West Africa

Farmers, herders’ clashes threatening agricultural research – OAU VC

April 27, 2021 Bayo Agboola 0

Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, has said the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen in some parts of the country are threatening agricultural research and productivity in Nigeria. The vice chancellor raised the alarm Monday while speaking at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) Ibadan, during the opening of 2020/2021 annual-in-house review Read More

Facebook’s campaign showcases content creators

April 27, 2021 House keeper 0

Facebook has announced the launch of its creators’ campaign in Nigeria and Ghana. The initiative highlighted the inspiring stories of leading content creators who have succeeded in various creative industries using the Facebook family of Apps to inspire other creative artists and connect with communities. According to a statement, the Facebook Creators campaign spotlights eight creative artists in Nigeria and Read More

‘Nigeria lost N5.5trn to cybercrimes in 10 years’

April 27, 2021 House keeper 0

Deloitte West Africa Chief Strategy Officer Mr Tope Aladenusi has revealed that Nigeria has lost N5.5 trillion to fraud and cybercrimes in 10 years. Aladenusi, who disclosed this at a recent webinar hosted by FirstBank of Nigeria Limited with the theme: ‘Staying Protected Amidst the Pandemic Chaos’ said the losses from cybercrimes seemed to be more than drug trafficking. Aladenusi, Read More

Clipping the wings of Boko Haram, bandits’ informants

April 23, 2021 Haruna Murtala 0

The remarkable, albeit modest successes recorded by the Nigerian military, especially the troops who have battled (for years) to liberate the North East from Boko Haram insurgency, will be eroded if no concrete action is taken against civilians who have deliberately turned themselves into informants for terrorists. In recent times, spontaneous attacks have been launched at military bases and communities Read More

Breaking: Crisis looms in Chad as opposition rejects late President’s son

April 21, 2021 BBC 0

Opposition politicians in Chad have rejected the army’s appointment of President’s Idriss Déby’s son to take over in the wake of his death. Déby, 68 – who had been in power for three decades – died after being shot as he battled rebels on the frontline. The rebels have also objected the move, saying: “Chad is not a monarchy.” Mahamat Read More

Burkina Faso’s Cim Métal to challenge Dangote for share of Togo’s cement market

April 20, 2021 House keeper 0

Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote is facing stern challenge from Burkinabe’s Inoussa Kanazoé in the Togolese cement market. After the successful development of industrial activities at Cim Métal Group, CEO Inoussa Kanazoé is now making incursion into the Togolese market. He intends to make his move in a sector dominated by Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote. In September 2020, Cim Métal Group’s discreet Read More

MTN, Airtel shares climb 2.1%, 0.5% as SIM sale resumes

April 19, 2021 Blessing Anaro 0

MTN shares climbed as much as 2.1 per cent in early trade in Johannesburg, extending a surge that has seen the stock gain more than 50 per cent this year. Airtel rose 0.5 per cent in London. MTN’s local unit is the West African country’s biggest wireless operator, while Airtel Africa, which listed in Lagos and London in 2019, is Read More

Pirates release 15 sailors abducted in Gulf of Guinea

April 15, 2021 House keeper 0

The 15 crew members kidnapped from a chemical tanker off the coast of Benin more than a month ago have been released, the ship’s Dutch owners have said. De Poli Tankers said the company was “delighted to report that all fifteen of its officers and crew abducted from its vessel Davide B in the Gulf of Guinea on March 11 Read More

UNILAG professor wins $2.5m Bill Gates grant

April 13, 2021 House keeper 0

A professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Lagos, Bose Afolabi, has been awarded a $2.5 million research grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The university said in a statement that as the principal investigator, Ms Afolabi will lead a multicentre study which will run the research for three years. The don seeks to research anaemia Read More

Building products based on customer needs: The LG smart & dual inverter story

April 10, 2021 David Agba 0

With the recent increase in the number of people working from home, the demand for energy-efficient and powerful cool air conditioners have risen exponentially across Africa due to unbearable heat caused by the weather, especially during the dry season.  Based on customer needs, the electronics giants has varieties of Air Conditioner namely; GenCool, ArtCool and DualCool Premium Air Conditioners. A Read More

Cape Verde: End maltreatment of Nigerians in diaspora, group petitions FG

April 9, 2021 Bode Olagoke 0

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO) known as Coalition of Active Young Citizens (CAYC) has petitioned the federal government, demanding an end to alleged maltreatment of Nigerians in the Diaspora.  The CSO made the call in a letter dated April 8, 2021 and addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama.  The Convener, of the group Victor Terhemba, who signed Read More

