Presentation of Coconut seedlings to eight communities in the Lagos Free Zone by Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic in collaboration with Lagos State Coconut Development Authority (LASCODA), on Friday in Lagos.

By Ibukun Emiola

The Ogun State Government in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA), Ibadan and the World Bank have inaugurated an information system targeted at farmers and value-chain actors for the economic growth of the state. 

The system tagged ‘Ogun State Farmers Information Management System’ (OGFIMS) was inaugurated at the state Ministry of Agriculture, Abeokuta on Thursday.

The Ogun Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina appreciated the partners for the project, which he described as key to actualising the agricultural transformation agenda of the state.

He said: “This project is key, without which we will not be able to achieve the agenda of the state in agriculture. This is germane to adding value to our roadmap especially as it is directed toward smallholder farmers.

“We are interested in supporting the smallholder farmers, we are also interested in food security and nutrition, job creation, as well as agricultural industrial processes.”

Odedina stated that having strategic cooperations with the private sector and local as well as international agencies were key components to supporting agriculture in the state. 

He said the focus would always be on agriculture and the edge for Ogun State would be value chain coordination and working with partners, hence the importance of the system launched.

In his presentation, the representative of IITA and Project Lead, OGFIMS, Dr Lava Kumar, said it was not just important to have a system but to make sure that the system was functioning and serving its purpose.

He said: “This is a very important tool that is going to be an enabler for the Ogun State transformation agenda because it is going to digitalise the value chains and make integration much easier.

“When you integrate you already know who is present and where instead of actually going to be looking for them. 

“One of the major challenges for trade, businesses and even for export is not knowing where the production is happening, not knowing who is processing, not knowing where I can sell my products.

“So, with this registration now people can just use their mobile phones to identify the market for products and buyers. Likewise, those who are aggregating for export can easily identify where producers are.”

Kumar further said sustainability had been built into the project hence its integration into the ministry and training was given to staffers of the ministry to manage the system locally.

Also, the Ogun Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Olaolu Olabintan, said the project was key to the economic transformation of the state. 

“For so long we have been doing agriculture at a level where we remain poor. And so whatever that we can do to unleash that potential is what we are interested in because we cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and then expect a different result,” Olubitan said.

He enjoined handlers of the project to maximise the project to achieve the desired objectives and goals and also to update the system as the need arises.

In his address, the World Bank representative, Dr Abel Lufafa said “today’s farming has evolved as the modules of production have changed making it knowledge-intensive, especially as rain patterns have changed too.”

Lufafa said managing information as to rainfall patterns, available products and markets was now important to the future of agriculture and also for the government in terms of making policies and implementation. 

“The value I see in this information management system is that it bridges the information gaps between what farmers need and what the extension system or the private sector is providing. 

“I think this is the right thing to do and it is timely because it coincided with the agenda of the governor in agriculture and the transformation of the state,” Lufafa said. 

He stressed the quality of data, in making sure that the information that goes into the system is valid, up-to-date and useful to the farmers. 

Others who spoke at the event were Senior Special Assistant to Ogun Governor on Agriculture, Dr Angel Adelaja-Kuye; Dr Oluseyi Olugbire, Project Manager, Ogun State, Economic Transformation Program (OGSTEP); and Dr Mosum Owo-Odunsi, Project Coordinator commended IITA, World Bank and other partners for the project. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OGFIMS featured a digital interface with a dynamic dashboard, farmers database, interactive map, e-learning and e-shop among others. (NAN)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Stakeholders at IFAD’s Country Strategic Opportunities Programme(COSOP) Design Regional Technical Consultations Workshop for 2024-2029, held on Monday in Asaba, Delta pix by NAN

Members of the Committee on Critiquing and Production of training manuals for Nomadic Youth on Skills acquisition and sustainable livelihoods.

By Ahmed Ubandoma

The Federal Government has expressed its commitment to partner with the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) to empower and strengthen the capacity of nomads in the country.

Dr. Sani Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Afftairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said this in a statement by the Information Officer of the Ministry, Mrs Rhoda Iliya, in Abuja.

Gwarzo was speaking during submission of concept note by NCNE for Critiquing and Production of training manuals for Nomadic Youth on Skills acquisition and sustainable livelihoods.

He underscored the need for the Commission to partner with the relevant agencies towards building the capacity of nomads through education, training and empowerment in various skills.

” We both have a lot to do in terms of training and empowerment of nomads,” he said.

The permanent secretary urged the executives of NCNE to use its radio services to intensify campaign towards reorientation of nomadic communities against any act of indiscipline.

Gwarzo also urged the commission to use their existing radio service to create awareness by airing the programmes of the Humanitarian Ministry.

In his response, the Executive Secretary of NCNE, Prof. Bashir Usman, said the commission had widened its scope to accommodate new realities occasioned by the devastating impact of climate change.

Usman said, the commission was initially established 1989 with the mandate to cater for the education of nomads, pastoralists, migrants and fish farmers.

He, however, said there was changes in their mode of operation due to the impact of climate change and insecurity which necessitated a review of the commission’s establishment act.

The NCNE boss also said, the review was necessary to respond to the emerging issues affecting the nomads in the country.

According to him, three different new Skill Acquisition Centres were established in addition to extra-moral classes for the educational advancement of the nomads.

He, therefore, seek to partner with the ministry to support the humanitarian needs of the nomads in Nigeria(NAN)(www.nannews.ng).

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Gami Tadanyigbe

The Director, Heinrich Boll Foundation Nigeria, Mr Jochen Luckscheiter, has urged farmers to exercise caution when administering pesticides to crops for healthy living and to help save the environment.

Luckscheiter made the call at a Two-Day Engagement Workshop of Social Media Influencers/Journalists on the Nigeria Pesticide Atlas at agro forestry Project farm in Kwali, FCT.

