The Nasarawa State Government has set up a special team to inspect mining sites across the state to curb environmental violations and enforce compliance with existing environmental laws. Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Princess Margaret Elayo, announced this during a press conference on Friday in Lafia. She said the move followed several reports and complaints about environmental degradation caused by mining activities in various communities of the state. According to her, the government is determined to strengthen environmental protection and ensure that mining operations are carried out responsibly and sustainably. “Our state is blessed with rich mineral deposits that…
Author: Newsdesk
A neuropsychiatric expert, Dr. Sunday Sajo, says more than 70 percent of people with mental health challenges in Nigeria lack access to medical treatment. Sajo, who is the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Akure, stated this during the 2025 World Mental Health Day celebration on Friday in Akure. The event, themed “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” was organized by the Ondo State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the state’s Neuropsychiatric Hospital. Sajo expressed concern that mental health issues do not receive the same level of attention as physical health conditions from both…
Nigeria has finalized a nationwide consultation process to revise its National Gender Policy in Agriculture, marking a critical step toward a new framework aimed at closing gender gaps in the sector and strengthening national food security. The review, led by ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was supported by development partners including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the German Development Agency (GIZ), and CARE International. The final zonal review for the Northeast was held on Tuesday in Gombe, concluding a process that engaged all six geopolitical zones since July.…
The European Union (EU) has announced its support for Nigeria through the deployment of the X-Road model of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), as successfully implemented in Finland and Estonia. EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, disclosed this on Thursday at the Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards 2025, organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in Abuja. The conference, themed “Redefining Possibilities: Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Public Service Delivery and Socio-Economic Development,” focused on leveraging innovation to improve governance and service delivery. X-Road is an open-source software framework that enables secure, real-time data exchange between different…
The Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), in collaboration with the TVET Centre Administration of Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta (ABCOAD), Kano State, have launched the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Student Orientation Programme at the college. The event, themed “Empowering Youth Through Skills for Sustainable Livelihoods,” was declared open by the Provost of the College, Professor Muhammad Abdu Wailare, who reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with practical skills for national development. “Our focus as an academic institution is not only to produce graduates with certificates, but to…
The Federal Government, in collaboration with development partners, has committed $30 million to combat child malnutrition through the Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) initiative. Country Director of Evidence Action, a non-profit organization, Mr. Tope Ogunbi, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the National Training of Trainers (ToT) on SQ-LNS delivery. He said the initiative, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), will provide nutritional supplements to two million children aged six to 23 months across the country for six months. According to him, the effort aims to prevent malnutrition among under-five children in high-burden states. “The Federal…
Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State says the state aims to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration across its 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) by the year 2030. Radda disclosed this on Thursday at a two-day Business Roundtable on Investments in Broadband Connectivity and Safeguarding Critical National Information Infrastructure, held in Abuja. The event, organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had the theme: “Right of Way and Protection of Broadband Infrastructure: The Road to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity.” Radda said the initiative aligns with Katsina’s vision to promote digital growth by expanding broadband access and strengthening the…
The Eket Field Office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has sealed five petrol stations in Akwa Ibom State for alleged diversion and under-dispensing of petroleum products. The Coordinator of NMDPRA in the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Eseka, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday after a routine surveillance operation. According to him, one of the affected stations, owned by Mr. Godwin Ekpo, Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee, was shut down for operating without a valid license. Eseka said the station’s activities raised questions about the source of its petroleum…
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-hosted International Resource Panel (IRP) has called for a reform of the global financial system, governance, and regulation of mineral exploration and mining to ensure responsible investment and a fair energy transition. According to the new report, Financing the Responsible Supply of Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development, mineral extraction now accounts for 50% of annual global raw material use, up from 31% in 1970. Financing responsible mining, the report says, will be critical to achieving a clean and just energy future. Growing demand for energy transition minerals Mineral extraction has increased fivefold since 1970,…
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called for greater attention to the connection between malnutrition and mental health, as millions of children in northern Nigeria continue to face both crises. In 2024 alone, over 300,000 malnourished children were treated across MSF-supported facilities in Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, and Sokoto States — a 25 percent increase from 2023. Behind these numbers, MSF says, are deep psychological wounds affecting both children and their caregivers. “Malnutrition doesn’t just affect the child physically. It has psychological, emotional, and behavioural implications,” said Kauna Hope Bako, MSF’s Mental Health Supervisor in Bauchi. “They’re…