Day: May 31, 2024

An NGO, Agricultural Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (ASEF), has said that no fewer than 40,000 Nigerian youths will be trained for job opportunities in its ‘Waste4Meal’ farming project.

The ASEF President, Mr Oluwole Azeez, made this known while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New Generation Nutrition (NGN) and FIDAS African, at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Waste4Meal is the conversion of wastes into useable agricultural products, such as fertilisers, animal feeds and oil.

Azeez said that 40,000 Nigerians and no fewer than 100,000 African youths and women would be trained on Black Soldier Fly farming and waste aggregation recyclination, with the aim of making them earn a living, promote food security and reduce poverty.

He said that the trainees would be divided into clusters that would spread across all the states in Nigeria and other Africa countries like Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda
and Cameroon.

‘The cluster persons will create farm for them and work with investors that will bring money into the project for them.

‘I believe that Nigeria can feed itself if the citizenry taps into the project,’ he said.

Azeez said that Nigeria, being the biggest importer of animal feeds in Africa, imported the protein components of animal feeds which could be generated locally, using food waste and other organic waste and black soldier fly.

‘The banana peels, remnant of amala and rice can be converted into fertiliser and protein that fishes and pigs can eat and as well converted into oil we use in frying meat,’ Azeez said.

Also speaking, the ASEF Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Rosemary Adebayo, said the objective of the MoU was to create awareness and empowerment in inset farming industry and introduce Africans into the waste4meal project.

‘We intend to promote alternative sources of protein for farmers to reduce the difficulty they face in the agricultural sector in Nigeria and reduce the amount spen
t on animal feeds.

‘Waste4meal project is about training people the whole value-chain of the black soldier fly profitability,’ she said.

In her remarks, the FIDAS Africa Executive Director, Mrs Omolola Elsie, said that the organisation, being a decentralised online training platform focusing on agriculture, would ensure the success of the training.

Elsie said that her platform would be used to implement all the training component of the project.

Also speaking, the representative of NGN, Mr John Olabisi, said that the project would address the problem of food and livestock feed insufficiency in Nigeria.

In his own contribution, Dr Debo Akande, Director of Business Incubation Platform (BIP), IITA, and Executive Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Agricbusiness, commended the project organisers.

Akande, represented by the IITA Head of Social and Corporate Governance, Mr Wale Oladokun, said that it was a thing of joy for people to be trained and be made to turn the outcome of such training into profitable ways

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Vice-Chancellor of Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, Prof. Kuje Ayuba, said the church has important roles to play in the development and transformation of lives.

Ayuba said this at a public lecture with the theme ‘Empowering The Church for Greater Societal Impact’.

The Vice-Chancellor said that there was no better time to discuss the topic than now.

‘The church is expected to play an important role in the transformation of social, political, economic lives of the citizens.

‘It is also expected to put society in a holistic growth and development oriented direction,’ he said.

Ayuba, while referring to the church as not just the building, but individuals, said he believed that the solution to the national and global crisis was in the church.

The guest speaker, Prof. John Kennedy Opara, while delivering a lecture, said the church held immense potential for catalysing positive change and fostering societal impact.

Opara, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CSS Group, one of the largest farms
in Karu, said the church plays a multifaceted and pivotal role in the society.

According to him, the church as individuals (citizens), helps in encompassing spiritual, social and humanitarian dimensions of citizens.

‘The church is vital for community engagement and support in contemporary society.

‘One of its fundamental roles is to promote social cohesion and unity.

‘The present church must be equipped so as to give life a meaning,’ Opara said.

He said that understanding societal challenges comes in different approaches.

According to him, they include; identifying key societal issues, analysing root causes, engage stakeholders and partnerships among others.

He admonished the church to build up men and women of compassion, generosity that would work with dignity.

‘The church must encourage its members to engage in productive work that contribute to personal well being and the common good of the society.

‘The church should engage in continuous training of members through job entrepreneurship, and job
skill training for empowerment of their future.

‘It must also introduce microfinance and small business support which in time, people will stand on their own rather than depending on their certificate for job,’ Opara added.

Opara said that the church could offer technical assistance to people to help them stand on their feet.

‘When you keep mentoring people and some of them get into what you are doing, the story will be a different thing entirely,’ Opara said.

Making reference to Israel with strong economy, due to investment on food sustainability, Opara said Nigeria equally needed strong economy by empowering individuals to do same.

‘vision is superior to strength and when God put something in our hand, He expect us to use it, as such, the church must never relent in training.

He advised the church to always pray and engage in the word of God.

A staff of the university, Mrs Helen Solomon, who spoke with NAN said the lecture was inspiring.

Solomon appreciated the VC for bringing such an idea, saying t
hat she has been impacted by the lecture.

She said she has already started considering getting into farming rather than waiting and depending on salary always.

Miss Anna Ari, a Law student of the institution said she now understood that vision was a big force that drives an individual.

Ari said that the lecture also taught her that praying for God’s guidance was needed in the pursuit and execution of ones vision.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has commended President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s infrastructure, agricultural sector and enhanced security since his assumption of office.

The National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, made the commendation in a congratulatory letter to Tinubu, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)on Friday in Abuja.

‘ Congratulations to Mr President and Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Bola Tinubu on your one year in office.

‘ On behalf of the over six million pastoral communities in Nigeria, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, the National Executive, Management and staff of MACBAN, I wish to congratulate you on your successful one year anniversary in office.

‘ Your one year in office, though tumultuous but stands you as a man of courage, conviction and vision with Renewed Hope to make Nigeria great.

‘ Your commitment to developing Nigeria’s infrastructure, agricultura
l development and enhanced security is a testimony that you are not only up to the task but to deliver dividends of democracy to the larger Nigerians populace.’

Othman-Ngelzarma noted that the Renewed Hope agenda on agriculture which intends to make Nigeria self-sufficient in its food security entails massive investment in both agronomy and livestock production.

‘ In view of this, MACBAN looks forward to your promise of creating a Ministry for Livestock to handle the N15 trillion Industry and its value chain.

‘ The industry stands to provide millions of quality jobs to Nigerian youth wallowing in unemployment and abject poverty which is a threat to National Cohesion and the security in the country.

‘ To achieve this objective, there is the need for immediate establishment and inauguration of the livestock implementation committee which you promised during the report presentation.’

Othman-Ngelzarma also appealed to Tinubu to allow for the stand-alone existence of the National Commission for Nomadic Educat
ion for the continued well-being of Nigerian nomads.

‘ We appreciate the efforts of security agencies in the country in combating crime but we express concern with the way and manner in which innocent pastoralists are being profiled and extorted.

‘ Yours Excellency, the hope you exude should be made a reality to strengthen the faith of ordinary Nigerians on your renewed hope agenda.

‘ We will continue to support you in your quest to strengthen institutional frameworks to make Nigeria and Nigerians the pride of Africa in innovation and productivity.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria