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Experts Prescribe Agroecology As Solution To Climate Change, Food Sovereignty

Published

3 years ago

November 2, 2022

Experts and environmental activists have identified Agroecology as solution to global warming, climate change and sustainable food production and sovereignty.

They made these known at Health of Mother Earth Foundation’s School of Ecology with the theme: Agroecology: A Real Climate Change Solution, which was held on Tuesday and monitored by INFO DAILY via zoom.

This edition of HOMEF’s School of Ecology was in collaboration with Young Volunteers for the Environment.

In his welcome address, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Nnimmo Bassey, said Agroecology has been proven to cooling the planet, adding that it also enables soils retain carbon, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released in various industrial agriculture processes such as production of inorganic
fertilizers, transportation of food over long distances, intensive mechanisation etc.

He added that agroecology also builds biodiversity, which according to him, is key in resilience of ecosystems to climate change impacts.

While lamenting that countries in Africa have suffered the most from climate change and are at greater risk, the Executive Director further said fossil fuels should be left in the ground in order curb climate change.

He added: “Countries in Africa that have suffered the most from climate change and are at greater risk must be adequately represented and carefully examine
the narratives driving the conversations and negotiations at the upcoming COP 27 in Egypt. We must wake ourselves up from the path of voluntary emissions reductions and so-called commitment to “phase down”
the continued use of coal.”

He urged African leaders to demand for climate justice and that they should insist on the payment of climate debt for historical and current harms, adding, “the marketisation of Nature, including through diverse forms of carbon trading must be denounced and rejected.”

He stated: “The COP 27 should return to the drawing board and focus on binding emissions cuts with polluting nations accepting to do their fair share on the basis of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) rather
than the so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that so far have not dented the huge store of carbon in the atmosphere.”

speaking on the sub-theme: Agroecology – Background, Principles, Role in Food Sovereignty, Barrister Marianne Bassey-Orovwuje, said Agroecology has capacity of addressing climate change and uttermost solution to food crisis experienced globally.

While emphasising that Agroecology is the engine for food sovereignty, Bassey-Orovwuje said: “Agroecology feeds one, it’s a recipe; helps solve climate change; it builds our environment; it helps our farmers.

“Agroecology is a sustainable long term solution to farming in Africa. In terms of food, security, sovereignty, nutrition, poverty reduction, climate adaptation; biodiversity, etc. Agroecology is the answer.”

“Agroecology is a practice, it’s a science, it is a social justice; it is a movement.”

She called on African leaders to embrace Agroecology as a solution to climate change, sustainable food production and sovereignty.

In his presentation, Sena Alouka, Executive Director, Young Volunteers for the Environment, called for recognition of a sustainable food production, using Agroecology and holistic approach.

“We are are not against any scientific method of agriculture, what we are calling for is that we should approach agriculture in an holistic manner. There is need to support transitioning to Agroecology.”

In her presentation, Joyce Brown, also said Agroecology is the way out of globally warming and food crisis rocking the world, adding that all hands must be on desk to achieve this.

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OPINION: Toru-Ibe State, Aiyedatiwa’s “No Land Ceding” Remark, And The Ondo Ijaw

Published

3 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Editor

By Icon-James Tam

The renewed push for the creation of Toru-Ibe State has once again brought the long-standing conversation around political inclusion and fair representation to the front burner particularly for the Ijaw people of Ondo State.

While I personally maintain a cautious stance on the possibility of state creation in today’s Nigeria, I cannot in good conscience dismiss the merit of the Toru-Ibe proposal. The uniqueness of the Ijaw story, their spread across multiple states, Ondo, Edo, Delta and the structural realities they contend with, all underscore the legitimacy of this demand.

Toru-Ibe State is not a new invention. It has a long and documented history, now receiving legislative attention as the National Assembly reviews the 1999 Constitution. Among the dozen proposed new states is Toru-Ibe, projected to include parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo particularly Ese-Odo Local Government Area and the Ebijaw Ward in Odigbo.

During a recent consultation in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review met with various stakeholders. The Ijaw delegation, led by respected elder High Chief F.J. Williams, articulated a strong and factual case. The gathering was passionate. From the placards to the chants of “Asawana,” the message was clear, Ijaw people in Ondo are ready to align with their kin across state lines under a shared identity.

As someone who identifies strongly with the Ijaw cause, I understand the emotions in that room. Since the creation of Ondo State in 1976, our people have remained on the periphery. Despite a growing list of achievements such as Arogbo Kingdom having at least a lawyer to each family and other professionals to it credit in the state, our political elevation has remained limited. The highest position ever held by an Ijaw in the state is that of Secretary to the State Government.

