The Federal Government has urged members of the National Assembly to incorporate the establishment of soil laboratories in all 774 Local Government Areas as part of their constituency projects. The call was made by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, during the Regional Hub for Fertiliser and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel workshop on the “Nigeria Soil Information System (SIS) Development” held on Thursday in Abuja. The workshop was organized by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with its partners. Sen. Abdullahi said the initiative would facilitate soil testing, ensure soil…
Author: Editor
Nigeria’s nutrition challenge has never been just about producing more food, but about ensuring access to healthy, resilient and nutrient-rich food systems. Today, as climate change disrupts agricultural production, supply chains, and household diets, the stakes have never been higher. Yet, within this challenge lies a powerful opportunity: which is investing in climate-resilient food systems. If appropriately done, Nigeria can secure its nutrition future, boost productivity, protect livelihoods, and emerge as a leader in sustainable innovation across Africa. 1. Why climate resilience matters for nutrition Agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s food and nutrition security. It employs about 70% of…
A Nigerian agri-tech start-up, Vet Konect Ltd, has emerged as one of three finalists in the inaugural World Food Prize ‘Innovate for Impact Challenge’. Vet Konect, alongside Argentina’s APOLO Biotech and India’s Capsber Agriscience, was selected from nearly 400 applications spanning 65 countries after a 10-month global competition, the World Food Prize announced. The three finalists pitched their concepts live to a panel of judges at the 2025 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Iowa, United States. Vet Konect, which finished first runner-up, was represented by Terese Shadrach Akpem, Founder and CEO, and received a $10,000 prize. The start-up was…
The Founder of Star Farmers Hub, Mr. Michael Shenge, has said that young agripreneurs, innovators, and changemakers represent the hope for building profitable agricultural value chains in Benue State. Shenge made the statement on Friday in Makurdi during the opening of the Agro Start-ups Conference, organised to promote innovation, collaboration, and youth participation in agribusiness. He said the future of agriculture would not be built by government alone but through the efforts of creative start-ups, strategic partnerships, and bold ideas. The conference convener described agripreneurs and innovators as the “missing link between farm and market, between policy and practice, and…
The Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday urged all three tiers of government to work collectively toward transforming Nigeria’s healthcare system. Gbajabiamila made the call while delivering a lecture at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, during the institution’s 63rd Founder’s Day celebration and 18th Horatio Oritsejolomi Thomas Memorial Lecture in Lagos. The lecture, titled “Transforming Healthcare: The Role of Political Leadership,” highlighted the distinct but complementary responsibilities of the federal, state, and local governments in ensuring effective healthcare delivery. According to him, while the Federal Government sets national health policies and oversees tertiary…
As the United Nations (UN) commemorates its 80th anniversary in 2025, the world’s attention turns once more to the question of its effectiveness, relevance, and influence in global affairs. Founded in 1945 in the shadow of a devastating World War, the organization promised a new era of international cooperation, peace, and shared prosperity. Eight decades later, the UN faces profound scrutiny—not just as a forum for collective security and humanitarian aid, but as a truly functional instrument for peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and global governance. The title “A Toothless Bulldog” encapsulates growing skepticism in both public discourse and scholarly literature concerning…
This week, I was in Kano attending the 6th social influencers summit. I am a fan of the annual event and I have attended all of them since it started in 2019. I have found it to be a useful rendezvous to catch up with the latest in the trilateral intersections between technology, media and social change. The digital revolution has fundamentally transformed how individuals across the globe interact, communicate, and conduct various aspects of their daily lives. Among the most impactful development in this revolution is the rise of social media, which has redefined social norms, behaviour, and interactions, especially,…
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) on Thursday donated relief materials to the Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State. The Chairman of the association, Dr. Princeston Okam, said the gesture was part of the NMA’s corporate social responsibility and one of the activities lined up for its 2025 Anambra Physicians’ Week celebration. Items donated included bags of rice, cartons of noodles, tubers of yam, and toilet tissues. The association also announced scholarship opportunities for the orphanage inmates. Okam, who led other members on the visit, highlighted that sickle cell disease, which continues to…
MTN Nigeria has called on government and business leaders from Nigeria and South Africa to prioritize the effective implementation of people-oriented and growth-driven economic policies. The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, made the appeal on Thursday at the Nigeria-South Africa Economic Diplomacy Roundtable held in Lagos. Toriola emphasized that the combined economic weight of the two nations could serve as a powerful engine for Africa’s development. He proposed a three-point agenda to accelerate economic growth across the continent. The first priority, he said, is the full activation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) beyond…
Dr. Zainab Mu’azu, a gynaecologist in the Department of Community Medicine at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, has urged pregnant women to receive tetanus vaccinations to improve maternal care and reduce mortality. Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Bauchi, Mu’azu explained that the vaccine protects both mothers and newborns from the serious risks of tetanus and diphtheria. She said the vaccine is recommended during every pregnancy, as it helps protect infants from illnesses like whooping cough and tetanus before they can be vaccinated and establishes protective antibodies in the mother that are transferred to the baby. Mu’azu…