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  • FAO, Govt launch SURAGGWA project to boost climate resilience across Sahel

    FAO, Govt launch SURAGGWA project to boost climate resilience across Sahel

    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, has launched the Scaling-Up Resilience in Africa’s Great Green Wall Area (SURAGGWA) project, a regional programme designed to combat climate change, restore degraded lands, and improve livelihoods across the Sahel.

    The inception workshop, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, marked the official rollout of the project funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented under the broader African Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative.

    In Nigeria, the project will be jointly implemented by FAO, NAGGW, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project under the Federal Ministry of Environment.

    As Africa’s largest economy and a pivotal member of the Great Green Wall initiative, Nigeria’s successful implementation of SURAGGWA is expected to serve as a model for resilience-building and green growth across the Sahel.

    Speaking at the event, FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Hussein Gadain, described the SURAGGWA project as “a transformative regional initiative that seeks to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the Sahel region, climate change, land degradation, food insecurity, and rural vulnerability.”

    The project will cover 11 Great Green Wall countries, with targeted implementation in eight priority nations such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal.

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    It is expected to benefit about 8.7 million people, including over 3 million direct beneficiaries.

    Nigeria, Gadain said, stands as the largest beneficiary, with more than 1.9 million Nigerians projected to gain from the programme.

    He explained that the SURAGGWA project is structured around three core components to include; landscape restoration for climate resilience, resilient and Low-Emission Value Chains for Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and srengthening National and Regional Great Green Wall Institutions

    “The future of the Sahel lies in the hands of its young people. We must engage and empower them, not only as beneficiaries but as leaders, innovators, and agents of change.”

    Delivering his opening remarks, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s full commitment to the programme, noting that it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises environmental sustainability as a pillar for national prosperity and food security.

    “This inception meeting of the SURAGGWA programme demonstrates the determination of the Nigerian Government to build a greener, safer, and more prosperous Nigeria,” he stated.

    He highlighted four key government priorities: deepening policy and institutional coordination on land restoration and biodiversity; expanding green and climate-smart livelihoods for women and youth; strengthening partnerships and sustainable financing; and ensuring accountability and measurable environmental impact.

    “Through the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria stands ready to lead by example to restore our land, renew our environment, and rebuild the livelihoods of our people,” Lawal affirmed.

    In his goodwill message, Director General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Saleh Abubakar, said the SURAGGWA project represents “a major milestone in our collective effort to achieve landscape restoration and community prosperity.”

    He noted that NAGGW’s partnership with FAO would focus on expanding sustainable land management practices, strengthening climate information systems, and developing NTFP value chains such as gum arabic, shea, honey, and medicinal plants—key sources of income and empowerment for rural women.

    Dr. Abubakar emphasized the importance of community-based nurseries across the 11 target states, which will serve as the foundation for restoration efforts while creating local jobs.

    “Women and youth remain central to restoration, value chain development, and sustainable resource management,” he said. “Their active participation is key to achieving equity and inclusive transformation.”

  • World food prices drop–FAO

    World food prices drop–FAO

    World food prices hovered around their highest level in more than two years in August, as increases in meat, sugar and vegetable oil prices offset cheaper cereals and dairy products, according to the new report by the United Nations’, Food and Agriculture Organisation [FAO].

    According to the FAO Food Price Index, which monitors monthly changes in the international prices of a set of food staples traded internationally, it stood at 130.1 points last August, compared with a revised 130.0 in July. It was 6.9 per cent higher than a year earlier.

    That was the highest since February 2023, but still 18.8 per cent below a peak hit in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Vegetable oil prices rose by 1.4 per cent in August to their highest level in more than three years. Palm, sunflower and rapeseed oils were boosted by Indonesia’s plans to increase its biodiesel blending mandate next year. In contrast, soy oil fell on expectations of ample supplies in the marketing year ahead.

    Indonesia is working to increase the mandatory palm oil content in its biodiesel in a bid to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels.

