Agriculture

New York, Sept. 13, 2023 – President Bola Tinubu has stressed the importance of creating a sustainable environment for investment opportunities in Agriculture to achieve food security in the continent. Tinubu said this at the High-Level Meeting on “Attracting investments in Land Restoration, Food Systems, and Rural Transformation in Africa”. It was organised by the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development Nigeria on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The UN correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reports that …

Abuja, Sept. 15, 2023 – The Federal Government has set up a presidential committee to the reform of the livestock industry and provide long-term solutions farmer-herder clashes in the country. President Tinubu announced the establishment of the committee on Thursday following the submission of a report by the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria. The conference was convened by Abdullahi Ganduje, a former Governor of Kano State and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). // Tinubu said the committee would collaborate with the …

Abidjan, Sept. 12, 2023 – The European Union is concerned top cocoa grower, Ivory Coast, is struggling to implement a sustainability drive needed for its beans to meet new EU standards, five people with knowledge of the process told Reuters. The new EU law, set to come into force around end-2024, aims to crack down on the import of commodities linked to deforestation by requiring companies to prove their goods were not grown on land deforested after 2020. At stake is smooth access to the main market for cocoa produced in …

Lagos, Sept. 12, 2023 – The federal government has launched a five-year national strategic plan to boost potato production in Nigeria from 2023 to 2028. According to Proshare, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the government aims to stimulate economic growth through various agricultural value chain activities. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, China is the world’s leading potato producer, with 94.3 metric tonnes. Egypt is the top producer in Africa, with about 6.9m metric tonnes, ahead of Nigeria, the 7th producer with 1.2m …

Lagos, July 13, 2023 – Twenty states in Nigeria have expressed interest in accessing taking $500 million loan in international financing to create agro-industrial zones in their states. Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank, said this in a speech at the annual BusinessDay CEO Forum in Lagos. He said Nigeria must make agriculture a major wealth-creating sector and financing is key. Adesina said the African Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Islamic Development Bank approved $540 million loan to Nigeria to develop the first …

Abuja, July 13, 2023 – President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria. Dele Alake, the Presidential Spokesman, said that the president made the declaration on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja. Alake said the President was not unmindful of the rising cost of food and its effects on the pocket of citizens. He said that President Tinubu has directed that all matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability as essential livelihood items which should be included within the purview of the …

Abuja, July 12, 2023 -The Federal Government is to boost production of wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and soyabean through the provision of relevant farm inputs. Dr Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting on the implementation of National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket, and Agro Pocket (NAGs -AP). He said the relevant farm inputs are fertilizers, seeds, agro-chemicals, among others, would be provided to small scale farmers for both wet and dry season …