Edible insects, often referred to as “insect protein” or “mini-livestock,” sit at the intersection of nutrition, culture, and sustainability. While they are increasingly packaged as a modern innovation for food security and climate resilience, eating insects is not a new idea. It is an old, widely distributed human practice, which is embedded in food cultures across Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and Africa for generations (van Huis et al., 2013). What is new is the scale, the science, the processing technology, and the commercialization pathways that are now emerging across the world. This article takes a global-to-local view; it explains why…
Author: Editor
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has mandated banks and other financial institutions to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for foreign card transactions exceeding $200 per day, as part of measures to strengthen security and improve user experience. The directive, contained in a circular dated December 18, 2025, and signed by the Director of Financial Policy and Regulation, Dr Rita I. Sike, applies to all withdrawals and online transactions above $200 daily, $500 weekly, and $1,000 monthly, or their naira equivalents. According to the CBN, the policy aims to enhance the seamless use of foreign-issued cards by tourists and Nigerians returning…
Dangote Refinery has strengthened its position as Nigeria’s main fuel distribution hub following strategic moves to improve affordability and access to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The refinery recently cut the pump price of PMS to ₦699 per litre and reduced the minimum purchase volume from two million litres to 250,000 litres, opening the market to more marketers and easing nationwide distribution. A 10-day bank guarantee system has also been introduced to ensure an uninterrupted supply and boost confidence. Since the changes, more than 1,000 trucks now load PMS daily from the refinery’s gantry, reflecting strong market confidence in its operations.…
1. I am here today to fulfil an essential constitutional obligation by presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill to this esteemed Joint Session of the National Assembly (NASS) for your consideration. 2. This budget represents a defining moment in our national journey of reform and transformation. Over the last two and a half years, my government has methodically confronted long‑standing structural weaknesses, stabilised our economy, rebuilt confidence, and laid a durable foundation for the construction of a more resilient, inclusive, and dynamic Nigeria. 3. Though necessary, the reforms have not been painless. Families and businesses have faced pressure; established systems have…
President Bola Tinubu on Friday presented a ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly (NASS), describing the proposal as the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity.” Tinubu said the 2026 budget represents the outcome of two and a half years of what he described as “painful but necessary” economic reforms designed to restore macroeconomic stability, stimulate job-rich growth and promote inclusive prosperity. According to the president, the budget projects total revenue of ₦34.33 trillion against total expenditure of ₦58.18 trillion, including ₦15.52 trillion earmarked for debt servicing. Recurrent non-debt expenditure is estimated…
Cambridge has always occupied a special place in the global imagination of scholarship, and walking into the historic University of Cambridge for the 6th World Conference on Media and Communication (WORLDCMC 2025) felt like stepping into a living archive of ideas. Hosted at Wolfson College’s Chancellor’s Centre, the conference unfolded over three intellectually rich days, bringing together scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners from across continents—both physically present in Cambridge and virtually connected from around the world. From the outset, the conference distinguished itself by the breadth and depth of its scholarship. WORLDCMC 2025 was not merely an academic gathering; it…
Last week, Nigeria gave up its proud history of assertiveness and independence in the international system by signing off our tax data sovereignty to a foreign power. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) signed an MoU with the French Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) to exercise technical oversight over our tax data. We live in interesting times when an elected government would hand over our sovereignty without even flinching. There is no basis for such behaviour and we should know better. We know from experience that when INEC decided to drop foreign technical expertise and use local knowhow in…
As more top officials in the current administration with questionable deeds being shown the way out, pressures are mounting on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the dark spots in the academic records of his Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. This is even as fresh facts continue to emerge, raising questions on why the president should continue to keep Tunji-Ojo in his cabinet. The latest is the verdict by a Private Investigator that the Bachelor of Engineering degree, from London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom, being paraded by the Minister is not authentic. The release of this independent investigation casts doubts…
Kenya is walking—quietly and dangerously—into one of the most severe agricultural crises in recent memory. Recently, the Government flagged 22 counties as hard-hit by the deepening drought. What is emerging on the ground is nothing short of heartbreaking: carcasses of livestock strewn across empty plains, soils cracking under a merciless sun, and fields of maize and beans curling into brittle husks. Even counties long considered part of Kenya’s traditional food basket—Meru, Embu, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma and Nakuru—are reporting failures that would once have been unimaginable. If these regions, the backbone of the country’s food systems, are faltering, then the implications are…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operational licenses of two mortgage banks—Aso Savings and Loans Plc and Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc—citing violations of regulatory requirements. In a statement on Tuesday, Hakama Sidi Ali, acting Director of the CBN’s Corporate Communications Department, said the action was part of the apex bank’s effort to strengthen the mortgage sub-sector and enforce compliance with relevant laws. “Under the powers granted to the CBN by Section 12 of BOFIA 2020 and Section 7.3 of the Revised Guidelines for Mortgage Banks in Nigeria, the licenses of Aso Savings and Loans Plc…