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  • UN, FAO raise alarm: Food insecurity looms in Northern Nigeria

    UN, FAO raise alarm: Food insecurity looms in Northern Nigeria

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Global Environment Facility (GEF) said the United Nations (UN) – Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had warned that people in northern Nigeria are at risk of acute food insecurity.

    The UN-FAO projected that an estimated 13 million people in the area face the risk of acute food insecurity in the next few
    months.

    Ms Rhoda Dia, Project Manager, UNDP – GEF, in charge of Resilient Food Security Project, gave out this information on Wednesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Dia who spoke on phone with NAN said the warning had become imperative because the country was facing growing levels of acute food insecurity due to decades of insecurity across the country.

    She said the insecurity had resulted in increasing poverty and economic crises.

    According to Dia, the situation has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and recently, the series of clashes between farmers and herders.

    She stated that, women, girls and the elderly were the most vulnerable groups to climate change, adding that it was because they were highly exposed to climate risks.

    Dia said that the adaptive capacity of these groups was low, which according to her was constrained by poor quality of access to, and control of resources.

    She added that they were more likely to live in poverty, as they were traditionally excluded from the decision-making process at local, national, and international levels.

    “Food production requires the use of valuable resources such as land, ecosystems, water, energy among others and its wastage results in high water and carbon footprint losses,” Dia said.

    She said that the global estimate of agricultural waste produced yearly was approximately 1,000 million tonnes with a current market size for waste to energy of 30 billion dollars at a rate of 4.4 per cent.

    The Project Manager said that, Nigeria’s palm oil production industry alone generated over 90 million tonnes of effluent annually.

    “The country is also generating 4.34 million tonnes of rice straw and 0.9 million of rice husk, and has an estimated 19.5 million cows which also generate waste.

    “With the increasing Nigeria population, it is projected that the quantity of agriculture waste generated in the country will triple in coming decades,” she said.

    Dia said that with respect to agricultural waste, there existed the potential of resourcefully reusing the materials to reduce environmental harm and boost soil fertility and farm productivity.

    She said that the time was ripe for northern regions to tap into the potential present in converting agricultural wastes to energy as well as other economically viable re-purposed products.

    Dia said it was against this backdrop that Sonvisage Nig. Ltd. in collaboration with the UNDP- GEF- IAP Project was training extension agents from project communities.

    She said the training was on Waste-to-Wealth that is, rice and groundnut waste re-purpose for self-reliance training.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UNDP-GEF is currently training extension agents in Kano on how to turn waste to energy (briquettes making) and waste to animals feed (livestock and poultry).

  • No responsible leadership in Northern Nigeria – Gov Matawalle

    No responsible leadership in Northern Nigeria – Gov Matawalle

    Governor Mohammed Matawalle has lamented that the North lacks responsible leadership to steer it through troubled waters the region finds itself, as its ruling elite have no vision for the region beyond gaining political power.

    The governor also warned that banditry ravaging the Northwestern region of Nigeria can swallow the entire country if necessary measures are not taken to curb the menace.

    He, however, said that agelong injustice and leadership failure were responsible for the banditry ravaging the region, and not the much-talked-about mining in Zamfara.

    Matawalle stated this in Kaduna, while presenting a lead paper entitled “The Fight Against Banditry in Northwest Nigeria: Challenges and Solutions” during the inauguration of the new executives of Arewa Media Writers’ Association held at Kabir Gymnasium.

    Represented by his Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, the Governor also described lack of support from a section of political elite interested in taking advantage of the crises to score political points and reluctance by affected ”states” to embrace peace dialogue as bottlenecks to ending banditry and other related crimes in the region.

    “When I assumed office on May 29, 2019, Zamfara State had already been mired in a serious security crisis for over a decade, marked by banditry, livestock rustling, kidnapping, and a host of other crimes. On an almost daily basis, the state was in the news for bloodletting, fire, pillage, and significant displacement of people, particularly those living in rural areas.

    “The historical, economic, social and cultural ties between the dominant communities of Fulani and Hausa were ruptured; farming activities across the state were halted, and commercial activities were crippled.

    “With poverty on the increase and food security seriously affected by the crisis, the state was on the verge of a catastrophic social eruption capable of destabilising our communities and the Northwest sub-region.

    “Rural banditry in Zamfara and other parts of the North, in my opinion, is as a result of the progressive degradation of our moral standards and a culture of greed fed by an unfettered need for material goods.

