Bissi highlights essence of media on CAADP strategies

NaijaAgroNet:

The essence of media participatory roles in scaling up the strategies of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has been highlighted, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The CAADP coordinator, Mr. Komla Bissi shared some insights with NaijaAgroNet on the importance of media in achieving CAADP strategies, saying that farmers and related actors both states and non-states should be regularly kept informed of CAADP initiatives, especially developments projects capable of assisting them to improve on whatever is on the ground at any particular time.

This, he said, gave AU and CAADP precisely, the impetus to support the on-going first meeting of the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment in Addis Ababa.

He also said that his office would continue to work very closely with the communication units within the African Union organs to ensure that media participate in most of the meetings where initiatives are structured so as to carry the media industry along thereby encouraging them to disseminate right and knowledgeable information for the African people.

In addition, this will assist development partners to keep a tap on African efforts in increasing agricultural productivity and fight against hunger as well as enlightenment of citizens and most essentially the farmers and farmers-based organizations adequately.

Equally, Bissi said, CAADP would continue to seek better ways of collaboration to make media practitioners’ job easier and CAADP initiatives based on AU policies easily adopted by the stakeholders like on issue of climate change among others.

He urged journalists, precisely those in CAADP Journalist Network to see their role as essential to bridging the gap between African farmers and government policies.

NaijaAgroNet recollects that CAADP is a programme of the African Union in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) established in July 2003 with focus on improving and promoting agriculture across the African continent as part of efforts aimed at eliminating hunger and reducing poverty through agriculture.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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Financing agriculture tops new AU’s funding initiative – Bissi

NaijaAgroNet:

The Coordinator of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Mr. Komla Bissi disclosed that financing agriculture and related sectors like water and environment are likely to top the initiatives to benefit from the new financial scheme of African Union Commission (AUC), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Mr. Bissi made this disclosure in an interview with NaijaAgroNet in Addis Ababa at the ongoing inaugural Conference of African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE) with respect to the new funding facilities of the Commission.

Though he noted that financing may not have been an easy task, especially for developing countries, but AU alongside development partners are working closely to ensure viable projects on the continent receive relevant financial supports.

He pointed out to NaijaAgroNet that the Malabo Declaration was very clear on where Africa as a continent should be headed to in order to achieved the set goals for the sustenance of the region.

He expressed optimism on the expected recommendations of STC-ARDWE to be submitted to the Council of Ministers for onward exploration in the next two days of the conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 
Bissi further said, they are currently consulting on which element of their programmes this facility will be channeled to in line with AU and development partners’ guidelines.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia +CAADP NEPAD 
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Pix: Coordinator, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, CAADP, Komla Bissi,

Digitally reconstructed skull provides insight into dinosaur brain

NaijaAgroNet:

Some experts have described one of the most complete sauropod dinosaur braincases ever found in Europe, with a digitally reconstructed skull providing insight into dinosaur brain, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This finding, scientists said could help uncover some of the mysteries of how dinosaur brains operated, including their intellectual and sensory abilities.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the team had digitally reconstructed the cavity where the brain lay, the passages of the cranial nerves and certain blood vessels as well as the labyrinth of the inner ear.

An extract from a journal PLOS ONE published Wednesday, the team led by a senior research fellow from The University of Manchester, Dr Fabien Knoll, described the rare find. 

“Skulls, and particularly the braincases, are very fragile so not many have survived. That is not the case with this find, which is remarkably complete,” Dr. Knoll said, stressing that the skull, from a titanosaur, a type of sauropod, was found at a dig site in eastern Spain in 2007 and experts have spent the last few years studying it to see what secrets it may reveal.

“This is such a rare finding that is why it is so exciting. Usually we find vertebrae or other bones, very rarely the braincase and this one is complete. I was present on the dig site when it was uncovered and it was a very special moment,” he said.

Pointing out that nowadays, man knew very little about the brain of dinosaurs. Research such as this is fundamental if we want to get an idea about the cognitive skills of these animals or if they had keen hearing or good eyesight and plenty of other information.”

The titanosaur  lived about 72 million years ago. Like all sauropods it was four-legged with a long neck and a long tail and herbivorous. It was a distant relative of Diplodocus but, with about 14 m in length, was only half its size. The study shows that its brain fitted in a diminutive cavity of only 6.3 cm in length.

Dr Knoll, who made the first digital reconstruction of a dinosaur endocranial cavity in the late 1990s, said: “In a few years’ time if more finds like this come to light and, above all, if they are studied with the modern imaging technologies then we could really start to understand more about dinosaur brains.” 

