Post-COVID-19: IFAD says mobile phones to help 1.7m small-scale farmers - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

Some 1.7 million small-scale farmers in Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan will soon receive personalized agricultural advice through their mobile phones as a means to improve their incomes, food security and resilience to economic shocks caused by COVID-19, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has revealed, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The innovative initiative, NaijaAgroNet gathered that one of 11 proposals to receive initial funding under IFAD’s Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF), comes as a result of a new partnership between IFAD and Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD), a global non-profit organisation co-founded by Nobel Prize winning economist Michael Kremer.

African ministers commit to strengthen collaboration on food, agriculture - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 
The Ministers from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) have approved a historical Ministerial Declaration that sets a foundation to strengthen collaboration across the region to build lasting solutions to the most urgent and pressing food and agricultural challenges, aimed at recovering from COVID-19 impacts and transforming food systems, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Ministerial Declaration was adopted during the 35th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (21-22 September), virtually hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, in which 30 FAO Members, as well as representatives from partner organizations, civil society, the private sector and academia, gathered to discuss innovative policy solutions related to this year's theme "Transforming Food Systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals".

Top 15 tobacco firms: Index reveals limited progress to end smoking - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The 15 largest tobacco companies across the world are not making substantive progress in phasing out cigarettes and other high-risk tobacco products and transitioning smokers to reduced-risk alternatives, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the first Tobacco Transformation Index (TTI), 

released this week and made available to NaijaAgroNet, courtesy of the grant by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.

The index also revealed that a small group of companies have made public commitments to harm reduction and backed them with significant investments.

CBA14 kicks off, harps on local solutions to inspire global action - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, new energy, sustainable environs, people & technology

The 14th International Conference on Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA14) will be held online has kicked off, report NaijaAgroNet.

CBA14 would hold from 21-25 September 2020 with focus on community-based adaptation, putting the people most vulnerable to climate change at the centre of the conversation.

FAO launches Green Cities Initiative to help transform agri-food systems, end hunger - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has unveiled a Green Cities Initiative and Action Plan to help transform agri-food systems, end hunger and improve nutrition in and around the cities in a post COVID-19 era, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The launch took place at a high-level virtual event entitled "Green Cities to Build Back Better for SDGs - A New Powerful Venture" hosted by FAO during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

Highlighting the vast potential of cities in reducing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's health and food security and contributing to climate change mitigation, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu encouraged all partners to appreciate the essential role of cities in building back better and the urgency of innovative, comprehensive and coordinated actions.

Today is Equinox day 2020 - NaijaAgroNet .. Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet:

Today, September 22 is autumnal Equinox day, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According experts, on Equinox day, the sun sets exactly on the West today after rising exactly from the East, meaning that there is approximately equal day and night respectively today. 

They posited there is also vernal or spring equinox which occurs on March 21 with same description; based on the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator, making night and day of approximately equal length all over the earth and occurring about March 21 - vernal equinox, or spring equinox, whilst on September 22 is autumnal equinox.

BBC says NNPC lied over cause of Sabo inferno in Lagos - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

New evidence obtained by the BBC Africa Eye has contradicted the official explanation for the cause of an explosion which killed 23 people and destroyed a girls boarding school in Lagos, Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

As contained in the BBC in a video documentary available to NaijaAgroNet, showed that new evidence obtained by BBC Africa Eye contradicts the official explanation for the cause of an explosion which left 23 people and destroyed a girls boarding school in Sabo-Lagos, Nigeria commercial centre and a residential neighbourhood of Lagos on March 15, 2020 at 8:56am.

Kano: UNICEF decries sentencing of 13-year child to 10 years - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

UNICEF has expressed deep concern about the sentencing of 13-year-old Omar Farouq to ten years’ imprisonment with menial labour by the Kano State Sharia Court at Feli Hockey, Kano, in northern Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Gov. Ganduje of Kano State

The sentence was handed down after he was convicted of blasphemy on 10 August 2020.

Winners emerge @ GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The two winners of the 2020 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize have been announced at the Africa Green Revolution Forum Virtual Summit in Rwanda: Moses Katala co-founder and CEO of Magofarm Limited (Tanzania) and Daniella Kwayu co-founder and CEO of Phema Agri (Tanzania), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Each winner will receive US$50,000 to support and expand their agribusiness operations.

Part of the Generation Africa youth initiative, the aim of this prize is to identify and inspire young people across Africa to seize the opportunities across the value chain of the $1Tn agrifood industry on the continent in the decades ahead.

Four entrepreneurs were also named to receive a $2,500 Impact Award: Elizabeth Gikebe, founder and CEO of Mhogo Foods (Kenya), Millicent Agidipo, co-founder and production manager of Achiever Foods (Ghana), Dysmus Kisulu, co-founder and CEO of Solar Freeze (Kenya) and Paul Matovu, founder and CEO of Vertical Farm and Micro-Gardening (Uganda). 

COVID-19: TGI Group employees provide 1m free meals to vulnerable - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The TGI Cares Fund, an employee-led charity initiative of Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, has commenced the provision of one million free meals in communities struggling with the economic impact of COVID-19. 

The pandemic has left many vulnerable people in communities without a steady source of livelihood but TGI Cares Fund, focusing solely on supporting communities during and beyond the economic crisis, is giving them food items. 

Speaking while handing over food items to FoodClique Support Initiative, an organisation that identifies and reaches out to the most vulnerable in communities, Group Human Resources Director and Coordinator of TGI Cares Fund, Mr Tominiyi Oni, reiterated the commitment of TGI employees to assisting less-privileged Nigerians. 

“We are proud of our people who birthed this noble idea. These are difficult times, so I am elated that my colleagues have pooled resources together to kick start this charity drive,” he said. 

Receiving the items on behalf of FoodClique Support Initiative, Team Lead, Bolajoko Fadipe, expressed gratitude for the kind gesture. 

He further appreciated employees of TGI Group, promising proper distribution of the food items to the most vulnerable in low-income communities across the country. 

In its first phase, 280,000 (two hundred and eighty thousand) meals have been provided for children, unemployed youth and women in Lagos State. Phase two of the charity drive will extend to other communities in the northern part of the country. 

Recall that the TGI Group had previously donated the sum of N500million (five hundred million naira) to support Nigeria’s COVID-19 intervention fund organised by the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID). 

It also donated food items to 2,000 families in Lagos, 500 families in Abuja, 500 families in Ogun and gave N20,000,000 to an Isolation and Treatment Centre in Lagos, among others. 

Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group is an international investment and holding company with diversified interests. Its corporate identity is based on respect for people, its communities and the natural environment as it continuously seeks to support its communities during and beyond challenging times.

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology