The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given $78 million as a training grant to 150 farmers in Bauchi State and the FCT to boost food security in Nigeria.

The beneficiaries are farmers of the Community Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (COMAFAS).

Massandje Toure-Litse, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, made this known at the opening of a poultry training workshop for beneficiaries in Orozo, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Ms Toure-Litse said the grant would increase young people’s capacity to engage in agriculture value chains and food production.

She added that it would go toward training 150 youth in poultry and fisheries, adding that the two sub-sectors were the main driving force behind the sub-region’s economy and development.

She said ECOWAS has designed quality training modules and arranged to train 3,032 young people (30 per cent women and 70 per cent men).

Ms Toure-Litse said agricultural productivity and competitiveness in West Africa tended to positively impact the sub-region’s food security, economic development, and livelihoods.

According to her, the ECOWAS Agriculture Policy remains the guiding framework for the 15 bloc members as it prioritises agricultural productivity and competitiveness.

She added that there was a need for urgent intervention in gender participation in agriculture and youth employment, food chains, crops, forestry, livestock, and fisheries.

“It is anticipated that by 2030, at least 30 per cent of young people in the sub-region will be employed in the agriculture sector.

“This will amount to a 75 per cent reduction in youth under-employment in rural areas,’’ she said.

In his remarks, Austine Maduka, founder of COMAFAS, said despite the expansion of the poultry industry in Nigeria, it could only cater to 30 per cent of the needs of Nigerians.

Seventy-five of the 150 beneficiaries would be trained in poultry farming in the FCT, while the remaining 75 would be trained in fish farming in Bauchi.

The FCT beneficiaries were given 50 birds each, bags of poultry feeds and drugs as start-up capital.

India has called for reforms that will include representation of Africa in the UN Security Council to give voice to the continent.

Indian minister of external affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made the call at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday in New York.

“We must address global challenges imbued with the conviction that we are one earth and one family, with one future,” Mr Jaishankar stated.

Mr Jaishankar recalled the recent G20 Summit and said India’s presidency focused on the key concerns of the many, not just the narrow interests of a few.

“At a time when East-West polarisation is so sharp and North-South divide so deep, the New Delhi Summit also affirms that diplomacy and dialogue are the only effective solutions,” explained the Indian minister.

“The international order is diverse, and we must cater for divergences if not differences.”

He added, “The days when a few nations set the agenda and expected others to fall in line are over.”

The minister noted outcomes from the summit, including an action plan for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), environmental initiatives, highlighting international financial institutions reform and the admission of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.

“By doing so, we gave voice to an entire continent which has long been its due,” Mr Jaishankar said, and in that context, urging reforms to the UN Security Council.

The Indian official said that days when a few nations set the global agenda and “expected others to fall in line” were over, noting that we often advocate promoting a rules-based order.

“From time to time, respect for the UN Charter is also invoked. But for all the talk, there are still a few nations who shape the agenda and seek to define the norms. This cannot go on indefinitely. Nor will it go unchallenged,” Mr Jaishankar stressed.

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has called on the federal government to find a lasting solution to the rising price of cooking gas in the country.

NALPGAM national president Abideen Olatunbosun stated this during the 36th annual general meeting of the association held in Ibadan on Tuesday.

Mr Olatunbosun said, “It is very vital for me to state that continuous increase in the price of gas in recent times stands as a big challenge to LPG marketers. The government needs to find ways to ensure the stability of gas prices as well as make gas available to common Nigerians.

“As a country, we need to improve on our gas utilisation level, and if we all adopt gas, it will save our forest and improve the quality of our lifestyle and the economy will grow.”

According to him, the gas price hike concerns all, calling for a collaborative effort between the government and the private sector to establish critical gas infrastructure.

The guest speaker, Sunday Isehunwa of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan, said LPG offered a huge promise for increased domestic gas utilisation in Nigeria.

He said cooking gas also served as the country’s energy transition to net-zero carbon emission by 2060.

According to Isehunwa, there is a need for increased LPG supply to meet rising demand and curtail sharp practices by some operators.

“The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) has been the major supplier of LPG. However, additional supplies are essential through functional refineries and adequate natural gas processing facilities. Removal of difficulties in importation when necessary is also essential for additional supplies,” said Mr Isehunwa.

He added, “Adequate infrastructure development is highly necessary to enhance access to LPG by rural communities. Accessibility will increase through increased economic empowerment of consumers and relatively low costs of products.”