Despite being a critical contributor to the state’s oil wealth, we have never led OSOPADEC, the agency set up to manage that same wealth. We are routinely included as non-executive participants, not because of a lack of competence, but because of a political structure that struggles to accommodate us beyond tokenism.

It was within this already difficult context that Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa made a statement that many of us found disappointing. In his remarks at the Dome in Akure, the Governor stated that although he is not against the creation of new states, “Ondo will not cede its land to another state.”

That remark, in our view, was both unfortunate and unnecessary. The lands the Ijaws occupy in Ondo today are not borrowed,they are ancestral. If a new state is carved out to reflect the cultural and geographical realities of the Ijaw people, it is not ceding,it is realignment. The lands remain with the people; only the political boundary shifts.

Remarks of that nature can be avoided with proper vetting and sensitivity, especially at a time when the national conversation is focused on unity, justice, and equity.

The Ijaw people of Ondo have shown extraordinary patience over the years. But even patience has its limits. We cannot afford to allow sentiment or political caution to downplay valid concerns of marginalization. I call on Ijaw elders, leaders of thought, and community advocates to issue a dignified and unambiguous rejoinder to the Governor’s comment not out of hostility, but to set the record straight.

One of our consistent challenges as a people in this state has been the fear of political reprisal. Too often, leaders shy away from assertive positions for fear of being blacklisted or losing out on patronage. But silence has never been a path to justice. Speaking for your people should never be a political liability.

Our place in Ondo’s governance structure has remained secondary. Even at the level of traditional leadership, it took the intervention of good Samaritanlike Barr. Sola Ebiseni to challenge what was nearly a permanent exclusion of the Pere of Ijaw from becoming Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas. Though progress was made, even the forthcoming opportunity for that chairmanship due to rotate to the south remains uncertain for Ese-Odo, the only Ijaw local government in the region.

In all of this, Toru-Ibe State is not just an aspiration,it represents hope, equity, and a better future for a people long overlooked. It offers the Ijaws of Ondo a pathway out of structural sidelining and an opportunity for real self-determination.

As we await the decision of the National Assembly, I wish the Ijaw people strength, focus, and unity. May this be the beginning of a new chapter in our political history.

By Icon-James Tam

Convener, Social Crusade for a Sane Society

News

“May May The South Of Former President Bola…,” Uzodinma Trends After Public Gaffe

Published

10 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Editor

The Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma is currently trending on Social Media over a gaffe he made while eulogizing late Ex-President, Muhammadu Buhari.

It was learned that Uzodinma, while speaking at the Constitution Review Zonal Public Hearings in Owerri Center for Imo and Abia State on Saturday, made the error during a prayer for late Buhari.

The Governor said;” May the Soul of Former President Bola (pauses)…..Former President Muhammadu Buhari and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of God, Rest in Peace”

Watch the Video Below:

https://x.com/PoliticsNGR/status/1947042215970111565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1947042215970111565%7Ctwgr%5E97d5beebb2dacda6422cd64f3c17c07d40488c07%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.phxfeeds.com%2FwebFrame%3Ftype%3Dtwitterwidth%3D100height%3D0value%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FPoliticsNGR2Fstatus2F19470422159701115653Fref_src3Dtwsrc255Etfw

News

Ex-Lagos Governor Fashola Gets International Appointment

Published

11 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Editor

Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria (RTSL Nigeria), an international public health organization.

The appointment was announced on Friday by RTSL Nigeria, a health-focused body working to prevent cardiovascular diseases and epidemics.

The group, which opened an office in Abuja in 2022, partners with governments and communities to tackle some of the world’s deadliest health threats.

Reacting to the appointment, Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Fashola to the RTSL Nigeria Board of Directors. He has demonstrated a commitment to improving lives and livelihoods in Nigeria through more than two decades of public service.”

Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), previously served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing under President Muhammadu Buhari. He was also the Chief of Staff in Lagos State before becoming governor from 2007 to 2015.

During his tenure, Fashola was instrumental in managing Nigeria’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, earning him international recognition, including the Stephen J. Solarz Award from the International Crisis Group.

In his acceptance remarks, Fashola said he was honoured to join the board and pledged to support the organization’s mission.

“I look forward to helping continue the progress in stopping preventable deaths from cardiovascular diseases and infectious disease outbreaks,” he said.

Ibrahim Abubakar, a fellow board member and Dean at the University College London Faculty of Population Health Sciences, described Fashola’s inclusion as a valuable asset, citing his governance experience and leadership during health crises.