General News
HarvestPlus Trains NYSC Members on Biofortified Staple Crops, Others
HarvestPlus Nigeria has intensified effort to reach out to as many Nigerians as possible by engaging young school leavers with a view to making them partners through sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship, in furtherance of its objectives, chief among which are the promotion and adoption of Vitamin A biofortified staple crops, and delivery to Nigerians especially the rural poor,
At a monthly National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) community development programme for the youth corps members serving in Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State, which held last Thursday, HarvestPlus’s team, led by Paul Ilona, the country manager, was at the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training to sensitize the corps members on the huge opportunities in Vitamin A Cassava production and distribution.
Speaking to the over three hundred corps members present at the training, Ilona said: “HarvestPlus is pleased to showcase to you opportunities in Vitamin A Cassava value chain, which will help you to reach your potential, generate income and employ others.”
He added that HarvestPlus is committed to fighting hidden hunger manifested through micronutrient deficiencies in foods by deploying biofortified staple crops and foods to the vulnerable population across the country and urged the youth corps members to partner with the organization to achieve this noble objective.
He highlighted areas of active entrepreneurial engagement that the youth corps members can invest in to include: Vitamin A cassava stem multiplication; tuberous root production; service provision; and establishment of point of sale (POS) outlets in strategic locations, among others.
“Last year, over 450,000 farmers received Vitamin A Cassava stems from HarvestPlus. This year, over 500,000 farmers will get stems for multiplication across the country and this comes in a value range of about N240 million,” Ilona said.
“Last year, we opened a pioneer point of sale (POS) to demonstrate to our partners that there is market for their Vitamin A cassava products. This year, HarvestPlus intends to work with partners from the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to establish 300 more points of sale. An online sales portal to connect the points of sale is nearing completion with huge benefits for those who come on board now,” Ilona further urged.
He assured the corps members that HarvestPlus will train willing partners and provide technical support to ensure their successful take-off.
According to HarvestPlus, the organization will continue to work with strategic partners to deepen knowledge, penetration and adoption of biofortified cassava products in Nigeria. Last year, the organization partnered Nollywood to produce a movie entitled “Yellow Cassava” and looks out for further opportunities to engage more groups in 2015.
Mrs Abimbola Ajayi, NYSC’s Local Government Inspector (LGI) for Akinyele LGA, thanked HarvestPlus for the Vitamin A Cassava initiative and the effort to reach out to the youth corps members as a way of helping them to plan their future if they wish to invest in agriculture.
She described the youth as a critical segment of the population whose role in Government’s effort to create jobs and eradicate poverty can never be over-emphasized and urged the corps members to key into the Vitamin A Cassava initiative to enrich themselves and benefit the country by becoming HarvestPlus’s ambassadors.
Ajayi added that Government established SAED with a view to equipping youth corps members with useful skills that will enhance their life after the service year.
In his comment, Mr Akinyode Emmanuel, president of the Corps Members’ Educational Development Group for Akinyele LGA, thanked HarvestPlus for the training and promised that the group will continue to build on the foundation already laid by HarvestPlus to ensure they maximize the benefits of the skills acquisition training.
One of the youth corps members with HarvestPlus Nigeria, Samson Uche Onyekwelu, said introducing the benefits of Vitamin A cassava to his colleagues was borne out of the need to help build capacity that will sustain the youth in future.
Highlight of the training session was the inspection of Vitamin A Cassava products like Vitamin A Garri, Vitamin A Fufu, Vitamin A Cake, Vitamin A Chinchin, etc at the venue by the NYSC officials and the corps members.
HarvestPlus leads a global effort to improve nutrition and public health by developing and deploying staple food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals. We work with diverse partners in more than 40 countries.
HarvestPlus is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH).
CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by its 15 research centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.
The HarvestPlus program is coordinated by two of these centers, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Police in Abuja have uncovered a criminal group making fake diplomatic and government number plates.
Ahmed Sanusi, commissioner of Police FCT, stated this during a press briefing on Friday.
He explained that criminals use these fake plates to dodge security checks and enter restricted areas.
The investigation started soon after Sanusi took office.
He noticed too many unauthorized cars driving around with official government and diplomatic tags.
