President Bola Tinubu has called on state governors across the country to channel more resources into agricultural mechanisation, rural electrification, poverty eradication, and infrastructure development, especially in underserved communities. The President appealed on Thursday during the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), held at the State House Council Chambers in Abuja. He said the time had come for leaders at all levels to shift focus toward improving the lives of Nigerians at the grassroots. “I want to appeal to you; let us change the story of our people in the rural areas. The economy is working. We are…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has called on governments at all levels to employ agriculture graduates and train them as extension officers to educate rural farmers on the proper use of modern farming technologies. Mr. Tunde Arosanyin, Leader of AFAN Stakeholders and Chairman of the Association, appealed on Thursday in Ilorin during an interview. Arosanyin highlighted the widening gap between modern farming practices and their adoption by rural farmers, stressing the urgent need for trained personnel to bridge the divide. “There is a serious disconnect between available agricultural technologies and their utilisation at the grassroots. Extension officers are…
The Sokoto State House of Assembly has summoned the Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Resources, Sanusi Danfulani, to appear before it on Tuesday, August 5, following his failure to honour an oversight visit by the House Committee on Science and Technology. The summons comes after Danfulani and other key ministry officials were absent during the committee’s scheduled inspection of the Ministry on Thursday. Chairman of the Committee, Awaisu Aliyu (APC, Gada West), described the absence as “a clear demonstration of negligence and disregard for legislative authority.” “The committee duly informed the ministry about the oversight visit, yet the commissioner and…
Despite a slight national drop in subnational borrowing, Nigeria’s ten most indebted states have collectively increased their debt burden, recording a total of ₦2.48 trillion in the first quarter of 2025. This marks a 2.5% rise compared to the same period in 2024, with the top 10 states now accounting for 64% of the country’s total state-level debt. Lagos still leading the pack Lagos State continues to dominate the debt chart, though its debt slightly declined. The state owed ₦874.04 billion in Q1 2025, maintaining its position as Nigeria’s most indebted state by a wide margin. Although Lagos generates the…
Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia on Wednesday dissolved the State Executive Council, sacking all commissioners in what observers say could be part of a renewed political standoff with his former political mentor and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume. The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Tersoo Kula, and made available to journalists in Makurdi. According to Kula, Governor Alia informed members of the council of the dissolution after the 12th Executive Council meeting of 2025. The governor directed all outgoing commissioners to hand over to the permanent…
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has strongly condemned the assault and detention of two JoyNews journalists, Carlos Calony and Jonas Dodzi Voegborlo, by Ghana’s National Security operatives during a news assignment in Accra. The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 30, while the journalists were covering the demolition of a warehouse reportedly linked to the McDan Group at Spintex. According to Calony, he was interviewing an eyewitness at the scene when soldiers arrived and questioned their presence. Despite identifying themselves as journalists, Calony was punched in the neck from behind, while Voegborlo was also assaulted, and their equipmentwas forcefully…
Dangote Cement Plc has announced plans to commission its 3 million metric tonnes per annum (3Mta) grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire by the third quarter of 2025. The new facility is designed to strengthen the company’s pan-African presence and support the growth of cement and clinker exports across the region. In a corporate disclosure to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dangote Cement’s Group Managing Director, Arvind Pathak, said the company continues to record growth in its export operations, with a notable 18.2% increase in clinker volumes exported from Nigeria. “We made 18 successful clinker shipments to Ghana and Cameroon,” he noted,…
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has commended Dangote Cement Plc for its significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy and called on the company to partner with the government in addressing the country’s housing gap. Speaking during a tour of the company’s exhibition stand at the ongoing Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) in Abuja, Dangiwa said Dangote Cement has played a pivotal role in national development, and emphasized the need for the company to extend its impact to the housing sector. “We recognize Dangote Cement’s pivotal role in our economy and urge them to sustain these efforts. We…
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Releases New Consumer Data on Food and Ingredient Safety in Partnership with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), says American confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply has dropped to an all-time low, according to new findings from the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey. IFIC is releasing the data today in partnership with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), a leading professional organization committed to advancing food safety worldwide. Specifically, IFIC will present the findings to thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe at the IAFP Annual…
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the appointment of Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef as its new Country Representative in Nigeria. Before her new role, Wafaa served as UNICEF’s Country Representative in Somalia, where she led numerous initiatives in both humanitarian and development contexts. With over 20 years of service in the UN system, she brings a wealth of experience from various United Nations agencies including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP). Her extensive fieldwork covers several countries affected by crises, including Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, and Ethiopia. She…