Communiqué: 2,000 children, 145 women die daily due to malnutrition - NaijaAgroNet

Communiqué issued at the end of a 3-day Media Training/Field visit at Consort Luxury Suites, Abuja from October 29th to November 1st, 2018.

Theme: The Journalists’ Role in Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in Allocation and Use of Health/Nutrition Funds in Nigeria. 

The Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) under the Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) project, organized the training to build capacity of media practitioners to develop stories and programmes focusing on transparency and accountability in allocation and use of health/nutrition funds in focal states and the country at large. The training was also organized to engender passion and commitment to reporting health and nutrition issues through site visit to Kwali Primary Health Care (PHC) Centre for firsthand experience of the challenges in the sector among other important issues.

It was observed that:

1. Malnutrition is a multi-sectorial issue of serious concern that requires a collective response.

2. Nigeria loses over 2000 children under five years of age on daily basis due to malnutrition.

3. Over 145 women of child bearing age die daily due to malnutrition.

4. The first 1000 days of life from the time of conception to a child’s second birth day is not prioritized.

5. Governments have not been making adequate budgetary allocation, approval, timely release and cash backing.

6. Where budgets are allocated and released, they focus more on the curative measures than preventive measures.

7. A malnourished child when immunized does not absorb/utilize the immunization.

8. There is low reportage of nutrition related issues in Nigeria.

9. 53% of deaths from child killer diseases is directly related to malnutrition.

10. Most mothers at the PHC are not practicing Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF).

11. There is lack of male/husband involvement and support towards EBF.

Recommendations:

1. Participants agreed that stakeholders (Government, Media, CSOs, care givers, Donor agencies etc) need to place emphasis on preventive than curative measures.

2. Government and policy makers should be held accountable for their commitments.

3. Journalists should be consistent in their reportage on nutrition.

4. Media practitioners should hold government accountable by getting enough information aimed at addressing nutrition issues.

5. Media should put nutrition at the front burner and influence policy decisions through their reportage for improved nutrition interventions.

6. Participants should advocate for policies to mainstream nutrition into agriculture.

7. Media should sensitize women on the need to exclusively breastfeed their children in the first six (6) months of life, without addition of water.

8. Media should also sensitize women to continue to breastfeed their children for two years in addition to adequate complementary feeding.

9. Media practitioners are encouraged to explore key components of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so as to bring to the fore requisite solutions to the plights of women, children and other vulnerable groups.

10. Government should scale up and sustain existing interventions on nutrition.

11. Media should intensify campaign towards behavioral change, especially for men to support EBF.


Signed:

Mr. Salihu Mohammed Alkali (chairman, drafting committee)

Priscilla Dennis (Mrs) (secretary, drafting committee)

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WAOM berates Morocco over Africans travel restrictions - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The West African Observatory on Migrations (WAOM), has berated Morocco for joining the European Union (EU) against African migration, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Morocco, NaijaAgroNet gathered is a North African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

As said by WAOM, the travel restrictions for Malians, Guineans and Congolese wishing to travel to Morocco, is disheartening.

A press statement from International conference on environmental migration in West Africa made available to NaijaAgroNet, said "Far from appearing as an experiment as presented by the Morocco kingdom, this measure is a real step backward as it removes from the citizens of these countries the possibility that they had until then to travel without a visa to Morocco. A few weeks before the international conference to adopt the Global Compact on Migration in Marrakesh, the Moroccan decision shocks deeply because it goes against the will reaffirmed by the African Union to move towards the free movement of Africans on their continent.

"The dream of an African Schengen area, where citizens can travel without any visa or travel authorization requirement, seems to be called into question by the Kingdom of Morocco, which is nevertheless presented as the ” Leader ” for migration by the African Union. After returning to Africa Union, in January 2017, Morocco was given the responsibility by its African peers to propose the broad outlines of a migration policy for the African Union. In the wake of its reconquest of the continent, the Moroccan kingdom had then manifested its candidacy to join the Economic Community of States of West Africa (ECOWAS), which advocates a free movement for the citizens of its community. The glimmers of hope thus sent by Morocco seem to be buried in the face of pressure from the European Union, which is constantly reinforcing the role of the countries of North Africa and the Sahel as gendarmes of its policy against the immigration of Africans.