    Cereal prices dropped for a fifth straight month, down 0.8 per cent from July. Wheat prices fell due to a large harvest in the European Union and Russia, while world Maize prices rose, driven by higher demand for feed and ethanol.

    Rice prices eased, mainly because of a fall of Indian prices to three-year lows on rupee weakness and intense competition among exporters.

    The meat price index increased 0.6 per cent to a record high, led by strong demand for beef in the United States and China.

    Ovine meat prices rose, pig meat was steady, and poultry prices fell on abundant supplies from Brazil. Diary prices dropped 1.3 per cent as butter, cheese and whole milk powder quotations declined due to subdued demand from Asian markets.

    Sugar prices edged up 0.2 per cent after five months of decline, as concerns over Brazilian sugarcane yields and stronger global demand outweighed improved crop prospects in India and Thailand.

    In  a separate report, the FAO forecast recorded global cereal production of 2.961 billion tonnes in 2025, up from 2.925 billion previously. Output is expected to be 3.5 per cent higher than a year earlier, mainly due to improved maize prospects.

    Maize output forecasts increased in the United States, Brazil and Mexico driven by record yields and an expanded planted area. EU production is expected to fall due to dry weather and reduced yields.  Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has called for a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly and implement measures to further reduce food prices across the country.

    Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja.

    According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring the safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.

    “The President has given a matching order with a federal executive council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.

    Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.

    Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.

    The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.

    To back this up, he revealed that the government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilize resources and empower rural farmers.

    “Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilization, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.

    The event, themed “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.

    Tinubu had earlier said in June that Nigeria is on the path to achieving food sovereignty on the back of measures put in place by his administration.

    Tinubu said this during his Democracy Day speech at the National Assembly.

    He said, “Our ‘Nigeria First’ policy will further enhance progress as we consolidate market-driven growth. The improved economic performance is encouraging and validates the soundness of our policy measures. Our medium-term growth target remains an economy growing at a seven per cent clip with a stronger manufacturing base. We must learn to produce and grow most of our food, and we are on the path to achieving food security.

    Read Also: FAO boosts business skills of veterinary paraprofessionals through training

    A market survey of Lagos and some other major cities shows a steady decline in the cost of staple food items over the past few weeks.

    Here is a list of some current food prices

    1. Long-grain foreign rice (50kg) – N82,000 to N85,000 (previously N95,000 to N100,000)

    2. Imported short-grain rice (50kg) – N65,000 to N67,000 (previously N80,000 to N90,000)

    3. Local parboiled rice (50kg) – Around N89,000 (previously N90,000 to N100,000)

    4. Millet (4L paint bucket) – N4,000 (previously N4,500)

    5. Guinea corn (4L paint bucket) – N4,000 (previously N4,500)

    6. Soya beans (4L paint bucket) – N6,000 (previously N6,500)

    7. Wheat (4L paint bucket) – N5,000 (previously N5,500)

    8. Yellow dry corn (4L paint bucket) – N3,000 (previously N3,500)

    9. White dry corn (4L paint bucket) – N2,500 (previously N3,000)

    10. Beans (D’Rica cup) – N1,000 to N1,400 (previously N2,000 to N2,500)

    Types mentioned: black-eyed beans, oloyin (honey beans), olo

    11. Yam (per tuber) – N3,000 (previously N7,000)

    12. Yellow garri (paint bucket) – N3,000 (previously N4,000)

    13. White garri (paint bucket) – N2,500 (previously N3,000)

    14. Garri (60kg bag) – N37,500 to N45,000 (previously higher)

    15. Tomatoes (big crate) – N23,000 to N27,000 (previously up to N120,000)

    Staple Flours

    16. Semovita/Semolina (10kg) – N16,000

    17. Semovita/Semolina (5kg) – N8,000

    18. Kings Vegetable Oil (25L) – N82,000 (previously up to N95,000)

    19. Terra Vegetable Oil (25L) – N80,000

    20. Fresh groundnut (4L paint bucket) – N7,200 (previously N7,500)

  • Wheat, coffee, beans cassava at risking, says FAO

    The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has upgraded its innovative ABC-Map geospatial app with a new indicator which shows that several major crops including wheat, coffee, beans, cassava, and plantain could lose half their best or optimally suitable land by 2100.

