This week, I am in Accra attending an ECOWAS consultative meeting in line with the organisation’s concern that it is facing an existential crisis and that a year-long grassroots consultation process be organised to prepare a pact for the future of a re-energised body able to pursue its regional integration project and repair cracks to its democracy consolidation normative framework. This followed the coups in Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, and the rise of the Alliance of Sahelian States which posed in a very direct manner the existential crisis for ECOWAS as an organisation and its democratic model.…
Author: Editor
Plan International, in collaboration with the Sokoto State Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry for Religious Affairs, has commenced the distribution of sanitary and educational supplies to 40 formal and informal schools in Sokoto State. Speaking at the launch of the initiative held at the State Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency, Sokoto, Aspire Project Manager of Plan International, Murtala Bello, explained that it is part of the Aspire Project being implemented in Bauchi and Sokoto States. According to him, the intervention demonstrates the organization’s commitment to supporting the education sector and reducing the number of out-of-school…
Alibaba on Wednesday announced what it called a “milestone collaboration” with US chip giant Nvidia. The partnership will speed up Alibaba’s work on humanoid robots using artificial intelligence. The news came as Alibaba’s shares rose by more than nine percent in Hong Kong after Chief Executive Eddie Wu revealed plans to increase spending on artificial intelligence. China and the United States are currently locked in a tough competition over advanced technology. Nvidia, based in California, is a global leader in AI chips and a key player in the race for dominance in semiconductors. However, Washington has restricted Nvidia from exporting…
Scientists announced on Wednesday that they have developed a new AI model that can predict medical diagnoses years before they happen. The system is built on the same kind of technology that powers chatbots like ChatGPT. The AI, named Delphi-2M, can forecast the likelihood of more than 1,000 diseases by analyzing a patient’s medical history. The research team from the UK, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland published their findings in the journal Nature. To build the model, researchers used data from the UK Biobank, a massive biomedical database with information on about half a million people. Delphi-2M is based on “transformer”…
A new HIV prevention drug will soon be made available at a much lower cost in over 100 low-income countries. This move is expected to give millions of people access to the breakthrough treatment and could bring the world closer to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The drug, called Lenacapavir, is given by injection. It was set to be rolled out at the end of this year at a cost of about $28,000 (£20,000) per person each year. However, Wednesday’s announcement revealed that the price will be reduced to just $40 per year — which is only 0.1% of the original…
The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to ignore false claims about the newly revised school curricula, saying the reforms are carefully designed, based on evidence, and follow global best practices. The clarification came from the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in a statement issued by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Salisu Shehu, on Thursday in Abuja. Prof. Shehu explained that many of the misleading statements circulating on social media were fabricated to confuse the public and stir up unnecessary emotions. Recently, the Federal Ministry of Education announced the approval of the New Revised Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) and Senior…
Heavy rainfall on Thursday paralyzed movement and business activities in many parts of Lagos State after hours of downpour led to flash floods in several communities. Reporters observed that the flooding caused damage in areas like Maryland, Lekki, Ogba, and Ikorodu. Residents and business owners lamented how their homes, shops, and streets were overrun by water. Videos shared on social media also showed residents wading through flooded neighborhoods while motorists struggled to drive slowly on submerged roads. On Olatunji Street in Maryland, an overflowing canal cut off access to the nearby Mende community. A resident, Chinasa Nnadi, said flooding had…
Benedict Odamah, Quality Health, Safety and Environment Manager at JMG Limited, has called on Nigerians to embrace household items made from recycled materials. He said this would help reduce the country’s growing waste problem and promote a cleaner environment. The appeal was made in Lagos during an event organized by JMG to mark the 2025 World Clean-Up Day. The theme for this year was “Tackling Textile and Fashion Waste.” Experts note that recycled waste can be turned into many useful products. These include building and road materials, paper goods like tissues and cartons, clothing and furniture such as fleece jackets…
On Thursday, Lagos State made a bold move to address workplace harassment as the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) organized a symposium on “The Impact of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on Labour and Organizational Productivity in the Workplace.” According to the DSVA, the event, held in Lagos, brought together more than 130 professionals from different sectors including banking, oil and gas, hospitality, FMCG, and trade unions. In her welcome speech, the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, stressed that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is not only a violation of human rights but also a serious economic problem.…
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to officially recognize community pharmacies as Primary Health Care Centres. The group said pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals and play an essential role in delivering healthcare across the country. In a statement marking the 2025 World Pharmacists Day, ACPN’s National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, described the theme of this year’s event, “Think Health, Think Pharmacist,” as a timely reminder of the unique role of pharmacists in ensuring quality care, expanding access to services, and strengthening Nigeria’s health system. Ezeh explained that in many communities, pharmacists…