The Federal Government has set up a committee to carry out major changes to the National Youth Service Corps. The goal is to make the scheme stronger, more useful to national growth, and better suited to the needs of Nigerian youths. This decision followed rising concerns about the safety of corps members, poor facilities, and whether the NYSC still fits into today’s social and economic realities. The inauguration of the committee happened in Abuja on Tuesday, with key people from government, civil society, and private businesses in attendance. Speaking at…
Day: May 7, 2025
Nigeria loses N1.3bn to tomato ebola in three states – Minister
The Federal Government says Nigeria has so far lost more than N1.3 billion to the outbreak of Tuta absoluta, commonly known as the tomato leaf miner or “Tomato Ebola” in three states. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said this at the ongoing four-day capacity-building workshop for financial institutions on Wednesday in Abuja. The workshop is organised by HortiNigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Plc. Kyari said the outbreak had consequently led to the surge of a 50-kilogramme basket…
Aiyedatiwa denies seizing Ondo cocoa farmers’ land for private firm
The Ondo State Government has refuted claims by some cocoa farmers in Odigbo Local Government Area that it had sold their farmland in Oluwa Forest Reserve to a private firm, thereby ejecting them from their means of livelihood. Hundreds of farmers in the council area on Sunday staged a protest against the private firm SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited and the state government, accusing them of destroying their farm plantation in Oluwa Forest Reserve in Odigbo LG in a bid to take over the land. During the protest, the aggrieved farmers…
NMA commends Otti for 100% doctors salary hike
The Nigerian Medical Association, Abia Chapter, has commended Governor Alex Otti for approving the 100 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for employed doctors in the state. The state Chairman of NMA, Dr Ezinwa Ezuruike, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Umuahia, expressed the group’s appreciation to the governor. He said that the landmark approval announced on April 29 restored long-awaited pay parity for state-employed doctors. Ezuruike noted that the development underscored Otti’s continued commitment to strengthening the health sector and improving the welfare of health professionals in the…
Why Wigwe’s helicopter crashed – US transport board
The United States National Transportation Safety Board has attributed the helicopter crash that killed former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and three others to pilot error caused by spatial disorientation. The NTSB report, released on Wednesday, further indicted the helicopter company, accusing it of “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes”. This was contained in the NTSB final report unravelling the reasons for the helicopter crash in February 2024. Preliminary report had earlier shown that the helicopter, registered as N130CZ, crashed while operating under visual flight rules…
AI key for health, education, innovation, says Bill Gates
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said that artificial intelligence will play a key role in unlocking new tools for health, education and agriculture. The philanthropist stated this at a meeting with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday. Gates visited Subianto and Indonesian philanthropists in the capital, Jakarta, where he spoke about his optimism that AI-driven innovation will help tackle global challenges. He said, “AI is going to help us discover new tools. And even in the delivery of health, education and agriculture advice, we’ll be using AI. “Once we finish…