The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called for increased American and global investments to help unlock Africas agriculture potential.
The President of the Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, made the appeal at the USDAs 94th Agriculture Outlook Forum in Virginia with the theme, Roots of Prosperity.
Adesina said: For too long, agriculture has been associated with what I call the three Ps pain, penury, and poverty.
The fact though is that agriculture is a huge wealth-creating sector that is primed to unleash new economic opportunities that will lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
Adesina appealed to the US private sector to fundamentally change the way it views African agriculture.
Think about it, the size of the food and agriculture market in Africa will rise to US $ 1 trillion by 2030.
This is the time for US agri-businesses to invest in Africa.
Think of a continent where McKinsey projects household consumption is expected to reach nearly $2.1 trillion and business-to-business expenditure will reach $3.5 trillion by 2025. Think of a continent brimming with 840 million youth, the youngest population in the world, by 2050.
He urged the U.S government to be at the forefront of efforts to encourage fertilizer and seed companies, manufacturers of tractors and equipment, irrigation and ICT farm analytics to ramp up their investments on the continent.
As the nation that first inspired me and then welcomed me with open arms, permit me to say that I am here to seek a partnership with America; a genuine partnership to help transform agriculture in Africa, and by so doing unlock the full potential of agriculture in Africa.
This, he said, would help to unleash the creation of wealth that would lift millions out of poverty in Africa, while creating wealth and jobs back home right here in America.
Adesina told more than 2,000 delegates that the African Development Bank was spearheading a number of transformative business and agricultural initiatives.
We are launching the Africa Investment Forum, as a 100 per cent transactional platform, to leverage global pension funds and other institutional investors to invest in Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa from November 7-9.
The World Bank, International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, are partnering with the African Investment Forum to de-risk private sector investments.
The African Development Bank is also pioneering the establishment of Staple Crop Processing Zones in 10 African countries which are expected to transform rural economies into zones of economic prosperity and save African economies billions of dollars in much need foreign reserves.
We must now turn the rural areas from zones of economic misery to zones of economic prosperity.
This requires a total transformation of the agriculture sector. At the core of this must be rapid agricultural industrialization. We must not just focus on primary production but on the development of agricultural value chains, Adesina added. That way, Africa will turn from being at the bottom to the top of global value chains.

Source: NAN

South African police have busted Mancoba Seven Angels Ministry, a church run as a cult, with no fewer than 100 sex slaves, among them girls as young as 12, nursing tiny babies and with leaders who regard themselves as angels.
The church, called Mancoba Seven Angels Ministry, was sacked Saturday after some members of the church attacked a police station in the tiny Eastern Cape Town of Engcobo, killing five policemen.
Leaders of the church, who see themselves as angels, were alleged to be the masterminds of the attack at the police station.
In this church it is forbidden to have identity documents. Children are not allowed to have birth certificates and they are not allowed to attend school, said National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sithole.
The rescued girls were kept in about 10 corrugated iron shacks. Inside, mattresses lined the floor and clothes hung from wires or were dumped on the beds.
A high-ranking police officer told City Press that the cult, in the centre of Nyanga village, was established by a Mr Mancoba, who died in 2015.
Mancobas seven sons refused to follow their fathers successor. The seven angels and their mother subsequently became the leaders of the breakaway cult.
They soon ran out of money, which the officer said could explain why they attacked the police station and bombed two ATMs in town.
They need money and are desperate. People of that church are brainwashed. They only live in their own world.
The officer said at least three of the seven men killed in Friday nights shooting were among the angel brothers, who had masterminded the massacre. One of them is on the run.
The guys, known as angels, drive very expensive cars, but do not work. They are well known here in Engcobo, the officer said.
There are people here in this town who go to that church. People would give up all their pensions and donate them to the church, said the officer.
City Press of South Africa reported that three of the seven Mancoba brothers suspected of involvement in the murders of the officers were killed during a shoot-out with police on Friday.
Sithole said the rescued girls were indoctrinated and brainwashed girls. They have been taken to social workers for counselling.
As City Press reported, the cult run by the seven Mancoba brothers and their mother was flagged by the government since 2016.
A report by chapter 9 institution the CRL Rights Commission, which was presented to Parliaments portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs in October last year, warned it was a disaster waiting to happen.
Commission chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva told City Press she interviewed the cult leaders in 2016 during her investigation into church practices and made the parliamentary committee aware of her serious concerns.
Everyone [at the cult] was sitting waiting for Jesus to come. We told Parliament that this was a high risk and these people need urgent attention.
We warned that there will be something else [that will happen] once their money runs out. Look what has happened, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said.
This has been a ticking time bomb. We said either these people are going to commit suicide or something else will happen.
We questioned the sanity of church leaders, who saw themselves as angels sent by God.
The Eastern Cape social development department knew about the cult. Spokesperson Mzukisi Solani said officials went there in 2016 and rescued 18 children. They were taken to places of safety after the department obtained a court order. After the raid, they alerted the CRL commission to the cult.
On Friday night, police tracked down those who allegedly attacked the police station. They were found 3km outside Engcobo and about 500m from where two of the five slain policemen were executed before their van plunged into a gorge. Seven cult members were killed in the ensuing shoot-out and 10 were arrested.

