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  • Over three billion people eat rice daily – FAO

    Over three billion people eat rice daily – FAO

    More than three billion people eat rice everyday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.

    Maria Semedo, Deputy Director-General of Climate and Natural Resources at FAO, said the agency was concerned about global rice production and eradicating hunger around the world.

    “With over three billion people across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food security,” Semedo said.

    Accordingly, the UN agriculture agency has taken step to help rice farmers bolster production.

    The UN agency said it has teamed up with an international research institute to enhance rice farming and make it more adaptable to climate change.

    FAO announced that it would work with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support sustainable rice production in developing countries to improve food security and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.

    According to FAO, the two organizations will work together to assist rice producing countries to “adopt improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance availability of certified seeds and  the transfer of knowledge.”

    FAO and IRRI will also work to help women farmers participate in “viable, safe and dignified” entrepreneurial opportunities in the rice value chain, the UN agency said.

    Meanwhile, FAO has developed the Regional Rice Initiative for Asia and Pacific which promotes enhanced crop resilience while increasing efficiency and farmers’ income.

    In Africa and Latin America the UN agency is engaged in scientific and technical cooperation including the sharing of technologies and best practices to increase production and productivity, especially  reduction of post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.

    For its part, IRRI is engaged in strengthening capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity development activities.

    The partnership is a global alliance to promote resource efficiency and sustainability in trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the global rice sector.

  • NDDC partners with UN Agency in $60 million agric programme

    • To help reduce unemployment in Niger Delta

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is partnering the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on a $60 million dollars (about N21 billion) job creation programme, which will help reduce youth unemployment in the Niger Delta.

    The Managing Director of NDDC, Nsima Ekere, disclosed this yesterday when IFAD officials paid a courtesy visit to management of the commission at its corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    He said the commission would sustain and strengthen its partnership with the UN agency, as part of efforts to create wealth and transform the region.

    Ekere, who was represented by NDDC’s Executive Director, Projects, Samuel Adjogbe, an engineer, disclosed that the commission carried out a baseline study to gather data, which would help it to produce a good design for the new IFAD programme.

    He said: “If there is something I will really want to support, it is the collaboration that IFAD is bringing.

    “NDDC is ready to partner with IFAD in the new programme, because we need to diversify the mono economy of the country.

    “It is a thing of joy that IFAD is partnering with us to achieve this goal. We hope that what we have gathered as the base line survey will help us to produce a design that will give us something reliable when we get to the implementation stage.

    “NDDC is committed to getting many people, particularly our youths, back to work, because we need to get our people to be meaningfully engaged. This will help strengthen the process of our engagement with them, which we have begun in earnest.”

    Managing director of the interventionist agency also stated that the commission had always recognised agriculture as the way forward for Nigeria, adding that it would continue to support IFAD to integrate rural dwellers into agricultural entrepreneurship.

    He said: “Oil and gas have given us a take-off platform. Now, we must diversify.”

    The representative of the IFAD Rome and Country Director in Nigeria,  Dr. Rich Pitrine, stated that the new programme, which would run for seven years, would revolve around enterprise development for youths and women.

    Pitrine said: “We understand the lack of opportunities, which is an unfortunate disease for your region (Niger Delta). We understand very well that there are phenomenal things which can be done if proactive investments are done.”

    IFAD representative also stated that the programme would broaden the economic horizon of budding entrepreneurs and set the stage for the emergence of a sustainable system that would engage youths in enterprise-based jobs.

    He noted that IFAD was counting on NDDC to give the necessary support to build the new project.

    Pitrine said: “We have invested with NDDC in the past on community-based Natural Resource Management Programme (CBNRMP) that has helped to create wealth in the Niger Delta region. We have learnt some lessons from that and we have had some successes.

    “We are an investor and not a project implementing team. We are not coming to Nigeria or to the Niger Delta to take over. We are coming here to help you to invest in your vision and invest jointly with you to realise an outcome which will create employment for you in this region particularly.”

    NDDC Director, Agriculture and Fisheries,   Marcel Eshiogu, while also speaking, lauded the gains of the partnership with IFAD, noting that the commission had been working with the UN agency since 2005.

  • UNAIDS tasks Nigeria on reduction of HIV-associated TB deaths

    The Joint UN Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), has urged Nigeriaand seven other countries to scale up action to reduce the number of tuberculosis (TB) deaths among HIV patients by year 2020.