    Designed for policymakers, technicians, and project designers, the Adaptation, Biodiversity and Carbon Mapping Tool (“ABC-Map”) offers an initial screening of the climate-related risks, essential biodiversity indicators, and the carbon reduction potential of a selected project. It is an open-source satellite imagery app, based on Google Earth Engine, with information from global datasets.

    Following its upgrade, ABC Map now features a new indicator, providing information on the suitability of major crops in evolving climate scenarios to the end of the century. FAO Senior Natural Resources (Climate Change) Officer Martial Bernoux said the new information could help ensure our capacity to cope with climate change and its impacts in the long term.

    “Given the increasingly erratic weather and extreme events, including droughts, extreme heat and floods, farmers, policymakers, and technicians need to know if the crops, investments or projects they are considering will work or if they need to adjust and consider other crops or more adaptation measures instead,” Bernoux says.

    “Our ABC-Map tool can now better assist them with these considerations, further reinforcing climate resilience.”

    The new indicator, developed by FAO, incorporates data from a study by French fintech start-up Finres, commissioned by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). The study, “Have crops already reached peak suitability: assessing global climatic suitability decreases for crop cultivation”, uses a new method to assess crop suitability in varied climate scenarios. It concludes that five out of nine major staple and cash crops—including wheat, coffee, beans, cassava, and plantain—are already losing optimal growing conditions, and some could lose half their optimal suitable land by 2100.

    Read Also: FAO boosts business skills of veterinary paraprofessionals through training

    In particular, the study’s researchers suggest that coffee production in some of the major coffee-growing regionscould decline sharply by 2100. They say beans and wheat could experience significant losses, especially in regions such as North America and Europe. Maize and rice, however, could initially find more suitable areas for cultivation, the researchers suggest, but this situation could reverse by the end of the century under high-emission scenarios.

    The ABC-Map geospatial app features indicators in three sections: adaptation, biodiversity, and carbon. This new indicator expands the scope of the adaptation section, which previously displayed only information on past trends in a given area, including past temperature and rainfall. Now, the new indicator also adds information on future trends.

    A user inputs a location, then selects a crop from 30 options, including coffee, maize and wheat. The tool then displays the suitability of the selected crops in that area, for time periods stretching to 2100, providing a crop suitability score for two different climate emission scenarios. Also planned for this year is an indicator with information on livestock heat stress and another for crop water requirements, which would estimate expected rainfall and potential irrigation needs.

    ABC-Map, launched in 2024,  is one of the technical tools in the COP28 Agriculture, Food and Climate National Action Toolkit, helping governments to develop and implement policy measures on climate action and agrifood system transformation. It was launched last year during an expert panel on the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership, at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, Germany.

  • Over 2.8bn people can’t afford healthy diets – FAO

    Over 2.8bn people can’t afford healthy diets – FAO

    More than 2.8 billion people in the world cannot afford healthy diets, the Director-General of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu,  has said.

    Dongyu made this known during the 2024 World Food Day global ceremony with the theme: “Right to ‘Foods’ for a Better Life and a Better Future”.

    ‘Foods’, in the theme stands for diversity, nutrition, affordability and safety.

    Dongyu said that malnutrition in its various forms existed in all countries and socio-economic classes.

    He added that even in high-income economies, people were choosing convenient and unhealthy foods.

    The FAO director-general attributed the problems to challenges in  agrifood systems where  nutritious and diverse foods needed for healthy diets were insufficient and unaffordable.

    According to him, food security translates to food availability, accessibility and affordability.

    “With 730 million people facing hunger, it is clear that there is still much work to be done, and FAO’s mandate to ensure food security for all is as valid as ever.

    “This World Food Day, I am calling on all to renew their commitments to building more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that can nourish the world,” he said.

