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FG, IITA, World Bank To Partner On Innovative Agricultural Practices
FG, IITA, World Bank To Partner On Innovative Agricultural Practices
*VP Shettima seeks collaboration on improved seedlings, climate-resilient agric
By: Our Reporter
The Federal Government, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and World Bank have pledged to form a formidable partnership on innovative agricultural practices to address food insecurity in Nigeria and the broader sub-Saharan African region.
This was the outcome of a high-level meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the IITA, World Bank, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.
Speaking during the meeting, VP Shettima said the whole mantra is focused on increasing yield, and the IITA is in a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa in repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings.
“The IITA is at a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa towards repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings,” he said.
VP Shettima noted the significant role of the IITA established in 1967 in shaping Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
“More than ever before, we need the IITA now. By 2050, we will be the third most populous nation on earth,” Shettima stated.
The Vice President also noted the interconnectedness between the economy and ecology, exacerbated by desertification, climate change, and insecurity challenges in the Sahel region.
“In the food basket of the nation, there is an incestuous relationship between economy and ecology because of desertification and climate change. The productivity of our agriculture is poor, and is compounded by insecurity, which might not be unconnected with the challenges in the Sahel,” he explained.
Calling for close collaboration with the IITA, VP Shettima pointed out the importance of investing in agriculture as a business.
He specifically requested the institute’s assistance in providing high-quality seeds for maize and root crops, particularly cassava. The Vice President lauded the widespread adoption of IITA’s improved cassava seedlings in the Southwest region, urging the institute to extend similar initiatives to other sub-Saharan African nations.
Earlier, the Director General of the IITA, Dr Simeon Ehui, thanked the Vice President for his leadership and commitment to the development of agriculture in Nigeria and support to the Institute.
He said the delegation from the Institute was in Abuja for a strategic meeting that aims to review IITA’s partnerships, collaborations and stakeholder engagements, all to support the Federal Government’s efforts in addressing food security in Nigeria and across the West African sub-region.
On his part, the Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA, Dr Dashiell Kenton, said the institute is supporting a few initiatives of the Federal Government aimed at creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians in the sector.
According to him, the ‘Youth in Agribusiness’ initiative of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is commendable and should be scaled up to empower more young Nigerians, assuring that the institute, through the initiative, will empower more smallholder farmers with knowledge on improved agricultural practices.
In the same vein, the World Bank Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food Global Practice, Mr. Abel Lufafa, said the IITA, World Bank and other partners were delighted with the level of interest and quantum of support deployed by the Tinubu administration in revamping agricultural productivity in the country.
He said the President and Vice President are demonstrating uncommon leadership in repositioning agricultural production in Nigeria, just as he noted that the World Bank and other partners are impressed with the paradigm shift especially the change to a government-led collaboration in the sector.
Similarly, a senior researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Channing Arndt, said the organization’s partnership with the IITA cuts across diverse areas of agricultural value, noting however that the primary objective is to support ongoing efforts to improve agricultural practices and rapidly boost food production.
The delegation led by the IITA Board Chair, Prof. Roel Merckx, also had in attendance board members, Ms. Rhoda Tumusiime; Dr. Namanga Ngongi; Dr. Ylva Hillbur, and Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IITA, Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, among others.
FG, IITA, World Bank To Partner On Innovative Agricultural Practices
European Union Commits €22m to Accelerate Nigeria’s Fibre Network Under BRIDGE Project
By: Michael Mike
The European Union has pledged €22 million in grant funding to support Nigeria’s large-scale fibre-optic expansion, reinforcing the Federal Government’s drive to transform the country’s digital backbone.
The grant, announced in Abuja on Wednesday, will be channelled through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and on-granted to the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for implementation of the government’s Project BRIDGE initiative.
The EU funding will sit alongside an €86 million loan from the EBRD’s own resources, pending final approval. The operation represents the EBRD’s first major sovereign financing in Nigeria since the country formally became a shareholder of the bank last year.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijjani described the agreement as a decisive step toward delivering the BRIDGE project within schedule, noting that Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda depends heavily on robust and inclusive broadband infrastructure.