    The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Michel Sidibé, made the call in a message on World Tuberculosis Day, commemorated annually on March 24.

    Sidibé explained that  Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Mozambique, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia – account for around 70 per cent of all TB deaths among people living with HIV.

    He said scaling up action in these countries would put the world on track to reach the ambitious target in the 2016 UN Political Declaration on Ending AIDS of reducing TB-related deaths.

    Sidibé  said the target is to reduce it by 75 per cent by 2020.

    He said weaknesses in health systems are continuing to result in missed opportunities to diagnose TB among people living with HIV- around 57 per cent of HIV-associated TB cases remained untreated in 2015.

    “TB is the most common cause of hospital admission and death among people living with HIV.

    “In 2015, 1.1 million people died from an AIDS-related illness- around 400,000 of whom died from TB, including 40,000 children.

    “It is unacceptable that so many people living with HIV die from tuberculosis and that most are undiagnosed or untreated.

    “Only by stepping up collaboration between HIV and tuberculosis programmes to accelerate joint action, can the world reach its critical HIV and tuberculosis targets,” he said.

    Inadequate linkages to care after diagnosis, poor tracking of people and loss to follow-up, failure to reach the people most at risk of disease, particularly marginalized populations.

    This he said also includes people who inject drugs, prisoners and migrant workers—and poor treatment outcomes contribute to the lack of progress.

    “In 2014, around 11 per cent of HIV-positive TB patients died, compared with three per cent of HIV-negative TB patients.

    “Early detection and effective treatment are essential to prevent TB-associated deaths, especially among people living with HIV,” he said.

    According to him, drug resistance is also a major concern, adding in 2015, there were an estimated 480,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant TB.

    Sidibé said the recent approval of two new medicines to treat TB, the first in more than 60 years, is improving the outlook for people with drug-resistant TB.

    “UNAIDS calls for the elimination of TB deaths among people living with HIV and for health systems to be strengthened and services integrated to allow for a more rapid scale-up of HIV and TB programming.

    “Countries must expand HIV prevention and treatment programmes that include regular TB screening, preventive therapy and early treatment, since they are simple, affordable and effective programmes that prevent TB deaths.

    “UNAIDS is continuing to support countries to Fast-Track their efforts to reach the critical 2020 targets of the 2016 Political Declaration.

    “As part of these efforts, UNAIDS is urging countries to intensify action in 35 high-priority countries to accelerate results by implementing focused, high-impact programmes to advance progress in ending the AIDS epidemic.”

     

  • Alhassan showcases govt empowerment programmes at UN

    The Federal Government on Thursday in New York, showcased the social intervention programmes put in place by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari specifically, to empower women in the country.

    The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, at a side event hosted by Nigeria at the ongoing UN Commission on Status of Women, said women’s financial exclusion was becoming a thing of the past.

    The UN Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the event was “Financial Inclusion: Boosting Women’s Empowerment in Changing Economy through Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme”.

    “The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari is conscious of the need to fully integrate women as active participants in the Nigerian economy by expanding their access to credit.

    “In this regard, the Government has rolled out several gender-based social palliatives that would both empower women, and liberate them from the clutches of poverty.

    “The overall aim of President’s Social Investment Programme is to ensure that the human rights of women and girls are facilitated through a range of transformative, comprehensive and inclusive platforms,” she said.

    She said her ministry recognized the enormous contribution of the informal economy sector, which is largely populated by women.

    In view of this the ministry,  in collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, had carried out various forms of intervention programmes geared towards supporting women’s entrepreneurship development.

    “I am happy to announce to this gathering that to further consolidate on these initiatives and reaffirm his commitment towards improving the productivity and livelihood of Nigerian women, the present administration, under the leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari recently launched a N1.6 billion special intervention fund – National Women Empowerment Fund.

    “The Fund is aimed at supporting grassroots women operating informal businesses by providing start-up and scale-up credit for them.

    “The programme has been rolled out and expected to target about 10,000 women per state.

    “Through this project, an estimated 450,000 dollars is to be disbursed per state through active and functional cooperative, local trade associations and other community based groups.”

    She said there was “a recommitment to utilize 60 per cent of the N697 billion Micro and Small Medium Enterprise Fund for women.

