In a nationwide initiative that coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has extended a lifeline of financial support to 9,500 persons with disabilities (PWDs) across the country, allocating N200,000 each to boost their business ventures. According to a statement issued by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the launch took place at the Mambilla Barracks in Abuja, where 250 physically challenged veterans from the military and police received their grants. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, she stressed the vital role of inclusion in national progress. “Our nation grows stronger when every individual…
Author: Newsdesk
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for stronger government and community support as Anambra intensifies preparations for a major Measles–Rubella vaccination campaign. A WHO delegation, led by Dr Winifred Onodu, Technical Consultant for Measles and Rubella, made the appeal during a visit to the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, in Awka on Friday. Onodu expressed concern over the rising burden of measles and rubella in Nigeria, noting that the country accounted for nearly half of all reported cases in Africa. She emphasised that large-scale vaccination remained the most effective defense against outbreaks. “Without strong community participation, children will…
The Global South Research Centre, a think-tank at Soochow University in China, in collaboration with Nigerian partners, has inaugurated Nigerian Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skills Cooperation Alliance (NAISCA) to train students and youths on AI skills. Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Friday, the Coordinator of the programme, Mr Wenkang Lyu, said that the partnership, which is with several Nigerian universities and youth organisations, would provide AI skill training for students and youths, while promoting sustainable development in the Global South countries. Lyu, a researcher at Soochow University Think Tank, further stated that the project would introduce AI technology and accumulate…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been officially admitted into the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), the agency announced. This was stated in a press release signed on Friday by Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC. Adeyeye described the transition from observer status to full membership in ICH as a historic milestone for the nation. She stated that the ICH is a select body of leading regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical industry representatives, dedicated to promoting the scientific and technical standards of pharmaceutical development worldwide. According…
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting women and girls from harmful practices. Chargé d’Affaires, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, Mr Syndoph Endoni, reaffirmed the country’s commitment at the UN headquarters in New York. Endoni’s statement was delivered at the High-level Event on Smart Solutions for a Safer Future Using Artificial Intelligence to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The diplomat said Nigeria was committed “to promoting innovative, ethical and people-centred technologies to protect women and girls, strengthen social justice, and advance global development”. He pointed out that the female genital mutilation was central to Nigeria’s regional, national and…
Ghana is accelerating plans to construct its first nuclear power plant by 2027, positioning itself alongside a growing number of African countries turning to nuclear technology to strengthen long-term energy security. Sites identified for dual-scale nuclear development The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has confirmed that two locations have been shortlisted for the project: one in the Western Region and another in the Central Region. The Western Region site is expected to host a large-scale power-generating reactor, while the Central Region site is being evaluated for a smaller modular plant to support industrial operations. A senior official involved in the…
The event took place on 26 November at the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Roodeplaat campus in Pretoria. Under the theme ‘Working Together to Achieve Agricultural Prosperity’, it aimed to build stronger relationships across the agricultural value chain and accelerate transformation, market access, and productivity for emerging and smallholder farmers. A major highlight at the conference was Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen’s announcement that the country’s national herd would be vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease. The conference also featured contributions from Department of Agriculture Director-General Mooketsa Ramasodi; Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo; and a high-level panel involving Land Bank, the National Agricultural Marketing Council…
Together, soil and water form the foundation of food security, and without urgent action, both are at risk. World Soil Day on 5 December highlights this connection through the theme ‘Soil & Water: A Source of Life’. Prof Driekie Fourie, nematologist at Syngenta Seedcare, said in a statement that this message was especially relevant for South Africa’s agriculture sector. “Soil and water are not separate challenges. They form a single, interconnected system that underpins food security and long-term agricultural viability.” She noted that water scarcity often drew public attention, yet soil degradation continued largely unchecked. “Topsoil is increasingly vulnerable to…
Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, says his company will become the world’s number one fertiliser producer by 2028. Speaking on Thursday at the Imo economic summit, the billionaire said the group is investing heavily in fertiliser and plans to grow output from 3 million tonnes of urea to 12 million tonnes in the next three years. “We are investors and I can tell you in the next three years, the programme that we have in the group, we’re investing heavily in fertiliser,” he said.
No fewer than 14,000 Bauchi farmers are to benefit from a climate resilient agriculture intervention to encourage productivity and enhance food security. The three-year smart agriculture programme is being implemented by the Heineken Africa Foundation through the Nigerian Breweries Plc.. Mr Chukwuemeka Aniukwu, Head of Public, External and Government Affairs, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said this during the inauguration of the programme, on Thursday in Bauchi. He said the foundation would invest about N4 billion to facilitate implementation of the programme in seven local government areas of the state. Anuikwu said the programme was designed to empower farmers and build climate…