In a speech at the Second International Grain from Ukraine Summit, Administrator Samantha Power of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), emphasized the agency’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s agricultural sector in the face of Russia’s unprovoked war. Administrator Power recounted her visit to the Port of Odesa, where farmers shared stories of challenges, including landmines and the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, further exacerbated by Russia’s Black Sea blockade. Since July 2022, USAID has launched AGRI-Ukraine, a program dedicated to enhancing Ukraine’s agricultural production and assisting farmers impacted by the conflict. To date, USAID has invested $350 million,…
Author: Editor Francis
In commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the United States, through a press statement by the Secretary of State, reaffirms its dedication to leveraging policy and diplomatic resources to prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally. The U.S. commitment involves aligning with the updated 2022 U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. This strategy is reinforced by tangible, survivor-centered actions, utilizing the $250 million in foreign assistance allocated by Congress in Fiscal Year 2023 for initiatives aimed at preventing and addressing gender-based violence. Notably, the Department has recently granted a $3…
In a ceremony preceding the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday, President Bola Tinubu swore in eight recently appointed Permanent Secretaries who excelled in the Federal Civil Service selection process. The swearing-in took place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja. The newly inaugurated Permanent Secretaries are Ndakayo-Aishetu Gogo, Bako Deborah Odoh, Omachi Raymond Omenka, Ahmed Dunoma Umar, Watti Tinuke, Adeoye Adeleye Ayodeji, Rimi Nura Abba, and Ella Nicholas Agbo. President Tinubu is currently presiding over the ongoing FEC meeting, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and other key officials in attendance. The meeting includes the…
In a swift response to United Nigeria Airlines diverting its Lagos-Abuja flight to Asaba on Sunday, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken decisive action, suspending all foreign lease aircraft operated by the airline. Passengers were left perplexed as a United Airlines plane touched down at Asaba International Airport instead of the scheduled destination, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA). Reports emerged stating that the suspension encompasses all wet lease aircraft under United Nigeria Airlines. Benedict Adeyileka, a former Director General of the NCAA, confirmed this development in an exclusive interview with one of our sources from the Daily Post …
The truce between Israel and Hamas entered its final 24 hours Monday, with signs the militant group was willing to extend the pause after it freed more hostages, including a four-year-old girl orphaned by its attack. Tearful reunions of families and hostages, released in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners, have brought the first relief in the seven-week war. Militant group Hamas raided Israel on October 7 in the worst attack in the country’s history, prompting devastating Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip. As the latest group of Israeli women and children walked free late Sunday, attention turned to calls…
Companies have taken decisive action by collectively increasing employee salaries by 18.35%, reaching an impressive N29.45 trillion in the first half of 2023. These findings are drawn from the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest ‘Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report (Expenditure and Income Approach): Q1, Q2.’ The NBS report underscores a substantial upswing in Compensation of Employees, encapsulating the total remuneration in cash or kind extended by employers to their workforce. This figure rose from N24.88 trillion in the first half of 2022 to the current N29.45 trillion. This strategic move aligns with the prevailing economic challenges in the country, where…
Six teenagers are on trial in Paris for their alleged involvement in the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, marking the first of two trials in a case that shocked France. The suspects arrived at the closed-doors juvenile court, concealing their faces. Paty, a 47-year-old history and geography teacher, was stabbed and beheaded near his secondary school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a Paris suburb. The assailant, 18-year-old Chechen refugee Abdoullakh Anzorov, was shot dead at the scene by the police. The attack occurred after messages circulated on social media claiming that Paty had shown cartoons of Prophet Mohammed from the satirical magazine…
Supporters of the theory point to Germany, France, and Japan—countries that rapidly rebuilt their economies after World War II. They point out how, in the 1960s and 1970s, East Asian countries like Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan converged with countries with developed economies. For example, it requires a clean environment and access to good health care. In practice, very few socialist countries have ever fully abolished all private ownership, even if the state exerts major control over the economy.Adam received his master’s in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in…
Sierra Leone reported the capture of “renegade soldiers” involved in an attempted break-in at a military armoury in Freetown during the early hours of Sunday. The government has successfully restored calm in the capital, prompting the imposition of a nationwide curfew. The country’s civil aviation authority has urged airlines to reschedule flights in response to the declared curfew, while soldiers on the frontier with Guinea revealed instructions to close the border. A Reuters journalist, who witnessed an armed group commandeering a police vehicle near the Wilberforce barracks, described mostly empty streets. The armed individuals, dressed in military fatigues and wearing…
Yemi Cardoso, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), addressed misconceptions surrounding the 43 items previously restricted from foreign exchange (FX) access at the official market. Speaking at the 58th Annual Bankers’ Dinner in Lagos, Cardoso clarified that the items were not outrightly banned but were subject to restrictions in accessing FX through official channels. He emphasized that the trade policy governing the importation and sale of these items falls under the jurisdiction of fiscal authorities, not the CBN. The recent decision to lift FX restrictions on these items aims to enhance liquidity in the FX market. Cardoso…
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported significant increases in the prices of various food items in Nigeria, according to its food price watch for October. 1. Tomato: The average price of 1kg of tomato increased by 19.48% on a month-on-month basis. It rose from N565.69 to N675.91. On a year-on-year basis, the price increased by 48.73%, from N454.46 in October 2022 to N675.91 in October 2023. Bayelsa had the highest price at N1,344.13 per kg, while Kwara had the lowest at N341.95. 2. Rice: The year-on-year average price of 1kg of locally sold loose rice increased by 68.10%,…
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Nigeria has reported a significant surge in the average price of bread, with a 52.69% increase in the cost of 500g unsliced bread over the past year. According to the Selected Food Price report for October 2023, the price rose from N482.47 in October of the previous year to N736.68. There was also an 11.32% increase from the N661.75 recorded in September of the same year. The report also highlighted a 45.43% price increase for 500g sliced bread, a staple in many middle-class homes. The price rose to N760.82 from N523.16 in the…