Mobile app for EnvironNews debuts

NaijaAgroNet:

Foremost online environment and development magazine, EnviroNews Nigeria, has launched an Android version of its mobile app, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The mobile app makes it easy and convenient for readers across the world to access the medium’s multimedia news and stories via smartphones.

Commenting on the development, Publisher/Editor, Mr. Michael Simire, said this is a vital first step forward in his team’s determination to ensure a personalised digital experience. 

“Just as we have it on the conventional site, the categories and focus areas are clearly indicated and easily accessible. Some of these are: Agric & Biotech, Cover, Climate Change, Human Settlement, Marine, Water & Sanitation, Sustainable Development, TV Reports, and Science & Tech,” he said.

As said by him, ENews readers and visitors are central to how they developed these services, and their feedbacks have been important in the creation of the mobile app.

“Technological innovation is key in the development of the industry and, as a leading online environment and development magazine, the desire is to be able to provide a platform that makes reading pleasurable for everyone” he said.

The new app, Simire said, is available as 'EnviroNews' via the Google Play Store and is free to download.

According to Simire, the IOS version of the mobile app will follow shortly.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Anambra concludes plan to commercialise cassava production

NaijaAgroNet:

The Anambra State government has concluded plans to commercialise cassava production by 2017, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This development, NaijaAgroNet gathered is being put together under the Fadama III additional financing, which is expected to go into value chain additional commercial production of cassava next year.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export, Mr. Afam Mbanefo, told participants at a meeting with agro dealers, Chester chairmen, micro finance banks, rice and cassava off-takers on how best to maximize implementation arrangements of the project, stressing that what had been achieved in commercial production of quality, stone free rice, would be replicated in quality production of various cassava products, so that cassava farmers could make more profits.

Mbanefo also said, Governor Willie Obiano was very much committed to taking all aspects of agricultural production in the state to enviable heights, noting that any farmer in the state who was not prepared to maximize and commercialize agriculture, should quit agriculture.

He warned against any form of dishonesty or politics towards the realization of the state’s agricultural revolution, noting that the sector was a sure way of boosting the state’s economy.

The State Project Coordinator for FADAMA, Mr. Patrick Egbueh, said that the forum was intended to bring both the project and the investors together to identify areas that were not working well and effect correction in line with the implementation arrangements of the project.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that stakeholders in attendance assured on their readiness to collaborate with the farmers in terms of credit facilities, provided the farmers met their conditions.

Ozo Nweke Ozo in Awka/GEE

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Canada rejoins UN convention to combat desertification

NaijaAgroNet:

The Canadian government has formally delivered its documentation to re-accede to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Canada in an official press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, Tuesday, said this step is to further demonstrate its commitment to joining world action to slow land degradation and desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought.

According to the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, Ambassador Marc-André Blanchard, the link between land degradation and climate change is undeniable.

Canada, Blanchard said, is committed to working with its partners to improve the resilience of developing countries to climate change and environmental degradation, which disproportionately affects women and girls.

Blanchard further said that Canada will work closely with multilateral partners to address poverty, fight inequality and promote sustainable land and resource management.

“The UNCCD is an inclusive body that brings together many diverse voices to tackle complex global issues. In re-acceding to the convention, Canada is taking concrete action to work with multilateral partners on these important challenges,” Ambassador Blanchard said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Canada first acceded to the UNCCD in 1995 and formally withdrew in 2014, becoming the only UN member state not party to the convention.

Just as Canada is the sixth-largest contributor to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which, as the financial mechanism of the UNCCD, currently allocates less than 10 per cent of its $4.43-billion budget to support efforts to combat land degradation.

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LAKE rice makes a debut in Lagos

NaijaAgroNet:

The Executive Governors of Lagos and Kebbi States, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode and Alhaji Atiku Bagudu have formally unveiled the anticipated Lagos-Kebbi Rice labelled LAKE Rice in Lagos, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Performing this ceremony in Lagos, Wednesday, Gov. Ambode said that the partnership which culminated into the launch was not only designed to ensure food security, but to showcase the ability of Nigeria to become a producing nation.

