Improving agriculture with open data journalism - NaijaAgroNet

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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.

LDRI director, Nyumba underscores importance of file extensions in open data

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The importance of file extensions in open data has been underscored by the Nairobi-based Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), reports NaijaAgroNet.

This importance was brought to the fore by the co-founding director at LDRI, Mr. Stephen Nyumba in his recent presentation in Nairobi-Kenya, during a workshop for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network held at the Hilton Hotel, recently.

According to TechTerms Computer Dictionary, a file extension or ‘simply extension’ is the ending of a file that helps identify the type of file in operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. In Microsoft Windows, the file extension is a period that is often followed by three characters, but may also be one, two, or four characters long. For example, the filename "myfile.txt" has an extension of ".txt", which is a file extension associated with text files.

Nyumba in his paper entitled “Open Data for Agriculture: An Overview, the Concept and Application” stressed the imperative of file extensions in exploration of the open data contents.

The LDRI director also highlighted some kinds of file formats open data content come with, such as the Comma Separated Values (CSV), the XLS file which is a spreadsheet extension file created by Microsoft Excel, and assumed the most widely-used spreadsheet programme and comes in either XLS or XLSX.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that XLSX file formats, are the extensions of Microsoft Excel versions created in 2007 and later.

Nyumba, equally said that open data comes as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, while DOC  an abbreviation of 'document') is a filename extension for Word Processing documents, most commonly Microsoft Word Binary File Format and have since been extended to even Word Perfect file format. Even as the DOCX file extension is a Microsoft Word Open XML Format Document file.

In addition, he highlighted that the Extensible Markup Language (XML) file formats do exist, while the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a lightweight data-interchange format.

Nyumba emphasized that datasets and Application Programming Interface (API) also come in XML which stands for Extensible Markup Language, pointing out that some of the extension file formats could sound like jargons, but it is crucial to know a little of some of these formats, mostly for media practitioners who stand in-between the data content and the populace who ought to understand the gist in the story, no matter how complicated the data may be or look.

He further said that LDRI focuses on supporting African Union (AU) member states in their efforts to end hunger, poverty and reduce inequality through data, even as with good datasets, good stories 
could emerge.

Remmy Nweke/ED. Ops
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Pix: Steve Nyumba

Expert offers media headstarts to explore open data for improved agriculture produce

NaijaAgroNet:

The Executive Director, Local Development Research Institute (LDRI) Mr. Muchiri Nyaggah has urged African media practitioners to explore some headstarts on open data to encourage improvement in agriculture produce of the continent, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking at the round-up session at the week-long training for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network which ended recently in Nairobi, Kenyan capital, Mr. Nyaggah suggested some five headstarts which he believes will motivate the discuss on open data from the African perspective among practitioners.

He listed the potentials to include the possibility of African media practitioners focusing on progress in agricultural productivity, stunting in children under five, domestic food prices, possible advances in agricultural produce and improving capacity to generate agriculture data cum statistics.

Nyaggah also said these outlines are doable and could be explored before the end of this year, mostly working in collaboration with members of the network.

He expressed optimism that the outcome will be memorable as LDRI and partners are on queue to technically support participants in order to improve their deployment of open data in daily newsroom activities.

“LDRI and its partners will provide technical support in finding datasets, identifying visualization options,” he assured.

In addition, Nyaggah said, some of the suggestions will be exposed on TransformAgriculture.org and selected for the CTA magazine.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that within this project, CTA in partnership with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency as facilitated by Local Development Research Institute (LDRI) tend to improve the lots of African media, using open data.

Further, NaijaAgroNet recollects that the training was part of the Global Open Data for Impact and Capacity Development on Agriculture and Nutrition (GODIVAN) scheme, a Department for International Development (DFID) project, implemented under a joint venture of international partners with the aim to increase production of the agricultural sector, improved nutrition for consumers and more evidence-based policy making, in which these desired changes are based on enabling communities practically engage with open data.

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Pix: Muchiri Nyaggah, Executive Director, LDRI Kenya

Open data critical to Africa’s agricultural revolution - Chinje

NaijaAgroNet:

Open data has been described as critical to solution of the African continent, especially in the agriculture sector, says the chief executive officer of the Africa Media Initiative (AMI) Mr. Eric Chinje, reports NaijaAgroNet.

