Nigeria could earn an additional $3.9 billion by maximising global demand for high-value non-oil products, according to new data from the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Export Potential Map. The assessment places Nigeria’s total export potential at $7.6 billion, driven largely by opportunities in cocoa, cashew nuts, urea, and a fast-emerging contender — coffee. Cocoa remains Nigeria’s strongest export performer and the product with the widest gap between current and potential exports. ITC estimates the country’s unrealised cocoa export opportunity at $749 million, representing 19 percent of its untapped global potential. Cashew nuts (in shell) and urea also feature prominently, reinforcing…
Author: Newsdesk
Participants at a Conference on Alcohol Harm Prevention have called for the establishment of strong policy regulation on alcohol to foster an effective control on its use, marketing and availability in the country. They spoke at the 1st National Conference and fifth Annual General Meeting of the Association of Advocates Against Alcohol Harm in Nigeria (ASAAHN) on Friday in Lagos. The conference has the theme: “Strengthening Alcohol Policy Advocacy and Harm Prevention and Reduction for a Healthier Nigeria”. A Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lagos State University, Oluranti Samuel, decried the rate of alcohol access and use in…
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has restated his commitment to strengthening public-private collaboration, expanding emergency care networks, and scaling community training to save the lives of residents. Sanwo-Olu said this during the 10th Anniversary and Award Ceremony of Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), dedicated to providing financial assistance for emergency medical treatment to indigent and vulnerable patients in public hospitals on Friday in Lagos. Sanwo-Olu, represented by Dr Abimbola Mabogunje, permanent secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission, disclosed the state’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with HEI to reach more vulnerable residents with life-saving interventions. The…
The Director-General, National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Mrs Tenioye Majekodunmi, says Nigeria will intensify efforts to advance the green economy toward mitigating climate change. Majekodunmi said this on Monday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Belém, Brazil. She said focus on overall environmental sustainability including renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and waste management would be maintained nationwide. According to her, Nigeria has taken this charge to heart. Our commitment is not just an aspiration; it is a solemn national mandate to…
The Vietnamese government has proposed to the National Assembly (NA) waiving hospital fees for near-poor households and elderly individuals aged over 75, starting in 2027, local media reported. The Minister of Health, Dao Hong Lan, made the proposal at the ongoing session of the 15th NA on Monday. The government had also proposed that from 2026, citizens would be entitled to at least one free annual health check-up or screening. Funding for these periodic health check-ups will come from the health insurance fund and the state budget, according to the report.
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Monday embarked on an indefinite strike, as the resident doctors’ strike enters its 17th day. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all UCH gates, except the main entrance, were closed and manned by some JOHESU members. NAN reports that JOHESU comprises the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Senior Staff Association of Universities, and the Teaching Hospitals Research and Academic Institutions (SSAUTHRAI). Other members of JOHESU are the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the Non-Academic Staff of Universities and…
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has said more than one million cervical cancer deaths have been averted in lower-income countries following a major scale-up of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Gavi announced the milestone on Monday in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to mark the first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day. The alliance noted that an estimated 86 million girls were now protected against the leading cause of cervical cancer. Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Sania Nishtar, said the achievement followed a three-year effort inaugurated in 2023 to revitalise the HPV vaccination programme. “Every…
Malam Denja Abdullahi, Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo (AFTCREE) says the expo will unveil “Cultourmetre,” a digital tool to monitor the progress African countries are making in tourism and the creative economy. Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr Chuks Akamadu,Managing Director Afrocultour Ltd. in Abuja on Monday, said the expo has been carefully designed to deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo (AFTCREE) is scheduled to hold from Nov. 24 to 25, 2025 in Abuja.…
Some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have backed the planned enforcement of the ban on small-sized sachet alcoholic beverages by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from December, citing public health concerns. The CSOs — the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) — expressed their support in a joint statement issued by Mr. Robert Egbe, Media and Communication Officer of CAPPA, in Port Harcourt on Sunday. NHED and CAPPA described the ban as a “long-overdue public health intervention essential for safeguarding the well-being of Nigeria’s children, youths,…
Senegal has suspended the issuance of rice import declarations for one month in a bid to ease pressure on domestic producers grappling with unsold stock from the 2025 season. The announcement was made on November 12 after a meeting convened by the Market Regulation Agency (ARM) with farmers, traders, processors, government agencies, and development partners. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said the temporary halt on the import declaration for rice (DIPA) is intended to give local producers breathing room as they struggle against an influx of cheaper imported varieties that continue to dominate the market. Officials framed the decision…