    “In addition, the Victims Support Fund, which raised about 625 million dollars for the rehabilitation of victims of Boko Haram will benefit children and women who constitute majority of the victims”.

    The Minister said the Federal Government was also scaling up the training and empowerment of Internally Displaced Persons, especially women and girls in the affected states.

    “Other laudable interventions wothy of mention include the gender responsive budgeting model, which was piloted in five Ministries, Departments and Agencies namely Agriculture, Health, Water Resources, Works and Communication Technology with a record of 3.6 million beneficiaries till date.

    “There is also the major initiative, which is the Growing Girls and Women Initiative in Nigeria (G-Win) E-Wallet Agro initiative, which provided subsidized agro-inputs to women in agribusiness.

    “So far, two million registered women have benefitted from this scheme,” Alhassan said.

    To enhance rural development, the Rural Finance Institution Building Programme has been put in place to boost income and general living conditions for rural households, particularly female headed households, she said.

    The minister added that the programme was in addition to the establishment of the Entrepreneurship Development Centres, which are building the capacity of women.

    “The initiative has so far created 2,078 women enterpreneurs, representing 51 per cent of the beneficiaries.

    “The FADAMA Irrigation project has also been extended to a third phase to increase the income of users of rural land and water resources, especially women,” she said.

    NAN reports that some of the institutions that are responsible for the implementation of the social intervention programmes, namely Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Industry, provided further information on requirements to accessing the funds.

    NAN also reports that the side event was attended by Wives of Governors, Commissioners, legislators, women civil society groups and representatives from other African countries.

    The representative of Burundi, specifically, appealed to Nigeria to use its strategic position on the continent to push for the establishment of a continental bank for women to further empower them.

  • Nigeria pushes for women’s property rights at UN

    Nigeria has led advocacy campaign for the promotion of women’s property rights in Africa, saying it is a panacea to achieving women economic empowerment in the continent.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, hosted Africa’s women parliamentarians at a side event at the ongoing UN Commission on the Status of Women in NewYork.

    Orelope-Adefulire regretted that women were still discriminated against in Africa in the area of rights to inherit property.

    “Women are special; we should be celebrated everyday and there is no reason why our rights should be eroded.

    “The laws that give rights to men, the same laws give rights to women. So we must come together to protect the rights of women in Africa,” she said.

    She pointed out that advances in entrenching women’s property rights in Sub-Saharan Africa was quite slow adding, efforts to advance this cause have been feeble.

    “The inhibitions placed on women in many family and inheritance laws across the world systematically prevent the full realization of economic rights with poverty as a consequence.

    “There is therefore an urgent need to address the legal pluralism that guides inheritance laws in many nations, a situation where different systems of laws operate simultaneously with attendant negative consequences on the vulnerable in such societies.

    “Where possible, it is important to reform or harmonize these legal systems to ensure that women who marry under local statutes, customary or religious laws and other such arrangements are not treated differently,” she said.

    Orelope-Adefulire, however, called for the inclusion of men to support women in their agitation for gender parity.

    “We need to bring our men on board to understand the problem, why we are agitating and for them to know that it is in their own interests also,” she said.

    She called for the empowerment of women and sustained advocacy for women to know the laws, how to defend their rights and seek redress.

    “As you are aware, there is empirical evidence that demonstrates that investing in women matters for poverty eradication.

    “It is worth reiterating that gender is a determining factor in poverty-environment linkages as gender inequality, environmental deterioration and deepening poverty are mutually self-reinforcing.

    “Improvement in any one of these three enhances livelihoods, improves resilience and reduces vulnerability.”.

    The president’s aide said majority of African countries were signatory to many international agreements targeted at improving gender equality but regretted that they were yet to meet the minimum conditions required to attain gender parity.

    “Across the world, societies that accord gender equality the priority of place it deserves strive diligently to engender women’s property rights.

    “They are thereby able to unlock the full potentials of women and girls, with attendant rapid national development.”

    Also speaking, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, former First Lady of Ekiti State, warned that gender inequality is a deep-rooted problem while women were treating the symptoms.

    Fayemi pointed out that Ekiti state is the only state in Nigeria that has domesticated the National Gender Policy, an effort she championed when she was the first lady.

    She advocated legislative framework, activism and for women to exercise their political strength by electing women activists and feminists into political offices to ensure that gender equality becomes a reality by 2030.

