23.2 C
Lagos
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Home Blog Page 1755

CSOs back cattle colonies, say they will end herdsmen/farmers clashes

0

The Network of Nigeria Civil Society Organisations said on Thursday, January 18, 2018 that it was in support of the Federal Government’s move to establish cattle colonies across the country.

New Zealand cattle
A herd of cattle

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Network is a coalition of civil society groups.

Mr Slendour Agbonkpolor, the Director-General of the organisation, told newsmen in Abuja that he was disturbed over recent attacks on the Federal Government over its proposal to establish cattle colonies in the country.

According to the Federal Government, the proposed establishment of colonies will put an end to the herdsmen/farmers clashes in Nigeria.

Agbonkpolor said that the need to modernise cattle rearing had become more pressing, following perennial and persistent clashes across the nation.

He urged Nigerians to look beyond the ethnic, religious and politicisation of the issue and embrace it as it would benefit Nigeria.

“Nigeria will gain a lot from these cattle colonies because it will lead to more milk, more meat and the fact that Nigeria alone can feed the world with the protein demands.

“This can also create more than six million jobs for Nigerian youths.

“The organisation decided to chart the way forward with a nationwide forum that will reach out to all the wards across the 774 local government areas.

“This is to bring together stakeholders to discuss the economic benefits that abound in the cattle colonies initiative,” he said.

Agbonkpolor said that state to state town hall meetings would also be adopted by the organisation to sensitise the citizenry on the benefits of  cattle colonies and provoke deliberations and risk management opinions.

He said that the group would also establish orientation centres designed to train volunteers and equip them for massive sensitisation.

According to him, the group is a collaborative platform for all stakeholders aimed at fostering institutional mechanisms and concerted efforts that will deliver on strategic programmes .

Also speaking, Mr Dominic Ogakwu, the group’s Public Relations Officer, urged Nigerians to support the government’s cattle colonies initiative to curb incessant herdsmen attacks.

Ogakwu said that it was not every government initiative that should be politicised, adding that Nigerians should not bring religion or ethnicity into  the cattle colonies.

“We are tired of the crisis and if the cattle colonies will mark an end to herdsmen attacks, then I think we need to embrace it.

“This is because we are tired of the killings across the nation, so we are supporting the colonies at least it will stop the crisis,” he said.

By Angela Atabo

 

Kano to spend N500m as counterpart funding for erosion project

0

The Kano State Government said it would spend N500 million in 2018 as counterpart funding for the World Bank’s Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) in the state.

Ali Makoda
Dr. Ali Makoda, Kano State Commissioner of Environment

The World Bank project is aimed at controlling gully erosion in Nigeria.

The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ali Makoda, made this known at the opening of a five-day in-house procurement meeting in Kano, the state capital, on Thursday, January 18, 2018.

The commissioner said that significant progress was recorded in the project in 2017 and that more advancement was expected in 2018.

According to him, nine areas have been sampled for the inauguration of the project.

He said that five of the nine projects would be pioneered for watershed management and four would be sampled for erosion control in some Local Government Areas in the state.

The National Coordinator of the project, Alhaji Dahiru Salisu, said that the state government had shown commendable commitment to the inauguration of the project in the state.

He said that the state was amongst those that would benefit from the additional funding from the World Bank in view of the progress made in project implementation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representatives of the 12 states benefitting from NEWMAP were in Kano for a five-day procurement clinic to review activities for the past year.

The 12 states are Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Borno, Delta, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Oyo and Sokoto.

The Federal Government is expected to contribute 60 per cent to the fund, while the states are to provide the 40 per cent balance of the funding.

Other sources of funding include a concessional loan from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Trust Fund and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) grants of $8.59 million.

The procurement meeting which began on Thursday is expected to last until Monday, January 22.

By Aisha Ahmed

Osinbajo inaugurates AfDB country office, hails $6b portfolio

0

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday, January 18, 2018 inaugurated the Country Office of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and hailed the bank’s $6 billion portfolio in Nigeria which he said enhanced job creation.

AfDB building Abuja
AfDB building in Abuja

Osinbajo said he was particularly delighted that the bank was working closely with the administration in addressing the challenges caused the people emerging from insurgency in the North East and militancy in the Niger Delta.

According to him, the bank’s portfolio was spread across 73 projects across the country.

“The bank’s inclusive basic delivery and livelihood empowerment integrated programme aimed at addressing the challenges in the North East in particular is commendable.

“The project will support youth, women and IDPs who have returned to their communities.

“An estimated population of more than 10 million affected people are expected to directly benefit from this project.

