Agriculture

By Lanre Omotosho

A lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, Ekiti State University, Professor Oluwayemisi Arowosoge has called for synergy between agriculture and water resources ministries to curb the food crisis this year.

Professor Arowosoge who gave the advice in Ado Ekiti while speaking with Radio Nigeria, noted that climate change last year led to low food productivity, hence the need for stakeholders to assist farmers in the area of irrigation.

The university lecturer also called for adequate protection of farmers against the destruction of plantation farms by cattle, kidnappings as well as honeybee pollination of crops.

She advocated adequate farm inputs such as fertilizers, chemicals and improved seeds for the real farmers from the government and warned farmers against diversion of such inputs.

 Professor Arowosoge emphasized the need to add value to perishable crops through processing and storage.

President Bola Tinubu had in December declared that the vision of his administration was to position Nigeria as a leading agricultural export nation by the year 2025.

Represented by the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, at a forum in Abuja, the President stressed that Project “Earn from the Soil” would transform subsistence farming into robust, export-driven economic opportunities, thereby revolutionising the country’s agricultural landscape and ensuring National Food Security.

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Agriculture

By Bimbola Bamgbose 

The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has expressed the state’s readiness to partner with Brazilian food giant, José Sobrinho, with over seven decades of experience.

Sobrinho is the world’s largest producer of animal protein and the second-largest food company globally. The company specializes in processing beef, pork, lamb, and chicken, as well as producing convenience and value-added foods.

Governor Abiodun announced during a meeting at his Oke-Mosan office in Abeokuta with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, Aisha Rimi, and Sobrinho officials, including Fabio Maia, Director of International Operations, and Osorio Dal Bello, Head of Poultry and Swine.

He affirmed Ogun State’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for global companies like JBS, adding that the state’s strategic location and infrastructure make it the ideal partner for such ventures. “Sobrinho cannot find a better state in Nigeria to partner with,” Governor Abiodun said, emphasizing that Ogun State offers a dedicated livestock production zone and leads the country in agro-processing development.

The governor highlighted Ogun’s status as one of six agro-processing zones established by the Federal Government and noted that the state slaughters between 10,000 and 15,000 cattle daily to meet the protein demands of neighbouring Lagos State, with many of these cattle sourced locally.

Governor Abiodun also revealed plans for a ten-million-dollar partnership with a Moroccan firm focused on palm oil by-products and announced the imminent launch of a timber processing zone. Additionally, the state recently established its inland port to facilitate manufacturing and accelerate industrial growth.

Speaking during the visit, Fabio Maia lauded Ogun State’s business-friendly environment, citing the rapid industrial growth along the Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway. Maia disclosed JBS’s plans to invest two point five billion dollars in Nigeria, which includes building three chicken processing plants, two cattle plants, and one swine plant.

Aisha Rimi, the NIPC Managing Director, highlighted the visit as a follow-up to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent trip to Brazil, where a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed with Sobrinho to enhance livestock production. She noted that the Sobrinho team is currently conducting feasibility studies and project development plans in Nigeria.

The collaboration underscores Ogun State’s growing reputation as a hub for agro-industrial investment and sets the stage for significant economic growth in the state’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

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Agriculture

By Kazeem Ayodeji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has announced his administration’s plan to establish Renewed Hope farm settlements as part of efforts to revitalize agriculture and ensure food security in the state.

Governor Oyebanji made this known in Ado Ekiti while presenting over one hundred million Naira in cheques to the first batch of young farmers who are participating in the “Bring Back Our Youth to Agriculture” programme, an initiative, which is in collaboration between the state government and a private firm. 

The Governor revealed that the construction of the farm settlements would commence in January next year, with six settlements planned across various farm clusters in the state, adding that the settlements are named “Renewed Hope” as an honour to President Bola Tinubu’s support for agricultural projects in Ekiti.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Governor Oyebanji noted that the cheques represented the returns on their investments in the programme and encouraged the young farmers to reinvest their earnings wisely to achieve greater yields in the coming harvest season. 