Breaking: COVID-19 forces WAEC to postpone May/June examination, releases results for private candidates

April 6, 2021 House keeper 0

The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has postponed the conduct of 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates. Head of WAEC Patrick Areghan who disclosed this in Lagos said the examination was postponed indefinitely due to the effects of Covid-19 pandemic. He said the pandemic distorted academic calendar, hence it was not possible to hold the Read More

Alkali’s answers to North -East humanitarian question

April 5, 2021 Raphael Odoh 0

Apparently, Boko Haram insurgents and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have gravely injured and shackled the North East Development Commission (NEDC), a baby created out of necessity to cater for humanitarian crisis incited by Boko Haram. The NEDC’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, (MD-CEO), Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali experiences grippingly retells the story of managing the near Read More

NAF begins airlift of COVID-19 medical materials to ECOWAS countries

March 31, 2021 Benjamin Samson 0

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced airlifting of COVID-19 medical relief materials donated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to member countries. A statement by NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet on Wednesday, said the materials will be distributed to the 14-member nations of ECOWAS including Nigeria, in response to the spread of the second wave Read More

COVID-19: Appreciating NPHCDA’s leadership intervention

March 30, 2021 Bukola Olasanmi 0

Notwithstanding heightened division in opinion, orchestrated negative propaganda and the deepening conspiracy theory against COVID19 Vaccine, Nigeria took delivery of 3.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, 2 March 2021. The delivery marked the first arrival of COVID-19 vaccine in the country and make Nigeria the next West African country to benefit from the COVAX Facility after Ghana Read More

Nigerians’ quest for overseas studies

March 22, 2021 House keeper 0

A new report published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), a global foreign-policy think tank, to the effect that a significant percentage of the £30 million contributed annually to the United Kingdom’s education sector by politicians in West Africa come from Nigeria is a cause for concern by the managers of Nigeria’s economy. The situation is not only Read More

The impact of iron deficiency on kids

March 21, 2021 House keeper 0

Nestle Nigeria Plc, a foremost food and beverages manufacturer in the country, recently re-echoed the danger inherent in iron deficiency among kids under the age of five, citing 68 per cent as the figure of those affected. The danger was sounded by the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Victoria Uwadoka, during a courtesy visit to the head office of Read More

A world of cyber attacks

March 16, 2021 Nosa Imoisili 0

The federal government affirmed the key role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the nation’s economy when it recently called for increased regional collaboration for the development of an ICT ecosystem in West Africa as a potential digital hub on the global ICT Map. The government made the call at the two – day 18th Annual General Meeting of Read More

Troops kill 41 terrorists, rescue 60 in Borno

March 15, 2021 Benjamin Samson 0

Troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE have killed 41 Boko Haram Terrorists and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Gamboru axis, Ngala Local Government Area of Borno state. A statement by director, Army Public Relations Brig.-Gen Mohammed Yerima Monday, said troops also recovered weapons and rescued 60 persons from the terrorists’ captivity. “The gallant troops who maintained aggressive posture, Read More

MTN acquires additional spectrum in Nigeria

March 14, 2021 Blessing Anaro 0

MTN Nigeria has acquired an additional 10MHz spectrum in the 800MHz band from Intercellular Nigeria, the mobile operator announced Friday. In a note to shareholders, MTN said the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the transaction and assigned the frequency to MTN Nigeria. With the acquisition, the telecoms service provider says it will significantly improve customer experience in its most Read More

UI holds virtual 2020/2021 session matriculation March 16

March 12, 2021 Bayo Agboola 0

The management of the University of Ibadan on Friday announced Tuesday, March 16 for its 2020/2021 academic session virtual matriculation ceremony. According to a statement, the virtual matriculation would come up at 10.00am in the Trenchard Hall of the institution. The statement stressed that a total of 8197 newly admitted students are expected to participate in the ceremony in which Read More

Pantami calls for speedy devt of telecoms network infrastructure across Africa

March 11, 2021 Ayoni M. Agbabiaka 0

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has tasked the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) to ensure the development of a seamless telecommunications network and infrastructure across West Africa is expedited. Pantami said this in his opening remarks at the Annual General Meeting of the Assembly held in Abuja on Wednesday. The minister noted that Read More

Court rejects Shell’s bid to unfreeze bank accounts

March 11, 2021 Blessing Anaro 0

A Nigerian court rejected Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s bid to overturn an order restricting access to the company’s bank accounts in the West African country, a spokesman said. Aiteo Eastern E&P Co. obtained an injunction from a federal court in Lagos on Jan. 25 directing Shell and multiple Nigerian banks not to let the oil major withdraw funds “without first Read More