Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said China will take the lead by investing Y1.5 billion (about $233 million U.S.) to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. Xi made the remarks while addressing the leaders’ summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity via a video link in Beijing. He said the fund will be used to support developing countries in biodiversity protection. “China calls on and welcomes all parties to make contributions to the fund.” Xi said China would release implementation plans for peaking carbon dioxide emissions in key areas and…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Dubai ports giant DP World and Britain’s development finance agency CDC Group on Tuesday said they planned to jointly invest up to $1.72 billion in logistics infrastructure in Africa over the next several years, starting with modernising three ports. The investments will initially focus on expanding ports operated by DP World in Egypt’s Ain Sokhna, Senegal’s Dakar, and Berbera in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, CDC said. State-owned DP Word has committed to investing $1 billion over the next several years, while CDC has committed $320 million and potentially investing up to a further $400 million. The joint investments will…
By Racheal Abujah The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Wednesday, October 6, recommended the use of the first-ever produced malaria vaccine, the RTS, S/AS01. The vaccine is an immunological approach against the plasmodium parasite. This vaccine which showed great results in the phase III trials carried out in 2014 in about 11 African countries has the potential of reducing global malaria deaths to a great extent. But in July 2015, the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine passed its phase III clinical trial and was adopted by the European Medicine Agency. Before this time, the vaccine was administered on children, aged 5-17months and 3years.…
An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday ordered that a 52-year-old man, Sunday Anthony, should be remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly raping his 17-year-old daughter The police charged Anthony, who resides at No. 7, Ibro St., Yewa Estate, Isawo Road, Agric Ikorodu, Lagos, with rape. Magistrate M.O. Tanimola, gave the order, following a motion moved by the Prosecutor, ASP Victor Eruada, that the matter be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a legal advice. The magistrate, who did not take the plea of Anthony, also directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send to…
By Justina Auta Save the Children’s Global Girlhood Report on Monday revealed that an estimated 44 per cent of girls in Nigeria get married before their 18th birthday. The report was given to newsmen by an NGO, Save the Children Nigeria (SCI), as part of the activities to commemorate the 2021 International Day of the Girl Child in Abuja. It said that the percentage of girls that marry early in Nigeria was one of the highest globally. It said that the rate of early child marriage was not likely to reduce as Nigerian girls were living in one of the…
By Justina Auta The Deputy Country Representative, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ms Rushnan Muszata says digital inclusion of girls is crucial to ensuring equitable distribution of wealth and development in the country. Murtaza stated this in Abuja, at a Policy Dialogue, as part of events to mark the International Day of the Girl-Child (IDGC). She said there was need to increase investment to close the exclusive gaps across geographic lines and opportunities, created by the digital divide in order to accommodate more girls in the space. Speaking at the event, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, represented by His…
By Justina Auta The United Nations Trust Fund and Tabitha Cumi Foundation on Monday launched the Flashlight Action on Girls’ Safety (FLAGS) to support 750 marginalised girls in FCT, Nassarawa and Niger states. The foundation’s Executive Director, Mrs Tayo Erinle, said the project, funded by the UN Trust Fund, will provide access to multi-sectoral services to end all forms of violence against women and girls. Erinle said the three-year project was relevant to this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child, with the theme, “Digital Generation-Our Generation; Digital Revolution: Not Without Girls.” `It is a three-year project and it is particularly…
A military court in Ouagadougou on Monday began the long-awaited trial of 14 men, including the former president, accused in the assassination of Burkina Faso’s left-wing leader Thomas Sankara 34 years ago. The slaying of Sankara, a pan-Africanist icon, has for years cast a shadow over the poor Sahel state, fuelling its reputation for turbulence and bloodshed. Sankara and 12 others were riddled with bullets by a hit squad on October 15, 1987 during a putsch that brought his friend and comrade-in-arms Blaise Compaore to power. Compaore, the chief accused, announced through his lawyers last week that he would boycott…
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has debunked insinuations that there is rift between him and Bola Tinubu over 2023 presidential ambition. A statement by the political adviser to the president, Senator Babafemi Ojudu made available to newsmen on Monday, said the duo are in the same political family. According to Ojudu, Osinbajo will not make any political move, until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blows the whistle. The statement titled: ‘2023 presidential election: No to divisive politics; attempts to foist a crack between Osinbajo and Tinubu will fail,’ said there is no gulf between Tinubu and the vice president. Ojudu noted…
By Ahmed Attahir, Gusau The Zamfara state governor, Bello Mohammed on Monday, swore in the new secretary to state government (SSG) Kabiru Balarabe, Head of Service, Kabiru Gayari and 18 commissioners. The governor also swore in 11 new special advisers and some permanent secretaries. Muhammad urged the new appointees to swear and exonerate themselves from aiding and abating armed banditry activities in the state. He also enjoined them them to brace up for what he described as “the new beginning” of an era of consolidating the gains recorded in the last two years of his administration. The governor extolled the…