Ms Rakiya Sadiq’s story is an inspiration for youths especially women in agriculture.
Sadiq, a beneficiary of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme of Nestle Nigeria PLC, through her farm, is contributing to ensuring food security and reducing hunger in the country.
A graduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Sadiq is the Chief Executive Officer of Zulru Integrated Farms, an integrated farm company into the cultivation of cereal crops and livestock, located in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Her business was incorporated in January 2021 in Jos, Plateau State, before extending to Bauchi.
Necessitated by the need to be self-employed and contribute to increasing food produce, Sadiq said she went into agriculture, focusing on cereal crops like maize, rice, and soya beans, as well as livestock.
According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), increasing food demand is a major concern in Nigeria as prices increases worsen poverty.
Worrisome is also the fact that the Food and Agriculture Organisation estimated that approximately 22 million Nigerians would face food insecurity in 2023, with about 80 to 82 million being at risk of severe insecurity by 2030.
The indices get scarier as in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people dealing with high levels of food insecurity.
Many factors including continued conflict, climate change, and inflation and rising food prices are key drivers of this alarming trend.
However, the corporate programme – Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series, a collaborative initiative between the Golden Morn brand and the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University, aims to promote sustainable food systems by increasing youth engagement in the agricultural sector.
The programme, sponsored by Nestle Nigeria Plc, also provides seed grants support for young entrepreneurs within the age range of 18 to 35, who are already engaged or set up a business in the agricultural sector.
In 2023, 25 young agripreneurs emerged as winners of the Agripreneurship programme, and seed funds of N500,000 were presented to them to scale their businesses.
Some beneficiaries of 2023 Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme of Nestle Nigeria PLC
The presentation of grants to the successful Agripreneurs, Mr Wassim Elhusseini, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, emphasised the pivotal role of youth involvement in agriculture for building sustainable food systems.
“To establish sustainable food systems, we must ensure youth participation in agriculture.
“Nestlé is, therefore, dedicated to helping young people develop the capabilities and skills they need to drive innovation in agriculture.
“Today, as we celebrate and empower the 25 agribusinesses who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and passion for shaping the future, we are delighted with the positive impact of the continuous investment by Golden Morn.”
The Category and Marketing Manager of Golden Morn, Ifeanyichukwu Orabuche, during the presentation of the grants to 25 agricultural entrepreneurs, said that developing farmers was essential for better agricultural practice.
According to Orabuche, the agriculture sector is one of the most viable sectors of the Nigerian society.
However, she decried that the average age of the Nigerian farmer was between ages 60 and 65 years, and that it posed a challenge to the agricultural value chain.
Consequently, she urged the beneficiaries to be more productive and sustainable in their business.
“As agripreneurs, you are employers of labour and that is why Nestle has decided to invest in your business. As a business, we all exist in an ecosystem.
“I am a firm believer in Nigeria’s commonwealth and I believe that the only way Nigerians would move forward is through the country’s collective commonwealth whether in agriculture, healthcare, or education.
“Everyone regardless of your income would share that common wealth. For us to coexist, we need to make sure the cycle continues.”
Evaluating the impact of the programme, the Project and Finance Manager of the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University, Obianuju Okafor, in a statement, said the average age of the Nigerian farmer was between ages 60 and 65 years.
Okafor added that this posed a challenge to the agricultural value chain.
According to her, the Enterprise Development Center is thrilled to partner with Golden Morn to provide essential skills and knowledge to young agripreneurs.
“The Webinar Series has been impacting individuals and businesses since 2021 with a focus on best practices in agribusiness.
“This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to empower and enhance the offerings of aspiring agripreneurs, contributing to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector.”
On some of the challenges encountered in agriculture and businesses generally, Sadiq highlighted lack of technological expertise and in depth/updated farming principles, climate change, insecurity and funding.
According to her, through the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series and being a grant recipients, she has been encouraged and motivated to increase produce, sales and even target being a top supplier of cereal crops within and outside the country.
Commending the brand for the grant for her business, she said, “I was about to stop this business due to some limiting factors but the training and subsequent support from Nestlé’s Golden Morn has encouraged me to continue the business of maize, soyabeans and rice farming.
Sadiq advised youths and women to embrace agriculture, saying it creates employment, self-sufficiency, reduces poverty and hunger.
