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

Agriculture: Nigeria must act differently – Adeniji

NaijaAgroNet:

The Managing Director of Niji Group Limited, Mr. Kolawole Adeniji has advised the Federal Government to deliberately act differently by focusing on some 10 targeted crops for foreign exchanged on the nation’s comparative advantage, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He also canvassed for improved funding of research institutions across the country.

Speaking at the 2016 All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) organized in the garden city of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Adeniji said that Nigeria must learn to do some things differently if the nation must be competitive at this time.

Adeniji who was dwelt on the Economic Diversification: Agriculture as Option for a Prosperous Nigeria, said that its now time for the country to act in a different way , for instance by lowering cost of accessing credit facility, enthrone mechanization of farming operations, improve rural infrastructures such as rural roads and other amenities to encourage citizens to stop urban migration by themselves.

He also said that there is need to deliberately fund research institutions in the country in a manner that could add value, improve extension services, and earn public sector investments.

The government of Nigeria, he said, has to set up commodity boards cum commodity aggregation scheme.

The Niji Group boss advocated the daily working hour constraint should be reviewed into hourly, stressing that it will afford public sector workforce to use their energy and hours  effectively.

Further, he underscored the fact that some of the products Nigeria should take comparative advantages on include Cassava, Cocoa, Groundnuts, Oil Palm, Sorghum, Cotton, Tomato, Onions, Bee keeping cum honey production and other hives products, as well as fish and livestock.

Remmy Nweke in Port Harcourt/ED,Ops

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Payporte unveils online food store, assures on fresh food

NaijaAgroNet:

Acclaimed online shopping brand, PayPorte has unveiled its online food store known as ‘Food store By PayPorte’, to make food shopping easy and more convenient, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Chief Executive Officer, PayPorte, Eyo Bassey, disclosed this to NaijaAgroNet, saying its yet another accolade to the firm’s collection, recalling that PayPorte was awarded E-Commerce Company of the year at the recently held CBN Cashless Expo 2016.

Bassey assured they are working hard at ensuring the award translares into more value additions to life of Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Head, Strategy and Planning, at PayPorte, Irene Kayoma, noted that PayPorte is the first e-commerce shopping platform to introduce this to its clients.

“We developed this product line to address the food need of the urban Lagos metropolis and we are hoping to cut short the hassle of food shopping by bringing food directly to your doorstep” she said.

Kayoma pointed out that the brand has continued to strive hard in meeting daily needs in terms of demand and supply, the management is mindful of key challenges and as a result has developed ways to manage some of the difficulties that may arise.

The food store, she said, will only be open for orders every Thursday at midnight and will end every Friday at noon, while delivery will commence from Friday to Sunday, assuring they have adequate hands to ensure the smooth operation of this new line.

 “The reason for this order and delivery clause is to ensure that we are able to meet all orders and to ensure all food items ordered, delivered are fresh and hasn’t gone through any form of artificial preservations” she said.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the food store has gone live on with plans of expanding further outside Lagos metropolis and become a 24hour online food store.

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World Breastfeeding Week 2016: Exclusive breastfeeding, key to fight child malnutrition – UNICEF, MeCAM

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Media Coalition Against child Malnutrition (MeCAM) have declared that exclusive breastfeeding is key to fight against child malnutrition, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that they stressed that exclusively breastfeeding is more resilient in fighting malnutrition, especially in children.

Speaking ahead of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Week, which commenced August 1 through August 7, the organisations agreed that it is encouraging to always engage members of the media on issues concerning child malnutrition and more specifically on exclusive breastfeeding in order to drum support for the campaign.

The Communication Specialist at UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, speaking on the week, charged MeCAM members to be alive to their responsibilities of stimulating support for yet another year and season of World Breastfeed Week.

UNICEF, he said, looks forward to members of MeCAM engaging through the media across its membership and country at large.

This, he said, could come in form of news reports, programmes, features, special reports, editorials, opinion pieces and commentaries.

In a related development, the National Coordinator, MeCAM Nigeria, Mr. Remmy Nweke, assured that the media advocacy group, especially at this era of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) would offer its best on the breastfeeding campaign 2016 so as to give it a boost.

Nweke quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as saying that170 countries would be commemorating the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding, WHO noted, is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need.

Also, WHO recommended exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is six months old.

“Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or beyond,” WHO officials pointed out.

Nweke further quoted WHO experts as saying that the World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in over 170 countries to inspire breastfeeding and improve the health of babies across the world.