Source: NAN

A Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) team on Sunday morning rescued a pregnant woman from suspected kidnappers in Badagry, Lagos.
The Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, said in a statement on Sunday that the woman gave birth to a baby boy immediately after she was rescued.
At about 7:30 a.m. on Sunday Feb. 25, 2018, a team from the Badagry Unit of FRSC led by Assistant Route Commander, Peace Danboyi, accosted a vehicle with registration number KTU 356 CE at AP Filling station before Aradagun Bus stop in Badagry, Lagos.
In the vehicle were two suspected kidnappers (male) and a pregnant woman who was their victim.
The pregnant woman, who had body injuries, was rescued to Ola-Oki Hospital, Ibereko, where she immediately gave birth to a baby boy, he said.
Kazeem said it took the prompt intervention of soldiers to rescue the suspects from a mob that had attempted to attack the suspected kidnappers.
The soldiers arrested and handed them over to the police in Badagry, while Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has expressed appreciation to the gallant officers and commended them for their bravery, he said.
The statement also said that Oyeyemi assured the public that his men would always be on roads to ensure safe traffic and security of lives by cooperating with other law enforcement agencies.

Source: NAN

Church leaders closed Jerusalems Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday in protest against Israeli taxation and land policy affecting church property.
Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Church leaders said the holy site, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried, would be closed until further notice.
A statement by the leaders accused Israel of a systematic and unprecedented attack against Christians in the Holy Land in pursuing a new tax policy and a proposed land appropriation law.

Source: NAN

Troops on patrol have arrested a herdsman with a locally made bullet proof and cutlass at Chegba village in Logo Local Government Area of Benue.
A statement signed by Col. Aliyu Yusuf on Sunday said the suspect had been handed over to the police.
Yusuf also said that troops during the patrol intervened in a violent clash between hunters and herdsmen in Obi Local Government following a distress call.
In related development, Yusuf said troops on patrol named Ayem Akpatuma, Cat Race, also seized a locally made pistol with one live cartridge at Gidan Kiya village, Ibbi Local Government Area of Taraba.
He call on the residents of the areas where the exercise was taking place to continue to cooperate with the troops by providing useful information and to report any suspicious movement to security agencies.

Source: NAN

Pope Francis has called for an immediate end to violence and access to humanitarian aid to the eastern Ghouta district of Syria.
He said Syria was being martyred by continued attacks and killing of civilians in the eastern district.
All this is inhuman, Francis told tens of thousands of people in St. Peters Square, on Sunday for his weekly blessing.
He spoke hours after the United Nations adopted a resolution demanding a 30-day truce across Syria to allow aid access and medical evacuation.
In these days my thoughts have often been taken up by the beloved and martyred Syria, he said.
He noted that there had been thousands of civilian victims of violence that had not spared even hospitals.
Francis insisted that no one should fight evil with another evil and urged his listeners to join together in a moment of silent prayer.
He called for an immediate end to the violence so food and medicine can get in and the sick and wounded can leave.