Ogbugo Ukoha of the Nigerian Midstream And Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said the recent deregulation policy would result in reflective petroleum products pricing.

Mr Ukoha, NMDPRA’s executive director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, noted that current data had shown that the domestic gas supply had overtaken the import supply.

Mr Ukoha said that necessary infrastructure investment must be put in place to address the challenges of the gas reserve to achieve smooth distribution of the product.

“Our focus is to make the necessary investment in gas infrastructure to increase LPG supply so as to force its price down for Nigerians,” said Mr Ukoha.

Police commissioner Augustina Ogbodo has urged the Muslim faithful to use the Eid-el-Maulud celebration to pray for sustainable peace and security in the nation.

Ms Ogbodo, in a statement on Tuesday in Abakaliki, said sustaining peace in the country was necessary to advance the nation’s socio-economic development efforts.

The police chief said the command had put in place necessary security measures to monitor the celebration across Ebonyi.

“We wish the peace-loving people of Ebonyi a peaceful and hitch-free Salah celebration,” said Ms Ogbodo.

She thanked Ebonyi residents for their continuous support and cooperation in ensuring security, pledging the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

Mr Ogbodo urged the residents to report any suspicious movement of persons or items to the nearest police station.

The police commissioner said the residents could also reach the command’s spokesperson on 08130826008 or its control room on 07064515001 for reports.

Several houses in Guatemala City were swept away by the strong current of a river following heavy rain, killing at least six people, authorities said on Tuesday.

Some 12 more people were missing, the National Emergency Management Agency of the Central American country (CONRED) said.

Earlier, the local fire brigade had said one of the victims was a five-year-old girl.

According to authorities, the Las Vacas River, which overflowed its banks, washed away at least six houses under the El Naranjo bridge in the early hours of Monday.

Rescue workers searched for the missing in the mud along a 15-kilometre stretch of the river, radio station Emisoras Unidas reported.

“After the tragedy in the settlement of Dios Es Fiel caused by flooding, I express my deep concern and solidarity with the affected families,” President Alejandro Giammattei said.

Mr Giammattei wrote this on social media platform X, adding that 94 rescue workers had been deployed.

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, with 18 million inhabitants.

Thunderstorms there often cause landslides and floods in the rainy season, with many fatalities.

The Kwara government says it has started disbursing on Monday N10,000 to each of the 26,852 indigenous students in 140 tertiary schools across the country.

Chairman of the Government Committee on Students’ Palliative Fund, Shehu Adaramaja, said on Tuesday in Ilorin that the disbursement was to augment the students’ expenses after fuel subsidy removal.

He said the exercise followed a thorough screening process that lasted several weeks.

“Each beneficiary received a palliative fund of N10,000 directly into his or her account. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq says the palliative is a token of support and another one in the multi-sectoral palliatives that his administration has rolled out since June,” said Mr Adaramaja.

The official added, “The disbursement of the palliative fund is a testament to the government’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of its students.”

Mr Adaramaja, chair of the State Universal Basic Education Board, said 30,775 students registered online before the screening processes later produced 26,852 beneficiaries.

“In the data verification and analyses carried out by the technical committee, those with incomplete registrations, multiple registrations, and forged citizenship certificates, among others, were weeded out,” he explained.

“That pegged the number of beneficiaries at 26,852.”

By extending this financial assistance, the governor is showing empathy to the students and parents who need all the support they can get now, said Mr Adaramaja.

He also mentioned that efforts were underway to ensure that the funds were received by students from diverse academic disciplines and backgrounds, helping to cater to the needs of a wide range of deserving students.

Mr Adaramaja stated that Kwara remained resolute in its commitment to the welfare of the people, including students.

The police, on Tuesday, arraigned seven persons before a Grade I Area Court, Lugbe in Abuja for allegedly constituting public nuisance.

The defendants: Ibrahim Abdullahi, 20; Gadafi Usman, 23; Abubakar Adamu, 19; Habibu Idris, 20; Useni Abdullahi, 18; Abubakar Ibrahim, 18 and Anas Adamu, 32, all with no fixed addresses, were arraigned on a count charge of public nuisance.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution counsel, Stanley Nwaforaku, told the court that a team of policemen, led by Bulama Dogu, attached to Lugbe Police Station, raided a black spot and arrested the defendants.

Mr Nwaforaku said that illicit drugs and knives were found in the defendants’ possession during the time of their arrest.

He added that during police investigation, they could not give satisfactory reasons for the items found on them.

