By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The federal government and relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector have adopted a harmonized fertilizer manual to improve crop yields, ensure food security, and manage high input costs in the country.

Speaking at a national stakeholders workshop for the validation of the Harmonized Fertilizer Manual on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director, Farm Inputs Support Services in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Abana Waziri Abba, identified low soil fertility as one of the main factors causing low agricultural productivity by farmers.

He, therefore, described the manual as a critical tool for enhancing crop productivity, improving farmers profitability, promoting sustainable economic growth, and ultimately strengthening national food security.

“Application of manures and fertilizers has the mean: of replenishing the nutrients-supplying capacity of soils. Fertilizer therefore is one of the critical farm inputs for achieving increases in crop yields and output.

“However, the same amount increased crop production largely depends on the type of fertilizer: used to supplement essential nutrients for plants, but the concerns in fertilizer application had always been that of ‘Feeding the plant or Feeding the soil’

“Meanwhile, for a very long time, conventional fertilizer use has largely been guided by blanket recommendations that fail to reflect the diverse nutrient needs of our soils across different agro-ecological zones, as well as the economic realities faced by farmers. And we know that blanket fertilizer application recommendations may lead farmers to over-fertilize in some areas and under-fertilize in others or apply an improper balance of nutrients for their soil or crop,” he explained.

The director added that validation of the manual would make sure that farmers apply the right nutrients at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place, stressing “our collective objective is to transition from generalized and often inefficient practices to site-specific fertilizer recommendation that are scientifically sound economically viable and environmentally sustainable.”

Abba further disclosed that the validation exercise was aimed at addressing the challenge of hidden hunger- lack of vitamins and minerals in food which he referred to as a form of undernutrition resulting from micronutrient deficiency.

According to him, healthy soils give rise to healthy plants which when consumed by human, give rise to healthy life, disclosing that the effort goes beyond food security, but also nutrition security.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mohammed A. Ibrahim, said “fertilizer is a major driver of productivity, but it only delivers value when it is applied correctly and responsibly.”

“When guidance is inconsistent or fragmented, we lose efficiency, and we risk long-term damage to soil health. A harmonised national manual helps us promote better yields, smarter input use, and more sustainable farming practices.

“This initiative aligns directly with NADF’s mandate to support agricultural development through evidence-based interventions and strong partnerships. We are focused on impact, improving productivity, safeguarding soil health, and strengthening food security,” Ibrahim said.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

The Presidential Amnesty Programme has distributed additional 900 laptops to its scholarship scheme beneficiaries studying in Nigerian universities in the third batch of the exercise within the country.

The institutions include two partnering institutions–Nigeria Maritime University and Admiralty University of Nigeria, and three non-partnering schools–Dennis Osadebey University, Southern Delta University, and University of Delta.

The distribution of the mobile computing device on Friday, January 30, 2026, followed the directive of the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro. The Office had conducted the first batch in May 2025 with 663 laptops and the second batch in November 2025 with 1,857 laptops.

Speaking during the recent presentations, Dr Otuaro said that the initiative was a demonstration of his unwavering commitment to human capital development in the Niger Delta.

According to him, education is a critical driver of personal growth, innovation, and sustainable development in the region and indeed the country.

Dr Otuaro, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Special Projects, Engr. Sokoto Ebikonde Victor, reiterated that his decision was aimed at equipping the PAP scholarship students with an essential tool for learning, research, and academic excellence in an increasingly technology-driven age.

He said, “This laptop distribution underscores our strong commitment to the overall academic success of our students. This laptop is an essential tool meant to enhance your learning, research, and innovation.

“We encourage you to utilize them responsibly so that you can achieve outstanding results and justify your enlistment for the scholarship scheme.

“We urge you to remain focused on your studies and to see the gesture as an investment by the Federal Government in your future and the development of the Niger Delta.

“We assure you that the Presidential Amnesty Programme will continue to implement initiatives aimed at supporting education, skills acquisition, and youth empowerment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”

The PAP helmsman expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his magnanimity towards the agency, and also thanked the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efficient supervision of the programme.

Many of the scholarship beneficiaries described the laptop distribution as timely, saying that it would greatly support their studies and pledged to utilize it properly.

They also expressed their gratitude to President Tinubu, the Federal Government and the PAP Administrator, Dr Otuaro, for giving them the opportunity to access higher education under the scholarship scheme.

By David Owei

Journalists covering conflict, insecurity, and governance in Nigeria have been urged to rethink Safety
how public safety is reported, shifting away from episodic incident counts toward
people-centred and policy-relevant journalism.

This call was the focus of a two-day Capacity Building for Journalists on Public Safety Reporting,
held in Abuja from January 27–28, 2026.

The training convened reporters from Benue and
Bayelsa States alongside journalists covering national public safety and governance issues from
the Federal Capital Territory.

The programme was organised by the Centre for Journalism,
Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the Open Society Foundations (OSF).

Speaking on the goal of the workshop, Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director of CJID
explained that the training forms part of the People-Centred Public Safety Project, which
responds to growing concerns that dominant security narratives often obscure systemic failures,
dehumanise victims, and fail to influence the policies that shape safety outcomes at the
community level.

He noted that CJID is keen to see a clear shift in how conflict and public safety
issues are reported following the training.

“We hope that by the end of this training, participants will not only be equipped with the tools
required for people-centred conflict reporting, but will also have the drive to produce journalism
that meaningfully shapes public understanding, strengthens accountability, and influences policy
outcomes.”

Community policing emerged as a central theme during the training, particularly as provided for
under the 2020 Nigeria Police Act. Participants examined the historical and structural
foundations of policing in Nigeria, including its colonial origins and enduring elite orientation.

Discussions highlighted how persistent gaps in policing capacity, accountability and training
have contributed to the emergence of community-driven safety mechanisms.
Throughout the programme, journalists were urged to prioritise rigorous fact-finding, avoid
borrowed or sensational language, and challenge dominant stereotypes by producing reporting
grounded in lived realities, community relationships, and historical context, rather than
reinforcing fear-based framings.
Participants were also introduced to emerging national patterns of violence, including
geographic diffusion, high recurrence driven by delayed or absent state response, security
vacuums, and retaliation cycles – dynamics often missed in headline-driven coverage.

Beyond documenting violence, journalists were encouraged to highlight peacebuilders,
community resilience, coping mechanisms, and reform efforts, without denying the reality of
insecurity.

The emphasis was on producing journalism that reflects both harm and human
agency.

The training concluded with a call for journalists to reclaim their role as shapers of public record
and accountability, using their work to influence laws, budgets, institutions, and public
programmes. By the end of the programme, participants left with clearer tools to interrogate
public safety failures, identify patterns behind violence, elevate community-defined notions of
safety, and produce reporting capable of influencing policy and public action.

A participant , Aherhoke Okioma, commended and applauded CJID for the training workshop,which will go a long way to reshaping the horizon of journalists in reporting conflicts and safety in the country,describing the impactful lectures delivered as unprecedented,and called on Non governmental organizations to emulate CJID in training and retraining of journalists to enhance their professionalism .