“Programme on open data is critical to solution of the continent challenges,” he declared.

He made this assertion while addressing participants at the weeklong open data training for members of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network ongoing in Hilton Hotels Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday.

He urged African media practitioners to discharge themselves of the maxim of being ‘watchdog’ or ‘forth estate of the realm’ when they cannot use their tools to enthrone good governance and leadership on the continent for the common good.

According to him, any supposed dog watching over certain part of the society on behalf of the people or less privilege must be able to stand up to be counted at all times through holding of those in leadership or authorities adequately responsible for the path or direction the society goes to.

“The purpose of the media is helping Africa to address the change we all wanted,” Chinje enthused.

He further urged media practitioners to live above board by ensuring that they bridge the gap through reportage that are evidence-based that will not be disputed by anybody because such a report has sufficient data to show or vindicate itself.

Chinje was optimistic that Africa and media practitioners precisely have a brighter future by offering adequate coverage on what unites the continent like agriculture than what divides Africa.

He, therefore, urged for practitioners to live up to their primary responsibilities in order to build a legacy worthy of emulation in no distance future.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the Open Data training is organized in line with the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) -led partnership as part of the Global Open Data for Impact and Capacity Development on Agriculture and Nutrition (GODIVAN) scheme; a Department for International Development (DFID) project, implemented under a joint venture of international partners with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency as facilitated by Local Development Research Institute (LDRI).

Remmy Nweke in Nairobi, Kenya/ED, Ops

  

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Pix: Research Analyst, Gro Intelligence Kenya, Antal Neville, Executive Assistant at Local Development Research Institute (LDRI) Ms Wangui Muriu, chief executive officer, African Media Initiative (AMI) Mr. Eric Chinje, Project coordinator-Global Open Data for Impact and Capacity Development in Agriculture & Nutrition (GODIVAN ) at Centre for Technical Agriculture (CTA-EU) , Ms Isaura Lopes Ramos, Executive Director, LDRI, Mr. Muchiri Nyaggah and LDRI director, Mr. Stephen Nyumba at the open data training for CAADP journalists in Nairobi, Kenya.

Nyaggah calls on African media to adopt open data journalism

NaijaAgroNet:

The Executive Director, Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), Mr. Muchiri Nyaggah has called on African media to adopt open data to enable more evidence-based story delivery, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Nyaggah made this call at the opening session of the 4-day open data training for members of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network which commenced in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday.

He highlighted the essence of the training as building the capacity of media practitioners to enable monitoring of progress and report on the implementation of the CAADP through the use of agriculture data and research.

He told NaijaAgroNet that the objectives of the training include enthroning innovative ways to disseminate news and advocacy content to increased awareness on the agricultural transformation agenda in Africa.

The LDRI boss further said that the session would enable them to keep an eye on and provide technological support to the participants in implementing what they learn within their organistions and becoming greater champions.

As such, participants, Nyaggah said, would be trained on how to find, present and visualise data suitable to journalists’ needs, such as creating charts, maps or galleries, whereas providing the essential concepts, techniques and skills to effectively work with data and produce compelling data stories.

Remmy Nweke in Nairobi/ED, Ops

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Pix: Muchiri Nyaggah speaking on Open Data at the Nairobi training 

Open data training kicks off for CAADP journalists

NaijaAgroNet:

A week-long open data training for members of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network kicked off in Hilton Hotels, Nairobi, Kenya, reports NaijaAgroNet.

CAADP, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is a growth-focused on agricultural development agenda by African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government, aimed at increasing agriculture growth rates to a minimum of six per cent annually to create wealth.

According to the Programme Manager, Policy, Markets and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) at CTA, Lamon Rutten, the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is leading the partnership for the open data training holding in Nairobi, Kenya from July 25-28, 2016.

This training, Rutten said, is part of the Global Open Data for Impact and Capacity Development on Agriculture and Nutrition (GODIVAN) scheme, a Department for International Development (DFID) project, implemented under a joint venture of international partners with the aim to increase production of the agricultural sector, improved nutrition for consumers and more evidence-based policy making, in which these desired changes are based on enabling communities practically engage with open data.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that within the context of this project, CTA in partnership with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency as facilitated by Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), is organising this 4-day open data training with the goal to build the capacity of media practitioners so as to monitor progress and report on the implementation of the CAADP through the use of agriculture data and research.

