Category: General

The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has condoled with the people of Morocco on the recent earthquake that claimed many lives and injured thousands.

Adesina in a statement described the incident as devastating and distressing.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Morocco, on Sept. 8, experienced an earthquake that claimed more than 2,000 lives and left thousands injured.

The AfDB boss said that the incident had brought much sorrow and untold hardship to many families in Morocco.

According to him, the earthquake threw the nation into grief.

“The distressing images emerging from Al Haouz, Taroudant, Chichaoua, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal and Agadir, have touched the hearts of people around the world.

“I am shocked and profoundly distressed by the heavy loss of lives to this tragedy, which left in its wake, enormous destruction of homes, offices, roads, hospitals and schools.

“On behalf of the AfDB Group, I extend my deepest condolences to His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, and every affected family.

“Words can scarcely convey our shared sense of grief and loss,” he said.

Adesina pledged the bank’s commitment to standing in solidarity with the people of Morocco and providing support.

He said: “Given the remoteness of the epicentre of the earthquake, AfDB is prioritising support for the protection of health facilities.

“We are also prioritising provision of clean drinking water to prevent further hardship.

“I wish to assure His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, and the people of the Kingdom of Morocco that AfDB is ready to contribute resources.

“We are ready to contribute expertise to help rebuild infrastructure in the affected communities.

“May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

“May God Almighty comfort all bereaved families and the entire nation.”

He also prayed for speedy recovery for the injured.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The age long tradition of preserving food with fresh leaves is fast going into extinction, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey reports.

The survey conducted by NAN on Sunday in Abuja revealed that most young people have no knowledge of this traditions which have enormous benefits.

Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, the National Coordinator, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, urged parents to train their children on the art and skills of using wrapping leaves at homes.

NAN reports that wrapping leaves known as Thaumatococus danielli grow and spread naturally under planted tree plantations.

Thaumatococcus daniellii is a plant species from Africa, known for being the natural source of thaumatin an intensely sweet protein which is of interest in the development of sweeteners.

The leaves are harvested and packed into large bundles, transported to small and large markets for retailing in small units. It is used to wrap hot food such as bean cake, corn meal, pounded yam and rice.

Olubamise said the skill gap in the arts of packaging food with wrapping leaves made many young ladies to prefer other packaging materials such as plastics and nylon and containers.

According to her, relegation and breakdown of our healthy cultural and societal values and our nutritional management and home economics are matters of concern.

“These are responsible for the difficulty encountered by younger women to learn the use of leaves and the kitchen techniques for wrapping local hot food with leaves.

“Findings obtained through food preparation workshop and exhibitions revealed that some parents have not made it a habit to train their daughters on the art and skills of using naturally available products such as wrapping leaves at home.

“The gap in knowledge transfer has affected many families making many younger women not ready to learn the skills even when they reach matured ages.

“The skill gap in arts of food preparation makes many young ladies to prefer other packaging materials such as plastics and nylon and containers.

“These unhealthy cultural, societal and environmental damaging habits are seen as modern approaches, but the trend is going down based on the popularity of the wrapping leaves and its preference by many people in the society.’’

According to her, nylon and plastics are damaging to the environment when not well managed.

“The first problem of nylon is that it is not biodegradable. It continues to sit on landfills for decades and not easily broken-down, constituting menace of solid waste in rural and urban management areas of the world.

“Nylon is a product of non-renewable resource (oil) and it contains micro plastic fibres which end up in waterways and oceans when it is washed off,’’ Olubamise said.

Also, Mr Alade Adeleke, the Director in charge of GEF Wrapping Leaf Project, stressed the need for relevant authorities to partner with farmers in the cocoa production systems to produce more wrapping leaves.

Adeleke said that this would ensure availability of the leaves and expand the economic opportunities for rural population, most especially women.

“Market survey done in 2017 suggests that a pack of 20 pieces of leaves cost an average of N150 which is equivalent to 0.35 dollar then.

“Today, a pack of 20 leaves in major city market is as high as N500 which is an equivalent of 0.60 dollar.

“Cost of transportation is higher and cost of collection from the very forest areas is also almost double, but nylon is more affordable and available,’’ he said.

Adeleke added that the trade in wrapping leaves sales provided occupation for over 500,000 people in different communities in south west of the country.

According to him, the trade has been around for centuries and continue to be a generation to generation enterprise that supports low income families in south west Nigeria.

Also speaking, Dr Emmanuel Beckley said wrapping leaves known as thaumatococcus Daniellii are much safer than nylon, plastic and containers.

“Food like bean cake and moi-moi package with wrapping leaves are much safer because when nylon is heated, it releases chemicals which can be carcinogenic to human health.

‘`The heated nylons are highly toxic and can cause reproductive problems, damages to the immune system and also interfere with the hormones thereby resulting to cancer.

“In nutshell, the leaves are beneficial in diverse ways such as helping in the management of diabetes and good functions of the organs in the body.”

According to Mrs Esther Monday, wrapping leaf is good but it is difficult to use to prepare food.

Mr Godwin Ezekiel said when he was still young in his village, his mother used wrapping leaves to prepare food but now his wife used nylon because she did not have the skill to use the wrapping leaves.

