The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported eight laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), including one death, in Saudi Arabia between January 1 and October 5, 2026. In a disease outbreak update published on October 15, WHO said the cases were recorded across six locations: Al Jouf, Arar, Hafr Al-Batin, Riyadh, Tabuk and Taif, with no epidemiological links identified among the patients. The global health agency said all eight patients developed symptoms, most commonly fever, breathing difficulties and cough. Five of the cases involved people aged 70 and above, while seven patients had underlying medical conditions associated…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Niger State Government has connected the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) State Council Secretariat in Minna to its 24-hour broadband internet network, bringing the number of connected public offices in the state to 156. The facility, installed at the IBB Pen House, is intended to strengthen digital journalism, improve access to information and enhance the speed and efficiency of news production and public communication. The initiative was implemented by the Ministry of Information and Orientation in collaboration with the Niger State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (NSITDEA). The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Obed Nuhu Nana, formally handed…
As weather extremes become more frequent, crop resilience is emerging as a critical factor in agricultural productivity, with growing emphasis on helping plants withstand drought, heat and other environmental stresses. Omnia Nutriology® says the shift is driving greater interest in biostimulants, which support plants’ natural physiological processes and complement conventional crop nutrition and agronomic practices. Venessa Moodley, Biostimulant Lead at Omnia Nutriology®, said agricultural productivity should be assessed not only by how much a crop produces under favourable conditions but also by its ability to maintain performance when growing conditions deteriorate. “Yield will always be an important measure of success,…
The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has pledged to partner with the Solomon and Mary Lar Institute for Leadership to strengthen leadership capacity, promote democracy and human rights, and accelerate development across the North Central region. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, gave the assurance on the partnership on Monday, when a delegation from the Solomon and Mary Lar Foundation for Leadership, led by Beni Lar, daughter of the late Chief Solomon Lar, visited the Commission to present an invitation to the launch of the Institute in Abuja next month. In a statement…
The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) says its sugar development programme is expected to create 110,000 direct and indirect jobs and support more than one million livelihoods across Nigeria’s sugar value chain. The council’s Executive Secretary, Kamar Bakrin, disclosed this at a news conference organised by the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Abuja. He said expanding domestic sugarcane cultivation and processing would advance four national priorities: foreign exchange savings, job creation, rural economic development and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. “When Nigeria grows and processes its own sugarcane, four national priorities move forward together,” Bakrin said. He…
A professor of social history and Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Sokoto (NWUS), Mukhtar Umar Bunza, has revealed that scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate travelled to find and copy books, built private collections across the region and maintained libraries that supported a far-reaching intellectual culture. He made the revelation as a Guest Lecturer, while delivering the Second Is-haq Oloyede Annual Humanities Lecture, organised by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ilorin on Friday, October 8, 2026. Bunza, in his paper “The Sokoto Caliphate Intellectual Legacy and the Future of Humanities in Nigeria”, argued that many public collections…
Scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate argued that women should be able to pursue education and attend to necessary religious and worldly matters, a Professor of Social History and Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Sokoto (NWUS), Mukhtar Umar Bunza, has said. Bunza, who spoke as the Guest Lecturer, made the call on Friday, October 8, 2026, while delivering the Second Is-haq Oloyede Annual Humanities Lecture at the University of Ilorin. Organised by the Faculty of Arts and held in honour of Emeritus Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the lecture had the theme: “The Sokoto Caliphate Intellectual Legacy and the Future of Humanities…
Nigerian universities should make greater use of indigenous scholarship, including writings produced during the Sokoto Caliphate, instead of relying heavily on foreign theories and intellectual traditions, a Professor of Social History and Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Sokoto (NWUS), Mukhtar Umar Bunza, has said. Bunza, who spoke as the Guest Lecturer, made the call on Friday, October 8, 2026, while delivering the Second Is-haq Oloyede Annual Humanities Lecture at the University of Ilorin. Organised by the Faculty of Arts and held in honour of Emeritus Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the lecture had the theme: “The Sokoto Caliphate Intellectual Legacy and…
At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after an overcrowded boat capsized off Djibouti while heading to Yemen. Another 84 people remain missing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which revised an earlier toll after 30 more bodies were recovered. The vessel was carrying 305 people when it overturned near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, during the night of October 8–9. About 82 people survived, the IOM said. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations, while the IOM and local officials are providing emergency assistance to survivors. The agency has described the crossing from…
Global trust in science has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, dropping below 2018 levels according to the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026. Released on Sunday at the World Health Organization (WHO) Summit in Berlin, the report represents the largest global study examining public attitudes toward science, surveying over 140,000 people across 140 countries. Key global trends Overall decline: Across countries tracked consistently through all three study waves (2018, 2020, and 2025), the proportion of people expressing at least some trust in science fell from 77% in 2018 to 72% in 2025. The pandemic peak: This downward trend follows a temporary surge…