Author: damazah@gmail.com

Education remains the major foundation for economic growth and development. And, it is not education for its sake but for quality. Achieving quality education in a country like Nigeria requires massive funding and focused reforms. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, since taking up the job, has made many off-hand policy statements that require in-depth discussion, analysis, and erudition. Education is at the core of every country’s programme, and projects for growth and development do not require piecemeal policy statements to drive their activities, but a comprehensive, research-backed plan or strategy. Investments in education or human capital development today will…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has said much of the increase in Nigeria’s public debt since the current administration assumed office resulted from exchange-rate depreciation and accounting adjustments rather than extensive new borrowing. Mr Oyedele spoke on Monday while briefing the Senate Committee on Finance on the state of the economy, in response to concerns by lawmakers over the country’s rising debt profile. His remarks followed questions from Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), who referred to claims that the President Bola Tinubu administration had borrowed about ₦80 trillion in addition to the approximately…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has blacklisted Onifam Laboratories Ltd. following investigations that revealed regulatory misrepresentation and other violations that could compromise public health. The agency’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, announced the decision on Monday during a news briefing at NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in Apapa, Lagos. Represented by the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, Ms Adeyeye said investigations revealed that the company engaged in regulatory misrepresentation, including the improper use of approvals and certificates, as well as activities that undermined product traceability, accountability and the integrity of the country’s medicines…

Wholesale petrol prices at Nigeria’s private depots have pushed higher for a second straight week, averaging around N1,250 a litre, up from roughly N1,200 last week, as an extended halt in loading at Dangote Petroleum Refinery collides with a rally in global crude and a market adjusting to the refinery’s shift to dollar-based transactions. A survey by Petroleumprice.ng of major depots on Monday found loading prices clustering between N1,248 and N1,270 a litre across Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar, a further step up from last week’s levels. The suspension of loading at Dangote’s refinery has now stretched into a…

Almost 3,000 websites have been blocked or seized for illegally streaming World Cup matches, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has said.More than 1,000 domains were shut down in the US alone during the tournament, with a similar number blocked in Colombia.Enforcement agencies in America and across South America carried out the action under investigations named “operation offsides” and “operation red card”.Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC), said unauthorised broadcasting of World Cup matches violated intellectual property rights and “fuels criminal organizations”.The DOJ said at the end of last month it had taken…

Rescue teams are racing to reach Nuristan province as devastation continues across the region.Published On 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026At least 20 people have been killed after monsoon-driven flash floods struck Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province.Disaster officials and the governor’s office reported that the floods hit on Monday, destroying houses and shops in the province’s main city, Parun. The monsoon has wreaked havoc across the region in recent weeks, killing dozens of people in India and Nepal.At least 20 bodies have been recovered and more than 80 people were injured, according to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA).The casualties were…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted two tankers designated to transport edible vegetable oil after they were found carrying Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) in Lagos. Speaking to journalists on Monday, the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, described the incident as a serious breach of food safety regulations and a potential threat to public health. Mr Iluyomade said the discovery was made during a recent enforcement operation in Lagos. He said the agency investigation revealed that the two tankers, meant exclusively for edible vegetable oil, had been loaded with diesel in…

Imagine a small fire breaking out in one corner of your kitchen. With the right extinguisher, you might be able to stop it quickly. Instead, the sprinkler system activates and floods the entire house, turning a contained problem into widespread damage. Researchers say something similar may happen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid plaques, sticky clumps of protein that accumulate in the brain, are like the fire. Microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, act like the sprinklers. Their response is meant to protect the brain, but it may ultimately make the situation worse. A team at the…

As the final whistle blew in New Jersey, a few Argentina players – including Lionel Messi – slumped to the turf.Others stood there motionless as Spain’s players raced across the pitch in jubilation.Rodri, who had been substituted in extra-time, ran over from the dugout to join his team-mates. As the Manchester City midfielder went past Molina, the Argentina defender appeared to punch Rodri on the arm or stomach. This was the fuse which ignited the trouble.Rodri confronted Molina, but it was the Argentina player who thrust forward in an aggressive manner. Garcia ran over to back up his team-mate at…

Fresh debate over identity has emerged in South Africa following the coronation of Romanda Hombir as Miss World South Africa 2026. Ms Hombir, a 27-year-old clinical audiologist from Mpumalanga, was crowned at the Barnyard Theatre in Menlyn, Pretoria. She will represent South Africa at the 75th Miss World competition scheduled from 9 August to 5 September in Vietnam. Soon after her victory, some social media users questioned her identity, drawing comparisons with the 2024 Chidimma Adetshina controversy that dominated the country’s beauty pageant scene. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant after questions were…