News
Kogi flags off climate-smart oil palm training
The Kogi State Government has launched a climate-resilient oil palm production training aimed at equipping farmers with modern agricultural techniques to combat the effects of climate change.
The workshop held at the Auditorium of the College of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Kabba, Kogi State, was declared open by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojoma who was represented by the Director of Agricultural Services, Kunle Agbana
The Commissioner emphasized that unpredictable rainfall and shifting farming calendars necessitate urgent training for farmers to maintain productivity and high quality in oil palm production.
A statement by Kogi State Government House media team had it that the commissioner reaffirmed Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo’s commitment to agricultural development, citing the successful tractorization of over 8,000 hectares of farmlands and support for 88,000 farmers with free inputs in the past year, with an expansion plan to cover at least 16,000 hectares this year.
Ojoma urged farmers in the state to embrace sustainable agricultural practices and traceability systems to meet international standards, stressing that the future of oil palm production in Kogi State is one that is standardized, traceable, and exportable thereby signaling a new era of agro-economic growth for the state.
Similarly, Director of Research and Head of Extension and Economics at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Olusegun Solomon, emphasized the vast potential of oil palm to generate wealth, create jobs, and strengthen agro-industrial value chains.
He noted that every part of the oil palm tree holds economic value, including the palm kernel shells which he noted is now in high demand globally.
Solomon announced the distribution of 1,000 improved oil palm seedlings worth ₦2.5 million to farmers in Kogi west senatorial district with plans to replicate the initiative in Kogi East in the coming weeks.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Kogi West Oil Palm Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Moses Olorunnipa, commended the initiative as a game-changer for local farmers and Nigerian youth.
He urged young people in the state to collaborate, invest in processing and harvesting equipment, and tap into the vast and untapped potential of the oil palm industry for sustainable income and job creation.
The workshop & training brought together stakeholders, farmers, and agricultural experts to address challenges posed by unpredictable weather conditions and shifting farming calendars.
News
Tinubu: My govt has created 650,000 jobs via National MSME clinics In 19 states and FCT
President Bola Tinubu on Monday disclosed that his government has created 650,000 jobs through its National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Clinics in 19 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Tinubu also vowed to remove all bottlenecks militating against Nigerians turning ideas and skills into successful businesses.
The President made this known via his verified X handle, @officialABAT and explained that a tailor should not need millions of naira to buy industrial machinery before she can grow her business while a food processor should not have to build a factory before producing at scale.
This, he stated, informed why the Federal Government, “under our Renewed Hope administration, is investing in shared MSME hubs through our National MSME Clinics, giving entrepreneurs access to modern equipment, reliable power and production facilities without carrying the full cost alone.”
According to Tinubu: “Today, 21 shared facilities across 19 states and the FCT are supporting businesses and an estimated 650,000 jobs. ReadPolitical News
“Nigerians do not lack ideas, skill or ambition. Too often, they lack access to the tools and infrastructure needed to turn them into successful businesses.
“Our job is to remove those barriers.
“When small businesses can produce more, at lower cost, they become more competitive. They grow. They employ more people. They create income and opportunity for Nigerian families.
“Giving Nigerian enterprise the tools to succeed is how we build prosperity from the ground up. That is the Nigeria we are building.”
News
Experts raise alarm on Shawarma, Cancer, Kidney Disease
Health professionals have warned that regular consumption of shawarma containing high amounts of salt, sugar, fat, seasoning and processed meat may contribute to hypertension, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease.
Excessive salt can raise blood pressure and put additional strain on the kidneys, while high-calorie sauces may contribute to weight gain.
Nutrition experts advised Nigerians to eat shawarma in moderation, use less mayonnaise and other sauces, choose lean grilled meat and add more vegetables. Consumers were also urged to check vendors’ cleanliness and avoid food prepared where ingredients are exposed to flies, dust or poor handling.
A recent report by experts also warned that frequent consumption of Shawarma may increase the risk of other food-borne infections and long-term health problems.
The report contains documented cases of people who suffered vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and weakness after eating shawarma, with some requiring hospital treatment.
According to the report, poor hygiene could allow bacteria and other contaminants into shawarma, causing illnesses including cholera, dysentery, typhoid and salmonellosis.
It also raised concerns about mayonnaise and creamy sauces kept without proper refrigeration and warned that poor storage could encourage bacterial growth and increase the risk of food poisoning.
A study cited in the report found bacterial contamination in ready-to-eat shawarma sold on the streets
Experts also raised concerns about processed meat such as sausage, noting that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans.
News
Phone communication exposes married woman in the case of Abuja resident who died in a hotel
The mystery surrounding the death of a man whose body was found by the roadside in Abuja has taken a new turn, with police tracing the case through his missing mobile phone to a married woman who allegedly spent time with him at a hotel.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja, saying investigators arrested Rukayat Muhammed after tracing the deceased’s final communications.
The man was found dead on August 26 along the Kubwa Expressway, near Katampe under the bridge, after his family had earlier reported him missing.
According to the police, the case initially raised suspicion of a possible “one chance” incident. Investigators, however, established that the dead man was the missing person after identifying his remains.
Sanusi said the deceased’s mobile phone was missing and had been switched off. Police investigators subsequently traced his last known communication, leading them to Rukayat, a resident of Garki Area 2.
Investigators reportedly discovered that Rukayat, who is married, was allegedly in a romantic relationship with the deceased. The police said she had saved his contact under the name “Safiyat.”
The CP said the pair had lodged at Good Samaritan Guest House on 2nd Avenue, Gwarinpa, where the man later died.
Sanusi said Rukayat allegedly discovered that the man was no longer breathing but failed to alert the police or hotel management. Instead, she allegedly took his phone and left the hotel.
The case took another turn when hotel management later discovered the man’s body inside the room after attempts to contact the occupants failed.
Rather than reporting the discovery, two hotel staff members, Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus, allegedly removed the body from the room and transported it to the Kubwa Expressway, where they dumped it under the Katampe bridge.
The police said the action was apparently intended to distance the hotel and its management from the death.
Sanusi said detectives were still working to establish exactly how the man died and determine the individual roles of those connected to the incident.
He warned that anyone found to have participated in the death, concealment or abandonment of the body would face prosecution.
The commissioner said the investigation remains ongoing.
-
News2 years agoSenate to speed up conclusion of Nigeria Forest Security Service Bill
-
News1 year agoThe Many Lies Against Bashir Haske
-
News3 years agoBreaking: Tinubu’s authentic ministerial nominees
-
News3 years ago“Anytime we want to kill terrorists, President would ask us to take permission from France but they were killing our soldiers-” Niger Republic coup leader
-
News3 years ago“I’m leaving the Catholic church because Bishop Onah is oppressing me,” says Okunerere
-
News3 years agoMy nude photo leak was a mistake- lawyer Ifunanya
-
News4 months agoSee your state governor’s performance ranking
-
News3 years agoRadio Nigeria’s veteran broadcaster Kelvin Ugwu dies three months after retirement from service
