Customs lifts ban on rice importation, import duty...

Customs lifts ban on rice importation, import duty...: ITRealms : The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has lifted restrictions on the importation of rice and imp...

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Climate adaptation, resilience vital for achieving Sustainable Development Goals

NaijaAgroNet:

Evidence is increasing that climate change is taking the largest toll on poor and vulnerable people, and these impacts are largely caused by inequalities that increase the risks from climate hazards, according to a new report launched by the United Nations.

The World Economic and Social Survey 2016: Climate Change Resilience—an Opportunity for Reducing Inequalities (#WESS2016), found that governments can play a significant role in reducing the risks of climate change to vulnerable populations. Through transformative policies,  the report shows that governments could address the root causes of inequalities and build climate change resilience.

While there is considerable anecdotal evidence that the poor and the vulnerable suffer greater harm from climate-related disasters, the report determined that much of the harm is not by accident, but that it is due to the failure of governments to close the development gaps that leave large population groups at risk.

In the past 20 years, 4.2 billion people have been affected by weather-related disasters, including a significant loss of lives. Developing countries are the most affected by climate change impacts. Low-income countries suffered the greatest losses, including economic costs estimated at 5 per cent of GDP.

“Sadly, the people at greater risk from climate hazards are the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized who, in many cases, have been excluded from socioeconomic progress,” noted United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the report. “We have no time to waste—and a great deal to gain—when it comes to addressing the socioeconomic inequalities that deepen poverty and leave people behind.”

The report argues that while climate adaptation and resilience are overshadowed by mitigation in climate discussions, they are vital for addressing climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

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Action on malnutrition is critical – da Silva

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Mr. José Graziano da Silva has explained why a global action is paramount on malnutrition, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He gave this explanation at the recently held United Nations General Assembly in the New York city, noting that some 159 million children under the age of five are stunted, which means they have a low height for their age.

“Another 50 million children in that age bracket are wasted in other words, they have low weight compared to their height,” he said.

The FAO boss also pointed out that some 1.9 billion people are overweight of whom 600 million are obese.

“And there is a gender dimension to this, too. Malnutrition continues to disproportionately affect women and girls, who often forgo food for male family members or lack the income to secure adequate nutrition for themselves,” he said.

This estimate, NaijaAgroNet gathered, suggested that maternal and child undernutrition alone cost up to 11 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as malnutrition in early life often results in ill health in adulthood.

Well-nourished children, inversely, are 33 percent more likely to escape poverty as adults. This means that investing in nutrition has significant potential to break endemic poverty cycles and boost economic development by allowing people to live healthy, productive lives.

As with ICN2, stewardship of the Decade of Action lies with FAO and WHO, who together will focus their efforts on two main objectives.

One is assisting governments in building national policies and programs that advance nutrition. The other is to align the efforts of existing global initiatives and social movements towards common goals.

To support concrete action on nutrition programs, both agencies will further organize special meetings to strengthen countries' technical capacities to tackle new nutrition challenges.

One example of this is a symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition to be held in Rome December 1-2.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that both agencies had agreed to put in place a solid system for reporting and monitor achievements.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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Pix: Mr. José Graziano da Silva

IFAD shops for President Nwanze’s replacement

NaijaAgroNet:

The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) is now shopping for the replacement of its current president, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze whose second tenure will end om March 31, 2017, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The President of IFAD, NaijaAgroNet gathered is appointed for four years with a two-term limit. NaijaAgroNet reports that in accordance with the Agreement Establishing IFAD, the Governing Council of IFAD will appoint the President at its forthcoming annual meeting on 14-15 February 2017. The appointed President will take office on 1 April 2017.

Under the direction of IFAD’s governing bodies, the President of IFAD is responsible for conducting the business of the Fund and for organizing its work. The President is the chairperson of the Executive Board, whose membership consists of representatives of IFAD’s Member States.

The Secretary of IFAD Council, Cheryl Morden in a letter addressed to the Governor, with the subject “Appoint of the President of IFAD,” and dated September 27, 2016, said  “I have the honour to inform you that, in accordance with article 6, section 8(a) of the Agreement Establishing IFAD, the appointment of the President of IFAD will be considered at the fortieth session of the Governing Council, to be held in Rome on 14 and 15 February 2017. Information on relevant procedures and modalities for the appointment of the President of IFAD was made available on 20 June and 26 August 2016, and can be found on IFAD’s Member States Interactive Platform.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the duties and responsibilities of the President are mainly set out in IFAD’s basic documents, just as nominations will be communicated to all Members and the Bureau by the President no later than 21 December 2016.

For the first time, the call for nominations is accompanied by a list of questions to which candidates are invited to respond in writing, bearing in mind that both the responses and the nominations must be received by the Secretary of IFAD by midnight, 1 December 2016, Rome time.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE 

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FAO wants UN member states to take concrete action on malnutrition

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has called on the government across the world to take concrete action on malnutrition in all its forms, reports NaijaAgroNet.

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva also said that the United Nations (UN) Decade of Nutrition offers a critical window for advances.

He also pointed out that the 10 years running until 2025, will be a critical time for action to build healthy and sustainable food systems and end malnutrition in all its forms, stressed at the just ended United Nations General Assembly celebrating the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition.

"The purpose of the Decade of Action on Nutrition is to continue to draw the world`s attention to the importance of combatting malnutrition," he said, reminding governments of their commitments made at the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) in 2014 and called on them to transform those commitments into action through national policies and programmes.

Better governance on nutrition globally, he said, "starts at country level" emphasizing that nowadays, one in three people worldwide, pointing out that nearly 2.5 billion people suffer from at least one form of malnutrition, ranging from hunger to obesity to a lack of critical nutrients.

