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Japan promises to help double Africa’s rice production by 2030

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The Sasakawa Association will work with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), to help double rice production to 50 million tonnes by 2030.  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the announcement at the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) symposium held on Wednesday during TICAD7.

“Japanese technology can play a key role in innovation which is key to agriculture,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told delegates.

Discussions at the Symposium focused on Africa’s youth bulge, unemployment rates, agricultural innovations and technologies, solutions and job creation opportunities in the agricultural sector.

“We’ve always believed in the agriculture potential of Africa,” said Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon foundation. “We are paying more attention to income-generating activities. We want to help shift the mindset of small-holder farmers from producing-to-eat to producing-to-sell. We are hopeful that Africa’s youth can take agriculture to a new era, and that they can see a career path in agriculture,” he added.

In a keynote address, African Development Bank Group President, Akinwumi Adesina, called for urgent and concerted efforts to “end hunger”.

“In spite of all the gains made in agriculture. We are not winning the global war against hunger. We must all arise collectively and end global hunger. To do that, we must end hunger in Africa. Hunger diminishes our humanity,” Adesina urged.

According to the FAO’s 2019 State of Food and Security, the number of hungry people globally stands at a disconcerting 821 million. Africa alone accounts for 31% of the global number of hungry people – 251 million people.

Commending the Sasakawa Association’s late founder, Ryochi Sasakawa, for his tireless efforts in tackling hunger, Adesina said: “Passion, dedication and commitment to the development of agriculture and the pursuit of food security in our world has been the hallmark of your work.”

Between 1986 and 2003, Sasakawa Association in Africa, operated in a total of 15 countries including – Ghana, Sudan, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Mali, Guinea, Zambia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique.

Harnessing the potential of new technologies

Adesina expressed confidence in the ability of technology to deliver substantial benefits in agriculture. To accelerate Africa’s agricultural growth, the African Development Bank has launched the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) to deliver new technologies to millions of farmers. ‘TAAT has become a game changer, and is already delivering impressive results, Adesina said.

Working with 30 private seed companies, the TAAT maize compact produced over 27,000 tons of seeds of water efficient maize that was planted by 1.6 million farmers.

Tackling climate change: a top priority

Hiroyuki Takahashi, founder of Pocket Marche, a platform that connects Japanese farmers and producers with consumers, shared insights and lessons learnt from Japan’s experiences, historic cycles of climate disasters and the country’s rebound.

“The power to choose what we eat is the power to stop the climate crisis and bring sustainable happiness to a world with limited resources,” Takahashi said.

It is estimated that Africa will heat up 1.5 times faster than the global average and require $7-15 billion a year for adaptation alone. Limiting the impacts of climate change is expected to become a top priority for Africa.

“Africa has been short changed by climate change. But, it should not be short changed by climate finance,” Adesina said in his concluding remarks.

“Let’s be better asset managers for nature. For while we must eat today, so must future generations coming after us. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we do not leave empty plates on the table for generations to come,” Adesina concluded.

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Oyo South: Tegbe, Others Named Oseni Students’ Movement Exco

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A students’ leader, Comrade Tegbe Stephen, has been named Coordinator of the Remi Oseni Students’ Movement ahead of its formal inauguration.

The appointment is part of efforts to strengthen the students’ support base for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, across tertiary institutions in the district.

Also named into the executive are Comrades Wale Ajibike (Bosslee), Isiaka Hammed (General), Salami Olatunji, Adetunji Sultan Adekunle, Oluwatobi Ojo and Onifade Victor.

The announcement was made during a strategic meeting with student leaders in Ibadan. The meeting was attended by the Oyo South APC Youth Leader, Com. Olalekan Olowe, and Oseni’s Personal Assistant, Com. Ibrahim Alabi, popularly known as “Otunba Poly.”

Addressing the gathering, Olowe described the movement as a platform to mobilise students across Oyo South, urging the newly named executive to live up to the confidence reposed in them.

He said: “Students remain one of the strongest forces in any democratic society. We expect you to build a vibrant movement that will unite your colleagues and advance the vision of Hon. Aderemi Oseni across our campuses.”

Olowe added that the executive would be formally inaugurated in the coming weeks, after which the movement would commence full activities across the senatorial district.

Also speaking, Ibrahim Alabi urged the student leaders to remain committed, united and focused on the responsibility entrusted to them.

“This is a call to service. Your duty is to mobilise, educate and inspire students to play active roles in the democratic process. We believe you have the capacity to justify this confidence,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the executive, Tegbe thanked Oseni and the students’ leadership for the opportunity to serve, assuring them of their commitment to the assignment.

