Cassava, rice, maize, and wheat account for 45 per cent of the calories consumed across Africa, highlighting the continent’s heavy reliance on just a few staple foods. This finding is contained in a World Bank report titled “Food at a Crossroads: The Nexus Between Transport, Logistics, and Food Security in Africa.” The report warns that such dependence leaves Africa vulnerable to supply disruptions, rising food prices, and climate-related shocks. According to the World Bank, while these four staples dominate Africa’s diet, a large portion is imported from Europe, South Asia, and other regions. Africa imports over 30 million tonnes of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Fifty shops were razed on Sunday morning following a fire outbreak at the Old Market in Sokoto metropolis, with properties worth hundreds of millions of naira destroyed. Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, who visited the scene of the incident, commiserated with traders affected by the inferno and pledged the state government’s support to help them recover from the losses. Describing the incident as unfortunate, the governor urged the affected traders to accept the development in good faith, noting that the consequences of the fire extended beyond individual shop owners to the wider Sokoto community and the state government. “The impact…
US congressional leaders have agreed on a $9.4 billion global health funding package, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s proposal for deeper cuts and signalling rare bipartisan support for sustaining US-backed health programmes worldwide. The figure, reached by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, is more than double the $3.7 billion requested by the Trump administration, though still below the $12.4 billion allocated in both 2024 and 2025. Both chambers of Congress must still approve the package and could face a presidential veto after passage. Lawmakers face a 30 January deadline to pass the federal funding bill. If approved, it…
Dangote Cement Plc has rewarded its top distributors and customers with gifts and cash valued at ₦15 billion, in appreciation of their loyalty, resilience, and outstanding performance across the country. The celebration took place at the 2026 Dangote Cement Distributors’ Awards Night held at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme “Partner for Growth.” High-performing distributors went home with cash prizes, containers of cement, luxury SUVs, and CNG-powered trucks. Speaking at the event, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, described distributors as the heartbeat of the company, noting that their dedication ensures…
SAFET (Seafood and Fisheries Emerging Technologies), a global nonprofit initiative, has released a new insight brief highlighting how emerging technologies can transform sustainable fisheries management and ocean protection, while also launching a new digital platform to showcase real-world deployments. The report, titled The Fourth Industrial Revolution at Sea: How New Technologies Enable More Sustainable Management of Fisheries and the Ocean Environment, was released on 15 January 2026 in London, UK, at the midpoint of the United Nations’ “Ocean Decade.” It identifies more than 10 key technologies capable of supporting sustainable fishing practices, strengthening marine ecosystem protection, and improving transparency across…
The Federal Government has approved the introduction of a Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academic staff in Nigerian universities, covering professors and readers. Under the new arrangement, professors will receive N1.8 million annually, while readers will earn N870,000 per year as professional cadre allowance. The approval is part of measures aimed at improving the welfare, motivation and productivity of senior academics in the country’s tertiary education system. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the decision in Abuja during the presentation of outcomes from the renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has described cybercrime as one of the greatest challenges of the digital age, warning that rapid technological advancement has expanded opportunities for digital crimes. ICPC Chief Superintendent Laaro Sulyman stated this while delivering a lecture at a two-day orientation programme for newly admitted students of the Federal University of Health Sciences (FUHSI), Ila-Orangun, Osun State. Speaking on “Cybercrime Legislation: Global Perspectives, Challenges and Ethical Use of Social Media,” Sulyman said crimes committed through digital platforms now affect individuals, institutions, governments and global security. He noted that universities, particularly health sciences…
Veteran journalist and one of the co-founders of Nigeria’s foremost investigative Newswatch magazine, Yakubu Mohammed, has died at the age of 75. Mohammed passed away on Tuesday in Lagos after a brief illness, bringing to an end a distinguished media career that spanned several decades and helped shape investigative journalism in Nigeria. He was among the founding team that established Newswatch magazine in 1984 alongside the late Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Dan Agbese. The weekly publication quickly rose to prominence and became a reference point for bold reporting, in-depth investigations and editorial independence during critical periods of Nigeria’s political…
At least three Nigerian banks are likely to merge in early 2026 as pressure mounts on lenders to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new minimum capital requirements before the 31 March deadline. According to DataPro’s 2026 Banking Sector Prospects in Nigeria, most of the country’s big banks have already crossed the new capital threshold. Smaller banks, however, are running out of time and options, making mergers one of the most realistic survival paths. DataPro’s Enterprise Risk Management analyst, Idris Shittu, said the recapitalisation exercise has triggered intense behind-the-scenes negotiations across the sector.“ ALSO READ Nigerian govt explains N152trn…
The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences (NSPS) has announced Dr. Bello Alhaji Buhari as the recipient of its 2026 PhD Thesis Prize in the Computer Science category. The Society followed a rigorous and transparent evaluation process, before confering the prestigious award on Dr. Buhari, a doctoral graduate of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in recognition of the exceptional quality and scholarly significance of his doctoral research. Dr. Buhari was honoured for his PhD thesis titled “Web-based User Authentication and Access Control: An Enhanced Multi-Factor Biometric Cryptographic Scheme Based on Client File and S13 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol.” The adjudicating panel noted…