Agriculture
AfDB’s President Receives World Food Prize Award, Oct 19
The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina will lead his bank’s delegation to Iowa State capital of Des Moines in United States of America to attend events at the World Food Prize.
The Communication Officer of AfDB, Mr Emeka Anuforo, said this in a statement in Abuja.
According to him, the Prize is presented every October on or around UN World Food Day, adding that this year’s ceremony will take place from October 16 to October 20 in Iowa State in United States.
Anuforo said that Adesina would be awarded the 2017 World Food Prize on the evening of October 19 tomorrow.
He said that the AfDB president would also deliver the Laureate address at a luncheon on October 20.
Anuforo said that the World Food Prize had become a week-long of events drawing over 1,200 participants from more than 65 countries to address issues related to global food security and nutrition.
He listed the World Food Prize series of events as the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, Iowa Hunger Summit, Laureate Lecture Series and presentation of Dr. Norman Borlaug Award.
He said that the Borlaug Award was for field research and application endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation.
According to him, in June this year, the World Food Prize announced Adesina as the 2017 laureate for his work in improving the availability of seeds, fertiliser and financing for African farmers.
The prize was also awarded to Adeshina for laying the foundation for the youth in Africa to engage in agriculture as a profitable business.
“Under Adesina’s leadership, AfDB is accelerating agricultural development through its feed Africa strategy with planned investment of 24 billion U.S dollars over the next 10 years.
“The prize recognises Adesina’s work over the past two decades with the Rockefeller Foundation at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“On October 18, the AfDB President is speaking at a side event on “Making Farming Cool: Investing in Future African Farmers and Agripreneurs”.
“The event showcases the convergence of agriculture and youth employment.
“The session will draw attention to the role of policy, governance and technology in accelerating sustainable economic growth.
“A number of young African agricultural entrepreneurs supported under the Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth program of the AfDB would be at the event.”
Anuforo said that the AfDB President would address a session on the Transformation of the African Savanah Initiative (TASI) at the event.
According to him, TASI is an AfDB programme to bring additional 1.6 million hectares of land under cultivation to double maize, soya bean and livestock production in eight African countries.
He listed the eight countries as Ghana, Guinea, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Mozambique and Zambia.
Anuforo said that the AfDB President would also join key nutrition actors, private sector representatives, policy makers and thought leaders at a global panel on agriculture and food systems for nutrition plenary session.
He said that the essence of the session was to push for mutual accountability on leadership, governance and investments for nutrition.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