“We appreciate the confidence reposed in us and will not take it for granted. Our resolve is to build a formidable students’ movement across Oyo South and ensure that students on every campus are actively mobilised ahead of the election,” he said.

The formal inauguration of the executive is expected to be held soon.

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Oseni celebrates Oyo APC Publicist,  Sadare, extols loyalty, commitment to progressive cause

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated the Oyo State Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Wasiu Olawale Sadare, on the occasion of his birthday, describing him as a loyal progressive, effective communicator and committed party stalwart whose contributions have continued to strengthen the party in the state.

Oseni, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, said Sadare has remained a consistent and dependable voice of the party, discharging his responsibilities with professionalism, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the ideals of the All Progressives Congress.

He noted that the Oyo APC spokesman has distinguished himself through responsible public communication, constructive engagement and an enduring commitment to promoting the party’s vision, values and programmes.

According to the chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Sadare’s humility, calm disposition and ability to articulate the party’s position with clarity have earned him the respect of party leaders, members and stakeholders, while also contributing to the unity and stability of the APC in Oyo State.

“Alhaji Wasiu Olawale Sadare is a committed progressive whose loyalty and dedication to our great party have remained steadfast over the years. He has served with uncommon diligence and has continued to project the ideals of the APC with dignity, courage and sincerity,” Oseni said.

The lawmaker added that the publicist’s birthday presents another opportunity to celebrate a man whose service has gone beyond official responsibility, noting that his contributions to strengthening internal cohesion and fostering constructive engagement within the party deserve commendation.

“As you mark another year today, I join your family, friends, political associates and the entire progressive family in celebrating God’s faithfulness in your life. Your commitment to duty, humility and sense of responsibility continue to inspire many within our party.”
Oseni prayed for greater accomplishments for the celebrant, asking Almighty Allah to bless him with good health, wisdom and renewed strength to continue serving the party and humanity.

“I pray that Almighty Allah grants you many more years in sound health, abundant grace and greater accomplishments. May He continue to guide your steps, enlarge your coast and reward your selfless service to our great party, Oyo State and our nation. Happy birthday, and many happy returns.”
The statement added that Oseni wished Sadare a memorable celebration and expressed confidence that his wealth of experience, dedication and leadership would continue to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the APC and the advancement of progressive politics in Oyo State.

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Oyo lawmaker, Oseni empowers Agbeni traders with ₦50m grant, rallies support for Tinubu

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, on Friday strengthened his grassroots engagement with traders by presenting a ₦50 million business grant to members of the Agbeni Amunigun Traders Association in Ibadan.

The empowerment package is expected to benefit traders across the market, which cuts across Ibadan North-West and Ibadan South-West Local Government Areas of Oyo State.

Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, also donated ₦5 million towards the completion of the association’s secretariat. He further pledged to install solar-powered streetlights within the market to improve security and make the business environment more conducive.

Speaking during an interactive meeting with the association’s leaders, executives and representatives of its 15 zones, the lawmaker described traders as key drivers of the local economy, saying they deserved continuous support to grow their businesses and improve their standard of living.

He also appealed to the traders to sustain their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressing confidence that the economic reforms introduced by the administration would deliver lasting benefits for the country.

“The decisions taken by President Tinubu were difficult, but they were necessary. Today, fuel queues are gone, states and local governments receive higher allocations, and more resources are available for infrastructure, education, healthcare and other development projects, including the regular payment of salaries,” he said.

Oseni highlighted ongoing road rehabilitation projects, interventions in the health sector, agricultural support initiatives and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as some of the programmes making a difference under the current administration.

He noted that the student loan scheme had opened up access to higher education for many young Nigerians, while other economic reforms were laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

Looking ahead, Oseni promised that if elected to represent Oyo South in the Senate in 2027, he would facilitate an interest-free revolving loan scheme for traders. He said the programme would be jointly managed by the market leadership and a reputable microfinance bank to ensure genuine traders had access to affordable credit.

“I will continue to support policies and programmes that help small and medium-scale businesses thrive because traders remain the engine of our economy. My goal is to create opportunities that will help your businesses expand and improve the welfare of your families,” he said, assuring the association that the requests presented to him would receive prompt attention.

Earlier, the Babaloja of the market, Alhaji Abdul-Latifu Abdulganiyu; the Baale, Alhaji Muniru Oladayo; the General Chairman of the market, Alhaji Nureni Lawal; the Iyaloja’s representative, Alhaja Basirat Owolanwa; and the youth representative, Alhaji Adeyinka Basiru, praised Oseni for his consistent support for traders and other community-based empowerment programmes.

The market leaders unanimously endorsed his senatorial ambition and pledged to mobilise support for his 2027 bid, saying his record of empowerment, constituency projects and community development had earned him the confidence of the people.

 

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