The Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, has called for sustained political leadership, stronger community engagement, and expanded partnerships to address Nigeria’s remaining child health challenges, particularly immunisation gaps. Speaking during a courtesy visit to Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Friday, Russell said Nigeria’s certification as free of wild poliovirus in 2020 showed that complex public health challenges could be overcome through collective action. She stressed the need to protect that achievement by ensuring every child receives routine immunisation, that missed children are reached, and disease surveillance remains robust. Russell described Sokoto as a…
Author: Newsdesk
The Ogun State Government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), on Friday distributed agricultural inputs to 2,740 cassava farmers. The distribution was carried out under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, aimed at boosting food security and farmers’ incomes. Speaking at the ceremony in Abeokuta, Mr Bolu Owotomo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, described the intervention as a strategic investment in the state’s agricultural future. Owotomo said the initiative was aimed at strengthening food security, improving farmers’ incomes, and promoting climate-smart agriculture across the state.…
The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) says Nigeria will be instrumental to achieving a Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR)-free West Africa and, ultimately, a PPR-free Africa. The Director of AU-IBAR, Dr Huyam Salih, stated this at a two-day National Workshop for the Review of Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for the Control and Eradication of PPR on Friday in Abuja. PPR, also known as sheep and goat plague, is a highly contagious and severe viral disease that primarily affects domestic and wild small ruminants such as goats and sheep. The AU-IBAR director noted that PPR continues to impose…
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) says it has established the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate in Ekiti, Kwara, Bauchi, and Plateau states to improve service delivery to farmers across the country. The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Mr Cornelius Adebayo, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while presenting an overview of the authority’s achievements in the past two years. Adebayo said NALDA is targeting the establishment of mega farm estates across the six geopolitical zones to address challenges affecting agricultural production and create modern farming communities. He explained that the mega farms, designed as clusters of farmers, would cover…
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has unveiled a centralised digital advertising management platform for the Delta State Signage and Advertisement Agency (DESSAA). The governor said the platform would enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the management of outdoor advertising across the state. Oborevwori, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, performed the unveiling on Thursday in Asaba. He said the digital platform was designed to deploy technology in advancing transparency and operational excellence in the administration of advertisements and signage in the state. The governor warned that the state government would not tolerate…
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) says it aims to fuel innovation, industrial growth, and economic diversification by overhauling its research culture. The Director-General/CEO of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, made this known on Thursday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Digital Journal of Raw Materials Research (JORMAR). He said JORMAR is set to transform how Nigerian researchers generate and share knowledge and resources. The journal was conceived as a fully digital successor to the print-only practices that dated back to 1988. “It is designed to match the rigour, reach and reliability of the world’s top research journals.…
The Benue State Government has pledged to strengthen its partnership with the Teryima and Msurshima Foundation to expand improved foundation seed distribution, enhance agriculture, and boost food security across the state. The pledge was made on Friday in Makurdi during the foundation’s annual free distribution of improved seeds to farmers. Speaking at the event, Mrs Serumun Aber, Secretary to the Benue State Government, lauded the Teryima and Msurshima Foundation for supporting the state’s agricultural development agenda. Represented by Mr Akor Abiem, Aber said agriculture remains a major priority under Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Seven-Point Agenda, stressing that food production is critical…
A Bauchi-based NGO, Child is Gold Foundation (CIGF), says it has mobilised about 100 pints of blood for emergency medical care. Mr George Nuhu, Programme Manager of the foundation, stated this in an interview with reporters in Bauchi on Friday. He said the exercise followed an awareness campaign on the importance of voluntary blood donation and the role of safe blood in saving lives. Nuhu said the initiative had recorded remarkable growth since its inception in 2023, reflecting increasing community awareness and participation. According to him, the foundation collected fewer than 20 pints of blood during its maiden community blood…
Kaduna State has mobilised emergency agencies, development partners, humanitarian organisations, and grassroots institutions to strengthen flood preparedness following forecasts that placed the state among areas at high risk of flooding during the 2026 rainy season. The coordinated response, led by the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA), combines risk assessment, early warning, public sensitisation, emergency planning, and community-based response to minimise loss of lives and property. KADSEMA’s Executive Secretary, Mr Usman Mazadu, said the state government had activated the 2026 Flood Emergency Operations and Response Strategic Team as well as the Flood Tactical Response Team to coordinate preparedness and emergency…
The Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to deploy renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient equipment for smallholder farmers across Nigeria. The agreement was signed on Thursday in Abuja during the National Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop on National Alignment for the Deployment of Energy-Efficient Agricultural Productive Use Equipment (NADAPUE). The workshop was organised by REA in partnership with the ECOWAS Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP), the Federal Ministries of Power and Agriculture and Food Security, and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA). READ ALSO: FG reaffirms commitment to eradicate…