Integrate biotechnology into Africa’s agricultural development - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

African governments, regional economic communities, and development agencies have been urged to strengthen and harmonize biotechnology policies and biosafety regulations to create an enabling environment for biotechnology development in Africa. 

It was revealed that less than 30 per cent of African countries have functional biosafety frameworks and the number of biotech products getting to farmers is still very low. Hence, a further call was made to fully integrate biotechnology into Africa’s agricultural development agenda to ensure that food and nutrition security is attained across the continent.

White Gold Series to debut November 12 - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet:

White Gold Series, a documentary ready to be aired on CNBC Africa from 9 to 12 November at 16h30 Central Africa time, followed by the West Africa launch via Afrique Media TV from November 16-18 at 7:03pm CAT and November 19 at 6:33 CAT, as well as ITFC Social Media, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Courtesy of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, which backed the planned release of the series of four short documentaries on its extensive cotton sector trade finance and development interventions in West Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

NaijaAgroNet noted that for over a decade, ITFC has played a fundamental role in supporting cotton production in sub-Saharan Africa, earning it the name, Cotton Bank of Africa. Also known as ‘White Gold’, cotton is a vital export crop for several West African countries thus a key source of foreign exchange earnings. In addition, the cotton sector is the main source of employment and livelihoods for whole communities in these countries. ITFC’s financing efforts in the cotton sector is over US$1.8 billion, with 23 financing operations in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali. In Burkina Faso and Cameroon, ITFC has since 2008 disbursed over US$840 million to purchase fertilizers and provide early payments or provision of inputs to cotton producers for their cotton yields. On yearly basis, ITFC’s trade financing touches the lives of around 300,000 farmers and their families accross Burkina Faso and Cameroon.

Commenting on the launch of the series, ITFC CEO, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol said: “Investments in agriculture are impactful, provided they adopt a value-chain approach that enhances productivity, promotes agro-processing, and increases access to markets. We hope that the White Gold Series, particularly now in the times of a major global pandemic, will serve as a reminder and inspiration to global development stakeholders on the need to continue to develop high-impact value chains across African OIC member countries, thereby strengthening the resilience of smallholder farming communities whose lives depend on these key commodities.” 

Catch ITFC’s White Gold Series on CNBC Africa and Afrique Media TV.

Power: NNPC generates 2,538MW in August - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

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

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that it supplied 727 Million Standard Cubic Feet per day (mmscfd) of natural gas for power generation to the country in the month of August, 2020, an equivalent of 2,538MW of power, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This represents an increase of 2.80 per cent from the previous month. 

Estate residents debunk report on Tinubu's ownership - NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Royal Gardens Estate Residents’ Association (RGERA) in Ajah, Lagos State has debunk media reports that its owned by the former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Residents, in a public statement available to NaijaAgroNet, insisted the estate is not owned Tinubu, maintaining that there is no evidence to claim.

They went on to described the said report as a "misconception."

Top students to benefit from Apex Industries CSR - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

A 5 year Funding Partnership Agreement with the National University of Equatorial Guinea has been seal with the Apex Industries to award scholarships to top students.

Confirming this development the Head of the oil and gas conglomerate based in Equatorial Guinea, Apex Industries, Don Leoncio Amada Nze, said this is coming as part of the company's social programme.

According to Nze, the company commits to financially support qualifying students during their academic progress for the next 5 years.

WFD2020: FFAA advocates for foodbanking - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

In commemoration of the United Nations (UN) World Food Day, Food for All Africa (FFAA) has advocated for food banking in African countries especially Ghana, reports NaijaAgroNet.

FFAA, NaijaAgroNet gathered, provided over 500 packs of waakye meal, food bags and basic essentials to low income and vulnerable beneficiaries across Accra in commemoration of this year's World Food Day held on October 16, this year.

WFD 2020: CS-SUNN urges Nigerians to choose nutritious foods - NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Network (CS- SUNN) has urged Nigerians to ensure they choose their foods with nutrition in mind, so as to maintain a healthy living, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Executive Secretary, CS- SUNN, Mrs. Beatrice Eluaka gave this charge on the occasion of the World Food Day (WFD2020) in Abuja on Friday.

She counselled Nigerians to choose to eat diverse and healthy diets in order to promote healthy living.

World Food Day 2020:Pope Francis drums support for FAO, UN - NaijaAgroNet: ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet:

The Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis has urged for more support for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and all UN food agencies' initiatives that promote sustainable and diversified agriculture, and support small farming communities and the rural development of the poorest countries.

He made this known on his message to the occasion of FAO turning 75 and to commemoration of teh World Food Day 2020.

Pope also urgeds UN member states to use the money that buys arms and covers military expenses for defeating hunger and rural development instead would also be a "courageous decision".

World Food Day: Buhari restates commitment to food security, price stability - NaijaAgroNet ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NaijaAgroNet: 

The President, General Muhammadu Buhari retired, has restated the commitment of his administration to ensure self-sufficiency in food production and stability in prices of commodities in the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The President gave the assurance in a statement at the launch of Outgrow Hunger, Nigeria, an initiative of a non-governmental organisation, Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), founded by Mr Ephraim Odemwingie.

World Food Day: FAO calls for building back better, honours food heroes - NaijaAgroNet

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

Today, World Food Day marks the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Born on the wake of catastrophe - World War II, three-quarters of a century later, FAO's mission to end hunger and nourish the world has been made more relevant because of another global scourge - the COVID-19 pandemic, said QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General.

Along the way, the world, and with it FAO, went from growing more food, to getting attuned to its environmental footprints, setting up regulatory frameworks in response, getting animal diseases under control, and, finally, seeing the fight against hunger as inseparable from other development goals. 

Hence, also, this year's World Food Day's theme: grow, nourish, and sustain. Together. 

"The present moment is again fraught with danger, complicated, and demands urgent action. As hunger grows once more, as the COVID-19 pandemic exposes the fragility of our food systems, history is calling upon us once more to rise to the challenge," urged Qu.

The Director-General spoke today at FAO's global 75th Anniversary/World Food Day virtual event in Rome, which brought together Pope Francis; Italy's President; Lesotho's King and Spain's Queen - FAO Special Goodwill Ambassadors for Nutrition; UN's Secretary General; and the heads of IFAD and WFP.

Saluting FAO's anniversary, Pope Francis described the organization's mission as "beautiful and important".

Time to build back better

World Food Day is marked this year as global hunger rises for the fifth consecutive year and a healthy diet is out of reach for 3 billion people. Nearly 700 million people still go hungry, and the pandemic could tip up to 132 million more into hunger by the end of 2020.

This year's World Food Day aims to galvanize and accelerate action towards ending hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, and to make food and agriculture an essential part of the COVID-19 response.

Chief amongst them, as speakers at today's event noted, are global solidarity and building more resilient, robust agri-food systems that can withstand shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable healthy diets for all, and decent livelihoods for all workers along the food supply chain. 

"Now is the time to rethink our approaches and redouble our efforts," said Qu.

Amongst these, Qu highlighted pioneering sciences and technologies, stressing that "Innovation is our ally in re-imagining our food systems and ending hunger, as we are morally and politically bound to do in the next ten years".

Isaac Oyimah/Editor