THE NIGERIAN DONGOYARO TREE ( NEEM ) Azadirachta indica

Neem, botanically known as Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) is a common medicinal plant in Nigeria popularly known as Dogonyaro. The dogonyaro tree originated from Southeast Asia before spreading to other countries all over the world.

Dogonyaro tree is a fast growing tree that can even survive very well in any part of the tropics even under any agricultural soil condition. Researchers agree that the neem plant possess antibacterial, anti-tumour, pesticidal, anti-helmintic,sedative,contraceptive, anti-fungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, which suggest why the plant is very popular in the world.

The dogonyaro tree starts bearing fruits after 3 years but becomes fully matured after 10 years and can bear more than 50kg of fruits every year for up to 100 years. Every part of the neem tree such as the bark, leaves, seeds and fruits can be used as remedy for certain ailment and diseases due to their beneficial medicinal properties.

Benefits of Azadirachta indica (Dogonyaro or Neem)
The presence of edunin and nimbidol compounds make the dogonyaro leaves very destructive to fungi.
Dogonyaro can be used as a vaginal suppository to avoid and control the spread of sexually trasmitted infections.
Dogonyaro is anti-fungal and antibacterial in nature hence the leaves extracts can be used for treating skin infections such as; psoriasis, eczema, scabies and acne.

Dogonyaro trees can be used for erosion control and deforestation.
Dogonyaro helps in the detoxification process of the body, which helps to maintain healthy respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems.
Dogonyaro extracts can be used in making soaps and oils, which when used can help to maintain healthy and glowing skin.
Neem helps with swollen and puffy eyes due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Neem oil is antiseptic and antibacterial in nature hence, it is very useful for treating cavities, dandruff, halitosis, gum disease and controlling hair lice.

Boiled neem leaves water can be bathed with by malarial patients.
Researchers agree that dogonyaro is capable of reducing fertility in humans due to its contraceptive properties.
Dogonyaro can act or be used as a spermicide.
Individuals suffering from athletes foot can dip their feet in a warm water containing dogonyaro oil.
Individuals suffering from itchy and dry scalp can wash their hair with boiled neem leaves water but the water has to cool down before being used.
The anti-coccidial properties of neem makes it ideal for use as a pesticide.

Dogonyaro leaves extracts contain antiviral properties that destroy viruses as well as prevent them from growing and spreading to other parts of the body.
Neem oil can be used as nasal drops for treating sinusitis.
Dogonyaro water when mixed with honey and taken first thing every morning for at least 7 days is capable of curing jaundice.
Warm dogonyaro oil when applied to the ears can cure earache.
Dogonyaro can act as a blood cleanser thus stimulates antibody protection to boost the immune system.
Dogonyaro can be used in treating excessive vaginal discharge.

Skin bruises and cuts can be treated using dogonyaro leaves extract to prevent bacterial infection.
Due to the antibacterial properties of dogonyaro, the leaves extract is a trusted and recommended constituents of oral hygiene products, mouthwash and toothpaste.
Dogonyaro can be used to treat food poisoning associated with staphylococcus and salmonella bacteria.
The anti-malarial properties of neem render it suitable for teating malaria. Malaria is presently prevalent in the developing and under-developed countries but remains a global health challenge. The Ibo people of the Eastern part of Nigeria boil the dogonyaro leaves with pawpaw (carica papaya) leaves together for treating malaria. The local name for this anti-malarial drug is ogwu-iba and they believe that this local medicine has a high rate of curing malaria.
Dogonyaro water when taken orally is capable of reducing the insulin level of diabetic patients.



Reference:  globalfoodbook.com

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African whitewood (Triplochiton scleroxylon)

African whitewood (Triplochiton scleroxylon)

The African whitewood (Triplochiton scleroxylon), known as arere in Yoruba and obeche in Bini, is a large fast-growing tree, reaching 65 m (213 ft), usually with a straight trunk and buttresses up to about 8 m (26 ft) high. It belongs to the family Sterculiaceae and is common in semi-deciduous rainforests from Sierra Leone to Gabon and Congo, including secondary forests where it may fill gaps as a pioneer species.

Trees are often found in clusters of 10 or more, often in the transition zone between rainforest and savannah. Another common name is African maple, referring to the hand-shaped (palmate) leaves, which are 10-15 cm long and have 5-7 lobes. Flowering takes place in the dry season, usually from December to March and at intervals of 2 to 7 years. The flowers are saucer-shaped and scented, with 5 white, hairy petals, I cm long, which are red-purple at the base and insect-pollinated. These are followed by brown fruits 6 cm (2.4 in) long, each with a single wing, which ripen in February to March and are dispersed by the wind.