Another grant recipients, Chukwudi Imhokha, the Chief Executive Officer Azimhoc Ventures, Delta State said, “The journey with Nestlé’s Golden Morn has been a great learning opportunity.
The trainings on adopting business models and circularity for Business Sustainability and Profitability were particularly value adding and very practical for me.
“We are so grateful to Golden Morn and by extension Nestlé, for the huge investment in young people through this laudable initiative,’’ he said.
Food security remains a significant challenge in Nigeria, with millions of people facing hunger and malnutrition.
Addressing this issue requires broad approaches that tackle some of the root causes, such as lack of access to funding, technology know-how-limitations, insecurity and climate change, among others.
However, by investing in farmer’s especially young ones, infrastructure, training, making grants and funds available, promoting innovative solutions and generally prioritising sustainable agriculture, significant and impactful progress can be made toward ensuring food security and improving the well-being of citizens.
As such, concerted efforts and collaboration among government, organisations, corporate bodies, civil societies, and international partners, are needed.
It is in line with this, with the aim of supporting stakeholders’ action to provide support for young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and to ensure sustainable food systems, the Golden Morn Agripreneur Webinar Series programme exists, and keeps achieving significant stride in enabling young agripreneurs expand their businesses.
In addition, the project keeps making agriculture more attractive and appealing to youths, thereby increasing their involvement level in the sector.
Since its launch in 2021, the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme has provided training, financial assistance, mentorship, and networking opportunities to over 2,000 young people involved in, or aspiring to venture into agriculture.(NAN)
The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), has introduced the Livestock Data and Market Information System (LMIS) to provide real-time information for transforming the sector.
This initiative is part of the six-year L-PRES project, funded by 500 million dollars from the International Development Association (IDA), aiming to enhance productivity, commercialisation, and resilience in Nigeria’s livestock industry.
Mr Sanusi Abubakar, L-PRES National Project Coordinator, at a workshop in Abuja, explained that the LMIS would strengthen institutional systems, improve market linkages, and promote crisis prevention.
“The system will offer market information through various channels, creating a comprehensive marketing database for planning, policy formulation, research, and trend monitoring.
Prof. Herbert Udo, Registrar of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, highlighted the significance of data in livestock development, noting that well-developed livestock marketing information systems were invaluable for national planning.
“As a regulatory body with zonal and state offices nationwide, the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science is committed to collaborating with L-PRES and other stakeholders to operationalise the LMIS,” he stated.
Udo cited successful partnerships among farmers, markets, and policymakers in other parts of Africa, expressing confidence that similar successes could be achieved in Nigeria.
Mr Ibrahim Wali, representing the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasised the need for real-time data to ensure livestock productivity.
“In this sector, livestock owners often exchange animals for income without recorded transactions or data collection,” he noted.
He noted that the current number of animals was uncertain, and prices for a kilo of meat in Maiduguri or Abuja were often based on guesswork.
“Having real-time data on the prices of sheep, beef, or poultry will be extremely beneficial,” he stated.
Wali added that access to real-time information had transformed purchasing behaviour.
“Everything we do is consumer-driven. Consumers want to know the quality of the beef, chicken, meat, or turkey they are purchasing.
“The world has changed, especially since COVID-19, making it possible to do everything online.
“Consumers can now order beef and chicken online and, knowing the prices, they can purchase from anywhere, even if they are in Lagos”.
Mr Johnson Opigo, LMIS consultant, stressed the importance of data and information systems for improving livestock productivity.
He explained that accurate and timely data enable farmers to make informed decisions about breeding, feeding, health management, and marketing strategies.
“A robust information system provides real-time market data, helping producers understand trends and pricing to make better sales decisions.
“Additionally, information systems can issue early warnings for disease outbreaks and market fluctuations, allowing farmers to take preventive measures”.
Opigo also noted that data on livestock performance and health optimises resource use, reduces waste, and increases efficiency.
He stated that comprehensive data informs policymakers, leading to better regulations and support programmes that enhance productivity and sustainability in the sector.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
More than 2.8 billion people in the world cannot afford healthy diets, the Director-General of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, has said.
Dongyu made this known during the 2024 World Food Day global ceremony with the theme: “Right to ‘Foods’ for a Better Life and a Better Future”.
‘Foods’, in the theme stands for diversity, nutrition, affordability and safety.
