Category: General

Addis Ababa, A project aimed at establishing commercially viable and sustainable forage markets for dairy producers in Ethiopia was launched today.

Speaking during the launching ceremony, Livestock Development Institute Director-General Asrat Tera said the project focuses on increasing the demand for climate-smart forage among small-scale producers in dairy villages, increasing the supply of nutrient-dense climate-smart forage grown locally, and strengthening the enabling environment for forage market development.

The project will be implemented in six regions of Ethiopia—Oromia, Amhara, Sidama, Central, Southern, and South West Ethiopia—and bring best practices to the other regions, he added.

The Nourishing Prosperity Alliance Forage project in Ethiopia will be implemented in collaboration with various pertinent bodies, including CortevaAgriscience, Forage Genetics International (FGI), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and local partners of the Nourishing Prosperity Alliance (NPA), with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Land O’Lakes Venture 37, it was learned.

According to Asrat, the project directly aligns with the millstone of Yelemat Tirufat, and hence the Ministry of Agriculture renders whatever support is needed to achieve the milestones of the project through its local partner institutions.

Land O’Lakes Venture 37 Group Director, Dai Harvey, said the project will be implemented in the next 5 years.

The Nourishing Prosperity Alliance Forage project is looking at the commercialization of forage in Ethiopia and also in Kenya to improve animal nutrition so as to improve the productivity of animals across East Africa.

The group director pointed out that in Ethiopia’s context, the project will significantly contribute to improving the productivity of the dairy animals with the view to enhancing the amount of milk being produced from existing dairy animals across Ethiopia, starting in high-dairy potential regions of the country

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen has launched Next Ethiopian Startup (NEST) initiative today.

Launching the initiative, Demeke noted that technology is crucial for realizing development ambitions and building strong nation.

NEST is a great opportunity for a country like Ethiopia and its huge population to overcome poverty and be competent at the global level, it was learned.

Accordingly, NEST is a groundbreaking national startup ecosystem development initiative which will be a central element for the startup innovation.

The need for policy and financial support to startups was also stressed during the occasion as they are instrumental to expedite economic development by creating sustainable jobs.

The NEST was launched in collaboration with Ministry of Innovation and Technology and Ministry of Labor and Skills as the objectives of the initiative include building the culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and creating competent startup.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa, The 116th National Army Day would honor heroes who have sacrificed their lives to protect their country for centuries, Ethiopian Defense Force Deputy Chief of Staff General Abebaw Tadesse said.

Army Day will be colorfully celebrated on October 26, 2023.

Briefing the media in connection with Army Day, Deputy Chief of General Staff General Abebaw Tadesse said Ethiopia is a country with a long-lived army that has been protecting the country from enemies together with the people.

The main purpose of marking the day is to honor the heroes who have fought enemies for centuries and to renew their oath to protect and pass the country on to the next generation.

He also said that it is a commemoration when the army can prepare for future duties by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the past year and strengthening the responsibility of protecting the country.

“It is a commemoration where we say it is impossible to provoke and harass our country.”

According to him, the day is also a time when we send a message to our people to play their part in protecting the country by being on our side.

Meanwhile, a panel discussion was organized today in connection with Army Day.

At the panel discussion, Defense Intelligence Department Chief General Getachew Gudina said that the defense forces have been struggling to protect the country and ensure peace and security.

According to him, the National Defense Force will continue strengthening its efforts to maintain the country and ensure peace and security in the region.

Ethiopia has built an army that will overcome recurring challenges and carry out its mission with quality and efficiency, as well as better discipline, General Getachew noted.

The national army is a true symbol of the country, and Ethiopia’s military power, population size, relative internal stability, and diplomatic strength have enabled it to position itself as a regional power and to drive regional peace and security initiatives.

Ethiopia has also been able to influence regional security agendas through sub-regional and regional organizations.

Undoubtedly, Ethiopia plays a key role in the security complex of the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia, which is located in a geographically strategic location, also enjoys relative power among the countries in this region.

