Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s sprint champion in economic growth, hitting the $100 billion GDP milestone in a record 34 years since independence in 1960, according to new analysis of post-colonial economic trajectories. The data highlights how quickly select African nations scaled their economies to the nine-figure mark, measured from their independence dates. Angola follows closely, achieving the feat in 36 years by 2011 after breaking free from Portugal in 1975. Algeria took 43 years to reach it in 2005, post-1962 independence, while Morocco needed 52 years, crossing the threshold in 2008 from its 1956 liberation. Kenya joined the club…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Bauchi state government has announced plans to vaccinate 280,000 children aged five to 21 months against malaria as part of efforts to curb morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. The Executive Chairman of the , Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the introduction of the malaria vaccine in the state. He commended the for selecting Bauchi among states in the second phase of the national malaria vaccine rollout, noting that the exercise will commence on Thursday, March 28, 2026. “Malaria remains a major public health challenge, contributing to miscarriages, anaemia, low birth weight and…
New data from Nigeria’s statistics authorities show that agriculture emerged as the largest contributor to the country’s GDP at current basic prices in 2025, underscoring the sector’s expanding economic footprint amid ongoing reforms and investment inflows. According to the figures, the agricultural sector’s nominal output in 2025 stood at approximately ₦101.46 trillion, surpassing other major contributors such as trade and services to become the top individual contributor when measured at current basic prices. Stakeholders say this milestone reflects strengthened activity across key agricultural sub-sectors. Crop production led the gains, bolstered by increased planting, mechanisation efforts, and improved market conditions, while…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially released a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, moving the date of the presidential and National Assembly polls forward to Saturday, 16 January 2027. The adjustment comes after the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced new statutory timelines governing electoral activities. According to the electoral body, the previous election dates announced under the old law can no longer stand, necessitating a realignment of the entire election calendar. In a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner…
African research leaders are calling for greater leadership and autonomy in setting the continent’s health research priorities, arguing that locally driven science is crucial for tackling Africa’s unique health challenges. In a recent episode of the Trailblazers with Garry series, Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance, highlighted efforts to strengthen intra-African research collaboration and capacity building. Gyapong said that investing in homegrown scientific leadership and empowering young African researchers will help ensure that research questions and outcomes are relevant to local needs. ALSO READ African scientists urge action to strengthen health research funding ALSO READ…
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has released a comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria’s university system, amid rising concerns over indiscriminate conferment and misuse. In a public notice posted on its official social media pages on Thursday, the commission said the guidelines were issued under the authority of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to preserve the credibility and integrity of honorary recognitions. NUC said the new framework was developed in response to “grave concern” over…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a one-year extension of the ban on the export of raw shea nuts, reinforcing efforts to boost local processing and advance Nigeria’s industrialisation drive. The extension takes effect from February 26, 2026 to February 25, 2027, according to a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga. The decision underscores the administration’s commitment to domestic value addition under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on transforming Nigeria’s agricultural commodities into higher-value export products. ALSO READ Nigeria’s 6-month ban on raw shea nuts exports: Policy insights, implications, and pathways to sustainability…
Vice President Kashim Shettima says the Nigerian naira would have strengthened to about ₦1,000 per US dollar within weeks if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had not intervened in the foreign exchange (FX) market to ensure stability. He made this comment on Tuesday during the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) Renewed Hope Ambassadors Strategic Summit in Abuja. Shettima emphasised that the CBN’s actions on Monday were meant to dampen excessive volatility in currency trading, which, if left unchecked, could have destabilised prices and harmed market confidence. “In fact, if not for the interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria yesterday,…
A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has urged Nigeria to treat insects such as bees and silkworms as strategic economic resources capable of boosting food security, industrial growth and national diversification. She made the call while delivering the institution’s 193rd Inaugural Lecture on February 24, 2026. Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Oladipo said insects should not be viewed merely as pests but as biological assets that, if properly managed, could generate income, support pharmaceutical innovation and reduce dependence on crude…
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has said the ongoing banking sector recapitalisation programme remains firmly on track, with momentum building ahead of the March 31, 2026, deadline. Speaking at the close of the 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) media briefing on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Cardoso disclosed that 20 banks have fully met the revised minimum capital requirements. An additional 13 banks, he said, are at advanced stages of capital-raising and are expected to conclude their processes within the regulatory timeline. According to the CBN governor, institutions still finalising their compliance strategies are evaluating…