The Engraced Ones, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has called on churches to accommodate children and persons with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities to promote inclusive worship and participation in church activities. The organisation made the call at the 2026 Inclusive Church Conference, themed “Every Soul Matters: Building Churches Where Everyone Belongs,” held on Saturday in Abuja. The conference was organised in collaboration with the Leprosy Mission Nigeria, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inclusive Friends, CBM, among others. The convener, Mrs Bibora Yinkere, emphasised the need for churches to combine spiritual support with practical interventions, such as inclusive education, therapy and advocacy, to improve…
Author: Newsdesk
Some MultiChoice subscribers, particularly DStv and GOtv users in Abuja, have expressed frustration over persistent network disruptions and uncertainty about compensation for lost viewing time. The disruption, which lasted between five and eight days in some areas, prevented them from enjoying the services they had paid for. A subscriber who spoke to reporters in Abuja said the interruption and the company’s failure to compensate for lost viewing time raised concerns about how paying customers are treated. “Whether affected customers will receive additional viewing time or other forms of compensation is what we don’t know,” the customer said. Several subscribers took…
Canada has committed 80 million Canadian dollars to support the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), strengthening efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent further international spread. Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya announced the commitment on Friday via his official X account. Kaseya said the pledge was highlighted by an Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) representative after talks with Canadian public health officials in Montreal on Thursday. The meeting focused on the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the recent imported case in Kenya. Both sides stressed the need to…
The Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has urged hospital managements to expand the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) to all service points in order to improve patient care, accountability and claims management. The Executive Secretary of BOSCHMA, Dr Saleh Kaza, made the call at the agency’s third-quarter performance review meeting with Social Health Fund (SHF) stakeholders in Maiduguri on Saturday. Kaza said extending the electronic system beyond BOSCHMA clinics to hospital wards, laboratories, pharmacies, theatres and specialist units would improve access to patients’ medical records and reduce delays in healthcare delivery. He explained that electronic records would…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has called for early intervention, family support and improved mental health services to tackle drug abuse in Nigeria. Officials made the call in separate interviews with reporters on Saturday in Lagos to commemorate World Mental Health Day. World Mental Health Day is observed annually on 10 October. The 2026 theme is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”. The theme highlights the importance of listening to people with lived experiences in order to improve mental health support and services. Mrs Archie-Abia Ibinabo, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics and Director of Seaports Operations, NDLEA,…
Zambia’s ambitious Grow Zambia Agenda requires a science-based approach, supported by the implementation of the country’s validated 2022 National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy, to achieve its agricultural and economic targets. However, an expert has warned that negative public perceptions and persistent anti-GMO narratives could undermine the country’s agricultural ambitions. The Grow Zambia Agenda is President Hakainde Hichilema’s second-term economic and development plan aimed at accelerating production-led growth. Launched in September 2026 during his inauguration, the agenda shifts the country’s focus from post-debt macroeconomic stabilisation to accelerated production and economic expansion. Its framework, dubbed the “10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1” agenda, sets eight measurable targets…
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Cisco have partnered to expand and strengthen pathways for young Nigerians to gain future-ready digital skills and access quality employment opportunities. The initiative, themed “Strengthening Pathways to Digital Skills and Employment for Young Nigerians,” was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing on Friday in Abuja. The MoU formalises the collaboration between UNDP and Cisco under the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) and highlights the role of strategic private-sector partnerships in preparing young Nigerians for the future of work. The NJFP is a flagship youth employability initiative of the Federal Government, funded…
The Federal Government and the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) have called for faster implementation of development projects to improve livelihoods and strengthen water resources management across the basin. The call followed regional meetings organised by the NBA in Abuja from 28 September to 9 October, involving representatives of nine member countries, development partners and other stakeholders. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, NBA Executive Secretary, Mr Kocou Houanye, urged member countries to complete ongoing projects, provide counterpart funding and strengthen regional cooperation. He said climate adaptation, youth and women’s participation, and improved governance were critical to sustainable development, noting…
The Zamfara Coordination Office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has joined a review mission aimed at boosting livestock production delivery across 30 states. The state is participating in the ongoing Implementation Support Mission (ISM) holding in Yola, Adamawa State, to ensure effective delivery of the Project Development Objective (PDO) in Zamfara. The L-PRES State Project Coordinator, Mohammed Nasiru, disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters in Gusau on Friday. L-PRES is a six-year, $500 million initiative funded by the World Bank and the Federal Government of Nigeria to modernise the country’s livestock sector across…
The National Agricultural Farmers Network (NAFN) has urged President Bola Tinubu to attend the 2026 Annual National Agricultural Show and address farmers on his administration’s agricultural policies and interventions. The show, organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), is scheduled for Nov. 16 to Nov. 20, with the official opening on Nov. 17. NAFN National Coordinator, Aishatu Ibrahim, made the call in a statement made available to reporters on Friday in Abuja. The show is themed “Repositioning Agriculture for National Prosperity: Linking Smallholder Farmers, Government and…