Small Farmers As the Key to Africa's Agricultural Future
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Zambia are holding a regional workshop for East and Southern Africa from 6 to 9 May in Livingstone, Zambia, to review lessons learned from IFAD-funded projects and identify strategies to address challenges faced during their implementation.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda and Agriculture and Livestock Minister Wilbur Simuusa of Zambia will join PĂ©rin Saint Ange, Director of IFAD at the opening session of the workshop Tuesday.
The workshop is attracting more than 200 participants, including government officials, representatives of other United Nations agencies, and bilateral development institutions, members of the private sector and civil society groups, and partners from IFAD-funded projects in the region.
In keeping with the United Nations' designation of 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming, and the African Union declaring 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security, family farming and agricultural investment will be a central focus of this week's workshop.
Subsea projects continue to surge in West Africa
FMC Technologies has contracted Aveon Offshore to fabricate more than 5,000 metric tons (5,511 tons) of subsea structures for the Egina field development offshore Nigeria. Operator Total Upstream Nigeria awarded FMC the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contract for the subsea production systems.Aveon is performing fabrication at its 240,000-sq m (2.58-million sq ft) yard in Rumuolumeni, near Port Harcourt. The ffirst steel was cut in December, and load-out and sail-away of the subsea structures is expected to get under way during the second half of 2015.
Zambia can be Africa's food basket - Simuusa
AGRICULTURE minister Wylbur Simuusa says Zambia has the potential to become Africa's food basket within the next five years.
Commenting on a statement by justice minister, Wynter Kabimba, who during a courtesy call on Mwense district commissioner, Mumba Mushitu, on Friday said the country's independence is incomplete if it cannot feed itself, Simuusa called for a change of mindset amongst all stakeholders if Zambians were to fully realise the enormous potential of the agriculture sector.
"…within the next five years, if we do our homework well and are focused as government, farmers and Zambians, we can be the food basket of this region and a good part of the world. What it will take is the realisation and change of mindset on the part of Zambians to grasp farming. It is not just a hobby, it is a business that will take this country forward," Simuusa said.
Meet Shell, Total, Century Group, and key regulators at OSV Africa
Currently, there are about 500 oil companies that participate in African hydrocarbon exploration. Prospects and potential for further oil and gas finds are exceedingly positive and it is estimated that there are at least another 100 billion barrels in the regions offshore fields.
Find out the opportunities and trends for the Oil and Gas Maritime Sector from the Keynote speech of Mrs. Ify Akerele, Director General of Nigerian Chamber of Shipping.