Remmy Nweke in Nairobi/ED, Ops

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African media urged to leverage WBG’s 9,000 open data to boost good governance

NaijaAgroNet:

Africa media practitioners have been urged to leverage on the World Bank’s estimated 9,000 open data on agriculture, so as to give drive to good governance, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Making this call recently at a 3-day workshop on reporting agriculture hosted by the Africa Media Initiative (AMI) in conjunction with the World Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Lead Operations Officer, World Bank Institute’s Global Media Development programme, Mr. Craig Hammer advised participants to explore the power of open data to improve the state of content on agriculture and other sectors of the economy.

He disclosed that World Bank Group, for instance, has over 9,000 development indicators opened including data on health, nutrition, population, gender, poverty and equity, jobs, climate change to name a few.

“There are microdata on 650,000 variables from 1,200 surveys in addition to over 150,000 analyses, reports,” he said.

According to him by leveraging open data, media practitioners on the continent will spur good governance because open data has evidence to drive its story or information.

Hammer, whose presentation was on ‘Data-Driven Journalism Media,’ defined data as information that has been translated into a form that is more convenient to analyze, pointing out that nowadays, the world thrives on three distinct avenues, more so for media practitioners, comprising having access to information and open data, finding agriculture data with today’s relevance.

Showcasing where media fits in open data usage in what he described as information circle, Hammer described media as a watchdog that discloses to the public in real time relevant infomation; microscope which helps to simplify technical governance information thereby promoting accessibility by the public and facilitate engagement.

He also said that by way of media being a megaphone, it helps with the dissemination of now accessible governance information through various channels available to practitioners.

Equally, Hammer said the aforementioned would assist the citizens to understand, discuss and eventually offer feedback for the government to respond adequately.

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100 GEO members reiterate to unleash open data on global challenges

NaijaAgroNet:

Over 100 members of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) concluded its 12th Plenary session and fourth Ministerial Summit in Mexico City with reiteration to unleash the power of open data in effort to address global challenges, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This is coming as they have also adopted a 10-year Strategic plans to run between 2016 and 2015 in addition to a Ministerial Declaration that focuses on harnessing critical environmental observations to enable leaders to make better-informed decisions for the benefit of humanity at a time of rapid global change.

Arising from the weeklong meeting of over 400 delegates from 41 GEO governments and 39 partner organizations, and included Ministers of Environment, Science and Natural Resources, held at the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI), Mexico City, the leaders reaffirmed resolve to share data on earth observations at a time of exponential data growth, human development and climate change.

These decisions are coming on the heels of recent adoption of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and an anticipated global agreement on climate change, GEO launched several bold, new initiatives, including “A global Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), including an Arctic to Antarctic network linking coastal observing centers in the Americas to measure species distribution and habitat.”

Also GEO resolved that AmeriGEOSS, a regional programme to share Earth observation data for agriculture; disaster risk reduction; water; and biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring.

The United States Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said, "As we near the historic Paris climate talks, it’s clear open data and international collaboration are key to countries moving the needle on climate change. We can and should share Earth observation data to help address climate challenges because science and open data are critical to understanding land, water, wildlife & climate change. They must be at the heart of every policy decision - no country can solve it alone."

European Commissioner Carlos Moedas said, "We have reached a tipping-point where GEO has to move its focus towards successful societal delivery. We should not underestimate this formidable challenge. The European Union, through its Horizon 2020 and Copernicus programmes will continue to be a driving force to help GEOSS reach its full maturity – a GEOSS which is designed for and accessible by all contributors and all users."

Communications Manager at Group on Earth Observations, Katherine Anderson informed NaijaAgroNet that GEO welcomed new Members Ecuador, Kenya, Somalia, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe, bringing the number to 100 nations; five new Participating Organizations: the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (BSC), International Research Center on El Niño (CIIFEN), Future Earth, Research Data Alliance (RDA) and The World Bank (IBRD/IDA); and four new Observers:  European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technologies (ISNET), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).

She also said that the Thirteenth GEO Plenary will be held in St Petersburg, Russia in November 2016.

  
Isaac Oyimah/GEE +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Nnenna Nwakanma +Open Data Center Alliance +Naija AgroNet 

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