The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and others have identified measures countries can put in place to prevent future pandemics. This was disclosed in a recent report titled, preventing the next pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain…

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has pledged its support for the newly launched BASIC–II project of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). This was disclosed in a statement endorsed by Godwin Atser, a digital extension and advisory services specialist, sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. The project tagged "Building…

The Nigerian government says it is distributing 66, 000 cocoa seedlings and other essential inputs to smallholder farmers to mitigate the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic on the sector. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Shehuri, disclosed this on Thursday when he flagged off the…

Homestead farming and the planting of exotic trees can help to tackle the looming food insecurity in the country, a group has said. The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation which is promoting the initiative, said it will create healthier and rich food supply, as well as a…

President Muhammadu Buhari said Nigeria's revenue from cocoa and sesame seeds has increased by $79.4 million and $153 million respectively in the past year. He disclosed this in his speech during a national broadcast to commemorate the Nigerian "Democracy Day", Friday. "Our efforts on growing non-oil exports have started to…

A soil scientist, Rattan Lal, was on Thursday named the 2020 recipient of the World Food Prize. The organisers said his research led to improved food production and a better understanding of how atmospheric carbon can be sequestered in the soil to help combat climate change. This was disclosed in…

The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, on Tuesday, said more than 49 million people may fall into extreme poverty due to COVID-19 crisis this year. This was disclosed during the launch of a Policy Brief on the impact of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition. His assertion comes a…

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says it needs over $182 million to sustain aid in Nigeria's North-east for the next six months. The UN agency disclosed this in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by its national communications officer, Kelechi Onyemaobi, on Wednesday The WFP said funding is…

Nigerian farmers say rising costs are driving essential inputs such as seeds, fertiliser and pesticides out of their reach as this year's planting season begins. Farmers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES during the week said the prices of inputs have gone up and many of the farmers were forced to…

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) director general, Qu Dongyu, has appealed to donors for $100 million to urgently aid desperate farmers, herders, fishers and their families in Yemen. The FAO official announced this in his address during a virtual High-Level Pledging Event for the humanitarian crisis in…

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says bees and other pollinators are vital to life on our planet. The FAO disclosed this on its official Twitter handle, Wednesday, stating some of the significant roles pollinators such as bees play in keeping the ecosystem breathing. https://twitter.com/FAO/status/1268266916222840835?s=20 It says the…

The United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) says it has committed $40 million and launched an urgent appeal for additional funds to support farmers and rural communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This was disclosed by the president of the agency, Gilbert Houngbo, in a report published recently on…

About 23 million more people are expected to be pushed into extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa this year alone, the president, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Gilbert Houngbo, has said. This was disclosed in a report published Friday by the World Economic Forum (WEF) titled, What's needed to protect food…

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the average price of some selected food items in the country increased in April. NBS said this in its “Selected Food Price Watch (April 2020)’’ report released by the statistician general of the federation, Yemi Kale, on his official Twitter handle, Wednesday. [embed]https://twitter.com/sgyemikale/status/1265712508951764995?s=20[/embed]…

Amidst the alarming rates of deforestation and degradation, urgent action is needed to safeguard the biodiversity of the world's forests, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said. The FAO, in its latest edition of the State of the World's Forests (SOFO) report, published May 22, in commemoration…

A new study says hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, puts COVID-19 patients at a higher risk of death. The study, titled "Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19: Why might they be hazardous?" published on Friday in the Lancet journal, highlighted that patients who took chloroquine, which hydroxychloroquine is derived from, were also…

In 2009 when John Ola landed a job as a contract staff at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), his take-home pay was ₦15,000. Not someone that keeps quiet when not pleased, he and his fellow domestic workers soon demanded a pay rise. They got it in 2011, and…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday said the world recorded over 100,000 new cases of coronavirus over the last 24 hours. This was announced by the WHO director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, during a press 0conference at the agency's headquarters, Geneva. “We still have a long way to go in this…

A recent study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health says particles of the coronavirus released by an infected person while talking can remain in the air for 8 to 14 minutes, a warning sign that airborne transmission might be more contagious than previously anticipated. The scientists behind the…

A biotech firm, Moderna, has reported 'positive' results from its COVID-19 vaccine trial. The firm said its 'closely watched early-stage human trial for a coronavirus vaccine produced COVID-19 antibodies in all 45 participants used in the trial." An antibody is a protective protein produced by the immune system in response…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has alerted the world over the possible emergence of a rare inflammatory disease in children that may be linked to the coronavirus. This was disclosed during a news conference at the agency's headquarters, Geneva, on Friday. The Head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit,…

With Nigeria one of 36 countries at the risk of an acute food crisis in Africa, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says it has scaled up its outreach to 1.2 million people monthly in the northeast region of the country in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. WFP's…

Easing coronavirus restrictions and reopening the economy too quickly could lead to a “vicious cycle” of economic crisis and health disasters, Mike Ryan, executive director, World Health Organisation (WHO) emergencies program, has said. Mr Ryan, who disclosed this on Wednesday at a press conference at the organisation's headquarters, Geneva, said…

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a loan facility of $1.2 billion to finance the mechanisation of agriculture in the country. Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the virtual FEC meeting anchored from the Council Chamber…

The National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) has certified 81,000 metric tons of seeds across the country, Philip Ojo, the director general, has said. This was disclosed by the official while addressing journalists in a virtual meeting, Tuesday. "Today as I speak with you, the industry has available at the disposal…