US Consul-General launches HIV Treatment Surge Programme in Oyo - NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet:

The Consul-General, United States Embassy in Nigeria, Claire Pierangelo, has launched HIV Treatment Surge Programme in Oyo State, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The event held at the Theophilus Oladipo Ogunlesi Hall, Ibadan on Tuesday formed part of the courtesy visit of the Counsel General to the state.

Pierangelo also held bilateral talks with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan.

Feed the future Nigeria visiting scholars programme extends deadline

NaijaAgroNet:

The Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project visiting scholars programme for 2018 has gotten a new deadline extension till February 28, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The programme, which seeks application from the all states across the federation, entails successful applicants will visit the Michigan State University.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that at least, five graduate students visiting scholars will fill the positions for the academic year 2018 starting in August till May 2019.

Also on offer, NaijaAgroNet gathered, are three at the Masters level and two (2) at the PhD level.

The Masters Level positions will be awarded for a maximum 1 semester, and the PhD Level, a maximum of 2 semesters.

The student’s primary research supervisor who must be from a Nigerian University is expected to actively participate in the programme.

The advisor will be invited (and funded) to visit MSU for a period not exceeding 30 calendar days.

Those who meet the criteria and are interested, are advised to submit the materials as specified in the documents for the programme funded by USAID Nigeria Mission.

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Nigeria joins African countries with Skills Initiative programme

NaijaAgroNet:

Nigeria is now the fifth African country to launch Skill Initiative programme in partnership with NEPAD Agency, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Skill Initiative, NaijaAgroNet gathered, has the goal to strengthen the occupational prospects of young people, especially for women and youth from poor areas.

Other initial implementing countries include Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa and Tunisia.

Speaking on behalf of the Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, the Permanent Secretary of Cabinet Affairs, Mr. Roy Ugo, commended the programmatic interventions of the NEPAD Agency on the continent, particularly in Nigeria.

Ugo also said that the Skills Initiative for Africa programme is timely and aligns with the current administration’s Change Agenda, to create economic opportunities in the country, especially amongst the youth.

He pledged Nigeria’s support to the programme to ensure that it produces the desired positive effect on the employment sector.

Mrs Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong, NEPAD Agency’s Director of Programme Coordination and Implementation, informed attendees at the launch that the programme is informed by the need to address skills gap on the continent. In her opening remarks, she pointed out that there is a disconnection between education, training systems and the labour market.

“Therefore, it is incumbent upon the continent to think differently and come up with skill sets that could fill the employment opportunities, create entrepreneurs, as well as provide mentorship to trainees, so that the can effectively succeed in businesses after vocational training,” Mrs Fotabong said.

The launch of the Skills Initiative for Africa programme was co-hosted by NEPAD Nigeria under the leadership of Hon (Princess) Gloria Akobundu, the National Coordinator/ CEO of NEPAD Nigeria.

Speaking, Princess Akobundu explained that the Skills Initiative for Africa presents an opportunity for the missing middle of society to actively engage in the economic activity of the country, through gainful employment and entrepreneurship. She called on Nigerian youths to make good use of the opportunity provided by the initiative.

The launch, which was followed by a consultative workshop to identify the country’s priority for the programme, was attended by various stakeholders from both private and public sectors, including: Nigerian high level dignitaries, senators, members of the National Assembly, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and civil society organisations.

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UN, Japan, Belgium, EU, CERF raise $4.9m for Northeast farmers return to land

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations agency known as Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has drummed fiscal support worth $4.9m, about N1,569,225,000 billion for its programme in northeast Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This is coming as FAO informed NaijaAgroNet that the fund so far was contributed from its internal special emergency fund alongside the Japan, Belgium, the European Commission (ECHO) and the United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF).

The agency also said its currently targeting an additional 85,000 people with horticulture packages to prepare for the upcoming irrigated season.

FAO's Emergency and Response Manager in Nigeria, Mr. Tim Vaessen, lamented that by growing their own healthy and nutritious food would reduce need for future external food assistance.

“Families who have access to land and are ready to farm can harvest in six to eight weeks," Vaessen said.

FAO's activities in Nigeria, he said, remained constrained by a serious lack of funding, but pointed out that till-date, FAO has received just $ 4.9 million, of which almost 20 per cent came from FAO's own Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities.

Whereas, FAO's programme in northeast Nigeria is also funded by Japan, Belgium, the European Commission (ECHO) and the United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF).

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N8 Research debuts @ Manchester for food study programme

NaijaAgroNet:

A group of leading eight northern Universities in the United Kindgom (UK) has launched a groundbreaking international food research programme in Manchester, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The N8 Research Partnership comprising Manchester, Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield and York Universities, NaijaAgroNet gather would enable academics and researchers to collaborate closely with industry, farmers and the government, and aims at solving the global challenge of ensuring sustainable, resilient and healthy food supplies for everyone.

NaijaAgroNet reports that over 50 speakers from the likes of Sainsbury’s, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Co-Operative Group, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), HSBC and the National Farmers’ Union spoke at the launch event, where attendees explored the need for a sustainable food system to meet current and future needs, particularly in light of population growth and climate change impacts.

Delegates also explored critical issues such as building resilience in the supply chain, closing the skills gap, antibiotic resistance and integrated approaches to food and nutrition. Attendees had direct access to funders, new partners in industry and academia, and took part in a series of interactive workshops addressing issues surrounding sustainable food production, supply chains and improved consumption and health.

Professor Bruce Grieve, Director of The University of Manchester’s e-Agri Sensors Centre, said this is a really exciting time as the N8 Agri-Food programme represents 12 per cent of the total academic research and resources in the UK and the first time such a large group has come together to tackle the global challenge of sustaining food supply and nutrition.

“This is such a complex and interconnected problem, spanning everything from soil and plant science through to consumer psychology and engineering, that only through bringing such a large group together can we help to deliver a new paradigm with our farming, industry and charity partners,” Grieve said.

 

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Cousin wants increase support for smallholder farmers

NaijaAgroNet

 

 The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme,Mrs Ertharin Cousin, has decried the impact of climate change and called for increased incentive for smallholder farmers to scale up yields, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Cousin, a former supermarket executive and diplomat, in an interview monitored by NaijaAgroNet,said the damage caused by climate change, coupled with a lack of development both in agricultural and economics perpetually keep small-scale farmers on the edge.

She noted for instance that in woefully underdeveloped nations like four-year-old South Sudan, conflict feeds into that downward spiral.

"The global community is well aware that climate change is impacting sub-Saharan Africa. Erratic rains have become more of a reality for across the entire continent... The vulnerable people around the world need a strong global response to address the issues of climate change to ensure that we can minimize the impacts in the future. But today, what we must do is implement disaster risk mitigation strategies that will support vulnerable populations…” she said.

70 per cent of the people who are food insecure in the world today, she said, live in rural areas, noting that if this is not addressed the challenges of unproductive agriculture, then, the issue of food security or the issue of hunger cannot be overcome.

“So we must increase the ability of smallholder farmers to scale up their agricultural yields and provide markets for them to sell those yields to ensure that we can create sustainable and durable agricultural value chains that support the food security of families, as well as the economic viability of those families. That is the only way that we are going to make progress," Cousin said.

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