The Federal Government has challenged young innovators to harness technology to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector and strengthen food security. Winners of the 2026 Agriculture, Youth, and Technology (AYuTe) Nigeria Challenge received $40,000 in grants. The call was made at the grand finale of the fifth edition of the AYuTe Nigeria Challenge, organized by Heifer Nigeria, on Monday in Abuja. The initiative aims to empower youth-led agritech enterprises with grants, mentorship, market access, technical support, and other resources to scale innovations that address challenges faced by smallholder farmers and Nigeria’s food systems. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security,…
Author: Newsdesk
The Edo State Government has strengthened support for stranded returnees through rehabilitation, reintegration, and empowerment programmes aimed at helping them rebuild their lives. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Eugenia Abdallah, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Monday in Benin. Abdallah said the ministry usually provides temporary shelter, medical care, psychosocial support, skills acquisition training, and business empowerment for stranded persons, particularly women and other vulnerable groups. She added that the government collaborates with partners, including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU), and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking…
Veritas University, Abuja, has expressed its commitment to equipping students with practical and entrepreneurial skills to drive innovation and national development through the construction of a N1.3 billion Skills and Innovation Hub. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday during the groundbreaking ceremony of the facility, performed by Cardinal John Onaiyekan. Speaking at the event, Prof. Ichoku said the university was determined to produce graduates who leave with professional competence, practical skills, and strong moral values, rather than certificates alone. He noted that the project is a major investment designed to transform students into job creators…
Dr Tunde Masseyferguson, National Coordinator of the National Mental Health Programme, has emphasised that prioritising mental health in the early years is critical to helping children attain excellence in school and life. Masseyferguson made the remark in an interview with reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony of Gold Spring International School, Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to him, children perform better academically and socially when the learning environment supports their emotional well-being and protects them from stress, violence, and neglect. “Every child has the right to learn in a safe, inclusive and supportive…
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has pledged the Federal Government’s support in providing policy direction, regulatory clarity, and the enabling environment required for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) initiatives. Keyamo made the commitment in Abuja on Monday during a high-level meeting on the implementation of SAF in Nigeria and the inauguration of the SAF Steering Committee. The Nigeria SAF Feasibility Study and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-supported SAF Business Implementation Study were presented at the meeting. Represented by the Director of Air Transport Management in the ministry, Mr. Mohammed Tijani, the minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s…
Prof. Bamidele Iwalokun, an expert in Pathogen Genomics, Immunoinformatics, and Vaccine Regulatory Science, says persistent Ebola outbreaks are driven by weak surveillance systems, inadequate research, and poor community engagement. Iwalokun, who is also the Director of Research at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, stated this on Monday during an Ebola Disease Update webinar organized by Preventive Health Nigeria Advocacy Operations Ltd. He also attributed the continued outbreaks to insufficient funding for vaccine development and therapeutics. “There are four major gaps undermining global efforts to contain recurrent Ebola virus outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda,” he…
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, bail in the sum of N2 billion with two sureties in like sum over an alleged $2.63 million money laundering case. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on Bodejo’s bail application, ordered that one of the sureties must reside in Abuja and provide evidence of three years’ tax clearance. The second surety, the judge ruled, must own landed property worth N2 billion within Abuja. The court also directed Bodejo to surrender his international passport to the court registrar and barred him…
President Bola Tinubu has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take a firm and united stand against the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, insisting that the regional bloc must not remain silent in the face of such violence. Tinubu made the call during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lungi, Sierra Leone, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented him. The President described the attacks as unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of African unity, stressing that ECOWAS should…
The Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA), Usman Mazadu, said the agency has contained a compressed gas tanker leak in Kaduna South. Mazadu told reporters on Monday in Kaduna that the agency responded jointly with the Kaduna State Fire and Public Safety Agency after receiving a distress call on Sunday. He said emergency responders secured the scene while cooling operations continued to stabilise the tanker and prevent escalation. READ ALSO: Search launched for 2 swept away by flood in Kaduna river “No casualties or injuries were recorded, and the tanker driver escaped unharmed,” he said. Mazadu…
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) have launched a search and rescue operation for two people swept away by floodwaters in the Kaduna River. The operation, involving the Kaduna State Fire Service, local divers and other emergency responders, began early on Sunday at the Hayin Mallam Bello community in Kaduna South Local Government Area. The victims were reportedly swept away on Saturday evening while attempting to cross the swollen river after heavy rainfall in parts of Kaduna metropolis. The Head of the NEMA Operations Office in Kaduna, Halima Suleiman, said the agency…