A new on-farm study has confirmed that TELA Maize hybrids deliver significantly higher yields, greater profits, and better pest resistance for Nigerian farmers compared to conventional maize varieties. The trials, conducted during the 2024 wet season by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and its partners, revealed that the TELA maize hybrid SAMMAZ 75T achieved average yields of 5.09 tons per hectare—a 54% increase over the 3.30 tons per hectare recorded for non-TELA maize. This yield advantage translated into higher farm income, with TELA maize earning ₦3.16 million per hectare compared to ₦2.05 million from conventional maize. The on-farm demonstrations preceded the…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Professor Rabia Sa’id’s appointment to this UN panel is not only a historic personal achievement but also a milestone for Nigeria, African representation in global science, and efforts to unify the world against the threat of nuclear war.
Canada’s struggle with substance use isn’t just a public health emergency—it’s also a communication crisis. According to Dr. Kwame McKenzie, a leading psychiatrist and health equity advocate, the core failure of Canada’s drug policy lies in its criminalized approach and the stigmatizing language that still dominates the national conversation. Speaking on the Global Health Matters podcast, Dr. McKenzie—CEO of the Wellesley Institute and Director of Health Equity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health—argued that meaningful progress hinges on shifting how Canadians think and talk about substance use. The term “substance use,” he explains, is not just semantics; it…
As part of efforts to actualize the New Niger agenda, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has extended a bold invitation to international investors to develop agro-processing industries in Rabah, a community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State. On July 16, 2025, the state’s Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Aminu Takuma, led a delegation of Chinese investors to Rabba for a strategic site inspection. The visit, aimed at assessing the area’s potential for agro-industrial development, began with a courtesy call on the Ndashi of Rabah, Engr. Umaru Tswako. During the meeting with traditional leaders and elders, Takuma conveyed Governor Bago’s…
The second day of a high-level advocacy visit to Sokoto State by a delegation of humanitarian stakeholders has spotlighted the urgent need for coordinated action, accurate data, and increased funding to combat severe acute malnutrition (SAM), particularly in Gwadabawa Local Government Area. Led by Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantewa Yilwatda, the delegation also included the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot; UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Judith Leveillee; ACF Country Director, Thierno Samba Diallo; and MSF Nigeria Country Representative, Ahmed. During the visit to an Action Against Hunger (ACF)-supported facility in Gwadabawa, the delegation engaged in strategic…
A high-powered delegation led by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantewa Yilwatda, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, and top representatives of UNICEF, MSF, and ACF, arrived in Sokoto State on Saturday to kick-start a high-level advocacy mission aimed at addressing the alarming surge in cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in the state. The visit, which began with a courtesy call on Governor Ahmad Aliyu, underscored the urgent need for increased federal and state government support, as well as strengthened collaboration with international partners to combat the deepening malnutrition crisis. State commended, but challenges persist Speaking during the…
The Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr Obi Adigwe, has announced a decisive shift in Nigeria’s health policy, with the Federal Government now taking bold steps to develop and commercialise phytomedicines. Adigwe, in an interview with NAN on SUNDAY, described the new commitment as a significant break from decades of neglect and political lip service to traditional medicine. “This administration is showing real seriousness. A ministerial committee has been set up specifically for the development and commercialisation of phytomedicines, and NIPRD is leading the charge,” he stated. Phytomedicines—plant-based treatments like agbo, magani, and ogwu…
Paleontologists have found the first-ever fossilized remains of soft tissues from a giant ichthyosaur—a dolphin-like marine reptile that ruled prehistoric seas during the Jurassic period. The specimen, estimated to be 183 million years old, was unearthed in the Posidonia Shale of southwestern Germany. What sets this fossil apart is its extraordinary preservation. In addition to bones, researchers identified remnants of the ichthyosaur’s skin, internal organs, and even cellular structures. Using advanced imaging and molecular analysis, the team confirmed the presence of collagen and other biomolecules rarely found in such ancient specimens. The study, published in Nature, suggests that the ichthyosaur’s…
Nigeria’s three tiers of government have shared a total of N1.818 trillion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) as revenue for June 2025, thanks to a significant boost from Companies Income Tax (CIT) and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT). This marks a 9.6% increase — equivalent to N159 billion — from the N1.659 trillion distributed in May, according to a press statement issued Saturday by Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF). The disbursement followed the July 2025 meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in…
A socio-cultural group based in Sokoto, the Sokoto Heritage Reloaded Initiative, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to fulfil a longstanding pledge made by his predecessor, the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, to immortalise Nigeria’s first executive president, Shehu Shagari. Speaking during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Sokoto on Saturday, the convener of the group, Professor Uthman Abdulkadir, reminded the nation that Buhari had, during a condolence visit to Sokoto following Shagari’s death in 2018, promised to name a national monument after the late statesman—a promise that remained unfulfilled until the end…