Mrs Hajara Ladi, a business woman, said that she preferred to eat moi-moi packaged with wrapping leaves but she found it difficult to get the leaves.

‘`I love moi-moi packaged with wrapping leaves; although I eat moi-moi that is made with nylon and tins due to scarcity of wrapping leaves”

‘`Moi-moi made with nylon needs a lot of ingredients to make it sweet and eatable because there is no special taste that comes with nylon,” Ladi said.

She said when she did not have money to buy nylon to package moi-moi, she used tin even though milk tin is stressful and easily hurts her hands when washing it.

“But all in all, “I love and prefer moi-moi packaged with wrapping leaves any day any time,” she said.

According to Mrs Abigail Adams, who sells food in new Nyanya market, Nasarawa state, the moi-moi packaged with wrapping leaf is very good because it is100 per cent natural and even adds flavour to the moi-moi.

Mr John Ndubuisi, a pharmacist in New Nyanya, Nasarawa State, said that the leaf is better than nylon because nylon is harmful to human body.

Ndubuisi warned people against cooking moi-moi and other foods in nylons, saying that it produced dioxins, a toxic substance that caused cancer.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The City of Tshwane has appealed to residents to use water sparingly as the city has experienced a sharp increase in water consumption beyond what can sustainably be supplied.

The city said the increase in water demand has resulted in some reservoirs within the city struggling and some areas being without water.

“The current high demand situation is putting customers at risk of having stringent restrictions imposed, which comes with additional costs for residents. Communities are implored to use water sparingly,” the city said in a statement.

According to the city, the areas where water consumption is significantly higher than what they should be consuming are Nellmapius; Leander Road Meter; Blair Athol Reservoir; Louwlardia Reservoir; Laudium Reservoir; Wonderboom Reservoir; Klapperkop H14; Lotus Gardens; Kosmosdal, and Doornkloof Reservoir.

Other areas with high consumption include Klapperkop Reservoir; Bakenkop Reservoir; Magaliesberg Reservoir; Garsfontein Reservoir; Soshanguve; Waterkloof Ridge Ext No 2; Constantia Park; Gastonbury Reservoir, and Grootfontein.

The city also noted that the Mooikloof Reservoir has been struggling with low to no water supply due to increased water consumption.

The city urged the residents to make the following water conservation measures part of their normal lifestyle:

• Do not water or irrigate gardens with hosepipes or sprinkler systems between 6am and 6pm;

• Do not wash vehicles with hosepipes; and

• Do not fill swimming pools.

“Furthermore, residents are urged to start using greywater to water gardens and flush toilets. Residents should report water leaks, burst pipes and all incidents where water is wasted. Where possible, water saving devices should be installed,” the city said.

Plan to respond to peak demand period

Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, has given Rand Water and the City of Tshwane two weeks to put together a medium- to long-term plan on how they are going to respond to the peak demand period that is exacerbated by high temperatures, interruptions in storage capacity recovery due to load shedding, non-revenue water, as well as how the city will receive the extra water to be allocated from Rand Water.

Mahlobo gave the directive during a meeting between Rand Water and the City of Tshwane.

During the meeting, the technical team — led by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Provincial Head Justice Maluleke; Rand Water Chief Executive Sipho Mosai and the City of Tshwane’s Group Head for Water and Sanitation Stephens Notoane — presented a report back on progress made on the action plan.

The plan had been presented and committed to by Rand Water and Tshwane, in order to restore water supply in areas that were experiencing challenges, and ensure sustainable and efficient supply in the city.

The meeting reported significant improvements, as water supply has been restored in most areas. However, it noted that some parts of the city, especially in high lying areas, are still grappling with water supply challenges as the system recovers.

Mahlobo expressed his appreciation to the city and water utility in how they handled the situation. He urged the two institutions to continue strengthening proactive cooperation and communication for the benefit of the citizens.

The Deputy Minister also reiterated the city’s call on residents to be considerate when using water, as some reservoirs in the city are experiencing slow recovery due to high water usage by people in low-lying areas.

He further urged the city to include in the plan how they will address the issue of leaks that is contributing to water losses in the distribution system. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Centre for Dry land Agriculture (CDA) of Bayero University, Kano says it plans to hold its fourth conference on dry land and food security from Sept. 12 to Sept. 14 in Kano.

Prof. Jibrin Mohammed-Jibrin, the Director, CDA, said this when he briefed newsmen in Kano on Monday.

“The biennial international conference on drylands is one of the programmes of the centre that provides a platform for disseminating research findings, networking and sharing experiences between scientist, practitioners and other stakeholders.

‘’The conference has the theme “Ecosystem Restoration and Natural Resources Management: Exploring Opportunities for Food Security in the Drylands” and “Improving Climate-Resilient Agriculture in West Africa: Leveraging the Success of the Regional Africa Centers of Excellence,’’ he said.

Mohammed-Jibrin said the theme aligned with the current United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration to address development changes and food security.

“This year’s conference 100 papers would be presented and bring together scientists, farmers, policymakers, CSO and private sector from United States, China and Senegal among others to share knowledge and experiences.

