Author: Helen Okechukwu

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a renewed appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, alongside urgent calls for full humanitarian access, the safeguarding of children, and the safe release of all hostages. In response to Israel’s recent commitment to implement humanitarian pauses, UNICEF welcomed the move as a step towards improving the delivery of critical aid. The organisation described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,”  with children bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict. Since hostilities escalated following the breakdown of the ceasefire in March, access to necessities has become increasingly scarce. Read Also: UNICEF seeks collaboration from…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Chinese national, Liang Tak You, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with 26.10kg of Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain.

With the aim of easing mobility among patients who face challenges, the Adunni Olayiwola Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has donated 14 wheelchairs to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). While disclosing this on Saturday through the hospital’s Facebook post, it was shared that the donated items were in honour of the matriarch, late Mrs Adunni Olayiwola. Speaking at the event, Mr Seun Olayiwola, son of the deceased, explained that the gesture was part of their commitment to commemorating their mother’s life through impactful community service. “This is something we do to honour our late mum, by giving back…

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…