"This Moroccan decision, contrary to African interests, can only be understood in its perspective of pleasing the European institutions. Indeed, the European Union has just opened a series of negotiations with some African countries to demand that they repatriate their “undocumented” citizens residing in Europe on pain of having their Schengen visa restricted for their nationals wishing to travel legally to European countries. 

Morocco seems miraculously not threatened by this blackmail from the European Union despite recent events that saw Moroccan citizens trying to illegally gain Europe. It seems more than ever necessary for African civil society, as a whole, to raise its voice against the dictates of the European Union, which under the guise of development aid, weaken African integration and prevent Africans from traveling without visa in the same way as the citizens of the European Union. The West African Observatory on Migrations is appealing to all citizens of African countries to advocate on their States not to accept measures that undermine our mobility rights on our African soil and destroy our will to live a real fraternity life as sons and daughters of the same continent.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Sapele Power petitions IG Idris over police harassment - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The operator of the 1,020MW Sapele Power Plant, the Sapele Power Plc (SPP), has petitioned the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, over the use of Police to settle business scores by Seistech, reports NaijaAgroNet.

In a petition to the police high command on the details of the contract with Seistech, the management of Sapele Power noted that during the power privatisation exercise, SPP, along with its assets which include two storage tanks and a jetty located within the power plant, was acquired by Eurafric Power Limited.

The petition also noted that sometime in 2016, Seistech Energy Limited, an oil and gas company, approached SPP for the lease of one of its storage tanks in the plant for storage of crude oil produced by Mid-Western Oil & Gas Company Limited. A Storage Lease Agreement dated September 6, 2016 was negotiated and executed.

Sapele Power says Seistech had now failed to meet the terms of the agreement and has resorted to intimidation, attempt to forcibly takeover its facilities and threat to life, among others.

Just as the company also alleged complicity of the Police in the matter for which it has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, asking that he puts a stop “to the use of the police to perpetuate illegality.”

“Few months into the transaction, Seistech became bankrupt, and unable to meet its financial obligations under the contract, Seistech then introduced Mid-Western to assume its financial responsibility and Mid-Western effected tank rental payments on behalf of Seistech. Subsequently, Seistech had a fall-out with Mid-Western and payment for the tank rental was suspended.

“Rather than look for creative means of liquidating its indebtedness, Seistech chose to cunningly cook up lies and misinform our business partners, regulatory authorities and unsuspecting third parties that the rented tank did not belong to SPP, rather, belonged to Seistech.

“As a result of this development, we terminated the tank rental contract with Seistech and asked them to pay up outstanding rental debt, evacuate the products from the storage tank in question and vacate our premises immediately.

“Instead of complying, Seistech surreptitiously and continuously sought ways to defraud us by evacuating product in storage without settling its indebtedness (presently in excess of N600,000,000 (Six Hundred Million Naira). So far, its threats and activities have impeded our activities and smooth operations of the power plant”.

Sapele Power Plc maintained that to undermine security and control of the its power plant, within which the storage tank is located, Seistech, with the connivance of the Police, deployed mobile policemen from Mopol 33 into the plant, leading to a faceoff with SPP’s mobile policemen from Mopol 44 with threat of gunfire exchange.

Ozo Nweke Ozo/ED, Ops

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African women shine @Anzisha Prize Awards'18 - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Mastercard Foundation and African Leadership Academy are thrilled that 22-year-old healthcare entrepreneur Melissa Bime has won the US$25,000 Grand Prize at the 8th annual Anzisha Prize awards gala. She is the founder of INFIUSS, an online blood bank and digital supply chain platform that ensures patients in 23 hospitals in Cameroon have life-saving blood when and where they need it. She is only the second woman to win the grand prize since Best Ayiorworth took it home in 2013.

“Today, I stand here to represent every young girl out there that just has her dreams,” said Melissa Bime during her acceptance speech. “I stand here to represent this amazing group of entrepreneurs that I am a part of. With these people, the future of Africa is very bright. We are going to change this continent.”

Melissa was selected from among 20 finalists during a ceremony on 23 October that was live streamed to over 3,000 viewers and created a social media buzz across the continent.

