A legal professional specializing in technology, Mr James Asikpo, has urged private sector businesses in Nigeria to protect their innovations through compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). Asikpo said this during an interview with reporters in Abuja on Monday. He advised businesses to adopt a balanced approach by integrating data protection compliance into their business strategies rather than treating it as a barrier. According to him, organizations can embed data protection principles into product development from the outset. He added that businesses should adopt anonymization, pseudonymous, and encryption methods to protect personal data without limiting analytics or innovation.…
Author: Newsdesk
The Federal Ministry of Environment on Monday convened key stakeholders in Abuja to validate a landmark policy brief aimed at tackling marine litter and advancing Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy. Mrs Falmata Bukar-Kolo, Deputy Director of the Solid Waste Management and Technology Division in the ministry, warned that plastic pollution poses serious risks to aquatic ecosystems and public health. She stated that microplastics have already entered the food chain through fish consumption, while clogged waterways, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions from burning plastics are worsening the environmental crisis. Bukar-Kolo said that plastics, though widely used, are non-biodegradable and…
The Nigerian Society of Neurological Sciences (NSNS) has raised concerns over Nigeria’s widening epilepsy treatment gap. The society disclosed this on Monday in a communique issued at the end of its 58th Annual Scientific Conference and General Meeting, held from Feb. 10 to Feb. 12 in Kano. The communiqué was signed by the President of the society, Prof. Morenikeji Komolafe; the Secretary, Dr Iwuozo Emmanuel; and the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Prof. Lukman Owolabi. According to the communique, more than 70 per cent of persons living with epilepsy in the country are not receiving appropriate anti-seizure medications. With…
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 is all set to get underway in New Delhi February 16, Monday. The five-day Summit will be the first-ever global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South. World leaders from 20 nations are scheduled to attend the event. They include the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of Switzerland, Guy Parmelin, Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof, UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prime Minister of Mauritius Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Sri…
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday returned to Abuja after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government. Ashenews reports the summit held between Saturday and Sunday, with the theme, ‘Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063’. It focused on advancing continental commitments toward sustainable water management, improved sanitation systems, and the broader development aspirations encapsulated in the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework. Besides the Heads of State meetings, Shettima participated in high-level side events and bilateral engagements with political and…
New data released by Global Petrol Prices has ranked the African countries with the lowest diesel pump prices per liter as of February 2026, highlighting the continued impact of fuel subsidies, domestic refining capacity, and currency policies across the continent. The latest update shows that North African and oil-producing nations dominate the list, with strong government price controls and energy subsidies helping to keep diesel costs significantly below global averages. At the top of the ranking is Libya, where diesel remains heavily subsidized and sells for just $0.024 per liter — the lowest recorded price in Africa and among the cheapest worldwide.…
The Governing Council of the University of Abuja, chaired by Sen. Olanrewaju Tejuoso, has approved two new Deputy Vice-Chancellors. This is contained in a statement on Sunday by the Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Dr Habib Yakoob. Ashenews reports that the institution is now known as Yakubu Gowon University. Yakoob said Prof. Rosemary Udeozor was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, while Prof. Muhammad Ndagi becomes Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration. He said the appointments were ratified at the council’s 82nd extraordinary meeting held on Feb. 13. “The two senior academics were earlier returned unopposed following the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.…
Ghana will require all major minerals to be processed domestically by 2030 in a sweeping industrial policy shift aimed at retaining more economic value from its natural resources, President John Dramani Mahama announced on Saturday. Speaking at the Accra Reset high-level convening held on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Mahama said the country would end the long-standing practice of exporting raw minerals without local value addition. The announcement positions Ghana among a growing group of African economies seeking to transform extractive industries into engines of industrialisation, as leaders gathered at the Accra Reset called for stronger economic…
United Nigeria Airlines has unveiled plans to enter the global aviation market with proposed nonstop flights to London, Dubai and New York, supported by a major fleet expansion programme expected to run through 2026. The strategy, first reported by Travel and Tour World, represents one of the most ambitious international expansion efforts by a Nigerian airline in recent years, as local carriers seek to capture long-haul markets historically dominated by foreign airlines. The airline’s expansion highlights a broader shift underway in African aviation, where indigenous carriers are increasingly positioning themselves to compete internationally. If successfully executed, United Nigeria Airlines’ move could improve…
China will eliminate tariffs on exports from nearly all African countries starting May 1, widening trade access for the continent and reinforcing Beijing’s economic partnership with Africa, President Xi Jinping announced on Saturday. The decision, confirmed by Chinese state media, extends duty-free access to all African nations that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing. Eswatini remains the only exception because it continues to recognise Taiwan diplomatically. Major expansion of tariff-free trade China already grants zero-tariff treatment to imports from 33 African least developed countries. The new policy expands that arrangement to cover 53 African diplomatic partners, effectively opening the Chinese market more…