Killing of cows in Igbo culture: Family Use vs. Title-Taking by Remmy Nweke

Features@NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

In Igbo society, the killing of cows carries different meanings depending on the context. 

For family use, such as during weddings, funerals, or harvest celebrations, a cow is slaughtered to strengthen kinship and demonstrate hospitality.

The act is a reminder that kinship reveals itself in moments of need, as expressed in the proverb, “Nwanne dị na mba, ọbuna o zuo, o mara onye ga-ebu ya.” Literally, this means that even though there may be good friends in the diaspora or far from home, when the true moment of test arrives, such as when a corpse begins to decay, it will be revealed who must carry it. Friends and well-wishers may withdraw at that point, but true relatives cannot escape the responsibility.

Ulee-Okpa: The hidden danger called Buruli Ulcer by Remmy Nweke - NaijaAgroNet

WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

In Nigeria’s rice belts and riverine farms, an unseen threat lingers; Buruli ulcer, locally called Ule-Okpa or Elu-ulee. This painless sore creeps silently from swelling to disabling ulcer, draining farmers of health, time, and harvests. REMMY NWEKE, in this Weekend Salvo, reports that awareness, early care, and agro-health action can break its grip.

Invisible risk of farming barefoot:
In Nigeria’s farmlands and riverine belts, health and livelihood are inseparably linked. 

When water disappears: Climate change, Lake Chad, and fading promises of UN adaptation projects by Remmy Nweke - NaijaAgroNet

WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet by REMMY NWEKE explores Lake Chad’s retreat, exposing broken UN promises, shattered livelihoods, and insecurity. Despite billions pledged, hunger and displacement persist, demanding urgent grassroots-driven action to transform climate despair into resilience and hope.

On a scorching afternoon in Baga, a fishing town once famed for its bustling market, the shoreline is eerily quiet. Nets lie abandoned, boats rot in the sand, and where there was once a thriving expanse of water teeming with fish, dry earth now stretches, cracked and thirsty.

“The lake has gone too far from us,” says Hajara, a mother of five who once depended on daily catches to feed her family. Today, she sells firewood collected from the surrounding bush. “The UN people came; they talked about helping us adapt. But look around, what has changed?”

Climate Change and Nigeria: Farmers at frontline by Remmy Nweke - WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

In the parched fields of northern Nigeria, once-reliable rainfall patterns have become unpredictable. In coastal communities of the Niger Delta, rising sea levels gnaw away at farmlands and homes.

Across the country, the story is the same: climate change is no longer a distant theory but a lived reality shaping the lives of millions.

GMO Conundrum: Weighing the risks and benefits by Remmy Nweke - NaijaAgroNet

WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

In this WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet by REMMY NWEKE, he explores the health, environmental, and economic risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and argues for a balanced approach to their use.

Prelude:
As we navigate the complex world of food security, sustainability, and environmental protection, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are often at the center of the debate.

NaijaAgroNet Weekend: The plastic problem on our doorstep by Remmy Nweke

WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Nigeria's overwhelming plastic waste, at 2.5 million tonnes annually, is not just an eyesore; it's a silent threat to the nation's food security. In this edition of WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet, REMMY NWEKE details how plastic pollution contaminates soil, endangers livestock, and devastates the fishing industry, while Nigeria moves towards a circular economy and sustainable policies.

Nigeria is a nation of resilience and resourcefulness, but a pervasive enemy has invaded our landscapes: plastic waste. It's more than a blight on our streets; it’s a daily reality that harms health, contaminates homes, and threatens the very foundation of our nation's food security.

Scent of a struggling city by Remmy Nweke - NaijaAgroNet

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

A corps member's "smelling state" rant on TikTok has become a nationwide flashpoint. REMMY NWEKE writes that it's not just about Lagos's waste management woes, but a potent symbol of widespread economic hardship and governance issues. This digital outcry shows how youth-driven activism is forcing institutions to face the new realities of public opinion.

Viral rant that exposed a city's struggle:
IamRaye, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, did not set out to become a symbol of a city's frustrations, but with a few candid words in a viral TikTok video, she ignited a national conversation, which left a notion, she may be after all right.

WeekendSalvo: Song for the Lagoon by Remmy Nweke - NaijaAgroNet

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

The Lagos I grew up in sang with a different rhythm. Not the constant, honking chorus of traffic we have today, but the gentle lapping of the lagoon against the sand, a melody that whispered stories of fishermen and traders. 

Our backyard faced the water, and I knew every shade of its blue, from the deep sapphire of the clear morning to the shimmering gold at sunset. I was Ejaluku, and the lagoon was my silent companion, as the "fish of the gods."

Can Lagos Breathe? Navigating megacity's urgent environmental challenge asks Remmy Nweke - NaijaAgroNet

Features, ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology


Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, is grappling with severe environmental challenges due to its rapid growth as one of the world's fastest-growing world megacity. The city faces multifaceted environmental sanitation issues, impacting the health and well-being of its residents.

The city's daily waste generation exceeds 13,000 metric tonnes, with a significant portion remaining uncollected. Air pollution levels are 5-7 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended levels, resulting in an estimated 11,200 premature deaths in 2018.

GMOs: Game-changer for Nigeria's food security? Asks Remmy Nweke

WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

REMMY NWEKE in a new edition of WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet, explores the potential of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and asked if it’s a game-changer for Nigeria's food security.

Preamble: 

In the ongoing conversation about Nigeria's agricultural future, experts are increasingly highlighting genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as a valuable tool to address some of the most pressing global challenges. 

Improving agriculture with open data journalism - NaijaAgroNet

Features@NaijaAgroNet:

A weeklong open data workshop for a section of Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network, recently ended in Nairobi, Kenya, with a call for embrace and more training in media sphere. REMMY NWEKE who was there for NaijaAgroNet reports.