Dongyu said that malnutrition in its various forms existed in all countries and socio-economic classes.
He added that even in high-income economies, people were choosing convenient and unhealthy foods.
The FAO director-general attributed the problems to challenges in agri-food systems where nutritious and diverse foods needed for healthy diets were insufficient and unaffordable.
According to him, food security translates to food availability, accessibility and affordability.
“With 730 million people facing hunger, it is clear that there is still much work to be done, and FAO’s mandate to ensure food security for all is as valid as ever.
“This World Food Day, I am calling on all to renew their commitments to building more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that can nourish the world,” he said.
Dongyu said that immediate action must be taken to ensure the integrated ‘Four Betters’.
“For better production and better nutrition, governments should enable healthy diets for everyone by incentivising production and sale of more nutritious foods.
“They should also promote their consumption in a healthy way.
“For a better environment, we need to produce more with less; we need more quantity with more diverse foods with less agricultural inputs and less negative impacts on the environment.
“We need to produce enough diverse foods, while preserving biodiversity and protecting the planet,” he said.
Dongyu said that, for a better life, innovation such as information technology, Artificial Intelligence, biotechnology and digital agriculture were needed.
He also said to support governments, the private sector would need to shift from unhealthy foods and make a greater diversity of safe and nutritious foods available, affordable and appealing.
“They need to be our allies in addressing this global challenge. Governments cannot do it alone.
“We cannot build peaceful communities without addressing hunger and malnutrition,” he said.
He said that the younger generation had a vital role to play, adding that a food secure future without malnutrition was a human right.
Dongyu called for renewal of commitments to building efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that would guarantee the right to good foods for all. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Heifer International, a development organisation, says it has empowered over 7,000 smallholder poultry farmers across Kaduna and Nasarawa states on innovative solutions that will address challenges in the poultry sector.
The organisation’s Country Director, Dr Lekan Tobe, said this on Monday, during the launch of the second edition of Poultry Supply Chain De-risking Programme (PoS-DerP) in Abuja.
The theme of the programme was “Navigating the Future: Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities in Nigeria’s Poultry Sector”.
“Today, we bear witness to the tangible manifestation of this mission in the vibrant lives of over 7,000 smallholder poultry farmers across Kaduna and Nasarawa states through the PoS-DerP programme.
“The programme has equipped these farmers with the essential tools, comprehensive training, and vital resources needed to establish sustainable and profitable businesses.
“Also to catalyse a profound transformation in their livelihoods, and contribute significantly to the economic vitality of their local communities,”he said.
According to him, Nigeria risks losing about N250 billion from the poultry subsector if key challenges facing the sector are not immediately addressed.
“It’s going to be multiples of billions of Naira, multiples of billion. And I am not talking about 10 billion or 20 billion.
“I am talking around 250 billion Naira, which is why we have been advocating for urgent intervention for MSMEs and farmers in that subsector,” he said.
Also, Hajiya Maimuna Mustapha-Yahuza, Assistant Director, policy and Coordination Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said that the ministry was partnering with Heifer Nigeria to address funding gaps.
Mustapha-Yahuza said that they were also promoting climate resilience for poultry farmers as it is critical to Gross Domestic Product contributions.
Similarly, Opeoluwa Fayomi, Co-founder of Pullus Africa, said that the programme had given opportunity to small holder farmers to produce and access the free market with the right tools.
“At the moment, we have about 8,500 farmers in Kaduna and Nasarawa, and we are on the verge of moving into Abuja to also work with the farmers that we have identified.
“Our goal is to reach 20,000 farmers by June next year,” he said.
Gbenga Ariyo, Technical Lead, Kore International, said that feed production, access to finance, access to veterinary services were some of the challenges affecting the poultry sector.
Ariyo, therefore, stressed the need for more commitment, innovative intervention and technology as critical to improving food productivity and market access for poultry farmers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that beneficiaries of the PoS-DerP, expressed appreciation to the organisation for its supports, which has improved access to markets, funds and economic activities in their localities.
Other highlights include a panel discussion on leveraging collaborative solution in poultry farming to build a food secure future. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), with a mandate to improve food security and crash the cost of food items in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration of the unit was held at the presidential villa Abuja.
This followed a presentation by the Technical Assistant to the President of Agriculture, Office of the Vice-President, Marion Moon.
Shettima said: ” the nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with reality, the better.
“Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment and this is why all hands have to be on deck.
“We are in a food security crisis but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing.”
Shettima, who noted the unit was not created to usurp the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, said the urgency and seriousness of the matter at hand requires the ideas and resources of all stakeholders.
He made reference to the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalyzed, private sector-driven, agricultural industrialisation programme, as one initiative which the PFSCU must activate and operationalize.
He stated that with improved farming practices, improved seeds, use of fertilizers, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could be turned around for the better.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, explained that the unit would coordinate all agricultural activities and the food system among the three tiers of government.
Kyari added that the unit, which membership cut across the three tiers of government, would report to the presidential economic coordinating council which is under the chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu.
Also, Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, said the inauguration of the unit was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu and the agenda of all governors.
” So I think the issue of food security is now being taken seriously and I’m sure with this committee a lot of things will be achieved.
“And I’m sure with this result now, though in our respective states we are representing in our regions and we know in our regional meetings at the state level we will be able to implement what has been decided in the coordinating unit.
“And the outcome of this will be very important because at a small holder the farmer will be assisted and also mechanisation and irrigation issues will come up.
” And these are the major things we need to do to boost agriculture in this country and I think what we are doing at our state level, now we are going to be encouraged and things will work better for Nigerians.”
On his part, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, expressed concern over increasing cost of food items in the country.
Zulum particularly said that non-availability of food items was a matter of great concern to all governors.
He emphasised the need for a coordinated approach, citing low productivity and population growth as a major challenge to the nation’s food security drive.
He called for investment in commercial agriculture, improved funding, and enhanced security for farmers.
Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the state was looking to feed the country, adding that his government must modernize agriculture to feed the population.
“We are an agrarian state, and we have stepped up our game,” Otu noted.
Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger, proposed his state as a pilot for the President’s food security initiative.
He revealed that Niger has invested over N100 billion in agricultural mechanization, with 5,000 tractors and 20 pilot irrigation systems available.
Bago called for support from the federal government, World Bank, and other development partners to ensure the success of these initiatives.
The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Patricia Obila, also spoke on the state’s unique topography and its potential to enhance its renowned Ebonyi Rice production.
She noted the need to introduce tractor mechanization to ensure year-round production and leverage youth participation by incentivizing agriculture with farm settlements equipped with necessary social amenities. (NAN)
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says it is collaborating with the Agriculture Donor Working Group (ADWG), a consortium of development partners, to promote food security in the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Temitope Fashedemi, made this announcement at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
The theme of the forum was “Strengthening Ministerial Capacity on the Use of Innovation to Catalyse Commodity Value Chain Development.”
Fashedemi was represented by Mr Ibrahim Taminu, Director of Planning and Policy Coordination at the ministry.
“The goal is to engage you to facilitate the necessary technical and financial support that can assist the Department of Reform Coordination, Service Improvement, and Innovation in achieving improved agricultural productivity.
“It is also to accelerate the attainment of ministerial agriculture targets from 2024-2027 to address the food security challenges in the country,” he said.
Dr Mustapha Popoola, Special Assistant to the Minister, outlined the key focus areas driving innovative solutions in Nigeria’s agri-food sector during his presentation.
“The focus areas include the development and delivery of innovative solutions to address post-harvest losses, aiming to reduce these losses in the priority commodity value chains.
“Capacity strengthening of departments and agencies is essential to enhance support for a culture of innovative thinking across the technical work stream of the FMAFS, especially in the commodity value chain.”
Popoola also highlighted other initiatives such as innovation competitions, entrepreneurship development in agro-allied activities aimed at training and certifying retiring civil servants to thrive in the agri-food space.
“We are developing and deploying value chain innovation platforms at research institutes and colleges under the ministry’s supervision,’’ he said.
He listed some of the priority commodity value chains as rice, onions, pepper, mangoes, beans, ginger, plantain, oranges, vegetables and aquaculture.
Popoola said that the summit was specifically aimed at women, youths, and retiring civil servants to educate and train them in the agricultural sector.
In his remark, Koffy Kouacou, the representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation, pledged continued support for Nigeria in the agricultural sector.
Jazmian Allen, Co-chair Donor Working Group, also pledged continuous partnership towards achieving food security in Nigeria. (NAN)
The Lagos State Government has inaugurated the Last Mile Meat Shops and Butchers’ Academy to overhaul the process of selling red meat thereby maintaining proper hygiene in the metropolis
Ms Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, stated this at the inauguration of the Last Mile Meat Shops and Butchers’ Academy on Monday at Alausa, Lagos.
