…Flags off World Bank-backed maritime programme Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to positioning the state as a major force in Nigeria’s emerging blue economy as he formally launched a World Bank–supported upskilling programme designed to equip citizens with modern, globally relevant competencies for the maritime sector. Speaking at the opening ceremony held at the State Library Complex in Calabar, Governor Otu who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Peter Odey, described the programme as “a landmark opportunity for our young people to acquire the advanced technical skills needed to unlock the vast marine…
Author: Newsdesk
Severe rainfall has triggered major flooding in the U.S. state of Washington, prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents. Governor Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged people in threatened areas to leave and follow instructions from local authorities. Up to 100,000 residents are believed to be affected by evacuation orders. “I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past,” Ferguson said in a post on X. “However, we’re looking at a historic situation, expecting 2 feet [61 centimetres] higher than record flood level.” Ferguson said more than 30 major highways had been closed to traffic.…
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has commenced the training of 65 focal persons to strengthen their ability to handle grievances and cases of gender-based violence (GBV). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training focuses on the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) targeting traditional rulers, religious leaders, education officers and community stakeholders. The Sokoto State Coordinator of AGILE, Dr Mansur Buhari, said the initiative was designed to ensure that all grievances arising from Schools and host communities would be properly managed to prevent escalation. “Our intention is to train focal persons across the 23…
The Ebonyi State government on Thursday inaugurated the state’s One Health Initiative as part of efforts to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and strengthen integration across the health system. AMR, or Antimicrobial Resistance, is a major global health crisis in which microbes—including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites—evolve to resist medicines such as antibiotics and antivirals, making infections difficult or impossible to treat. Gov. Francis Nwifuru, at the official inauguration in Abakaliki, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing healthcare and promoting economic development. The event was organized by Evidence-Informed Policy Approaches for One Health (OH-Health) in collaboration with the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute (FLI)…
The Federal Government, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing climate adaptation financing and promoting sustainable livestock development in Nigeria. The commitment was made during a breakfast meeting on Thursday in Abuja. Idi Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, emphasized the need for collaboration and the integration of resources to achieve environmental stewardship alongside economic viability, food security, and social equity. The meeting, organized by AGNES and German International Cooperation (GIZ) along with other stakeholders, was titled “Strengthening Capacities to Access Climate Adaptation Finance…
An animal geneticist, Prof. Uma Oke, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen support for animal genetic improvement research programmes in Nigeria. Oke, a Professor of Animal Genetics and Breeding at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), made the call while delivering the institution’s 66th Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday. In his lecture, titled “Seed Boogie and Products of Animal Origin: A Panacea for Quality Protein Crisis”, he highlighted the importance of such research programmes for national livestock development. According to Oke, Nigeria has significant potential to close its protein gap through the optimal use of indigenous poultry strains. He…
Healthcare stakeholders have called for urgent reforms to strengthen quality, affordability, and equity in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system. They warned that millions of Nigerians remain at risk due to slow implementation of essential health policies and high out-of-pocket expenditure. The call was made during a webinar on Thursday marking Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2025 High-Level Convening. Themed “Unaffordable Health Costs? We’re Sick of It”, the 2025 UHC Day High-Level Convening was organized by the Nigeria UHC Forum in collaboration with the PharmAccess Foundation. The event brought together national and sub-national leaders, policymakers, health financing experts, development partners, civil society…
The Federal Government and the African Union–Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) are collaborating to strengthen safe and market-linked livestock mobility across the African region. The partnership also aims to create a system where livestock movement is safe, orderly and economically beneficial. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, stated this on Thursday at the Continental Learning Forum on Market-Linked Transhumance Models in West Africa, held in Abuja. The theme of the forum is “Strengthening Safe, Orderly, and Market–Linked Livestock Mobility through Evidence, Cross–Regional Learning, and Investment Partnership.” Maiha said the presence of key stakeholders underscored a shared commitment to…
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says the continent is moving closer to meeting the criteria for downgrading mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. The agency said the move has become feasible as more countries continue to report zero cases for extended periods. Prof. Yap Boum, Incident Manager for Health Emergencies at Africa CDC, disclosed this on Thursday during the continent’s virtual weekly press briefing. Boum said seven countries have now reached the “end phase”, while Sierra Leone is expected to enter the “control phase” on Dec. 16 after maintaining more than 42…
Chief Mike Ozoemena, Managing Director of the Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), says the state is aiming to rank among the three cleanest states in Nigeria. Ozoemena stated this in Awka on Thursday while reviewing the agency’s activities over the past 12 months. He said the state had adopted a decentralized waste management system in which Local Government Councils oversee waste disposal within their jurisdictions, while the Ministry of Environment and ASWAMA provide coordination. According to him, the administration of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo began its environmental reforms with the cleanup of Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area and the…