Agriculture
African Food Systems Can Produce $1trn In Value – AfDB
African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has said African food systems have the potential to produce $1 trillion in value over the next seven years.
Addressing the ongoing Eighth Africa Agribusiness and Science Week (AASW) in Durban, South Africa, Adesina said, “Working with development partners from around the world and the AUC, the private sector companies, and global and national agricultural research centers, we developed Food and Agricultural Delivery Compacts for 41 countries”.
According to him, partners to the summit have built on its success, mobilising $72 billion so far, to support the national compacts.
“For that to be achieved, we must strengthen and support the CGIAR with a lot more resources, ensure that it works in and delivers for Africa based on our priorities, and support regional research and development institutions, such as FARA and the sub-regional agricultural research organisations”, he said.
Adesina said Africa has the partnerships and technologies to eradicate hunger. What is needed is action, including robust financing.
“We must pull together the best of science, technology, and innovations to drive a more productive, efficient, and more competitive agricultural system,” Adesina told an audience of stakeholders in agriculture and agribusiness research and innovation in Africa.
AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, said the event could not have come at a better time, as the world is in the midst of a hunger pandemic caused by cascading factors, including COVID-19 and climate change.
She said Africa needs to leverage its potential, including science, and be proactive rather than reactive to shocks.
She urged the continent to take advantage of its youthful population and immense natural capital.
“Let us unlock the potential we have… We should feed Africans and we should feed the world,”, Sacko said.
FARA’s Chairperson, Alioune Fall, spoke about the interlocking relationship between climate change and agricultural production.
“Climate change and its effect on the continent require new ways of doing things in almost all facets of our society”, he said, adding: “Africa’s young farmers would not adopt nature-based approaches unless they are well packaged, affordable and technology-serviced”.
Adesina presented the FARA Leadership Prizes for Advancing Agricultural Science, Technology, and Innovation in Africa to Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Ambassador Sacko; FARA’s Executive Director, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo; Senegal’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Infrastructure, Papa Abdoulaye Seck, and Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah.
The eighth Africa Agribusiness and Science Week, the main continental platform for stakeholders of agriculture and agribusiness research and innovation in Africa, brought together 1,500 stakeholders to take stock of progress on research and innovation, share information, create business alliances, and map out priorities for joint action.
The seventh AASW was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2016.
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) organised the event with the government of South Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
Other partners include the UN’s IFAD and UNIDO as well as the European Commission.
AfDB initiatives to boost African food security include the Feed Africa Summit, held in January, in the Senegalese capital Dakar. It brought together 34 Heads of State and Government.
Agriculture
FG, Ogun Distribute Inputs To 2,400 Farmers
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.
Agriculture
Niger Allocates 10,000 Hectares For Smallholder Farmers
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.
Agriculture
GO-CARES: Gombe Empowers 573,429 Farmers, Entrepreneurs
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”.