Olusanya said that the initiative was to give residents confidence on what they would consume while also making it look presentable with standard facilities to encourage youths to venture into the space.
The commissioner further noted that the essence of the initiative was for residents to embrace butchery and correct the erroneous impression that “the profession is reserved for the illiterates”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the last mile meat shops are located in Ijeh area of Dolphin Estate, Surulere and Mushin.
L-R: Chairman, Lagos State Butchers Association, Comrade Kazeem Bakare, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Emmanuel Fatai Audu, Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, and Chairman, Palilar Pal Meat International, Apostle Olawale Talabi during the inauguration of Eko Meat Shop and Lagos State Butchers Academy at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Ikeja
Olusanya said that the 20 feet containers designed as pilot scheme for the initiative could be easily transferred from one location to another.
According to her, each meat shop is to be manned by four people allocated a cow slaughtered at Agege Abattoir and brought to them in hygienic manner.
She, therefore, called for more collaboration with the private sector to enlarge the scheme.
Olusanya explained that the initiative was part of the 2021 Five-Year Agriculture Roadmap.
“The journey for the overhauling in the ministry started way back during the time of the former commissioner and now the Oba of Oniruland, Oba Gbolahan Lawal.
“The overhauling in the transportation sector led to the introduction of Eko Meat Van that ended the era of conveying meat through unwholesome practices.
“The cattle feedlot project in Lagos is ongoing and part of the promise made by the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration which would be delivered soon,” she said.
On his part, the Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Mr Olotu Emmanuel, commended the ministry for introducing ideas that would bring food and comfort to the door steps of residents.
Emmanuel urged the butchers’ association to ensure that they put into practice what they learnt during training at the butchers academy.
At the inauguration of Eko Meat Shop and Lagos State Butchers Academy at Alausa, Ikeja
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, said that the initiative was a quality controlled measure in the state to give value for money.
He assured them that all the meat shops would sell in kilogramme by weight for uniformity purpose.
Mr Emmanuel Audu, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, described the event as ground-breaking, adding that issues around meat consumption was important for human existence.
He also noted that food safety could not be overlooked, recalling what brought about COVID-19 from China was all about unhygienic way of handling food.
The permanent secretary further said that the initiative was to assist in value chains in meat distribution.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of Butchers’ Association, Alhaji Kazeem Bakare, thanked the Lagos State government for initiating the project described as innovation to his members.
According to him, the association will embrace the new idea of safe handling of cow meat.
He promised that it would bring back some of its members who had left the job.
Bakare urged other states in the country to embrace the innovation to restore sanity to the handling of meat among their residents.
The Managing Director of Palilar Pal Meat International, Mr Olawale Talabi, appreciated the governor for the opportunity.
He noted that the measure would guarantee high hygienic standard for the sale of meat to consumers in the state and allow butchers to earn more money.
Talabi stated that there was huge market for cow meat in Lagos, adding that more than 2,500 cows were slaughtered on a daily basis.
He disclosed that “plans are underway to have the meat shops across the metropolis”.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Food security: Group harps on organic agricultural practices in Nigeria
Agriculture
By Anita Uzoagba
Abuja, May 14, 2024 (NAN) The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative has stressed the need to adopt organic agricultural practices to enhance food security in the country.
The Chairperson, EOA initiative National Steering Committee, Mrs Janet Igoh, said this at a 2-day sensitisation workshop on National Diploma Organic Agricultural Technology in Abuja on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria and Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Igoh urged stakeholders to portray agriculture in the right perspective so that it would be appealing to the youths.
She said the lack of interest in agriculture by the youths was because farmers are always looking tattered in pictures.
“That is not the prospect of agriculture, organic agriculture prep course that we are launching today will create employment.
“There is always a saying that says, grow what you eat, use your crops or produce as medicine, not medicine as food.
“Our young men and women can become farm managers, we can advocate for most of them to form cooperative and also help them seek funds”, she said.
Dr Jude Obi, National president, Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), said efforts by the association to bring organic agriculture into mainstream agriculture in Nigeria had been difficult.
