The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that six laureates advancing primary health care were recognised during the 79th World Health Assembly. WHO said this on Wednesday, stating that the recipients were honoured by Assembly President Dr Víctor Lajam and Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. “Dr Víctor Lajam and Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus presented the 2026 prizes. “The 2026 prizes celebrate dedication to primary health care, reducing inequities, and achieving health for all,” the global health body said. The statement noted that WHO’s Executive Board selected the laureates in February, recognising their commitment to scientific excellence and outreach. According to WHO, the…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Kenya has approved field trials for gene-edited banana varieties developed to resist Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), a major disease that continues to threaten banana production and farmers’ livelihoods across East Africa. The approval follows a landmark determination by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), which ruled that the gene-edited banana lines developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Kenya are not classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because they do not contain foreign genetic material. The decision clears the way for the improved banana varieties to advance through conventional research pathways, marking a significant step in the application…
A new scientific briefing has warned that Africa could face a “Year of Reckoning” in 2026 unless governments, donors and researchers mount urgent, coordinated responses to overlapping climate, food security and public-health threats. The African Science Lab Report (Issue No. 01, May 2026) pulls together recent findings across four interlinked research frontiers — climate‑resilient agriculture, drought‑tolerant crop genetics, integrated healthcare systems and nature‑based climate solutions — and concludes that piecemeal action will be insufficient to avert growing risks to livelihoods and national economies. Climate stress is already cutting yields The report highlights an outlook by the African Centre for a…
Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Sokoto North, positioning himself for a potential fourth term in the Nigerian Senate ahead of the 2027 general elections. Wamakko emerged as the party’s flag bearer through an affirmation process conducted by APC members drawn from the eight local government areas of the senatorial district, in a primary exercise described as peaceful and consensus-driven. The exercise, held alongside parallel primaries for Sokoto South and Sokoto East districts, produced Wamakko, Umar Ajiya, and Danbaba Dambuwa as the APC senatorial candidates for their respective zones. Speaking after his…
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has begun receiving the full proceeds from Nigeria’s Production Sharing Contract (PSC) oil revenues following the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order 9 of 2026. The development follows compliance by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited with the presidential directive designed to improve fiscal transparency and increase government earnings from the oil and gas sector. According to recent fiscal reports, the Federation Account has received 100 per cent of PSC profits since February 2026, marking a significant shift from the previous revenue-sharing framework operated under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The report…
A group of aspirants under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State has formally appealed to the party’s screening committee to zone the House of Representatives ticket for Sokoto South/Sokoto North Federal Constituency to Sokoto South Local Government Area ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a letter dated May 10, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman and Members of the ADC Screening Committee in Sokoto State, the aspirants argued that Sokoto South had ceded the position to Sokoto North for over 24 years in the interest of unity, power-sharing, and political stability. The letter, jointly signed by Sidi…
Former Sokoto State governor and serving senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has withdrawn from the 2027 Sokoto South Senatorial race and endorsed former Commissioner for Finance, and Nigeria’s Ambassador for Sudan, Faruk Malami-Yabo. the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket. The development followed a series of consultations within the party amid disagreements over candidate selection ahead of the 2027 general elections. Confirming the move, the State Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Lamir Aminu, said Tambuwal stepped aside in the interest of unity, peace, and internal democracy within the party. According to him, the decision was aimed at promoting harmony and strengthening the…
Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has vowed that his government will gazette the zoning system for all elective positions in the state. The governor stated this on Wednesday night during a strategic meeting with critical stakeholders and aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, held at the Hauwa Wali Multipurpose Hall, Government House, Minna. He said the gazetted zoning system would allow elective positions to rotate fairly across all 25 local government areas of the state and ensure political stability. He added that a public hearing would be held on the matter, stressing that no local government…
Nigeria has once again fallen short of its 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) crude oil production quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), according to the latest industry data. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), in its National Liquid Hydrocarbon Production Report released Tuesday, showed that average daily crude output hovered around 1.4 million bpd in April—about 99 percent of the OPEC allocation. When condensates are included, total production rose to about 1.6 million bpd for the month. Combined crude oil and condensate output peaked at 1.85 million bpd, while the lowest daily production…
The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) chief, Volker Turk, on Wednesday called for independent investigations into reports that separate airstrikes by the Nigerian and Chadian militaries in northern Nigeria killed dozens of civilians. According to multiple sources cited by AFP, around 100 civilians were killed on Sunday in what is being described as one of the deadliest single days in Nigeria’s long-running conflict with armed groups and criminal gangs. Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said Nigerian military airstrikes hit a crowded market in Zamfara State, an area reportedly influenced by armed criminal networks, killing “at least 100 civilians.” A resident…