“More specifically, I thank the President and Board of the AFDB for their support to Nigeria at a very difficult time, during the 2015/2016 economic recession.

“When we requested support from the bank, the response was swift; the Bank approved the budget support loan of $1billion in Nov. 2016.

“The first tranche of $600 million has been fully disbursed and utilised and in my discussions with the President of the bank we will be getting the remainder in form of sector loans.

“So we are looking forward to the remaining $400 million.’’

According to the Vice President, the approval by AfDB sent a much needed positive signal to the markets at a critical time for Nigeria and the country will remain grateful.

Osinbajo said that as the people celebrated the inauguration of the banks world class edifice he would reiterate the commitment of the Buhari administration to the bank’s strategy in Nigeria.

It is the first time the bank has built a building outside it’s head offices structure in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

He said the strategy fully aligned with the country’s economic and growth plan of 2018 to 2020.

The Vice President congratulated the management, board of AfDB and their staff members for making the completion of the office a reality.

He said that the building was an important symbol of the special relationship between the bank and Nigeria, its founding member and its largest shareholder since inception.

He said that, since 1971, the Nigeria country office had served as the convening point between the bank, federal government, state governments and the private sector, adding that Nigeria had been instrumental to AfDB’s growth.

“As a major shareholder, a donor and a borrower at the same time we have through the years shared the bank’s  vision and objectives,’’ he stated.

Osinbajo recalled that since its founding in 1964, the AfDB had evolved as one of the most efficient vehicles for the economic development and integration of the continent.

He observed that it had faithfully played its role as a trusted adviser and an honest broker in the region and had earned its place as Africa’s voice on development issues.

“As the continent’s premier financial institution, it is at the centre of Africa’s transformation to bring real and lasting progress to the lives of African people.

“While Africa has made significant strides in economic growth and in poverty reduction, much remains to be done.

“The goal is clear: to eradicate poverty, create more inclusive social economic development and integrate the continent.

“To do this the continent needs to promote growth that creates jobs and provides economic opportunities for all.’’
Osinbajo recalled that when the bank’s President , Akinwumi Adesina, assumed office, he introduced the “High-Fives” by investing more in infrastructure as agriculture, water, power, education and healthcare and increased access to affordable energy.

The Vice President commended the AfDB for its efforts to close the gender gaps, empower women and youth and also to strengthen and expand social safety nets for the vulnerable populations.

He gave the assurance that, with its large population, the country would continue to play active role in the bank’s efforts in regional integration and the entire continent.

He said the country would be strong and committed partner which it already demonstrated by supporting the establishment of the $500 million Nigeria trust fund in 1976.

According to him, the trust fund had helped to transform the economies and improved the standards of millions of people in other African countries.

By Donald Ugwu

19 tomato growers associations in Katsina get farm implements

0

The FADAMA III Additional Financing (AFII) Programme on Thursday, January 18, 2018 distributed farm implements to 19 tomato growers associations in Sandamu Local Government Area of Katsina State so as to boost their productivity.

Tomato farming
Tomato farming

Alhaji Bashir Zango, the State FADAMA Project Coordinator, who distributed the implements to the beneficiaries in Ruma district, said that the programme was sponsored by the state government, in collaboration with the farmers’ association.

He said that the implements included 57 water pumping machines, 1,900 water generating pipes and 57 insecticide sprayers, adding that 60 bags of fertiliser were also distributed.

He said that a total of 190 tomato growers would benefit from the gesture, adding that the farmers from 19 associations were carefully selected for the programme.

“Each farmer will receive three bags of fertilisers – one bag of urea and two NPK fertilisers.

“We will drill 57 tube wells for the farmers and each association will get three tube wells.

“We urge the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the items, as we will strictly monitor the programme implementation.

“We plan to expand the scope of the programme to accommodate more associations,’’ Zango said.

In his remarks, Alhaji Usman Ahmed, Director of Agriculture, Sandamu Local Government Council, represented by Mr Sada Rawayau, Head, Local Government Administration, commended the state government for the programme.

He said that the programme would provide employment opportunities for the youth, while alleviating poverty in the society in general.

“The programme will boost food security in the area, as tomato will be produced in commercial quantities.

“The market is ready and tomato sales will not be a problem for the farmers,’’ Rawayau added.

5,253 rural farmers benefit from FADAMA intervention in Anambra

0

The Project Coordinator of FADAMA in Anambra State, Mr Chucks Egbueh, says 5, 253 farmers benefitted from the various interventions of the FADAMA III project in 2017.

rice-farming
Rice farming

Egbueh, at a parley with newsmen in Awka, the state capital, on Thursday, January 18, 2018  said that 4,000 of the beneficiaries were rice farmers, while the rest were into cassava production.

