As South African farmers prepare for 2026, the year ahead presents both challenges and opportunities. As a critical contributor to the national economy and food security, the sector faces growing pressures from climate change, resource constraints, financial volatility and global competition. Farmers are expected to produce more with less, protect their crops against pests and diseases and remain competitive in international markets. Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to South African agriculture. Prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall and heat stress increasingly affect yields, while soil degradation, nutrient depletion and erosion add to the complexity. At the same time, farmers…
Author: Newsdesk
An AI-driven crop improvement company spun out of Google X, has secured a $4.98 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop climate-resilient crops for smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where climate shocks are increasingly threatening food production. The funding will support the Joint AI-driven Smallholder Omics aNalytics (JASON) project, an initiative that combines artificial intelligence with advanced “omics” technologies—such as genomics—and remote sensing to accelerate the discovery of crop traits that improve tolerance to drought and heat. The project aims to deliver practical tools that can identify climate-adapted germplasm and high-confidence gene targets,…
The Vice Chancellor Federal University, Kashere (FUK), Prof. Umar Pate, has tasked young people to be digitally conscious and have media literacy skills to guide them on how to handle and utilise digital devices. Pate made the call while presenting a paper at the 29th and 30th combined convocation of Modibbo Adama University (MAU) Yola on Friday. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the paper was entitled “Building Trust Amidst Conflict: Communication, Leadership and the Promise of Peaceful Co-existence in Nigeria”. He warned against the circulation of fake news, hate speech and sensationalism in the society so as to mitigate…
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Achievers University, Owo, Prof. Bode Ayorinde, says the institution has expelled no fewer than 15 students for sex video offences. Ayorinde disclosed this on Friday in Owo during the university’s 19th matriculation ceremony for 936 newly admitted students. He warned students against the misuse of social media, describing it as a menace capable of destroying destinies if handled irresponsibly. “You put your phone before you, dance naked, and tag Achievers University, I will dismiss you. Use social media for positive things,” he said. Ayorinde cited a case involving a final-year student expelled for making comments…
The Federal University of Transportation, Daura (FUTD), has unveiled plans to expand its academic offerings to include programmes in Maritime Engineering, and Aviation Technology. Other programmes are transportation security, smart transport systems, signal/control systems technology and sustainable urban mobility. The Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the university, Prof. Umar Adam-Katsayal, revealed this during the FUT’s 3rd matriculation ceremony held on Friday in Daura. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that during the event, no fewer than 580 newly admitted students were matriculated for the 2025/2026 academic session. According to Adam-Katsayal, the university is progressing steadily, adding that by the year 2028, FUTD would…
The US administration announced the approval of massive new arms deals with Israel and Saudi Arabia on Friday. The arms sales to Israel will total a mammoth USD 6.67 billion, and that to Saudi Arabia will be worth 9 billion, said the State Department, after it notified Congress of its approval of sales. The new arms deals were announced as President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his Gaza peace plan via the constitution of the ‘Board of Peace’, to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and reconstruct the Palestinian territory after more than two years of war left it devastated and tens…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Friday, 30 January 2026, received a suspected operator of a fake crypto-currency investment platform, Polyfarm. The suspect, Bamu Gift Wandji was arrested by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Gwagwalada on January 12, 2026, for running a fraudulent investment scheme and was handed to the Commission for investigation. Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the suspect created a fraudulent crypto investment platform called Polyfarm, where he allegedly lured innocent Nigerians to invest in Polygon, a crypto token that attracts high returns. Investigation further revealed that he also deceived the public that…
Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc recorded a strong earnings rebound in 2025, with profit after tax rising by 69 percent to N380.8 billion, from N225.3 billion a year earlier. The performance reflects a combination of higher interest income, resilient non-interest revenue, and a significantly strengthened balance sheet. The figures are contained in the group’s unaudited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025. Stanbic IBTC operates a diversified financial services model, spanning commercial banking, asset management, pensions, insurance, and investment banking, an advantage that has increasingly shown in earnings stability. Net interest income rose sharply to N585 billion, representing a…
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, on Friday said religious leaders should not only preach environmental conservation but also emphasize that exploitation of nature violates divine trust. Kukah said this in Lagos, noting that religious leaders were not spectators in the environmental crisis but custodians of moral clarity. He spoke at the 24th Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture, organized by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF). The lecture had the theme: “To Have and to Hold: Faith and Care of the Environment.” According to Kukah, a state forfeits moral authority when ecological funds are diverted,…
Kogi State has recorded a major milestone in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) with the successful completion of Transmission Assessment Survey 1 (TAS 1) for Lymphatic Filariasis. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adeiza Abdulazeez, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Friday in Lokoja, as part of activities to commemorate World NTD Day. According to him, the achievement—made possible through collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Sightsavers—has led to the cessation of mass drug administration for Lymphatic Filariasis in the state. Abdulazeez described the development as a testament to sustained efforts…