Triplochiton scleroxylon has many uses. It is the host of the African silk moth, Anaphe venata, whose caterpillars feed on the leaves and spin huge cocoons from which a high quality traditional silk cloth called sanyan is made. The young leaves are edible and used occasionally as a vegetable in Nigeria. Medicinal uses are not recorded in Nigeria though in Côte d'Ivoire bark and root bark preparations are used to relieve painful menstruation and reduce oedema in pregnancy.

The main use however is for timber. The wood is an important export, being in great demand for furniture, shingles, frames, beams, crates, boxes, veneers and plywood. It is soft, easily worked, and takes stains well. It is also used for paper pulp. As a result of over-exploitation, trees are scarce in many areas or locally extinct, and there is concern about genetic erosion. Attempts to grow Triplochiton in plantations have limited success due to insect damage. An alternative strategy would be to restore degraded forests using this species, as is being done successfully by the IITA Forest Project.

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NARM 2018, IFSA

NORTH AFRICAN REGIONAL MEETING

With the target of ending poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet by 2030, the SDGs
with its 17 global goals are the most ambitious global agenda ever. The fifteenth global goal is to
“Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity
loss.” This is very important to management of African forests and protection of its natural
diversity.
Africa remains the youngest continent in the world with about 80 percent of its population is
youth. Despite this, many African countries are faced with poverty, political instability and
environmental degradation. These pose significant challenges to achieving the global goals
within the target 15 years.
It is not gainsaying that today’s generation of youth is the largest the world has ever known. This
is because around ninety per cent of young people are living in developing countries, mainly
Asia and Africa. Young Africans are therefore an incredible resource toward achieving the UN-
SDGs. In other words, there’s a genuine opportunity for African countries to achieve SDGs if
African youth are well informed and fully engaged in development programs.
The 2018 Northern Africa Regional Meeting (NARM) of International Forestry Students’
Association (IFSA) is specially planned to engage, informed and create awareness among
African youths, especially young foresters and professionals on the global goals as highlighted in
SDGs. The meeting will create a meeting point and forum to engage in intellectual discourse
among youth, professionals and general public interested in protection and sustainable
management of African forests for the present and future generations.

Goal of the Meeting
The forum is aimed at engaging forestry students, young professionals and general public in
intellectual discourse on how African youths can contribute to achieving the global goals within
the context of SDGs. Most importantly, the roles of forestry students, young forestry
professionals and other related discipline will be identified through paper presentations, panel
discussions, technical sessions, field trips as well as capacity building workshops.
Objectives
– To create awareness of the 17 global goals of SDGs and its relevance to sustainable
management of African tropical forests.
– To create forum for intellectual discourse that makes African youth identify their roles
and contributions to achieving SDGs.
– To facilitate and initiate networking among youth pertinent for future research
collaborative and activities leading to sustainable management of natural resources.
– To build and strengthen capacities of youths leading to achieving global goals.
Strategies
The meeting will be specially organized to include the following key activities:
– Arrange technical sessions and panel discussions on selected scientific papers.
– Organized forum between young and professional foresters, as well as relevant key
stakeholders and government officials to engage in intellectual discourse on topical SDGs
issues.
– Capacity building workshop and training by sustainable development experts.
– Field trips to expose participants to sites on sustainable management of forests, and
activities that facilitate social and cultural interaction, and networking.
Key topics and Sub-themes of the Meeting
 Forest and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): the roles of forests and trees, as well
as contribution of African youths toward achieving the targets of SDGs.
 Forest for Sustainable Livelihoods: the central roles of forests and trees in sustenance of urban and rural livelihoods.
 Green Energy: introduction and adoption of environmental friendly energy as well as
energy and power saving technologies as substitutes to fossil, biomass and other forms of
energy.
 Urban Forestry: significance of forests, trees and other vegetation components within cities
and urban settlement and their contributions in protection and conservation in addition to
aesthetic values.
 Eco-tourism Development: awareness and sensitization on potentials of protected areas
(national parks, game reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, etc) and other flora and fauna
 Forest and Climate Change: the contribution of forests to mitigation and adaptation of
climate change.
 Ecosystem Services: contributions and potentials of ecosystem services for sustenance of
live on earth and generating interests among the youths.
Venue of the meeting
The meeting will be held at University of Ilorin. The University is located in Ilorin which is the
Capital City of Kwara State and located at central region of Nigeria. Kwara State is tagged “State
of Harmony”, while Ilorin is one of the ancient cities in Nigeria and known for its rich culture
and peaceful co-existence among the people. The participants will enjoy the rich culture, cuisine
and beautiful landscape of the University as well as visit tourist sites such as Owu Water Fall,
Esie Museum among others.
Expected outcome
– Participants and general public will be sensitized on the connection between the
Sustainable Development Goals and diverse African forests.
– The central roles of youth in achieving SDGs will be identified and clearly defined.
– Capacity building of young foresters who will serve as ambassadors toward achieving the
Global Goals.
– Bridging information and communication gaps on SDGs thereby limiting knowledge
deficiencies on achieving the 15 year target.