The FADAMA project coordinator said that the farmers were empowered in the areas of book keeping, training on land preparation, distribution of inputs like certified seedlings, cuttings, fertilisers and farming kits.

“FADAMA III Additional Financing project in Anambra was largely successful in 2017.

“During the year, we were able to empower about 5, 253 rural farmers in Anambra, we gave them training and expertise.

‘’We also gave them inputs like certified seeds, fertilisers and chemicals at 50 per cent subsidy.

‘‘We also gave them farming safety kits like rain boots, gloves, kits, glove and other related items at 80 per cent subsidy,” he said.

The project coordinator said that 239 youths were trained under its Graduate Unemployed Youths Scheme and qualified for take-off in February.

He said that the project embarked on 11 farm roads totalling 45 kilometres and five major irrigation projects in the state.

Egbueh said that the irrigation projects had reached 60 per cent completion stage, assuring that both infrastructure works would be delivered by the end of February.

He described the attitude of farmers to migrating from the traditional ways of farming to modern methods as positive and encouraging.

Egbueh said that the change was encouraged with the juicy incentive that was part of the empowerment packages of FADAMA.

By Chimezie Anaso

20-year-old herdsman in court in Benue over alleged open grazing

0

The Police on Thursday, January 18, 2018 arraigned a 20-year-old cattle header, Ibrahim Yau, at a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court for alleged criminal conspiracy and open grazing.

Open grazing
Open grazing

The prosecutor, Abdulkarim Abubakar, told the court that the defendant was arrested by two members of Benue Vigilance Group, Nyor Stephen and Adi Titus, in Makurdi on January 10, 2018.

He alleged that the duo, on intelligence report that some Fulani herdsmen were openly grazing their livestock at Welfare Quarters, New Otukpo Road, Makurdi, rushed to the area.

He said that they met the defendant and two others, who fled the scene.

“The accused later identified his colleagues as Musa Mohammed and Adamu Jibril, who were openly rearing and grazing over 55 cows, along Welfare Quarters, New Otukpo Road,” he told the court.

He said that the defendant was arrested, while the others were still at large.

The defendant of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Mr Emmanuel Azembe, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety in like sum who must be the Chief Imam of Central Mosque in Makurdi.

Azembe adjourned the case until Feb. 20, for hearing.

By Dorathy Aninge

Protected areas threatened by overexploitation, human activity – Study

0

Protected areas across the world are most threatened by unsustainable resource use and human disturbance, a new study has found.

CIFOR
Hunting instruments seized by forest guards in the village of Pona in the Tumba-Lediima Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo credit: Ollivier Girard/CIFOR

The authors of this paper, published this week in Conservation Letters, looked at data from nearly 2,000 terrestrial protected areas to identify the most common threats they face. Unsustainable hunting and negative impacts from recreational activities were the most commonly reported threats by protected area managers, occurring in 61% and 55% of all protected areas considered in the study.

There were distinct geographical differences in where these threats occur between developing and developed countries. Protected areas also reported higher risk from threats if they were in countries that suffered from corruption and had a lower Human Development Index (HDI) score.

Threats from overexploitation, in particular hunting, were most prevalent in developing countries, where local communities in and around protected areas depend on hunting and resource collection for their livelihoods.

“Wildmeat hunting has provided an important source of food and income for local communities for millennia. However, in many areas hunting levels are now unsustainable, negatively impacting biodiversity and the rural communities which depend on it,” remarked Lauren Coad, one of the authors of the paper and a Research Associate at CIFOR. This has been a result of increasing human populations, demand from urban centres and improved access to once remote areas, Coad pointed out.

According to Coad, potential solutions may include reducing the demand for wildmeat in cities, where it is not generally an essential component of diets; the provision of alternatives to wildmeat in provincial towns, such as domestic chicken and other livestock; and the sustainable management of wildmeat use and trade in rural areas. “Around protected areas, it will often involve collaborative co-management of wildlife resources between local communities and protected area managers.”

In developed countries, threats were more likely from human disturbance through recreational activities, such as off-road vehicle access, cross-country skiing, mountain biking or hiking. These geographically distinct threats highlight the need for different solutions on the ground, including ensuring sustainable livelihoods for local communities and better management of visitor activities in protected areas.

 

Assessing threats at eye level

The paper highlights that the most serious threats to protected areas are difficult to monitor using remote sensing techniques, such as satellite images, and reinforces the importance of collecting information from managers of protected areas and other experts.

