The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, David Bird, has said the refinery is delivering measurable public health and environmental benefits through the production of Euro 5 standard fuels, positioning Nigeria among countries with the highest fuel quality specifications globally. Speaking during an interaction with selected journalists, Bird explained that modern fuel standards are rooted in public health requirements, particularly the need to reduce harmful emissions linked to high sulphur and metal content. According to him, the refinery is producing Euro 5 specification petrol with a sulphur content of 50 parts per million, a…
Author: Newsdesk
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf has launched the 2026 Ramadan feeding programme, aimed at supporting the less-privileged and easing the burden of fasting during the Holy month. The programme, which commenced on Feb. 19, 2026, would distribute food at 115 feeding centres across the eight metropolitan LGAs. This is contained in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, in Kano on Saturday. Yusuf urged the committee members to carry out their duties with utmost piety, dedication and transparency. The members of the committee, chaired by the Commissioner for Religious Affairs, include representatives from various Ministries and other government agencies.…
The Nasarawa State Coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Dr Labaran Magaj, has commenced the distribution of Renewed Hope rice palliative to political support groups, organisations, and associations in the state. Magaji, who is also the Secretary to the State Government, announced the commencement of the exercise during a meeting with different pro groups in Lafia on Saturday. He expressed gratitude to the president “for always remembering Nasarawa state”, and urged the groups’ leaderships to ensure that the rice got to the grassroots, no matter how small. According to him, the spirit behind the gift is what matters.…
Wild Africa has urged the Nigerian government to expedite passage of the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill to safeguard pangolins from extinction. The group made the call in a statement marking World Pangolin Day, stressing the urgent need for stronger wildlife protection laws in Nigeria. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the statement was signed by Mr Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative of Wild Africa on Saturday in Lagos. Iyorah said Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked mammals despite protection under national laws and the 2016 international commercial trade ban by CITES. He said high demand for pangolin scales for traditional medicine…
The Federal Government says it has advanced plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences (AFCOM&HS) to strengthen military healthcare services. This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja by Folasade Boriowo, Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education. Boriowo said the initiative would also address manpower shortages within the Armed Forces and expand Nigeria’s overall medical training capacity. She quoted the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, as disclosing this development at a high-level meeting with the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, and other stakeholders.…
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has pledged to partner with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on policy alignment to reform cooperatives and the National Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC). The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by a NAICOM delegation on Friday in Abuja. Abdullahi said partnership, cooperation, and policy alignment were critical to national development. He said insurance for cooperative societies was essential, in line with global best practices. According to him, this must be done without losing the cooperative identity in terms of its…
Learnstar, an edutainment and e-learning platform, aims to institutionalize the creative economy by uniting corporate, policymakers, investors, educators, and creators within a single ecosystem. Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kshitij Sainani, disclosed this at the Learnstar Creative Summit held on Friday in Lagos. Sainani said Learnstar is built as infrastructure for the creative economy — not just courses or celebrity content — but structured pathways to professional growth. “Now, the issue and the challenge for creatives and corporate is that there is capital from the corporate side, but they do not know who to back in the creative space. “We…
Some experts have said that artificial intelligence in Nigeria must be designed to serve local needs, protect African values, and drive real socio-economic development. They spoke at the InnovateAI 2026 Conference held in Lagos on Friday. The theme of the event was “Responsible AI Beyond Innovation.” The Chief Executive Officer of Future Software Resources Ltd., Nkemdilim Begho, said responsible AI should go beyond copying foreign regulations and global standards. She said Nigeria and Africa must first ask how AI truly serves their people and reflects their realities. “When we think about AI in Nigeria or in a broader African context,…
Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), on Friday called for deliberate efforts to build responsible and sovereign Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that reflect Nigeria’s values, culture, and laws. Abdullahi made the call in a keynote address delivered virtually at the InnovateAI 2026 Conference held in Lagos, themed: “Responsible AI Beyond Innovation.” The conference, now in its third edition, was organized by AI in Nigeria. While noting that AI has brought remarkable advancements to humanity, including improved medical diagnostics and faster disease detection, the NITDA boss said it also poses significant ethical and social risks. He…
Traditional leaders in Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State have pledged to sanction residents who engage in open defecation to improve sanitation and healthcare outcomes. The District Head of Gurumpawo, Hammantukur Gisilanbe, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen during a field visit on access to safe water under the Accelerated Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA III) project on Friday in Ganye. The project is funded by the Government of the Netherlands and implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) units. Hammantukur said the intervention had helped residents appreciate…