-
IITA, ILRA plan increased collaboration for agric development wo.
major international agncuHural centres have pledged to upscale e1fOJts to- tackle the hunger challenge in ALrica, a statement by both finns said.
T
The two centres are the Ibadan-
based Intelnutional Institute 01 "fiOpiCal Agnculture (UTA) and the Nairobi-b:ued International livestock Ruearch Institute (ILRlJ The two centres ale part or the Consultative Group on tntemauonal
Commurucations Officet Mr Godwm Atser, said thai both centres planned to build synergtes that would unleash the powero( crop and bvestock improvements to address poverty and malnulntion tn Afnca. II said that IITA Dlrector·General Nteranya Sanginga and ILRl Jimmy Snulh were bolding dIscussions in this
directton in Ibadan. Sanglnga had saId at a dinner organised in honour 01 Smith that he foresaw closer partnership between lhetwo institutes. He sald thai ITD\ alone could not solve all of Abica's problems, hence Ule need for partnership with institutes that have VISion as IITA He recalled that both mstitutes had jomed forces in the
past In bringrng benefits to AJncan farmers in projects such as 'Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in 8omo'{pROSAB),lheslatementsaid. "That project wtuch was unplemented in northern Nigeria helped raise Incomes by 81 per cent among participating households and also improved the nutrition ofbenefic:lanes.
Agncultural Research (CGlAR)
The CGIAH .IS a strategic alliance that umtes o"gamsations Involved in agncullural -esearch for sustainable development with the donors that fund such we fit. These donors include governmen:s of developing and industnalJse:t counlnes. foundations and tnterni-lional and regional organisaLon •. The work lht'>ysupport LS earned Ot t by the 15 members of the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres The centres work In close coUabnration with hundreds of partner organisations , including natIOnal ani regional agrlcuhural research irstitules. Civil society organisations, academia and the pnvate sector. The CGlAR now has 6" government.l1 and non-govemmental members ard supports 14 research centres and one mtergovemmental research cer tre. AfricaRice The CGlA.:t 15 sponsorl!tl by three UN agen'les the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). lnternationcl Fund for Agricultural Developmf'nt (IFAD). the UN Developme""lt Programme (UNDP) and theWorld Bank The statement stgned b ., IITA's Corporate
FG urged to build parks at Lagos ports to ease highways HE Ferieral Government has been urged to build truck parks around the lagos potts to reduce traffic congertIon on the adJOUUJlQ roads, Mr
T
Emmanuel [u~anacho, the Managmg Duector of Ir teyraled Oil and Gas lld.• made the suugertIon Ul an tnteJVlew In
Log""
He saJ.d th It rampant col'1Qestion on Expresswav was not ca'.l!'ed by ~ e _roleum tanio:ers alone IheaJ1achu Sf ic. thai about 70 per cent of Ihl" W Icks calIS ng COnqestlOI: Wlthm the ports were ltocks mO\1Ul~ conlamers In and oulofthl! ports. TheoLl mdgnatesaJ.d that Wlth the _eo..-el of port expansIOn and development. there was the need to upgrade the -oads dIld p&it.s Within the
Oshodl-~.paoa
ports
10 put a lasltng solution to the Incessant truffic congestion along the Oshodi-Ap.!pa Expressway, I thlOk governmen needs to invest more on in (rasirudul e such as road. parking lot, among olht!"S," he said HE". howevet commended heLagosSlaleGovemment for Us dJrecti1e to truck dnvers to desISt from parlonq on theelpress'o'o'ay.
J\ linisterof 1Tilde and Inyeslmenl, "fr. Olusegun AgdDgtJ (Jell) and Minister of FinanCff. Soulll AIrlCiJ. Afr. l'rilvin JiUIJniJdiJS Gordban, during i1 meeting on coopentlion bet ween A/rlCiHl counlries on the sidelines o/Me World Economic Forum. in Addis Ababil. EM iopla.
NDDC invites EFCC, ICPC to investigate its
activities
T
H E Niger. Oelta Development
Commission (NODC) has inVIted EFFC and ICPC to investigate its activities and to prosecute officials found to be ihvolved in corrupt practlces The EconoDllc and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCq and Independent Corrupt PractIces and Other Related OUences CommisSIon fJCPq are the two anti· graft agencies 10 Nigena. The Managing Diredor of NODe, Dr Christian Oboh , trade the statement in Port Harcourt during a senSI.tlsation campa _gn on Strengthening the C .Jlture of instItutIonal lntegnty. lhmsparency dnd Accountability. Oboh saJd the COmMISsion was willing to partner Wlth antl-COlTUplton agencies to ensure transparency and iICCOUI\tablhty to fasttrack the development of the NigerDelta region. He SaId that .. the pubbc perceplJon of NODC will change If officials are mvestigated 'He are even the ones inViting the anti-graft agencies to re-evaluate our aclJvities." The managing dlrecto ~ SaId the agency had rntroduced measures that
would check corruption 10 ItS operations . He said "the commlSslon ' s processes are now open to the pubhc . Recruitment examination is online and e. payment has been Introduced In the ISsuance 01 contracts "Our books are open . The law aUows people to ask questions on what we are doing : we should not develop the Niger-Delta on the pages of newspapers " Oboh promised that his admimstrahon would not relent in its deSire to eradicate corruption from the commISSIOn. Earlier. Mr Ekpo Nta . the Acting Chanman of ICPC. satd thai the transparency and accountabilIty of an organisation depended on the cre(hbility of individuals runrung it Nta urged NDCC 10 strengthen and empower Its anti-corruption umt for more effective results The Chauman of EFCC. Mr Ibrahim Lamorde. represented by Dr Davtd lllraka, sald NODCwBS an important organisation that must get things right in Its bid to develop the Nlge!·De!ta
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