Author: admin - Page 2 - African News Today

FG Launches GMO TELA Maize Seeds in Nigeria

19Jun

By adminNo Comments

Agriculture, Nigeria, Science

FG Launches GMO TELA Maize Seeds in Nigeria

Nigeria’s federal government has launched a new Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize variety named TELA, despite widespread concerns and opposition from citizens. The initiative, ostensibly aimed at boosting maize production, has been criticized as prioritizing corporate and governmental interests over public health and ecological safety. The TELA maize was developed at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in collaboration with the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF). The project received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners. See Also: Nigeria: Why I Spoke Directly to Nigerian Leaders – Bill Gates At the launch event in Abuja, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sena...

Reps Want New Aircrafts for the President and his Vice

14Jun

By adminNo Comments

Nigeria

Reps Want New Aircrafts for the President and his Vice

In a move that many will consider as both insensitive and outrightly wasteful, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has recommended the procurement of new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. This recommendation comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with severe economic challenges, including significant national debt, widespread hunger, and a rapidly declining purchasing power among its citizens. The committee's report, which followed an investigation into the current status of the aircraft in the presidential air fleet, highlights concerns about the technical and operational adequacy of the existing fleet. "The committee is of the strong and informed opinion that, considering the fragile structure of the Nig...

Labour Refutes Tinubu’s Claims of Minimum Wage Agreement

13Jun

By adminNo Comments

Nigeria

Labour Refutes Tinubu’s Claims of Minimum Wage Agreement

Abuja, Nigeria — The Organised Labour has refuted President Bola Tinubu’s assertion that a new national minimum wage agreement had been reached, as stated in his nationwide Democracy Day address. According to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as of the conclusion of negotiations on June 7, no consensus had been achieved by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage. The committee had presented two differing figures: N250,000 proposed by labour and N62,000 suggested by the government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS), which were to be submitted to the President. The Federal Government has called on labour to adopt a more realistic stance in their wage demands, emphasizing that the expected relief for Nigerians would not solely come from increased wages but also from ...

Soludo Calls for Minimum Wage for Elected Officials

13Jun

By adminNo Comments

Nigeria

Soludo Calls for Minimum Wage for Elected Officials

The Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, on Wednesday, advocated for governors and other elected officials to earn minimum wage. He said this to emphasize the need for a lifestyle that reflects Nigeria’s financial challenges. Speaking at a special edition of The Platform, an event organized by The Covenant Nation to promote national development, Governor Soludo highlighted the stark contrast between the opulent lifestyles of government officials and the harsh economic realities faced by the country. “Let’s come clean and straight with Nigerians. Nigeria is very poor and broke but the lifestyle of government and government officials does not show it, especially with the obscene flamboyance in public display,” Soludo stated. Soludo criticized the extravagant lifestyles of governm...

12Jun

By adminNo Comments

Nigeria

Diageo Sells Guinness Nigeria Stakes; Join Exiting Multinationals

UK-Based Diageo to Sell 58% Guinness Nigeria Stake to Tolaram Group for $70 Million Diageo Plc, the British multinational beverage alcohol company, is selling its 58% stake in Guinness Nigeria Plc to Singapore-based Tolaram Group. This move aligns with other multinational corporations' recent decisions to reduce their exposure or exit Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, currently grappling with a severe cost-of-living crisis. Tolaram Group, which operates in consumer goods and is an investor in Nigeria's new Lekki Deep Sea Port, will purchase the holding for 81.6 naira ($0.05) per share, totaling approximately $70 million. This strategic exit by Diageo is in response to the increasingly challenging business environment in Nigeria, marked by a scarcity of dollars necessary f...

