Ethiopia will host 2017 African Cup, because of Libya security concerns

Ethiopia will host 2017 African Cup, because of Libya security concerns

Addis Ababa (HAN) August 29, 2014, Africa sports and regional security concerns. Ethiopia will host the 2017 African Cup because of Libya pulled out citing security concerns, the president of the national football federation said, a tough task for a country with only basic sports infrastructure.

Because of establishing strong international partnerships for counter-terrorism and development, Ethiopia’s political system has grown increasingly stable.

There is government backing for the bid, Ethiopia football federation president Junedin Basha said.

“We are both willing and able to host the games,” Junedin said, adding new facilities are being planned and built across the country. “We see no problem in hosting.”

Ethiopia will lodge its bid with the Confederation of African Football by the end of the week, Junedin said.

CAF is racing to find a new venue after Libya’s withdrawal and has given countries until the end of September to register bids. Countries normally have four years to prepare for the African Cup but the winning bid will have just over two to prepare for 2017.

Ghana and Kenya have also shown interest in bidding.
Ethiopia is a founding member of CAF and hosted early versions of the Cup of Nations in 1962, 1968 and 1976. The East African country struggled to keep up, though, and didn’t qualify for Africa’s top tournament for more than 30 years before returning in South Africa last year.

Junedin said the National Stadium in Addis Ababa and a stadium in the northern city of Bahir Dar would be two of the venues, although the National Stadium would have to be upgraded, he said. Other stadiums are being constructed.

A country needs at least four grounds for the 16-team African Cup.
CAF will announce the 2017 host next year. It will award the 2019 and 2021 tournaments next month, putting it in the strange position of having hosts for those African Cups before the 2017 version.

Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Zambia are bidding for 2019 and 2021. The next African Cup, which is held every two years, is in Morocco in January and February.

Photo: Team Ethiopia Ethiopia promises $100,000 bonus to players if they win the African Cup of Nations Ghana versus Germany

Source: geeskaafrika.com

PROFESSOR TEKALIGN MAMO ASSEFA AWARDED THE YARA PRIZE 2014

PROFESSOR TEKALIGN MAMO ASSEFA AWARDED THE YARA PRIZE 2014

The Yara Prize honors leadership for the future of farming

By Ingrid Helsingen Warner
Tigrai Onlne - August 27, 2014

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(Oslo 2014-08-27) The Yara Prize 2014 is being awarded to Professor Tekalign Mamo Assefa. Currently state minister and adviser to the Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture, Professor Mamo has long been a key contributor to the country’s food security, soil health and natural resources programs.

For 2014, the Yara Prize Committee has focused on the future of farming in Africa. Special attention has been given to food and nutrition security and the twin challenges of employment and income generation.

“As a laureate, Professor Mamo stands out for his remarkable effort across levels, but always rooted in a profound understanding of how transformation must always include the farmer. As a scientist, leader and practitioner, Professor Mamo’s innovative and inclusive efforts have been instrumental in lifting millions of farmers’ income,” says Jørgen Ole Haslestad, President and CEO of Yara and Chairman of the Yara Prize Committee.

Over the past three decades, Professor Mamo has endeavored to improve the livelihoods of Ethiopian farmers, leveraging his scientific knowledge and exhibiting leadership. Developing targeted interventions for management of waterlogged soils, rehabilitating acidic soils and degraded landscapes, winning farmer acceptance of technologies and modernizing Ethiopia’s fertilizer advisory service are important hallmarks of his engagement.

“By awarding the Yara Prize, we salute the champions of sustainable agricultural development. I wish to extend my personal congratulations to Professor Mamo,” says Haslestad.

The laureate will be celebrated during the Yara Prize Ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 2 September in connection with the African Green Revolution Forum 2014.

About the Yara Prize laureate

Born in 1956 in Lekemt, Ethiopia, Professor Mamo graduated as Ph.D. in Soil chemistry and fertility at Aberdeen University, Scotland. From a strong academic basis, Professor Mamo has expanded beyond a purely academic role. In 1985, he and a team of experts launched a national project to improve the country's vast clay soils, especially those that get waterlogged and impair crop productivity. The results have benefited millions of farmers to date.

In 2005, he led the work on a watershed development strategy, focusing on community ownership and the use of proven technologies. Using this approach, Ethiopia reversed degradation on about 13 million hectares of land, and turned them into productive assets. The rehabilitated watersheds are now being legally transferred to landless and jobless rural youth, who can use it to generate income while preserving the environment.

He has also engaged in several initiatives on soil fertility, addressing both acidic soils and nutrient deficiencies. Through his recommendations and leadership, a new conceptual and operational framework for fertilizers has been developed. A national mapping of soil fertility at a district level has been undertaken, and new fertilizers have been introduced which improve past approaches. Over 40,000 new fertilizer demonstrations have been conducted. Many consider this the beginning of a new era of fertilizer use in the country.

Professor Mamo’s achievements have also led to his position as one of 13 global commissioners for Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, and him serving as one of 27 leading global experts in the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils. He still guides and supervises graduate students, and he is the founder of the Ethiopian Journal of Natural Resources.

About the Yara Prize

The Yara Prize for an African Green Revolution seeks to contribute to the transformation of African agriculture and food availability, within a sustainable context, thereby helping to reduce hunger and poverty. The Yara Prize is based on nominations of candidates who are carefully evaluated by the Yara Prize Committee. The Yara Prize consists of USD 60,000, a crystal trophy and a diploma. The Yara Prize was handed out in Oslo from 2005 to 2009.

From 2012, the prize ceremony was moved to Africa where it is handed out as part of the African Green Revolution Forum, which took place in Arusha, Tanzania (2012) and Maputo, Mozambique (2013).

For more information, please contact:

Bernhard Stormyr, Director of Communications, Yara International ASA

Phone: +47 9010 7685

Mail: bernhard.stormyr@yara.com