Month: May 2025

Nigeria loses N1.3bn to tomato ebola in three states – Minister

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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…

Tinubu presents ₦1.78trn FCT budget to N’Assembly

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President Bola Tinubu has presented a ₦1.78 trillion budget proposal for the Federal Capital Territory to the National Assembly. Tinubu, in a letter read on the floor of the Green Chamber on Tuesday by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, urged the lawmakers to fast-track its passage to facilitate critical development projects in the nation’s capital. Tinubu stated that the budget presentation was in compliance with Section 299 of the Nigerian Constitution, which empowers the president to lay the FCT’s budget before the legislature. In his letter, the…

PWAN not licensed to operate in Nigeria, SEC warns investors

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The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a stern warning to the public regarding the operations of Property World Africa Network, also known as PWAN MAX, which has been soliciting funds from unsuspecting investors under the guise of a real estate investment company. The SEC has clarified that PWAN/PWAN MAX is not registered with the Commission to operate in any capacity within Nigeria’s capital market, raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of its activities. In a public notice released on Tuesday via its official Twitter handle, the SEC revealed that…

Trent Alexander-Arnold confirms Liverpool exit after 20 years

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Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season, bringing an emotional 20-year association with his boyhood team to an end. In a statement on Monday via X, Alexander-Arnold described the decision as the most difficult of his life. “ After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season,” he announced. “This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life.” The 26-year-old,…

NELFUND under fire over loans to ex-students

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Some graduates from public tertiary institutions have raised concerns over the delayed disbursement of student loans, revealing that funds were sent to their schools months after they had already graduated. They also continue to receive N20,000 monthly upkeep stipends despite no longer being students. In separate interviews , the affected individuals explained that while they had applied for the Nigeria Education Loan Fund  before graduating, disbursements were delayed, forcing them to seek alternative means to pay their fees. To their surprise, the loans were eventually paid to their institutions long…

Only 1.16% of underage UTME candidates show exceptional ability — JAMB

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Out of the 40,247 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), only 467 — which is 1.16 per cent —scored high enough to be classified under the exceptional ability category, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has revealed. This from a total of 1,955,069 processed results for the year. In a post made on X (formerly Twitter) via its official handle @JAMBHQ, the examination body on Monday, disclosed that although the underage candidates were permitted to showcase their academic prowess, “their performance in the subsequent…