    “The North lacks responsible leadership to steer it through our time’s uncharted waters. Our ruling elite have no vision for the region beyond gaining political power. We have all seen how the elite in the Southeast and Southwest respond in unison to all matters concerning their regions’ development.

    “We have seen how they have a defined agenda and are relentless in their pursuit of regional development.

    “Unless we wake up to the situation, the war against banditry in the Northwest will remain a significant security challenge that has the potential to swallow the region and the country. The destruction that banditry is wreaking on the region’s people and the economy is unfathomable,” he said.

    The Governor said part of the efforts made by his administration to combat banditry in Zamfara was trying to understand the root cause of the conflict.

    He said it was discovered that rural banditry in Zamfara and other parts of the North is a result of “progressive degradation of our moral standards and a culture of greed fed by an unfettered need for material good. The culture of cattle raiding by pastoralist groups is not something new. It was practised in the days gone by to demonstrate courage and bravery, and no violence was used.

    He, however, appealed to Northern leaders to “wake up from their lethargy and unite in combating this grave challenge. We need to get to the roots of the situation, stop politicising it and act decisively.”

  • Nigeria will burn if Northerners retaliate attacks – ACF

    Nigeria will burn if Northerners retaliate attacks – ACF

    The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has said that Nigeria will be in flames if Northerners retaliate the attacks on them in other regions.

    Emmanuel Yawe, ACF’s spokesman, said this while cautioning Northern youths against retaliation in the face of all forms of provocations.

    Yawe begged Northern youths to remain calm and not set Nigeria ablaze by avenging attacks.

    Yawe in a statement recalled how the 1960’s retaliatory killings set the country in flames.

    “You see the thing about the north is that people will be provoking the north and the north will just keep quiet, but once the north retaliates, the whole country will go in flames.

    “So we will continue to advise northern youths not to take the law into their hands, they should remain calm and not set the country ablaze,” he said.

    The appeal by the ACF spokesperson is coming at a time some Northern groups declared Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, wanted for the destruction and killings of Northerners in the Southeast.

    17 Northern groups under the aegis of the Northern Consensus Movement (NCM) had made the declaration while placing a bounty of N100m on Kanu.

  • Special Report: Looming hunger in Northern Nigeria as bandits, flood truncate farming activities

    Special Report: Looming hunger in Northern Nigeria as bandits, flood truncate farming activities

    Activities of bandits and the inevitable flooding in the climax of the raining season is already threatening to push some communities in Northern Nigeria especially, the North-West into famine.

    While the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported in September this year that over a hundred thousands homes and wide areas of crops have been destroyed in recent flooding in Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto states, some farmers in bandits ravaged areas in Kaduna State have abandoned their crops and farms for fear of being Kidnapped for ransom.

    In Jigawa State alone, about 50,000 homes in 17 out of the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) are reportedly damaged.

    In an interview with TheNewsGuru.com, TNG, Jigawa based Journalist Malami Ibrahim revealed that an estimated 100,000 persons in the state may experience hunger and starvation thereby adding to the already alarming poverty rate in the state. He said that the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reported early in September this year said that as many as 20 people have died in the flooding. Many of those fatalities were as a result of building collapse. “Close to fifty thousand Persons are displaced in seventeen local governments, their farmlands are not saved either, they seriously need attention….” Ibrahim said.

    The situation is similar in Sokoto and it’s neighboring Kebbi state. The two neighboring states who are known for their perennial flood related ecological issues are now battling to tame the August flood disaster that is threatening the livelihoods of it’s citizens which is predominantly agrarian.

    TNG gathered that about 11 LGAs namely; Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Suru, Koko-Besse, Yauri, Shanga, Bagudo, Maiyama, Jega and Dandi are affected by flood. “…..six bridges are completely destroyed, about 500,000 hectares of crops including rice, millet, sorghum, maize and sugarcane are completely bad….” Hussaini Jalo a sugar-cane farmer told TNG. Two among many actualities is the fact these farmers will not send any yield to the market as usual and more disturbing, feeding themselves and their families.

    Known for cultivating Rice, Kebbi farmers are now disquieted, they seeking for Stimulus and relief packages from their governor Atiku Bagudu. TNG spoke to a resident of Dandi local government via the telephone, according to her she lost a complete two acres of rice farm to flood. She said she is not the only one affected by the flood. After meeting a host of sources from Kebbi, TNG authoritatively gathered that about 600,000 acres of farmland have been destroyed by flood.

    Goronyo, Rabah, Sokoto-North, Wamakko, Silame and Binji are the local government affected by the recent flood in sokoto with up to 27,000 farmers loosing their sources of livelihoods and over 5000 displaced.

