The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting women farmers in Kwara State to enhance food security. Mrs. Faith Agu, Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Kwara, made the pledge while receiving members of the Smallscale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON) and the Budget Committee Group (BCG) during an advocacy visit. Agu said the ministry is ready to provide women farmers with opportunities to benefit from empowerment programmes and various government support initiatives. She emphasized that women farmers are a core segment of the agricultural sector, producing food primarily for domestic consumption, and…
Author: Newsdesk
A Consultant in Family and Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Moyosore Makinde, has called for empowering individuals with knowledge and tools to prevent diabetes through evidence-based lifestyle interventions, stressing the importance of conscious health decisions. Makinde, who is also President of the Society of Lifestyle Medicine of Nigeria (SOLONg), made the remarks in an interview with reporters on Friday in Lagos, highlighting strategies to combat diabetes. She spoke on the sidelines of the 2025 World Diabetes Day (WDD) commemoration, themed “Diabetes Across Life Stages,” emphasizing that public awareness is critical for prevention, early diagnosis, and effective management nationwide. World Diabetes Day is…
Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, has warned that the growing consumption of junk and highly processed foods is contributing to the rising incidence of diabetes in Nigerian households. Mrs Soludo issued the warning on Friday in a statement marking World Diabetes Day, observed globally on November 14. This year’s theme is “Diabetes Across Life Stages.” She said diabetes had “found its way into many homes largely because we prefer junk and unhealthy foods instead of the natural, wholesome options available to us.” The governor’s wife, who is also the founder of the Healthy Living Initiative, urged…
The Federal Government says it is implementing strategic reforms to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable health system capable of delivering quality healthcare across Nigeria. The reforms are aimed at enhancing access to care, strengthening coordination, and providing greater protection for vulnerable Nigerians. Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, made the disclosure on Thursday during the second day of the 2025 Joint Annual Review of Nigeria’s health sector in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Joint Annual Review provides a platform to evaluate progress, identify gaps, share lessons across states, and deepen…
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has said that nearly 15 years after the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, its promise of an open and responsive government is yet to be fully realised. The Executive Director of MRA, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, stated this in his welcome address at a two-day FOI Act workshop for journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the South-West Zone on Friday in Lagos. Ojo said many public institutions continued to operate in secrecy, often in violation of the law, while citizens, journalists and civil society actors had yet to fully leverage the rights the…
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it is implementing far-reaching reforms to improve access, functionality and accountability across Nigeria’s primary health care (PHC) system. The reforms include the rollout of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) 2.0, large-scale facility revitalisation and digital workforce development. Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of NPHCDA, disclosed this while presenting a paper titled “Improving and Expanding PHC Functionality, Service Delivery and Quality of Care” at the 2025 Joint Annual Review of the Health Sector in Abuja. Aina said the BHCPF 2.0 expansion had increased coverage from 8,309 to 13,521 PHC facilities…
Community members in Aleita, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory have commended UNICEF for providing an eco-friendly toilet facility at L.E.A. Primary School, Aleita. Speaking at the inauguration of the facility, the Head Teacher, Mr. Suleiman Gimba, described the project as a “dream come true”. “When the NGOs first brought the idea, I thought it was not realistic, but thank God today we have seen the reality. The toilet has been built, the water system is functional and everything was done using plastic materials. “This project will help eradicate open defecation because our old toilets had…
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has reiterated its commitment to sustaining Jigawa State’s Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. ALGON Chairman in the state, Sibu Abdullahi, stated this on Friday in Bauchi at the close of a two-day Post-ODF Assessment Dissemination, Strategy Implementation Progress Review and 2026 Sustainability Plan meeting. The exercise was organised by the Jigawa State Ministry of Water Resources in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Abdullahi, who also chairs the Dutse Local Government Council, said the 27 LGAs, in partnership with the state government, would scale up investments to maintain the ODF…
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has reaffirmed its commitment to combating quackery in engineering practice to safeguard lives and property. Shamsudeen Bashir-Ibrahim, the newly elected Chairman of the NSE, Katsina State Branch, made the pledge during his inaugural speech on Thursday in Katsina. He warned that the rising cases of quackery in the profession posed serious dangers to public safety and eroded confidence in engineering practice. Bashir-Ibrahim called on members to support ongoing efforts to curb the menace. “Let us report and resist any attempt to sideline professionals or compromise standards. The integrity of our profession is not negotiable,”…
Stakeholders have called for stronger collaboration between government agencies, private operators, and communities to improve access to safe and sustainable toilet facilities in Kaduna State. The call was made at a meeting with toilet business owners organized by the Centre for Water and Environment Development (CWED) on Thursday in Kaduna, as part of activities marking World Toilet Day 2025. The meeting, held under the theme “Sanitation in a Changing World,” brought together toilet operators, environmental health officers, and representatives of government ministries, agencies, and civil society organizations. Mrs. Doris Zakama, Programme Manager of CWED and Public Relations Officer, Kaduna Chapter…