“We have developed a curriculum for teaching organic agriculture and getting a National Diploma degree through the support of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
“Organic agriculture can feed us if everybody tries to produce minimally what he or she consumes, this is why the association is in the forefront of this.
“We hope that the Colleges of Agriculture and Polytechnics will process these curricula and follow it up,” he said.
Obi said the association was also raising awareness on participatory guarantee scheme for organic agriculture.
“We plead with those that want to implement this to register as members of the association so that we can work together to achieve this”, he said.
Also speaking, NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by Dr. Rufai Ibrahim, said the board had come up with a curriculum.
Bugaje said that the institutions have been granted approvals to commence the implementation.
He assured that the board hopes to see to it that the Higher Diploma level commences in a few years, since the curriculum had been tailored toward encouraging the adoption of organic farming.
Dr Umar Abdullahi, Technical Advisor to the Executive Secretary, Agriculture Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), said organic agriculture was a production that sustained the health of the soil, ecosystem and people.
“Organic agriculture relies on the political processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than use of inputs.
“The inputs we are talking about are fertilizers, chemicals; organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science.
“It is a system that relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs,” he said.
Abdullahi said there was the need to take care of the environment by adopting appropriate products in protecting the environment.
“Organic agriculture method will cleanse the soil of forbidding use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides.
“Ecological nature of organic culture is capturing carbon dioxide from the soil thereby improving the environment, conserves energy and save money”, he said.
Mr Gbadamosi Oyewole, Coordinator, EOA initiative, West Africa said organic agriculture was a system which has all the components of ecosystem working together.
This, he said would sustained the health of individuals, communities, soil, plants and animals.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about organic agriculture; some equate it to the use of organic fertilizers.
“When we try to develop organic farming in the country, we have to bring experts from outside the country to manage the farm.
“To work with a farm manager, you have to use expert training to do that. That is our goal,” he said.
Oyewole said that farmers and processors needed training and development to adopt organic practices and improve their productivity. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
The Body of Benchers (BoB) will not fail in its duty to apply the Rules and enforce discipline no matter the status, position or rank of any legal practitioner involved.
The Body of Benchers is a statutory Body established by the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962 (as amended), Cap. L11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Section 3 of the Act stipulates that the Body of Benchers is the Legal Body of Practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession, which shall be responsible for the formal call to the Bar of persons seeking to become legal practitioners as well as disciplining of erring lawyers.
Chairman of the BoB, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, made this known in his key-note address at the ongoing 2024 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch (Unity Bar) on Thursday in Abuja.
The law week is with theme: `Developing the Law to Attain National Stability and Development’.
He noted that corruption has reached alarming proportions in the legal profession and that the practice permits both the Inner and the Outer Bars.
“It is commonly believed that my colleagues of the Inner Bar perpetrate and involve themselves in unwholesome practices with impunity.
“I have challenged those I read and knew their authors on social media and I am waiting for proof on any of these allegations.
“There is need for all of us to be conversant with the Rules of Professional Conduct at the Bar published in 2023 and that are fundamental provisions that are a complete departure from all the previous Rules.
Awomolo, said that attainment of national stability and development can only be happen when the proper and the right instrumentality of the law is enacted, faithfully implemented, obeyed and enforced.
He noted that the law was only meaningful when it addresses the common goal of government of the people, by the people and for the people.
He said that Nigeria has remained stagnated, poorly governed, and underdeveloped because of a deficit in the quality of governance by the people we elected into political offices, and those appointed into public offices.
“The country’s problems include a dysfunctional socio-political structure, entrenched corruption, and an unproductive economy hence there is a dispute over whether Nigeria is a failed State.
“The late Fela Kuti’s words in his popular song “Suffering and Smiling” perfectly capture the Nigerian experience, highlighting the fact that problems persist, and continue to evolve in various forms.
“The country’s problems are not solved, but rather persisted.
“This has led to huge economic loss, massive brain drain and high loss of majority of Nigerian’s vibrant, intellectual and active youth in what is called the ‘Japa’ Syndrome.
“The effect of this unfortunate demographic loss in human resources manifest mostly in professional and technical sectors and industries because of the unemployment of educated and skilled youths’’.
Also speaking, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Chris Uche said Nigerians had lost hope in the legal profession.
Uche, who was the Chairman of the event said the lecture would afford his learned brothers the opportunity to have a rethink and help the society.