The first runner up, 18-year-old Alhaji Siraj Bah will receive US$15,000 in prize money. He is the founder of Rugsal Trading in Sierra Leone, a company that produces handcrafted paper bags as well as briquettes for cooking fuel. Alhaji hopes that the funds will boost the impact his business is already having and will enable him to hire more youth from his community. “I had only US$20 dollars when I started and I have created an impact already,” said Bah. With US$15,000, I am going to impact 7.5 million Sierra Leonians’ lives in less than five years. It will happen.”

Joan Nalubega, 21, was the second-runner up. She is the co-founder of Uganics, which produces mosquito-repellent soap to combat malaria inUganda. With the US$12,500, she will conduct a certification study for the company’s products and prepare Uganics for export to neighboring countries which will help to widen her impact in the fight against malaria.

The keynote speaker, renowned entrepreneur Sim Shagaya spoke plainly about the challenges faced by the continent but was confident that young entrepreneurs are best placed to solve them. He concluded his inspiring remarks with a simple message to the finalists, “you must lead!”

“We are proud of all 20 finalists and are excited to see two young and dynamic women taking home top prizes,” said Koffi Assouan, Program Manager, Mastercard Foundation. “Their contributions will continue to impact their countries and they are role models for other young women across the continent. They are demonstrating how to turn obstacles into opportunities that create value and jobs for others.”

The Anzisha Prize, the premier award for Africa’s youngest entrepreneurs, is a partnership between African Leadership Academy and the Mastercard Foundation. The 20 finalists spent 10 days in a business accelerator camp strengthening their business fundamentals before presenting their ventures to a panel of judges that included Ntuthuko Shezi, Bita Diamomande, Saran Kaba Jones, and Polo Leteka. They join a pool of more than 85 Anzisha Fellows and a network of support that includes access to mentors, experts, and networking. Each returns home with a US$2,500.

“This year was exciting in that we announced our new efforts to support the parents of very young entrepreneurs in Africa,” said Josh Adler, Vice President of Growth and Entrepreneurship at African Leadership Academy. “Our new book – Raising the Boss – uncovers the critical role they play and how we must invest in them if we are to see more young people confidently choosing an entrepreneurship career path post school.”

Applications for the next cycle of the Anzisha Prize will open on 15 February in 2019. Nominations for promising youth entrepreneurs are welcome all year round.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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Nestlé releases 2018 financial results for Q3, offers N20 dividend - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Nestlé Nigeria Plc has proclaimed its financial results for 9 months period ending 30 September 2018, with recorded revenue of N 203.1 billion which translates into 9.7 per cent, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the third quarter results sighted by NaijaAgroNet, stressing that for the period January to September 2018, the company recorded revenue of N 203.1 billion with a growth of 9.7 per cent over same period in the previous year.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that Nestle Nigeria made Profit After Tax (PAT) of N 33.1 billion.

The unaudited financial statements of the company, NaijaAgroNet also gathered, saw Nestlé Nigeria Plc posting a revenue of N 67.8 billion in Q3 2018, up from N 63.3 billion in Q3 2017.

Further, NaijaAgroNet reports that the company board in its meeting held on October 29th 2018 approved an interim dividend of N20 per share.

Below is the full detail of the January - September 2018 financial result.

N’000		N’000
Revenue	203,134,728		185,242,450
Cost of Sales	-116,984,764		-109,361,943
Gross Profit	86,149,964		75,880,507
Marketing and Distribution expenses	-29,739,809		-25,260,332
Administrative expenses	-7,050,143		-7,534,933
Results from operating activities	49,360,012		43,085,242
Finance income	1,389,846		6,281,172
Finance costs	-2,661,306		-14,887,393
Net finance costs	-1,271,460		-8,606,221
Profit before income tax	48,088,552		34,479,021
Income tax expense	-14,970,265		-11,499,031
Profit for the period	33,118,287		22,979,990

 Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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RBM unveils media fellowship, celebrates impactful 20 years - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership to End Malaria has unveiled media fellowship in commemoration of it's impactful 20th years since establishment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Precisely, NaijaAgroNet gathered, that October 30 marks two decades of global action against malaria as the RBM Partnership to End Malaria as they celebrate 20th anniversary and launched new media fellowship to build on achievements which to date have contributed to saving more than 7 million lives and preventing over 1 billion malaria cases.

