Rice farmers in Lagos have commended President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to distribute rice to Nigerians observing the ongoing Ramadan and Lenten seasons, but called for a sustainable, long-term approach to address food insecurity. The farmers made the appeal during separate interviews with reporters on Monday in Lagos. President Tinubu had directed the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to distribute rice across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to support citizens during the sacred periods of Ramadan and Lent. Imo State Governor and Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Senator Hope Uzodimma, disclosed this in a…
Author: Newsdesk
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, on Monday commenced a two-day training workshop for journalists from the North-Central and North-East regions on the ethics of child reporting. Declaring the workshop open in Gombe, Mr. Toye Falayi, Assistant Director of the Child Rights Bureau in the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, said the training aimed to improve child protection through responsible and ethical reportage. Falayi urged participants to pay full attention and actively engage in the sessions to achieve the workshop’s objectives. “I want to commend UNICEF for…
Compliance officers from two commercial banks on Monday testified in the ongoing alleged N8.7 billion fraud trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami. The officials appeared as prosecution witnesses for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where they tendered bank documents and account statements linked to companies and organisations associated with the defendants. The EFCC is prosecuting the trio on an amended 16-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing…
Coronation Merchant Bank has completed its recapitalisation programme, raising its paid-up capital to N50.26 billion, in compliance with the N50 billion minimum capital requirement set by the Central Bank of Nigeria for merchant banks. The bank said the exercise was executed through a combined rights issue and private placement, which generated more than N32.09 billion in new equity capital. The recapitalisation received strong backing from existing shareholders and strategic investors, strengthening the bank’s balance sheet and positioning it for the next phase of growth across its key business segments. ALSO READ Recapitalisation: 31 banks meet CBN capital requirements [FULL LIST]…
When it comes to practical farming technology built for African conditions, PFS Power Factor Systems has quietly been doing something rather impressive. Since setting up shop in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga back in 1998, the company has grown into a trusted name across the continent, serving farmers in countries ranging from South Africa and Zambia to Kenya, Angola and beyond. At the heart of what PFS offers is the VSD Starter, a variable speed drive designed and built entirely in-house and purpose-made for irrigation systems. It is not a generic piece of kit adapted for farm use. Every feature on this machine…
Several passengers were injured on Monday after a train operating on the Kaduna–Abuja rail corridor derailed during its journey to the Federal Capital Territory. The incident reportedly occurred near Asham station along the rail line linking Kaduna and Abuja, causing panic among passengers on board. Officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed the incident, attributing it to a technical problem involving the locomotive and one of the passenger coaches. According to the NRC, the fault disrupted the train’s movement, leading to the derailment and injuries to some passengers. Emergency response teams were immediately mobilised to the scene, while injured…
Kenya’s agricultural exports to China will begin entering the Chinese market duty-free starting May 1, 2026, a move expected to significantly boost export opportunities for Kenyan farmers and agribusinesses. Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, announced the milestone following a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan. He said the development marks the implementation phase of trade agreements secured during William Ruto’s state visit to China. According to Kagwe, the removal of tariffs forms part of broader commitments between Kenya and China to deepen agricultural trade and expand market access for Kenyan products. “This is the…
More than 60 U.S. agricultural organisations are urging major domestic fertilizer producers to withdraw support for duties on imported phosphate fertilizers, warning that current policies are contributing to high input costs for farmers already facing economic pressure. In a letter dated March 13, 2026, a coalition of 64 farm and commodity groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, called on executives at The Mosaic Company and J.R. Simplot Company to help lower fertilizer prices by renouncing support for countervailing and antidumping duties on phosphate imports from Morocco. The letter was addressed to Mosaic Bruce Bodine and Simplot Garrett Lofto. In…
MTN Group has reported strong operational and financial performance for the 2025 financial year as service revenue jumped by nearly 25% to R218 billion. The telecom giant said the results marked the final year of its Ambition 2025 strategy, with strong commercial outcomes driven largely by its operations in MTN Nigeria and MTN Ghana. The group also recorded strong free cash flow, improved returns, and announced a 45% increase in dividend payments to shareholders. According to the company, its total customer base rose to more than 307 million across 16 markets as of December 31, 2025. This includes 172 million data users and 70…
Nigeria imported petrol worth N84.69 billion from Togo in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to newly released foreign trade statistics. Data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that petroleum products accounted for the bulk of Nigeria’s imports from the West African country during the period. The figures highlight Nigeria’s continued reliance on imported fuel to meet domestic demand despite ongoing efforts to expand local refining capacity. Nigeria’s petrol imports from Togo accounted for the overwhelming share of goods purchased from the country in the final quarter of 2025. According to the NBS foreign trade report, Nigeria’s total imports…