Source: NAN

The police have set up a task force to mop up illegal firearms in Bayelsa to rid the state of criminals.
Mr Don Awunah, the Commissioner of Police in the state, said on Saturday in a statement, that the task force is headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Andy Amiegheme.
Amiegheme, who is in charge of operations, is saddled with the responsibility of clearing illegal firearms and other firearms-related infractions in the state.
He explained that the move was in accordance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to crackdown on violent criminals and carry out a comprehensive mop up of illegal arms in the country.
The commissioner warned that the command would henceforth prosecute persons arrested for unlawful possession of firearms and trafficking in illegal weapons as terrorists, armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists.
The command will also embark on aggressive crack down on violent criminals throughout the state.
We will not hesitate to deal decisively within the ambit of the law, persons, group of persons, vigilantes, neighbourhood watch groups and community vanguards arrested for possession of illegal weapons.
Awunah, however, advised those who were directly or indirectly in possession of illegal firearms or ownership of any weapon of any nature or calibre to surrender such arms to the nearest police station within 21 days.
The command also called for adequate cooperation and assistance from the people of the state.
We call on all the peace loving people of Bayelsa State to cooperate and assist the Police in ensuring that peace, security and community harmony reign supreme in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN

At least 3,000 bandits have surrendered their arms following the peace and dialogue initiated by Zamfara state government.
A committee was initiated by Zamfara State Government which brokered the peace, the Deputy Governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, said in Guasu,
Wakkala, who is the Chairman of the states Dialogue, Reconciliation and Disarmament Committee, said revealed at an interactive session with the National Economic Council (NEC) Committee on Farmers/Herdsmen Clashes.
Wakkala said that the committee has succeeded in restoring peace and stability among communities in the state.
With these efforts, our communities are now living peacefully and cooperating with security agencies in sustaining peace.
He commended the state government, security agencies and traditional rulers and all other stakeholders for their efforts.
In his submission, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, said that 1,321 people have been killed since 2011, 1,881 persons injured and 185 cars and motorcycles lost to the activities of bandits,
Rikiji, who is the Chairman of the state government Damage, Assessment and Relief Committee, added that over 10,000 cattle were lost to rustling and 2,688 hectares of farm lands and 10,000 houses were destroyed within the period under review.
The speaker said the state government established the committee to ascertain the number of death and injured persons as well as property lost to banditry and cattle rustling with the aim of assisting victims.
Within the period under review, the state government has, through the committee, spent huge amount of money in providing cash, food items as well as assistance to families of deceased and sponsoring medical bills to victims of disasters in the state, he said.

Source: NAN

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has offered jobs to 38 first class graduates of the Yobe State University(YSU).
He made the offer today at the maiden convocation of the university, during which he was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree. The graduates will become graduate assistants, if they accepted the job offers.
The convocation covered five sets of over 2000 graduands who completed their studies in the last five years.
Gaidam restatedhis administrations commitment to education and other sectors to improve the lives of the people.
Gaidam said government spent N289 million on sponsorship of 28 lecturers of the university to undergo post-graduate studies overseas.
He said government released N1.3 billion for the construction of structures and supply of equipment to the College of Medical Sciences.
According to him, establishment of the College will enable the training health personnel, thereby addressing the challenge of inadequacy of trained manpower in the health sector.
Prof. Yakubu Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor of Yobe State University said although Boko-Haram insurgency has had a negative effect on his institution, the university remains committed to pursuance of quality education.
The university started with 50 staff in 2006 but now had 709 academic and non academic staff.
He commended the state government for providing funds for staff development as well as necessary facilities that enable the accreditation of courses.
The ceremony, held under tight security in view of the recent abduction of school girls in Dapchi town of the state, also featured the installation of Alhaji Muhammadu Grema, Emir of Tikau as the Chancellor of the institution

Source: NAN

Nigerias Super Falcons have failed to reach the finals of the maiden West African Football Union (WAFU) Womens Cup after losing 5-4 on penalties to Ghana.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regulation time before both teams proceeded to penalties in the match played at the Treichville Sports Park Stadium in Abidjan.

Alice Ogebe opened scoring for Nigeria in the eighth minute with Faustina Ampah sending in the equaliser for Ghana nine minutes later.

Proceeding to penalty shootout, the Super Falcons lost 4-5 to the Black Queens. Falcons will take on Mali for the third place position while the Black Queens will face hosts Ivory Coast in the finals.

Source: (NAN)