‘’The stakeholders will address low agricultural productivity, climate change, high population pressure and unsustainable land use in West Africa and Central Africa.

“The CDA is a World Bank and AFD-supported Africa Centre of Excellence in dryland agriculture.

“The Centre works in collaboration with various stakeholders to support adaptation to the changing environment in Africa drylands through training, research and outreach” Mohammed-Jibrin said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Director-General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari said the fund was equipping all its libraries with the requisite personnel and materials to boost staff and clients’ capacities.

Ari who was represented by Director of Field Services, Mrs Adetola Aje, stated this at the opening of ITF 16TH Library Week on Monday in Jos.

He said that libraries served as knowledge hubs and provided access to a wealth of educational and training resources.

According to him, the aim of equipping the libraries is to build staff capacities and clients’ interests in reading as technology advances at speedy rate.

Ari added that repositories of books, research materials and digital content, empowered the workforce to expand their learning horizons, enhance skills development initiatives, and foster a culture of continuous improvement in the workforce.

“Indeed, in an increasingly globalised world, libraries had become more important and integral to the activities as individuals and as a corporate entity.

“We want the staff of ITF and our clients to be at pace with the globalised world we are living in. We expect everybody to read more by taking advantage of recent books in our libraries.

“Let me use this opportunity to remind you that the ITF Community Readers Development Service Programme is coming in a few days’ time.

“Through this programme, the fund has over the years, taken practical steps to promote the reading culture among learners at both primary and secondary school levels.

“Educational materials are usually donated to participating students and pupils by ITF during the programme, by way of encouragement.

“This service is rendered to our immediate and surrounding communities as part of our social responsibilities,” he stated.

The D-G commended the Research and Curriculum Development Department (R&CDD) for their farsightedness in coming up with: “The Dialectics of knowledge management in a hlobalised age,” as the theme for the week.

According to him, in an era where information flows freely across borders and technology connects people like never before, the management of knowledge has become a critical factor in the success and sustainability of organizations, communities, and nations.

He described knowledge, as a powerful asset that was key to innovation, growth, and competitiveness.

Mr Faruk Wase, Director, Research and Curriculum Development Department in his remarks, said that the fund consistently organised the week because ITF was a citadel of learning.

“We are in the business of human capital development and capacity building and we cannot drive this without knowledge background.

“And the library week is one of the focal points we try to reiterate the need for people to try to harness their knowledge assets.

“We do it annually for people to be able to revamp their reading habits, reading attitudes and also to have access to new books and publications which we have been able to accumulate annually,” he added.

Prof. Victoria Lawal of University of Jos, in a presentation, said it centred on how organisations were supposed to work towards harnessing their tacit and explicit knowledge.

Lawal stated that organisations should work towards harnessing their knowledge for the purpose of remaining relevant, competitive and progressive in terms of their activities.

The academic said knowledge management was very important as society was growing to a level of technology where information sources were increasing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that goodwill messages were received from librarians of NTA TV College Jos and Nigerian Film Institute Jos.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Government has called for an end to the stigmatisation and discrimination of people with albinism, as South Africans observe National Albinism Awareness Month.

National Albinism Awareness Month is dedicated to people with albinism, to highlight their pride, challenges and finding solutions.

“We have the opportunity to pause, reflect and remember that not all persons are treated equally, and that many people with albinism continue to suffer human rights abuses and violations, often invisibly and in silence,” the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities said in a statement on Monday.

The department said people with albinism continue to face an uphill struggle to attain a life with dignity and equality, and fight against injustice and multiple forms of discrimination because it is still profoundly misunderstood – socially and medically.

Albinism is a rare genetic condition that reduces the amount of melanin pigment formed in the skin, hair or eyes and occurs in all racial and ethnic groups throughout the world.

The department said during this month, all endeavours should be channelled towards the provision of information on albinism to create awareness.

The department, in collaboration with the National Albinism Task Force, will host an Albinism Community Outreach programme and webinar for youth with albinism to engage on pressing issues faced by youth and people with albinism in the country.

This year’s National Albinism Awareness Month is celebrated under the theme: ‘Inclusion is strength’, which builds from last year’s theme of ‘United in making our voice heard’.

The theme aims to ensure the inclusion of the voices of people with albinism in all sectors of life, and emphasises the importance of inclusion of a diversity of groups from both within and outside the albinism community.

“This will help people to understand people with albinism and the challenges they face. People must understand that albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition which occurs worldwide regardless of ethnicity or gender.

“People with albinism are entitled to civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights recognised in the Bill of Rights and our Constitution in South Africa,” the department said.

The department called on people in communities and workplaces, both in the public and private sectors, to organise Albinism Awareness Month activities. These include organised talks about albinism, fun days, picnics, charity walks and fun runs.

White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

South Africa has a White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is a call to action for government, civil society and the private sector to work together to ensure the social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities is achieved, and this includes people with albinism.

The department emphasised that the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are particularly relevant, and both guarantee protection against discrimination.

“Equality and non-discrimination are essential human rights principles for people with albinism, owing to their vision impairment and their needs regarding preventive measures to address their vulnerability to skin cancer.” – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency