Fairaction Nigeria debuts advisory board to scale climate-resilient ‘Smart Water’ for rural communities - NaijaAgroNet

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Fairaction Nigeria has officially inaugurated its National Advisory Board, to bolster rural livelihoods and tackle water scarcity in Nigeria’s agricultural heartlands, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The ceremony, held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Bodija, Ibadan, signals a strategic pivot from localized interventions to a national rollout of Sustainable Smart Water Infrastructure (SWI)—a move set to revolutionize water access for smallholder farmers and rural agribusinesses.

Roots podcast debuts for rural communities - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Independent Office of Evaluation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched 'Roots', a podcast created to disseminate the voice of rural workers in their own communities and in the world, reports NaijaAgroNet.

From Peru to Niger, Belize or Nepal, each month "Roots" will present a new episode sharing the experience of beneficiaries of IFAD supported and evaluated development projects in different regions.

The podcast will be available for free on the website of the Independent Office of Evaluation and may be used by radio stations throughout the world to be included in their schedule of programmes. 

"This podcast is intended to share with rural communities the human stories living behind each effort made to reduce poverty and promote sustainability of economic activities in rural areas," Oscar A. García, director of the Office Independent Evaluation of IFAD, said.

"Roots" is the first communication product created specifically for beneficiaries of programs evaluated by the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD.

"Roots is an opportunity to learn and to allow rural communities to observe what is working well, what it is not, why, and what needs to be improved to promote a sustainable and inclusive rural development", García underlined.

The podcasts will be produced in the language of each visited country and will have a maximum length of four minutes to facilitate its use by radio stations.

In the two first episodes, "Roots" will visit: The Department of San Martin, in Peru's High Rainforest and the Toledo District and Stann Creek, in Belize  and in Peru. 

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Two off grid projects to electrify rural communities in Nigeria

NaijaAgroNet:

Nigerian rural communities are to benefit from two off grid projects, consisting of a partnership between Pan Africa Solar and BBOXX (PAS BBOXX), thus adding to the growing momentum of the off grid sector across Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The first project, NaijaAgroNet reports, is headed up by Pan Africa Solar, is an 80MW utility scale Photovoltaic Power Plant located in Katsina State, near the town of Kankia. The project focuses on a stable state in the north of the country, where – due to lack of available hydro resources and gas supply – renewables are the only long term sustainable option. The project will integrate panels mounted on tilting structures that track the path of the sun throughout the day, constructed on 210 hectares of land.

BBOXX is collaborating with Pan Africa Solar on a second project supplying the distributed energy service that is operating in Kano State, Northern Nigeria, with hopes to expand across the country.

BBOXX’s VP of Business Development, Anshul Patel shared his comments on the partnership and its plans:

“Pan Africa Solar is a dedicated team with a core understanding of the Nigerian market; a very exciting BBOXX partner in a much underserved market. Nigeria has 60 million people who lack access to electricity. To date, 2000 people have been impacted by our work in Kano, and the business is currently in the process of scaling its operations. The partnership between BBOXX and PAS is instrumental in leveraging expertise in the off-grid business combined with local market knowledge to successfully scale operations with a goal of electrifying 1 million people by 2020.”

EnergyNet launched the Off the Grid Club initiative in 2016 to provide a networking platform for off grid technology providers, financiers and regional leaders working in Africa’s off grid industry. The membership programme collaborates with partners such as the Shell Foundation, ElectriFi, Akon Lighting Africa and Solektra in developing and financing off grid projects to electrify rural communities in Africa.

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Oil-producing communities, potential hubs for refineries - Osinbajo

NaijaAgroNet:

Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), has stressed the potentials to transform oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta into hubs for refining petrochemicals and related activities, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking during his visit to the Bayelsa State, at the weekend as part of his consultative and confidence building tour of the Niger Delta states as mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo said the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in collaboration with the oil companies are working on a 40-point agenda and other initiatives for the oil producing communities.

Osinbajo challenged youths of the region to set up a Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce and Entreprenuer Council to attract local and foreign partnerships, stressing that part of the agenda was to build modular refineries and acknowledged the need to make Bayelsa a hub for power generation as it is a nutural location of gas deposits.

In his remarks, Governor Seriake Dickson called for synergy between the state and federal governments on the development of critical infrastructure, such as the three senatorial roads, airport and other projects for rapid development to take place.

Governor Dickson, who aligned his administration's position with the 16 point agenda of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), reaffirmed his earlier call on the federal government and stakeholders of the region to embrace dialogue rather than confrontation in resolving issues.

Commending Prof Osinbajo for facilitating the meeting between the oil multinationals and the state government, the Governor urged the federal government to prevail on the oil companies to comply with the tax laws of the state.

In their separate presentations, the PANDEF and the Ijaw National Congress, urged the federal government to urgently address the evident socio-economic imbalances and inadequacies for the attainment of sustainable peace and development.

President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Comrade Udengs Eradiri highlighted some projects that could create massive job opportunities in the state to include,  Brass Fertilizer,  Brass LNG,  Agge deep sea port, Pipe Mill and power projects in Gbarain and urged the federal government to make them come on stream.

