News
Kogi flags off climate-smart oil palm training
The Kogi State Government has launched a climate-resilient oil palm production training aimed at equipping farmers with modern agricultural techniques to combat the effects of climate change.
The workshop held at the Auditorium of the College of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Kabba, Kogi State, was declared open by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojoma who was represented by the Director of Agricultural Services, Kunle Agbana
The Commissioner emphasized that unpredictable rainfall and shifting farming calendars necessitate urgent training for farmers to maintain productivity and high quality in oil palm production.
A statement by Kogi State Government House media team had it that the commissioner reaffirmed Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo’s commitment to agricultural development, citing the successful tractorization of over 8,000 hectares of farmlands and support for 88,000 farmers with free inputs in the past year, with an expansion plan to cover at least 16,000 hectares this year.
Ojoma urged farmers in the state to embrace sustainable agricultural practices and traceability systems to meet international standards, stressing that the future of oil palm production in Kogi State is one that is standardized, traceable, and exportable thereby signaling a new era of agro-economic growth for the state.
Similarly, Director of Research and Head of Extension and Economics at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Olusegun Solomon, emphasized the vast potential of oil palm to generate wealth, create jobs, and strengthen agro-industrial value chains.
He noted that every part of the oil palm tree holds economic value, including the palm kernel shells which he noted is now in high demand globally.
Solomon announced the distribution of 1,000 improved oil palm seedlings worth ₦2.5 million to farmers in Kogi west senatorial district with plans to replicate the initiative in Kogi East in the coming weeks.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Kogi West Oil Palm Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Moses Olorunnipa, commended the initiative as a game-changer for local farmers and Nigerian youth.
He urged young people in the state to collaborate, invest in processing and harvesting equipment, and tap into the vast and untapped potential of the oil palm industry for sustainable income and job creation.
The workshop & training brought together stakeholders, farmers, and agricultural experts to address challenges posed by unpredictable weather conditions and shifting farming calendars.
Two Nigerian-born scientists—Adesola Adegoke, a researcher at Arizona State University (ASU), and Seunnla Adelusi, a PhD candidate at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada—have been named among the 20 global winners of the Digital GreenTalents Award 2025.
These two Nigerians were announced among the winners during a virtual ceremony held on 25 November. In a statement following the virtual announcement ceremony, the organisers said the 20 awardees for this year joined from different time zones, including “very early morning in Canada and evening hours in the Philippines.”
The digital Green Talent Award is an annual initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) that recognises outstanding young researchers whose work advances sustainability through digital innovation.
Each year, 20 scientists are selected from a competitive global pool for their cutting-edge ideas at the intersection of digitalisation and environmental sustainability.
Alex Otti, the Abia State Governor, on Sunday paid a visit to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The governor was accompanied by officials of the Sokoto State Government during the closed-door visit.
Nnamdi Kanu was recently moved to Sokoto after he was convicted on terrorism-related charges and handed a life sentence by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Governor Otti had earlier promised to pursue every lawful and political avenue to ensure that Kanu gets justice. Sunday’s visit is seen as part of ongoing efforts by the Abia State Government regarding his case.
Details of the meeting were not made public as of the time of this report.
Armed terrorists have abducted a bride-to-be, her bridesmaid, and eight other residents from Chacho village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State
The Sokoto abduction occurred around 1:30 a.m., according to residents, when the attackers stormed the village. Most of the victims were women, with only one man also taken.
One resident sustained injuries and is receiving medical treatment. Villagers told reporters that the bride was preparing for her wedding scheduled for later that morning when the raid struck, plunging the community into shock and mourning.
A community member described the attack as “tragic,” noting the delay in security response. “Security operatives were alerted immediately, but they only arrived about an hour after the bandits had fled,” he said, expressing frustration.
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