food
Catholic Church seeks Nigerian government’s partnership to tackle climate change
YouTube The Catholic Bishop of the Abuja archdiocese, Ignatius Kaigama, has urged the federal government to collaborate with the church to ensure a clean and healthy environment for Nigerians. Mr Kaigama made the call Saturday at an event to mark the beginning of a seven year climate improvement programme by the diocese, with the theme: “Care for our common home.” Mr Kaigama said local and international environmental realities had proven that “nature has been wounded and the church must be part of its healing” process. “We are interested in collaboration. We just hope that the government will return the gesture and embrace us. We must work together for beautifying the earth, for creating harmony and order in our society. “When we are doing it our way, providing the quality schools and clin...
Troops launch major rescue operation for kidnapped Kebbi students
A major rescue operation is ongoing for the kidnapped students and teachers of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State. Over 100 people, the majority of them girls, and five teachers, were kidnapped last week after bandits stormed the school. Top security sources told newsmen that some of the students had been rescued by troops. The remaining abducted students, the source said, had been split into five groups by the bandits, who had now been surrounded by troops. The troops have however not stormed the locations so that the girls will not be caught in the crossfire or killed by the bandits. “They have been surrounded by troops but they are negotiating so that the girls would not be killed,” the source said. Meanwhile, about 15 people recently kidnapped by bandits in Tegin...
FAO reiterates support to Nigerian government’s efforts to tackle food insecurity
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has reiterated its commitment to support the Federal Government‘s efforts to ensure food sufficiency. FAO Country Representative, Fred Kafeero, said this at the 44th meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) in Abuja on Thursday. He said that the theme of the meeting, which is “Nigeria’s Agriculture and Food Security in the face of COVID-19, Floods and Insecurity, ” was timely. Kafeero, however, said that the theme was a call for action to cushion the knock-on effects of these shocks and threats on the livelihoods of a large section of the population, especially vulnerable groups. He urged the government to provide enabling environment for private participation, creating synergy, engaging other sectors, interven...
President Buhar: We won’t rest until peace is fully restored in Borno
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Maiduguri, Borno State, assured citizens of the federal government’s presence in fighting terrorism to the end, and ensuring that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are fully returned to continue normal lives, commending Governor Babagana Zulum for resilience and relentless efforts in rebuilding the state. President Buhari, on an official visit to the state to appraise the security situation and commission some development projects, attributed recent successes recorded by the military against insurgents and terrorists at Dikwa, Damboa and Gwoza to careful planning, infusion of new equipment and other war materials as well as quality military leadership. “I am very happy to be here in Borno State once again. I consider Maiduguri and Borno State to be ...
Nigerian government approves N9.2 billion premium for civil servants’ life insurance
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of N9.2billion as premium to insurance companies that will manage the group life insurance for federal civil servants in the country. Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed revealed this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday. He said: “On behalf of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, I will like to report that council today approved the award of contract for the appointment of insurance companies for group life assurance for federal government employees, public servants, para-military and the intelligence community for the year 2021-2022 in the sum of N9, 248. 995, 907. “This premium is for a perio...
Myanmar military tribunal orders 20-year jail terms for torching Chinese-linked factories
A Myanmar military tribunal has sentenced 28 people to 20 years in jail with hard labour for arson attacks on two factories, state media reported, after a string of mainly Chinese-financed factories were torched during unrest in Yangon in March. The army-run Myawady news portal said the offenders had targeted a shoe plant and a garment factory in the industrial Hlaing Tharyar suburb of Myanmar’s biggest city. Martial law was imposed in the suburb after the blazes, with dozens killed or wounded when security forces opened fire on anti-military protesters, media and an activist group said. The Chinese embassy in Myanmar said at the time that many Chinese staff were injured and trapped in the arson attacks and called on Myanmar to protect Chinese property and citizens. A total of 32 Chinese-i...
Nigerian farmers raise alarm as insecurity threatens food availability
Some concerned parties in the agriculture sector have appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts in curbing banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, as these can threaten food security. The parties made the appeal in separate interviews with newsmen on Friday in Abuja. They noted that the recent increase in kidnapping and banditry had made a lot of farmers run from their farmlands in search of safe hideouts. The Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, said there was a need to urgently address the insecurity challenges in the country in order to overcome the challenge of food shortage. Ikonne noted that dialogue remained critical in addressing issues of insecurity and herders, adding that a peaceful dialogue between farmers and her...
Edinson Cavani offered £50K pay rise to stay at Manchester United
Manchester United plan to keep Edinson Cavani at Old Trafford for the 2021-22 season by offering the striker a wage increase of £50,000, according to reports. The Uruguayan has cemented himself as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice striker during the second half of the 2020-21 campaign, playing a pivotal goalscoring role both domestically and in Europe – most notably in the Europa League semi-final tie with AS Roma, against whom he scored four goals over two legs. United do not have the option to extend the 12-month deal Cavani signed last summer, and it has been generally assumed the 34-year-old would return to South America this summer. However, Cavani can choose to add another year to his current deal, and according to The Sun, United plan to give the 34-year-old extra incentive to rem...
CBN governor seeks PPP model to improve healthcare infrastructure
Bloomberg The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged stakeholders in the public and private sectors to collaborate to build a more healthy and robust healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria. The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, made the call at a movie launch titled: “UNMASKED”, a feature documentary on leadership, trust and the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The movie was produced and directed by Mr Femi Odugbemi, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker, and co-produced by Ms Kadaria Ahmed, a renowned journalist, media entrepreneur and television host, on Friday in Lagos. According to Emefiele, addressing the public health crisis along with the downturn in the economy required strong coordination. He said the measures and interventions put in place by the CBN and private sector to improve governme...
Official: Lagos residents consume N5 trillion worth of food annually
The Lagos State Government says residents of the state are consuming food and agricultural produce worth about N5 trillion annually. Ms Abisola Olusanya, the Commissioner for Agriculture, made this known at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos to commemorate the second year in office of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. Olusanya said that the amount might increase to N6.3 trillion by 2030, if the population of the state grew to 30 million. “It is worthy to note that in terms of the amount of food we consume in Lagos on an annual basis, it is almost N5 trillion. “If the population is to grow to about 30 million by 2030, Lagos will likely need food worth N6.3 trillion on an annual basis,’’ she said. According to her, currently, Lagos is producing about 20 to 24 per cent of its food...
NBMA reiterates commitment to clamp down on GMOs
The National Biosafety Management Agency, NBMA, Tuesday, reiterated commitment to ensuring the eradication of Genetically Modified Organisms, (GMOs) in the country, as well as assuring Nigerians of safe products in the market. The Director-General of the NBMA, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen in Abuja, stating that Nigerians should be aware of the roles of the Agency in the proper regulation of GMOs in the country. He insisted that the NBMA has not been resting on its oars in ensuring that only safe and approved genetically modified seeds and grains for food and feed processing are allowed into the Nigerian market. Hence, he said, the constant upgrading of GM detection, analysis laboratory, and constant inspection of GMO facilities, confined field trial sites,...
NTDC explores Lagos creative communities on Google Arts & Culture
The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has concluded plans to explore Lagos creative communities on Google Arts & Culture in five different ways. The project tagged; ‘Eko for Show’, is in partnership with Google Arts & Culture towards celebrating Lagos and its creative communities. The Director-General of NTDC, Mr Folorunsho Coker, who made the revelation in an interaction with the media, said that Lagos is one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities and that its creative scene is taking the world by storm. Coker noted that with over 25 million people, the city’s creative scene is fueled by a young generation of talented individuals and communities spanning music, art, photography, fashion, theatre, literature and food. The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, he said ...
