Lawmaker advocates agri-business for revenue, agricultural exports

NaijaAgroNet:

Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, representing Remo Federal Constituency, Ogun State, in the House of Representatives, has advocated urgent adoption of wholesale, agri-business as a strategy to earn revenue from processed agricultural exports, NaijaAgroNet reports.

  

Adebutu said, “Nigeria must now as a matter of urgency, adopt wholesale agri-business as a strategy to earn revenue from processed agricultural exports. Agriculture could serve us in several beneficial ways: Apart from becoming the ‘new oil’ and swelling the nation’s coffers, it would generate employment. The non-oil sector of the economy has the potential to serve as a springboard for industrialisation.”  

He added also that the Land Use Act must be amended to cater for small land owners and farmers who because of lack of documentation are unable to access bank and government intervention facilities to raise capital and inputs for their farming. Many economic lands, NaijaAgroNet learnt, are not properly utilised because of the documentary restriction imposed by the Land Use Act. He stated that a holistic reform of the land tenure system will unleash the great potential of the agri-business and reduce the massive unemployment plaguing the nation with its attendant security implications.

Speaking to the media, Hon. Adebutu stated that against the background of the recent Job Creation Report for the second quarter of 2015 released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which said job creation in Nigeria has slumped by 70 per cent, he called for a strategic framework to be designed for the agriculture sector which will help transform it into a true platform for urgently creating jobs, directly and indirectly for Nigeria's youths, NaijaAgroNet also reports.

“Nigeria is blessed with swathes of arable land and human resources to pursue sustained local food production as a way of engaging the youth. We should utilise our youth demographics to boost agricultural production and reduce unemployment.

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AGRA report links under-25 unemployment, food insecurity

NaijaAgroNet:

The 2015 African Agriculture Status Report's co-ordinating editor and head, strategy, monitoring and evaluation, David Sarfo Ameyaw, has said that the report highlighted a direct link between rising level of unemployment among the under-25s and food security concerns, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The report also said modernising Africa's agriculture sector to attract young people will help tackle youth unemployment and food insecurity, warning that the continent will not solve its chronic food shortages or worrying unemployment levels among its youth without wholesale changes.

"Channelling the energy, strength and dynamism of Africa's youth into productive, competitive and profitable agribusinesses will boost agricultural production systems, create jobs and generate incomes. The impact of youth involvement and participation in agriculture and food systems will be seen in sustainable economic growth and in the reduction of poverty and malnutrition across the continent," he said.

He told BBC News that studies had shown that a 1 per cent increase in GDP from the agriculture sector reduces poverty five times as much as any other sector. However, there were a number of long-standing barriers that prevented or deterred future generations of would-be agribusiness leaders.

One was the lack of access to land. "Africa has the highest area of arable land in the world but because of the limitation of our land-tenure systems and land policies, it is very difficult for the youth to access land," Ameyaw explained.

Another constraint was accessing finance facilities. "The report points out that only about 25 per cent of the young people in Africa have any form of access to finance, even things such as a bank account or credit card."

Dr Sarfo Ameyaw said, along with reforms to the barriers and constraints identified by the report, there was also a need to "rebrand" the image of farming and the opportunities for employment the sector offered, NaijaAgroNet gathered.

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ITPGR to set up global crop information system

NaijaAgroNet:

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (ITPGR) has said it will set up a global crop information system to make it easier for plant breeders to identify and access genetic material for the development of new varieties, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The discourse on the information system will form  part of the agenda at the 6^th Conference of governing body of the ITPGR for Food and Agriculture in Rome from October 5-9.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that as climate change increases, demand for new drought and flood resistant seed varieties is also rising, hence  the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as the world body responsible for overseeing the exchange of plant genetic resources for agriculture becomes significant.

The meeting of the 136-nation pact will discuss expanding the list of plant species in the Treaty’s global gene pool and a subscription model for users of crop diversity to generate income for farmers conserving ancestral crops in the field. This will be in addition to the Treaty’s current benefit-sharing fund that has directly helped nearly half a million poor farmers.

The ITPGR aims at recognizing the enormous contribution of farmers to the diversity of crops that feed the world; establishing a global system to provide farmers, plant breeders and scientists with access to plant genetic materials; ensuring that recipients share benefits they derive from the use of these genetic materials, NaijaAgroNet recalled.