Expected Participants
NARM 2018 is open to 200 Forestry students, young professionals and general public from
Ghana, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria,
Rwanda as well as other participants from different regions and other interested stakeholders.
Publicity
 The created official website of the meeting is: www.narm18.wordpress.com.
 Updates on NARM18 will also be launched on the following social media platform:
Facebook: NARM18 and twitter: @NARM18.
 Information would also be shared via WhatsApp groups.
Local Organising Committee
The University of Ilorin Forestry Students’ Association (UFSA UNILORIN LC) on behalf of
International Forestry Students Association (IFSA) would organize the 2018 Northern Africa
Regional meeting.
Highlights
– Accommodation: Hotels in Ilorin.
– Excursion sites: UNILORIN Zoo, Owu water-falls and Esie museum
– Conference Venue: Auditorium of the University of Ilorin.
– Student presentations may be in parallel sessions at different venues depending on the
number of papers received.
– Workshops sessions would focus on capacity building training and will be free for all the
registered participants to attend.

• Date: June 4, 2018 - June 8, 2018

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TILLAPIA

Tilapia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the fish that fall under the term tilapia in common usage. For species belonging to the genus Tilapia, see Tilapia (genus).

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Global harvest of tilapia in million tonnes as reported by the FAO, 1950–2009^[1]

Tilapia (/tɪˈlɑːpiə/ tih-LAH-pee-ə) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia are mainly freshwater fish inhabiting shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes and less commonly found living in brackish water. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisanal fishing in Africa, and they are of increasing importance in aquaculture and aquaponics. Tilapia can become a problematic invasive species in new warm-water habitats such as Australia,^[2] whether deliberately or accidentally introduced, but generally not in temperate climates due to their inability to survive in cold water.
Tilapia is the fourth most consumed fish in the United States dating back to 2002. The popularity of tilapia came about due to its low price, easy preparation, and its mild taste.^[3]

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How to cook Nigerian Jollof Rice

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image: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/images/nigerian-jollof-rice.jpg

The Nigerian rice recipe discussed here is the classic Nigerian Jollof Rice prepared at parties. This is the most popular Nigerian rice recipe. This is why you will always see it in parties. It is quite easy to prepare if you follow the simple steps.
How to Cook Nigerian Jollof Rice [Video]
The following are other variations of Jollof Rice:

Leafy Jollof Rice

Coconut Jollof Rice

Mixed Vegetable Jollof Rice

Rice and Beans

Ingredients

• 3¾ cups (750g) long grain parboiled rice
• 2-3 cups Tomato Stew
• Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast)
• Pepper and salt (to taste)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 Knorr cubes
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (Nigerian curry powder)

Before you cook Jollof Rice

1. Prepare the tomato stew. Visit the Tomato Stew page for details on how to do that. It is advisable to prepare tomato stew before hand and keep in the freezer. This is so that whenever you want to cook any jollof rice related dish, it is just a matter of adding it to your cooking.
2. If you will use whole chicken then wash and cut it into pieces. Cook with the thyme, Knorr cubes and 2 bulbs of onions (chopped). The cooking time depends on the type of chicken. The rooster or cockerel cooks much faster than the hen but the hen is definitely tastier. When done, grill it in an oven. You may also fry it. This is to give it a golden look which is more presentable especially if you have guests for dinner.
3. Parboil the rice using the method detailed in parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice. Rinse the parboiled rice and put in a sieve to drain.

Cooking Directions

1. Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a sizeable pot and leave to boil.
2. Add the drained parboiled rice, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. The water level should be the same level of the rice. This is to ensure that all the water dries up by the time the rice is cooked.
3. Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up.

If you parboiled the rice as described at parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice, the rice should be done by the time the water is dry. Taste to confirm. If not, you will need to add more water and reduce the heat to prevent burning. Keep cooking till done.
Serve with Fried Plantain, Nigerian Moi Moi, Nigerian Salad or Coleslaw.
You can spice up this recipe by adding 2 well known vegetables to arrive at what we refer to as Mixed Vegetables Jollof Rice.

If you have any questions about cooking the best Nigerian Jollof Rice, click here to ask me.

Read more at http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/rice/nigerian-jollof-rice.html#CaszGzv6XHhopiu2.99

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