Noteworthy, Nweke said, is that in September 2015, the world's leaders committed to 17 goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity.

“Together, they​ form the​ ​Sustainable Development​ Goals. We all have a part to play in achieving these goals​ by 2030​,” he declared.

The World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme is about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us to think about how to value our wellbeing from the start of life, how to respect each other and care for the world we share. 

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Over 5000 market women protest in Abuja over land grabbing

NaijaAgroNet:

Estimated 5,000 traders, including market women and widows under the auspices of Association of Wuye Ultra Modern Market Allottees (AWUMMA) on Sunday in Abuja staged a protest over alleged continued harassment, intimidation and suppression by All Purpose Shelters, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The protesters also called on President Muhammad Buhari to intervene in the market crisis despite subsisting judgement by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court demanding that traders take possession of their shops.

They carried placards with inscriptions such as,"Mr President, defend the poor traders from persecution"; "Disobedience of court order is corruption"; and "Democracy on trial at Wuye market."

NaijaAgroNet gathered that All Purpose Shelters is owned by the Wife of immediate past Governor of Benue State, Mrs Yemisi Suswan.

On July 28 2016, the market reopened for business through the combined efforts of armed mobile policemen from FCT Police Command and Wuye Police Station. However, the next day, the traders were chased away from the market by security men allegedly acting on instructions from 'the above.'

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the protest, the Chairman of AWUMMA, Comrade Nnaemeka Nwobodo called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC),World Human Rights, Due Process Office and good spirited individuals to "rise up for justice today for our tomorrow."

Nwobodo decried that over 5000 members of AWUMMA have resolved to lay down their lives for justice today except if President Buhari intervenes in the crisis even as they enjoined the Presidency to call the FCT Commissioner of Police to order who they accused of obstructing justice in Wuye market. 

Equally speaking, the Public Relation Officer, AWUMMA, Barr. Sunny Anyanwu noted that after three and half legal battle at the High Court Apo, that the court on 29th April 2015 delivered a landmark judgement in favour of the traders under AWUMMA.  

"It was on the strength of victory again at the Appeal Court that traders wrote to the then FCT Commissioner of Police, Usman Alkali who directed that the court judgement should be respected after obtaining due legal opinion,” he said.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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UNICEF says: Not deterred by convoy ambush, aid continues in northeast Nigeria

NaijaAgroNet:

 

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has said its not deterred due to attack on Friday of its humanitarian convoy in the northeast Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Chief of Communications, at UNICEF Nigeria, Doune Porter, said aïd has continued to assist millions of conflict-affected children in northeast Nigeria, despite the attack on a humanitarian convoy.

As a result of the attack, in which one UNICEF staff member was injured, travel by UN staff to high risk areas has been temporarily suspended.

“We are working at full strength in the Borno state capital Maiduguri,” stressed UNICEF Nigeria Representative Jean Gough. “We continue to call for increased efforts to reach people in desperate need across the state. We cannot let this heartless attack divert any of us from reaching the more than two million people who are in dire need of immediate humanitarian assistance.”

UNICEF has called on donors and humanitarian organizations to scale-up the response to the emerging disaster in Borno state, which is the most affected by the conflict with Boko Haram.

Before the attack, security conditions had been improving in several areas.

“Our teams were finding people living on the brink of disaster,” said Jean Gough, “The violence has disrupted farming and markets, destroyed food stocks, and damaged or destroyed health and water facilities. We absolutely have to reach more of these communities.”

UNICEF estimates that 244,000 children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year in Borno state alone and if they are not reached with treatment, one in five of them will die.

UNICEF has provided two million people with health services and treated 56,000 children for malnutrition in the three conflict-affected states of northeast Nigeria. A quarter of a million people have improved access to clean water, and over 200,000 children have been able to go back to school.

Despite the temporary suspension of travel to high risk areas, UNICEF plans to scale-up its response in Borno state substantially. At the beginning of the year, UNICEF appealed for US$55 million for its emergency work, of which US$23 million has so far been received.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Two years without wild polio virus attracts PMB applause

NaijaAgroNet:

Nigerian President, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, has applauded the attainment of two straight years without wild polio virus in the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

President Buhari was reacting to the milestone recently achieved under the auspices of the Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication, declaring, “This is a historic moment that has brought Africa and the world the closest it has ever been to eradicating this devastating disease. But our job is not yet done.”

“We must protect the gains we have made and stay on course to tackle the challenges that remain in eliminating polio for good.” He added that the Federal Government will “continue to provide the needed oversight and resources to achieve polio eradication in 2017,” he said.

