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BY KEVWE OKPORUA A riot of canoes bumping into each other in narrow waterways — paddlers yell a chorus of instructions to other boats: “Move! Shift! Stop!” Expletives are thrown in for good measure in one of three languages spoken here — Egun, Yoruba and French. Children can be seen floating by in large plastic basins, joining the hustle and bustle of [...]
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a five-year, US$1.6 billion commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to deliver life-saving vaccines to the world’s poorest countries. According to the Gates, the "funding and global coordination will ensure" people all over the world are able to get the COVID-19 vaccine when they become available. The commitment was announced at the Global Vaccine [...]
Niger has been ranked the least prepared state for health emergencies amongst all states in the country. According to a Health Preparedness Index published by SBM Intelligence, Cross River is the most prepared state for health emergencies. The index was based on each state's doctor-to-population ratio, infant mortality rates and human development indices. The bottom-ranked states were Kebbi, Kano, Gombe, Jigawa and Niger while Cross River, [...]
The United Nations (UN) has launched a coronavirus appeal for $6.7 billion to contain the spread of the virus in the world's most "fragile countries". The appeal is a global humanitarian response plan that aims to provide help and protection that prioritize the most vulnerable in society, such as older people, people with disabilities, and women and girls. In a statement on [...]
BY KELECHI ONYEMAOBI AND ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI As Nigeria grapples with the outbreak of COVID-19, the government has initiated measures including lockdowns and closure of borders to contain the spread of the virus. In the North East of the country, the main airport in Maiduguri, Borno State, is closed to all air traffic, except for military aircraft and flights operated by the [...]
Farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector have warned that the country is in danger of food shortage due to the police intimidation that has frustrated efforts to move farm produce during the lockdown. President Muhammadu Buhari had imposed a lockdown in some states across the country to control the spread of the coronavirus. Individuals in the agricultural value chain were exempted [...]
Olufemi Oladunni, the executive director of the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), says the national food production would be increased if citizens cultivate home gardens. In a chat with journalists, Oladunni proffered solutions on ways to help farmers and improve national food production. Question: One of the realizations from this COVID-19 pandemic is that global demand for crude oil may [...]
Save the Children International Nigeria says it is concerned that the coronavirus pandemic may expose vulnerable children to malnutrition and hunger. In a statement on Thursday, Amanuel Mamo, the organisation's director of advocacy and campaigns, said effects of the disease could reverse the progress made on child rights in the country. The organisation asked the government to scale up provision of cash [...]
The United Nation’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched a $40m COVID-19 fund to support rural farmers in vulnerable countries. In a statement on Monday, the agency said the facility will mitigate the effects of the pandemic on food production, market access and rural employment. Gilbert Houngbo, IFAD president, said the pandemic may push rural families deeper into poverty and [...]
