UN agencies enter MoU to close SDG gaps - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The two of United Nation's agencies, namely the  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have renewed their partnership to boost efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including the goal of Zero Hunger, reports NaijaAgroNet.

FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay today signed a new Memorandum of Understanding in Paris. It comes more than 70 years after the first partnership signing between the agencies.

"This new agreement opens a new chapter in the relationship between our two organizations," said FAO's Graziano da Silva. "We need to work closer together to accelerate our efforts towards the goals set out under Agenda 2030."

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay welcomed reinforced collaboration between UNESCO and FAO as two key Specialized Agencies of the UN system. "The nexus between education, culture, food and health is at the center of many of the challenges faced in this century", she highlighted. "We are committed to strengthening our collaboration in these areas to create sustainable futures for societies."

Under the partnership, FAO and UNESCO have agreed to support the development of learning modules, teaching aids and practical sessions for agricultural secondary schools, universities and farmer field schools on food security and sustainable food systems. The agencies will also explore opportunities for nutrition education and healthy nutrition in schools.

This builds on the joint work already being carried out in South Sudan's cattle camps, where literacy and numeracy training by UNESCO is incorporated into FAO's Pastoral Field School approach. This means young people can access a formal school curriculum as well as topics on livestock management and livelihoods' diversification.

FAO and UNESCO will also develop a joint knowledge-sharing platform on the nexus between food, culture and peace, and develop special education projects in poor, rural conflict-affected areas.

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Rivers, Shell sign MoU on gas supply

NaijaAgroNet:

The Rivers State Government and Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the distribution of gas to industries in the Greater Port Harcourt area and its environs, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The MoU, NaijaAgroNet gathered, sets out broad terms and conditions to guide co-operation between the two parties in the development of new gas distribution opportunities in the Greater Port Harcourt area and its environs in addition to its existing gas distribution network in the State.

"The agreement is key in the efforts of the government to boost industrialization in Rivers State," said Richard Hart, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, who signed for the government. "We believe that the agreed terms in the MoU will lead to the signing of the "Build-Operate-Own-and Transfer" (BOOT) agreement early next year so businesses can begin to reap the benefits of a steady source of energy."

SNG Managing Director, Ed Ubong who signed for the company said the partnership was an opportunity to further promote gas as a more reliable, cleaner and cost-effective alternative to liquid fuels in the Niger Delta.

"Gas is the key to boosting industrialization. It is no coincidence that states that currently do well on internal revenue generation have also encouraged the use of gas to boost industrial output, which in turn provides employment and improved livelihood. SNG is grateful to the Rivers State Government for the foresight and co-operation in the signing of the MoU, and will reciprocate the gesture by taking every step to fulfill its obligations in the agreement," he said.

Also commenting on the significance of the MoU, Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor reiterated the leadership role of Shell in the domestic gas market.

"For more than 50 years, Shell has been in the forefront of the campaign to develop and monetize Nigeria's huge resources and it is good to see SNG continuing in the tradition to grow the domestic gas market and also help to improve lives and earnings in Rivers State," Okunbor said.

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Fish Center, WFO sign MoU on food security

NaijaAgroNet:

The World Fish Center (WFC) and World Farmer’s Organisation (WFO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote food security and rural development, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

The WFO, NaijaAgroNet gathers is an assemblage of national farmers’ organisations and agricultural cooperatives in 44 countries in order to represent and safeguard global food security, the environment as well as the socio-economic wealth of rural communities. On the other hand, the WFC, an international scientific research center part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) involved in promoting sustainable fishing and safeguarding water resources.

NaijaAgroNet reports that WFO Executive Director, Marco Marzano de Marinis, described the MoU between WFO and WFC as efforts at supporting agricultural organisations, with the firm belief that farmers and fishermen are a fundamental resource for global food security, rural development, and, in general, for global development.

