Health advocate Mr. Lorenz Mba has called for a nationwide shift from reactive to preventive healthcare through simple lifestyle changes and early screening to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases. He made the call in an interview with reporters on Wednesday in Lagos during a road walk to mark the sixth edition of “Let’s Waka with Q-Life and HEI.” The walk, organized by Waka Community International Foundation in collaboration with Q-Life Family Clinic and Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), honored Dr. Ade Alakija, a renowned medical expert. Mba noted that many life-threatening conditions, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and glaucoma,…
Author: Newsdesk
The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) has begun training agro-dealers to support 100,000 smallholder maize and soybean farmers. The initiative targets Kaduna and Niger states, aiming to improve productivity and strengthen food security. Prof. Isaac Eni, Consultant to SAA, shared the update during a two-day training for agro-dealers in Zaria on Wednesday. Organised by SAA in partnership with other stakeholders, the programme seeks to improve farmers’ access to quality agricultural inputs and enhance productivity along the maize and soybean value chain. Titled “Training of Agro-Dealers on Safe Handling and Sale of Agro-Chemicals, Improved Maize and Soybean Seed Varieties and Fertilisers; Business…
The Federal Government on Tuesday announced it will begin enforcing the Producer Pays Principle (PPP) in the beverages and packaging sector to promote a circular economy and safeguard the environment. Prof. Innocent Barikor, Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), shared the update at a stakeholders’ workshop in Lagos State. The event, themed “Stakeholders Engagement and Sensitisation Workshop on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme for the Packaging Sector”, brought together industry players, regulators, and policymakers to discuss the transition from voluntary to mandatory compliance. EPR encourages a circular economy by holding producers accountable for waste from…
The Federal Government has approved the establishment of the Nigeria National Laureate Annual Prize Programme to reward outstanding academic research from tertiary institutions. The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education through its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade. Under the programme, undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students with top research work will receive financial rewards and national recognition. Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the initiative is aimed at encouraging academic excellence and innovation. “By elevating our students to the status of celebrated National Laureates, we are ensuring that the rigour of research and academic excellence is matched…
The Government of Canada has announced an increase in permanent residence application fees, with the new rates set to take effect from April 30, 2026. The revised fee schedule was published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Under the new structure, applicants across various immigration pathways will pay higher fees, with increases ranging from $15 to $85 depending on the category. The Canadian immigration stated that the fee adjustment is part of a regular review process designed to sustain immigration services amid rising demand. The fee changes apply to principal applicants across several immigration pathways, including family sponsorship, business immigration, and humanitarian…
Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday inaugurated the Office of the Vice-President-Generation Unlimited (OVP-GenU) Secretariat. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the initiative is a UNICEF-led Public-Private-Youth Partnership programme designed to connect 20 million youths to education, skills, and livelihood opportunities by 2030. At the inauguration, Shettima said the secretariat would accelerate the execution of the programme and deepen partnership across various agencies of government. Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, he explained that the secretariat would enable the programme to align skills with the demands of community and industry. This, according to him, will…
The Benue State Government has declared a one-week Easter holiday for public and civil servants across the state. The directive was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Permanent Secretary (General Services), Godwin Tighil, on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, Deborah Aber. According to the statement titled “Declaration of Public Holiday To Mark Easter Celebration,” workers are to commence the holiday from Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and resume duties on April 8, 2026. The statement said the directive was approved by the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia. “The Governor of…
Akasa Air on Tuesday issued an updated travel advisory amid the escalating West Asia crisis, announcing continued operations on select routes while suspending flights to Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait until April 5. In a statement posted on X, Akasa Air said, “Following our ongoing safety assessment and a review of the prevailing situation in the Middle East, we continue to operate flights to/from Jeddah and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Kozhikode.” The airline added that operations remain subject to change depending on the evolving situation. However, the airline confirmed suspension of services to Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait until April 5.…
Fresh reports suggest that Oracle has launched a massive wave of redundancies, with its Indian workforce appearing to bear the brunt of the cuts. Employees across several regions reportedly woke up on Wednesday to find termination notices in their inboxes as early as 5 am, informing them that their roles had been eliminated with immediate effect. While Oracle has yet to provide an official figure, the scale of the cull is estimated to be significant. Internal chatter on platforms like Blind and Reddit, alongside reports from the media, suggests that as many as 12,000 employees in India alone may have…
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for stronger coordination and inclusive systems to amplify voices of women and girls with disabilities. She made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a joint symposium for special needs groups commemorating the 2026 International Women’s Day, convened by UN Women. The symposium theme was “Rights, justice, action for women and girls with special needs in Nigeria: Exploring strategies for acceleration and sustainable development.” Represented by Princess Jumai Idonije, the minister urged commitment to building a Nigeria where no woman is invisible, no right denied, and every girl empowered with dignity.…