Author: Helen Okechukwu

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Timor-Leste malaria-free — a major public health victory for the young nation, which has prioritised the disease since gaining independence in 2002.

The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) is set to kick-start the implementation of an €18 million grant from the European Union (EU), aimed at transforming Nigeria’s vaccine landscape. Speaking in Abuja, NIPRD Director-General, Dr Obi Adigwe, described the grant as a “game-changer” for the country’s vaccine independence. According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the funding supports Nigeria’s 10-year plan (2024–2034) to build a self-reliant vaccine ecosystem through research, development, and local production. While recalling the challenges Nigeria faced during the COVID-19 period, he said, “We also witnessed vaccine nationalism, where countries hoarded vaccines despite preaching equity…

With tomato season in full swing, experts are urging Britons to stop storing their tomatoes in the fridge. While it might seem like a way to preserve freshness, chilling tomatoes at low temperatures destroys both their texture and flavour. According to Professor Graham Seymour, emeritus professor of plant biotechnology at the University of Nottingham, storing ripe tomatoes at 5°C – the average fridge temperature – significantly reduces the aromatic compounds that give tomatoes their distinct taste. “If you have a suitable storage area at a temperature of 12.5C-14C, then ripening will be slowed,” Professor Seymour says. “Flavour could still be…

The United Kingdom (UK) government has acknowledged that its deep foreign aid cuts will likely lead to more global deaths, disproportionately affecting women, girls, and crisis-hit regions in Africa. In its latest report, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed a £575 million cut for 2025-26. Overall aid will drop from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income by 2027—around £6 billion less. The FCDO’s own impact assessment warns that the cuts could increase disease and death, especially among the poorest and most vulnerable, including children and people with disabilities. Critics say key sectors like education, healthcare, and gender…

A 36-year-old Chinese national, Ji Zhou, along with two Nigerian citizens, Amino Mohammed, 34, and Abdussalam Akolawole, 38—both indigenes of Kogi State—has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged involvement in cybercrime, impersonation, conspiracy, and obtaining money under false pretence. This announcement was made known via their Facebook page on Tuesday, in various documents signed by the Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale. The anti-graft agency beckoned on the public to report their whereabouts to the nearest security station. According to Oyewale, Zhou’s last known address was Unguwan Mai Keke, Kafanchan, in Jama’a…

A prosecution witness, Sulaiman Kwalla, on Tuesday, told the Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, how Bishop Katung Jonas used his religious influence to lure thousands, including Kwalla and his wife, into a failed cooperative scheme. Testifying before Justice Sharon T. Ishaya, Kwalla alleged that Jonas, alongside co-defendant Okewole Dayo, promoted the Covenant Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society through televised sermons and adverts promising 10% monthly returns. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the duo on a 23-count charge bordering on obtaining N178.8 million under false pretence. “He invested ₦200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) and additional…

The Kogi State Government has taken a decisive step in the fight against malnutrition, initiating treatment protocols for affected individuals and expanding healthcare coverage for children with co-morbidities. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, speaking through his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Ali Bello, at the launch of a training programme on the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) in Lokoja, reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving child nutrition across the state. He revealed that the state’s Health Insurance Agency has been directed to cover all expenses for malnourished children who present at referral centres with additional medical complications. He further called on…

The Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju, has called on members of the public to support the police in its intensified efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks operating within and beyond the state. This appeal comes on the heels of the recent arrest of two suspected child traffickers and the rescue of a pregnant woman from captivity. The suspects, Sunshine Hart, 28, and Kingsley Ekocha, 38, were apprehended in Aba, Abia State, during a targeted police operation on 24 June. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the rescue of 24-year-old Regina Sunday during the operation. Read Also: Enugu…

The Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatimah Momoh, has called on stakeholders and policymakers to rally support for the passage of the bill seeking special seats for women in the National Assembly (NA). She made the appeal during a meeting of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) structure convened in Lokoja by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The meeting brought together key stakeholders and technical partners focused on promoting gender equality, uplifting vulnerable groups, and supporting individuals with disabilities. Momoh emphasised that increasing the representation of women in legislative processes is…

Health officials and managers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called for a substantial increase in health sector funding, in line with the 15 per cent target set by the Abuja Declaration of 2001. The call was made at the close of a four-day capacity-building workshop in Abuja, organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The training focused on developing data-driven, budget-linked Annual Operational Plans (AOP) for the FCT health system. The programme, held under the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), aimed to boost leadershipartp, strategic planning, and health systems strengthening efforts across the…