Originally established as Roll Back Malaria (RBM) in 1998 by the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank, today the RBM Partnership to End Malaria is the largest global platform for coordinated action against malaria. Through increased funding, distribution of millions of lifesaving interventions and by introducing innovative and improved tools, the Partnership has played a key role in global efforts that have reduced malaria deaths by over 60%, contributed to an 1,000% increase in malaria funding, and added an estimated US$2 trillion to the economies of malaria affected countries.

Looking towards future action, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria is now launching a first-ever media fellowship, open to journalists from the 11 countries in the world with the highest burden of malaria, according to the most recent World Malaria Report.

Successful candidates will meet with some of the world’s leading health and malaria experts to understand the key challenges and opportunities for ending malaria in their home countries. According to latest WHO data, 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and India represent over 70% of the world’s malaria cases. The RBM Partnership will provide support to the selected fellows with their projects and features relating to malaria for one year. Journalists will be encouraged to explore their own interests within the field, and to delve deeper into solutions that could be employed to meet their country’s challenges from the malaria burden. The closing date for applications is 31 January 2019.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Dr Kesete Admasu, said the global partnership over the past two decades has significantly reduced malaria deaths and cases, saving 7 million lives.

“This progress has allowed us to set our sights on ending this preventable disease for good. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we look toward what we can accomplish in the next 20 years, including inspiring new audiences about the historic opportunity to end malaria. This media fellowship will offer much-needed support to journalists in the highest burden countries who want to shine a light on the impact malaria has on their communities and the urgent need for citizens and country leaders to drive further progress against the disease, especially at a time when cases are on the rise,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that events marking the 20th anniversary will also reflect the achievements of the past two decades and look ahead towards upcoming opportunities for malaria elimination.

The celebrations, he further said, will conclude an event in Maputo, Mozambique that coincides with the annual launch of the WHO World Malaria Report and a new High Burden to High Impact: Targeted Malaria Response, on 19th November.

“To highlight the key successes against the disease over the past two decades, the RBM Partnership have created a new video of these achievements, which is available here,” he said.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Forum says ‘Leverage ICT to transform agriculture’ - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Over 200 attendees at the 2018 Global Forum just concluded in Marrakesh, Morroco, have called for the leveraging of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a veritable tool for the transformation of agriculture, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

The Forum, NaijaAgroNet reports was supported by the European Union and organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), made this call in its outcome document.

The Forum also made a strong case for greater investment in innovation, stressing that digital technologies are transforming every sector of the global economy, including agriculture.

New technologies are improving agricultural productivity, lowering carbon emissions and making better use of the earth's natural resources. They are also making information more accessible to small-scale producers across the globe.

While the private sector is largely driving the development of such technologies, the public sector can help facilitate their adoption and keep an eye on technologies that have the power to bring positive outcomes, especially to small-scale farmers and small-to-medium enterprises. That means understanding the different technologies - and obstacles hindering their uptake, especially by small-scale producers - and identifying the necessary policies, regulations, incentive frameworks and capacity development.

Other discussions at the Forum focused on the private sector's views on investing in emerging markets and managing risks in value chain financing, and on the importance of making agrifood systems greener as well as more inclusive, especially for women and youth.   

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Educating Nigerians on nutrition requires media stepping up - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Educating Nigerians is one of the cardinal points for the media in the country, especially on nutrition-related issues, which requires media practitioners to step up their games, says the Communications Officer at the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Mrs. Lilian Aja-mong, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking at a 3-day media workshop on reporting nutrition which opened in Abuja, Monday, she noted the urgent need to step up media engagement in and around reporting nutrition and urged for redoubling of efforts.

She told participants at the workshop with the theme: Role in Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in Allocation and Use of Health Nutrition Funds in Nigeria, it’s time to intensify efforts in educating Nigerians on the dangers of malnutrition in the country so that requisite actions can be taken for a better society, so as to limit the associated menace.

He commended participants and urged them to make good of the workshop by learning as much as possible to increase their passion on curtailing malnutrition in Nigeria using the power of the media, that is result driven, efficient, serviceable, effective and transparency.

