A growing number of scientists and public health experts are demanding that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. release the scientific data that informed the controversial decision to cancel a $500 million federal investment in next-generation mRNA vaccine research. The abrupt termination of the program—announced with limited detail—has sparked concern and confusion across the scientific community, especially given the central role that mRNA vaccines have played in combating COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. At the heart of the controversy is the lack of transparency surrounding the evidence and deliberations that led to the cancellation. Professor Andrew…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Libreville, Gabon — Gabon has entered a strategic partnership with Global Fishing Watch (GFW), a leading nonprofit that uses satellite technology to track global fishing activities. The move is designed to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the country’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in June 2025, outlines a collaborative framework between Gabon’s Ministry of the Sea, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Global Fishing Watch, and its partner organization Trygg Mat Tracking. The agreement will significantly boost Gabon’s Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) efforts by leveraging cutting-edge vessel tracking technologies and data-sharing…
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is one of the most serious viral diseases affecting cattle, caused by the LSD virus, which belongs to the Capripoxvirus genus—closely related to sheep and goat pox viruses. It is primarily transmitted through insect vectors, especially mosquitoes, making its spread more prevalent in warm seasons. How does LSD affect cattle? LSD presents itself in an epidemic form, often spreading rapidly within herds. Key clinical signs include: ✍️Firm nodules and lumps on the skin✍️Inflammation of lymph nodes✍️Swelling (edema) of the limbs and chest✍️Fever and fatigue✍️Diarrhea✍️Sharp drop in milk production✍️Infertility and miscarriages in breeding cows In addition to…
LAGOS, Nigeria – As his presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB) draws to a close, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has reaffirmed an unwavering commitment to Africa’s economic transformation, pledging to continue mobilizing global capital for the continent beyond his current role. Adesina, whose tenure as AfDB President ends on September 1, 2025, made this vow in a keynote address titled “Tilting Global Capital for Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Africa” at the Standard Chartered Africa Summit held in Lagos on July 31. “Together, let us tilt global capital to unlock Africa’s assets. As I step into a new future, you can…
The National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Jabiru Salisu Abdullahi, has assured the Delta State Government of its inclusion in the second phase of the Smallholder Farmers Initiative—pending the successful acquisition of a new grant for the project. Abdullahi gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from Delta State, led by the Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning, Sonny Ekedayen, during a familiarization visit to the Agency. Also on the delegation were the Special Adviser on Agriculture, George Oyefia, who represented the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, as well as the Delta State Coordinator, Mrs. Christie Eruotor.…
President Bola Tinubu has directed the swift rollout of free healthcare access for low-income retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), describing the initiative as a crucial pillar of social protection and a reaffirmation of dignity for Nigeria’s ageing population. In a decisive move to enhance retiree welfare, President Tinubu also ordered the prompt implementation of long-overdue pension increases and a minimum pension guarantee aimed at securing a safety net for the most vulnerable pensioners under the CPS. The directives followed a detailed briefing by the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, at the State…
As part of a renewed drive to end open defecation in Nigeria, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has pledged strong collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to advance the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign. The commitment was reaffirmed during an advocacy visit by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, to the Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in Abuja. The Clean Nigeria campaign aims to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) by…
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has raised alarm over the infiltration of cattle rustlers into the state, who steal livestock and move them to other states. The Farmer Governor made this known during a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the implementation of the State Trade Animal Movement Security and Veterinary Inspection Permit, held in Minna. He noted that ongoing negotiations with bandits in some states have emboldened cattle rustling activities, calling it “unacceptable.” He vowed to seek the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser on the issue. Addressing the menace of people bringing slaughtered bush…
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is seeking strategic collaboration with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) to drive Nigeria’s affordable housing agenda and bolster infrastructure development across urban and rural communities. Speaking during a high-level meeting with a visiting KFAED delegation in Abuja, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, outlined key intervention areas, including building materials manufacturing hubs, slum upgrading programs, the Renewed Hope Social Housing initiative, and the development of infrastructure in the planned Centenary City. Dangiwa emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to creating enabling environments for investment, particularly under President…
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a stern warning to Peoples Gazette, demanding a retraction of a report that alleged the Commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, played a central role in the forced resignation of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) boss, Bayo Ojulari. In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, the EFCC described the report as “sensational, baseless, and poorly sourced,” warning that legal action will be taken if the media outlet fails to retract the story and issue a public apology within 48 hours. What the report alleged The controversial publication claimed that Ojulari was…