United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability and employee wellbeing by mobilising staff across its operations in 20 African countries for a continent-wide environmental clean-up exercise. The bank made this known in a statement on Saturday in Lagos. It said the exercise formed part of its quarterly “Jogging to Bond” wellness programme themed “The Power Within U”. The clean-up coincided with the 60th birthday of the bank’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, who joined employees to mark the occasion. The exercise was conducted simultaneously in cities including Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, and…
Author: Newsdesk
An electrical safety educator, Mr. Patrick Okoye, has advised Nigerians to avoid charging their mobile phones while sleeping, saying the practice increases the risk of fire outbreaks. Okoye gave the advice during an electrical safety awareness programme on Saturday in Awka. He explained that placing phones on mattresses, pillows, or under blankets while charging traps heat, causing devices to overheat and raising the likelihood of fire incidents. According to him, the risk is higher during the rainy season due to frequent thunderstorms, lightning, and unstable power supply, which often trigger electrical surges. “Many people do not realise that charging a…
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, has pledged to actively support community policing initiatives in Abuja through the media. Ms. Grace Ike, the council’s chairman, made the pledge in Abuja during an operational tour of the FCT Command by Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Training and Development), Isyaku Mohammed. Ike assured that the media would continue to partner with the police to disseminate verified information, sensitise the public on safety measures, and highlight successful operations aimed at restoring public confidence. “We stand ready to support community policing initiatives that bring police and citizens together. Responsible and factual reporting helps…
The Jigawa State Government has initiated an agricultural intervention scheme to support 90,000 smallholder farmers in the state. Gov. Umar Namadi announced this at the inauguration of the 2026 Wet Season Agricultural Support Programme on Saturday in Dutse. He said the government would distribute fertilisers, other inputs, and 6,000 solar-powered water pumps to farmers, as well as 1,185 motorcycles to extension workers. Namadi stated that the state government would directly support 50,000 farmers, while 40,000 others would benefit through a partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and StarAgri. He noted that the intervention would promote irrigation, reduce production costs,…
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International (TI) Nigeria has raised concerns over critical gaps in the recently passed constitutional amendment bill on State Policing. The organisation warned that without stronger safeguards, sustainable funding, and effective accountability mechanisms, the reform could open new avenues for political abuse, weaken public trust, and deepen inequalities in security provision across Nigeria. In a statement signed by its Executive Director and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, CISLAC/TI Nigeria noted that while decentralised policing could improve intelligence gathering, community trust, and local security responses, establishing State Police alone would not resolve…
Nigeria’s fiscal distribution remained heavily concentrated among a handful of states in the first quarter of 2026, with Lagos state emerging as the highest recipient of allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). Data compiled from official records showed that the 10 highest-earning states accounted for 40.1 per cent of the total net FAAC allocations distributed to the 36 states during the January to March period, underlining the persistent disparity in revenue receipts across the federation. Lagos led the pack with a cumulative net allocation of about N200.21 billion during the quarter, driven largely by its sizeable share of…
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) says it has introduced a stringent, data-driven credit profiling process for farmers to curb the activities of middlemen. The Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Ayodeji Sotinrin, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday. Sotinrin said the measures include Bank Verification Number (BVN), Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and GPS farm mapping. He added that the digital safeguards would ensure that public funds and farm inputs reach genuine, actively practising farmers and cooperatives. Sotinrin said the bank had also upgraded its digital verification platform for the transparent deployment of farm inputs…
The Programme Manager of the Anambra Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Mr. Godwin Akujieze, has advised farmers to take advantage of agricultural extension services to boost productivity and enhance food security. Akujieze gave the advice on Friday during an interactive session with journalists in Awka. He said the core responsibility of ADP is to provide farmers with technical support and guidance on improved agricultural practices, including the selection of suitable crop varieties. “The agency always recommends improved cassava varieties such as TME 419, TME 0505, and TME 0581, which are yellow-fleshed and fortified with Vitamin A to improve nutrition,” he said.…
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has uncovered two abattoirs used primarily for slaughtering donkeys in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, Coordinator of the NESREA Adamawa Field Office, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Friday in Yola. The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment) Act 2017 stipulates strict operational guidelines for donkey slaughtering and abattoir facilities. Aliyu said the abattoirs are located in Muchalla and Kwanta Muchalla villages in Gombi LGA. “Following a tip-off by concerned citizens, the agency carried out an investigative visit to the suspected locations in Muchalla and…
To prevent delays for enrollees, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has introduced a strict one-hour authorisation approval limit. Mr. Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, NHIA State Coordinator for the Ikeja Office, disclosed this policy in Lagos on Thursday during the SUNU Health Lagos-Ogun 2nd quarter providers forum. Abraham explained that hospital delays were often caused by prolonged authorisation protocols, a major issue that has led to many patient complaints. “Because of these complaints, we sat down with providers and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) to restrategise,” he said. “We came up with the one-hour authorisation approval limit. Time is one of the key…