The Federal Government on Thursday graduated the first cohort of youth health fellows in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under an initiative introduced by President Bola Tinubu to revitalise the health sector. The event also featured the onboarding of the second cohort (2.0), with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Ali Pate, and other dignitaries in attendance. Speaking at the ceremony, Pate said the initiative was a strategic effort to groom young and vibrant leaders who would drive the administration’s health sector transformation agenda across the country’s Local Government Areas (LGAs). He explained that the programme was designed…
Author: Newsdesk
Gov. Monday Okpebholo of Edo says his administration remains fully committed to protecting autistic children from stigmatisation and discrimination in the state. Okpebholo said this in Benin on Thursday during a celebration of the achievements of an autistic artist and cyclist, Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, who is currently riding from Enugu to Lagos to raise autism awareness. Tagbo-Okeke holds a Guinness World Record for the largest painting. The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Prince Kassim Afegbua, assured parents and guardians of autistic children that he would not tolerate any form of discrimination against them. He thanked Tagbo-Okeke’s parents…
The Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Thursday inaugurated three solar-powered water facilities for three communities. It also inaugurated a toilet facility at the Farm Settlement Primary School, Ikorodu. The five-cubicle toilet is designed to be user-friendly for females and persons with disabilities. The council inaugurated the facilities in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and WaterAid Nigeria. The water facilities were inaugurated in Irepodun, Arobiona and Agbede communities. The council also introduced female Local Area Mechanics (LAMs) for the maintenance and repair of the solar panels. At the event, the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary…
The Caritas Nigeria, on Thursday, empowered 250 farmers in Lagos State with inputs and implements to boost food production. NAN reports that the inputs and implements were distributed at the agency’s 2026 Agriculture Inputs Flag-off, at Bapo, Badagry, Lagos. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that Caritas Nigeria is a specialised development and humanitarian agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, established in 2010 to fight poverty, disease and injustice. The empowerment targets the poor and under served communities. It had the theme, “Building Sustainable Livelihoods in Vibrant Community”. The beneficiaries, mostly rural dwellers, had been trained by Caritas Nigeria…
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has distributed relief materials to residents of Ogu community, Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers, following a recent flooding. The support was provided to ease the hardship caused by the disaster that destroyed homes and farmlands in the area. Presenting the items in Ogu community on Thursday, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, stated that many families had been struggling to cope with the loss of their livelihoods. Represented by Mr Jeremiah Onolejoloni, Director II, Education, Health and Social Services at NDDC, Ogbuku said that the gesture reflected the NDDC’s commitment…
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has officially launched the inaugural cohort of its “Afreximbank Accelerator Programme,” bringing together eight high-potential startups from across Africa and the diaspora for an intensive kick-off week taking place in Cairo from 23-27 March 2026. Selected from a highly competitive pool of over 1,600 applications, the cohort represents some of the most promising ventures building digital infrastructure for intra-African trade from across the continent. These startups operate across key sectors including cross-border payments, digital logistics, agri-export platforms, AI-powered enterprise solutions, supply chain finance and diaspora investment mobilisation. Participating in the cohort are the startups Fincart.io of Egypt; OnePort…
Kenya has released the Draft Kenya Agricultural Data, Information and Digital Policy (March 2026), a comprehensive framework aimed at transforming the agricultural sector through integrated digital systems, improved data governance, and innovation-driven farming practices. The policy seeks to move the country away from fragmented digital agricultural initiatives toward a unified national ecosystem. A key component of the plan is the establishment of the Kenya Agricultural Digital Information Centre (KADIC), which will serve as the central institution responsible for coordinating digital agriculture programmes, managing sector-wide data, and driving innovation. The framework also aims to address long-standing challenges of poor interoperability among…
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has commissioned a $35 million industrial facility in Aba, marking a new addition to the state’s manufacturing sector. The development was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, following the commissioning of the Ultimum Beverages production plant on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State. The facility, which is part of a planned $100 million investment in the area, is expected to strengthen industrial activity in Aba, a city with a long-standing reputation for commerce and manufacturing. Otti described the project as a sign of renewed private sector interest…
African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $5.65 million grant to fund Peace Renewable Energy Certificate (P-REC) mini-grid projects across 14 African countries, aiming to provide electricity to 856,000 people. This is contained in a statement on the bank’s website on Wednesday. The initiative will deploy renewable energy certificates as a direct funding instrument for a portfolio of mini-grids in Africa’s most fragile and energy-poor countries, the Bank said. Co-financed with an equal contribution of $5.65 million from the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), the $11.3 million facility will be managed jointly by Camco Clean Energy, a climate and impact fund…
Cassava farmers in Oyo State have warned of a deepening decline in cassava production across Nigeria, saying the trend is costing the country millions of naira annually. The farmers, who spoke in separate interviews, attributed the downturn to weak pest control systems, poor farm management practices, limited access to extension and field training, and increasing climate-related challenges. They added that these pressures have forced many producers to abandon their farms. The concerns came to the fore during a training programme for 6,000 cassava farmers drawn from seven local government areas of the state. The initiative, organised by the African Agricultural…