The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has emphasized that Nigeria is prioritizing food security, global competitiveness, and the transformation of its livestock sector. Speaking at the 2025 Animal Science Meeting and Industry Exposition in Abuja on Tuesday, Maiha said that transforming the sector in Nigeria would have positive ripple effects across Africa and beyond. “To achieve sector development and global competitiveness, we must first improve our animal breeds while preserving their genetic heritage,” he said. Maiha acknowledged existing challenges but highlighted the sector’s potential to compete globally through collaboration, partnerships, and innovative local solutions. He also noted that Nigeria’s…
Author: Newsdesk
Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called for a shift in Nigeria’s national focus toward celebrating and supporting practical, on-the-ground knowledge systems such as apprenticeships and successful non-formally educated entrepreneurs. Obi made the call in Lagos during the launch of a book titled “Just Go Further: Become the Total Entrepreneur,” authored by Mrs. Ebele Obi, a renowned entrepreneur, mentor, and business leader. He described the publication as a “call to action” for innovators, dreamers, and builders who refuse to stop at the starting line, stressing that the lack of institutional support for…
The Alternative Bank (AltBank) has announced the launch of the Alternative Bank–Utiva Women in Tech Scholarship, an initiative designed to empower women entrepreneurs with digital skills and business innovation training. The Executive Director (South) of The Alternative Bank, Mrs. Korede Ademola-Adeniyi, made the announcement during a virtual convening held to commemorate the International Day for Rural Women. The event, themed “Rural Women and MSMEs: Driving Sustainability, Strengthening Economies, Securing Our Shared Tomorrow,” brought together thought leaders, policymakers, and development partners to celebrate, empower, and advocate for rural women across Nigeria and Africa. The Alternative Bank is an independent financial institution…
Prof. Uwose Uba, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Queensland, Australia, has called for intensified control strategies to combat the growing threat of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections in healthcare facilities. Uba made the call on Tuesday in Lagos while delivering a lecture titled “Battling Infections Within: Public Health Strategies Against Nosocomial Threats” at a public lecture organised by the Faculty of Basic, Medical and Applied Sciences, Trinity University, Sabo-Yaba. He explained that nosocomial infections could arise from medical procedures or environmental factors such as unhygienic hospital conditions, contaminated equipment, or food consumed within hospital environments. According to him,…
The Leventis Foundation Nigeria has announced a grant of N2 million for outstanding young agribusiness owners at the forthcoming Agricultural Youth Summit. The Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Hope Usieta, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja ahead of the 2025 summit, scheduled to hold on November 6. The theme for this year’s event is “Building Youth and Agripreneurs’ Resilience for Agribusiness through Targeted Upskilling and Innovative Agri-Finance.” Usieta said the initiative, organised in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), aims to reward youth agribusiness owners who present the most viable business ideas and pitches during the summit.…
The Edo State Government, in collaboration with the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), has commenced the training of 630 young people in agribusiness across the state. Governor Monday Okpebholo, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Jerry Uwangue, disclosed this on Tuesday in Benin City. He said the initiative aligns with his administration’s agricultural development agenda. The beneficiaries of the programme include women and persons with disabilities. According to the governor, the objectives of the IFAD LIFE-ND project align perfectly with his administration’s vision of nurturing young farmers who can transform subsistence farming into profitable agribusiness…
The Nigerian Senate has begun moves to reduce the country’s $2 billion annual rice import bill by proposing the establishment of a National Rice Council, designed to stimulate local production and promote food self-sufficiency. The Rice Development Council of Nigeria Bill, sponsored by Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), seeks to coordinate rice research, regulate production standards, provide support to farmers, and drive innovation across the rice value chain. At a public hearing on the bill—held alongside deliberations on the Cassava Inclusion and Flour Production Bill and the National Food Reserve Agency Bill—Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Chief Whip,…
The Kwara State Government on Tuesday began free screenings for breast, prostate, and liver cancers as part of activities marking the 2025 Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Cancer Awareness and Screening programme is being conducted at designated health facilities, including the Kwara University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH), General Hospital Offa, and Primary Health Centre, Bode Saadu. Speaking at the event in Ilorin, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, wife of the State Governor, expressed concern over the rising incidence of cancer in Nigeria. Quoting 2022 statistics from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), she noted that cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide.…
A public health practitioner, Dr. Akingbehin Akinbodunwa, has called on manufacturing companies, households, and the general public to carefully manage their wastes to maintain a healthy environment. Dr. Akinbodunwa, National President of the Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Association of Nigeria (EPHPAN), made the call in an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Lagos. He warned that a wide range of diseases could be contracted and spread through unclean and contaminated surroundings. “Environmental pollution—including air, water, land, and noise—has negative impacts on the ecosystem, human health, and the overall condition of the planet,” he said. Dr. Akinbodunwa highlighted that…
The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has entered a strategic partnership with Circuits, a virtual cinema and audiovisual distribution platform, to promote digital transformation in Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sector. The Director-General of NIHOTOUR, Dr. Abisoye Fagade, announced this on Tuesday during a visit by Circuits’ top management to his office in Abuja. Dr. Fagade said the partnership would expand access to capacity development programmes through digital platforms. “This partnership with Circuits marks a major leap in hospitality capacity development in Nigeria.The collaboration will enable millions of Nigerians working in hotels, restaurants, tour operations, travel agencies, catering services,…