The judge, Aliyu Kagarko, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200,000 each, with one surety in like sum.

Mr Kagarko, thereafter, adjourned the case till Oct. 13 for mention.

Not fewer than 15 persons were on Monday evening reportedly killed in an accident involving a trailer and a commercial bus in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The articulated vehicle was said to be coming from Lokoja-Okene road before ramming into the commercial bus that was full of passengers.

An eyewitness said that the incident occurred after the trailer had a brake failure and crashed into a Toyota bus, killing 15 persons. He also said the corpses of the dead were taken to the mortuary, while the injured were taken to the hospital for medical attention.

Calls and text messages sent to the mobile phone of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Paul Okpe, were not responded to at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Etsako East Local Chairman, Hon. Benedicta Attoh, has commiserated with the families of the victims as well as the people of Okpella, on the tragic incident.

A statement from her Chief Press Secretary, Ben Atu, said she sincerely sympathises with the family of the dead and prays for a quick recovery for the injured.

The statement reads:

“It is with a deep sense of sorrow that I commiserate with the families of those that lost their lives in a fatal motor accident along the Ewo Market Road in Okpella on Monday, September 25th, 2023.”

“Indeed, their deaths have caused great sorrow for their families. I wish to let the families of the victims know that our thoughts and prayers are with them in this moment of grief. It is not the will of God that we die before our time, but when something like this happens, who can question God”.

“On behalf of Etsako East Local Government Council, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of our departed brothers and sisters.

“Their untimely death has undoubtedly caused great pain to their families and I pray that such tragedy will never occur again in Jesus name, Amen.

“May God grant the families and loved ones the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and may their souls rest in peace, amen,” she said.

Ogun State government on Tuesday said that it has cancelled celebrating the 63rd Independence Day scheduled for Sunday, October 1st.

This, according to a statement from the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, was in tune with the directive of the federal government to have a low-key celebration this year.

The decision by the Federal Government to have a low-key celebration according to the statement was to reflect the mood of the nation with the government urging citizens of the state to spend the time solemnly praying for the country.

The statement partly reads, “Following the directive of the Federal Government that this year’s Independence Day Celebration should be low-key, the Ogun State Government has cancelled all arrangements in respect of the anniversary on October 1st, 2023.

“The decision by the federal government is to reflect the mood of the nation. The state government enjoins citizens of the state to spend the time solemnly praying for the country.

“It is the strong belief of the government under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun that the supplications of the people at this crucial time will be answered by God.

“We seek the understanding and cooperation of all and sundry as we observe a low-key independence anniversary this year, believing that better times lie ahead of us as a people”.

A fully loaded NNPC tanker got stuck and caused gridlock for travellers coming from Oju Odo, Synagogue Church, inward Ikotun area of Lagos State on Tuesday morning.

This was contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofeek, on Tuesday.

According to the statement shared on the agency’s X page, the LASTMA operatives averted a major fire disaster and ensured miscreants didn’t loot the tanker’s product.

A Non-profit organisation, Margaret Modinat Foundation, on Monday, handed over to Ogun State government, a newly reconstructed block of three classrooms with furniture and four toilets at Comprehensive High School, Ijebu Ife in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.

The donor and Founder of the NGO, Princess Olanrewaju Osibote, said her passion for humanity and desire to further create a conducive learning atmosphere for the students, informed her decision to embark on the project about a month ago, amounting to N11m.

Osibote said she had always been an advocate of selfless service. This, she added, was one of those traits she inherited from her late mother who she said was always willing to share the little she had with others without expecting anything in return.

She explained that “I have always been immersed in giving back to the people and society; its one passion and sense of duty that always makes me fulfilled and be at peace with myself.

“We have done a lot of this in Lagos State, helping the widows and all that but I said let me come back home and see what could be done.”

Veteran Nollywood actor Oluyemi Lawrence Adeyemi popularly known as Suara, is dead.

The actor, according to a statement signed by his son, Adedotun Adeyemi, died on Sunday, September 24.

“It is with a heavy heart but with total submission to God that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, Oluyemi Lawrence Adeyemi (Suara), who went to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 24, 2023. 

“We are consoled because we know that he has gone to rest. We kindly request that the family be allowed some privacy in this time of grief. More details about the burial will be communicated soon.”

Adeyemi rose to fame with his role in the 2001 Wale Adenuga hit series, ‘Super Story.’