“I immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into this disturbing trend,” Sanusi said. He noted that these individuals use the plates as a cover to commit crimes and avoid arrest.
The police have already arrested several people caught using the fake plates.
They have also figured out who is making them.
The manufacturers operate outside Abuja, and police are actively hunting them down.
Sanusi kept their names secret so they would not flee.
He stressed that this is a highly profitable illegal business.
Buyers pay between N500,000 and N1.7 million for a single fake plate.
“This will tell you that they are making such huge expenditure because they have an agenda,” Sanusi explained.
“Now they will face punishment that is bigger than both the cost they incur and the agenda they are planning.”
The commissioner urged residents to report any cars with suspicious diplomatic plates.
He reminded the public that real diplomatic tags follow a very specific format.
A diplomatic number plate in Nigeria is a special vehicle identification tag issued to foreign embassies, high commissions, and accredited international diplomats.
Gavi has approved $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme, primary healthcare services and long-term vaccine financing.
The move followed high-level discussions between Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, ]and Dr. Sania Nishtar, chief executive officer, Gavi in Abuja.
The funding, approved under the Gavi 6.0 programme, will support Nigeria’s efforts to accelerate routine immunisation, sustain polio eradication, expand HPV vaccination, strengthen primary healthcare services, and improve long-term vaccine financing.
Speaking during the meeting, Pate said Nigeria was strengthening its partnership with Gavi to accelerate immunisation, expand primary healthcare services, and ensure sustainable financing for vaccines.
He welcomed Gavi’s country-focused reforms, including the introduction of a predictable five-year funding envelope.
Pate said the US$500 million allocation will enable Nigeria to plan more effectively and deliver life-saving vaccines to more children and vulnerable populations.
The minister also revealed that quarterly visits to primary healthcare centreshad increased from about 10 million in 2023 to more than 45 million, reflecting significant progress in revitalising the country’s primary healthcare system.
Pate welcomed the announcement of a US$600 million pledge by the United States government to Gavi, describing it as a strong endorsement of the alliance’s leadership and the global value of vaccines.
He also commended Nishtar for prioritising Nigeria and praised the closer coordination among Gavi, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other development partners, describing it as a model that has improved efficiency and aligned support with Nigeria’s health sector reforms.
The minister expressed appreciation to Gavi and its partners for their continued technical and financial support, while calling on state governments to invest more in healthcare and immunisation to complement federal efforts.
For many women, financial independence means the freedom to provide for their families and build a better future. Yet, this remains out of reach due to limited access to opportunities, business support, and secure payment solutions.
Like millions of women in Nigeria determined to be financially independent, Pricillia started with a single PalmPay POS terminal, and as an agent, every successful transaction provided a commission which brought her one step closer to achieving her dream.
Through consistency, discipline, and support from the payment platform, she reinvested her earnings and eventually opened her own provision store.
“I started as just a PalmPay agent with one POS. The consistency of the platform gave me the confidence to expand. With the income I earned, I was able to open my own provision shop.” Priscilla said.
For Priscilla, PalmPay was more than a payment platform. Its secure payment infrastructure gave her the confidence to serve her customers, build trust, and grow her income.
Today, Pricillia has joined the statistics of SMEs powering Nigeria’s economy and PalmPay continues to support her daily operations, helping her receive payments, as she works towards her next business milestone. Her journey is a reminder that when women have access to secure financial tools and opportunities, they can build lasting economic independence.
Speaking on Pricillia’s journey, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing, PalmPay said: “Providing a secure platform that users can trust, whether for everyday payments or high-value transactions, is central to our vision of advancing financial inclusion. Priscilla’s story reflects our commitment to supporting the ambitions of Nigerians by providing a platform they can rely on to grow their finances. After all, seamless banking begins with security, and every successful transaction reinforces the trust our users place in us.”
Priscilla stands among thousands of PalmPay agents nationwide who are helping to expand financial access across Nigeria while earning commissions to create sustainable sources of income for themselves.
Every payment tells a story. It begins with trust, the confidence that your money is secure and that financial services are accessible. And when that opportunity reaches women, it creates ripple effects that transform families, strengthen communities, and drive economic growth.
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