He also said at the Lagos House that the development was historic for both states and Nigeria, as the rice would not only be sold at highly reduced price, compared to what obtains in the market, but is also very fresh and safe for consumption.

“Today is an historic day for Lagos and Kebbi States. In March 2016, we signed an MOU with an understanding that we, being proudly Nigeria, we want to come out with what is made in Nigeria and what is good in Nigeria. We took all that President Muhammadu Buhari said that we need to grow our food and we decided that we will prove a point and that is what today is all about.

“LAKE RICE is of good quality. The major difference between LAKE RICE and the ones imported is that the imported has a minimum storage of five to six years storage life span, but LAKE RICE is fresh,” the Governor said.

He said the partnership would in the nearest future lead to an expansion of production of the rice, saying that Lagos has the largest consumption market.

Governor Ambode explained that the 50kg will sell for N12, 000, the 25kg would go for N6, 000 and 10kg for N2,500, stressing that for now, an individual would only be allowed to purchase a bag to enable it go round.

He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting the collaboration between Lagos and Kebbi, just as he disclosed that the Federal Government has donated two rice mills to the State Government to increase production of rice next year.

In his remarks, Governor Bagudu, recollected how the collaboration started with a discussion between him and Governor Ambode during a meeting in Abuja, pointing out that the partnership was a confirmation of both State Governments’ commitment to the agenda of making Nigeria a big market in Africa.

Equally, he said while Kebbi State has comparative advantage in area of rice production, Lagos boasts of the largest consumption market, saying that the LAKE RICE can stand any integrity test in Nigeria.

“Our rice is of quality. I am proud of this joint venture. We can do more with other commodities like Cocoa, Soya beans and Sorghum and I am very glad that we are launching the LAKE RICE today,” Bagudu said.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Food Security, Ganiyu Okanlawon Sanni, who disclosed the process of purchasing the rice, said collection would be allowed after payment at designated banks or through POS, while an individual would only be allowed to buy one bag at a time to make the product reach vast majority of the people.

In Lagos East Senatorial District, Sanni said the rice would be available for sale at Odogunyan Farm Service Centre in Ikorodu; Temu Farm Service Centre in Epe; Naforiji Town Hall in Eredo; Magbon Alade School in Ibeju and SUBEB Premises in Maryland.

In Lagos West, the Special Adviser to the Governor said the rice would be available for sale at LSADA Farm Service Centre, Oko-Baba in Agege; LAISA in Ojo; Coconut House in Mowo; Farm Service Centre, Marina in Badagry and Ikeja Grammar School in Oshodi.

According to him, in Lagos Central, the rice would be available for sale at Agric Area Office in Ajah; LASTMA Works Yard in Adeniji/Freeman, Lagos Island; Alakoto Senior High School, Tolu in Ajegunle; Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere and Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre (Rowe Park) in Yaba.

He said officials of the Committee set up by government to monitor and be in charge of the sale would be present at all the centres from Tuesday, while payment can be made to bank officials at the centres, after which the product would be given to buyers.

“Slip will be given to each customer willing to buy indicating the quantum of rice the buyer wishes to buy and we will also have officers from the bank at each of the centres where people can make payment and confirmation can be done immediately. Once they pay and we are very sure they have made payment, the bag of whatever quantum they have paid for will be given to them there and then and so we will continue this exercise until we are satisfied that Lagosians are very much satisfied based on our promise,” he said.

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Nigerian Army plans cattle ranches nationwide

NaijaAgroNet:

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has revealed that the Nigerian Army would be raising up cattle ranches in such a manner that in almost all the divisions, and all the brigades, cattle will be reared, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Gen. Buratai who was represented by the Chief of Army Logistics, Major General Patrick Akem, made this disclosure, Tuesday at the Commissioning of Mogadishu Cantonment New Mammy Market (former Abacha Barracks) in Abuja.