    Dongyu said that immediate action must be taken to ensure the integrated ‘Four Betters’.

    “For better production and better nutrition, governments should enable healthy diets for everyone by incentivising production and sale of more nutritious foods.

    “They should also promote their consumption in a healthy way.

    “For a better environment, we need to produce more with less; we need more quantity with more diverse foods with less agricultural inputs and less negative impacts on the environment.

    “We need to produce enough diverse foods, while preserving biodiversity and protecting the planet,” he said.

    Dongyu said that,  for a better life, innovation such as information technology, Artificial Intelligence, biotechnology and digital agriculture were needed.

    Read Also: FAO warns of worsening food insecurity, says 31.8m at risk

    He also said that, to support governments, the private sector would need to shift from unhealthy foods and make a greater diversity of safe and nutritious foods available, affordable and appealing.

    “They need to be our allies in addressing this global challenge. Governments cannot do it alone.

     “We cannot build peaceful communities without addressing hunger and malnutrition,” he said.

    He said that the younger generation had a vital role to play, adding that a food secure future without malnutrition was a human right.

    Dongyu called for renewal of commitments to building efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that would guarantee the right to good foods for all. (NAN) 

  • FAO warns of worsening food insecurity, says 31.8m at risk

    FAO warns of worsening food insecurity, says 31.8m at risk

    • UAE donates 50 tonnes of relief materials for flood victims

    The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned about worsening food insecurity in Nigeria following escalating floods in many states.

    The organisation, a United Nations(UN) agency, said in a statement yesterday that nearly 31.8 million Nigerians are currently at risk of acute food insecurity.

     It noted that the ravaging floods have already impacted 2.5 million people and displaced 200,000 in 29 states.

    FAO’s  Acting Representative in Nigeria, Koffy Dominique Kouacou, expressed the concern shortly before the Federal Government received 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The items are for flood victims.

     Kouacou, who lamented  that  floods are pushing vulnerable communities deeper into poverty, with the loss of their farmland,   called for coordinated action to prevent a worsening humanitarian crisis.

    The FAO statement reads in part:  “As of early September 2024, FAO reported that 1.3 million hectares of land had been submerged, including 558,000 hectares of cropland. With rivers continuing to swell and dams nearing capacity, floodwaters are expected to rise further, threatening communities in northern Nigeria.

    “Northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe have been particularly hard-hit. Over 880,000 people have been affected, and nearly 300,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed.

    “The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is leading the response efforts in collaboration with government authorities.’’

     Also at the weekend, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall,  expressed concern that  ‘’flooding has damaged more than 125,000 hectares of farmland in the country.

    Fall  said it was unfortunate that the destruction happened ‘’at a time when 32 million people in the country are facing severe food insecurity.’’

    He spoke when he visited Governor Zulum in company with officials of some non-governmental organisations. 

    A statement by Mr. Oluseyi Soremekun, National Information Officer, UN Information Centre (UNIC), said that Fall  pledged more support for the Maiduguri flood victims and expressed condolences and solidarity with the government and the people of Borno State.

     The statement reads in part: “Led by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, the senior UN and NGO officials met with the Governor of Borno, H.E. Prof Babagana Zulum. They expressed their condolences and solidarity with the Government and the people of Borno following the loss of lives and widespread destruction caused by the flooding.

      Zulum expressed his appreciation to the UN and NGO partners for their support.

     “We are thankful especially for the use of the UN helicopters to deliver life-saving assistance including food and non-food items in communities cut off by the flood. I also thank the UN for camp coordination and camp management support,” the governor told the team.

    UAE donates materials for flood victims 

     Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Office of the National Security Adviser to the President (NSA) received 50 tonnes of relief materials    from UAE at  the Cargo wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    Read Also: Food insecurity: Osa Oni urges government to invest in agriculture

      UAE Ambassador, Salem Alshamsi, who did the  presentation, said  the gift  was in line with his country’s  gesture to support countries affected by natural disasters.

