Hypertension continues to pose a major public health challenge in Nigeria, affecting an estimated 35 to 40 per cent of adults in 2025, according to the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025. The report, made available to reporters on Wednesday in Abuja, was produced in line with the National Health Act (2014). It noted that although the prevalence of high blood pressure remains high, awareness of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases improved in 2025 compared with 2024, following intensified advocacy by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and professional health bodies. The report stated that the inclusion…
Author: Newsdesk
Women smallholder farmers issued a global call for ensuring their equal access to agricultural technology, finance and markets, saying that unlocking women’s full participation in agriculture could significantly boost food production and reduce hunger worldwide. The farmers made the call during a global virtual event hosted by Heifer International and partners to mark the UN-recognized International Year of the Woman Farmer. The participating farmers urged governments, funders and institutions to act on the structural barriers limiting their ability to feed their communities and strengthen food systems. Women produce a significant share of the world’s food, and up to 80 percent of national supplies, yet…
Dryland farmers are set to benefit from faster development of climate-resilient crop varieties following a new partnership between the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding for Agricultural Futures. Under a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding, ICRISAT will collaborate with the ARC Training Centre to integrate advanced genomic prediction tools and simulation-based breeding strategies into its crop improvement pipelines. The partnership aims to significantly accelerate the development of improved varieties of key dryland crops to help farmers cope with intensifying climate stress, emerging pests and diseases, and rising food demand.…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned Ufoma Joseph before an Ikeja Special Offences Court over an alleged $1.5 million (N2.9 billion) oil fraud. The businessman was arraigned alongside his company, Intermediate Investment Holdings Ltd., on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretence and forgery. EFCC prosecutor, Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, told the court that the defendants allegedly obtained $1.5 million from the complainant, Adebisi Adebutu of R28 Holdings Ltd., between April 2022 and October 2023 under false pretences. He said the money was paid as investment in a proposed petroleum development project, with assurances of reimbursement,…
Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform in has announced immediate restrictions on the importation and in-transit movement of cloven-hoofed animals and related products from neighboring Botswana. The restriction was announced following confirmed outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). In a veterinary public notification issued by the Directorate of Veterinary Services on Wednesday, authorities said the measure is aimed at preventing the introduction of the highly contagious livestock disease into Namibia. The restriction affects the movement of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, as well as their products, including those intended for personal or household consumption, originating from…
For the second consecutive year, Walmart heiress Alice Walton has claimed the top spot as the world’s richest woman. She was first named the world’s richest woman in September 2024, after dethroning Loreal heiress, Françoise Bettencourt. This is according to the latest Forbes World’s Billionaires ranking. The 134-billion-dollar fortune of Walton shows her dominance among female billionaires, even as global wealth continues to be overwhelmingly male. Adding to the buzz, global superstar Beyoncé made her debut on the list this year with an estimated net worth of $1 billion. The representation of women among the world’s wealthiest continues to grow slowly, according to the latest…
The Federal Government has announced plans to connect all schools nationwide to reliable internet services to strengthen digital learning and expand access to modern educational tools. The disclosure was made in a statement on Wednesday by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education. Boriowo said the initiative was discussed at a high-level meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani. Alausa explained that the initiative follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu to expand digital infrastructure across key sectors, including education. He noted…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the extension of the order to detain a former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai for another 14 days. This is order was granted to enable the anti-graft agency enough time to conclude its investigation into allegations against the former governor, which has now widened. The latest order, which was granted on Thursday in the presence of el-Rufai’s lawyer, will lapse on March 19th. But el-Rufai’s counsel, whose application to quash the first remand order was dismissed by a Chief Magistrate Court in Bwari, has returned to the same court…
The Federal Government says it will collaborate with the Dairy Sub-sector Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to scale-up investment in the dairy sector to meet local demands. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said this when a delegation from MAN paid courtesy visit on the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja. Maiha said that strategic partnerships with industries were critical to revitalise the dairy sector and unlock Nigeria’s vast livestock potential. The minister who identified Nigeria as the largest market in Africa for vaccines and dairy products said that dairy production like milk and others were grossly…
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday adjourned indefinitely the case involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its Ibadan elective convention. The appellate court also granted the parties leave to resolve the dispute amicably outside the courtroom. During the proceedings, the panel of justices advised the parties to explore peaceful settlement of the dispute. The court ruled that should the parties fail to reach an agreement, they are at liberty to return to court for further proceedings on the matter. The justices also urged counsel representing the parties to provide proper guidance to their clients in order…