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Great Green Wall: ambitious plan to beat back the Sahara

September 14th, 2016 / AfkInsider.com

Eleven African countries are making headway in their ambitious pan-African effort to plant trees along the edge of the Sahara desert, the world largest, and beat back its spread into more arable land southwards.
The plan dubbed the ‘Great Green Wall’ seeks to counter the spread of Sahara Desert in Africa …

Nigeria: IITA trains 60 extension service providers over Cassava farming

September 1st, 2016 / 20read.com

B4FA Fellow Kate Obande reports: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on Tuesday said it had trained 60 extension service and spray providers in tackling weeds, especially in cassava farming. The training covers areas such as the Safe Use of Herbicides, Herbicides Safety and Application, Gender, Effective Meeting, Group …

Biotechnology and food security in Nigeria

August 19th, 2016 / Punch, Nigeria

Over 70 per cent of the poor in developing countries, including Nigeria, depend on agriculture – farming small plots of land about the size of a football field for income and livelihoods. As a result, food and nutrition security is unlikely to be achieved with subsistence farming and without considerable …

Nigeria: do we need GM cotton?

August 18th, 2016 / Punch, Nigeria

B4FA Fellow, Alex Abutu writes: Activities have commenced in the country that would cumulate in the production of the first set of Genetically Modified cotton also known as Bt cotton in 2019.
The decision to deploy the technology in spite of the long age controversy that has dogged it was taken …

“Genetically modified foods do not cause cancer”

August 8th, 2016 / The Nation, Nigeria

The National Biotechnology Management Agency (NBMA) is an organisation of the Federal Government positioned to regulate and ensure safe use of biotechnology in the country. Since its inauguration, it has faced lots of controversies concerning Nigeria’s readiness for such new technology. In this interview with Olugbenga Adanikin, the NBMA Director-General, …

Ghana: Seven WACCI students graduate with PhDs in plant breeding

July 25th, 2016 / Ghana News Agency

The fight against food insecurity and malnutrition received a boost as seven students, from six African countries – Ghana,Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya and Niger graduated with PhDs in plant breeding from WACCI at the University of Ghana. Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, Director of WACCI, said the Centre was optimistic …

Harvestplus flays report on GMO vitamin A cassava & maize

July 22nd, 2016 / This Day, Nigeria

HarvestPlus Nigeria has dismissed as “false and misleading” reports that vitamin A enriched cassava and maize are developed from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), saying not only are the claims erroneous but couched to distract Nigerians from the target of consuming more nutritious staples. HarvestPlus is an international research-based institution developing …

Tambuwal Seeks Partnership With Bill Gates on Agriculture

July 19th, 2016 / NewsDiary Online, Nigeria

B4FA Fellow Abdallah el-Kurebe reports: Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state has sought for partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the development of agriculture in the state. “I want to inform you that the potential inherent in agric sector in Sokoto is enormous. We seek partnership with …

Nigeria NBMA: ‘GMO maize to be Ready after 5-year safety trial’

July 1st, 2016 / AllAfrica.com

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has said that the Genetically Modified (GMO) maize recently approved to Monsanto Agriculture Nigeria Limited may not be in the market for another five years. The five-year window period, according to the agency, is to ensure that the product meet all safety standards and …

This is Rotimi Williams, the 35-year-old entrepreneur who owns Nigeria’s 2nd largest rice farm

June 29th, 2016 / Bella Naija, Nigeria

“I had the opportunity to travel around a few African countries. These trips exposed me to countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Ghana. A common thread amongst the aforementioned nations is agriculture. Agriculture is at the very core of these countries and this got me thinking.” Read …