In their remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade and the CEO of the private agricultural firm who financed the young farmers, Mrs Oluwayemisi Joluwe, said the government is aiming to be the largest producer of maize, cassava and tomatoes in the country with a call for more youths to participate in the programme. 

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Economy

By Fasilat Lawal

Ibadan was the scene of protests today over the high cost of living in the country.

The peaceful protest which took place at Mokola-Roundabout, Sango and UI saw the protesters carrying placards to express their grievances over the harsh economy.

Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘End fuel hike’, People are suffering’, ‘End constant kidnapping’, Reduce the cost of governance, Save the masses from poverty and hardship and poverty’.

Security personnel in their numbers were seen on the ground to maintain law and order.

Radio Nigeria correspondent reports that the peaceful protest was seen causing gridlock for motorists plying the affected routes.

In an interview with one of the organizers of the protest, who is also a social advocate, Mr Solomon Eniola, he said the protest was a collective effort of aggrieved Nigerians on the need for the government to cushion the unbearable hardship being faced by the masses.

Mr Eniola maintained that Nigerians were not benefiting optimally from basic amenities which are the primary responsibilities of any government to its citizens, hence the need for a peaceful protest to hold the government accountable, especially over the hike in prices of foodstuffs and other services.

Also, another protester, Miss Queen Mobalaji who said the peaceful protest was to press home their demands for the government to address the issues of insecurity and Corruption that are bedevilling the country thereby causing poverty and hunger, appealed to the government to ameliorate the suffering of the people.

Speaking, a cleric who joined the protest,  Pastor Paul Steve advised the government to encourage food importation if that would be the solution to addressing the persistent hunger among the majority of Nigerians.

Pastor Paul noted that the number of farmers in the country could no longer feed a population of over 200 hundred million due to insecurity and inaccessibility to farmlands.

Two of the protesters, Mr Folorunsho Abolade and Mr Ibukun Oluwa Ilesanmi lamented that they decided to voice out to let the government know what they faced as they could not provide meals for their immediate family as prices of food items and other goods kept increasing incessantly.

They, however, appealed to the government to quickly address their demands to save people from dying of hunger.

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Economy

By Funmi Ojo

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke is set to inaugurate a committee on food security in response to the increasing economic hardship facing residents of the state.

In a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed the committee to comprise representatives of civil society groups, youth organizations, farmers’ associations, security agencies, religious groups, market associations and relevant commissioners will be headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Dr. Bashiru Salami.

The Committee is to work on farm security for food production, expand farming activities through state incentives, track foodstuff marketing and pricing, review operations of ongoing palliatives measures with a view for improvement if any and recommend immediate actions to further relieve the suffering of the populace.

Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke has reiterated his commitment to the welfare and well-being of the people under this national economic emergency.

The Governor who made the remarks while hosting the association of Osun indigenes residents in Bayelsa state said his administration has daily been introducing one measure or another to cushion the effect of the current crisis.

“Our government is built mainly on the welfare of the people. We just launched the distribution of cash grants to almost 20,000 very poor segments of our population. Another 60,000 is being enrolled for ATM cards.

“I have directed the Commissioner for Transport to ensure efficient working of the Imole Bus Service. Before new buses arrive, we must make judicious use of the refurbished buses to ply key routes where the services are needed.

“Our administration is ramping up efforts to deepen the state economy. I have directed the Commissioner for Power to expedite action on the Osun State Electricity bill.

Governor Adeleke maintained that the government is pumping millions of naira into the grassroots through hundreds of community associations, to build health centres, boreholes, and school rehabilitation in order to boost the local economy.

“ We are rebuilding our roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and water works to make the economy work, to expand economic activities and attract investors. The multi-billion naira infra plan is ongoing.

While commending the Bayelsa state government for the developmental projects in the state, Governor Adeleke appealed for support for Osun through collaborations.

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Economy

By Abdullah Bello

The Federal Government says it is strategising to arrest the high cost of food items in the country.

