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Moderna starts human trials of an mRNA-based flu shot
Moderna gave its mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine to the first set of volunteers in a clinical trial, the pharmaceutical company announced today. The start of the trial marks the next stage of the company’s work on this type of vaccine technology after the overwhelming success of its COVID-19 vaccine, which was built using the same strategy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines were still largely experimental, even as they were heralded as the future of vaccine development. People who get an mRNA vaccine are injected with tiny snippets of genetic material from the target virus. Their cells use that genetic information to build bits of the virus, which the body’s immune system learns to fight against. The high efficacy of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTec...
Dangote Cement completes issuance of N50 billion bond programme
Dangote Cement Plc has announced the successful issuance of N50 billion series 1 fixed rate senior unsecured bonds, under its new N300 billion multi-instrument issuance programme. In a statement on Tuesday, the cement producer said the bonds were issued on May 26, 2021 at coupon rates of 11.25 percent, 12.50 percent and 13.50 percent for the three, five and seven-year tranches respectively. The bonds will be listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited and FMDQ Securities Exchange. Dangote Cement said that the proceeds of the bond issuance will be deployed for the company’s expansion projects, short-term debt refinancing and working capital requirements. “Aside from this first issuance of a traditional bond under the new Multi-Instruments Programme, Dangote Cement has registered a programme ena...
No sign of Sergio Ramos in Real Madrid shirt launch
Sergio Ramos was one of the noticeable face that didn’t appear in any of the photos of Real Madrid’s kit launch campaign for the 2021/22 season. MARCA has learned that he wasn’t present at the photo shoot for the new kit, which was launched by Real Madrid and Adidas this Tuesday. While it’s true that the entire squad doesn’t attend such photo shoots, Ramos has always been a central figure in such campaigns. It’s not known if this decision was the club’s or Ramos’ or a mutual one. It could also be the case that the photo shoot was held when Ramos was in isolation due to COVID-19, but Adidas always want as many stars as possible present and the dates would have been moved if there had been a desire for the captain to be present. It should also be pointed out that this has nothing to do with ...
House invites CBN governor on recovered loots
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the assessment and status of recovered loots has invited the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, to appear before it. The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Adeogun Adejoro, who extended the invitation on Thursday in Abuja said that it was necessary for the committee to know the number of recovered loots and where they were being kept. The Minister of Finance, Hajia Zainab Ahmed had told the committee that she had no idea of the number of accounts being used to keep the recovered loot. She, however, said that the ministry had a record of what had been recovered and the amount that had come into the account. She stated that N50 billion was provided from recovered loot to fund the 2020 budget, adding that the...
Niger: Bandits kill two, kidnap assemblyman’s mother
The mother of the one of longest serving members of the Niger State house of Assembly, Alhaji Bello Ahmed Agwara, has been kidnapped. The 78-year-old Hajia Salamatu Ahmadu was abducted at about 9p.m. on Thursday night when some heavily armed gunmen riding on four motorcycles raided the country home of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) member in Agwara town. This is coming on the heels of the killing of two people and kidnap of several others at Tegina in the Rafi local government also on Thursday. According to eyewitnesses the bandits were armed with different types of weapons, among them AK-47. Immediately they stormed the town they started shooting sporadically making members of the community to scamper for safety. In the confusion it was learnt that the bandits went straight into the ...
Delta governor: We inherited N100 billion unpaid pension under compulsory pension scheme
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Sunday said his administration inherited about N100 billion unpaid pensions under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Okowa disclosed this at the third session of the 8th Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ughelli Diocese. The session was held at Bishop Agori-Iwe Memorial Church, Ughelli. Okowa said that the financial burden forced 18 state governments out of 26 that enlisted on the scheme to withdraw, leaving only eight state governments, including Delta, in the Programme. The governor explained that the major challenge which forced the states to withdraw and others not to enrol in the scheme, was the huge backlog running into billions of naira. He said that his administration was up-to-date with payment of pensioners in the old scheme. ...
Minister: Nigerian government worried about rising unemployment rate
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said the federal government is worried over the rising unemployment rate in the country. Speaking at the 2nd Shakeholders’ Meeting on Expatriate Quota Administration organized by the Citizenship and Business Department of the Ministry of Interior, the Minister said: “Anyone that is not worried about the unemployment rate in the country is not a patriot.” He lamented that the unemployment rate of 33 per cent released by the National Bureau of Statistics was indeed worrisome and a wake up call that something urgently needed to be done to keep Nigerians employed and drastically reduce the unemployment rate. The Minister, who called on all stakeholders at the meeting to ensure quality inputs were brought to the table that will lead to the produ...
Federal government okays N20.1 billion for Nigerian customs equipment
The federal government has approved a total of N20,114,002871 for the acquisition of various operational equipment for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa on Wednesday. The Minister said further that Council also approved the sum of N539,277,673 for the construction of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) building at the Ilupeju Medium and Small Taxpayers’ office in Lagos. On the breakdown of contracts approved for Customs, the Minister said a total of 427 operational vehicles, worth N14.55 billion and nine assorted gunboats worth N5,564,002,871 were a...
AstraZeneca: ‘No evidence’ of higher blood clots risk from coronavirus vaccine
UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca insisted on Friday its coronavirus vaccine was safe after some countries suspended its use in response to concerns about a potential link to blood clots. “An analysis of our safety data of more than 10 million records has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country” from the jab, a company spokesperson said. “In fact, the observed number of these types of events are significantly lower in those vaccinated than would be expected among the general population.” The AstraZeneca jab, developed with Oxford University, forms the mainstay of Britain’s vaccination programme, and of many developing economies. It is relatively cheap and easier to st...
Anglican Communion in Nigeria affirms rejection of homosexuality
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) on Sunday affirmed its rejection of homosexuality, vowing to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Primate, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, made the position of the church known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. “The Church of Nigeria affirms its total rejection of homosexuality, and will surely stand to defend the truth of the gospel based on the injunctions and ethical principles of the Holy Bible,’’ Ndukuba said. The statement is entitled, ‘‘Church of Nigeria’s Position on the Recent Developments in Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)”. He condemned recent signing of a letter which, he said, recognised and promoted homosexuality in ACNA. The cleric called for sanctions against bishops, priests and laity in ACNA Province who signed the letter. N...
NDLEA intercepts container containing two million capsules of Tramadol in Apapa port
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the interception of a container load of Tramadol at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, just as 90 persons including an Indian were caught in its dragnet during raids of some drug cartels in parts of Lagos where a total of 614.396 kilograms of various hard drugs were reportedly seized. A breakdown showed that at the Apapa seaport, about two million capsules of Tramadol (precisely 1,994,400 capsules) tucked in 554 cartons were intercepted in the container, which was falsely declared to contain ceramic tiles. NDLEA Apapa Seaport Area Commander Samuel Gadzama said one of the containers bearing the illicit drug had been intercepted and seized in Kenya, according to a statement by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi on Wedn...
Leon Balogun impresses at right back in Europa League for Rangers
Super Eagles center back Leon Balogun impressed in a right-back role as Rangers won in a seven -goal thriller in the Europa League round of 32 clash against Royal Antwerp at Bosuilstadion on Thursday night. With 24 minutes played, the Nigeria international came off the bench to replace Rangers skipper James Tavernier, who was not able to continue due to an injury. The right-back position is not entirely new to Balogun as he has played in that role for the national team, Mainz and Brighton & Hove. In fact, he made his debut for the Super Eagles as a right-back when he replaced Efe Ambrose in the second half of a pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico in March 2014. “I was back to an old role and I was happy I can still play it,” Balogun said at yesterday’s press conference. “I think the ...
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