The director said the essence of the workshop was to increase public awareness on the impact of high use of toxic pesticides by farmers in the agricultural sector.

He said pesticides were designed to prevent yield losses in farming system, but it also gives rise to new problems on health and soil degradation which was harmful to ecosystem.

“The idea is to reduce the use of pesticides and farm more relying on organic input as the use of pesticides over the years in Nigeria has not necessarily increased productivity.

“You can increase crop productivity without using pesticides and artificial fertiliser.

“There is lots of knowledge out there that doesn’t rely on artificial input to increase productivity,” he said.

According to him, a significant number of pesticides are no longer authorised or are banned in the European Union (EU) due to their harmful effects on health and the ecosystem.

However, he cautioned farmers on the safe use of pesticides, stressing that it was highly dangerous to health, though it was aimed at empowering workers on farm production while in active service.

The Executive Director, Chen Education and Development Empowerment (CEDE), Anaele Cynthia, said there was the need to enlighten Nigerians on the dangerous effect of hazardous pesticides imported into the country.

Cynthia said the toxic chemical contents in pesticides had increased from four to 40 per cent with adverse effects on the soil and environment.

According to her, there is the need to enact stiffer laws to prohibit use of toxic and hazardous pesticides by farmers to ensure healthy living and safer farming system in the country.

She stressed the need for the government and stakeholders to be concerned about the health of farmers, saying, “pesticides may cause acute and variety of adverse health effects.”

She said that the workshop was aimed at sensitising participants on the need to draw the public’s attention to toxic pesticides and what could be done to regulate pesticides and alternative usage.

The Chief Executive/Chief Farmer, Be The Help Foundation Agro forestry Project, Mr Samuel Robert-Kwasari, said there was the need to stop the use of pesticides and revert to the traditional system of farming.

Robert-Kwasari said as farmers struggle to fight the pests, it has emerged that some pesticides are not effective, while other crops suffer adverse effects and soil degradation on the farm.

He said that agriculturalists were also being asked not to spray during a high wind as the chemicals might blow on the person carrying out the spraying. (NAN)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Isaac Aregbesola

By Stephen Adeleye

A socio-cultural group, Ibaji Unity Forum (IUF), has distributed nine tonnes of certified rice seeds to 1,800 victims of the 2022 flood disaster in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi.

Speaking at the occasion on Friday in Ibaji, National President of IUF, Mr Stephen Uchola, said the gesture was in fulfilment of the forum’s mandate of alleviating the sufferings of the farmers, occasioned by the 2022 flood distaster.

Uchola, who was represented by the IUF Public Relations Officer, Mr Orjoh Mathias, said that the items would be distributed to 1,800 Ibaji indigenes.

He said that the nine tonnes (9000kg) of Faro 44 rice seeds, with three months maturity, was worth N8.1 million.

According to him, the initiative is part of IUF’s post-flood relief programmes, aimed at cushioning the effects of the flood disaster that ravaged and submerged the entire council area last year.

Uchola said that the effects flooding was devastating, adding , however, that not much had been done by governments at all levels to help the citizens.

“In spite all the efforts to showcase the prevalent effects of this natural disaster to the world, government has left the citizens of Ibaji to their fate.

“IUF, in its own wisdom and as part of its aims and objectives, cried out to the public for assistance and the result is what people are witnessing today,” Uchola said.

He appreciated the donors for their faith in IUF and for committing their resources to the course of alleviating the sufferings of Ibaji citizens.

The forum’s president enjoined all Ibaji sons and daughters to join the forum, saying, ”there is strength in unity.”

He also urged the beneficiaries to effectively utilise the rice seeds for maximum yields, for their own benefits and those of their families, the state and the country at large.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustee (BoT) of IUF, Mr David Ameh, thanked the God and the donors for the gesture.

Represented by Mr Simon Achimugwu, a BoT member, Ameh noted that IUF remained an apolitical group and as such, whatever it was giving out should not be attributed to any political party.

Responding, one of beneficiaries from Onedega ward, Mrs Grace Ameh, a widow, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked the forum for its intervention to alleviating their sufferings.

She noted that the 2022 flood had affected them so much that to even feed their families had become a problem, thus making them more vulnerable.

”No matter how little this rice seeds could be, it means a lot to us because we believe that this will later translate into something big before the end of this year,” she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi and ‘Wale Sadeeq

By Aminu Garko

HarvestPlus Nigeria, an agric development project, has introduced two improved millet varieties to accelerate cereal crop production in the country.

The Country Director, HarvestPlus Nigeria, Dr Yusuf Dollah said this at the investiture of the improved seeds on Thursday in Kano.

He said the seeds had been developed in collaboration with the International Crop Research Institute (ICRISAT) and Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) to champion food transformation initiative in Africa.

Dollah said the seeds tagged: Jirano and Chakti were the pioneer pearl millet varieties released in Africa.

“The first biofortified varieties initiative build on scaling efforts in India, where the number of farming households growing iron pearl millet jumped 395 per cent since 2021.

“HarvestPlus developed and promote biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals thereby providing leadership on biofortification evidence and technology.

According to him, climate votality in northern Nigeria has led to decreased crop yields and nutrients in some of the staples, adding that increased food prices and heightened food insecurity worsened cases of malnutrition.

“Smallholder farmers are also looking for opportunities to bridge production yield gap brought about by climate stress through improved agricultural technologies like nutrient enriched seeds,” he said.

He said the new millet varieties would improve nutrition for millions of farming households providing up to 80 per cent of daily iron needs when eating regularly.

Earlier, the Country Representative, LCRI, Prof. Baba Gana-Jugudum, expressed optimism that the varieties would add value to end users.

He said the institute would soon released more seed varieties to enhance specific food system transformation. (NAN)www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali