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Why Lagos might choose to buy tomatoes from southern Africa – rather than 90km away

December 2nd, 2016 / How we made it in Africa

In Lagos, it can be cheaper to source tomatoes from countries in southern Africa than from 90km outside of the city, according to Omri van Zyl, CEO of AgriSA. Why? Because infrastructural inefficiencies in markets like Nigeria raise the costs of both production and getting produce to market.
This is just …

Federal agency to introduce GM rice, beans, sorghum

December 1st, 2016 / Punch, Nigeria

The first set of genetically modified crops approved by the Federal Government is to be released in the country in two years, the National Biotechnology Development Agency has said.
The Director-General, NABDA, Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, disclosed this at a special session of the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology held at the …

Biotech: how bias fuels anti-GMO controversies

November 29th, 2016 / Leadership, Nigeria

Speaking at a sensitisation seminar on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and agricultural biotechnology for staff of the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology yesterday in Abuja, the director-general of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, identified bias as a major sponsor of anti-GMO controversy in Nigeria, noting with …

Nigeria poised to become Africa’s GMO superpower

November 21st, 2016 / Genetic Literacy Project, US

The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) declared this week that genetically-modified foods are safe for consumption. The NAS, citing overwhelming evidence from developed countries and thousands of studies, said the country was ready for the products and that they were safe for production and beneficial to the nation.
The academy noted …

NASS pledges support for biosafety agency

November 18th, 2016 / Trace Reporter, Nigeria

B4FA Fellow Abdallah el-Kurebe reports: Towards achieving her mandate, the Senate Committee on Environment has pledged its support for the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
A statement issued by the Agency’s Head of Press, ‎Ovuakporie Efe‎ on Thursday disclosed that the Senate Committee’s Co-Chairman, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi made the assurance during …

How accessible, affordable seeds could boost African food production

November 15th, 2016 / News Diary, Nigeria

From B4FA Fellow, Abdallah el-Kurebe: Generally, seeds play important role in agriculture and food security. It is the primary pride of farmers, followed by fertilisers. This explains why government and other stakeholders should ensure timely seeds accessibility to ‎farmers.
If smallholder farmers’ access to modern seed varieties ‎is improved, we could …

Nigerian farmers benefit from new millet and sorghum initiative

October 18th, 2016 / Trace Reporter, Nigeria

The Phase II of Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity and Enhancement (HOPE)‎, an initiative intended to help farmers of millet and sorghum in Nigeria, is being implemented with new seeds varieties provided farmers in four states in the country.
One of the farmers who spoke with Newsdiaryonline, Tukur Ibrahim explained that the …

Food production – how Nigeria plans to encourage farmers

October 13th, 2016 / New Times, Nigeria

To encourage farmers to produce more and ensure food sufficiency for Nigeria, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday that government would implement a buy back scheme to guarantee minimum price for agricultural products.
The scheme, Mr. Osinbajo explained, would involve government buying up agricultural products by farmers and storing them …

How climate change Is fuelling a food crisis in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria

October 3rd, 2016 / National Geographic, US

The frontline of global warming is on farms. But the story is about much more than hunger.
The village of Nowcaca is nestled in the verdant hills of northwestern Mozambique, some 600 miles north of the coastal capital Maputo. A footpath winds through a sea of shoulder-high grasses, leading from a …

Federal Government begins enforcement on GMO rice

September 23rd, 2016 / Today, Nigeria

The Federal Government has begun visiting research institutes that conduct field trials on genetically modified rice. The move, according to officials, was to ensure strict compliance with extant laws. See …