Speaking through its representative, King Frank Okoroakpor, the Traditional Rulers of Oil and Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON called for the speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

Others who made presentations at the town hall meeting include, Minister of State for Agriculture,  Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Petroleum Resources Minister, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, Environmental Rights Action group, Host Communities of oil and gas, HOSTCOM.

Dignitaries, who attended the event include members of te National Assembly from the State, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, former NDDC Managing Director, Chief Timi Alaibe, Alaowei Brodericks Bozimo, who represented Chief Edwin Clark, former Military Governor of old Bendel State, Gen. John Yeri and an elder ststesman, Prof. Ebiegberi Alagoa.

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Bayelsa votes N1.2bn for accessible water in 200 communities

NaijaAgroNet:

The Bayelsa State government, has voted the sum of N1.2 billion for establishment of access water in some 200 communities, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Disclosing this Friday, the governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, expressed optimism that all communities in the State would get access to water in the next three years.

"In Bayelsa State, there is water, water everywhere but none to drink. We rarely have water to drink and some of the water are in salt water area. We need to desalinate it. So, out of a number of communities that really have that challenge, government selected some land locked communities to provide water and we have done that already.

"Our partners have selected 200 communities in Bayelsa State, principally in two Local Government Areas to provide a lot of things. We appreciate our partners, World Bank, EU and UNICEF who are contributing about N700 million and the State government is putting N422 million. In other words, we are actually bearing the cost of about 35 per cent of the project. But the key issue is not what they are providing, I am more interested in their technical expertise that they are bringing to the table. But I have told them that they need to expand it because I want more communities to benefit.

"The provision of portable water for people is our priority. I want to ensure that every community in Bayesla State have water in the next three years. We will look for the resources and work with them. We will also tap on their expertise. I told them that I will be willing if they can create another counterpart funding for even this year."

While acknowledging the fact that States are finding it difficult to meet the contributions, the governor said that Bayelsa State would "be willing to look for money to start another one so that again a minimum of 200 or 250 more communities again can benefit."

"I want to ensure that within the next three years, every community, no matter how small, should have access to some safe drinking water because sometimes the situation they manage is very bad.

"The people drink water from stagnant pools and get infected. We have cases of perennial cholera and drainages with pollution along water ways. There are a lot of things going on and that is why we are very committed to that and we appreciate the partnership", he emphasised.

Dickson called on community leaders to work with the contractors and protect these facilities by putting it on good use.

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E-commerce to attract more entrepreneurial talents

  NaijaAgroNet

The China’s Agriculture Ministry has invested hugely on e-commerce with the hope of boosting more entrepreneurial talents to the local communities, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The new e-commerce scheme which NaijaAgroNet learnt, is having a major beneficial impact on the countryside is designed to help farmers collectively sell their products to larger markets.

"Before, it wasn't really worth me coming here to cultivate the Tea Oil. We'd maybe come five or six times a year. Now we're replanting all the time, and we come every month," said Zhu Qianhuang, a local farmer. Mr Zhu stated that he could not keep up with the demand for the Tea Oil.

 Qianhuang, NaijaAgroNet gathered, explained the benefits of the scheme further to reporters,  “this Camellia wood in Southeast China was once overgrown and unused. The tree produces Tea-Oil. Since 2011, the wood has been brought back to life, by local farmers. The revival is mainly because of rural e-commerce schemes, introduced by the local government.

 
Under the scheme, farmers in the area sell their products collectively, through larger agents. Wholesale orders are placed online from across the country.

"Rural poverty is caused by three factors - lack of skills, lack of information, and lack of incentive. If people group together, skills and resources can be shared. Right now, we have over 120 companies within our E-Commerce zone. That, NaijaAgroNet learnt, includes over eighty families, either employed or running their own businesses," said Ning Weisheng, Ningdu County Commerce Bureau.

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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Elumelu promotes N1,4trn fund for distressed communities

NaijaAgroNet:

Influential banker, Mr. Tony Elumelu through his Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund has promoted a $9 million, about N1.4 trillion fund to empower and support distressed communities nationwide, reports NaijaAgroNet.
 

The Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund, NaijaAgroNet recalls is an aftermath of a $16 Million pledged by Tony Elumelu in July 2014 at the Presidential Fundraising Dinner in support of victims by President Goodluck Jonathan to offer relief to victims affected by insurgency and conflict across the nation in recent years.

NaijaAgroNet  also gathered that Elumelu had reportedly disbursed N1 billion to the Victims Support Fund soon after the pledge, while the remaining N1.5 billion now serves as the initial seeding for the Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund. 

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, the Fund will focus on helping to revitalize the economies of post conflict and disaster communities.

“Rehabilitating distressed communities will require interventions not just from the government, but also from the private sector.  Therefore, I am pleased to see that Tony Elumelu, one of our private sector leaders, stepped up in a big way – by making a major contribution to the Victim Support Fund and that his effort did not end there as he has now created the Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund,” said President  Jonathan.

The fund to be managed by Tony Elumelu Foundation’s arm, The Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund, will work to transform communities that have been devastated by natural disasters and insurgency, into prosperous and economically sustainable communities. 

The Fund is expected to create opportunities and empower people in affected communities across Nigeria enabling them to rebuild their lives and businesses whilst instilling a sense of economic empowerment for the long-term.

 
Chuks Dominic
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Pix: Tony Elumelu