Welcoming participants, CS-SUNN Project Manager, Mr. Sunday Okoronkwo, pointed out that part of the effort of the organization has been to train journalist on how to write a comprehensive report on malnutrition aimed at achieving the desired goals.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that part of the objectives of the workshop is to build the capacity of media to write stories for transparency and accountability in allocation and use of health cum nutrition funds in focal states and country at large.

In addition, the work tends to engender passion and commitment to reporting health and nutrition issues through site visits for first-hand experience of challenges in the sector, as well as disseminate and ability to correctly and accurately interpret the 2014-2018 health and nutrition budget analysis for media audience, whereas increasing salience of nutrition and making it a front burner on agenda of government.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Public funding can’t end poverty, hunger - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Public funding alone has been identified as not being enough to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and development even as international financing institutions must collaborate more strategically to leverage private investments, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This was the seemingly consensus of over 200 investors, business leaders, representatives from multilateral development institutions, and policy-makers and government officials from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas in attendance at 2018 Global Forum.

NaijaAgroNet reports that the Forum supported by the European Union and organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), estimates that incremental resources of up to USD 265 billion a year are needed to end poverty and hunger by 2030. This is 0.3 per cent of the average projected world income for the period.

"With the 2030 deadline approaching fast, development and international financial institutions must work together with the private sector to find durable solutions to major development challenges such as poverty, climate change and migration. That means creating environments where innovation can flourish and where private investors have incentives to contribute to inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability," said EBRD's President Sir Suma Chakrabarti.

Food and agriculture systems face daunting challenges - from having to produce more with less to feed a growing planet, to shrinking the sector's carbon footprint, to creating decent employment opportunities, especially for youth in developing countries.

"FAO is custodian of 21 of the SDG's indicators, and can play a key role in helping the private sector to shape and monitor their contributions to these sustainability goals. We are also committed to promoting more enabling environments for private investment in sustainable agrifood systems, while also making sure those finances reach where they are needed most," FAO's Deputy Director-GeneralDaniel Gustafson said.

"One encouraging trend - already visible in the agriculture sector - is impact investing, in which private investors are investing in initiatives that generate profits as well as social and environmental impacts," Gustafson added.

According to a survey by the Global Impact Investment Network, the world's leading impact investors collectively manage over USD 228 billion in impact assets. That is more than the amount of public funding available in 2017 through official development assistance.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Doctors-on-Air medical mission lands in Bariga - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The 2018 Doctors-On-Air Medical Mission programme landed in the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The programme which is organised by Synlab, formerly PathCare Laboratories, in partnership with Classic FM and over 20 other medical and non-medical care providers in Nigeria, came together for on Saturday, 13 October, offering residents free medical checks, tests, treated and where necessary, referred for further medical attention. 

Doctors on Air is a weekly health program focused on preventive healthcare, it airs every Wednesday at 8am on Classic FM and 8.40am on Naija FM. One of the important tenets of DOA is to encourage the populace to Know their Numbers, by having routine check ups to keep healthy. Whilst most people can go to SYNLAB to have these wellness checks qualitatively done, there are some people who cannot afford it. The Chief Host, Dr Pamela Ajayi, emphasised the importance of knowing your numbers through the weekly program by creating awareness around diseases, prevention and treatment. The annual Medical Mission is designed to make medical services accessible to communities who cannot ordinarily afford private healthcare services. 

The mission was set up initially to provide these services but has expanded to provide qualitative services offered by the specialist consultants who come on the program, for example the ophthalmologists provided free glasses and used latest technology for glaucoma checks, cardiologists used specialised equipment for the heart screening such as ECGs and echocardiogram, other screening done were breast, cervical and prostate cancer. Deworming for adults and children was done, along with special dental care and health talks on various topics. Doctors on Air is sponsored by SYNLAB.

It is estimated that over 10,000 Nigerians have benefited from the annual Doctors on Air Medical Mission over the past 7 years. Among the beneficiaries of the 2018 event were children, teenagers, adults and the elderly including Mama Misirat Bello and Mama Lambo Rafatu, both in their 80s. They were full of praise for the program which offered them high quality healthcare with referral for further care afterwards, all free of charge. Mrs. Abosede Amos whose son, Daniel Amos, was examined and treated for eye defects was one happy mother who commended and praised SYNLAB and its partners for the laudable program.