After the first meeting of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said succour would soon be felt.

He explained that the meeting discussed the opening of the strategic food silos across the country, saying however that the modalities of releasing their contents to the public will be laid out in their subsequent meetings.

“Government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through; therefore government is taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief, in terms of the availability of food on the table. Some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities around the country, very soon a solution is in sight for Nigerians”, he stressed.

He said the government had begun discussions with major local millers and commodity traders to get information on what they have in stock, adding that such will provide insight into the appropriate level of intervention needed.

Alhaji Mohammed Idris emphasised that the government’s intervention was extremely necessary to thwart the bad intentions of those wanting to take advantage of the situation to make matters worse.

“What the government is noticing is that there’s still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially, the depreciation in the value of our currency, which has led to the cost of these food items also going up. What I will tell Nigerians is that the President has directed that government needs to stem this tide. Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering”, the Minister said.

The Minister of Information said the government would make a definite pronouncement on the outcome of the ongoing deliberations on the current food crisis being experienced.


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Agriculture

By Olusegun Folarin

The Federal Government has empowered another batch of sixty cassava growers in Ogun State as part of efforts to strengthen food production in the country. 

In a message to the empowerment programme held in Abeokuta, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed government’s determination to sustain the implementation of programmes that would enhance the capacity of farmers.

Senator Kyari represented by an officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Isah Mohammed, said farmers who had earlier been trained were supported with the needed farm inputs, including fertilizers and insecticides to increase cassava production.

He appealed to the beneficiaries to use the inputs judiciously and complement the efforts of the federal government in addressing food insecurity in the country.

Also, The Ogun State Coordinator, Federal ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Oluwatoyin Ajayi, gave the assurance that the empowerment programme would be a continuous exercise among farmers in the country, until the target of food sufficiency was achieved.

In a remark, the Acting Programme Manager, Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme, OGADEP, Mrs Solape Awe, represented by Mr Femi Akinniyi appreciated the Federal Government for the gesture and applauded the state government for supporting all efforts aimed at boosting farmers’ productivity. 

Some of the beneficiaries including Mr Oke James thanked the Federal Government, and urged relevant authorities to sustain the intervention towards improving cassava production in the country.

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Agriculture

By Olaolu Fawole

16th of October every year is set aside to commemorate World Food Day. It is an International day marking the creation of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945, with a view to ending hunger and food security .

The theme “Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind” for 2023 World Food Day showcases the importance of water in food production and, also, in ensuring the well-being of children.  It is worthy to note that growing nutritious crops and raising healthy livestock,  require clean water, while access to safe drinking water is equally important for children’s health and growth.

Water is essential to life and it makes up over 50% of our bodies and covers about  71% of the Earth’s surface while agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals and water is a driving force for people, economies and nature and the foundation of our food.

Certainly, nutritious food is related to the well-being of children and adequate water resources are essential for agriculture, therefore water is necessary for irrigation, which helps farmers grow a variety of crops, including fruits, vegetables, and grains. These crops will promote growth and development of children. Parents should also know that shortage of clean water can lead to malnutrition as waterborne diseases can compromise children’s abilities to absorb nutrients from the food they consume, they must therefore ensure safe water sources for children.

In food processing and preparation, safe water is essential, and it is duty of parents and guardians that the food children consume is free from contaminants and safe for their health.

Also, access to safe drinking water is fundamental to maintaining children’s overall health, therefore, staying properly hydrated is necessary for their well-being and can help prevent seizures, urinary tract infections, kidney stones and even kidney failure, which are some dehydration-related illnesses.

Provision of clean water sources and adhere to proper sanitation and hygiene practices, can significantly reduce cases of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, human enteritis, and cryptosporidiosis among children who are vulnerable to the diseases.

We should also note that children must have a consistent supply of clean water for their daily needs and agriculture, which contributes to long-term food security, therefore, we should manage water resources. In addition, access to adequate water for agriculture can reduce the need for child labour in many parts of the world. Agriculture has the highest number of child labourers globally and when there are functional water sources for irrigation, this can check child labour and children can attend schools regularly to achieve their dreams.