    Kaduna and Neighboring Kano States have mile case. The two states known for high commercial activities may not have to worry like their Jigawa, Sokoto and Kebbi counterparts. Only Danbatta and Rogo Local government are affected by flood in Kano. TNG gathered that only four people died from the recent flood in Kano and only houses numbering 200 according to the Kaduna State Emergency Management agency where destroyed.

    TNG notes that while Kaduna was yet to witness any devastating flood disaster as at the time of filing this report, however, the continuous warning drums of hunger and starvation have continued to beat especially in Gwada and Kargo villages in Igabi local government areas of the state where residents alleged that bandits have forced them to abandon their crops in the farms.

    Aminu Musa told TNG that he cultivated guinea-corn worth N25,000 last year but couldn’t harvest for fear of being Kidnapped. “kudin jari noman dubu goma ne na kashe sa’anan da noman da shuki duka na Kash dubu ishirin da buyer….” Musa said bitterly in Hausa meaning, “I paid N10,000 to be given the farmland and further spent N25,000 to buy and plant the guinea-corn ….” Musa said since last year only farmlands within the neighborhoods are being cultivated which is not enough to feed his family.

    Sani Abdullahi from same Gwada also claimed he has to abandon a farmland given to him in Kargo village for fear of the bandits. He said the bandits attack and loot their Communities. “we use to here them testing their guns….” Abdullahi said. Asked whether they have reported the matter to authorities, he said on several occasions police and the Army have gone round on patrol but found no on. “I have no choice than to start relying on some petty business that can afford me drinking water, Abdullahi said.

    CSO berets FG, States

    Early detection warning was taken with non-nonchalant attitude, Comrade Abantlehe Executive director , MEDIA CRUX told TNG. According to Mr Abantlehe, “NIMET predictions was not adhered to by both the state and federal government. Governance is serious business of protecting lives and properties of the flood. Whether man-made or not it is a must that predictions any disaster must be taken with serious with immediate alacrity….” He said. He added that the impact of climate change which is very key in the factors that causes flood should be tamed. “Northern Nigeria is known with a small amount of trees which are also removed illegally for commercial purposes, I think a tree planting program should be introduced in the north, if this is done flood will be reduced, also there are no drainage in Northern Nigeria, the north have a poor Architectural setting, this must be tamed….” he said.

    “….The various state government may also have to adopt hunger prevention strategies during the ongoing harvest season to avoid famine come 2021 dry season….” He added

    On the issues of bandits in Igabi, Abantlehe said ; ” it is because the bandits are carrying arms if not the villages would have repel them…. We must tame the proliferation of light arms into the country. Let there be a collaborations between the countries where these arms are coming from so they will killing farmers, our borders must be controlled….” He said. He added that unemployment and poverty is another factor. “Since the bandits Kidnap and ask for money it means they are hungry so government must create jobs…..” He added.

