Category: Northern Reports

The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) says it is open to suggestions towards improved services to senior citizens.

The Centre also assured of Nigeria to moving up on the Global AgeWatch index as one of the best countries to grow old in within the next ten years given the enhancement of institution capacity through policy and legislation by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Director General of the Centre, Dr. Emem Omokaro, said these while addressing the Coalition of the Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN) during its 1st General Assembly in Abuja.

She said NSCC has briefed the Minster of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development on the necessity for the registration of older persons and issuance of identity cards to enhance dignity and access to age friendly services, concession and subsidies in the use of public facilities.

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The Director General represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Musa Bungudu, said the matter of conducting national multi-indicator survey and building of data system on older persons is in the pipeline with the National Bureau of Statistics.

She said technical support has been secured on conducting needs assessments towards the development of culture-sensitive models of multi-functional senior centres and complexes within communities in collaboration with stakeholders.

Dr. Omokaro said as an agency of government, the National Senior Citizens Centre, recognizes the contributions of multi-sector stakeholders and welcomes sustainable partnership on the basis of mutual respect, purposeful processes and positive communications.

She assured that the Centre is deploying multi-sector partnerships across states and local government areas as it seeks to use already existing systems and mechanisms and to initiate new ones for senior citizen’s accessibility to services.

She commended COSROPIN for its interventions to strengthen the protection of rights of older persons in Nigeria.

She recognized their efforts to build alliance in pursuit of the rights of older persons as well as appreciated the resilience of its members who have been in the trenches for long.

She said NSCC desires for Senior Citizens Ownership of the National Senior Citizens Centre hence the first outing with the Senior Citizens Maiden Dialogue which came out with an inclusive communique.

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commenced the development of a new Integrated Farm Estate in Agbeyangi Community in Kwara State with a target of engaging over 2000 in crop farming and livestock.

The Nation learnt the farm estate which is located on a 100 hectares of land in the community is expected to be completed before February 2022.

Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne while addressing the community said the farm would be known for the production of three major crops to include yam, cassava and maize, while the livestock sector would be grass cutters, rabbits and goats rearing, processing, and packaging.

Ikonne added that the farm estate will also have an irrigation system that would provide all year round farming for women and youth.

“We will have all year round production and we will produce enough first for the community to have enough to eat, then it goes out to the state and to other states as the benefits are beyond the community.

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“The desire of President Muhammadu Buhari is to ensure that our youths are engaged and attracted into agricultural business. Everything that is needed to start this farm is available”, he said.

The executive secretary, while explaining that the project is not for political reasons, but a drive towards achieving food security, said the farm estate has nothing to do with RUGA.

He said: “If we have this in every community, Nigeria will be on auto drive to achieving food security, it has nothing to do with ruga and it is purely community based for employment and wealth creation.

He however urged every community to key into the project.

“The project is not supposed to be used for politics or to distract people from getting involved, rather am encouraging every community to key into it.

He further said the presence of the Farm Estate in the community would develop, create jobs for the people, increase their incomes through agriculture, and increase the GDP.

Responding on behalf of the community, Mr Mohammed Abdulkadir said the 100 hectares of land donated to NALDA by Agbeyangi alcommunity would eradicate poverty, unemployment, food insufficiency, disease and insecurity from the community.

Abdulkadir said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed to activate the implementation process of the project by NALDA.

He said the land provided for the project is a plain terrain with rich soil and with potential to access surface and subterranean water supply to galvanize all forms of agricultural practices slated for the achievement of the project’s development objective.

“This community promises its cooperation with the government through the NALDA in areas of providing protection for the plant and equipment to be installed to ensure its success”, he said.

The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has trained and commissioned 15 licenced seeds Inspectors for Cassava in Kogi State.

The Director General of NASC, Dr. Philip Olusegun Ojo, while addressing the Inspectors during the refresher training supported by Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation in Lokoja, Kogi State, urged them to discharge their responsibilities diligently and must not be found compromising seed quality.

Ojo, who was represented by the director, Seeds Certification and Quality Control, Dr. Ishiak Othman Khalid, said the three-day refresher training is a re-assurance of BASIC’s commitment to constant capacity building for LSIs and deep interest in the third party seed certification appraisal system to ensure the system is at par with international best practices.

He assured that once the Council’s world class Grow-Out-Test site in the headquarters is completed, samples of cassava stems certified by LSIs will be subjected to control testing and results will be compared with LSIs field inspection reports to assess their field inspection activities.

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“Let me commend the financier of the BASICS project, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for its vision to develop a sustainable and commercial model for cassava seed systems in Nigeria which will enable our smallholder farmers have un-hindered access to high quality planting materials to enhance farm-level productivity

“I also want to commend you for participating in this scheme even though the system is still in its early years and with teething challenges, your contribution since inception is noteworthy as it has added great value to the quality component of the BASICS II project.

“You have proven to be a true partner in progress. I also want to commend your mentor, Mr. Soji Odusanya for sparing time to take you all through three (3) months rigorous internship process.

We have been working closely with your supervising institution, the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) and feedbacks from them indicated some knowledge gaps and hence need for refresher training.

“So today, we will be retraining you on cassava varietal identification, cassava seed certification systems, new methods in seed certification, usage of cassava seed tracker, data collection and reporting etc. to further deepen your knowledge on cassava seed system. I want you to engage the resource persons and ask questions where necessary.

“I have been informed that the number of applications for Commercial Seed Entrepreneurs in Kogi State is on the rise and this means you might be having added responsibilities. Please, be free in sharing your field experience and challenges with us to help us in identifying possible way to perfect the system.

“Let me also inform you that we have inaugurated additional LSIs in Abia and Oyo states to strengthen cassava seed quality assurances in these high cassava producing states and the NASC is poised to expand this scheme beyond cassava into other grain crops. This shows the high level of commitment of the government in development of the scheme,” he said.

He further informed the inspectors that the guideline for authorizing private certification agents in Nigeria has been forwarded to other stakeholders within the seed industry and that once the document is finally ratified by the governing board of NASC, it will be made available to stakeholders and it will serve as your guide as it relates to third party seed system which also includes the private laboratories.

“After this refresher training, there are still a lot of to be learnt on cassava seed certification systems and I want to appeal to you all to continue to leverage on the knowledge of your mentor for knowledge update and more guidance.

“I want to once again appreciate the strong support from our collaborating partner, Catholic Relief Service, the IITA, most especially the quality assurance component team lead, Dr. Lava Kumar for his intellectual leadership skills to ensure that quality assurance is delivered at the utmost level under the project.

“Furthermore, I wish to reiterate the NASC resolve and commitment to strengthening private seed certification system in Nigeria,” he said.

As part of efforts to enhance agricultural extension and advisory services for farmers in Kogi State, the World Bank Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project in the state has facilitated the provision of 20 motorcycles, ICT equipment and other facilities to the state Agricultural Development Project (ADP)

Kogi State Deputy Governor and chairman of the State Steering Committee for APPEALS project in the state, Edward Onoja, commended the Project for strengthening the ability of the extension officers to carry out their job functions which he said will boost the agricultural productivity of farmers in the state.

Onoja underscored the importance of extension officers as an information brain box for farmers.

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While commending the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for his continued support towards the successful implementation of the APPEALS project in the state, he said due to the transformational works Kogi APPEALS is carrying out in the state agricultural sector, it will be ranked as the best in the country.

In his remark, Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief David Apeh appealed to the extension officers to use the motorcycles for what it was intended for.

While noting that the support by APPEALS Project is a good omen to the agric sector, he said the Project is a success story in the state and wished other states will emulate it.

The APPEALS state project coordinator, Dr Sanni Abdullahi Ozomata noted that the extension advisory services being rendered to the supported farmers by the ADP extension officers has necessitated the provision of these motorcycles and ICT facilities to aid the extension agents in performing their duties.

He said the APPEALS Project is a collaborative project that partners with other relevant institutions to transform the agricultural sector of the state.

He said APPEALS Project will not derail from its commitment of enhancing the agricultural productivity of farmers and improving their livelihood in the state.

Ozomata appreciated the Deputy Governor for the roles he has played to support the implementation of the APPEALS project in the state.

The Managing Director of Kogi ADP, Mallam Bello Ogirima appreciated the APPEALS project for the support it has rendered to the ADP since it began operations in 2018 and said that the support will no doubt enhance the productivity of farmers in the state.