Economic Crisis: Adeleke unveils food security plan, preaches unity - ITREALMS

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The Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has unveiled his government’s food security plan and advocated for national unity to resolve the current nationwide economic crisis.

The Governor who recently attended President Bola Tinubu’s briefing with Governors on Thursday was at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture today during which he opened up on the extensive agenda of the state government on food security and expanded food production.

Economic crisis: Adeleke plans committee on food security, reels out actions - ITREALMS

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The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, would this week inaugurate a state committee on food security in response to the increasing economic hardship facing residents, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The committee to comprise representatives of civil society groups, youth organizations, farmers' associations, security agencies, religious groups, market associations and relevant commissioners is to be led by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Dr Bashiru Salami.


The Committee is to work on farm security for food production, expand farming activities through state incentives, track foodstuff marketing and pricing, review operations of ongoing palliatives measures with a view for improvement if any and recommend immediate actions to further relieve the suffering of the populace.

Zero tolerance for food loss, waste makes economic sense

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Mr. José Graziano da Silva has joined calls for a renewed global commitment to zero tolerance for food loss and waste makes economic sense, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Graziano da Silva, made this call at a sideline event at the ongoing 72nd session of the UN General Assembly with focus on tackling food loss and waste as a pathway to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, declaring that "Zero tolerance for food loss and waste makes economic sense.”

He buttressed his point, with recent report that every $1 invested in food loss and food waste policies brings $14 in return, Graziano da Silva stressed that "Investing in measures to prevent food loss and food waste also means making investments in pro-poor policies as it promotes sustainable food systems for a zero hunger world."

Noting that one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally each year. This loss and waste occurs throughout the supply chain, from farm to fork. Beyond food, it represents a waste of labour, water, energy, land and other inputs. If food loss and waste were a country, it would rank as the third highest national emitter of greenhouse gases.

Graziano da Silva joined Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, Josefa Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union as well as representatives of the governments of Germany, the Netherlands and Angola in calling for greater cooperation by governments, business, development partners, farmers groups and others to address the problem.

Of the 815 million hungry people in the world, the majority lives in rural areas of developing countries and are family farmers, pastoralists or fishers. They have poor access to modern means of preventing food losses and waste, and often local food systems are subject to gaps in post-harvest handling, transportation, processing and refrigeration.

By reducing loss and waste along the food value chain, healthy food systems can contribute to promoting climate adaptation and mitigation, preserving natural resources, and reinforcing rural livelihoods.

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CEFTER to reduce N880byearly post-harvest losses by Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

 

The former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Dr (Mrs) Farida Waziri, has said that Centre for Food Technology and Research, (CEFTER) will reduce over $4 billion, about N880 billion estimated as the yearly post harvest losses incurred by African countries, NaijaAgroNet reports. 

According to a statement by her media aide, Mr. Ade Williams, Waziri said this while commissioning the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence Project, CEFTER, located at the Benue State University, Makurdi.The former EFCC boss who was the chairperson at the official launch of the Centre noted that the World Bank project is coming to Nigeria at the right time. 

While counseling the managers of the Centre to make dedication and transparency their watchwords, Waziri commended the Vice Chancellor of BENSU, Prof (Mrs) Charity Angya and the Project Manager of CEFTER, Dr Barnabas AchakpaIkya for their efforts to see the project take off. Benue State University was chosen by the World Bank as one of its 10 Africa Centre of Excellence Project, NaijaAgroNet learnt. 

“No doubt, our over-dependence on oil revenue has brought us to the point where we are as a nation today. As an anti-corruption czar, I have seen how some of those nation entrusted with its oil resources in the past helped themselves more than the country. 

“With our focus on agriculture, the struggle by political office holders to steal oil fund would diminish while the national wealth will be in the hands of the people instead of a privileged greedy few. We cannot all dig oil wells in our backyard but we can all farm in our backyards. It is time to end oil-money induced corruption in our land by buying into President Buhari’s vision and take ownership. 

"I am aware the mandate of this Centre, CEFTER is to promote teaching, research and extension in Post Harvest services, enhance agricultural productivity and industrial output for the socio-economic advancement of Nigeria and Africa. I must admit that this can’t be coming at a better time than now when the new leadership of our country is already looking towards agriculture as a more reliable alternative to oil revenue. 

“With the strategic location of CEFTER in the food basket of the nation, Benue state and the caliber of hands that have been put in charge to manage the project, I will wholeheartedly seek the support of the federal government, multi-nationals and well-meaning Nigerians and our friends across the country that this is one project all of us should support in the interest of our national economy and economic development of all.” 

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Modern ideas key for improved jobs and income

 NaijaAgroNet

Innovation, modern ideas have been identified as the only key to engender improved jobs and sustainable income as joblessness among young people is one of the most pressing social, economic and political challenges facing Africa in the 21st Century, NaijaAgroNet  reports.

African Development Bank's Special Envoy on Gender, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi stated this in Abidjan at a consultative workshop organised by the Bank's Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department in collaboration with the Office of the Special Envoy on Gender and the Human Development Department.

The workshop NaijaAgroNet gathered, was designed to deliberate on a proposed innovative programme titled “Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment for Youth in African Agriculture (ENABLE Youth)”.  The programme once developed, will be implemented in 20 Regional Member Countries of the Bank under the coordination of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

The programme will be designed to reinforce the roles of disenfranchised young African adults through a comprehensive outreach approach involving providing information, life-skills education (effective and functional job training), proven technologies and opportunities to at least 800,000 youth in 20 RMCs.

“Over 10 million young people in Africa are entering the job market each year. Despite the strong growth performance of African economies over the recent years, the continent has failed to create the number of jobs needed to absorb these young people,” said Fraser-Moleketi.

NaijaAgroNet reliably learnt that the meeting was attended by key players in the agricultural sector such as the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development

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N18m Fertilizer Scam, EFCC arraigns Yahaya

NaijaAgroNet:

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned one Nasiru Yahaya before Justice Abdullahi Yusuf of the Katsina State High Court on a 9-count charge that borders on criminal breach of trust and forgery, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The accused person, according to the Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity at EFCC, was entrusted with 3,600 (Three Thousand Six Hundred) bags of fertilizer worth N18, 000,000 (Eighteen Million Naira) to be delivered to Ministry of Agriculture, Adamawa State from Funtua Local Government in Katsina State but fraudulently converted same for personal benefit.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that Yahaya was accused of attempting to cover the fraud, by allegedly presented fake waybills to the complainant, Alhaji Ibrahim Dogo.

“That you Nasiru Yahaya on or about the 14th March, 2011 at Funtua within the judicial division of the Katsina State High Court being entrusted with certain property to wit, 1, 800 bags of fertilizer worth the sum of N9, 000, 000 (Nine Million Naira Only) by Ibrahim Dogo, did commit criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property and thereby committed an offense punishable under section 311 of the Penal Code,” part of the charges read.

Yahaya has since pleaded not guilty to the charge. Just as NaijaAgroNet reports that the case was adjourned to April 15, 2014 for hearing of bail application and commencement of trial.

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