  • El-Rufai: Northern Nigeria backward, uneducated, unhealthy

    Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasiru El-Rufa’i, was unsparing in his assessment of Northern Nigeria on Saturday as he described the region as backward, uneducated and unhealthy.
    He also quickly added the positives, some that may be controversial: the north feeding the nation, producing its richest citizen, the northerners less involved in fraud and being more honest and the north being the most populous region.
    El-Rufa’i gave this view during the Northern Youth Summit organized by Northern Hibiscus Initiative in Kaduna.
    He said the northern region has made Nigeria a country of nations.
    “Looking at the statistics, Nigeria appears to be a middle income country,
    but if we segregate those statistics across states and zones, you will see that in terms human development indicators, Nigeria consist of two countries; there is a backward, less educated and unhealthy Northern Nigeria and a developing, largely educated and healthy southern Nigeria.
    “The theme of this summit, ‘Awakening the Arewa Spirit’ is very timely. When we talk about awakening the spirit, it means the spirit is either sleeping or dead.
    “We have to speak the truth to ourselves and ask why is it that, northern Nigeria has development indicators similar to Afghanistan, a country still at war.
    “Nigeria has the largest number of poor people in the world, most of them in northern Nigeria.
    “Nigeria also has the largest number of out of school children, virtually all of them in Northern Nigeria.
    ” Northern Nigeria has become the centre of drug abuse, gender violence, banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
    “We have also been associated with high divorce rate and breakdown of families.
    “These are the challenges that confront us. This is the naked truth that we have to tell ourselves.
    “We must therefore as leaders at all levels have conversation about the way forward for our part of the country.
    “Because increasingly, as many of you must have seen on social media, we are being considered as the parasite of the federal economy, even though, that is not entirely true.
    “This is because Northern Nigeria still feeds the nation. The richest business man in Nigeria is still Aliko Dangote not someone from Southern Nigeria, thank God for that.”
    He however noted that in spite of the negative statistics, northerners are generally considered to be more honest and less corrupt than other Nigerians.
    “That is something we should be proud of.
    “In addition, our demographic superiority gives us a very powerful tool to negotiate in politics and that is something we should be proud of and we should preserve. So, we have every reason to unite and not be divided.
    “So, we still have a lot to be proud of. We should be proud of our culture and tradition, as well as unity.
    “You hardly can find someone from Northern Nigeria convicted of 419 or being a Yahoo boy. That is something we should be proud of.”
    El-Rufa’i said youth account for 80 per cent of the northern population as such the future of the region lies in their hands, “not in the hands of Dinosaurs like me.”
    According to him, people of his age ought not to be in leadership if the youth will unite to assume their rightful place.
    “In my view, we are here to prepare the next generation of leaders. That is why the agenda for this summit is very important.
    “So, you should take the panel discussions very seriously and come up with very clear and implementable decisions that you will circulate to all of us elected to lead in Northern Nigeria.”
    He said that the outcome of the summit should be forwarded to the Chairman of Northern States Governors Forum.
    “We have to do something about the situation of Northern Nigeria and we must do so as a group of 19 Governors, not individual state Governors.
    “I am however persuaded that, this gathering and its panel discussions will find solutions to the problems.” the governor said.
    El-Rufa’i appealed to the organizers to make it an annual event, assuring that the Kaduna State Government will be happy to partly sponsor it.

  • Why Northern Nigeria will continue to remain poor – Dangote

    African richest and Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has said Northern Nigeria will continue to remain poor except states governments move to close the development gap between the north and the south.

    Dangote, who spoke at the 4th edition of the Kaduna Investment Summit (KadInvest 4.0) in Kaduna on Wednesday, berated Northern governors for doing little to end poverty in the region.

    According to him: “Nigeria is ranked at 157th out of 189 countries on the human development index. While the overall socio-economic condition in the country is a cause for concern, the regional disparities are in fact very alarming.

    “In the North Western and North Eastern parts of Nigeria, more than 60 per cent of the population lives in extreme poverty.

    “It is instructive to know that the 19 Northern states which accounts for over 54 per cent of Nigeria’s population and 70 per cent of its landmass, collectively generate, only 21 per cent of the total subnational IGR in the year 2017.

    “Northern Nigeria will continue to fall behind if the respective states governments do not move to close the development gap.

    “And that is why we are always saying the biggest challenge that we have and what we have been praying for is to have 10 governors like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to move the northern Nigeria forward.

    “Closing the gap requires multi years investment and goverment will not be able to raise the require capital funding, only the private sector can raise the capital to fund the level of investment that this country needs.”

    He went on: “Therefore, government must create the conducive environment that will trigger a huge inflow of private capital into attractive sectors of the economy.

    “Private investment will create jobs and will ameliorate the twin problem of poverty and unemployment.

    “As more people are gainfully employed, you will witness a very sharp decline in some of the disturbing social vices prevalent in our society, especially among the youths.”

    While urging other northern states to emulate Kaduna State Government in the investment drive, Dangote said aside the over $500 million investment El-Rufai’s goverment has attracted, Dangote Group is patnering Peugeot of France and Kaduna State government to establish multi-billion naira automobile assembly in Kaduna State.

    He also disclosed Dangote Group will be considering investing in dairy production in Kaduna state, saying the trend of importing 98 per cent of milk consumed in Nigeria at the rate of $1.3 billion is unhealthy coupled with the fact that the imported milk is unhealthy.

  • Tasty foods for the Northern Nigeria traveller

    Northern Nigeria offers numerous attractions for tourists, and besides visiting the tourist-worthy sites, travellers can also enjoy tasty traditional food of the north.

    Although the food of the region is not considered as the primary reason for its popularity, one cannot ignore the fact that the Northerners have contributed richly to Nigeria’s national food identity. Below, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares traditional foods of the Northerners.

    Burabisco

    A traditionally made couscous meal common to Northern Nigeria, especially in Maiduguri, Burabisco is loved and enjoyed by many. Usually paired with spicy stew of meat and vegetables, its rich ingredients categorize it among luxurious dishes in the region.