He said the partnership reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s digital roadmap and expressed optimism that 2026 would mark a year of tangible progress in cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
EBRD President, Odile Renaud-Basso, who is on an official visit to Nigeria, said the bank was proud to collaborate with the EU to expand digital infrastructure in Africa’s largest economy. She noted that the technical cooperation embedded in the financing is structured to crowd in private capital while ensuring secure, resilient and inclusive connectivity.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, underscored the strategic importance of digital networks to both Nigeria and the EU, stressing the need for trusted, high-integrity infrastructure built to international standards.
Project BRIDGE aims to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables nationwide through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will be capitalised with sovereign loans and private sector participation. In addition to the EBRD financing, the Federal Government is expected to receive support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
The EU’s €22 million package combines technical assistance with investment support to speed up project preparation and strengthen implementation capacity. It will fund low-level design work for about 40,000 kilometres of the planned network, including route mapping, crossing surveys, digital planning, quality assurance and security risk assessments aligned with global best practices.
Officials said this groundwork would provide the SPV with a ready-to-execute blueprint, enabling immediate rollout once financing arrangements are finalised and the vehicle is established with at least 51 per cent private sector ownership.
Beyond infrastructure, the grant is expected to deepen Nigeria’s digital skills base. About 2,000 technicians will receive specialised training, while small subcontractors will gain access to pooled procurement systems and equipment subsidies designed to reduce entry barriers.
Authorities estimate that these measures could lower deployment costs by between 20 and 30 per cent, while promoting adherence to Nigerian and EU quality standards and encouraging participation of European technology suppliers in the fibre supply chain.
The intervention forms part of the EU’s broader Global Gateway strategy, which supports investments in digital infrastructure, public services and human capital development across partner countries.
For Nigeria, the partnership signals renewed international backing for its ambition to build a resilient, open-access broadband network capable of driving economic growth, innovation and digital inclusion nationwide.
European Union Commits €22m to Accelerate Nigeria’s Fibre Network Under BRIDGE Project
Troops repel insurgents, neutralise suspected informant in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled suspected insurgents and neutralised a suspected informant during operations in Ngamdu area of Borno.
Military sources said the action followed signals intelligence indicating that suspected Boko Haram elements were massing.
At about 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 18, troops carried out a fire mission on the identified area, forcing the insurgents to disperse and abort their suspected plan.
Shortly afterward, at about 3:45 a.m., troops engaged and neutralised a suspected insurgent informant who attempted to breach the trench defensive position in Ngamdu.
Sources said the troops immediately conducted a search of the surrounding area after the encounter but made no further contact with fleeing suspects.
Troops repel insurgents, neutralise suspected informant in Borno
Yobe: Troops Disperse Terrorists, Arrest Five Suspected Arms Smugglers
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have disrupted a suspected terrorist gathering and arrested five suspected arms smugglers during separate operations in Yobe State.
Security sources said that at about 6:21 p.m. on Feb. 17, troops conducted a fire mission following credible intelligence that terrorists were converging in large numbers on motorcycles at Mangari, about 10.6 kilometres from the location of the 135 Special Forces Battalion in Buratai.
The swift action forced the insurgents to disperse in disarray, effectively disrupting their suspected plans.
In a separate development, troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Potiskum apprehended five suspected arms smugglers and abductors at about 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 18 at a checkpoint along the Gombe–Potiskum road.
Those arrested included a 41-year-old suspect, Baba Abare, who was found in possession of an AK-47 rifle, alongside four others identified as Idris Zakari, 33; Nasiru Aliyu, 25; Abdullahi Sulaiman, 35; and Mohammed Idris, 34, all said to be indigenes of Potiskum town.
The suspects were intercepted in two Golf Wagon vehicles bearing registration numbers Borno NGL-506XA and Kaduna DKD16-01.
They were disarmed and handed over to appropriate authorities for further investigation.
Yobe: Troops Disperse Terrorists, Arrest Five Suspected Arms Smugglers
European Union Commits €22m to Accelerate Nigeria’s Fibre Network Under BRIDGE Project
Troops repel insurgents, neutralise suspected informant in Borno
Yobe: Troops Disperse Terrorists, Arrest Five Suspected Arms Smugglers
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