There should be more educative and enlightenment programmes for children on sustainable water management and agricultural practices.

The theme for the 2023 World Food Day points out the need for collective responsibilities in providing clean water, nutritious food, and education to children, and highlights the importance of sustainability and equity in managing water resources to ensure that no child is left behind in their access to these fundamental necessities.

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Agriculture

By Lanre Omotoso

Lack of adequate food production in Ekiti State has been attributed to kidnapping, destruction of farms by suspected herders, paucity of funds and inadequate storage facilities.

Two farmers, Chief Gabriel Kolawole and Mrs Bukola Bamidele made the observations in an interview with Radio Nigeria reporter on this year’s World Food Day in Ado Ekiti.

Chief Kolawole said he was still indebted to the tune of Two million Naira, paid as a ransom to secure the release of one of his farm workers.

He called on the government to engage the services of local vigilante in security matters, because of their familiarity with the terrain of their environment.

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Similarly, another farmer, Mrs Bamidele recounted how she lost about ten hectares of cassava plantation to herders, and lamented that the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation had failed to compensate farmers.

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The respondents emphasized that if urgent steps were not quickly taken to stem the tide of insecurity, many farmers would abandon their farmlands which would result in hunger, malnutrition and famine across the country.

They also called for an enabling environment for the establishment of cottage industries that would further process and store excess produce to avoid wastage of farm produce.

Both respondents decried the inability of farmers to determine the price of their produce and stressed that prices of inputs such as chemicals, fertilizer, cutlasses and hoes have skyrocketed.

They equally emphasized the need for Governors in the Southwest states to give irrigation support to farmers as practised in the Northern parts of the country, which helped them to achieve all-year-round farming.

Since 1979, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has designated October 16 as World Food Day, and the theme for this year is “Water is life, water is food.

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Agriculture

By Oluwatoyin Adegoke

The Ogun State Committee on Food and Nutrition, SCFN, has intensified plans to strengthen the coordination and implementation of programmes to tackle food and nutrition challenges in the state. 

At a quarterly stakeholders meeting of the Committee in Abeokuta, representatives of various agencies of government were unanimous in their submission that priority should be given to the efforts to improve the state’s nutritional indices. 

Chairman of the Committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mrs Olufunmilayo Dada, advised the stakeholders to strive towards attaining maximum coverage in food and nutrition interventions for the targeted vulnerable groups. 

Earlier, the Committee’s Secretary, Mr Olugbenga Idowu had listed the vulnerable groups to include children under 5 years of age,the adolescents, women of reproductive age and the elderly. 

Also, the representative of UNICEF, Mrs Florence Molokwu encouraged the key players to leave no stone unturned in boosting the nutritional status of the people of the state, noting that, adequate nutrition would promote healthy living enable the people to be more productive. 

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Health

Fasting is the abstinence from food or drink or both for health, religious, or ethical purposes. The abstinence may be complete or partial, lengthy, short or even intermittent.
Fasting has been promoted and practiced worldwide by physicians, founders and followers of many religions.
One of the greatest joys for someone who fasts is when the time for breaking of fast, arrives.
During fasting, human body loses liquids, which is why one needs healthy drink after or during breaking of a fast to avoid dehydration, which could cause undesirable side effects such as constipation, headache, dizziness, tiredness and dry skin.

Hence, it is now our responsibility to provide our body with its right to nutritious food and restore its energy.
60 –70% of your body is made of water and any reduction in your water intake can affect your body cells and nerves from functioning properly.

Online Editor, Adebukola Aluko in this question and answer session with a physician, Dr. Olaide Oladipupo, throws more light on healthy food intake during fasting.

Q: What does fasting do to the overall health and wellness of individuals?

A:Fasting is not of bad consequence to overall health awareness of individual, particularly if it is not the type of fasting that is too prolonged. Fasting could actually be an advantage because you can use it to control weight,

Q:What percentage of energy does the body loose during fasting?