“Farmers are the main investors in their sector, thus they have to be involved in any strategy aimed at raising their incomes and promoting this sector. Thus, farmers need better policies and a normative framework which includes economic incentives,” Marco Marzano said.

NaijaAgroNet notes that farmers and fishermen are fundamental resources for global food security and rural development. A 10-year agreement has been signed to strengthen their partnership as well as cooperate to develop projects and programs aimed at supporting farmers through learning and development initiatives. The activities will consist of mutual planning and support in research, promotion through conferences, seminars, workshops, but especially the development of common policies and advocacy strategies.

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Nigeria, USAID sign MoU, offers huge lending potentials in agric sector

The Federal Government of Nigeria and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), today, Thursday in Abuja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Nigerian Incentives-based Risk Sharing system for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

Confirming this to NaijaAgroNet, the Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, said that the MoU involved Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and USAID.

In his remarks at the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, was quoted as saying the MoU will play a significant role in reformation going on in the sector, which is in line with President Jonathan’s transformation agenda and in order to make the agric sector attractive to lending.

Dr. Adesina, also said that the implementation of the MoU would address the issue of low lending rate to the agriculture sector, stressing that the effort would further get the banks to lend to the farmers as it would reduce the risk of lending.

“NIRSAL can unlock about N300 billion into the sector but we have to embark on significant reforms that can make the sector attractive to lending,” he was quoted as saying in a press statement endorsed by Dr. Oyeleye and made available to NaijaAgroNet.

Additionally, he said the MoU provides risk mitigation, financing, trading, and other strategic assistance to agribusiness, a programme which was launched in July 2011 in Abuja.

In his part, the CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the MoU was a landmark achievement of the apex bank in its effort to ensure enhanced agricultural sector in the country.

Sanusi noted that commercial banks, with the recent development, would lend to farmers without much losses as the incentive would go a long way to reduce the risk in business.

NIRSAL,: he said, will help the banks to diversify; and the banking industry cannot develop on a sustainable basis unless it locks itself into production.

“So, we say let’s go to agriculture, manufacturing, SMEs and also into financial inclusion and development which is central to financial stability,” the CBN governor said.

Sanusi further said that the apex bank would meet with the managing directors of banks and the minister of agriculture to evaluate the implementation and the progress so far made. Pointing out that the sector had made progress as it accounts for four  per cent of banks portfolio as against one per cent in the last four years.

“We save more money with what the ministry is doing with staple crop process zones, reforms of fertiliser regime, research and development of high yielding varieties (of crops), the whole process of standardisation and commodity exchanges:  these are  critical and necessary steps to take  and pursuits to execute before banks can lend to agriculture,” Sanusi said.

He was optimistic that in the next one year, there would be revolution in the sector with the introduction of NIRSAL.

USAID Administrator, Dr Rajiv Shah, observed that the agreement would equally make agriculture a source of wealth creation in Nigeria, adding that 70 per cent of farmers in the country lack access to credit facility.

He expressed hope, however, that the MoU would provide credit guarantee of about 100 million dollars of agricultural credit to Nigerian farmers.

“We will guarantee that the agricultural sector will pay that loan back to banks. So they will have the courage and conviction to lend the loan to the farmers,” Shah said, emphasizing that the government of the United States was aware of some of the works the Nigerian ministry was doing in the agricultural sector.

As said by Shah, USAID has the markets initiative on rice, cocoa, sorghum and maize, adding the agreement could help develop their value chain programmes.

NIRSAL, NaijaAgroNet recalls, was established to spur additional financing for agriculture lending based on its experience with various guarantee programmes, including USAID’s development credit authority.

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Researchers target at agribusiness

Research activities in the agricultural sector over the last 12 months are majorly targeted at improving productivity of the sector as well as improving the lives of farmers, particularly the small holder farmers.

Just recently was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), to unleash the potential of agriculture and natural resources in Africa.