    Miyan Kuka

    Miyan Kuka is certainly the most famous northern Nigerian soup and translated as “Boabab leaf soup”. The green draw-soup is made from ground baobab leaf and special spices, preferably ‘Yaji’ – a mixture of ground pepper, ginger, garlic and other seasonings/herbs.

    Tuwon Dawa

    This is a side dish made with ground guinea-corn made thick and cassava. It is best eaten with soups like Kuka and okra. This meal is unique majorly because it is best prepared with firewood.

    Tuwon Shinkafa

    This mouth-watering dish is possibly the most popular foods in the Northern part of Nigeria. It is also very palatable and widely embraced by other cultures in the country. The meal consists of thick rice pudding and spicy sauce. If you are visiting the region, try this meal to broaden the spectrum of your taste. And once tried, you may find it hard to resist the temptation of re-ordering.

    Pate

    A dish usually prepared with ground corn or rice, cooked with vegetables, tomatoes, onions, pepper, garden egg, locust beans, groundnut, biscuit bone, meats minces and sometimes, assorted meat parts, Pate is largely consumed in Kaduna, Nassarawa, Plateau and other Northwestern states. This dish is primarily porridge and is an all-time favourite liked by almost all age groups.

     

  • Gov. El-Rufai worries over rising security challenges in Northern region

    Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State has described insecurity in the northern region as a major challenge that require the involvement of the region’s leaders for solution.

    He said this on Tuesday while receiving an entourage of the Zamfara Council of Chiefs on a courtesy call in his office.

    The delegation was led by its Chairman, the Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad.

    El-Rufai described the prevailing insecurity in the region as a menace that required a combined effort to solve with active involvement of traditional rulers.

    The Kaduna governor also called on journalists to continue to be objective and ethical in their reportage of events in the region, as well as shun reports that fan the embers of hate in the country.

    Ahmad who led the delegation had in an address lamented over incessant cases of kidnappings, cattle rustling, banditry among others in Zamfara and the entire northern region.

    He said there was need to re-strategise security agencies’ efforts toward fighting the menace.

    The Emir appealed to the governor to fully involve royal fathers in the security council of the state to curtail the menace.

    He said their convergence on Kaduna was for a conference aimed at finding lasting solution to the security threat bedeviling the entire region and pleaded for support from northern governors.

     

  • Buhari asked us to divert developmental strides to northern Nigeria – World Bank

    The President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim on Thursday said President Muhammadu Buhari specifically requested that the bank restricts its developmental grants to the northern part of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the northern Nigeria has over the years been ravaged by the deadly insurgent group, Boko Haram.

    The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund however advised the Federal Government to invest in human capital development to fast track the development of the region and the nation at large.

    Jim Yong Kim and the Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, spoke at separate press conferences in Washington DC, United States on Thursday.

    Kim said, “You know, in my very first meeting with President Buhari he said specifically that he would like us to shift our focus to the northern region of Nigeria and we’ve done that. Now, it has been very difficult. The work there has been very difficult.

    “I think Nigeria, of course, has suffered from the dropping oil prices. I think things are just now getting better. But the conversation we need to have with Nigeria, I think, is in many ways related to the theme that I brought to the table just this past week, which is investment in human capital. The percentage of the Gross Domestic Product that Nigeria spends on healthcare is less than one percent.”

    He added, “Despite that, there is so much turbulence in the northern part of the country, and there is the hit that was taken from the drop in the oil prices. Nigeria has to think ahead and invest in its people. Investing in the things that will allow Nigeria to be a thriving, rapidly growing economy in the future is what the country has to focus on right now.”

    Kim also said, “Focusing on the northern part of Nigeria, we hope that as commodity prices stabilise and oil prices come back up, the economy will grow a bit more. But very, very much important is the need to focus on what the drivers of growth in the future will be.”

    According to the World Bank boss, the bank will invest in human capital in other parts of Africa in order to prepare the continent for the next phase of growth.

    Lagarde, in her remarks, said Sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, had posted suboptimal growth in recent times.

    The growth figures, she said, were far too small considering the huge demographic potential of Nigeria and other countries in the region.

    As a result, she said the IMF would be engaging ministers of finance and central bank governors from the region attending the annual World Bank and IMF meetings on how they could boost and stabilise economic growth.

    Lagarde said, “The Sub-Saharan Africa is one region of the world where growth is suboptimal. Those countries grow at an average growth of 2.5 per cent. That is too low for the demographic expansion of the region.”

  • Food security experts predict famine in Nigeria [Video]