The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, UNFAO, says the African Continental Free Trade Area, AFCFTA, is a unique opportunity for the transformation of the continent’s food system. FAO’s Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, said the AFCFTA would address the continent’s hunger issues. A statement from the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Wednesday said Haile-Gabriel made the remark at the ongoing Seventh Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in Brazzaville, Congo. The meeting was co-organised by the ECA and the World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with the government of Congo. Haile-Gabriel said Africa…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Senate has mandated its Committees on Works, Finance, National planning and Economic Development, to investigate the abandonment of the Badagary-Sokoto expressway. This followed the adoption of a motion by Sen. Umar Suleiman on the “Need For Construction of Badagary -Sokoto Expressway to Promote Economic Growth and Development” at plenary on Wednesday. Suleiman, while presenting the motion said that the Badagary -Sokoto expressway was a Federal government project connecting 12 states. According to him, the original concept of the road was a link road between the North and South as well as some West African countries through Seme Border. He…
AstraZeneca said on Wednesday that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District decided in favour of the company in litigation against Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc and Kindeva Drug Delivery LP. It determined that asserted claims in three of AstraZeneca’s patents protecting Symbicort in the U.S were not invalid. AstraZeneca initiated litigation in October 2018 against Mylan and subsequently against 3M Company asserting infringement of various U.S patents covering Symbicort. In July 2020, Kindeva was added as a defendant in the action. 3M was voluntarily dismissed from the case. In September 2020, Mylan and Kindeva stipulated to patent infringement to the…
Troops of ‘Operation Safe Haven’ have arrested nine suspects in connection with the deadly attack in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna, according to a statement by the commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan. “Nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the recently reported attack on Kurmin Gandu village, Zangon Kataf local government area, Aruwan confirmed on Wednesday, in Kaduna. Aruwan recalled that armed bandits carried out an attack on the village late on Sunday, leaving five people dead, as reported in a security update he issued on Monday. “The nine suspects were apprehended,…
The National Dermatology (Specialist) Hospital Bill, on Wednesday scaled 2nd reading at the Senate. The bill sponsored by Sen. Aishatu Dahiru was aimed at establishing Specialist Hospital that would specifically focus on the treatment of leprosy, skin cancer and other skin related diseases. Leading debate on the Bill, the lawmaker recalled that as far back as 1929, an International Hospital was established for Garkida Agricultural Leper Colony by the Church of the Brethren Mission (USA). “it was an ambitious effort located on 2, 500 acres of land designed for treatment of leprosy and other illnesses. It was also an isolation…
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 3.91 million as of Wednesday afternoon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said. The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU), said the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 104,382, while some 3.50 million patients across the continent have recovered from the disease. The Africa CDC noted that the most affected countries in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Ethiopia. South Africa has lost 50,271 lives to the disease, the most…
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved a total reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway at a cost of N797.2 billion. This shows an increase of N642.2 billion of the N155 billion it originally approved for the rehabilitation of the highway. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, told newsmen at the close of Wednesday’s FEC meeting that the initial rehabilitation contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd. “I presented a memorandum and one report with respect to the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway to change the scope of works form rehabilitation previously awarded to full reconstruction of two lanes on both…
The World Bank, Adolescent Girls Initiative and Empowerment (AGILE), is to construct 90 Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), 69 Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) and renovate 69 others in Kaduna State. AGILE Project Coordinator in the state, Mr Habibu Alhassan, made this known in an interview in Kaduna on Wednesday. Alhassan explained that the five-year project was designed to ensure that the girl child, aged 10 to 20 years was enrolled, retained, and supported to complete senior secondary school education. He said that the construction of the new schools and the renovations of existing ones was to create additional learning space and…
The Police Command in Benue has confirmed the killing of Dr Terkula Suswam, an elder brother of Sen. Gabriel Suswam, by gunmen at Anyiin on Tuesday evening. The confirmation is contained in a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DCP Catherine Anene on Wednesday in Makurdi. ”At about 1930hrs information was received that while Dr Terkura Suswam and his aide, Mr Solomon, sat opposite his house at Elohim Plaza, Anyiin, to supervise repairs at the said plaza, yet-to-be identified gunmen, who drove in a Toyota Camry vehicle, attacked and shot him and his aide. ”A team of…
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered a stay of proceeding in the ongoing trial of the former Head of Service (HoS), Mrs Winifred Oyo-Its, and others. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in his ruling, described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s act in obtaining an exparte order for the freezing of bank accounts of the 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the matter before another court as “an abuse of court process.” Justice Taiwo, who described the EFCC’s conduct as “judge shopping” aimed at getting a favourable court judgment, said the anti-corruption agency’s conduct was reprehensible and condemnable. He…