    “We should do something lasting and not clapping and dancing for our husbands to get elected into offices,” Fayemi said.

    NAN reports that other speakers at the event included Ms Silvana Koch-Mehrin, founder, Women in Parliaments Global Forum, Mitchell Toomey, Director, UN SDGs Action Campaign and Esther Chilenj

  • Human traffickers make $150b yearly -Guterres

    At least  21 million people are victims of human trafficking, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, adding that the traffickers are smiling to the bank with $150billion every year.

    Guterres described the human trafficking  trade as appalling.

    Guterres, who made the remarks at the  ‘Ministerial Open Debate on Trafficking in Persons in Conflict Situations: Forced labour, slavery and other similar practices’ organised by the Security Council, condemned the rising cases of human trafficking.

    The UN scribe estimated that traffickers made $150 billion  annually through different forms of human trafficking and  called for strong efforts to stop the evil trade.

    “The International Labour Organisation reports that 21 million people around the world are victims of forced labour and extreme exploitation. Annual profits are estimated to be 150 billion dollars.

    “Beyond these numbers is the human toll – the lives cut short, the families and societies torn apart, the gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Guterres lamented.

    The UN chief explained that human trafficking took many forms, pointing out that “women and girls in particular are targeted again and again and again”.

    “We see brutal sexual exploitation, including forced prostitution, forced marriage and sexual slavery. We see the appalling trade in human organs.

    “Let us also remember that modern manifestations of servitude may touch and even implicate us all. Global supply-chains have transformed many lives for the better – but not always without costs.

    “In some situations – clothes, food, smartphones, jewellery and other consumer goods may bear, wittingly or unwittingly, the traces of exploitation.

    “Gleaming new skyscrapers may owe some of their shine to the sweat of bonded labourers,” he said.

    According to him, human trafficking thrives where the rule of law is weak or nonexistent, while situations of armed conflict are especially virulent breeding grounds for human trafficking.

    “In some of today’s conflicts, we are confronted by armed groups that not only openly engage in enslavement and forced labour, but actually argue that it is legal.

    “In Syria, Daesh has organized slave markets and even published manuals instructing its fighters on how to capture, control and trade enslaved women and girls.

    “The leaders of Boko Haram have also argued that slavery is legal.

    “In other conflicts, other groups force men, women and children under their control to labour in unsafe mines, as porters and domestic servants, and on the frontlines.”

    Guterres said smugglers often coerced and manipulated individuals for profit and make them victims of sex or labour trafficking while terrorists and violent extremists used sexual enslavement as a tool for recruitment.

    Drug traffickers use kidnapping and ransom to finance their operations. Criminal gangs force unaccompanied children into a life of petty crime, he added.

    He, however, noted UNODC’s December 2016 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, that there are hardly any convictions for crimes related to human trafficking in conflict situations or elsewhere.

    Guterres warned that the lack of aggressive investigations and prosecutions only adds to the injustice, allows perpetrators to function without fear, fuels corruption and creates widespread disillusion.

    “There is much that we can do both to punish human trafficking, and to prevent it in the first place.

    “A solid legal and normative framework is in place, including the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol.

    “This includes the first internationally agreed definition of the crime of trafficking in persons and provides a framework to effectively prevent and combat it.

    “ILO Conventions and the Global Plan of Action on Human Trafficking complement the Protocol, and are further key parts of the picture.

    “All of these build on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Under the Rome Statute, enslavement can constitute a crime against humanity,” the UN scribe said.

  • 20 million facing starvation in Nigeria, three others – UN

    20 million facing starvation in Nigeria, three others – UN

    The world is facing its largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, the United Nations said, issuing a plea for help to avoid “a catastrophe.”

    UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O’Brien, said more than 20 million people are facing the threat of starvation and famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.

    UNICEF has already warned 1.4m children could starve to death this year, the BBC reports.

    Mr. O’Brien said $4.4bn (£3.6bn) was needed by July to avert disaster.

    “We stand at a critical point in history,” Mr. O’Brien told the Security Council on Friday. “Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations.”

    “Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine. Without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death. Many more will suffer and die from disease.

    “Children stunted and out of school. Livelihoods, futures and hope will be lost. Communities’ resilience rapidly wilting away. Development gains reversed. Many will be displaced and will continue to move in search for survival, creating ever more instability across entire regions.”

    Mr. O’Brien’s comments follow on from a similar appeal made by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, last month.