Death Toll Rises to 41 in DRC Attack by Islamist Rebels

11Jun

By adminNo Comments

Congo

Death Toll Rises to 41 in DRC Attack by Islamist Rebels

Masala, Democratic Republic of Congo – The death toll from a brutal attack by militants and Islamist rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to at least 41, the government reported on Monday. Red Cross volunteers and local youths have been tirelessly searching for bodies since the attack occurred on Friday in the eastern North Kivu province. The villages of Masala, Keme, and Mahini were targeted in the violent assault. Armed men wielding guns and machetes unleashed terror on the residents, causing widespread panic and chaos. Maurice Kambale Mulehera, a resident of Masala, recounted the horrors faced by fleeing villagers. "We learned that our fleeing family members were killed along the way. Here we have two bodies, a girl and a boy. Look how they were killed," he ...

Plane Crash Claims Lives of Malawi’s Vice-President, 9 Others

11Jun

By adminNo Comments

Malawi

Plane Crash Claims Lives of Malawi’s Vice-President, 9 Others

It has now been confirmed that Malawi's Vice-President, Saulos Chilima, was among ten people killed when a small military plane crashed in a mountainous region in the north of the country. President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed the news in a live televised address on Tuesday, expressing deep sorrow and condolences to the nation. The ill-fated aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers on Monday after the pilot was instructed to return to the capital, Lilongwe, due to deteriorating weather conditions. Despite efforts to maintain communication, the plane ultimately vanished from radar, leading to a frantic search and rescue operation. "I'm deeply saddened, I'm sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy. The search and rescue team has found the aircra...

AI Accuses Nigerian Military of Detaining, Abusing Boko Haram Escapees

11Jun

By adminNo Comments

Armed Forces, Child Abuse, Human Rights, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

AI Accuses Nigerian Military of Detaining, Abusing Boko Haram Escapees

Amnesty International has reported that dozens of women and young girls who escaped captivity by Boko Haram extremists have faced unlawful detention and abuse within Nigerian military facilities. The report, released on Monday, highlights ongoing human rights violations in the country’s northeast. The Amnesty International report is based on 126 interviews, mostly with survivors, conducted over the 14 years since Boko Haram launched its insurgency. It documents the harrowing experiences of women and girls who were detained, often along with their children, for extended periods due to their real or perceived associations with the extremist group. The report echoes longstanding concerns about the Nigerian military's human rights record, which has faced accusations of extrajudicial kil...

NLC Awaits Tinubu’s Decision, Insists on ₦250,000 Minimum Wage

11Jun

By adminNo Comments

Cost of Living, Economy, Labour, Nigeria

NLC Awaits Tinubu’s Decision, Insists on ₦250,000 Minimum Wage

Organised Labour in Nigeria has remained obstinate in its demand for a new minimum wage of ₦250,000, dismissing lower offers as inadequate. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has categorically rejected proposals of ₦62,000 and ₦100,000, labeling them as “starvation wages.” In an interview on Monday during the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, NLC President Joe Ajaero stated that the union is awaiting President Bola Tinubu's response to their proposal. Ajaero emphasized that the proposed figures by the government and employers do not reflect labour's stance. Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, reiterated the union's position during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Morning Brief’ program. He firmly stated that the NLC would not acc...

Sule Lamido Criticizes Tinubu’s Presidency: “Doing Everything Wrong”

11Jun

By adminNo Comments

Economy, Interview, News, Nigeria

Sule Lamido Criticizes Tinubu’s Presidency: “Doing Everything Wrong”

In a recent interview, former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, made important observations about President Bola Tinubu's administration, accusing it of numerous failures and attributing Tinubu's rise to the presidency to luck. Lamido expressed these views on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Monday. During the interview, Lamido contested the widespread belief that Tinubu was responsible for building Lagos. He argued that Lagos was developed with funds from the Nigerian government, not by Tinubu's efforts. Lamido cited significant infrastructure such as ports, airports, and bridges in the southwestern state as evidence. “I know Tinubu very well. I also know him as the Governor of Lagos. I know his capacity. He’s on top of the country. He didn’t build Lagos. Lagos ...