Tech giant, Google has signed a deal with California-based Kairos Power to utilize small nuclear reactors for generating the substantial energy required to operate its artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. According to reports, the company confirmed that the first nuclear reactor is expected to go online within this decade, with additional reactors planned by 2035. However, the financial terms of the agreement and the specific locations of the plants have not been disclosed. This move highlights the tech giant’s push to explore sustainable energy sources to meet the increasing energy demands of AI. Michael Terrell, Google’s Senior Director for Energy…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
Cassava production in western Kenya is being threatened by an army of pests and diseases that could decimate harvests. This starchy crop—the second most important in Kenya’s western and coastal regions, after maize—feeds over 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, and the challenge from these threats could have devastating consequences for food security in the region. But, new research offers hope for both farmers and consumers. In a recent study titled “Occurrence and Distribution of Major Cassava Pests and Diseases in Cultivated Cassava Varieties in Western Kenya,” scientists from IITA and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute (KALRO) conducted…
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a “a fun, exciting future,” an “age of abundance” full of his company’s self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population – that he once again promised would be available within a few years. Whether he can live up to these promises remains to be seen. Those plans, and the revelation of the designs for his robotaxis, came at a glitzy event in California, full of the kind of hype that has built Tesla (TSLA) a dedicated fan base for…
In response to Nigeria’s prevailing economic challenges, the Sokoto State Government has inaugurated a State Monitoring Committee and Local Government Coordinators to oversee the sale of essential food items at subsidized rates. The committee will ensure the smooth and transparent distribution and sales of food items across the state’s 23 local government areas. The committee members were selected based on their integrity and are expected to carry out their duties with fairness and transparency. The initiative aims to alleviate the hardships citizens face due to the removal of fuel subsidies and other economic reforms. Governor Ahmed Aliyu, speaking during the…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos have arrested a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, for importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over N3.192 billion. This is just as operatives of the NDLEA at three seaports intercepted large consignments of opioids with a combined monetary value of N22.7 billion. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, and made available to Channels Television on Sunday. He said that Oguejiofor was arrested on Monday 7th October 2024 while attempting to smuggle the illicit drug concealed…
In Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, encompassing communities such as Kuta, Gwada, Zumba, and Erena, thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are grappling with the fallout of displacement. While the provision of food, clothing, medical aid, and other essentials by political officeholders, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and well-meaning individuals has been crucial for immediate relief, these interventions are only temporary. The long-term solution lies in empowering the displaced, helping them achieve self-reliance, and reintegrating them as productive members of society. By Abubakar Abdullahi Immediate Needs: Food, Clothing, Medical Aid, and Education While essential for survival, the relief…
Top United Nations (UN) officials and leaders of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have renewed their urgent call for the immediate and unconditional release of personnel detained by Houthi authorities in Yemen. The plea follows alarming reports that a significant number of arbitrarily arrested individuals, including three UN staff members, may face criminal prosecution. Among those detained are two employees of UNESCO and one from the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), who were arrested in 2021 and 2023. Despite hopes for release, the potential laying of charges against these individuals has raised serious concerns about their safety and the implications for…
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has urged the troops of the Joint Task Force South South Operation Delta Safe to eliminate crude oil theft and related activities, noting that crude oil production has improved from about 1.5 million to approximately 1.7 million barrels per day. During his maiden visit to the Headquarters in Bayelsa State, the Minister commended the troops for demobilizing 1,129 illegal refineries since February 2024 and praised their sustained fight against oil theft and other criminal activities. “Crude oil production has risen to about 1.7 million barrels per day, and I’m confident it will reach…
The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has partnered with critical stakeholders in the Africa’s creative economy, to align with the African Union’s vision for cultural and creative development, as outlined during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) in Moroni, Union of Comoros. It was a gathering of key stakeholders, including Pan-African cultural institutions, artists, cultural workers, and policymakers in the East African country, at an epoch-making event held between September 25 and 27, 2024. At this event, a framework for action aligning national and continental policies was developed, emphasizing the development of arts and heritage as crucial to…
“Moving forward, petroleum product marketers are now able to purchase PMS directly from local refineries without the intermediary role of NNPC. Marketers are encouraged to initiate direct purchases from refineries on mutually negotiated commercial terms, which will promote competition and improve market efficiency,” the statement said.