The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that 18 sitting governors are currently under investigation for corruption-related offences. Speaking on Friday during a sensitisation programme in Lagos, Olukoyede emphasized that although the governors are still in office, the EFCC is actively gathering evidence and will intensify actions once their tenures end. The event was designed to educate key stakeholders, including filmmakers and bureau de change operators, on the importance of safeguarding the naira and avoiding its abuse. During a Q&A session, Olukoyede recounted a startling incident involving a former governor who, immediately after…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has raised alarm over what he describes as France’s worsening financial crisis, declaring that the nation is in “mortal danger” due to an overwhelming debt burden now exceeding $3.6 trillion. In a bold and controversial move aimed at boosting national productivity and curbing public spending, Bayrou has proposed cutting two national public holidays. The Prime Minister argues that the cuts—likely to affect Easter Monday and Victory Day (May 8)—would inject billions into the economy by adding more working days to the calendar. Government estimates suggest that removing these two holidays could generate up to $4…
The Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) Nutrition Unit, in partnership with the UNICEF Field Office Sokoto, has concluded a crucial two-day Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Validation Meeting aimed at standardizing its communication materials. Held at the Kamba Motel Hotel in Birnin Kebbi, the meeting brought together key stakeholders to review and validate SBC materials that will guide community nutrition programming in Sokoto State. Declaring the meeting open, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Umar Wurno—represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ibrahim Haliru Dingyadi—charged participants to thoroughly scrutinize the materials to ensure they reflect high-quality standards and are…
France has formally handed over its last remaining military base in Senegal, marking the end of a 65-year-long presence in the West African nation. The historic transition was marked by a solemn ceremony attended by French and Senegalese officials. The transfer included Camp Geille, the largest French military installation in the country, and a strategic airfield at Dakar’s international airport. The handover follows a withdrawal process that began in March 2025, part of a broader realignment of France’s military footprint in Africa. According to officials, around 350 French troops who were engaged in joint operations and military training with the…
Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta has announced the dissolution of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), citing high operational costs and the need to protect the nation from external influence in its electoral process. The decision, made during a cabinet meeting and confirmed by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, marks a significant shift in the country’s democratic governance. The minister said the move was necessary to “streamline state expenditure” and reinforce national sovereignty in the face of what the junta described as “persistent foreign meddling.” “Maintaining the electoral commission has become financially unsustainable,” Zerbo said. “More importantly,…
Medical experts are raising the alarm over the long-term health risks of vaping, particularly among teenagers, following emerging evidence that links certain vape chemicals to irreversible lung damage. Health authorities and doctors have cited diacetyl (2,3-butanedione)—a chemical used to add flavor to e-cigarettes—as a significant contributor to a rare but serious condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans, more commonly referred to as “popcorn lung.” The disease causes scarring in the lungs’ small airways, leading to persistent cough, shortness of breath, and irreversible respiratory damage. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Lung Association have previously flagged…
In what many see as an unguarded admission of systemic failure, former presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina recently declared that the late President Muhammadu Buhari might have died had he not sought medical treatment abroad. According to him, the overseas treatment “saved his life,” suggesting that Nigeria’s healthcare system was too broken to save its own leader. This deeply unsettling statement not only lays bare the rot in the country’s health sector, but also highlights the cruel irony: those who hold the power to fix the system are the very ones who flee it when their own lives are on the…
Lagos, Nigeria – July 17, 2025 — The West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Agro-Forestry-Pastoral and Fisheries Products and Food (WACTAF) is organizing a two-day training workshop in Lagos to boost stakeholders’ understanding and effective use of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS). The workshop, running from July 17 to 18, is part of the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme (EAT), funded by German Cooperation through GIZ, with WACTAF serving as an implementing partner. It is aimed at equipping cross-border trade actors, particularly from Nigeria and Togo, with practical knowledge on ETLS procedures and the broader framework governing regional trade.…
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, hosted a high-level consultative meeting with the technical team working on the development of Nigeria’s Food and Nutrition Security Crisis Preparedness Plan (FNSCPP). The session, held at NEMA Headquarters in Abuja, forms part of nationwide consultations aimed at building a robust, anticipatory response system to food and nutrition insecurity. The visiting team, led by Dr. Ritgak Tilley-Gyado, Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, included representatives from the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security; Budget and Economic Planning; Health and Social Welfare; and Finance. NEMA’s Director General, Mrs.…
The AUDA-NEPAD delegation, led by Prof. Brando Okolo, its Senior Advisor on Science, Technology, and Innovation, met Stellenbosch University. The strategic meeting held with Prof. Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Postgraduate Studies at Stellenbosch University. The AUDA-NEPAD delegation comprised Mr. Lukovi Seke Lukovi, Principal Programme Officer at ASTII, and Prof. Olalekan Akinbo of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD. ALSO READ AU urges member states to create enabling environment for innovative technologies The engagement focused on shared interests in innovation, exploring potential collaboration opportunities, and AUDA-NEPAD’s leadership in driving Africa’s innovation agenda. Both parties exchanged ideas on strategic…