From Kenya to Nigeria to South Africa, the death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted an outpouring of condolences from African heads of state praising an “extraordinary” leader and sharing memories of her frequent visits to the continent during her 70-year reign. However, the monarch’s death has also reignited a sensitive debate about the colonial past in English-speaking Africa, particularly the queen’s role as head of state during British rule. When Elizabeth was born in 1926, the British Empire spanned six continents. During her reign, which began in 1952, most of the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth gained…
Author: Newsdesk
The United States Government is to commit $200 million to start-up process on Clean Energy Demand Initiative to help address climate change in the country. The U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Mr John Kerry made the commitment when his team paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi in Abuja on Tuesday. Kerry, who also signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the minister on the initiative, said the programme started in Glasgow. According to him, the initiative is a way by which companies and countries can make decisions to implement buying or production of…
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Dr Ernest Umakhihe, has urged scientists and other stakeholders in the cassava value chain to improve on more varieties. Umakhihe made the call at the Annual Meeting of NextGen Cassava Project in Abuja on Tuesday. He was represented by Dr Raji Bamidele, Deputy Director, Roots and Tuber Division in the ministry. Umakhihe said there was need for concerted efforts by stakeholders to facilitate how genetic improvement of cassava could realise its potential yield level in the country. He said the interaction between the national cassava research scientists and specialists…
The Department of State Services (DSS) has alleged that its preliminary investigations established the offences of logistic supplier, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism against Tukur Mamu. The DSS, in an affidavit in support of its ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1617/2022 filed before Justice Nkeonye Maha of a Federal High Court, Abuja, also alleged that the investigation established Act of terrorism financing against Mamu, the former terrorists’ negotiator. Earlier on Tuesday, reported that Justice Maha granted the motion ex-parte moved by counsel for the DSS, Ahmed Magaji, seeking an order to detain Mamu for 60 days in the first instance, pending…
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, granted a prayer by the Department of State Services (DSS) to detain the former terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu, for 60 more days. Justice Nkeonye Maha, in a short ruling on the ex-parte motion moved by counsel for the DSS, Ahmed Magaji, granted the motion as prayed. The security outfit, in the motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1617/2022 dated and filed September 12, had urged the court to grant its reliefs to enable it conclude its investigation on Mamu, who had been leading the negotiation with the terrorists for the release of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers kidnaped…
Stakeholders, especially farmers in the South-South, have called on the Federal Government to urgently build more silos across the states to reduce annual post-harvest losses in the agriculture sector. The residents made the call in separate interviews against the backdrop of government’s recent disclosure that the country’s economic cost of post-harvest losses was N3.5 trillion. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Shehuri, at the presentation of the International Standard Organisation (ISO) Certification for Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Abuja, decried the worrisome trend. Recall that the minister, represented at the occasion by Mr Shehu Bello, a…
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the PT Saputra Global Harvest Indonesia, on transfer of Technology on Saputra products, especially its innovative coal fertilizer. The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, made the disclosure in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Social Media, Mr Peter Ewu, on Tuesday in Abuja. Ewu explained that the MoU was the first of various MoU’s to be signed during the working visit of the Nigerian delegation to Indonesia. He added “the signing of the MoU, which…
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), South Savannah chapter, Georgia, has made history my inaugurating the first NIDO online radio, calling on Nigerian Diasporas to participate in its programmes to further Nigeria’s development. The president of NIDOA South Savannah, Mr Collins Ikegwuonu in New York said that the first online radio could be listened to anywhere in the world. “It’s a platform to influence governmental policies and we want every Nigeria to come and participate, free of charge, just come with your content,” he said. He paid tribute to pioneer of the chapter, late Prof. Joseph Igietseme, who gave the…
A U.S.-based Nigerian community leader and politician, Mr Bobby Digi, has called on the Nigerian government to consider allowing its citizens abroad to exercise their voting rights. Digi, the President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), New York chapter, made the call in an interview in New York. According to him, it is an injustice to marginalising the voices of Nigerians in diaspora by disallowing them to exercise their voting rights. The official argued that if the Nigerians in Diaspora contribute to the economy of the country by remitting over 20 billion dollars annually, then they should be…
An air strike wounded at least one person on Tuesday in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, a hospital official said, two days after Tigrayan forces said they were ready for a ceasefire with the federal government. The strike hit the business campus of Mekelle University and Dimitsi Woyane TV station, which is run by the regional government, said Kibrom Gebreselassie, the chief executive officer at Ayder Referral Hospital. He cited a witness who arrived with a man wounded in the strike. Getachew Reda, spokesperson for the regional government, said on Twitter that the business campus had been…