    “This urgent humanitarian aid of 50 tonnes of basic supplies has been provided to our friendly people of Nigeria, to support areas affected by the recent floods.The UAE, as usual, is always helping nations affected by natural disasters. So we are happy to be here,” Alshamsi said.

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Dunoma,  commended the UAE government and people   for supporting Nigeria.

    NEMA warns of imminent floods in Rivers

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned residents of Rivers  of  impending floods within  the next four weeks.

     “In the next four weeks, the intensity of the rain will be high in Rivers, and we have already sensitised people in areas prone to flash floods,’’ said the  South-South Zonal Coordinator of the agency,  Adebiyi Razak.

    Razak explained yesterday  that NEMA has begun preparing residents to mitigate the impact of the floods as the intensity of rainfall increases in the Southsouth, particularly in Rivers.

    “We have visited Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Andoni, Ndoni, Obio/Akpor, Oyigbo, and Tai Local Government Areas, as well as coastal areas that are likely to be impacted.

    “Tai has experienced flash floods, and two Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have been identified in the area,” he said.

    In Benue , the state government announced that it had  prepared camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IPDs) in case of flooding.

    The Technical Committee on Flood Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Response team took the decision during their meeting on Sunday in Makurdi.

    The   Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had predicted that eight local government areas in state would be heavily affected by the impending flooding.

  • FAO: conflicts, climate crisis, others driving acute hunger

    FAO: conflicts, climate crisis, others driving acute hunger

    Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations (FAO), has said conflicts, climate crisis, economic shocks and effects of COVID-19 have increased hunger in Africa.

    Director-General, Qu Dongyu, spoke at the 33rd Session of FAO Regional Ministerial Conference for Africa (ARC33) in Morocco.

    He noted in a statement that the continent boasts the largest arable land and is abundant in natural resources.

    Noting Africa’s young people offer potential, he called for strategic partnerships, greater investments, and harnessing power of digital technologies to drive efficiency and productivity in the agriculture sector.

    “Hunger in Africa reached 19.7 per cent in 2022, twice the global rate and up from 17 percent before the pandemic and up from an estimated 14.8 percent in 2012.

    “Moreover, 868 million Africans, 61 per cent, did not have access to adequate food in 2022, and around 146 million people in 36 countries may have faced acute food security (IPC3 or higher).

    “At the same time, hunger rates vary in Africa, with low rates in Algeria and Ghana and rates close to or even above 50 per cent in Madagascar and Central African Republic.

    Read Also: FAO backs govt on flood

    “Protracted conflicts are a major obstacle to progress and impose a burden on rural population, as due to the impact of climate crisis, Africa is home to many fastest-growing economies in the world, and the emerging shift to a continental free trade area promises to reinforce its potential, making it a destination for investments.

    “Thirty six sub-Saharan African countries have joined FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, and investment plans for the region exceed $12 billion.

    “Ten countries are participating in FAO 1000 Digital Villages Initiative, 29 in FAO’s One Country One Priority Product initiative, and 16 have rolled out Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS). FAO has mobilised over $91 million from Global Environmental Facility and Green Climate Fund for projects in Africa.

    “These figures highlight FAO’s success in forging effective and strategic collaboration with resource and technical partners in the country and enable greater dynamism and agility going forward”.

  • FAO backs govt on flood

    FAO backs govt on flood

    United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said it will  support Nigeria with tools to anticipate flood and mitigate it to ensure food security.

    Country Representative in Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Koffy Dominique, spoke in Abuja yesterday at a workshop on Anticipatory Action for Flood Risk in the Sahel that a major factor driving food insecurity in the Sahel is climate change resulting in flooding.

    About 52 million persons, he said, are food insecure due to flood and other challenges.

    Henoted in 2020, floods destroyed farmland and crops capable of feeding five million people in Nigeria.

    “If we have this information in advance, we can advise the government. So, how we can anticipate how to allow farmers to better cultivate and boost production in the country, that is one of the key purposes of the regional workshop.