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Malabo funding facility to leverage development partners relationship

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Union (AU) has advanced plans to ensure that the continent leverages its relationships with Development Partners (DPs), mostly in the implementation of the recently endorsed Malabo funding facility, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Revealing this to NaijaAgroNet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the inaugural conference of Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE), the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Mr. Komla Bissi, assured the judicious use of the facility.

Reacting to DPs commendations to AU at the opening session of STC, he reiterated that African Union is working with the development partners to explore and leverage on the options that could be available for financing some of continent programmes.

He also affirmed that the current ‘Malabo facility’ would not disturb in any way the various on-going projects across the continent.

“We just concluded a discussion on the new financing facility, which we’re calling the Malabo facility,” he asserted.

Mr. Bissi explained that this facility is being put together from various sources, namely the AU, development partners, and private sectors to support countries particularly in implementing the commitment made in the Malabo facility and the programmes that have been identified.

His office through the AU is presently consulting with “Our member states. So, these discussions will be concluded this afternoon at the ongoing meeting of ST-ARDWE in Addis Ababa, whereas specific recommendations will be tabled for Ministers for consideration.”

NaijaAgroNet recalls for instance that recently, the World Bank highlighted that across Sub-Saharan Africa, poor infrastructure is a major bottleneck for sustainable development, just as signaling a new push and renewed commitment, could boost investment and catalyzes greater cooperation.

While infrastructure deficit has remain atop challenges of the continent’s ability to lay the foundations for sustained economic growth and productivity improvements needed to end poverty and boost shared prosperity on the continent.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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STC-ARDWE extends document grace period to 60 days before sessions

NaijaAgroNet:

The meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, may have resolved to increase the number of days documents of discussion will be made available prior to any meeting, reports NaijaAgroNet

 .

This was part of the fillers from the close door session recommendation from the on-going meeting.

This, our source who declined mention said is to enable expert members participating in such meetings to have ample time to peruse such documents and same time for lengthy discussion in the future on a given subject.

NaijaAgroNet also learnt that the new resolution which means two months is to enable them digest the relevant contents of the document.

Also, some of the objectives and mandates of STC were tweaked by its members to be presented to the Council of Ministers for adoption.

In addition, it was gathered that STC deliberated on the procedures to make the meeting ideal for future and easy engagement.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the Specialized Technical Committees are responsible to the Executive Council of the AU and (STCs) comprised of Ministers responsible for key sectors.

The AU’s Constitutive Act states that STCs could meet as often as necessary and should prepare their own rules of procedure for adoption by the Executive Council.

Although STCs main functions include the preparation of projects and programmes of the Union and submit it to the Executive Council; ensure the supervision, follow-up and the evaluation of the implementation of decisions taken by the organs of the Union; ensure the coordination and harmonization of projects and programmes of the Union; submit to the Executive Council either on its own initiative or at the request of the Executive Council, reports and; recommendations on the implementation of the provisions of the Constitutive Act; and carry out any other functions assigned to it for the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of the Constitutive Act.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the Constitutive Act makes provision for seven (7) STC, comprising “The Committee on Rural Economy and Agricultural Matters; The Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs; The Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters; The Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment; The Committee on Transport, Communications and Tourism; The Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs; and the Committee on Education, Culture and Human Resources.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa 
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NIGALEX sealed over violation of environmental laws

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos-based Nigerian Aluminium Extrusions Limited (NIGALEX) has been sealed by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) over violation of environmental laws, NaijaAgroNet gathered.

The Head, NESREA enforcement, KolawoleGbenga, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)during the sealing exercise that the company was served several violation and abatement notices prior to the closure, adding that the agency had discovered that some companies and facilities were into the production of different products without protecting the environment.

“Today, we have come to seal this company that is involved in the production of metallic products (iron rods).It has not been complying with some relevant environmental laws such as the disposal of their waste and untreated effluents.We are expected to manage the environment and not to destroy it.If we must site a company, we are expected to follow and comply withrelevant laws put in place to protect the integrity of the environment.We have issued compliance notice thrice,” Gbenga said.

Also, Gbenga said they had issued two abatement notices as warning, but the facility owners failed to comply and NESREA has no other option than to apply the law.

Established in 1973 at Oshodi, Lagos, NESREA has a workforce that has since been contributing immensely to Nigeria’s economic and industrial growth. The company has relevant modern cutting-edge technology and has over the years emerged as the leading producer of high quality aluminium products in West Africa, NaijaAgroNetlearnt.

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