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ACAI/IITA-CWMP signs MoU with Viamo to promote ‘Six Steps’ toolkit via mobile phones
The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI)/IITA- Cassava Weed Management Project has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Viamo to promote the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management extension toolkit via the 3-2-1 mobile service of Airtel.
The 3-2-1 mobile service will allow Nigerian farmers to have access to good agricultural practices developed by the Cassava Weed Management project through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for as much as 10 times in a month free of charge.
“Through the mobile service, we aim to reach thousands of farmers especially women with information that would transform their cassava productivity, said Dr Alfred Dixon, Director for Development & Delivery at IITA, and Project leader of the Cassava Weed Management Project.
The use of the 3-2-1 mobile service will take advantage of the mobile subscriber-base in Nigeria with subscriptions of about 150 million and 97.2 million persons that use the internet. Furthermore, the availability of cheaper smartphones in Nigeria has given phone access to about 15 million persons, making it possible for this population to access improved weed control practices on mobile phones.
Dr Pieter Pypers, Project Coordinator of ACAI sees the collaboration as strategic for the project as it aims to deliver best bet agronomic practices at scale.
In most of rural Africa, information and knowledge is usually passed by word of mouth. Oral communication therefore presents the opportunity of knowledge/technology transfer.
Harriet Blest, Country Manager for Viamo said the 3-2-1 mobile service will bring messages from the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management to farmers in local languages.
“All that farmers need to do is to get an Airtel SIM card and dial 3-2-1 and he or she will get the toolkit,” she said.
To ensure that farmers enjoy the 3-2-1 service with messages on the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management, a validation workshop was conducted recently, drawing both private and public agricultural experts.
ACAI Digital Extension and Advisory Services Specialist, Godwin Atser made a presentation of the progress made in weed control and the achievements recorded.
He spoke on the benefit of using the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management toolkit for cassava cultivation, stressing that farmers using the toolkit were doubling the yield of cassava from the current national average of 9 tons per ha to more than 20 tons per ha.
The meeting also provided participants the opportunity to pick the results from the Cassava Weed Management Project for scaling through their farmer networks.
Ms Aisha Babangida, daughter of the former Nigerian Head of State, and Chairperson, Better Life for African Rural Women pledged to work with the project to ensure that women farmers have access to the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management toolkit.
Other partners who attended the meeting included Synergos, GIZ, representatives of universities of agriculture in Ogun and Benue, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike; Syngenta, Bayer, UPL, Technoserve, Catholic Relief Services, and Market Development in the Niger Delta (MADE).
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at a brief ceremony in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, announced that the payment would commence immediately.
She lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the welfare of workers despite the state’s limited resources.
“This development demonstrates the governor’s commitment to improving the livelihood of our workers,” Dr. Olomojobi stated, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the administration to ensure prompt implementation.
In their remarks, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Olatunde Kolapo, expressed their appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for fulfilling his promises to workers.
They confirmed that the new minimum wage would apply to all cadres, including employees in ministries, parastatals, agencies, and pensioners.
The Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Femi Ajoloko, described the implementation as a fair and commendable adjustment.
“This decision reflects the governor’s magnanimity and his dedication to fostering a productive workforce in Ekiti State,” he said.
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