Chinese authorities announced on Tuesday that China will extend zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, starting from May 1. According to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028, China will grant zero-tariff treatment to 20 African countries that have diplomatic ties with it and are not classified as least developed countries. READ ALSO: UNGA President Baerbock to visit China The commission noted that since December 1, 2024, China has already been granting zero-tariff treatment on 100 per cent of tariff lines to 33 least developed…
Author: Newsdesk
The Kano State Government on Tuesday commenced activities to mark the 2026 Africa Vaccination Week (AVW), reaffirming its commitment to expanding immunisation coverage and integrated health services across the state. Speaking at a news conference at the Kano Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, said the week underscores the state’s resolve to protect children and families through vaccination and other essential health interventions. This year’s theme is “For every generation, vaccines work”. Dr Labaran emphasised the importance of reaching “zero-dose” children — those who have not received any vaccines. He stated that Kano will deliver…
Dr Terfa Kene, President of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), has said that Nigeria lacks sufficient public health physicians due to a nationwide shortage of medical doctors. Kene made this known during an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja. He noted that the deficit in medical doctors is limiting the country’s ability to train and produce the specialists needed for effective public health practice. “Public health physicians must first be medical doctors. Since we don’t have enough doctors, we naturally don’t have enough public health physicians,” he said. He explained that public health physicians work…
The President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Annalena Baerbock, will visit China from April 29 to April 30, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Tuesday. Baerbock, a former German Foreign Minister, is currently presiding over the 80th UNGA session, which runs from September 2025 to September 2026. READ ALSO: Nigeria consul-general calls for stronger African unity She was invited by Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister. The spokesperson said the visit aims to strengthen multilateral cooperation and will include…
Germany on Tuesday deported 25 Afghan migrants convicted of various criminal offences to Kabul via a charter flight, citing public safety concerns. According to the Ministry of Interior, the aircraft took off from Leipzig overnight and landed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in the morning. The deportees had been convicted in Germany of offences including manslaughter, rape, grievous bodily harm, and drug-related crimes. The flight is part of a direct agreement between the German government and the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, which allows Berlin to conduct regular deportations without relying on intermediary countries. German police accompanied the individuals and are…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday organised a financial literacy programme for secondary school students in Abuja as part of activities to commemorate Global Money Week. Speaking at the event, the CBN’s Director of Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion, Mrs Aisha Olatinwo, said the participating schools were selected based on their strong performance in previous CBN-organised quizzes and analytical competitions. She described Global Money Week as a global initiative aimed at equipping young people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make informed and responsible financial decisions. Olatinwo explained that the 2026 theme, “Smart MoneyTalks,” underscores the importance…
Nigeria’s Consul-General in Johannesburg, Ms Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, has called for sustained promotion of African unity as a pathway to meaningful growth and development on the continent. Okey-Uche made the call in a message to mark Freedom Day celebrations held on Monday night in Johannesburg. She described the occasion as a reminder of the triumph of courage, sacrifice, and the enduring human spirit over oppression. “Africans, united by destiny and heritage, must rise above divisions and reject all forms of hate. The freedom we cherish must not be diminished by discord among ourselves,” she said. The envoy stressed that the call…
Some Nigerians on Tuesday urged the newly approved firms taking over airtime and data lending services from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to be transparent, flexible, and user-friendly. The subscribers, who spoke with reporters in separate interviews in Lagos, expressed cautious optimism that the change could improve service delivery if properly regulated. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) recently approved five firms to provide digital airtime and data lending services. This followed new regulatory requirements that led major operators like MTN and Airtel to suspend their own borrowing services, such as MTN Xtratime. The approved firms as of April…
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that the average retail price of a litre of petrol increased from N1,051.47 in February to N1,288.54 in March 2026. The NBS disclosed this in its Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for March, released in Abuja on Tuesday. According to the report, the March price represents a 22.55 per cent increase compared to February. On a year-on-year basis, the average price rose by 2.13 per cent from N1,261.65 recorded in March 2025 to N1,288.54 in March 2026. At the state level, Anambra recorded the highest average retail price at N1,441.22 per…
Ghana has rejected a bilateral health agreement with the United States, dealing the latest setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul foreign aid, a source familiar with the negotiations has said. The source added that Ghanaian authorities balked at terms requiring the sharing of sensitive health data. In September, the Trump administration unveiled its “America First Global Health Strategy”, which urges poorer nations to take greater responsibility in fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio, and to gradually transition from aid dependency to self-reliance. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled earlier this year. Spokespeople for Ghana’s Ministry…