In this interview with Chamba Simeh, the Kaduna state Commissioner for Agriculture, Hajia Halima Lawal, talks about the threats to food security due to the banditry on farming communities in the state, the impact of Covid-19 on farming and the efforts of the government in tackling these challenges. Before we go into the issue of food security, can you share Read More
The Director-General, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr. Vincent Isegbe, in this interview with JOHN OBA, said despite the Covid-19, pandemic, Nigeria still finds ways to export agricultural produce. The pandemic has changed a lot in our present world and I am sure you already have your work cut out, how are you coping? I don’t think anybody will say, Read More
The Director General, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr. Vincent Isegbe, in this interview with JOHN OBA, said despite the COVID-19, pandemic and its attendant restriction the country was still able to export its agricultural produce. How has your agency been coping with the COVID-19 pandemic? I don’t think anybody will say he is having the best of times during Read More
As part of efforts to reduce the post-harvest losses that result from poor storage facilities, MSMEClinics as part of the Shared Facilities Initiative has commissioned a 200,000 yam capacity storage facility in Zaki Biam, Benue state. The facility which was commissioned recently according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during the virtual commissioning this will greatly reduce the post-harvest losses that Read More
The World Food Programme (WFP) has stressed the need for more than $182 million to sustain life saving aid to the North-east over the next six months. WEF in a statement by the Nigeria communication officer, Kelechi Onyemaobi on Friday, WFP senior spokesperson, Elisabeth Byrs, in reference to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, said: “We are concerned by conflict-affected communities in Read More
Stakeholders in the Freshwater and Marine ecosystems have called for the creation of Freshwater and Marine Protected Areas in Nigeria, the Congo Basin and in the Gulf of Guinea. The experts in a two-day virtual convergence/webinar conference reviewed the threats to aquatic ecosystems in the region and examined ways of monitoring and protecting them. Participants at the conference which includes Read More
The federal government has approved the sum of N13 billion intervention fund for pest control in Nigeria. The intervention fund is to ensure uninterrupted agricultural activities during the 2020 farming season. This will also control trans-boundary pests and minimize the impact of the COVID – 19 Pandemic as well as guarantee both nutritional and national food security. A statement signed Read More
As Nigeria joined the world to mark the 2020 Accreditation Day, (#WAD2020), the Nigeria National Accreditation System, (NiNAS) has called for an urgent implementation of Nigeria Quality Policy which will drive and enforce accreditation across the country. The NiNAS Director General and Chief Executive, Mr. Celestine Okanya, in a statement on Wednesday said the theme of this year’s event, ‘’Accreditation: Read More
It is an undisputable fact that food security and environmental pollution are intertwined. As the world marks the World Environment Day, JOHN OBA, writes on the need to draw a balance between food security, biodiversity and the environment. Food security is said to exist when all humans, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious Read More
The federal government Thursday announced a US$1.2 billion agricultural programme to span over a period of five to 10 years. The initiative codenamed ‘The Green Imperative,’ will import the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) parts of about 5,000 tractors and numerous implements (for local assembly) annually for a period of 10 years.” Cumulatively, the initiative, expected to attract US$10 million, would Read More
Kwara state Commissioner of Police and Chairman Joint Techmical Task Team (JTTT) on COVID-19 setup to ease challenges of movement of food items and Agricultural imputes, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has directed security agencies manning border communities across the state to allow unhindered passage of food items and agricultural produce amidst travels restriction. Speaking with journalists during a sensitisation visit to Read More
The Joint Technical Task Team on Emergency Response on Covid-19 has again assured that farmers are free to move their agricultural inputs, foods and livestock across all parts of Kaduna state without any hindrance.The committee was established by the federal government to ensure food security during Covid-19 by tackling challenges of movement of food and agricultural inputs during the pandemic. State chairman of Read More
Entrances leading into the Federal College of Agriculture Ishiagu (FECAI) Ebonyi state were Monday locked by unions in the institution in a peaceful protest over allegations of embezzlement leveled against three staffers of the institution. The unions under the aegis of the Joint Union Action (JAC) locked the institution’s entrance gates, administrative office, the provost lodge as the protesters numbering Read More
