The Prime Minister of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja, has officially opened the Ministerial Session of the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2035. The event, held at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, brought together Ministers of Agriculture, AU officials, development partners, and representatives from regional economic communities to deliberate on the future of Africa’s agriculture. In her opening remarks, Nabbanja expressed gratitude to the African Union Commission and its partners for their extensive efforts in drafting the post-Malabo CAADP Agenda, now named the Kampala CAADP Agenda. She praised Uganda’s role…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Federal Government has earmarked N2.3 billion in the 2025 budget for the entitlements of Nigeria’s former presidents and heads of state. This allocation includes notable figures such as Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, among others. The funds, categorized under “Entitlements of Former Presidents/Heads of State and Vice Presidents/Chiefs of General Staff,” will cover their statutory benefits, pensions, medical care, and logistics, as outlined in Nigerian law. These provisions also extend to vice presidents and chiefs of general staff, including Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, Yemi Osinbajo, and Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe. Breakdown of…
According to the latest report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global food prices experienced a decline of 2.1% in 2024 compared to the previous year. While this decrease is a welcome development for consumers, food prices remain significantly elevated—approximately 26% higher than they were five years ago, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAO’s overall Food Price Index averaged 122.0 points in 2024, reflecting a drop of 2.6 points from the average value in 2023. However, this yearly decrease masks a more complex picture: throughout 2024, the prices fluctuated, with the index rising from 117.6…
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that all available human data for AI training, including books and other resources, was exhausted last year. This statement aligns with insights from various experts in the field. Musk shared these thoughts during a livestream conversation with Stagwell chairman Mark Penn, broadcast on X. Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever had previously indicated in December that the AI industry had reached what he termed “peak data,” suggesting that the scarcity of training data would necessitate a shift in how models are developed. Musk emphasized that the next frontier for AI training lies in synthetic…
Your eye is made up of different parts, and each plays an important role in your vision. The lens is part of your eye that sits behind your iris (the coloured part of your eye). It’s a clear structure that focuses light entering your eye, allowing your brain to process images. Cataracts Key takeaways: Cataracts form when proteins inside the lens of your eye break down. The main causes of cataracts include ageing, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, smoking, certain medications, and medical conditions. Avoiding things that cause cataracts can keep your vision healthy. If you develop cataracts, surgery can remove them…
Agriculture in drought-prone regions took a major step forward when the Crop Trust and Germany’s federal government provided much-needed support for an international agricultural research institute focused on the drylands of Africa and Asia. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) benefitted from a €500,000-project called Immediate Plant Genetic Resource Protection for Long-Term Sustainability. The project contributed to climate resilience and mitigation, better nutrition, and food security in the drylands by supporting the conservation of the diversity of some of these regions’ most important crops. The eight-month project was led by the Crop Trust and the Deutsche…
Imagine a farmer in Kenya battling relentless pests that devour cotton fields or a mother in the Philippines watching her child grow weaker from a lack of essential nutrients. For decades, these struggles seemed insurmountable, but the story is beginning to change. Two new infographics, the Countries Approving GM Crop Cultivation and Contributions of Biotech Crops to Food Security, Sustainability, and Climate Change Solutions released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), say as of October 2024, 32 countries have embraced genetically modified (GM) crops, signalling a quiet revolution in how global challenges like food security, poverty, and climate…
Drinking water is usually the best way to stay hydrated. But there are times when drinks with added electrolytes can help you recover faster. Examples are after strenuous exercise, activity in very hot or humid weather, or when you’re sick with vomiting or diarrhoea. Key takeaways: Electrolyte drinks contain a mixture of water, sodium, potassium, and chloride. Older adults are at higher risk of becoming dehydrated when they’re sick. Electrolyte drinks can help prevent dehydration. The best electrolyte drink for older adults depends on the nutritional content of the drink, its cost, and the person’s underlying health conditions. In each of…
African leaders have reacted strongly to recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron on sovereignty, which he made during an interview with France 2 Television. Macron’s remarks, seen by many as dismissive of African nations’ independence and self-determination, have sparked widespread debate across the continent. In his interview, Macron defended France’s involvement in Africa, stating that “true sovereignty is a balance between independence and partnership.” This statement, however, was met with backlash from African leaders and intellectuals who view it as a veiled attempt to justify continued French influence in Africa. Criticism from African leaders Malian Prime Minister Choguel Maïga…
Most modern websites and applications connect to databases programmed using Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL injection (SQLi) vulnerabilities arise when websites do not adequately screen, filter, or control the queries from the website, which permits attackers to attempt to inject fragments of SQL code into database queries to extract information. To prevent SQLi attacks, web application and database programmers need to filter inputs, restrict database code, restrict database access, and maintain, and monitor the application and database. While these five methods work, they apply mostly to code in development because existing code is often too lengthy to check line by…