The Governing Body is the highest organ of the Treaty as established in Article 19. Composed of representatives of all contracting parties, its basic function is to promote the full implementation of the treaty, including the provision of policy guidance on the implementation of the treaty.

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AU commissioner extols rising use of IT to improve agriculture production

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Union’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, has extolled the rising use of information technology to improve agriculture production and access to financing, NaijaAgroNet

She said that she believes there is reason to be optimistic that Africa’s agriculture sector is moving toward a brighter future, particularly in the rising use of information technology to improve agriculture production and access to financing, something she said, will play an important role in attracting more young Africans to farm-related ventures,

“We have seen this work in Nigeria with the ‘e-wallet’ and in Kenya with M-Pesa,” she said.
Peace also singled out AGRA for its ongoing effort to increase access to seed, fertilizers and other inputs and promote market and policy improvements that will allow the economic benefits of agriculture to be shared more broadly. The AU Commissioner also called on the continent leaders to banish the hand hoe into a museum, reports NaijaAgroNet.

She said that for the 2015 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) to stay true to its theme of “Walking the Talk on Youth and Women,” delegates must firmly embrace pledge from the 2014 AGRF to banish the hand hoe.

“We need to banish the hand-hoe to liberate our hardworking mothers and sisters from the drudgery associated with agriculture and increase their productivity and return from their labour. And I don’t believe our young people will be attracted to agriculture if we are still using the hand hoe,” Peace said.

Peace, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was the keynote speaker as the AGRF moved into the heart of its deliberations over how to increase production and incomes in Africa’s farm sector - while also generating better opportunities for the 10 million young Africans entering the job market every year and for women across Africa, most of whom are already farmers.

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AGRA set to release Africa Agricultural Status Report

NaijaAgroNet

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is set to release its annual Africa Agricultural Status Report, to provide a framework on how the sector could becomelucrative option for Africa’s young entrepreneurs, NaijaAgroNet reports.

AGRA will be maximizing the opportunity offered by the presence of more than 500 leaders from over 40 countries that are attending the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), which opened Wednesday in Lusaka, Zambia, to make the report public.

The President, AGRA, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, said, “The African Union in 2014 pointed to the potential for agriculture-related jobs to employ at least 30 per cent of African youth. Yet many young Africans are pessimistic about agriculture, because they see too many farmers and agriculture businesses struggling to survive.”

Also expected at the AGRF 2015, NaijaAgroNet gathered, are high-level government officials, leaders of pan-African development organizations, representatives of youth and women’s organizations, academic experts, investors and agriculture business innovators.

According to Vanguard, the Conveners of  this year’s AGRF with the theme “Walking the Talk on Youth and Women: Bringing Inclusive Agricultural Markets to Life” said the rapid rise of urban food markets across sub-Saharan Africa represents an unparalleled opportunity to drive development of African agriculture, and ultimately to engage millions of youth who enter the continent’s labour market each year.

The Secretary General, Common Market of East and Southern Africa, Sindiso Ngwenya, said, “The AGRF can generate huge momentum for policies and programs that support Africa’s famers and African-owned agriculture businesses to capture a bigger stake in the agricultural sector and rising urban markets.”

“Rather than meeting this demand through food imports, Africans need to grow, process, package and market the food consumed in our rapidly growing cities and towns,” Ngwenya stated.

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Two Nigerians emerge winners in Intel #ClimbAfrica competition

NaijaAgroNet:

Two winners have emerged from Nigeria in the Intel #ClimbAfrica competition meant to predict the time it will take Tanzanian Julio Ludago to ascend and descend Mt. Kilimanjaro, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The winners, Allan Thairo, and Dennis Murii Irungu had the most accurate predictions on how long it would take Julio to climb Kilimanjaro, with 11hours, and 10 hours, 45 minutes and 30 seconds respectively; and will receive the Asus Transformer Book T100 and Asus Fonepad.