Regardless of the external and internal problems, Ethiopia’s position is growing from time to time, just as its economic and political potential has developed

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa, The third round of talks on the Rules and Guidelines for the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) ended today, 24th October 2023, in Cairo, Egypt, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the two-day intensive negotiations, the Ethiopian delegation was led by Ambassador Seleshi Bekele, Chief Negotiator while the Egyptian delegation was led by Prof. Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt, and the Sudanese delegation was led by Eng. Dawelbeit Abdelrahman, Acting Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources of the Sudan.

The delegations of the three countries conducted a discussion to find areas of convergence to conclude agreement, the ministry said in a statement , adding that at the conclusion of this round of talks, it was agreed to hold the next round in December 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia remains committed to reaching a win-win outcome based on the cardinal principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile River.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Attorney-General (A-G) of Borno, Mrs Hauwa Abubakar, says the state is not a war zone contrary to insinuations in some quarters.

Abubakar made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the sideline of the 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) National Validation Conference in Abuja.

She stressed that contrary to a media report that there was escalation of Boko Haram atrocities in Borno lately, the state had been peaceful.

She said though there were challenges inhibiting against tackling the issues of human right abuse in the country, the state government was not resting on its oars.

“The state government is up to it to tackle all the issues.

“For instance, there was a recent news by one of the newspapers reporting an incidence of escalation of Boko Haram atrocities (in Borno).

“But the truth is that Borno has been peaceful. Of course, we are still in the insurgency, it hasn’t stopped.

“So it is inevitable for us to hear one or two attacks here and there,” she said.

The A-G recalled that few years back, there were lots of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri camps but that the state government had been able to relocate many of the IDPs back to their communities while some of the IDP camps had been closed down.

“That’s to tell you that we are on top of it and all that we need is support, especially from the media, to show the effort the state government is doing in tackling all these issues because Borno State is not a war zone as a lot of people think,” she said.

She said the government was making effort to uphold the rule of law, especially the provision of Chapter 4 of the constitution about fundamental human rights, in its effort to bring back peace to the state.

According to her, the Borno State government is making a lot of efforts; a lot of bills were passed into laws in upholding rule of law, human rights protection, to make Borno better.

“The policy of His Excellency, Prof. Babagana Zulum, is to see that all the victims of Boko Haram Have been treated fairly, rehabilitated and resettled back into the communities.

“We are doing so much and doing it so well notwithstanding what we have gone through.

“Borno State is coming out better and stronger out if it,” she said.

She said kinetic approach to war against Boko Haram by Gov. Babagana Zulum-led government had yielded results and stil yielding results for the state.

“The insurgents will come out and surrender and there is an entry point where they are being received.

“When they are received, we have a rehabilitation centre for them to be rehabilitated.

“Their welfare is being taken care of and I think that is a great effort by Borno State government in rehabilitating them and making sure that they don’t go back to that criminalities again,” she said.

Earlier, Mr Abdulraman Yakubu, Director of Civil and Political Rights, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said the essence of the event was for Nigeria to comply with UN guidelines by preparing its national report to the UN Human Rights Council under the mechanism of UPR.

Yakubu, who was also the Co-Secretary of Inter-Ministerial Committee on UPR, said the guideline was that any country being reviewed and preparing its report must consult widely and broadly.

“Today, we are having a larger gathering of stakeholders coming from across the country to validate the draft report that has been prepared by the committee and the consultants,” he said

The Lead Consultant, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, SAN, said UPR was about peer review mechanism where members state of UN judge other state members on their human rights records

Ezeilo, who was former UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, said Nigeria had done well on issues of human rights in some areas and regressed in others.

“But it is a constant continued process. That is why this is important,” she said.

NAN reports that the UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Members States.

The Abuja meeting was to help to contribute to Nigeria’s ability to develop an objective and Independent report on the efforts to promote and protect human rights in compliance with international obligations.