    Read Also: CLO urges Tinubu to direct AGF to pay N1.1trn damages to Niger community over flooding

    “We are facing a serious security situation. For example, in 2020, about seven million people were affected by flood … 2.4 million hectares of land destroyed by flood”, he said.

     He, however, noted that relevant government bodies are onboard, as they will set up a task force to support the the implementation process, which is like monitoring and evaluation to ensure all outcomes of the workshop is implemented.

    Regional Specialist for FAO working on Anticipatory Action and Emergency Response, Luca Parodi, said there is a need to invest in better ways to manage risk.

     Parodi said: “Without information and early warning, you cannot anticipate anything. The workshop also provides opportunity to share information on improving early warning, surveillance risk and information to communities…’’

  • FAO graduates fifth cohort animal frontline health workers

    FAO graduates fifth cohort animal frontline health workers

    The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has inducted the fifth cohort of frontline animal health workers after months of In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET).

    The Nation reports that the ISAVET programme is a 4-month in-service training that is divided into a one-month didactic classroom learning and three months of field activities under the guidance of trainers and mentors.

    Speaking at the induction ceremony in Abuja, national coordinator of the ISAVET programme, Prof Hannatu Lombin  said the organisation is gradually building a critical mass of frontline Veterinarians that are currently changing the narratives of disease surveillance in Nigeria.

    Lombin said that the training is aimed at enhancing the capacity of frontline veterinarians in epidemiology surveillance, field investigation, professional ethics and emergency preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases.

    She however tagged this cohort special as it is the only cohort that had enrolments from the Private sector, in addition to Veterinarians from States and Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services (DVPCS), National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), and Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (VTH).

    With this development, she said, Nigeria now has a boost of 156 trained frontline veterinarians equipped with the latest skills in animal health practices to address contemporary challenges in managing transboundary animal health.

     “This cohort also demonstrated unique resilience and patience, despite the challenges faced during classroom training in Jos, they were resolute and determined to learn.

     “They did not allow the set-back to dampen their spirit and are indeed a cohort with a difference”,she added. Prof Lombin urges all graduates to make a difference and use this experience to tackle diseases to relevant stakeholders at your place of work and influence the Veterinary profession”.

    Also, the FAO Representative ad interim, Mr. Koffy Dominique Kouacou, who was represented by the FAO-ECTAD Nigeria Country Team Leader, Dr. Otto Vianney Muhinda, disclosed that the students passed with a percentage above 70%. 

     He said, Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) is based in FAO HQ in Rome covering todate 49 countries in the World: 35 countries in Africa; the rest in Asia, Central America and Caribbeans. 

    He said, ECTAD within FAO is now contributing to the global management of all problems related to Animal health.

     While speaking on the establishment of ECTAD in Nigeria, he said, the team is focused on Control of zoonotic diseases, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Biosecurity and Biosafety, Laboratory strengthening and development. 

    “We have already got five cohorts graduated; making Nigeria the best performer in this area at global level”, he said.

  • GEF, FAO, FG to transform oil palm production, others in Niger Delta

    GEF, FAO, FG to transform oil palm production, others in Niger Delta

    The Global Environment Fund (GEF), in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Federal government are targeting to transform the Niger Delta’s cocoa and palm oil production systems and landscapes towards sustainability and resilience, delivering multiple environmental and social benefits through its compartmental activities.

    The organisations and the government are implementing Food Systems, Land Use, and Restoration (FOLUR) in Ondo state and Cross River State with the target to protect the forest reserves from encroachment as a result of agricultural activities.

    Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of FAO-GEF 7 FOLUR National Inception Workshop in Abuja with the theme: “Promoting Integrated Landscape Management and Sustainable Food Systems in the Niger Delta of Nigeria”, the Acting Country Representative of the FAO, Dominique Kouacou, said the landscape of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region holds tremendous ecological significance, recognised internationally for its lowland tropical rainforests with high conservation value and carbon stock.