Neil Burgess, an author of the paper and Head of the Science Programme at the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), highlighted the importance of monitoring biodiversity on the ground.

“While advances in technology have led to important steps forward in our knowledge of the human impacts on global biodiversity, such as forest loss or changes in the extent of sea ice, it cannot replace the experience of managers of protected areas and local communities, who have in-depth knowledge of local threats to biodiversity and how these can be managed,” Burgess explained. “We need to make sure that this knowledge and experience is collated and used alongside more easily accessible data such as satellite imagery.”

New Zealand increases testing for cattle disease spread

0

A testing and tracing regime for the bacterial infection Mycoplasma bovis, found in New Zealand’s cattle, has been increased, officials said.

New Zealand cattle
Bacterial infection, Mycoplasma bovis, has been found in New Zealand’s cattle

New Zealand would provide a clearer indication of its spread and potential actions for eradication by the end of February.

Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister, Damien O’Connor, said on Thursday, January 18, 2018 that the National Mycoplasma bovis milk surveillance programme would test three samples of milk from every dairy farm starting on Feb. 1.

Animals moved from properties under Restricted Place notices are being traced, and genome sequencing has been used to work out whether the strain of Mycoplasma bovis is the same across all infected farms.

O’Connor visited farmers caught in the outbreak in Winton of New Zealand’s Southland, after previously visiting affected South Canterbury properties before Christmas.

“I have great sympathy for farmers caught in the outbreak, who face tough decisions to protect their livelihoods,’’ the minister said, adding that Mycoplasma bovis is not a food safety risk, but is a disease that affects animal welfare and production.

Germany commits €150m to combat polio in Nigeria

0

The German government has  committed €150 million to ensure total eradication of polio in Nigeria, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Tiwatope Elias-Fatile, has said.

Geoffrey Onyeama
Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama

Elias-Fatile stated this at a news conference on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 in Abuja.

“The German government and Nigeria have signed three bilateral agreements which are Government Agreement on Technical Cooperation in 2016, Government Agreement on Financial Cooperation in 2016, Financing and Project Agreement on Polio Eradication.

“Notable issues in the agreements were the German Government’s commitment of the sum of €120 million to ensure the total eradication of polio in the country.”

He said it also included the new agreement on polio involvement of financial commitment of €10 million which would be increased to €29.9 million by the German government in line with the agreement.

He added that a delegation from the Japanese Parliament, had visited Nigeria to assess the level of cooperation between Japan and Nigeria, most importantly, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Official Development Assistance(ODA).

He said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, received the delegation in Abuja on behalf of the Federal Government.

“The purpose of the visit by the Japanese delegation, which also met with the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, he said, was to know the extent to  which Japan had achieved successes in the West African Coast with regards to ODA.

“From the meeting, what was clear was that they were really satisfied that Nigeria was benefitting sincerely from it.

“The minister mentioned the issue of infrastructure development, power and manufacturing and they also talked about the need for whatever Japan can do to support Nigeria on job creation and to forge greater partnership with each other,” Elias-Fatile said.

On the economic front, Elias-Fatile said the Minister of Foreign Affairs initiated Economic Diplomacy Initiative for Nigeria.

He said that, following the development, officers of the ministry were currently undergoing training to see how the ministry could key into the initiative.

He added that trainers from Netherlands were facilitated by the Embassy of Netherlands in Nigeria, which is in line with the concept of e-diplomacy.

By Isaac Aregbesola

Sokoto procures 833 trucks of fertiliser for dry season farming

0

The Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Umaru Nagwari, says that government has procured 833 trucks of fertiliser for dry season farming in the state.

Aminu-Tambuwal
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State

Nagwari said while speaking with newsman shortly after defending the ministry’s 2018 budget proposal before the state House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture in Sokoto, the state capital, on Thurday, January 18, 2017.

“The state government is fully committed to ensuring a bumper harvest among farmers across the 23 local government areas of Sokoto State.

“As such, it has expended N3.4 billion to procure 833 trucks of fertiliser for dry season farming. This will be distributed to farmers at subsidised rate,” he said.

According to Nagwari, the present administration in the state has placed agriculture as top priority after education.

“We are confident that Sokoto state farmers in 2018 are going to have bumper harvest, as government has procured the largest number of fertiliser ever in the history of the state.”

He called on farmers in the state to judiciously utilise the gesture to support their living standard and the society at large.

The Committee Chairman, Alhaji Dayyabu Kalmalu (APC- Illela), commended the ministry’s commitment in ensuring the successful implementation of agriculture programmes in the state.

He assured that the state Assembly would continue to support the state government in its bid to develop the state.

By Muhammad Nasir Bello

×