Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, 2017 winner of the World Food Prize and current President of African Development Bank, alongside other World Food Prize laureates, have called for United States’ intervention to end global hunger by 2030. In an open letter to President Joe Biden, a group of 24 scientists, economists, researchers and past winners of the World Food Prize, including Adesina, described America’s role in tackling the scourge of global hunger as ‘foundational.’ They, therefore, urged President Biden to re-establish America’s global leadership to end hunger, play a leadership role in the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit and other global initiatives.…
Author: Editor
Norway’s health authorities remain cautious about the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and are holding off on reinstating its use. “There is still great uncertainty about possible serious side effects,’’ a statement from the health authority Folkehelseinstitutt FHI said, on Friday. “In the FHI’s assessment, it is appropriate to spend more time gaining further knowledge about these serious incidents.’’ The FHI stressed that the decision was based on incidents in Norway. Norway, like many other countries, had stopped giving the drug a fortnight ago, because blood clots had occurred in some vaccinated people. Four people have died in Norway…
By Abujah Racheal The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has confirmed over 300,000 people have received their first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 in Nigeria. The NPHCDA said this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. Nigeria commenced vaccination since March 5, 2021 with healthcare workers, mostly at risk to the infection being the first responders. The agency noted that those vaccinated so far in the country made up 9.5 per cent as of March 26, 2021. According to the agency, as of March 26, over 374,585 people have been vaccinated across 34 states and the Federal Capital…
The The Zonal Commanding Officer of zone 4 Command, Assistant Corps Marshal Kayode Olagunju Zone 4 Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, says 3,077 personnel have been deployed for Easter celebration. Calling on all road users and transport fleet operators to abide by traffic rules and regulations as well as COVID-19 protocol during the Easter festive period or risk arrest and prosecution, the Commanding Officer in charge of Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa, also said that mobile courts were put in place to try traffic offenders. In a statement by the spokesperson of the Command, RC Olusegun Owoeye made…
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the international community to further collaborate in tackling some of the major threats to peace and human survival across the globe. He said such threats include terrorism, insurgency, displacement of persons, and climate change, reiterating that the growing challenges pose real threat to human existence. Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman in a statement, said Buhari made the call when he received Letters of Credence at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday. The president received letters of credence from High Commissioner of The Gambia, Mr Mohamadou Musa Njie, Ambassador of South Korea, Mr Kim…
The British health secretary has said that Britain has an “exclusive” contract with Coronavirus developer AstraZeneca while the European Union’s is based on a best efforts basis. Matt Hancock told the Financial Times that both sides were looking to resolve a dispute surrounding vaccine delivery. But he added that the bloc should not try and suspend the export of vaccines from a site in the Netherlands to Britain, due to the nature of the contractual agreements they have with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant. “I believe that free trading nations follow the law of contracts,’’ he told the newspaper on Thursday.…
The African Development Bank (AfDB), has inaugurated second phase of the West African Capital Markets Integration (WACMI) Project. The aim is to establish a common securities listing and trading platform across West African stock markets. According to a statement from AfDB, the project inaugurated on Tuesday, is being financed by a grant of $850,000 it received from the Capital Markets Development Trust Fund (CMDTF) in December 2020. The grant was a multi-donor fund administered by the bank and supported by Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The second phase of the integration project entails the harmonisation of regulations in participating capital markets…
Nigerian government says is consolidating efforts to adopt Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the development of other sectors of the economy. Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, the Minister of State, Ministry of Science and Technology said on Thursday at the ongoing three-day capacity building workshop on STI Policy Design and Review Processes: Recent Advances and Methodologies in Abuja. The workshop was organised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in collaboration with FMST. Abdullahi said that the STI sector since 2012, had its extant national policy implemented, impacted solar technology development, leather products development, road research, space science technology,…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $500 million disbursement to Pakistan for budget support. The disbursement was done after the IMF Executive Board completed delayed reviews of Pakistan’s six billion-dollar loan programme. “The programme aims to support Pakistan’s policies to help the economy and save lives and livelihoods amid the still unfolding COVID-19 pandemic,’’ the IMF said in a statement. The approval has paved the way for the release of the third tranche of a $1.45-billion-bailout package which Pakistan had secured in 2019 to avert a balance of payment crisis. The loan facility was suspended in April 2020 due…
By Justina Auta Experts on Wednesday advocated for a more robust funding and increased awareness on diagnosis, prevention and treatment of tuberculosis in the country. The experts made the call on a tweet meeting organised by AIDS Health Care Foundation (AHF) in collaboration with Global TB Caucus and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism in commemoration of 2021 World TB Day. The World TB Day is commemorated annually around the world to raise awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis and to step up efforts to end the pandemic Mr Sola Charles, the Health Editor of Vangard…