Nigeria was reviewed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2009, 2013 and 2018 during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd UPR Cycles respectively, and preparations have been ongoing for Nigeria’s 4th review scheduled between January and February 2024.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Anambra government said it apprehended one Oluchukwu Nwosu, 45, who allegedly sold her three-month-old grand child for N50,000.

The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, disclosed this at a news conference in Awka on Sunday.

Obinabo said that the baby had been rescued, following consistent intelligence report and surveillance that lasted almost a month.

“The rescue operation followed a report by Ijeoma Nwosu, who claimed that her mother, Oluchukwu, forcefully sold her baby soon after he was born and refused to tell her the baby’s whereabouts.

“Following receipt of the allegation, the ministry immediately took action to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.

“Four suspects involved in the crime have been apprehended and would be handed over to the police for questioning and further investigation.

“It is sad that the baby is looking sick and underweight.

“According to the buyer, she has no money to buy proper baby food and she resorted to feeding the baby with soya bean powder,” she said

The commissioner frowned at the continued practice of illegal adoption in the state, in spite of government’s efforts to put an end to it.

She warned that perpetrators of unlawful adoption would be made to face legal actions.

Speaking with newsmen, Oluchukwu pleaded for forgiveness, saying that the baby she sold was the third child her daughter, Ijeoma, had outside wedlock.

“We are poor. There is no money to feed and take care of ourselves and the children.

“So, when I met one Tochukwu Asiegbu, we bargained and agreed that he will pay N50,000 and he paid me the money,” she said.

Also, Asiegbu said his profit from the deal was N30,000, adding that he only connected Oluchukwu to the buyer.

The buyer, one Evelyn Egwuatu, from Uruagu in Nnewi, said she paid N200,000 to obtain the baby from one Ebelechukwu Uba, who hail from Ebonyi but resident in Anambra

Uba, however, said he was just a middleman, adding that Asiegbu and Oluchukwu, made the decision to sell the baby to Egwuatu. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Dr Femi Lanre-Oke, the Presiding Pastor, Jesus Praise Evangelical Ministries International (JPEMI), on Sunday called on leaders globally, to promote peace, security and address challenges causing disunity and war affecting citizens.

Lanre-Oke made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the church’s fifth annual convention, themed “Greater Works”, held in Abuja.

According to him, imbibing the virtues of Jesus will aide in addressing the challenges affecting the global world, especially in relation to love, peace and reconciliation .

He noted that insecurity was not only prevalent in Nigeria, adding that the current armed conflict between Israel and Hamas was an avenue for leaders to strategise towards reconciliation.

“We are concerned. Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called the children of God. We love peace and we want them to reconcile and we are praying that God will intervene.

“We pray that God touches those who need to take decisions so that they will know what to do and how to do it,” he said.

While emphasising on the need to love and forgive, the cleric admonished Christians and others to unite towards tackling issues of insecurity and kidnapping, among others, in Nigeria.

“By the time we come into the greater works of Jesus, there will be relative peace, insecurity, kidnapping will reduce.

“We cannot say everything will go, but it will reduce drastically and development will be very visible.

“We will love our neighbours, bring solutions to our neighbours and destroy the works of darkness,” he said.

He added that the conference was an opportunity for the word of God to be fulfilled and manifested in the lives of people, as many prayers and miracles were experienced. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Borno Government has banned street begging and loitering in Maiduguri city and environs.

Thisx is contained in a public notice issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prof. Usman Tar, on Sunday in Maiduguri.

Tar said street begging and aimless loitering were not part of the culture of Borno people.

“In Borno State, street begging and aimless loitering are not in our character. We are dignified people.

“This is to inform members of the public that the Borno State Government has placed a strict ban on all street begging, loitering and gallivanting within and around Maiduguri Metropolis and Jere LGAs,” he said.

The notice said the ban was with immediate effect, warning that violators would be prosecuted. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria