Bayer East Africa has called on farmers across the country to be cautious when buying seeds, warning that counterfeit products continue to harm harvests and livelihoods. The company says uncertified seeds are undermining food security and placing thousands of smallholder farmers at risk. Speaking during a pick up promotion campaign in Kisii, Managing Director John Kanyingi expressed concern over the growing circulation of fake seeds in local markets. According to him, many farmers have suffered disappointing yields and financial losses after unknowingly planting poor quality seed. He emphasized that the campaign aims to protect farmers, improve yields, and stabilize food…
Author: Newsdesk
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled bizarre plots by two suspected drug traffickers to move consignments of cocaine and opioids in Kano and Lagos States, respectively. A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, of the agency, Femi Babafemi, issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, said that the drugs were concealed in their stomach and fake baby bump. Babafemi said that the drugs were to be moved through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano and the Seme land border in Lagos, to Europe and other destinations. Highlighting the breakdown, Babafemi stated that…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CCEO), Trans Fortress Global Resources, for alleged illicit drug business. Femi Babafemi, Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the suspect had been on NDLEA watchlist since 2025 following credible intelligence. Babafemi said that the 57-year-old drug kingpin was arrested at his Safe Court Apartment residence in Ikate, Lekki Lagos on Thursday, Feb. 12 after sustained surveillance soon after his return from the United Kingdom. He said that a search of his residence led to the recovery of…
An Akure, Ondo State division of National Industrial Court (NICN), has ordered United Bank for Africa (UBA) to pay ₦11.3 million to a former staff member, Adekọyeni Oladejo, over nearly two decades of unpaid salaries following what the court described as an indefinite suspension. Justice K. D. Damulak, in a judgment delivered on February 18, 2026, in a suit numbered NICN/AK/25/2022, also held that the Adekọyeni Oladejo’s prolonged suspension without pay by UBA Plc amounted to a continuing injury and ultimately a constructive dismissal. The claimant Oladejo through is lawyer, Omolegbon O. Odusola, had approached the court in July 2022, seeking ₦28…
Ecobank Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cross-border trade and accelerating Africa’s economic integration following the successful hosting of its Customer Forum in Lagos. Held under the theme “Strengthening Regional Integration for Economic Transformation,” the high-level forum convened policymakers, economic experts, industry leaders, and business stakeholders to explore practical strategies for deepening intra-African trade and unlocking new value across the continent. In his welcome address, Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director/Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, explained that the forum was designed to foster meaningful dialogue on how Nigeria and the wider African region can better harness emerging opportunities in regional trade. He…
Zimbabwe’s renewed push to process its own minerals rather than export raw resources signals a broader transformation unfolding across Africa — one increasingly defined by a new phase of Africa’s resource nationalism debate. President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s remarks at an annual exporters’ conference in Bulawayo went beyond domestic economic messaging. They reflected a growing consensus among African governments that mineral wealth must increasingly underpin industrialisation at home rather than reinforce dependence on external processing centres, part of a wider shift toward African industrial policy transformation. For decades, Zimbabwe — like many resource-rich African economies — relied heavily on exporting unprocessed commodities. Gold,…
France has formally returned a historic ‘talking drum’ seized during the colonial era to Cote d’Ivoire, marking another step in Europe’s gradual effort to repatriate African cultural artefacts taken during imperial expansion. The Djidji Ayokwe drum, removed by French colonial troops in 1916, was handed over on Friday during an official ceremony in Paris attended by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati and Cote d’Ivoire Culture Minister Francoise Remarck. The restitution follows growing diplomatic pressure from African governments seeking the return of heritage objects held in European collections. Measuring more than three metres in length and weighing about 430 kilograms, the drum…
The Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL) has expressed commitment to the zero waste initiative and effective waste management in the state. The association’s President, Mr. Friday Oku, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Sunday in Lagos. Oku said the association was intensifying efforts to support zero waste through better organization and structured engagement of its members. He noted that challenges—including the ban on scavenging and cart pushing—had affected operations, but members remained resolute. According to him, integrating waste pickers into the formal waste management value chain is key to achieving sustainable results. Oku urged…
The Lagos State Government on Saturday refuted an online media report claiming that the state had resumed the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said no categorical statement had been made regarding the date of commencement of the exercise. Wahab explained that what he told newsmen after a project inspection tour last Sunday was that engagements with relevant stakeholders were still ongoing. He said the state government had planned to begin with a sensitization programme last week but was constrained by logistics issues. “The truth is, we were meant to start…
An agricultural expert, Dr. Joel Ibiyemi, has cautioned farmers against planting based on the recent rains, stressing that the rainfall experienced so far does not signal the onset of the rainy season. Ibiyemi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Ibis Agro-Biz Consults in Ibadan, gave the warning in an interview with reporters in Ibadan on Saturday. He advised farmers to wait for the actual onset of the planting season, expected to begin in late March. According to him, the recent rains are misleading, as the true rainy season has not yet commenced. Premature planting could lead to crop…