The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Africa is poised to surpass four million COVID-19 infections this week, since the first confirmed case on the continent was announced in February 2020. WHO Regional Office for Africa disclosed this in a statement issued from its headquarters in Brazzaville, Congo, on Thursday. The statement stated that Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, disclosed this at a virtual press conference that the fight against the virus was receiving a boost with the arrival of vaccines. “The year-long battle against the virus, which has also claimed over 106, 000 lives, is now receiving…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors forum, has pledged to support the Federal government in tackling security challenges in the country. Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, who led his counterparts for the meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, told newsmen that the nation’s security challenges, including banditry and insurgency, required the cooperation of all, irrespective of party difference. He assured that PDP governors were ready to work with the Federal government in tackling the problem. The governors in attendance at the meeting, which held at Sokoto Governor’s Lodge included Mr Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Bello Muhammad (Zamfara), Ifeanyi…
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA) has written to President Muhammadu Buhari seeking justice for one of its members recently murdered by kidnappers back home. The victim, Prince Dennis Abuda, was abducted on the Auchi-Benin road in Edo on Jan. 30, while returning to the U.S. after visiting his home town of Fugar. Four days later, the police found his decomposing body with bullet wounds on the Lagos-bound bypass in Benin after ransom was paid on him. The kidnappers reportedly shot him dead after he slumped while being forced into the forest. Nothing has been heard of the case…
Bauchi state has received the first batch of 80,570 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The vaccine, which arrived the state via the Yakubu Gowon Airport Jos on Tuesday, was received at the Bauchi Cold store by the deputy governor and chairman taskforce committee on COVID-19, Mr Baba Tela. Commending the Federal government for the allocation, he said the vaccines would be administered first on political office holders, traditional and religious leaders, security agencies and frontline health workers. “The political office holders and traditional leaders will be vaccinated to demonstrate that the vaccine is safe”. The vaccines will be distributed to…
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has been given the final approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for its demutualisation exercise. The NSE said in a statement on Wednesday that the demutualisation process had been completed with these final approvals. Under the demutualisation plan, a new non-operating holding company, the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (‘NGX Group’) has been created. The Group will have three operating subsidiaries: Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX Limited), the operating exchange; NGX Regulation Limited (NGX REGCO), the independent regulation company and NGX Real Estate Limited (NGX RELCO). The statement said…
The Vice Chancellor of Sokoto State University, Prof. Sani Dangoggo has said that 36 of the 1,473 students that would graduate in a combined 1st, 2nd and 3rd convocation, will be conferred with first class degrees. He stated this during a pre-convocation press conference at Board room of the university on Tuesday. According to Dangoggo, 1,473 students were graduating from 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2019/2020 sessions, adding that the convocation, scheduled for Saturday, would be the first since the university establishment in July 2009. According to him, while the convocation lecture will be delivered by vice president Yemi Osinbajo will on…
The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it would double efforts in improving the lives of children in communities affected by insecurity in the Northwest part of the country. The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano State, Mr Maulid Warfa, disclosed this at a one-day advocacy meeting with Policy-makers, Civil Society Organisations and Media. The meeting was focused on implementation of nutrition intervention in eight violence affected Local Government Areas in Katsina state. “We look at Northwest, specifically Katsina and Zamfara states and other areas in the Northwest zone to double our efforts for the vulnerable children. “Kidnapping and…
The FCT Administration has issued a seven-day ultimatum to banks and other business organisations operating in Maitama area, Abuja to vacate and relocate to the Central Business District or risk being sealed up. The Acting Director, Department of Development Control, Mr Garba Kwamkur, gave the warning when the department visited the popular Gana Street in Maitama on Tuesday. Kwamkur explained that the objective of the visit was to sensitise business operators on the need to revert all the banks and other commercial hubs to their original allocated locations. “The department had a week ago served notification to all the buildings…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has denied non remittance of N4.76 trillion to the federation account as claimed by the 2016 report of the Office of Auditor -General of the Federation (OAGF). Mr Umar Ajiya, NNPC Chief Financial Officer, said this when he appeared before Senate Committee on Public Accounts to defend queries raised by AOGF against the corporation. Umar said that the issue in question had to do with domestic crude that NNPC lifted to both refine and sell in exchange for refined products imported to the country.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday awarded more than N234 million in research grants to five beneficiaries of its Healthcare Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme (HSRDIS) The recipients of the grants were Professor of Epidemiology, Olufemi Babalola, who got a grant of N50 million, Professor of Microbiology, Ikechukwu Okoli, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who also got N50 million grant. Others are: Dr Garba Bubah from Jigawa State Polytechnic, who received N42.1 million grant, while Dr John Ogedemgbe from University of Abuja, and Dr Otega Ejofodomi, an Electrical Engineering lecturer from the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, received N50…