He also disclosed that in keeping up with modern cattle rearing tradition, he sent officers of the Army to Argentina to look at how cattle were reared.

“Argentina has a population of 41 million people, but it feeds about 400 million people around the world with its beef. To take it to the next level, we want to adopt a system where the cattle are not just free ranging coming from Sokoto to Port Harcourt, thereby making their meat tough to eat, the products will soon be coming from our own farms and ranches,” Buratai said.

He pointed out that the Army has created the Barrack Investment Initiative as platform that affords Army family members the opportunity of raising up fishing ponds, vegetable gardens, fruits, livestock, chicken and their eggs.

As said by him, the intention of the Nigerian Army was not just to secure the country, but to contribute in growing the economy of the nation.

“We want to tell our wives that they can live beyond the salaries of their husbands, so we are trying to empower the women in the barracks to be able to form co-operatives, so as to access loans and to a large extent be able to fend for themselves and their families, even without the salaries of their husbands,” he said.

Equally speaking, the Commander Army Headquarters Garrison, Major General John Malu said that the formidable shopping edifice had over 2000 shops, 27 warehouses and a printing press owned by the Nigerian Navy. He added that the services of a reputable private security firm was contracted to handle the security of the market.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Plastic rice is real says Nigeria Customs, seizes 102 bags of ‘Beat Tomato Rice’

NaijaAgroNet:

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) declared that its no longer a rumour that plastic rice exist in the country, just as NCS seized some 102 bags of plastic rice branded “Beat Tomato Rice” with no date of manufacture, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Customs Area Controller for the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Comptroller Mohammed Haruna, made this disclosure in Lagos, Tuesday in Lagos and said that the commodity was stored for distribution as Yuletide gifts for the public.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he also said that officers of the unit intercepted the plastic rice along Ikeja area on Monday, adding that a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.

“Before now, I thought it was a rumour that the plastic rice is all over the country but with this seizure, I have been totally convinced that such rice exists. We have done the preliminary analysis on the plastic rice. After boiling, it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed it.

“I advise those economic saboteurs who see yuletide season as a peak period for nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business. The unit has decided other operational modalities that will make them run for their monies and count their losses,” Haruna insisted.

He described smuggling as a global phenomenon, adding that such act could not be curbed entirely but could be brought to its barest minimum.

Haruna appreciated well-meaning Nigerians who provided the service with prompt information that led to the discovery of the bags of plastic rice.

The controller, however, advised the media to educate the public on the existence of plastic rice, adding that it was no longer a rumour.

Haruna assured the public that the distribution point of the particular plastic rice seized by the unit had been blocked with immediate effect.

He said that investigation was still ongoing and the unit would hand-over the plastic rice to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for proper investigation.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE with additional reports from NAN

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Guterres confirms Nigeria’s Amina, deputy secretary-general @UN

NaijaAgroNet:

The newly elected Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Antonio Guterres, has confirmed the appointment of the Nigeria’s Environment Minister, Amina Mohammed, as his Deputy Secretary-General, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking through his spokesman, Mr. Stephane Dujarric, the Secretary-General also named the duo of Ms. Maria Viotti of Brazil and Ms. Kyung-Wha Kang of the Republic of Korea into prominent positions at the UN.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be appointing Ms. Amina J. Mohammed of Nigeria as my Deputy Secretary-General, and Ms. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil as my Chef De Cabinet.

“I also intend to create the position of Special Advisor on Policy, and to appoint Ms. Kyung-Wha Kang of the Republic of Korea to this new role.

“I am happy to count on the efforts of these three highly competent women, whom I have chosen for their strong backgrounds in global affairs, development, diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian action.

“These appointments are the foundations of my team, which I will continue to build, respecting my pledges on gender parity and geographical diversity,” Guterres said.