“People have lost hope in this our profession, so we want to see how our gathering today will help to give us hope as lawyers.
“It has always been said that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, but in recent times in this country that has become very debatable.
“This is an opportunity as practitioners to see how we can use the law to help the society, to help the country and also to help ourselves,’’ he added.
He, therefore, urged participants to be in the right frame of mind, have the right spirit to consume and to receive and to impact positively on the society.
Mr Afam Okeke, the Chairman of the Unity Branch in his address of welcome said the annual event was part of providing a platform to celebrate the vital role of lawyers in our society.
“It’s a time to reflect on our achievements, and contributions to the national discourse, and address challenges on our way to greater impact.
“The theme `Developing the Law to Attain National Stability and Development’ affords us the opportunity to evaluate our roles in upholding the rule of law and its impact on our society.
“Through this theme, we will once more be reminded of our shared commitment to justice, fairness, and the protection of fundamental rights’’. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says Nigeria requires about 312,000 metric tons of seed towards achieving food security, food sufficiency and global security in 2024.
Kyari said this at a High-Level Stakeholders’ Forum on Seed System Development, organised by Feed-the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, on Tuesday in Abuja.
The minister was represented by Dr Haruna Suleman, the Director, National Food and Strategic Reserve.
The theme of the forum is, “ Enhancing Seed Systems Development for Improved Food Security: A Paradigm of USAID Interventions in Northeast Nigeria’’.
Kyari said the ministry had outlined series of critical pathways to solve the food security challenges in Nigeria.
He explained that the pathways were streamlined into short, medium and long term for a period of four years, which includes the immediate production of 31 million metric tons of grain in 2024.
According to him, for success to be achieved, factors to be addressed are the seed availability, affordability and adaptability, paying particular attention to food security.
“Major crops that are most concerned are rice, maize, wheat, sorghum and cowpea in 2024.
“We require about 312,000 metric tons of seed which is to enable us to achieve the required metric tons.”
The minister said the Federal Government had developed programmes to support farmers with high quality seeds for rice, wheat, maize, cassava and other inputs at a subsidised rate.
He said the Nigerian seeds development required partnership and synergy among all key stakeholders that would facilitate a model of collaboration built on knowledge sharing, skill exchange, expertise, competitiveness and mutual benefit.
“Of great interest is the new science, technology and innovation (STI) developed by USAID Feed-the Future Nigeria Integrated Agricultural Activities (NIAA) implemented by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
“It is a community based enterprises model that is not only localised but adaptable to the climatic and specific conditions of communities and above all against the traditional approach of demand driven which have not been effective.
“The NIAA model is market driven and on need based riding on cohesive cooperative system to create the needed ownership and stewardship to protect enterprises.
“This model developed and promoted by IITA and NIAA was piloted in the northeast of Nigeria in the states of Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe.
“Building an ecosystem and end-to-end market driven seed network through the community based system to produce seed to a network linked farmers group aggregated within the community with the local governments.
“This by extensions makes the availability and adaptable and specific resilience seeds to the ecology of the locations concerned,’’ he said.
Mr Prakash Silwal, Chief of Party/Principal Specialist, IITA, said that USAID had in the last five years, funded IITA and their partners to work in the northeast, to address the food insecurity.
Silwal said the forum was organised to share some of the successes so far recorded especially with a focus on seed system development.
According to him, it is the IITA’s contribution to addressing food security in the northeast, adding that the actors that made it happened would be awarded.
He said that 150 community based seed enterprises contributed to making farming possible to nearly half a million farmers or half a million hectares of land in the region.
“About 3 million dollar worth of additional food may be provided in those areas.
“As we are winding up our programmes, we are also here to share some of those knowledge that we have developed, as to what varieties of crop, legumes and cereals, will be very good in those areas,’’ he said.
Mr Bassey Archibong , Market Systems and Livelihood Specialist, Feed the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, IITA, said the beginning of food security anywhere was seeds.
Archibong said the programme was aimed at ensuring that farmers had the right kind of seeds that must be affordable and accessible within the localities where food crops were being produced.
Malam Yakubu Gombi, leader of Gombi Community Based Seed Producers from Adamawa, thanked IITA for its support, saying they had been empowered to become entrepreneurs.
He said the organisation had trained him and his group in different fields of agriculture with requisite skills in the last five years. (NAN) (www,nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
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