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet signed by the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado J.G. Muhammad quoted the Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, as assured that the Federal Government is committed to building resilience by “getting people out of their comfort zones to further enhance the quality of polio campaigns, reach children in difficult areas and continue to improve routine immunization.”

Muhammad also said that efforts are ongoing to close the remaining surveillance gaps in the programme, including “increasing environmental surveillance sites and community informants across the country.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) acting representative for Nigeria, Dr. Rex Mapazanje, said the National Laboratories in Nigeria have been vigilant in monitoring for polio cases, stressing “We must continue to be on alert for any sign of the virus through heightened surveillance, particularly in the vulnerable populations including insurgency-hit areas of northeast Nigeria and the adjoining areas of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.”

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough, pointed out that achieving a polio-free Africa will bring Nigeria closer than ever to a polio-free world, but that success should not be taken for granted.

“We must continue to work together with all partners, in particular with the traditional institutions at all levels, to ensure we reach every child so we can relegate this paralysing disease to history forever,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is a public-private partnership leading the effort to eradicate polio, applauded the commitment of tens of thousands of people – including Nigerian officials at all levels, UN and NGO partners, health workers, and  community leaders and volunteers in keeping polio out of Nigeria for the past two years.

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Pix: President Mohammadu Buhari of Nigeria.

Umoru, Adeniji, Danju, Abubakar for ANEC 2016 in Port Harcourt

NaijaAgroNet:

A line-up of speakers for the 12^thedition of the All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) slated for August 3 through 7, 2016 in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, have been revealed, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The conference with the theme: Economic Diversification: Agriculture as Option for a Prosperous Nigeria, NaijaAgroNet gathered would see the Founder of HoneySuckle PTL Ventures, Mosunmola Cynthia Umoru, accompanied by Mr. Kola Adeniji of Niji Farms and Chief Executive of Bank of Agriculture, Professor Danbala Danju as well as the Managing Director of L&Z Integrated Farms, Muhammad Abubakar, speaking to the over 300 participants.

While the Founder of HoneySuckle PTL Ventures, Mosunmola Cynthia Umoru, would speak on Agriculture as Panacea for Unemployment, Mr. Kola Adeniji of Niji Farms would dwell on Agriculture as a Foreign Exchange Earner.

Also, the Chief Executive of Bank of Agriculture, Professor Danbala Danju would the podium to explain the Role of Banks in Agriculture Financing, whereas Kano-based farmer, and Managing Director of L&Z Integrated Farms, Muhammad Abubakar, would x-ray ‘Making the Most of Agriculture Value Chain.’

For the Acting President of the Guild, Funke Egbemode, the sole emphasis on agriculture for this year’s conference is in response to the falling price of crude oil at the international market which has automatically reduced government’s earnings and revenue base.

“This is the first the conference is focusing on agriculture in the most pragmatic sense and it is meant to draw the nation’s attention to the limitless opportunities that abound in agriculture” she said.

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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.

FAO says ‘When protecting forests, don't forget the trees’

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said that forests have an acclaimed role as a carbon sink needed to tackle climate change and called to mind that when protecting forests, people should not forget the trees, reports NaijaAgroNet.

FAO, in its latest study said that less known is how their contribution could be scaled up even after a tree has been logged.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the new publication, Forestry for a low-carbon future: Integrating forests and wood products in climate change strategies, offered insights in how to catalyse a "virtuous cycle" that exploits the life cycle of wood products - ranging from home furniture to wood pellets burned for fuel - to enhance and even multiply the well-known ability of forests to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere.

The Assistant Director-General for Forestry, René Castro-Salazar, said that forests are at the heart of the transition to low-carbon economies, stressing "not only because of their double role as sink and source of emissions, but also through the wider use of wood products to displace more fossil fuel intense products."

Forests, Castro-Salazar pointed out, do herculean work in locking carbon dioxide into leaves, branches and soils, while deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 12 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. The relative speed and cost-effectiveness with which forests make their presence - or absence - felt is one key reason they figure prominently in the plans countries are crafting to meet commitments made in the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Designed primarily for policy makers and experts but of interest to architects and the energy industry, the report - the fruit of innovative collaboration involving more than 100 experts - looks at how forests can be harnessed to the global climate change challenge.

FAO further said that its guiding message is that optimal engineering of the carbon lifecycle of trees and wood products allows, over the long term, for sustainably harvested forests to complement and even enhance the climate mitigation benefits provided by conserved forests.

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