The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening food and nutrition security through expanded adoption of biofortified crops across the country. Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, stated this at a national biofortification workshop in Kano on Saturday. Ogunbiyi said ensuring food availability alone is no longer sufficient. He stressed the need to guarantee that food consumed by Nigerians is nutritious, safe, affordable, and accessible. Ogunbiyi lamented that malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies remain major public health and economic challenges in the country. He said, “Biofortification provides a cost-effective and sustainable approach…
Author: Newsdesk
The AfCFTA Secretariat has entered a strategic partnership with Google Hustle Academy to equip thousands of entrepreneurs with practical digital tools aimed at scaling their businesses and expanding trade across African borders. The collaboration forms part of the AfCFTA Digital Inclusion & Entrepreneurship Programme, an initiative designed to close the continent’s digital skills gap while strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework. The Secretariat said the programme will focus on delivering structured, business-oriented training that helps entrepreneurs improve operational efficiency, digital visibility and financial sustainability. While the AfCFTA agreement seeks to remove…
Ghana has reduced its cocoa producer price to reflect a global benchmark of $4,200 per metric ton, as Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson unveiled an extensive reform package aimed at restoring stability to the country’s cocoa sector. The announcement, made on Thursday, February 12, 2026, also included plans to introduce domestic cocoa bonds, restructure legacy debt and revitalise the state-owned cocoa processor under sweeping changes approved by Cabinet. Addressing the media in Accra, Forson said the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) had realigned Ghana’s farmgate cocoa price with prevailing international market conditions following a sharp global downturn, while structural reforms at the…
The Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, has advised medical doctors against complacency and negligence in the course of their duties. Babalola, who advised doctors “to shun all acts associated with laziness, redundancy and complacency”, said they should instead continue to learn and stay abreast of developments in the medical field and their application in treating patients. The ABUAD chancellor, according to a statement from the university made available on Saturday, spoke in Ado Ekiti during the induction and oath-taking ceremony for the institution’s eighth set of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery graduands by the Medical…
China will remove tariffs on imports from almost every African country from May 1, in a move that could reshape trade flows between Beijing and the continent. According to Chinese state media, President Xi Jinping made the announcement on Saturday, confirming that zero levies will apply to 53 African nations with which China maintains diplomatic relations. The only exception is Eswatini, which recognises Taiwan instead of Beijing. China regards the self-governing island as part of its territory and has repeatedly said it does not rule out the use of force to bring it under its control. Beijing had already introduced a zero-tariff policy…
Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc is set to access the capital market to execute a N20 billion fundraising programme approved by shareholders in 2025, as the company seeks to consolidate its return to profitability and fund a new phase of capacity expansion. This disclosure was made by the Managing Director/CEO, Pharm. Valentine Okelu, during the firm’s 2026 annual media briefing ahead of the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The capital raise is aimed at strengthening operations, refinancing obligations, and positioning the firm for long-term growth across African markets. The initiative follows a decisive financial turnaround, with management asserting that recent earnings credibility and operational stability…
The Nigeria Forest Security Services (NFSS) Ebonyi Command on Friday trained 2,000 personnel on Information and Intelligent Management, in Abakaliki. Declaring the workshop open, Mr Larry Igwe, the NFSS State Commander in Ebonyi commended the turnout of the members at the summit. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the security summit on “Intelligence-Drive Operation” was organised in conjunction with the Department of State Services (DSS). He emphasised the need for the personnel to exhibit higher level of diligence, discipline and proactiveness while discharging their duties. Igwe urged the personnel to remain focused on the profession in order to earn the…
Kenyan runner, Ezra Kering, on Saturday breasted the tape in a time of 2:11:55 to emerge winner of the 2026 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon to claim the $50,000 prize money. Ashenews reports that the 40-year-old Kering, a gold medallist at the 2025 Borobudur Marathon in Indonesia with a time of 2:17:27, improved on his previous timing by six seconds. Another twist was added in the men’s category as Ugandan runners displaced their East African rivals for the first time in the history of the race. They finished in second and third positions—spots that had previously been dominated by athletes…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Strategic Command, said it has arrested 17 suspects and seized various illicit substances under its special enforcement initiative, “Operation Ramadan Mubarak.” The State Commander, Mr Dahiru Yahaya-Lawal, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Kano by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Muhammad-Maigatari. He said that the operation was aimed at ensuring a safe, secure and drug-free environment throughout the holy month of Ramadan. ”Our operatives carried out intelligence-driven raids at strategic locations across Kano, including Race Course, Dan’agundi, Filin Mahaha, Kano Zoological Garden, Farm Centre by Zaria Road and…
Nigerian poet and United Nations Global Advocate for Peace, Maryam Bukar Hassan, has made history as the first Nigerian to carry the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The Olympic flag, a white banner with five interlocking rings, is usually carried by people selected to reflect the Games’ message of unity and peace, not competing athletes. The ceremony held on February 6, 2026, at San Siro Stadium in Milan, featured a group the organisers described as the “Flag Bearers of Peace.” Those named alongside Hassan included marathon great Eliud Kipchoge, Brazilian…