A:The percentage of energy the body looses during fasting depends on the duration of fast and also the activities done at that time, so it is difficult to say this is the percentage of energy loss, in actual fact, fasting can be used to control weight.
During fasting, some people can actually gain more weight if care is not taken and it may not have much effect in times of weight gained or weight loss on some individuals. Don’t forget that what is even more evident during fasting is dehydration. Imagine somebody that is fasting and still walking inside the sun, such person will be unnecessarily dehydrated if he or she does not take fluid.

Q: What type of food is essential to break a fast, how should the faithful break fast considering the fact that liquids and solids are available?

A:When you want to break a fast, it is advisable to take a lot of fluids, vegetables and fruits because you have been deprived of fluids. You also need food that will supply calorie, protein and natural fat.
Again, when you are trying to break your fast, you do not need heavy food, simply take food moderately and avoid fried foods, take food rich in carbohydrates, protein, water, minerals, fruits and vegetables,

Q: What are the effects of fizzy drinks or cold water on the body
A: Fizzy drinks are not acceptable generally, whether during a fast or not, But frankly speaking, there is nothing bad in taking cold water. There is a general belief that you are not supposed to take cold water. Basically, there is no difference whether you take cold water or water with room temperature, however, it is not good to take hot water as the most important thing to consider in fasting is dehydration as well as deprivation of fluid.

The issue of dehydration is more pronounced during fasting particularly depending on the hours of fasting and the nature of weather during fasting.

Q:What level of activities can people get involved in during fasting?
A:Some fasting goes beyond some certain hours, unlike in Nigeria now, Muslim fast will be around 14 hours. In some countries like Canada, fasts last for about 18 hours. But don’t forget the temperature over there is more friendly. Any fast that is so prolonged, lasting close to 24 hours or more is detrimental to ones health.

Also don’t forget there is auto regulatory system in the body. When you are deprived of fluid, the quantity of urine that you produce will be less, but you may not have much control on the fluid loss through breathing or sweating when you are exposed to hot environment. That is why anybody that is fasting is advised to avoid exposing himself to exhaustion or sun that can dehydrate him.

In summary, fasting if properly monitored, could actually be of good effect on the body.
Recommendation
Drink at least eight glasses of water every day. If you are exercising and you are outdoors in hot weather, you lose more fluids. So make sure you drink more water.

Avoid hot and spicy dishes as it increases thirst

Do not add too much salt to salads and other dishes.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables because they are rich in water and fibre. They stay in the intestines for a long time and reduce thirst,

Drink fresh fruit juices rather than sweetened juices

Drinking iced water to break your fast does not replenish your thirst but can cause your blood vessels to contract and cause indigestion. For this reason, it is recommended you drink water at room temperature or slightly cold.
Eat right today,” remember you are what you eat”

Economy

Osun State Executive Council has approved the start-off of the State’s Food Support Scheme.

This was part of the decisions reached at the end of the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday.

Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting Monday night, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor,  Mr. Ismail Omipidan,  noted that the scheme, which runs from March this year till November next year, will be targeting  30, 000 poor and the vulnerable citizens across the State in the first instance. 

Mr. Omipidan said for effective administration, the scheme will target persons with special needs and disabilities in all LGAs; the poor and the vulnerable in churches will be reached through the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; the needy and the poor in the Muslim community will be reached through Osun Muslim Community; the vulnerable among artisans through their associations; the needy among other ethnic groups in the State through their leaderships; the traditional worshipers through their association and traders through Iyalojas and Babalojas. 

The Chief Press Secretary further revealed that in line with Governor Oyetola’s policy of promoting small, micro and medium businesses in the State to boost local economy, all food items will be sourced locally, adding that the programme will commence this March. 

In a related development, the State Executive Council has also approved the allocation of farm lands to youths genuinely interested in Agriculture. 

The programme was in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture with clearing of  10, 000 acres of land for youth engagement. 

Wasiu Ajadosu