The MoU is to help in building the critical human capital to address present and future challenges like climate change, pest and disease of the agricultural sector. It will also look into the development of the sector while engaging the youths and giving them the needed tools to be fruitful.

The 2012 edition of Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP21) held in June in Uganda had over 300 global leading cassava researchers in attendance who discussed the ways to improve productivity of cassava with the use of scientific research and development approach.

As a body working on research and development of cassava crop, GCP21 has 45 member institutions conducting research about the crop.

NaijaAgroNet recalled that researchers at the GCP21 urge concerned stakeholders dialogue with farmers and other stakeholders using scientific and technical meetings that farmers can actually leverage on research and development for a better productivity.

Other issues discussed during the conference include seeking smart strategies, funding opportunities and catalyzing solutions to tackle technical challenges like cassava genomics, and bringing about a significant transformation in cassava in order to impact people’s lives, especially those that depend on the crop for survival.

On the other side, The Wellcome Trust late 2011 granted the sum of £500,000 about N128.044 million for a research on how humans influence domestic dogs.

The study which happens to be the largest studies into the relationship between man and dog looked into the way man breed, feed, train and socialize with dogs.

Also earlier in 2012, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) hosted a gathering of United Kingdom (UK) Parliamentarians and Civil Servants, African farmers, international donors and scientists which called for a reshape of agricultural research which would serve as developmental goals and work towards public good.

Items that topped the agenda of the gathering include plant breeding and seed selection, options for managing soil fertility, options for developing accessible markets, ways of governing, organising, funding and practising research.

The types of policies needed to transform Africa’s agriculture, comprising changes to tenure, subsidies and investment were also discussed.

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IITA, ABUAD sign MoU to unlock potentials in Africa

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) in order to unlock Africa's potential in agriculture, natural resources and human.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the MoU is to serve as a linking bridge between the two institutions to boost cooperation so as to complement each other's research efforts.

Commenting on the MoU, Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga expressed the institute's excitement over the MoU that IITA is confident to work with ABUAD to tackle hunger and poverty challenges on the continent.

"The MoU will help in building the critical human capital that will address the present and future challenges of not only agriculture but also development," Dr. Sanginga said, adding that agriculture is faced with several constraints like climate change, pests and diseases.

He said the objective of the MoU is a meaningful avenue to engage the youths and give them the tools to be productive.

Specifically, IITA and ABUAD will collaborate in research and development topics of mutual interest, develop joint research and development project proposals, organize joint research activities, conferences, and workshops, establish linkages between IITA and ABUAD scientists, exchange students, and share research materials and publications of common interest.

Vice-Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Sidi Osho said the MoU would also help to boost food production and security. Prof. Osho also revealed that the MoU will confer great benefits on the university in terms of international linkages, exchange programs, strengthening research and offering qualitative strategies for administrative capacity.

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Nigerian Railway partners Agric Ministry for cassava exportation

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is partnering the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for haulage of cassava chips to the world.

NRC in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet revealed that the first train of 160 tonnes of cassava chips has been moved to Lagos Seaport from Ilorin, for later exportation to Asia.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the corporation and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in a bid to actualize the transformation agenda of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture with respect to cassava export.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that part of the ministry's agenda is large scale exportation of cassava as well as other agrarian products of comparative advantage to the global market.

Commenting on the MoU, the NRC's managing director, Engr. Adeseyi Sijuwade affirmed that empty wagons would no longer return to Lagos as they would be hauling cassava chips from Ilorin to Lagos seaport.

"In our strategic effort to improve our revenue base through optimal mobilization of movable assets and other facilities," Engr. Sijuwade said, adding that trains that move Lafarge Cements to Ilorin will be the same set of trains that would be used in moving the chips to Lagos seaport.

Sijuwade also assured the Federal Ministry of Agriculture of the corporation's readiness to fulfill its own side of the deal while urging cassava farmers to make the best use of the opportunity for a competitive global trading.

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