Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) are studying a microscopic enzyme that could help farmers in Nigeria and across Africa use fertilizer more efficiently, cut costs, and protect the environment. The enzyme, known as NrfA, helps keep nitrogen—the main nutrient in fertilizer—locked in the soil where crops can use it, instead of being washed away by rain. Why this matters for Nigerian farmers In Nigeria, fertilizer is expensive and often difficult for smallholder farmers to access. Yet, when farmers do apply it, much of the nitrogen gets lost. Heavy rains wash nitrogen away from the soil in the form of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has released a list of 58 fake universities currently operating illegally in Nigeria, warning students and parents that certificates from such institutions are invalid. In a public notice, the Commission stressed that the listed institutions have no accreditation to run degree programmes in the country. “For the avoidance of doubt, anybody who patronises or obtains any certificate from any of these illegal institutions does so at his or her own risk,” the NUC declared. The regulatory body confirmed that security and law enforcement agencies have been alerted for appropriate action against the operators. It also…
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has warned that the directive issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to cut crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery could plunge Nigerians into fresh fuel scarcity and cause huge revenue losses for the government. In a statement released on Saturday, the refinery described the directive as “criminal, reckless, and an act of economic sabotage” that, if enforced, would disrupt the production and nationwide supply of critical petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and cooking gas. The company stressed that these products are indispensable to daily life…
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members to halt gas supply to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery with immediate effect. In a letter signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, on Friday, the union accused the refinery management of disengaging unionised workers and embarking on a “mission of misinformation and propaganda” instead of engaging meaningfully with the union. PENGASSAN instructed all its branch chairmen, particularly those in the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), to ensure that gas supply to the refinery was cut off without delay. The directive also ordered the shutting…
Commercial farmers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to buy farm produce from them and crash the food prices for sale to Nigerians. ASHENEWS recalls that the president recently ordered the crash down of food prices as measures to reduce transportation costs for agricultural produce across Nigeria. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, reassured these producers that President Tinubu’s order aims to lower transport costs and ensure the safe passage of farm produce through major routes, which will help address the root causes of high food prices. It added that the government is also launching programmes like…
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) organized the fourth training on Biosecurity and Biosafety: Diagnostics, Phytosanitary Treatments and Issues from August 19–28, 2025. Conducted virtually under the Department of Biotechnology–funded project National Programme for Quarantine and GM Diagnostics of Genetically Engineered Plant Material, the course brought together 93 participants from across India. Attendees included officials from the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S), scientists from ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), private industry representatives, and members of organizations such as the Central Silk Board, Coffee Board, and ICARDA–India. Training structure The program…
Sri Lanka, like many South Asian countries, is grappling with the mounting challenge of municipal solid waste management. Nearly 60 percent of this waste consists of organic material, such as food scraps, market residues, and agricultural by-products. Conventional methods of disposal, including open dumping and landfilling, not only consume valuable land resources but also generate greenhouse gases, foul odors, and public health hazards. An innovative and eco-friendly solution is now gaining traction worldwide—the use of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). Harmless to humans, this insect has a remarkable ability to consume large amounts of organic waste and convert it…
Maize, India’s third-largest cereal crop after rice and wheat, plays a critical role in the country’s food and energy systems. India ranks fourth globally in both maize cultivation area and total production, yet its productivity lags behind international benchmarks. At the same time, demand for maize has surged, particularly from the ethanol sector, which is diverting an increasing share of domestic supply away from traditional users such as animal feed and starch industries. This shift has raised concerns about long-term supply chain stability. To address these issues, AbacusBio, a global scientific and business advisory firm, prepared a comprehensive report titled…
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Institute of Maize Research (ICAR-IIMR) and Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL) jointly organized a Brainstorming Workshop on Biotech Intervention in Maize: Challenges and Opportunities on September 1, 2025, in Ludhiana, Punjab. The event drew about 80 participants, including scientists, researchers, and students from ICAR-IIMR, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), and ICAR-CIPHET, alongside representatives from the seed, feed, and fuel industries. Maize in India’s agricultural landscape In his keynote address, Dr. H. S. Jat, Director of ICAR-IIMR, underscored maize’s growing importance, particularly in meeting the rising demand…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised fresh concern over the dangers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of hospitalizations among infants worldwide, responsible for more than 100,000 child deaths every year. In its latest Science in 5 episode, WHO’s Dr. Daniel Feikin described RSV as a nearly universal infection, with almost every child contracting it by age two. While most cases are mild, the virus causes around 33 million lower respiratory infections annually in young children, leading to over 3 million hospital admissions. Nearly half of RSV-related deaths occur in babies younger than six months. RSV symptoms…