On 01 November 2011, history was made— a little-known son of Africa would take over perhaps the largest agricultural research institute on the African Continent. That person was Dr. Emmanuel Nteranya Sanginga, who would become the first African-born Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria. Before his assumption of office, IITA was 44, and the leadership had been in the domain of Europeans and Americans. This heroic appointment came with mixed feelings—on one side, there was the fulfillment that, alas, one of our own—an African— is a director general, but on the other side, there was…
Author: Editor
Love or hate her persona of courage and candour, there is no denying the fact that in the leadership equation here in Nigeria and elsewhere, in every democratic dispensation, loyalty and commitment to service pay Those factors come of course, with character, hard work and being passionate to a cause one firmly believes in. That may perhaps, explain why the name, Lauretta Onochie sends shivers down the spine of her traducers, all because she has stood solid and strong with her abiding loyalty to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s cause to promote integrity, quality service delivery and gender equity especially in…
As expected, this article on perennial flood attracted reactions from many readers of this column, my Facebook and Tweeter handles. Many were unhappy, if not furious of why our nation has been given lip service to a preventable but calamitous incident occurring annually. The nation is endowed with experts, technocrats, and wherewithal to prevent or mitigate the effects of this type of disaster. If Netherland, a small European nation was able to reclaim part of the ocean by pushing the water back into ocean, and still avoided serious flood incidences, why not Nigeria? In fact, the French people call Netherland…
“The plan to restore history as an inevitable frontline teaching subject was first recommended in 2016. That the announcement of its implementation came in 2022, that is, six years later, derogates largely from the urgent public importance of the subject” Last week’s decision by the Nigerian government to approve the restoration of ‘History’ as a stand-alone subject to be taught in Nigerian schools was a right step in the right direction because anyone who seeks to comprehend the present so as to plan for tomorrow must first understand yesterday. Although history is that important; I am yet to clap for…
My Dear Good People of Osun, As I step aside today following the conclusion of the four-year tenure you freely gave me, I thank God and I thank you for your support, cooperation and prayers over the years. I recall how the journey began four years ago; how by your belief in me and your conviction in the plans and programmes of our Party, you exercised your right to vote for me. Motivated by God’s promise, my conviction, we promised that we would serve you with steady heart and hands. We promised that we would hit the ground running once…
Stopping the proliferation of fake news isn’t just the responsibility of the platforms used to spread it. Those who consume news also need to find ways of determining if what they’re reading is true. We offer several tips below.
Cornucopia, a word with Latin origin and Greek history, comes from the Latin cornu copiae, which translates literally to “horn of plenty.” Cornucopia is believed to represent the horn of a goat in Greek mythology. Legend has it that it was from this horn that the god, Zeus, was fed as an infant. Later, the horn was filled with flowers and fruits and given as a present to Zeus. The word first appeared in English in the early 16th century; a century later, it developed the figurative sense of an overflowing supply. And so, cornucopia means abundance, plenty, an inexhaustible amount…
November 18, 2009 was such day that I cannot forget in as much as I am alive. It was the day of mighty crumble of one of the channels through which I appear on earth. I cannot pen down the nostalgic recollection of the immutable agony of an irretrievable loss of a 65 year old father. It was painful, indeed. Today it is eight (now 13) years of his physical departure from us to attend a transcendental life of eternal tranquility. May the paradise be his final abode, amin. In addition to being a father in the true sense of…
“A new has study found a new mRNA flu vaccine produced high levels of antibody protection in mice and ferrets against all flu strains, which could one day help pave the way for a universal flu shot” A new mRNA vaccine targeting all known flu strains in a single shot is showing early promise in animal studies and is opening the door to a wide range of possibilities with the vaccine technology — including potentially preventing the next influenza pandemic. University of Pennsylvania researchers published their findings in the journal Science Thursday, showing the vaccine produced high levels of antibody protection in…
As campaigns heat up and the elections approach, concerns are emerging over fears of violence in the country affecting prospects for successful conduct of the polls but also the growth of specifically election related violence. It is clear that insecurity is one of the most serious concerns for voters in the country and the level of violence in many parts of the country will make it very difficult to organise election logistics and many a voter would think twice about the risk of stepping out to vote. Violent extremism by Boko Haram continues in the North East and parts of…