"FAO has maintained a great synergy with WHO in leading the efforts in the fight against all forms of malnutrition. WHO is the lead in nutrition and FAO is here to complement that work. FAO has developed a work plan focused on the promotion of healthy food and healthy diets through nutritional education and the transformation of food systems," said Graziano da Silva.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE 

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Njeri Kabeberi leads Greenpeace Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

The Kenyan born Njeri Kabeberi, is to lead the Greenpeace Africa as its has been named as Executive Director, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, NaijaAgroNet gathered came as the outcome of an extensive search for a combination of skills required to drive the organisation towards a people –powered movement.

According to the Greenpeace Africa Board, Brain Kagoro, Africans are hungry for a new story, one with a better take on nature, on humanity, their livelihoods, their future and their connection to the earth. “It was critical to find someone who embodies passion, activism and understands the context of environmental justice in Africa and we are confident that Njeri represents that” Kagoro said.

Greenpeace currently runs campaigns on four key issues on the continent, to protect the Congo Basin from large scale deforestation, stop overfishing in West Africa, promote ecological farming in the horn of Africa as well as demand a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources in South Africa in order to reverse the impacts of climate change.

With a long history in human rights activism, Njeri will be leading Greenpeace Africa into a new wave of environmental justice for Africans by Africans.

“We will continue to work on our flagship campaigns but more so, we shall be working closely with communities to ensure that our campaigns speak to the local realities on the continent and can effect change in the day to day life of our people” said newly appointed Greenpeace Africa Executive Director Njeri Kabeberi.

“Africa has a major role to play in the global efforts to reverse climate change, protecting its vast natural forest and safeguarding its rich ocean resources is centre to the continent’s contribution in averting the catastrophic effects of climate change. It is important that the continent works together to push for an end to illegal logging, unsustainable fishing and a shift from industrial agriculture to ecological farming to ensure that our biodiversity is protected” added Njeri.

Njeri joins Greenpeace after serving as CEO of the Civil Society Reference Group and as the immediate former Executive Director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy.  She is also a member of the board of advisors of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and chairs the board of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict.

Njeri is passionate about social justice and women’s rights, and in 2010, amongst others, received the ILO Wedge Award.  She also has extensive INGO leadership and management experience and was on the Board of the Kenya Human Rights Commission for many years. 

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Anambra can feed Africa - CBN

NaijaAgroNet:

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commended the Anambra State government over what it tagged  the capacities of becoming Africa’s food basket, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Director, Development Finance Department, CBN, represented by the bank’s Awka controller, Mr. C.M. Sokari assured the state and participants at the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) in Anambra State, in Awka, that several intervention programmes have been floated by the government.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that CBN in collaboration with the Federal Government is diversifying the nation’s economy from crude oil.

The launch of the programme, he said would reposition agriculture in the country.

“To fund the programme, the CBN had set aside N40 billion from the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund for farmers at a single-digit rate of nine per cent.

“…Nigeria, as we may all know, is a mjor rice producer with over 20 key rice producing states in the country most of which cultivate during both wet and dry seasons. Rice is one crop in which the country has comparative advantage to easily become self-sufficient, given the huge potentials that exist.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria has set the ball rolling and shown commitment to this programme and, therefore, expects that farmers and all relevant stakeholders in Anambra State would reciprocate by contributing their very best towards ensuring the successful implementation of this laudable programme,” he said.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Malnutrition: Why Aisha Buhari got involved?

NaijaAgroNet:

Indications have emerged on why the wife of President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari recently got involved in issues surrounding malnutrition in the country, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that on Thursday, July 21, 2016, she launched an advocacy campaign ‘Get Involved’ under her Future Assured project, aimed at contributing to the acceleration of efforts to end preventable maternal, new born and child deaths.

This, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was to strengthen the accountability mechanisms in order to enhance the peace and development of the country.

The “Get Involved” NaijaAgroNet noted serves as quick interventionist programme which focuses on preventing annual death of thousands of malnourished Nigerian children living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the country.

The project, NaijaAgroNet learnt, envisaged the active participation of civil society, private sector and non-governmental organizations in response to the alarming outbreak of malnutrition in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, believing that jointly there will be a better Nigeria.

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Paris Agreement edges toward enforcement

VIDEO: Paris Agreement edges toward enforcement - World leaders gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York to bring the Paris Agreement closer toward entry into force. Here’s a summary of how far it has come.

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$5m vote to combat rogue fishery says FAO

NaijaAgroNet:

The sum of $5 million, about N157,6247,836.60 to combat rogue fishery according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Graziano da Silva disclosed this at the Our Ocean Conference in the United States capital, said, FAO has secured $5 million for this global programme, including funding from the organization's own resources.

FAO is also collaborating with Google to develop new platforms and research methodologies to support countries in improving their monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities.

Each year, illegal, he said, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is responsible for annual catches of up to 26 million tonnes, with a value of up to USD 23 billion.

This, he also said, undermines efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries and responsible fish stock management around the world.

In order to boost small-scale fisheries, Graziano da Silva highlighted to participants the need to increase support for small-scale fisheries on which 110 million people - 97 per cent of them in developing countries - depend for their livelihoods.

"They are among the poorest communities in the world and they risk to be further marginalized," the FAO Director-General warned.

He invited donors to support an ongoing FAO initiative that is aimed at providing policy support, promoting the sharing of experiences and empowering small-scale fisheries communities in the context of poverty eradication. Some $2.5 million have already been secured for this work, but more support is needed.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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