The Federal Government has unveiled the official logo for the country’s 63rd Independence Day celebration.

It was released by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, on Tuesday morning.

Nigeria will mark its 63rd Independence Day celebration on Sunday, October 1.

The federal government has declared Wednesday, Sept. 27, public holiday in commemoration of Eid-el-Maulud celebration, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the federal government in Abuja.

Mr Tunji-Ojo congratulated the Muslim Ummah both home and in diaspora for witnessing the occasion.

He admonished Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and perseverance which were deep spiritual virtues that the Holy Prophet exemplified.

The minister also urged Nigerians, especially the youth to embrace the virtues of hard work and peaceful disposition to fellow humans, irrespective of faith, ideology, social class and ethnicity.

He also enjoined them to join hands with President Bola Tinubu’s administration in its effort to build a progressive and enviable nation that Nigerians would be proud of.

Mr Tunji-Ojo wished the Muslim Ummah a joyful celebration.

He admonished Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and perseverance which were deep spiritual virtues that the Holy Prophet exemplified.

The minister also urged Nigerians, especially the youth to embrace the virtues of hard work and peaceful disposition to fellow humans, irrespective of faith, ideology, social class and ethnicity.

He also enjoined them to join hands with President Bola Tinubu’s administration in its effort to build a progressive and enviable nation that Nigerians would be proud of.

Mr Tunji-Ojo wished the Muslim Ummah a joyful celebration.

Perez Medcare Hospital says Afrobeats artiste MohBbad was brought in dead to its facility.

The hospital said this in a statement signed by its management on Monday, stressing that the 27-year-old singer was dead on arrival on September 12.

After failed attempts to resuscitate him, the hospital stated that it advised the individuals who brought him to deposit his body in a morgue.

“We consider it pertinent to put on record that at about 4:30 p.m. on the 12th of September 2023, the lifeless body of Mr Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (aka MohBad) was brought to our medical facility and our medical team immediately sprang into action,” said the hospital.

“And after assessment, it was discovered that there was no sign of life, no central or peripheral pulse, no heartbeat, no recordable vital signs and his pupils were fixed and dilated.”

It added, “On attempting CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), rigor mortis (stiffening of some parts of the body in relation to death) was observed, and the persons who brought him to our facility were informed that it was a case of BID (brought in dead).”

The statement added that “upon enquiry about the circumstances leading to the emergency, our team was informed that the deceased was being treated at home by a nurse and that she administered injections on him,” pointing out that the nurse “who was said to be administering treatment on him at home is not a staff of Perez Medcare Hospital and the video of the medical facility circulating in the media space in which the late Mr Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (aka MohBad) is seen alive and receiving treatment is not Perez Medcare Hospital.”

The hospital insisted that MohBad was not its patient and “was never admitted at our hospital at any material time whatsoever.”

The Obafemi Awolowo University management, Ile-Ife, has reduced the sundry charges payable by university students.

The university spokesman, Abiodun Olarewaju, said this in a statement issued on Monday, noting that the decision followed a meeting the university’s management had with the leadership of the Students Union on Monday.

The meeting, which lasted for several hours, was called by the university management after several student agitations to reduce the initial charges approved by the university, said the statement.

It said the students’ leaders insisted on a 50 per cent reduction, but the university management made it clear that the new charges were the minimum the university requires to run efficiently.

The vice-chancellor of the university, Adebayo Bamire, later announced that the fees initially announced had been reduced.

“For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of N89,200 for returning students have been reduced to N76,000. While the new students in the Humanities, the initial fees of N151,200 have been reduced to N131,000,” said the statement.

It added, “For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charges of N101,200, for returning students, is now N86,000 while the new students in the same Faculties will now pay N141,000 as against the initial N163,200.”

It said returning Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences students would now pay N109,000 instead of N128,200. New students in the same faculties will pay N164,000 instead of the initial charges of N190,000.

The school announced that the fee could be paid in two equal instalments.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has issued an advisory to motorists and diverted traffic along the Enugu–Port Harcourt dual carriageway following a collapsed flyover bridge.

FRSC spokesman Bisi Kazeem said this in a statement on Tuesday.

The collapsed bridge was at the new artisan market on the Port Harcourt-Enugu dual carriageway in Enugu.

The bridge collapsed on Monday at 12.30 p.m., affecting motorists and commuters.

FRSC advised motorists from Portharcourt-Aba to Abakaliki to pass through Bricks at the new Kenyatta Market (army checkpoint), Okpara Square.

