Prof. Adamu Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, says the Federal Government has committed N20 billion to strengthen agricultural research nationwide. Ahmed disclosed this at the opening of the 2026 National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Annual Research Review and Planning Meeting and Livestock Research Extension Farmers Input Linkage System (L-REFILLS) Workshop in Zaria on Tuesday. He said the intervention, facilitated through the Bank of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education, would support about 30 institutions in strengthening agricultural research and promoting the practical application of research findings. Ahmed, who said he was co-chairman of the implementation committee,…
Author: Newsdesk
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has rescued and supported 28,762 victims of human trafficking and secured 857 convictions since its establishment. NAPTIP Director-General Binta Adamu-Bello disclosed this at the opening of the 29th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja. Adamu-Bello said the agency recorded 1,508 cases of human trafficking and related offences between August 2025 and November 2026, leading to 1,434 arrests. She said 52 per cent of those arrested were male and 48 per cent female. During the period, the agency received and rehabilitated…
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has called for stronger stakeholder collaboration and investment to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds. PIND Executive Director Sam Daibo made the call at the Nigeria Seed Systems Forum in Abuja on Tuesday. He said improving access to quality seeds would boost agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ incomes and strengthen food security. The forum, convened by PIND in collaboration with the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), was themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Seed Potential: Policy Implementation, Investment and Partnerships for Sustainable Access to Quality Seed”. The forum brought together institutions involved in seed…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global movement bringing together more than 240 organisations to strengthen public trust in science and promote its use in health and development. In a statement on Tuesday, WHO said the movement, called “Together for Science and Health,” was officially inaugurated on World Science Day for Peace and Development. Twelve events were held across countries and regions to mark the launch and promote the initiative’s objectives. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and French President Emmanuel Macron are leading the initiative, which aims to unite scientists, policymakers, leaders and institutions across sectors. Ghebreyesus…
The Adamawa Government has confirmed 232 diphtheria cases and 34 deaths in 16 local government areas since January. Dr Kadabiyu Jones, the state epidemiologist, disclosed this in an interview with reporters in Yola on Tuesday. Jones said the disease mainly affects the nose, throat and tonsils, making breathing and swallowing difficult. He said diphtheria can affect people of all ages, but children—especially those who are unvaccinated—are more vulnerable. He attributed most deaths to complications caused by late presentation and an inadequate supply of diphtheria antitoxin. Most of the children who died were unvaccinated and died in their communities, he said,…
The Lagos State Government says automating its child adoption process will strengthen accountability, improve service delivery and safeguard children’s best interests. The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Meeting on Adoption, Fostering and Guardianship Matters, held on Tuesday in Lagos. The meeting’s theme was “Automation of the Child Adoption Process in Lagos State.” Ogunlende said the initiative would modernise adoption administration through proper documentation, application tracking, accessible records and effective case monitoring. “The automation of the child adoption process in Lagos State is more than a technological intervention. It represents an important…
The Noma Centre at the National Hospital, Abuja, says it has performed 457 complex reconstructive surgeries on children affected by noma since its establishment, with all treatment provided free of charge. A statement issued by the centre on Tuesday quoted Dr Charles Ononiwu, National Coordinator of the Noma Aid Nigeria Initiative (NANI), as saying this during the 2026 Oral Health Week, Noma Day and Scientific Conference. Ononiwu said the centre had treated 321 patients and currently had more than 80 children receiving care. He added that 208 surgeries had been performed this year alone. He said the facility treated an…
The Federal Government has called for intensified efforts to end the global sanitation crisis, with about 4.5 billion people lacking access to safely managed sanitation and 892 million still practising open defecation. Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a ministerial news conference to mark World Toilet Day 2026. Lawal, represented by Omotunde Adeola, Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry, said inadequate sanitation remained a major public health and environmental challenge in Nigeria. He said this year’s theme, “Sanitation and Gender Equality”, with the tagline “Safe Toilets. Equal Futures”, highlighted…
The Access to Medicine Foundation says pharmaceutical companies face gaps in making new medicines accessible. Its 2026 report finds that innovation is outpacing access to treatment in low- and middle-income countries. The foundation released its 2026 Index on Tuesday during a webinar marking 20 years of tracking pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to advance global health equity. The report found that access plans now cover 69 per cent of pharmaceutical companies’ late-stage pipeline candidates—more than three times the proportion recorded in 2018. However, the foundation said progress remained uneven, particularly for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), where 43 per cent of access plans focused…
Nigeria’s health sector reforms have improved maternal and child healthcare, financing and primary healthcare delivery. However, shortages of skilled personnel, gaps in emergency obstetric care and poor data quality remain concerns. Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office, said this while presenting a progress report on the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII). He spoke at the opening of the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) in Abuja on Tuesday. Umar-Sadiq said 12 of 13 indicators across family planning, maternal health and child health had improved, with most recording double-digit gains during the reform period.…