Sponsored by Intel Corporation, ASUS and his employer Ahsante Tours; Julio, who set out on Sunday, September 27, 2015 to beat the world record of ascending and descending Mt. Kilimanjaro currently held by Swiss-Ecuadorian Karl Egloff at 6 hours, 56 minutes and 24 seconds put up a spirited fight to complete the climb and finished in 11hours, 8 minutes, thus becoming the second Tanzanian and African to make this attempt to climb and descend the highest Mountain in Africa in the shortest time on record, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Finishing his climb, Julio said “I knew it was never going to be an easy task for me, but I had a lot of determination. I also drew a lot of inspiration from the support I received from the people who cheered me throughout this challenge.

“My intention was to create awareness on mountaineering in Tanzania and inspire people around the world to come and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. The high altitude, low temperature and occasional strong wind made it a difficult challenge but I waded through with a lot of faith. Despite not beating the current record, I believe I did my best and I hope that I have inspired other people to come and attempt the climb.”  

NaijaAgroNet recalled that Intel, through the use of technology enabled Julio to track his fitness levels and also share his extraordinary experience with Africa and beyond. Throughout the preparation stage and actual climb, he used Basis Peak to help him track his activity, health and sleeping metrics 24/7. He was able to continuously monitor his heart rate, movement, perspiration and skin temperature throughout the climb.

Julio also had an ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi powered by Intel. The razor-thin and powerful 2 in 1 device with a 12.5” screen was useful during his preparation phase to track weather conditions, create a schedule and measure his progress. He was also able to surf the internet to get exercising tips and keep in touch with his fans.

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Nigeria: Missing in UNITLIFE project

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Nigeria is dishearteningly missing in the top-four countries on the heels of rejigged launch of Sustainable Development (SD) initiatives by the General Assembly of the United Nations, to use revenues from extractive industries to support and fight against child malnutrition, writes REMMY NWEKE for NaijaAgroNet.

Preamble:

Malian president -ibrahim Boubacar Keita

Recently the Republic of Congo, Guinea, Mali and Niger jointly proclaimed a new fund for the fight against malnutrition as a levy from the extractive industries of their respective countries.

NaijaAgroNet reports that the announcement came at the launch of UNITLIFE, a new innovative financing mechanism that uses micro levies from extractive industries to increase resources for the fight against malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that under UNITLIFE project, participating nations with abundant natural resources will channel a small portion of revenues derived from the sale of oil, gas and mining into a UNICEF-hosted fund dedicated to improving child nutrition.

For example, the Republic of Congo will contribute $0.10 per barrel of oil sold by its national state oil company and other partnering countries are expected to follow although the figure at press time remained sealed.

Yoka Brandt of UNICEF

Wikipedia, an online open source encyclopedia, defines sub-Saharan Africa as the geographical area of the continent of Africa located in the south of the Sahara desert and politically consists of all African countries that are fully or partially located south of the Sahara, including Nigeria, which incidentally was missing in the founders of this project considering the population and expected influence it would have on Nigerians.

Historical Oil fields:

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Nigeria is known as an oil-rich and producing country since the discovery of the first oil in Oloibiri oilfield historically a town of oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Nigeria first commercial oil discovery was made at (Otuabagi/Otuogadi) in Oloibiri district by Shell Darcy on Sunday 15 January 1956 known in Bayelsa State.

For the Republic of the Congo it’s first oil may have surfaced in the 70s with the petroleum industry accounting for 89 per cent of the country’s exports in 2010. While Niger has a long history of petroleum exploration dating back to the 1970s and until 2011 when the petroleum industry of Niger was born with the opening of the Agadem oilfield and the Soraz refinery near Zinder.

Experts have predicted that by the end of 2015,  an estimated that 25 per cent of North American oil will be from Sub-Saharan Africa, ahead of the Middle East.

What is oil and minerals?

Equally, experts at Wikipedia described oil as any neutral, nonpolar chemical substance that is a viscous liquid at ambient temperatures and is both hydrophobic and lipophilic. Oils have a high carbon and hydrogen content and are usually flammable and slippery. 

On the other hand, a mineral could be described as a naturally occurring substance, representable by a chemical formula that is, usually solid and inorganic, and has a crystal structure. It is different from a rock, which can be an aggregate of minerals or non-minerals and does not have a specific chemical composition.

UNITLIFE, an innovative financing mechanism –UN:

For the United Nations (UN), this kind of funding was based on an innovative financing mechanism being launched only days after the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the United Nations.