Mohammed, Nigeria’s current Minister of Environment, served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.

She was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that before joining the UN, Amina Mohammed had worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals.

She provided advice on issues including poverty, public sector reforms, sustainable development, and coordinating poverty reduction interventions.

She is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University, and serves on numerous international advisory boards and panels, including the UN Secretary-General’s high-level panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Others include the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development and the Global Development Programme of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Born in 1961, and educated in Nigeria and the UK, Mohammed is married and has six children.

Guterres had hinted on Monday after he took the oath of office that gender parity would be top of his agenda as the UN scribe.

He said, “I think that one very important element of the agenda would be to give a clear signal that gender parity is a must and so in the appointments I will be making.

“And the first ones would be announced soon. You’ll see that gender parity will become a clear priority from top to bottom in the UN and it will have to be respected by all.”

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Women win top 3 Ideas Matter Research Fellowships ...

Women win top 3 Ideas Matter Research Fellowships ...: Gender ICT@ ITRealms : Three women have emerged as the top three in the recently introduced 2016 Ideas Matter Research Fellowship for W...

UNICEF@70: We’re not tired of bringing succor to world children

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said its not tired of bringing succor to the suffering world children, just as it celebrates seven decades of service to humanity, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Executive Director, UNICEF, Mr. Anthony Lake made this known as it marks the 70^th anniversary of UNICEF founding, saying its seen as celebration of the immense progress made for the world’s children.

This is coming as NaijaAgroNet reports that UNICEF renewed the urgent call to reach millions of children whose lives and futures are endangered by conflict, crisis, poverty, inequality and discrimination.

“UNICEF was founded after World War II to bring help and hope to all children at risk or in need – no matter which country they lived in or what role that country played in the war.  Our mission is no less urgent and universal today. With so many children around the world in so much need, we are recommitting ourselves to delivering results for every child,” Lake said.

The organization, he noted, was established by the United Nations General Assembly to help children in post-war Europe, China and the Middle East; Funded entirely through voluntary contributions from governments, civil society, the private sector and concerned citizens, it rapidly expanded its reach and by 1955 was working for children in more than 90 countries.

Today, he said, UNICEF is the world’s largest children’s organization, working with partners in 190 countries and territories and through the efforts of 13,000 national and international staff to reach every child.

As said by him, UNICEF’s relentless engagement in the world’s toughest places has helped create remarkable progress for children in recent decades. The number of children dying before their fifth birthdays has been more than halved in the past 25 years. While hundreds of millions of children have been lifted out of poverty, just as out-of-school rates among primary-school-aged children have been reduced by over 40 per cent since 1990.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Lagos, Kebbi float Lake rice, offer special price for Christmas, New Year

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos State government has concluded plans to sell special rice at N13,000 per 50 kilogram (kg) bag for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The government, NaijaAgroNet gathered would use the opportunity to rollout its branded Lake Rice, which is a joint venture between the Lagos and Kebbi States on December 15, 2016.

According to the Special Adviser on Food Security to Gov. Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, Mr Sanni Okanlawan, confirmed this to NaijaAgroNet, during the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) National Agriculture Stakeholders Summit, saying that sales of the rice would be made at all the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the state to ensure proper distribution.

“Lake Rice is the acronym of both Lagos and Kebbi States joint product which will be out to the public on December 15 at the rate of N13,000 per 50kg bag as it is already subsidised by the government. To make it more available, the rice will be sold at the 57 LGAs and LCDAs for easy accessibility and to guard against unwanted persons diverting the product," he said.

Additionally, the SA to Gov. Ambode assured that the state government has put in place a committee that will ensure that Lagosians have the best Christmas celebration, that is "why we are offering the wholesome and well packaged rice.’’

Okanlawan further said that the state had established a Department of Agribusiness, an Agriculture Trust Fund and Commodity Exchange Market to be set up soon.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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