The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that one million people in Northeast Nigeria could lose emergency food and nutrition assistance unless new funding is secured within weeks. In a statement, the UN agency said Nigeria is facing one of its worst hunger crises in recent times, with millions at risk during the upcoming lean season. “If WFP cannot continue supporting displaced populations in camps, they will leave the sites in a desperate attempt to survive. They will try to migrate, or they may join insurgent groups to feed themselves and their families,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s Nigeria Country Director.…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has formally matriculated 6,821 newly admitted undergraduate and postgraduate students for the 2025/2026 academic session. The ceremony on January 22, 2026, brought together 6,000 undergraduates and 821 postgraduates, who took the matriculation oath, officially joining the university community. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adenike Oladiji said admission was highly competitive. “Out of over 20,000 applicants, only about 6,000 undergraduates were admitted. Almost half of those who aspired to join FUTA were screened out,” she noted, urging students to appreciate their opportunity. ALSO READ NBTE to allow polytechnics award ND, B.Tech degrees She warned against misconduct, highlighting…
The European Union (EU) has announced that Nigeria and other African countries will receive €557 million from its 2026 humanitarian aid budget. The disclosure was made on Wednesday in a statement issued in Abuja by the Press Officer of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Modestus Chukwulaka. According to the statement, the funding targets West and Central Africa, with particular focus on North-West Nigeria, as part of the bloc’s initial €1.9 billion humanitarian aid allocation for 2026. The EU said the decision comes at a time when about 239 million people worldwide require humanitarian assistance, while major international…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says Nigerian banks have agreed to reduce fraud response times to under 30 minutes to improve recovery outcomes and limit systemic risk. The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Philip Ikeazor, disclosed this at the 2026 Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) Technical Kick-Off Session in Lagos, where he was represented by Ibrahim Hassan. Ikeazor said while legacy crimes such as ATM card cloning have been largely neutralised, newer threats, including online fraud, social engineering, SIM-swap abuse, insider compromise and authorised push payment (APP) scams, now dominate. He said NeFF has coordinated industry-wide responses through mandatory…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says credit availability improved across key lending segments in the fourth quarter of 2025, even as lenders recorded higher default rates on loans to households and businesses. The apex bank disclosed this in its Q4 2025 Credit Conditions Survey, noting that overall lending conditions showed mixed outcomes, with banks cautiously expanding access to credit despite rising repayment risks. According to the CBN, credit trends during the quarter reflected both opportunities and challenges for borrowers and lenders, underscoring the complexity of Nigeria’s financial landscape. The survey showed that households faced higher borrowing costs, while corporate…
African scientific leaders from eight countries have called for urgent, Africa-led reforms to strengthen health research and development (R&D) systems amid major disruptions in global health funding that threaten access to healthcare across the continent. The call was made by 14 Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellows from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, in a commentary published on January 15, 2025, in Nature Health. The Fellows outlined practical, locally grounded actions to unlock Africa’s health research potential and build more resilient R&D ecosystems. They warned that while national and regional policies have attempted to address long-standing…
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…
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…