    Kouacou, who was represented by Mrs Nifesimi Ogunkua, said the region is experiencing alarming rates of deforestation, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, especially in cocoa and oil palm cultivation.

    Read Also: Truncated education, lost livelihoods: NEDC renews efforts to rebuild insurgency-ravaged Northeast

    He noted that the implementation of the GEF-7 FOLUR-IP project is anticipated to yield numerous benefits, including, 795,200 hectares of landscapes covered by Integrated Land Management plans, 110,000 hectares of land under sustainable practices with at least a 20% increase in the yield of cocoa and oil palm per hectare by project closure.

    “Restoration of 18,800 hectares of degraded forest landscape, Sequestration of 15.6 million tons of CO2, 10,000 people benefiting from income diversification interventions, with a target of at least 50% women”, he said.

    The National Project Coordinator of FOLUR, Professor Oladapo Akinyemi, the project is basically promoting land use and the food system in the Niger Delta region with focus on Ondo state and Cross River state.

    He said the project supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) being implemented by the FAO and the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) is the operational partner to the FAO.

    Akinyemi said the project is also aimed at training the farmers in such a way the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP) will provide funds for the farmers to increase their yield.

    ”Through this project, there is a designated number of hectares of land that will be restored “GEF is providing the grant for this project, supported by the FAO, the Federal Government is also co-funding the project in terms of human capital support, Ondo State has promised to support the project with $7500 same as the Cross River State government. The CBN has promised to release loans to the farmers under the ABP so that they can practice agriculture in a sustainable manner”, he added.

    The Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Dr Iziak Salako, said the implementation of this project especially in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria will unlock the potential of the region to regain its pride of place in food production and its status as a global biodiversity hotspot.

  • FAO seeks $940m to tackle global hunger

    As global hunger numbers continues to rise driven by the proliferation of conflicts and climate-related shocks, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is seeking $940 million to invest in programmes and projects to save the lives and livelihoods of some of the world’s most food-insecure populations.

    The organisation said in a statement that it is   hoping to reach over 32 million people who rely on agriculture for their survival and livelihoods through a range of interventions aimed at boosting local food production and enhancing nutrition while strengthening the communities’ resilience to crises.

    FAO said it would address the root causes of increased food insecurity and malnutrition, through provision of agricultural inputs such as seeds, tools, fertiliser and other inputs for crop farming, livestock restocking, providing animal feed and veterinary care as well as training in farming best practices, new approaches to food production, and livelihood diversification strategies.

    Other activities include humanitarian assistance with resilience longer-term projects to boost productivity of smallholder farmers and cash assistance for  poor families.

    The Director, FAO’s Emergency and Resilience Division, Dominique Burgeon, said:  “Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of crisis affected populations. Therefore, it is crucial to invest in agriculture and food systems support from the onset of a crisis to save lives and enable families trapped by fighting or living in remote areas to rapidly resume local food production and earn an income.  With resource partners’ support, we hope to help restore livelihoods of millions of people, reduce their dependence on external food aid and build their resilience to withstand shocks.” FAO’s emergency response this year will focus on assisting highly food-insecure communities in more than 30 countries.

    Meanwhile, global food prices began the year on a buoyant note, as the FAO Food Price Index averaged 164.8 points lastmonth, up by 1.8 percent from the previous month.A sharp rebound in dairy price quotations and firmer prices of palm and soy oils drove the increase, the United Nations agency said.

    The Food Price Index, an indicator of the monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, was still 2.2 percent below its January 2018 level.The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 168.1 points in January, up marginally from December. Prices of the major grains were generally firm amid tightening export supplies and robust world demand.The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index rose by 4.3 percent from the previous month, led by palm oil values responding to a seasonal production decline in the major producing countries. International soy oil prices also rose on the back of robust import demand for South American supplies.The FAO Dairy Price Index rose 7.2 percent from December, reversing seven months of falling prices. Limited export supplies – due to strong internal demand – form Europe were the primary factor behind this, along with anticipated seasonal tightening of export availability from Oceania in the coming months.