The Federal Government says it is expanding funding, local drug production and research to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment while easing patients’ financial burden. The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Aliyu, said this on Saturday in Abuja at the Best of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Africa 2026 conference. The conference, organised in collaboration with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), has the theme: “From Global Discovery to Local Delivery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care.” Aliyu said the government had introduced measures…
Author: Newsdesk
Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has warned that his government will not support any farmer who fails to be captured and registered in the state’s farmers’ database. Otti gave the warning on Friday while inaugurating the Abia Farmers Input Support Programme at the Umuahia Township Stadium. The governor said the project was aimed at encouraging large-scale food production and commercial farming to ensure food security in the state. He noted that while subsistence farming was still useful, it would not take the state far. He said the state was providing the inputs as well as transportation to ensure farmers do…
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Ogun Chapter, has dismissed claims by individuals parading themselves as the association’s executives from Abuja. The association described the claimants as impostors without constitutional or legal authority to represent AFAN in Ogun State. The state leadership of AFAN, led by its Chairperson, Ganiyat Adeoye-Kushimo, stated this on Friday while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta. Speaking through its Public Relations Officer, Mr Johnson Sogunle, the association reiterated that the claimants were impostors without any constitutional or legal authority to represent AFAN in Ogun State. He said the individuals were never members of the Ogun chapter.…
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has unveiled the 2026 wet season input distribution in Katsina under its Smallholder Farmer Input Support Programme to boost food production and improve farmers’ incomes. The programme, implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), targets the cultivation of 10,000 hectares through 1,000 farmer cooperatives across the state. BOA Managing Director, Mr Ayo Sotinri, said in a statement on Friday that the initiative reflected the bank’s renewed commitment to expanding smallholder farmers’ access to affordable agricultural inputs. Sotinri said the intervention would support cultivation across approximately 10,000 hectares through more…
The National Mathematical Centre (NMC) has dismissed claims that Nigeria was relegated to observer status by the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), describing the report as false and misleading. This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Controller of Information and Public Relations at the Centre, Mr Onyekachi Njoku. Njoku said Nigeria’s absence from the 2025 and 2026 IMO competitions was not due to inadequate funding by the Federal Government, but because the country did not receive official invitation letters from the organisers. He explained that under IMO rules, participating countries must receive formal invitation letters…
The Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON) has urged Nigerians to embrace proper waste disposal, recycling, and environmental sanitation to promote public health and a cleaner environment. The call was made during a public sensitisation campaign in Abuja on Saturday to mark the 2026 World Population Day. The event was organised in collaboration with the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON). Speaking at the event, the Counsellor of the Waste Management Society of Nigeria, FCT Council, Mr Femi Kinirin, said the volume of waste generated increases in direct proportion to population growth. Kinirin warned that without adequate planning and effective…
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) on Saturday commenced the 2026 National Engineering Games (NEGG), describing it as an important annual sporting event aimed at promoting physical fitness, healthy living, unity, and national development. Declaring the NEGG open in Abuja, NSE President Ali Rabiu said the games had remained faithful to their founding objectives since 2011 by encouraging physical fitness beyond professional responsibilities. Rabiu, who was represented by NSE Deputy President Valerie Agberagba, noted that beyond recreation, the NEGG fosters collaboration among engineers, government officials, stakeholders in the public and private sectors, and members of the diplomatic community. “The Games…
The naira depreciated against the United States dollar at the official foreign exchange market during the week ended Friday, July 10, closing at N1,381.70/$1 despite a continued rise in Nigeria’s external reserves, which climbed to $51.74 billion. The latest exchange rate represents a weekly loss of N11.70 or 0.85 per cent from N1,370/$1 recorded a week earlier. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the local currency came under sustained pressure throughout the week, losing value on four of the five trading sessions. It opened the week at N1,371/$1 on Monday before weakening to N1,379/$1 on Tuesday.…
A Consultant Psychiatrist and Brain Health Advocate, Prof. Taiwo Obindo, has urged Nigerians to prioritise activities that enhance brain health in order to reduce the risk of dementia and other cognitive disorders. Obindo, immediate past President of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), gave the advice in an interview with journalists on Friday in Lagos. He said there were various lifestyle modifications Nigerians, particularly the elderly, could adopt to reduce the risk of cognitive disorders and improve brain health. Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), Obindo described brain health as “the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional,…
The UN Development Programme-Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP-GEF SGP) and Digital Peers International (DPI) have rewarded young innovators in plastic waste management with millions of naira in cash prizes and an all-expense-paid study trip to China. The rewards were presented at the closing ceremony of the DPI-SGP 2.0 project on Friday in Nasarawa State. The initiative, themed “Deploying the Power of IT-Engaged Youth in Effective Plastic Use and Plastic Waste Management 2.0”, sought to equip young Nigerians with digital, entrepreneurial and technological skills to tackle plastic pollution while creating sustainable businesses. Dr Ibukun Odusote, Executive Officer of DPI,…