Southern African states to launch climate change study centre

Southern African Science Centre for Climae Change and Adaptive Land

Five Southern African states have agreed to establish a common monitoring centre for climate change studies for the region, reports TheNewAge.

The study centre, Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management NaijaAgroNet learnt would be launched in Windhoek, Namibia by the five countries, namely South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that German government supported the initiative with 50 million euros, about N10.38 billion aimed at streamlining the regional scientific research about climate change trends and management of natural resources.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that a similar centre was recently launched by 10 West African states, supported and funded by Germany.

John Phiri, Zambian Science minister said, "This initiative will bring knowledge, data, information and services generated by our own scientists with support of their colleagues from Germany." 

The centre would also coordinate research and share information, with a secretariat based in Windhoek.

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USAID partners Israel for food security in 4 African countries

An Israeli agency, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States Agency International Development (USAID) on food security issues in four African countries, reports Globes.

The agreement, a part of Feed the Future initiative NaijaAgroNet gathered was signed by the Agency for International Development Cooperation of Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MASHAVE.

According to the agreement, Israel is to supply the know-how for the project while USAID will make provision for the funding of the project in the four African countries; Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda.

The Israeli agency said that priority would be given to gender issues, training and human capacity building and adaptation to climate change. 

Daniel Carmon, MASHAVE head, said "In assistance projects Israel does not usually give grants to target countries. Our relative advantage is expertise although sometimes we cover part of the cost of the expertise.”

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GEF made over 14,000 grants to civil societies

The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) over the years has made more than 14,000 small grants directly to civil society and community based-organisations, which amount to $634 million, about N95.7 billion.

The grants, according to sources at GEF, are in a bid to address global environmental issues and supporting national sustainable development initiatives.

The CEO and chairperson of the Global Environment Facility Monique Barbut, in a statement during the World Earth day, asserted the need to reflect upon how young the environmental movement.

The first Earth Day, NaijaAgroNet learnt was held forty-two years ago by citizen organizers and it brought about the first Earth Summit, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. 

"This June the environmental movement returns to Rio, bringing with it new priorities and a deeper understanding of the challenges facing our planet and how to address them," she said.

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FCT Secretary urges youths to take hold of Fadama III

Secretary to the Agriculture and Rural Development of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Olvadi Madayi has urged youths in the FCT to embrace Fadama III project, repots Leadership.

Highlighting some reasons for the project, Madayi said the project was designed to assist in the alleviation of poverty and to also improve the living standards of the people.

The projects, NaijaAgroNet learnt has touched lives of people at the grassroots and the Agriculture and Rural Development secretary had promised that the FCT administration would not relent in its effort to pay its counterpart funding which she also urged area councils’ chairmen to do same so that the project would be sustained.

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Kenya to import 1.05m bags of maize

Kenyan Agricultural ministry has identified the need for Kenya to still import maize to boost stocks of foods to the tonnes of 1.05 million bags of maize, Reuters reports.

Though, the country expects food supplies to be stable till September as a result of improved output of key staple foods, is still necessity to import maize.

NaijaAgroNet ascertains that Kenya already planned to import 1.05 million 90-kg bags of maize from regional and international markets to supplement supplies despite bigger harvests recorded following good rains in its main growing areas.

The ministry also disclosed that national maize stocks stood at 18.61 million bags as at March 31 which is lower than 18.94 million recorded in February. 

"According to latest food security assessment conducted in these areas, most households have stocks enough to last 2 to 3 months," the ministry official said.

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Green ICT tops agenda ITU symposium

The advancement of green Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) agenda through awareness creation is one of the key agenda of the seventh edition of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change.

The symposium is to raise awareness about the power of Information Communications Technologies (ICTs) in helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

ITU in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet revealed that the symposium was jointly organised by ITU and Canadian government, and hosted by Prompt, an R&D partnership developer and scheduled to hold between 29th and 31st May, 2012 at Montreal, Canada.

The symposium, ITU said, would also explore ways in which advance technologies could play a role in improving the environmental sustainability of the ICT sector itself, and how ICTs could help countries better tackle the effects of climate change and new strategies to help tackle e-waste. 

The event would form part of ITU’s activities in the lead up to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), highlighting the key role played by ICTs as enablers in environmentally-sustainable economic development.

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African agriculture, at mercy of Global South donors

'Agriculture Development and Food Security in Africa,' a new book that addresses the current food insecurity and land issues on the continent would soon debut.

The book which x-rays the effect of donors from the global south on African agricultural development is co-authored by Fantu Cheru, a socio-economist who specializes in rural development, small-scale enterprise environmental planning and resource management, and Renu Modi, a political scientist and senior lecturer of the Centre for African Studies of University of Mumbai.

The Four-section, Eleven-chapter book highlighted roles played by the Global South donors including India, China and Brazil in shaping African agriculture through their increased involvement and investment in the continent. 

The book also presents a critical analysis of the ways in which Chinese, Indian and Brazilian engagement in African agriculture are structured and implemented. More about the book

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Agricultural loan scheme for Kwara youths

Sen. Bukola Saraki

Serving senator of the Federal Republic and former governor of Kwara State, Sen. Bukola Saraki has expressed resolve to introduce a revolving loan scheme for Kwara youths, reports DailyTrust.

Sen. Saraki said that the loan for youths in the state is to enable them embark on agriculture.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that the former Governor said that taking up agriculture production as a way of guaranteeing food security in the state and country at large, would assist in eradication of unemployment among the youths.

“If all the youths  coming  out of  Nigerian  institutions  of higher learning are properly incorporated into agricultural production within a short period of time,  the country  will  stop  importing certain items  and in turn start  exporting,” he said. 

He also said, there is need for proper implementation of agriculture as it has more capacity to increase the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) than oil and other mineral resources.

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