The Chairman of the Bariga Local Community Development Area (LCDA), Barr. Kolade Alabi, addressed members of the community at the venue encouraging them to make the most of the opportunity that the program presented. "We had promised that if elected, we would focus on programs that are mass inclined and help the individuals in the community live better lives”. 

Executive chairman of Bariga LCDA said that we have a saying in the LCDA that goes: 'my Bariga, my Pride'. But that saying is only meaningful when we are healthy. The administration is currently working on putting in place quality housing and infrastructure and quality healthcare and well-equipped primary healthcare centres. 

What SYNLAB is doing today is completely in line with our plans and we are looking forward to more collaborations like this, as people need good health for them to enjoy the infrastructure and economic growth being planned and executed by the government.

SYNLAB and the community of Bariga LCDA took turns to acknowledge and appreciate the support and contributions of the key sponsors of the 2018 Doctors-On-Air medical mission – Classic FM, Naija FM, Bridge Clinic, Leadway Assurance, Chike Okoli Foundation, The Eye Doctors Clinic, SKKY Dental Clinic, Paelon Memorial Hospital, Lakeshore Cancer Center, Optimal Cancer Center, Nigerian Association of Dermatologist, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Lagos State Blood Transfusion, Smile 360 Dental Services, Health Plus, Reals Pharmaceuticals, Dara Foundation, Renaissance Medical Center, Medplus Healthcare, Ultimate Eye Clinic, Metro Eyes Nigeria, Sight City, Men’s Clinic, Euracare Medical Center, Choice Dental Clinic, May and Baker, Mopheth Pharmaceuticals, Zolon Healthcare, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, JNC International, Maryland Rotary Club, Bariga LCDA, MTV Shuga in partnership with the Society for Family Health and Oceanic Health.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Agriculture alone can't revive Nigeria's economy, but innovation - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, has said that mere agricultural revolution cannot revive Nigeria's economy, but innovation reports NaijaAgroNet.

He, therefore called for use of an economy build on innovative technologies which he said, will thrive much better than the old concept of mere agriculture, reports 

Contributing to the discussion at the 2018 WorldStage Economic Summit on the theme “New Sources of Economic Strength to Make the future Happen,” at the Event Centre of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Mr. Teniola maintained that the development of the economy through the old concept of agriculture will not take the country far.

As said by him, for a culture of technology as demonstrated in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, it has become obvious for the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in the schools.

This, he stressed will aid Nigeria to compete favourably in any area, “it must be up to date in innovation and technology.”

Equally speaking at the event, Mr Soji Adeleye, Chief Executive of Alfe City Institution, underlined the absence of leadership in the country which had resulted to the lack of progress.

For meaningful progress to be achieved, he said the leadership has to be aware of their responsibility to the society, not to just occupy space.

In her contribution, Mrs Oluyinka Omojolaibi, Senior Research Economist, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) was also underlined the importance of government to formulate and implement policies that can move the economy forward.

She said government needed to do more in the area of the provision of infrastructure, machineries, cheap loans for the economy to be productive and competitive.

She said that would be crucial so that made in Nigeria products can be competitive in the local and international market.

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Pix: ATCON president, Teniola

HLPE says one in three persons suffer micro-nutrient deficiencies - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Malnutrition has many forms - including micronutrient deficiencies - and affects one in three people today, a figure that may rise to one in two by 2030 if nothing is done, according to the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) at the 2018 Committee on World Food Security (CFS) session in Rome, reports NaijaAgroNet.

As said by them, evidence increasingly suggests that economic growth alone will not fix the problem - which impacts rich and poor countries and households alike - and that new policies are needed.

Increasing international concern led to FAO's hosting of a conference that led to the 2014 Rome Declaration on Nutrition and the UN decision to declare a Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025).

The CFS guidelines will seek to help governments "operationalize" the recommendations agreed at those fora.

They expressly aim to "address the key causes of vulnerability to all forms of malnutrition in different types of food systems in both rural and urban areas, with special attention to the poorest and most nutritionally vulnerable people.

