The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursed a total of ₦5.99 trillion to states and local governments across Nigeria between January and June 2025, with Lagos and Rivers States emerging as the highest recipients. According to figures released for the first half of the year, Lagos State (inclusive of its local governments) topped the allocation chart with ₦464.51 billion, followed closely by Rivers State with ₦374.56 billion, and Delta State with ₦368.75 billion. The zone-by-zone FAAC allocation chart for January–June 2025, showing how each region shared from the ₦5.99 trillion disbursement. In regional terms, the South-South zone received the highest…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Leonard and Nkiruka Okorkwo Foundation (LANOF), Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF), and other stakeholders, on Tuesday unveiled the 2025–2030 Revised National Youth Manifesto in Agriculture. The government also launched the 2025 Nigerian Youth in Agribusiness Call to Action at the event held in Abuja. Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, described the initiative as a “youth-owned roadmap for agricultural transformation” in the country. Represented by Mrs. Safina Abdullah, Deputy Director of Planning and Policy Coordination at the ministry, Kyari said the unveiling represented a call to duty. He explained…
The Managing Director of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has officially resumed duties following his reappointment for another four-year term by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yelwa chose to resume not at the Commission’s headquarters, but in the field, at the long-abandoned Mana Water Scheme in Bida, Niger State. The Managing Director’s first official outing underscored N-HYPPADEC’s ongoing intervention to upgrade the power supply to the water facility from 11kVA to 33kVA, complete with the provision of a new transformer. The project complements the Niger State Government’s rehabilitation of the scheme, which had been out…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe I August 20, 2025: Climate and environmental experts in West Africa have sounded the alarm on the poor state of climate journalism in the region, revealing that media coverage is often limited, reactive, and lacks depth. The concern was highlighted at the recent virtual launch of the West African Journalists for Environment, Science, Health, and Agriculture (WAJESHA) a new non-profit journalism network dedicated to improving science-based reporting across the sub-region. Organized by the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS), the launch event on August 15, 2025, united journalists, researchers, and development advocates from West Africa,…
In this exclusive interview with Abdallah el-Kurebe, the Editor-in-Chief of ASHENEWS, the President of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), Arc. Kabir Ibrahim shares his expert views on the current state of agribusiness in Nigeria. He discusses critical aspects such as food production, value addition, policy reforms, investment mobilization, and youth engagement in the sector. Arc. Ibrahim also outlines the major challenges facing agribusiness players today and suggests strategic solutions to drive growth and ensure food security across the country. EXCERPTS: How would you assess the…
The Federal Government has approved a significant subsidy on kidney dialysis in federal hospitals across Nigeria, reducing the cost per session from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000—a 76% cut aimed at easing the burden on patients battling kidney disease. The initiative, rolled out in January 2025, covers 11 federal hospitals across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The designated facilities include: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Metta, Lagos FMC, Jabi, Abuja University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan FMC, Owerri University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri FMC, Abeokuta Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos FMC, Azare University…
Six Nigerian states have yet to publish their audited financial statements for the 2024 fiscal year, with five of them already past their statutory deadlines, raising serious concerns over fiscal transparency and accountability. The states are Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, and Rivers. While Akwa Ibom remains within its acceptable timeframe—thanks to a 2021 amendment in its audit law that grants up to nine months for the Auditor-General to publish its statement—the other five have exceeded their legal obligations. Most state audit laws set strict timelines for the preparation, auditing, and publication of financial statements. These typically begin with…
Spanish startup Multiverse Computing is revolutionizing artificial intelligence with groundbreaking technology that compresses large language models (LLMs) by up to 95% without sacrificing performance. Headquartered in San Sebastián, Multiverse has developed a proprietary quantum-inspired compression tool, CompactifAI, which leverages tensor networks from quantum physics to reduce model sizes dramatically while maintaining accuracy and efficiency. Founded in 2019 by Enrique Lizaso Olmos, Román Orús, Alfonso Rubio, and Samuel Mugel, the company’s innovation marks a significant departure from the prevailing industry trend that increasingly relies on larger and more resource-intensive AI models. Multiverse’s compressed AI models are reported to be 4 to…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe I August 18, 2025: The July 2025 edition of the AGRA Food Security Monitor (FSM) paints a mixed picture of Africa’s food systems, with West Africa seeing notable price declines, East Africa grappling with policy frictions and high hunger rates, while Southern Africa remains split between surplus-driven price relief and pockets of stress. West Africa: Prices ease, but conflict weighs Across key West African markets, staple food prices showed a downward trend. Nigeria’s maize dropped by 20 percent to USD 285 per metric ton, while Ghana and Togo also recorded declines. Rice prices were mixed—slightly up in…
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the redeployment and appointment of senior officers across key command, instructional, and staff positions in a move aimed at enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, the reshuffle affects a number of Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters, General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, and Brigade Commanders. At the Army Headquarters, Major General AA Adeyinka has been posted from the Nigerian Army…