The Kogi State Government has ordered the temporary closure of selected markets and motor parks across parts of the state as part of intensified security operations aimed at flushing out terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements. The decision was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo. According to the statement, the closures affect selected markets and motor parks in parts of the Kogi West Senatorial District and adjoining areas, as security agencies intensify coordinated clearance operations. Fanwo said the move was designed to disrupt criminal logistics by restricting movement and cutting…
Author: Newsdesk
Ethiopia has formally launched OpenAgriNet, an ambitious digital public infrastructure (DPI) initiative designed to overhaul how farmers access advisory services, markets, climate information, finance and government programmes, officials announced at a high-level event this week. The nationwide platform — developed under the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) — aims to modernize the country’s agriculture sector by integrating fragmented data systems into a unified, interoperable network. At the heart of the initiative is a recognition that agriculture remains the backbone of Ethiopia’s economy, accounting for about 35 % of GDP and employing more than 60 % of the workforce, the majority of…
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has called on stakeholders in the public and private sectors to sustain collaboration toward positioning the state as a global financial hub through the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC). The governor made the call at the launch of the LIFC Phase 1 Report in Lagos, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, released on Sunday. Sanwo-Olu said the LIFC project, conceived about two years ago, was designed to attract international capital, deepen financial markets, and create sustainable economic opportunities for Nigeria. “The foundation we are laying today…
The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) pepper breeding program marked an unprecedented year in 2025, releasing a record 37 new chili and sweet pepper varieties, surpassing a 20-year high of 21 varieties set in 2005. The achievement reflects growing global demand for improved pepper types that are climate-resilient, disease resistant, and tailored to farmers’ and consumers’ needs. More than three-quarters of the new releases were targeted at African markets, where chili production and consumption have surged. In addition to the new varieties, WorldVeg distributed 1,590 pepper breeding lines — genetic materials used by seed companies to develop commercial products — to…
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the International Fund for Agricultural Development have entered into a new partnership aimed at strengthening sustainable agriculture and improving the long term impact of rural development projects across the world. The agreement reflects the United Arab Emirates’ continued commitment to global cooperation in food security, climate resilience and inclusive economic growth. The partnership was signed during the World Government Summit by Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, and Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, in the presence of senior representatives from both organisations. IFAD is the only international financial institution fully dedicated…
Dr Mudi Nwachukwu, Founder of the Special Educational Needs & Therapy Empowerment (SENTE), has called for a future where children with special needs grow into independent, working adults. In a statement on Sunday in Lagos ahead of the SENTE Conference and Trade Fair, Nwachukwu emphasized that support must continue lifelong—long after the school years end. As Chair of the SENTE Organizing Committee, she noted that many Nigerian families raising children with special needs face a pressing question: “What happens after school?” Nwachukwu said the SENTE Conference, scheduled for February 12, would directly address this question and focus on preparing children…
Ghana has lost one of the architects of its modern sound with the death of Ebo Taylor, the celebrated guitarist, composer and band leader whose music helped define highlife and later reached global audiences through sampling by major R&B artists. He was 90. Taylor’s family announced his passing in a statement on Sunday, describing him as a ‘quiet pioneer’ whose six-decade career fused traditional Ghanaian rhythms with jazz, funk, soul and early Afrobeat — a blend that continues to influence contemporary African popular music and international genres alike. Born De Roy Taylor in 1936 in the historic coastal city of…
Elon Musk’s Space X has redirected its primary efforts from colonising Mars to creating a self-growing city on the moon. Musk explained the strategic shift in an X post on Sunday. “For those unaware, SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years,” the Space X CEO wrote. He emphasised that the company’s overarching mission, which is to “extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars”, remains unchanged, but the Moon offers a quicker path to…
The Senate will reconvene for an emergency plenary sitting on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 12:00 in spite of having earlier adjourned sittings until February 24. The development was formally conveyed in an official notice dated Feb. 8, 2026, signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, on the directive of the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio. Ashenews gathered this through the official notice which reads: “I am directed by His Excellency, the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio… “To inform all Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that an Emergency Sitting of the Senate…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudiness and sunshine from Monday to Wednesday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja predicted sunny and cloudy skies over the northern region throughout the forecast period. According to the NiMet, sunny and cloudy skies are anticipated over the region throughout the forecast period. It predicted sunny skies over the southern region with patches of clouds over the region and chances of isolated thunderstorms accompanied with light rains over parts of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states later in the day. ”For Tuesday, sunny and hazy skies…