The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has issued a public alert on the growing circulation of substandard and unregistered edible oils in the country. The agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its X handle on Tuesday. According to NAFDAC, the products identified include FINO, PUR, OKI, SUPER DELICIEX and LA JONIC adding that the oils, whose sources, production processes and safety standards are unknown, are being smuggled into Nigeria and openly sold under multiple brand names in major markets across cities such as Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Warri, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Ikom, Calabar, Lagos (Trade…
Author: Newsdesk
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his gratitude to Washington for an immediate $2 million emergency assistance fund and deployment of the two C-130 cargo planes for humanitarian assistance operations in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. Dissanayake, while expressing his gratitude for the US’s assistance, wrote on X, “My deepest gratitude to the US and President @realDonaldTrump for standing with us yet again at a time of need. The swift C-130 deployments and immediate $2 million emergency assistance reflect the strength of our enduring partnership, firmly rooted in shared democratic values and close ties between our people.” Meanwhile, in…
The police in Bauchi have urged residents of the state to speak up against violence and abuse against women. Aliyu Sani-Omolori, Commissioner of Police in the state, said this at a two-day training exercise on Child Safeguarding for school teachers and counselors, on Tuesday in Bauchi. The exercise was organised by the Bauchi State Action Committee on Gender-Based Violence (BSACGBV). He said breaking culture of silence was the first step to combat GBV related matters. Represented by CSP Mohammed Barau, Police Operations Department, Sani-Omolori enjoined teachers, parents, and students to speak up against suspected abuse. “There is no need to…
The Federal Government says it is scaling up youth agripreneurship in Nigeria for food systems transformation in the country. Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated this on Tuesday at a youth Agripreneurs workshop for food systems transformation in Nigeria in Abuja. The workshop with the theme “Scaling Youth Agripreneurship for Food Systems Transformation” was organised by the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise- Niger Delta (LIFE- ND) Project. The minister said the youth are taking the lead in agrifood innovation, from precision agriculture to AI powered farm tools and soilless farming among others “Our young people, fuelled by ingenuity and determination, are…
The Anambra State Government has earmarked N200 million for the procurement and distribution of endangered Igbo traditional fruit tree seedlings in the 2026 fiscal year. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Foster Ifejiofor, disclosed this while briefing journalists after a bilateral meeting with the Finance and Appropriation Committee of the Anambra State House of Assembly on the 2026 budget proposal. Ifejiofor said the programme would include the procurement of 60,000 Ukwa (African breadfruit) seedlings at the cost of N1,500 per seedling, amounting to N90 million. He added that 40,000 Udala (African star apple) seedlings and 20,000 bitter kola seedlings would be…
Mr. Festus Akintoye, Chief Executive Officer of the Pa Philip Akintoye Development Foundation (PAPADEF), has called on governments, institutions, and citizens to promote inclusive development for persons with disabilities through innovation and accessibility. Akintoye made the call in a statement to mark the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), observed annually on December 3 to promote the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities. According to Akintoye, the day reminds the world of its responsibility to build societies where everyone, regardless of physical or mental condition, can live with dignity, equal opportunity, and full inclusion. He stated that…
A UK-funded climate smart agriculture initiative, Propcom+, has introduced solar-powered cold chain systems to deepen livestock vaccine access in Nigeria’s rural communities. The programme, which also supports major agricultural value chains such as rice, maize and sorghum, aims to curb losses from livestock diseases by improving vaccine availability in hard-to-reach areas. Speaking at an event titled “Unlocking Cold Chain Innovation: Lessons from the Solar Refrigerator Pilot for Poultry and Livestock Vaccine Storage and Distribution,” Propcom+ Strategy Director, Mr Olumide Ojo, said the intervention addresses long-standing gaps in vaccine storage and distribution in off-grid locations. He said the solar-powered refrigerator pilot,…
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday appealed to the international community to contribute just one per cent of global arms spending annually. The committee said it was downsizing its annual aid appeal; seeking $23 billion for 2026 to achieve important goals. The appeal came after the aid and development budget took a major hit following the US’s decision to cut funds, despite constant attacks on its workers in conflicts. The amount of money will be enough to save 87 million lives, UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher said. “It’s us who are driving the…
The Kaduna State Government on Monday reiterated its commitment to strengthening disability-inclusive healthcare services as the Inclusive Family Planning (IFPLAN) project, implemented by Sightsavers, officially concluded in the state. Speaking at the close-out meeting held at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hall, Murtala Muhammed Square, the Commissioner for Health, Umma Ahmed, said the project had reshaped approaches to equity, access, and dignity in the state’s healthcare delivery. She explained that the IFPLAN initiative aimed to ensure that Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) could access family planning services without fear, barriers, or discrimination, adding that no society can claim progress while leaving any segment…
Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, the Vice Chancellor of Caleb University, says Africa needs a decisive shift from charity-based poverty reduction to enterprise-driven prosperity anchored on innovation, entrepreneurship and accountability. Asikhia spoke at the 57th Inaugural Lecture of Babcock University, titled, “It Is Time to Use Functional Businesses to Kill Poverty in Africa”. This was stated in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos by Mr Olawale Adekoya, the Information and Media Officer of Caleb University. “Africa does not lack potential, talent or resources. What we need are functional businesses, visionary thinking, integrity and institutions that work. “In 2022, 546 million Africans…