Author: Editor

Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic swept across Nigeria, exposing weaknesses in the health system while also sparking resilience and innovation. Healthcare workers, journalists, virologists, laboratory scientists, and environmental health experts played key roles in the collective fight against the pandemic. By Abujah Racheal Today, the experiences and lessons learned during the pandemic continue to guide Nigeria’s efforts to build a safer, healthier future. When COVID-19 reached Nigeria in February 2020, the response was swift but severely strained. Nationwide lockdowns were imposed, borders closed, and isolation and testing centres established. Yet, gaps in infrastructure, inadequate medical supplies, and limited testing…

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Some of us who are die-hard “true believers” in the dream of a united, integrated, prosperous and democratic West Africa of the people met in Dakar, Senegal this week to reflect on what needs to be done to preserve the dream. The meeting was convened by Professor Abdoulaye Bathily, Dr. Abdoulie Janneh and Dr. Kayode Fayemi. The issue of concern is that later this month, on 29th January 2025, the statutory one-year notice period that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) required Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to observe when they announced their unilateral and immediate withdrawal from…

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In a decisive move to enforce fiscal accountability, the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services has issued a stern warning to agencies under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security over non-appearance for budget defence. Agency heads who fail to personally defend their 2025 budget estimates risk receiving no funding for the year. During a session on Thursday, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Chairman of the Senate Committee, and his House counterpart, Bello Kaoje, expressed frustration over the absence of key agency leaders for the budget defence, notably Dr. Vincent Isegbe, Director General of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine…

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