While global in scope, they aim to offer actionable advice for all the world's food systems, which include traditional systems where processed foods are rare to advanced ones where they can crowd out healthier alternatives. They will address areas ranging from supply chains to consumer behavior, and recommend ways to boost nutrition literacy and implement effective food-packaging labels.





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Reversing malnutrition rates: Stakeholders agree to draft voluntary guidelines - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

A multi-stakeholders concerned with reversing the growing trend of malnutrition under the aegis of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) wrapped up its 45th Session in Rome, with the task to formulate Voluntary Guidelines for Food Systems and Nutrition for approval in 2020, report NaijaAgroNet.

The guidelines are intended to be a reference document providing guidance to governments and other stakeholders on appropriate policies, investments and institutional arrangements needed to assure everyone has "available, affordable, acceptable and safe" diets in line with their beliefs and cultures.

CFS offers an inclusive platform that includes civil society and the private sector as well as governments an opportunity to voice views and develop policy recommendations and guidance on topics affecting food security and nutrition. Past outputs include landmark guidelines on land tenure and responsible investments in agriculture.

"Because of its inclusiveness, CFS is a powerful engine for combining political will and relevant knowledge towards zero hunger," said Mario Arvelo, CFS Chair and Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations' Rome-based food and agriculture agencies. "Building on the success of this session, we are all expected to renew our commitment as the range of participants expands to all potential partners, because eradicating hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 can only be possible if everyone is on board."

Nutrition is a growing concern as the number of obese people in the world is rapidly catching up with the number of hungry. There are 672 million obese and 821 million hungry or malnourished people in the world, according to FAO's latest SOFI assessment.

Earlier this week, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva urged CFS to "step up" with strong guidance, emphasizing that "overweight and obesity must be a subject of public policies, not a private issue."

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Nutrition for girls: Save the Children, IFAD join forces on integrating multi-sectoral measures

NaijaAgroNet:

Estimated 129 million children with have stunted growth due to malnutrition, mostly born of young mothers by the year 2030, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Participants at the International Conference on "Leaving no one behind - making the case for adolescent girls," organized by IFAD, Save the Children, with support of the Canadian Government in Rome noted that this would  save adolescent girls from malnutrition and prevent early deaths.

For them, the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition is as a result of various factors, which must be addressed in an integrated manner: poverty, socio-cultural norms, low education levels, lack of safe drinking water, limited access to health systems, access to resources, all of which are necessary to make young girls economically independent and aware, thereby protecting them from early marriages.

Every year in the world, about 12 million girls get married prematurely and 16 million adolescents become mothers. While girls play an essential role in the economic and human development of their families and communities, they are strongly threatened by varying experiences of exclusion and discrimination, such as early marriages and/or early pregnancies, violence, all kind of abuses, and poor access to essential services.

"Adolescent girls, especially if they are undernourished, are more likely to die in childbirth or to give life to children with nutritional deficits, who are more vulnerable and exposed to premature death," emphasizes Daniela Fatarella, Deputy CEO of Save the Children Italy, the international organization that since 1919 fights to save the lives of children and guarantee them a future. "To stop the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition  it is important to invest in young girls, improve their nutritional health and above all, empower them, providing them with  necessary life-skills to strengthen them, improve their self-esteem and ability to emancipate themselves, both socially and economically. Ensuring appropriate nutrition for adolescent girls," adds Fatarella,"requires integrated and multi-sectoral approaches. Unfortunately, there are few good practices documented and so we ask for greater commitment from the international community and governments in prioritizing adolescent girls' focused initiatives."

Supporting young girls is therefore fundamental to positively influence the nutrition of future generations, reducing stunting by 40% by 2025 and eliminating all forms of malnutrition by 2030, as foreseen by Goal 2 of the Agenda 2030.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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Samsung partners BAN to enhance e-Waste tracking - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Samsung Electronics has partnered Basel Action Network (BAN) to enhance electronic waste (eWaste) tracking across the globe, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Since 2008, NaijaAgroNet gathered that Samsung has been a strong supporter of recycling by providing convenient and responsible takeback options for consumer electronics globally.

Also in a new initiative Samsung said its partnering Basel Action Network (BAN), by adopting BAN’s EarthEye service, which is a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based tracking system for electronic waste.

