The latest Informal Economy Report 2024 by Moniepoint, in partnership with SMEDAN and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, highlights the immense scale and impact of Nigeria’s informal economy, underscoring its critical role in the nation’s socio-economic fabric and offering a roadmap to unlock its vast potential. The report reveals that Nigeria hosts approximately 40 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with nearly 90% operating in the informal sector. This segment, often overlooked and misunderstood, contributes over 37% of Nigeria’s GDP and provides vital employment, particularly for the youth and women. Youth and women fueling informal business…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Google has taken significant action in its ongoing effort to combat state-sponsored disinformation, removing more than 34,000 YouTube channels and associated accounts linked to coordinated propaganda campaigns in the first half of 2025. The tech giant detailed these actions in its latest quarterly bulletin released in July. Between April and June 2025 alone, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) took down 10,994 YouTube channels, with a majority tied to China and Russia. The report shows that: Over 7,700 channels were part of a Chinese influence campaign. These accounts primarily published content in Mandarin and English, often promoting the Chinese government, praising…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe |July 15, 2025 | The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised serious concerns over the severe restrictions on humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza, warning that hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk of starvation due to blocked or delayed food convoys. In a statement released on Sunday, the agency said that since a limited resumption of aid on May 19, it has been unable to scale up food assistance due to ongoing security challenges, permit denials, and operational delays. Although some food has trickled in, the quantities are vastly insufficient for the population’s needs.…
Nigeria is currently witnessing dynamic discussions around the ongoing constitutional review process, as various interest groups and lawmakers bring forward pressing issues aimed www.sokotostate.gov.ngat reshaping the nation’s governance, economic future, and cultural identity. Recent memos and advocacy efforts delivered, especially by the SokotoDNA, to the House of Representatives Committee, emphasize a comprehensive approach to constitutional reform, focusing on economic security, clearer taxation, youth empowerment, and the preservation of historical heritage. Prioritizing food, health, and economic security A crucial memo received by the House of Representatives Committee on July 26 underscores the urgent need to prioritize food security, health, and economic…
In any democracy worth its name, the rule of law is the lifeblood that sustains its institutions and legitimizes its governance. When lawmakers, who are the architects of the law, become its violators, the democratic order stumbles. This is the unfortunate reality unfolding in Nigeria’s Senate, as exemplified by the recent suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the events that followed. The Senate, led by its President, Godswill Akpabio, suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for what it termed “unparliamentary conduct.” But beneath the legalese and dramatic sessions was a dangerous precedent — a clear deviation from the Senate’s responsibility to uphold democratic…
As negotiations intensify in Geneva over the proposed global plastics treaty, health experts and advocates are sounding an alarm over systematic gaps in how health is addressed within the treaty’s framework, notably through the lens of issues like cigarette filters—made of the plastic cellulose acetate—and other health-linked plastics. The debate reveals deeper concerns that current treaty drafts risk sidelining the profound public health implications of plastic pollution in favour of narrower environmental objectives. The health crisis at the heart of plastic pollution While plastics have traditionally been treated as an environmental issue, mounting scientific evidence highlights that they also pose…
The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of France’s intention to recognise the State of Palestine, calling it a “step in the right direction.” In a statement issued on Thursday, Hamas described the move as a positive and important development towards acknowledging the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Hamas stressed that such recognition must be followed by practical measures that contribute to ending the Israeli occupation, ensuring justice, and reinforcing Palestinian sovereignty. The group also urged…
Northern Nigeria is currently facing a deepening malnutrition crisis. In Katsina State alone, where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been active since 2021, there has been a surge in the number of malnourished children arriving at therapeutic feeding centers. Many are presenting in increasingly severe conditions, with higher mortality rates. In response, MSF, in collaboration with local authorities, has launched an emergency prevention program, distributing nutritional supplements to 66,000 children in Mashi Local Government Area. However, with significant cuts in international funding, the scale of need for both prevention and treatment of malnutrition in northern Nigeria is overwhelming—and…
A ruling that could transform the global climate fight has been delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared that countries are under clear legal obligations to address the climate crisis, warning that failure to do so could amount to a breach of international law. The advisory opinion, requested by the United Nations General Assembly and driven by advocacy from small island states and youth coalitions, signals a landmark moment in international environmental jurisprudence. Although not legally binding, such opinions from the ICJ carry significant moral and political weight and are frequently cited in courtrooms and policy debates…
A cholera outbreak has struck six Local Government Areas of Niger State, leaving 12 people dead and hospitalising over 230 others, according to the state’s Ministry of Primary Health Care. The Executive Director of the agency, Dr Ibrahim Dangana, disclosed this on Tuesday in Minna. He said the outbreak was first detected in mid-June and has since spread across the affected LGAs, which include Magama, Rijau, Kontagora, Agwara, Borgu, and Rafi. Dangana explained that laboratory investigations have confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria responsible for the disease. He noted that the deaths occurred among patients who reported late…