution, Harvest Plus, to promote farming and consumption of boi-fortified crops, through the use of farming technologies, especially among poor farming and urban communities, to boost Agriculture in the African continent. NaijaAgroNet, reports.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that Tumuslime appreciated the role of the institute in lifting the rural poor communities in Africa out of poverty and stressed that in order to improve market access, the use of farming technology needs propagation at higher policy making levels so that farmers can adopt it and sellers can buy the micro nutrient-added to produce in good quantities.

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Director Harvest Plus, Dr. Howarth Bouis and Harvest Plus, Head of Africa Strategic Alliances, Dr. Anna-Marie Ball NaijaAgroNet learnt, briefed the commissioner on its accomplishments in breeding and production of bio-fortified food crops and distribution bio-fortified seed varieties as well as improved cultivars, thereby empowering rural communities.

Dr. Bouis said, “The organisation also helps add value to locally produced agricultural crops in countries where the organization is working in Africa.” She added that “we have released a number of bio-fortified crops including: iron beans, iron pearl millet, vitamin A cassava, vitamin A maize, vitamin A sweet potatoes, Zinc rice and Zinc wheat.”

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Harvard Plus has executed countless programmes in Africa, especially the rapid expansion in production and consumption of yellow cassava in Nigeria.

Harvest Plus as NaijaAgroNet learnt, is a lead research-based, agriculture technology institution that was established to respond to the problem of ‘hidden hunger’ which is caused by the lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet, such as vitamin A, zinc, and iron, thus reinforcing agriculture’s pivotal role in improving the quality of diet and increasing micro-nutrient consumption. 

Nsolibe Daniel/Ed, Ops.

 

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Taking healthcare delivery to another level through ICT

 NaijaAgroNet

The African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) – a pan African initiative hosted by the United Nations in Addis Ababa recently highlighted Nigerian example in containment of Ebola and emphasized the role of technology in transforming health care delivery and Ebola research and development, NaijaAgroNet reports

Executive Director of ANDI, Dr. Solomon Nwaka said that the meeting recommended that the Nigerian approach to Ebola outbreak be written and publicized broadly, as a model for future outbreaks or emergent infections.

The establishment of a properly resourced Ebola emergency operation centre by the Nigerian government under the Nigerian Center for Disease Control of the ministry of health as well as a strong coordination of efforts with functional public and private diagnostic laboratories, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was important to this success.

“Ongoing development of diagnostics and surveillance tools for Ebola in Nigeria and Uganda as well as the pioneering work of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja on the development of NIPRISAN from local traditional medicines for the management of Sickle Cell Anaemia, were examples of technologies discussed at the ANDI event, Nwaka stated.

According to information made available to NaijaAgroNet, experts agreed that the containment of Ebola is one of the most noted public health crackdowns in the largest African country and this serves as a model for the rest of the world.

NaijaAgroNet further learnt that recognizing Nigeria’s successful response to Ebola, according to the health professionals, is an indication that with same commitments and adequate preparations, the clamour for functional health and innovation system is attainable.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE

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Maseru hosts Africa Environment Day, Wangari Maathair Day

African leaders, civil society and youth groups marked 2014 Africa Environment Day and also to honour Wangari Maathai, with aim of accelerating actions on several environmental challenges on the continent, to be hosted in Maseru, the Kingdom of Lesotho, with the theme ‘Combating Desertification in Africa: Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Food Security.’

NaijaAgroNet reports that the regional host of the 12th annual celebration, which attracted over 200 young people and high-level experts, reviewed key environmental issues impacting Africa, including illegal wildlife crime, forest conservation and food security.

The event which dovetails with Wangari Maathai Day, a celebration of the life and work of the Green Belt Movement founder is organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Government of Kenya and the Green Belt Movement.

Professor Maathai was Africa's first female Nobel laureate, a champion of grassroots environmental activism and a fervent defender of biodiversity. She was also the inspiration for the Billion Tree Campaign, which UNEP began in 2006. Eight years later, 13.8 billion trees have been planted under the campaign, which is now run by the Plant for the Planet Foundation.

"The Green Economy transition is already well underway in Africa," said UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. "From plugging into solar power in Algeria and Tunisia to investing in green funds in South Africa, diverse pathways to greener and more-inclusive economies are being pursued across the continent."

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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