The Samsung’s Director of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs, Mr Mark Newton affirmed this development to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement.

“We are adopting BAN’s EarthEye service – a global GPS based tracking system for electronic waste,” he declared, stressing that Samsung not only aims to be a leader in product innovation but also in using innovative technologies to keep our supply and disposition chains accountable,” he said.

In addition, he said that for this reason, “Samsung will add EarthEye as part of our arsenal to maintain the most rigorous due diligence and standards for responsible recycling.”

NaijaAgroNet further reports, that Samsung promotes the responsible and convenient recycling of e-waste and supports requirements that would ban the export of unprocessed e-waste to developing countries, consistent with the e-Stewards Certification Standard and Samsung policy.

“Products and parts that cannot be refurbished are processed into raw material commodities, in such a way that material can be used again for production of a variety of new products,” he said.

This, Executive Director at BAN, Mr. Jim Puckett said they were excited with this latest development.

“We are very excited to share this link,” he said.

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9mobile partners Ignitia for farmers sake - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Telecommunications company, 9mobile, in partnership with weather forecasting portal, Ignitia, have launched a weather forecast service, tagged Iska, to enable farmers predict weather accurately before and during the planting season, reports NaijaAgroNet.

With Iska Weather Service, NaijaAgroNet gathered that farmers in Nigeria could now predict the weather with over 80% forecast accuracy, thereby empowering them to prepare against adverse weather conditions that can impact negatively on their crops.

Also, event planners, traders, and other people whose means of livelihood or activities can be adversely impacted by poor weather, can also benefit from Iska Weather Service in planning their events or activities so they can operate optimally, unhindered by weather conditions.

Speaking about this newest innovative service, Head Digital Media, 9mobile, Bolanle Afuye, said Iska Weather Service will provide 9mobile consumers with localised weather forecasts via SMS and USSD, with 84% forecast accuracy.

She equally said the service offers subscribers access to Ignitia’s daily 2-day weather forecast service on rainfall risk, timing and intensity, along with the monthly and seasonal outlooks once per month.

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New African Union-FAO framework to create jobs, reduce manual labor - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The newly launched African Union-Food and Agriculture Organisation framework document is aimed at increasing agricultural efficiency and reducing drudgery by helping countries in Africa to develop strategies for sustainable farm mechanization, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization: A Framework for Africa (SAMA) launched on October 5, NaijaAgroNet reports is the result of discussions with policy makers from AU member states, the AU Commission, FAO and key partners. It offers a detailed look at the history of machinery in Africa, and points the way towards addressing challenges and creating new opportunities to assure the successful adoption of mechanization.

"Doubling agricultural productivity and eliminating hunger and malnutrition in Africa by 2025 will be no more than a mirage unless mechanization is accorded utmost importance," AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Josefa Sacko, said at the launch of the framework at FAO.

Remarkably more than three-fourths of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa prepare their lands using only hand tools, a practice that entails poor productivity, repels youth and is incompatible with the continent's Zero Hunger goal.

"Farmers in Africa should be able to use modern agricultural technology, both digital and mechanical, to boost the agricultural sector in a sustainable way," said FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo.

The new framework identifies 10 priorities for AU member states to include in their national plans, ranging from the need for a stable supply of machine spare parts and innovative financing mechanisms, and the importance of regional collaborations that allow for cross-border hiring services.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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2018 State of Food, Agriculture report for launch - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

As part of the World Food Week starting today, Monday, 15 October, the report on State of Food and Agriculture is set for launch, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A series of events, NaijaAgroNet gathered, have been lined up including World Food Day on 16 October to explore the actions needed to put achieving Zero Hunger back on track.  

NaijaAgroNet recalled that World Food Day is marked each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of FAO in 1945.

A package of multimedia feature stories depicting real people’s actions towards Zero Hunger is available for media use, including accompanying photos and video, and a brochure about the day is available.

The launch of the State of Food and Agriculture report 2018, slated for Sheikh Zayed Centre, FAO.

This year’s edition explores how migration is linked to food security, agriculture and rural development. 

The report will be presented at a press conference with FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Assistant Director-General for Economic and Social Development Kostas Stamoulis.  

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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