UNICEF, in partnership with the Taraba State Government, on Friday awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of 11 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres across six local government areas (LGAs) of the state, with funding support from the Global Fund. Speaking at the event in Jalingo, the Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, urged the contractors to execute the projects with honesty, dedication and professionalism. Rafique said the official handover of the selected PHC facilities by the Taraba State Government to UNICEF, through the Commissioner for Health, Dr Bondiya Buma, marked a significant collaboration aimed at saving the lives…
Author: Newsdesk
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says Lassa fever has claimed 195 lives across 21 states by Epidemiological Week (Epi Week) 49 of 2025, representing a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.2 per cent. The NCDC disclosed this in its latest Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epi Week 49, covering Dec. 1 to Dec. 7, 2025, released on its official website on Sunday. According to the report, 33 new confirmed cases and eight deaths were recorded during the reporting week, up from 24 confirmed cases reported in Epi Week 48. The newly confirmed cases were reported from…
African governments and development partners have taken a decisive step toward tackling one of the continent’s most damaging livestock diseases with the launch of a High-Level Continental Advisory Committee aimed at eradicating Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) by 2030. The move, spearheaded by the African Union Commission (AUC) through the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Pan-African PPR Secretariat, brings together senior political leaders, regional economic blocs, global animal health agencies and development partners to provide strategic oversight and sustain high-level political commitment in the fight against the disease. PPR, a viral disease that primarily affects sheep and goats, poses…
At just 22, Matlhane Thabiso Maphoto is shaping the future of farming in South Africa. Born in Tzaneen, Limpopo, he is the founder of AgricShare Africa, a digital platform helping rural farmers connect to markets and opportunities. His work has earned him recognition in the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans (Agriculture, 2025), a place in the GradStar Top 100, and honours as a SAICA Student Leadership Award finalist, South African Agriculture Awards nominee, and MEF Excellence in Agriculture nominee. AgricShare Africa is central to Maphoto’s mission to drive collaboration and pan-African transformation in agriculture. Inspired by his…
Sudan farmers are set to benefit from 37,000 metric tons of high-quality fertilizers and 5,200 metric tons of Irish seed potato delivered to Port Sudan by Sustain Africa, a pan-African initiative hosted by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) —and implementing partner CIMMYT, marking a critical step in supporting the recovery of agricultural production in Sudan. More than two years of ongoing conflict have left the country with the worst food security conditions in decades. Sudan’s typical imports of about 450,000 metric tons of fertilizer annually fell to an estimated 50,000 metric tons in 2024. The shipments form part of…
Nigerian content creator and musician, Oderhohwo Efe, popularly known as Carter Efe, has become Africa’s most-followed streamer on Twitch. He broke the record for the Most Watched Twitch Livestream in Africa with 83,000 viewers on his livestream with Davido, and also becomes the first African Streamer to surpass 20,000 subs on Twitch. Efe overtook fellow Nigerian creator Adesokan Emmanuel, widely known as Shank Comics, to claim the continental record. Metrics showed that the artist had amassed over 405,000 followers on the Twitch platform. Efe, who had approximately 322,000 followers earlier on Wednesday, gained roughly 160,000 new followers in just four…
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Friday approved N58.47 trillion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year. Mr Tanimu Yakubu, the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, made this known while briefing newsmen after the FEC meeting, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) reviewed, the total size of the budget is N54.46 trillion, of which N34.33 trillion is the retained revenue. Mr Yakubu explained that the aggregate expenditure for 2026 budget proposal is six per cent higher than the 2025 budget…
The Federal University of Health and Sciences (FUHSI), Ila-Orangun, in Osun, on Friday, trained 595 secondary school students on digital literacy skills and psychological interventions to curb cybercrime and online bullying. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were selected from five private and five public secondary schools in Ila-Orangun as part of the university’s social responsibility and cybercrime awareness initiative. During the training, the students participated in a pre-test exercise, followed by workshops and post-test assessment on digital literacy, psychological skills, and cyber security red flags. The Principal Investigator and leader of the FUHSI research team,…
The European Union (EU) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), have reaffirmed their commitment to protecting vulnerable children and families in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria through strong nutrition sector coordination and delivery of lifesaving supplies. A statement signed by the UNICEF Communication Specialist, Susan Akila, and made available to newsmen said with support from EU Humanitarian Aid, UNICEF has maintained stable pipelines of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and therapeutic milk, reaching thousands of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The organization said “In 2025 alone, with EU support, over 20,000 children under five in the Northeast and 14,000 in…
Yobe Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Muhammad Gana, has condemned the rising incidents of violent attacks on health workers across the state. He made the remarks during a news conference in Damaturu on Friday, describing the attacks, which included physical and verbal abuse, as deeply troubling and unacceptable. “Healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, midwives, community health workers, laboratory staff, attendants, and support personnel, are the backbone of our health system. “They serve under challenging conditions, often with limited resources, long hours, and high emotional pressure, yet remain committed to saving lives and alleviating suffering,” Gana said. He noted that…