The architect of the initiative and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development, Philippe Douste-Blazy, expressed his delight that a number of African governments accepted this idea “because we have already proven with the air ticket levy that innovative financing works and generates results. I also want to thank UNICEF for agreeing to host the initiative.” 

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of the Republic of Mali and one of the first supporters of the fund, expressed his satisfaction that Mali is one of the founders of this innovative financing mechanism based on the determination to scale-up the fight against child malnutrition in Mali and the region.

Chronic malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa – UNICEF:

The Deputy Executive Director at the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Yoka Brandt said that considering the chronic malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa which has affected over 1 in 3 children under the age of five, stunting their growth and threatening their cognitive capacity, thus limiting their opportunities in life, it has become imperative for this kind of mechanism.

“New and innovative financing mechanisms can make a big difference in the fight against malnutrition,” Brandt said.

President, Innovative Finance Foundation (IFF), Mr. Robert Filipp, who NaijaAgroNet gathered spearheaded the work on the fund design, said, it has real game changing potential. “If all countries with oil, gas and mines joined, we would have a real chance to eliminate malnutrition.”

So far, so good … but:

Earlier in the year, 2015, following the decision for UNICEF to host the agency for the proposed new financing initiative for Nutrition in Africa called UNITLIFE, the secretariat invited consultants according to the Director, UNICEF Public Partnership Division (PPD) Olav Kjorven, who approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) hinted that the design of the initiative is intended to replicate the highly successful UNITAID model which focused on micro-levy on airline tickets for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 

Kjorven explained that the initiative is to be funded through a proposed tax levy on oil and other extractive industries in selected African countries. These revenues, the director said, would be collected in a global pooled fund to finance nutrition programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, which is estimated to generate $100-200 million per year. 

This, NaijaAgroNet reports exceeds other expected international resource flows for nutrition, given stagnating Official Development Assistance (ODA) levels to Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Latitude of the Secretariat:   

The Secretariat to be located at UNICEF Headquarters, New York city, United States of America (USA), NaijaAgroNet learnt, will provide substantive and administrative support to UNITLIFE, support decision-making and overall leadership of UNITLIFE and serve as inter-face between the governing bodies and other stakeholders, including implementing organizations. 

NaijaAgroNet also notes that the principal functions of the Secretariat encompass administration, communications, partner coordination, and reporting results for UNITLIFE. Whereas the role of the Secretariat will be to carry out and manage day-to-day operations of UNITLIFE, including implementing the work plan of UNITLIFE approved by its Steering Committee, managing and coordinating relationships with partners and coordinating and facilitating technical support and advice to its governing bodies. 

The Secretariat can consist of staff and/or consultants hired by UNICEF as the host of the Secretariat, as well as secondments from other partners and staff of other partners under agreement with UNICEF. The Secretariat will be accountable to the Steering Committee, but its staff will be governed by UNICEF’s human resources policies and procedures.

Why Nigeria must join UNITLIFE:

NaijaAgroNet gathered from UNICEF officials in Nigeria that the Africa’s most populous country with a population of over 171 million, including 40 million children, although there have been some improvements in child nutrition, but malnutrition remains a major concern, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Communication Specialists at UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku recently confirmed to NaijaAgroNet that estimated 54,000 severely malnourished children exist in seven drought-affected, northern Nigerian states, including Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.

Raising the bar for malnutrition support:

NaijaAgroNet further reports that although financing commitments to nutrition have increased in recent years, around $50 billion are still needed over the next 10 years to reach the World Health Assembly target of reducing the number of children under the age of five who are stunted by 40 per cent by 2025.

The proposed levies from extractive industries in African countries have been described as a bold demonstration of African leadership to address the financing gap for nutrition in the continent. It is of high expectation that under the UNITLIFE initiative, the levies are expected to initially generate between $100-$200 million, about N39,806,000,000 billion a year, unfortunately without Nigeria, which claims to be the giant of Africa.

From all intent and purposes, every watcher of extractive industry on the continent expect that though Nigeria may not be at lead at all times, but at least should have been part of the founders.

It is therefore lamentable, as industry watchers look forward for a Minister of Petroleum that will reposition Nigeria within the shortest possible time in the scheme of things among nations, especially on the African continent, after a long wait by Nigerians for the list of incorruptible Ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigeria, as matter of fact should find a way of proactively working or positioning the nation in the right direction to ensure the dreams of its forefathers are not in vein.
 

