As the world commemorates Africa Day 2024 on May 25th, the focus shifts to celebrating the achievements of the continent and contemplating the path forward. This year’s theme stressed the need of forging a sustainable future, a vital discussion given Africa’s unique position in the global climate. With a relatively young population, a wealth of natural resources, and burgeoning economies, Africa stands at a crossroads of tremendous opportunities and formidable challenges. Despite contributing minimally to the global climate crisis, the continent faces disproportionate impacts from climate-related disasters and extreme weather events. The United Nations highlights that out of the 20…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The Lagos State Government has announced a traffic diversion on the Gbagada-Oworonshoki Expressway due to an exigent situation. The diversion will affect motorists from Alapere-Ogudu-Car Wash to Iyana Oworo inward Anthony/Oshodi, starting from 6 am on Saturday, May 25, until Sunday evening, May 26, 2024. Bolanle Ogunlola, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Transportation, released a statement detailing the traffic changes. Motorists will be unable to access the expressway from the Ram Seller area beside Gbagada General Hospital. Instead, they will be diverted into Diya Street through New Garage by Jolad Hospital, allowing access to Gbagada Phase…
Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, on Saturday, despite an order from the UN’s top court for it to “immediately halt” its military offensive in the southern city. At the same time, renewed efforts are getting underway in Paris aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. In a case brought by South Africa alleging the Israeli military operation amounts to “genocide”, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and demanded the immediate release of hostages still held by Palestinian militants. The…
Former CIA agent Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, has pleaded guilty to charges of espionage on behalf of China, as announced by the US Department of Justice. Ma, a naturalized US citizen originally from Hong Kong, admitted to providing extensive classified US national defense information to Chinese authorities in 2001, despite having left the CIA 12 years earlier. The Justice Department revealed that Ma’s espionage activities were initiated by another former CIA agent, identified as his blood relative and referred to as “co-conspirator #1.” This individual, born in Shanghai and also a naturalized American, facilitated Ma’s meeting with representatives of…
Manufacturers’ confidence in the Nigerian economy surged by 53.3 points in the first quarter of 2024, marking an increase from 51.8 points in the same period last year. This data was disclosed by Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), in the recently released CEO Confidence Index report. The quarterly report, which gauges stakeholders’ concerns about changes in economic government policies, highlighted a moderate improvement in the Aggregate Index Score (AIS). Ajayi-Kadir commented on the findings, stating: “The report that we are presenting today confirms a moderate improvement in the Aggregate Index Score (AIS), evidenced by…
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has airlifted a total of 18,906 Nigerian pilgrims for the 2024/1445 Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. This was achieved within 11 days, with 45 flights transporting pilgrims from various states across Nigeria. In an update posted on their official X (formerly Twitter) handle, #nigeriahajjcom, NAHCON provided a detailed breakdown of the number of pilgrims airlifted per state, flight, and gender. On Saturday, the agency highlighted a notable flight, Air Peace flight APK7920, which departed from Lagos to Madinah at 11:45hrs. This flight carried 298 pilgrims from Edo State, comprising 162 males and 136…
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is targeting more than 288,000 girls for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against Cervical Cancer in Kogi beginning May 27. Mr Mohammed Bala, the Technical Assistant on HPV Introduction, John Snow Incorporated (JSI), made the disclosure in an interview in Lokoja on Saturday. Bala explained that on May 27, NPHCDA and John Snow Incorporated (JSI) through the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Programme Partners Initiative (HAPPI) project, would be there to provide the needed technical support. He said that the week-long programme is targeting girls between the ages of nine and 14 years,…
A landslide in Papua New Guinea’s remote Enga Province has left more than 100 people feared dead, according to local officials. The disaster struck early Friday morning, burying the village of Yambali under boulders, trees, and debris. Rescue efforts are currently underway, but the ongoing instability of the landslide area is hampering progress. The landslide occurred around 3 a.m., approximately 600 kilometers northwest of the capital, Port Moresby. Residents from nearby areas reported that a mountainside collapse buried significant portions of the community, isolating it completely. Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the International Organization for Migration’s mission in Papua New…
The Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has received 305 memoranda and 112 bills. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu disclosed this development, marking a critical step in addressing the nation’s legislative and governance challenges. Senate President Godswill Akpabio affirmed the 10th National Assembly’s commitment to creating a constitution that meets Nigerians’ collective needs. Speaking at a two-day retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio urged lawmakers to diligently review all bills and proposals, ensuring they reflect the diverse perspectives of the Nigerian populace. Akpabio emphasized that the new constitution would establish a framework for a united and prosperous…
Turkish Airlines is set to resume the airlift of Nigerian passengers who have been stranded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos since Tuesday. This development follows the successful intervention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which brokered peace between the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the airline. The resolution came after NUATE picketed the airline, disrupting operations due to the dismissal of seven Turkish Airlines staff accused of ticket racketeering amounting to $600,000. The airline alleged that the union might be siding with the dismissed workers, who were found guilty of corrupt practices by…
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the United Nations, has issued a ruling demanding Israel immediately cease its military operations in Rafah. This ruling comes over seven months into the ongoing Gaza conflict and is expected to significantly increase international pressure on Israel. Announced on Friday, the ICJ’s order specifies that Israel must “immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” as reported by…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down Jaff Foods Limited, a rice factory in Niger State, due to unhygienic processing methods. During a routine inspection, the Director of NAFDAC’s North Central Zone, Shaba Mohammed, identified significant lapses in the factory’s production environment, which failed to meet good manufacturing practices. Although Jaff Foods Limited holds a registration with NAFDAC, the inspection revealed that the facility’s production environment was unsanitary. “The rice processing facility has been sealed and given compliance directives for not adhering to the regulations required for production and certification,” Mohammed stated.…