Nigerian smallholder farmers have been the backbone of food production, yet this set of farmers despite all government efforts have not been able to access credit from the commercial banks, JOHN OBA, writes. Lack of capital Nigeria has over 40 million smallholder farmers and also that over 90% of these farmers can’t access loan facilities from the commercial banks, yet agricultural credit Read More
The Traditional Ruler of Gom Mama in Nasarawa state, Alhaji Mustapha Zubairu, has urged farmers and herders to always embrace dialogue as a means of settling conflict to boost food security in the country. Zubairu made the call in a report by Agronature Nigeria news during an interview in Lafia, Nasarawa state. He said remains a vital requirement to develop Read More
Kaduna state has put measures in place to check any act of fertiliser diversion that could lead to it being re-sold above the official price of N5,000 per bag, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Hajiya Halima Lawal, has assured. Speaking in a press statement issued on Saturday, the Commissioner said despite these measures, there were reports of some individuals buying up fertilisers Read More
President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday called on Nigerian farmers to embark on massive agriculture activities this farming season to ensure food sufficiency in the country.Speaking after after observing this year’s Eid-El-Fitr prayer with his close family members and a handful of presidential aides at the State House in Abuja, the president said engaging in massive agriculture activities was necessary because Nigeria Read More
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state Tuesday, flagged-off sales of 930 metric tons (18,600 bags) of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer for the year 2020 cropping season.While distributing the fertilizer at the government Lafia, the state capital, Sule said the fertilizer would be sold to farmers at subsidized rate of N5000 only per bag.He cautioned individuals and groups against purchasing the commodity and selling Read More
One of the sectors, the world is trusting to solve the COVID-19 pandemic is agriculture and food production, yet this sector will not be able to rescue the world without quality seeds. Worst still, the measures taken to solve the problem of COVID 19 – lockdown seems to be doing much damage to the seeds sector, JOHN OBA reports. The Nigeria Read More
As community transmission of the Coronavirus continue to rises and lockdown measures are eased in the country, WaterAid Nigeria has warned that clean water, decent sanitation facilities and good hygiene practices form the crucial bedrock of public health and without them, Nigeria cannot hope to end the coronavirus pandemic or avert future disease outbreaks. This is even as it calls on Read More
Stakeholders’ belief that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should play major role in the federal government economic diversification seems to be receiving attention, as its Director-General, Brigadier General, Shuaibu Ibrahim brought life back to the scheme’s farms. JOHN OBA reports. The current state of the world oil sector, arising from coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown has once again shown that the federal Read More
ActionAids Nigeria and other members of civil society and non-government agricultural stakeholders, has expressed concern regarding recent efforts of the federal and state governments to strengthen the economy following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.Whioe appreciating the federal government’s guidelines for the movement of agricultural produce to curtail food shortages and ensure effective 2020 crop production, the coalition of Read More
The President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc Kabir Ibrahim, has called for synergy among stakeholders in the country for food production during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.Ibrahim in a message to commemorate the May 1, workers’ days, said “this year’s workers’ day happens in the middle of a global pandemic threatening the life and livelihood of everyone.”According Read More
The new management of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has revealed its readiness to explore external funding option to develop research in the sector.The Executive Secretary, Prof. Garba Sharubutu, in his vision and strategies statement, recently said the new management will explore the possibility of grants available from donor agencies and write proposals for funding. He added that Read More
Since the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have overshadow the problem of herders/farmers clash, insomuch that they now constitute serious threat farmers in the federal capital territory, JOHN OBA reports. If there is any challenge threatening the livelihood of farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is the deliberate destruction of farmlands of any farmers that dare to. This has left Read More
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