The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Lagos State Chapter, has urged the Federal Government to channel agricultural interventions through farmers’ associations to ensure they reach genuine farmers and boost local rice production. The Lagos State Chairman of RIFAN, Mr Raphael Hunsa, made the call in an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Lagos. Hunsa commended the Federal Government for supporting the rice sector but said the interventions were insufficient and often failed to reach the intended beneficiaries. He alleged that some politicians hijacked farm inputs by presenting non-farmers as beneficiaries during distribution exercises. “We appreciate the Federal Government’s efforts…
Author: Newsdesk
The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted its first-ever resolution formally recognising the link between human rights and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The landmark move is expected to strengthen global efforts to eliminate the diseases and improve the lives of more than one billion affected people. This is according to a statement made available to reporters on Tuesday by APO Group on behalf of the Anesvad Foundation. The statement said the resolution marked the first time the council had adopted a dedicated resolution on NTDs. It elevates the diseases beyond the health sector, recognising them as issues of dignity,…
The Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) has urged the Federal Government to strengthen industrial support alongside the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures. The association said this would protect local investments and promote growth in the automotive manufacturing sector. The call is contained in a position paper signed by NAMA Chairman, Mr Bawo Omagbitse, and Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr Harpreet Singh. The document was made available to journalists on Tuesday in Lagos. Omagbitse said Nigeria’s automotive manufacturing sector could face setbacks if tariff liberalisation is introduced without adequate measures to protect local vehicle assembly. He said the position paper was submitted…
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced a new strategic regulatory framework aimed at improving public safety, strengthening enforcement, and tackling unqualified engineering practice. COREN President, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, disclosed this at a news conference ahead of the 34th COREN Engineering Assembly, scheduled for July 13 to 15 in Abuja. Abubakar said the Assembly, themed “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement, and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime,” remains the foremost policy and professional gathering of engineers to address national issues. He said engineering remains central to Nigeria’s economic transformation, noting that the…
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned that actions capable of reducing its statutory revenue could weaken its operations and compromise aviation safety oversight. The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Mr Michael Achimugu, gave the warning at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday. Achimugu said the concern arose from moves to reduce the NCAA’s share of the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) in favour of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). He said the NCAA was established as a self-sustaining regulatory body, adding that a bill on the matter was already before the National…
The Malaria Consortium has commenced the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign in June, targeting 1,007,652 children aged 3 to 59 months across Plateau State’s 17 Local Government Areas to reduce malaria cases and deaths. Dr Mashor Mbwas, State Project Manager of Malaria Consortium in Plateau, disclosed this on Tuesday in Jos during a media parley organised to strengthen awareness and media support for the campaign. Mbwas said the intervention, implemented in partnership with the Plateau State Government, was designed to protect children under five from malaria during the peak transmission season. He added that studies by the World Health…
The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) has emerged as Nigeria’s best-performing state in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) enrolment for the first quarter of 2026. This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kano by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Ahmad-Turaki. “The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) BHCPF Gateway Q1 2026 Enrolment Report showed that Kano recorded 327,410 enrolled beneficiaries, surpassing its target of 216,775 to rank first among all states,” he said. The agency attributed the feat to the state government’s commitment to expanding access to affordable and quality healthcare, especially for…
Government officials, development partners and health experts on Tuesday pledged stronger collaboration to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health outcomes in Nigeria. The commitment was made at the fourth National Governance and Coordination Committee (GCC) meeting of the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Reproductive, Maternal and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH) Programme in Yola. The two-day meeting was organised by UNICEF, with support from the Federal Government, Adamawa State Government, UNFPA and funding from the European Union. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to providing strategic leadership for reproductive, maternal,…
The Cross River State Government says it will distribute 30 million coffee seedlings to smallholder farmers to cultivate about 27,000 hectares under a seven-year coffee development strategy targeted for 2033. Mr Johnson Ebokpo, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, made the remark at a press conference in Calabar on Tuesday. Ebokpo described the initiative as the state’s “coffee revolution,” saying it aims to diversify the state’s export base beyond cocoa and boost internally generated revenue through sustainable coffee production. He said the government approved the phased distribution of the 30 million seedlings, starting with five million, to support…
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has urged the Abia State Government to establish additional veterinary clinics to complement the existing federal clinic in the state. This is to ensure citizens are not served diseased meat. The Team Leader of the Tsetse Fly Surveillance and Control Project, Mr Gilbert Okoro, gave the advice on Monday after his team concluded a verification tour of the three senatorial districts to assess tsetse fly infestation. Okoro said intelligence gathered by his team on operations at the Lokpanta Cattle Market — the largest livestock trading hub in the southern region — prompted his…