    At that time, he revealed the UN had only received $90m (£74m) so far in 2017, despite generous pledges.

    Like Mr. O’Brien, he urged more financial support for the four countries.

  • Humanitarian crisis: UN restates support for Nigeria

    The United Nations on Thursday reiterated its readiness to support the Federal Government through Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI) to combat nutrition and security challenges in the crisis areas.

    The UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon, disclosed this during his courtesy call on the PCNI Chairman, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd), in Abuja.

    Kallon observed that at least 14 million people in Nigeria were affected with 8.5 million needing urgent assistance, saying women and children were mostly affected.

    He said this prompted his visit to Danjuma so as to collaborate effectively with the federal government to achieve tremendous success on humanitarian issues as it affects crisis and displacement.

    “For a very long time now, the Boko Haram menace has been in the back burner; it has not been really in the international limelight,” the UN coordinator said.

    “What we have done is to bring the world’s attention to the impact of this crisis in the North- East, and to further emphasise that this has a wider implication than one could expect.

    “This is not really a Nigeria problem; it is a regional problem that is why we are very happy that the international community has recognised this Boko Haram menace.

    “And they are ready to support the federal government and the countries in the region to find lasting solution to the problem.”

    NAN

     

  • US cautions Nigerians against wildlife destruction

    The United States Deputy Chief of Mission in
    Nigeria, Mr David Young, has enjoined Nigerians to desist from the
    trafficking and unwarranted destruction of the nation’s wildlife.

    The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate-General in Lagos said in a
    statement that Young gave the advice at an event in Lagos to mark
    this year’s World Wildlife Day.

    According to him, Nigerians need to stop trafficking and destruction
    of the nation’s endangered species, including the Cross River gorilla
    and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee.

    “Sustainable eco-tourism is important to many nations of Africa in
    creating numerous tourism sector jobs.  Conserving natural resources
    is vital.

    “If Nigeria loses its precious large apes and other mammals,
    eco-tourism revenue and jobs disappear with these animals.
    “Communities and individuals have the most important role to play.
    Communities and consumers can refuse to do business with illicit
    traders and poachers.

    “I urge you to take up the challenge to preserve your forests, as well
    as the wildlife that depend on the remaining forests for survival,” he
    said.

    Young said that it should be the responsibility of every Nigerian to
    hold themselves accountable for the protection and conservation of the
    nation’s wildlife resources.

    The U.S. official said that he was in support of Nigeria’s government
    legislation against trafficking of endangered animals.

    The UN General Assembly, on Dec. 20, 2013, proclaimed March 3
    every year as World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise global awareness
    on wild animals and plants. (NAN)

  • Development will end Boko Haram crisis- UN Security Council

    The UN Security Council says that the only solution to the Boko Haram terrorism in the North East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin is the economic development of the region.

    Matthew Rycroft, the leader of a UN Security Council delegation, said  this while speaking with newsmen shortly after a visit to Maiduguri.

    “We are convinced that the long term solutions is not military, it is not even humanitarian, it is development.

    “It has to do with thinking about long term investments, in job creation, in education among others,” Rycroft, who is  also the UK Permanent Representative to the UN and the Security Council’s President for the month of March, said.

    He added:” It is thinking about the protection of civilians, thinking about protection of human rights, of women and girls rights in particular.

    “All of us have to come together and we stand with the governor of Borno, the government of Nigeria in tackling all of these problems in the Lake Chad Basin region”.

    Rycroft explained that the visit was aimed at getting first hand information on the crisis.

    “We came here because we are very worried about the crisis which is affecting the North East Nigeria which is the crisis of terrorism caused by Boko Haram.

    “We are also here because of the humanitarian crisis which is being exacerbated by the terrorists,” he said.

    Rycroft said that the team had been able get sufficient information from some victims of the crisis.

    “We have had meetings with displaced persons in one of the IDP camps interacting with women and men who had been victims of Boko Haram.

    “They are now victims of humanitarian crisis, the number is shocking in terms of Displaced Persons, half a million children are malnourished,” he said.

    Rycroft said that the UN Security Council was determined to stepped up assistance to the victims.

    “We are determined that the international Community, the donor nations and the UN coordinating units stepped up response before it is too late,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 14-man UN Security Council delegation visited the Theater Commander Operation Lafiya Dole as part of the visit.