“This will lead them to New Haven junction by Otigba Roundabout, through Ogui Roundabout-Abakpa junction (82 Division) and proceed to Abakaliki. While on the other hand, motorists from Abuja-Abakaliki going to Aba-Portharcourt are advised to take Abakpa Junction (82 Division)-New Haven junction by Otigba roundabout,” the FRSC statement said.

It added, “This would be through Ogui Roundabout to Okpara Square and proceed to Enugu-Portharcourt dual carriageway, new Kenyatta Market (army checkpoint) and continue to Aba-Port Harcourt.”

The Senate will on Tuesday screen the former chair of the board of Citi Bank Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, for the position of the Central Bank of Nigeria governor.

The Senate will also screen four nominees for the positions of CBN deputy governors, who will work with Mr Cardoso to steer the affairs of the apex bank in the next five years.

In a statement by the media office of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate will screen all the nominees following its resumption from its annual recess.

On August 8, the Senate had adjourned sitting for its annual recess.

“The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will resume plenary on Tuesday, September 26. We will consider the screening of Dr Cardoso at the Committee of the Whole. Cardoso will be screened alongside four deputy governors, namely: Mrs Emem Usoro, Mr Muhammad Dattijo, Mr Philip Ikeazor and Dr Bala Bello,” said the statement.

It added, “Besides, the Senate has scheduled to screen the ministerial nominees: Dr Jamila Ibrahim and Mr Ayodele Olawande, respectively designated as minister of youth and minister of state for youth on October 3.”

President Bola Tinubu had, on September 15, approved the nomination of Mr Cardoso to serve as the new governor of CBN.

Mr Tinubu also approved the nomination of four deputy governors for five years each at the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Senate.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, says her ministry has concluded plans to constitute a mobile court to try Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases.

The minister, who said this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja, noted that it would increase the visibility of the ministry’s activities in dealing with SGBV issues.

Ms Kennedy-Ohaneye disclosed that among the would-be culprits to be arraigned at the court were those still practising Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to end the old traditional practice nationwide.

The minister said the ministry’s board of directors had given its tacit support to the ministry’s avowed determination to give women a voice in society.

“This will be done in line with Mr President’s renewed hope agenda,” she said, adding that they would work to allow the poor to breathe and not be suffocated.

According to her, the dispensation of cases at the mobile court will be in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Governors Forum, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other security agencies.

She said partnering with other organisations was an innovative way to enforce the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 and other laws to guide against SGBV, GBV, and FGM.

According to the minister, the sanitary towels the ministry usually gives students will be transformed into a “Sanitary Pad Production Centre” as the old method can no longer be sustainable.”

She also said the ministry had stopped the old practice of distribution of gas cylinders to rural women.

“it’s no longer sustainable, as the ministry is now concerned about who refills the gas cylinder for these women when it’s finished,” she said.

She disclosed that the ministry would change the old support method to charcoal burners and bio-gas stoves because of its cost-effectiveness.

Ms Kennedy-Ohaneye added that the ministry had concluded plans to set up women’s cooperative societies to empower the women folk.

She said the scheme would be run in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Traders Associations, and other international organisations.

The minister assured Nigerians that its creche and other underutilised assets would be revived and begin to function optimally within her first 100 days in office.

Egypt’s presidential election is to take place in December, the country’s National Election Authority said.

The commission said on Monday that the presidential poll would be held over three consecutive days beginning December 10.

It said the Egyptians living abroad could cast their ballots over three days starting December 1.

Candidacy registration would open from October 5 until October 14, with the final list of candidates will be released on November 19.

The final vote results are to be officially announced on December 18.Walid Hamza, the commission’s head, promised a fair election, adding that the election would take place under full judicial supervision.

“Say your word in the ballot box and decide your fate and future by your hands,” Mr Hamza said, calling on Egyptians to vote in the upcoming election amid an economic crisis in the country of around 105 million.

Around 65 million Egyptians are eligible to vote, according to Egyptian media.

Incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who has ruled Egypt since 2014, has not officially announced his candidacy, but he is widely expected to run.

After his re-election in 2018, his current term ends next April.

Under approved amendments to Egypt’s 2014 constitution, al-Sissi could run for one more six-year term.

Several leaders in political parties loyal to Mr al-Sissi have announced their intention to stand for president.

Opposition politician Ahmed al-Tanatawi, an ex-lawmaker, has also said he would run and accused security agencies of arresting some of his supporters.