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Africa middle class to create N198trn market by 2030 - World Bank

NaijaAgroNet:

The World Bank has said that by 2030, serving the food demands of Africa’s growing middle class alone will create a market worth $1 trillion about N198 trillion, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The president of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa and until last year, Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Agnes Kalibata who quoted the World Bank, said, “Agri-preneurs can own that market if we tap the two assets that should be an unbeatable combination: the world’s largest population of young people, and the world’s largest holdings of uncultivated arable land. In fact, our study found access to land could dramatically increase youth participation in agriculture, particularly for young women farmers”. 

Kalibata, NaijaAgroNet gathered, added that in many ways Africa is in an enviable situation. Two of Africa’s biggest challenges – its fight to achieve food security and its urgent need to find employment for its young people – can be transformed into its biggest assets.

“Our youth can become the labour force and brain trust that harvests the wealth of that $1 trillion food market. Only then can we watch the narrative of African agriculture transform, from farming as drudgery and a struggle to survive to farming as opportunity and a business that thrives,” he said. 

This week hundreds of agriculture experts from the public and private sector will converge on Lusaka, Zambia, for the 2015 African Green Revolution Forum. A key priority of the meeting is to move aggressively to incorporate Africa’s soaring youth population – the 226 million people between 15 and 24 who have made Africa the world’s youngest continent – into efforts already underway to embrace our family farmers as the focal point for Africa’s economic transformation, NaijaAgroNet learnt. 

Information monitored on THE STAR site said, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, found that lack of land, extension services, credit, quality farm inputs, machinery, markets and other impediments are preventing agriculture from providing jobs on and off the farm for a youth population that accounts for 65 per cent of the total population in Africa. More than 10 million youth enter the labour market annually. 

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Ousmane Badiane, Eric Kaduru win 2015 Yara Prize

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director for Africa, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Dr. Ousmane Badiane and the Founder  and standing Chief Executive Officer (CEO), KadAfrica, Mr. Eric Kaduru, will be honoured with the 2015 Yara Prize in a ceremony  today in Lusaka, Zambia, NaijaAgroNet.

The Yara Prize Committee selected the two prominent African laureates for their work related to African agricultural development, food security and the continent's green revolution. Both laureates have, through their personal commitment and special efforts, translated ideas on the development of African agriculture into impactful results in their respective areas of work.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the 2015 awards recognize effective entrepreneurial work, which has helped build communities of resilient young women actively engaged in commercial farming and honor African thought leadership, which has been instrumental in transforming the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme  (CAADP)  agenda from a mere concept into decisive actions.

The President/CEO, Yara, Svein Tore Holsether, said, "Africa needs to do more to foster entrepreneurial agriculture and the interests of women and youth in agriculture.  More smallholder-oriented policy changes are needed to meet growth and poverty alleviation targets in rural areas. In 2015, the Yara Prize honours the two leading African change agents with transformational power. I wish to extend my personal congratulations to both laureates."

Mr. Kaduru is awarded the prize for his vision, his great courage and commitment to changing the lives of young out of school girls in Uganda. Through his comprehensive approach to passion fruit farming, he has managed to strengthen these girls' belief in themselves as entrepreneurs. Mr. Kaduru's passion for engaging African youth in agriculture as a positive and sustainable livelihood is exemplified through the fact that in less than two short years he has partnered with more than 1,500 out of school girls (aged 14-20) to begin their own passion fruit farms, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Dr. Ousmane Badiane is awarded the prize for his important leadership role and influence on strategic debate and collaboration in Africa on agriculture and food security. Dr. Badiane is a first-class scholar and leading authority on African development with 30 years of professional experience in economic and agricultural development. Dr Badiane has been instrumental and played a pivotal role in the shaping of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP agenda from concept development to implementation.

The Yara Prize for an African Green Revolution seeks to contribute to the transformation of African agriculture and food availability, within a sustainable context, thereby helping to reduce hunger and poverty. The Yara Prize is based on nominations of candidates who are carefully evaluated by the Yara Prize Committee. The Yara Prize consists of USD 60,000, which will be split between the laureates.

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Pix: From left: Mr. Eric Kaduru,Dr. Ousmane Badiane

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