Author: NewsDesk

Rakiya A.Muhammad The Sokoto State Government has stressed commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of the people, adding that it prioritises the provision of primary healthcare services. Deputy Governor, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya spoke when he received Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shu’aib and his team, including WHO Deputy Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Alex Chibani, and UNICEF Chief of Health Country Officer in Nigeria, Eduardo Celades. They were at the Deputy Governor’s office to brief him on the outcome of the 2-day meeting between Sokoto State Government, the agency, and donor agencies…

By Shafa’atu Suleiman Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ Sokoto, has stressed the need to intensify efforts towards eliminating female genital mutilation (FGM) noted internationally as a violation of human rights the health and integrity of girls and women. The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes FGM as “the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.” It adds that FGM can cause severe bleeding and problem urinating, later cysts infections, complications in childbirth, and increased risk of newborn deaths. The UN General Assembly had in 2012 designed February 6…

Rakiya A. Muhammad Federal Government is committed to deepening citizens’ ownership of policing endeavours and promoting inclusiveness for more proactive security measures, Minister of Police Affairs has assured. Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi spoke at the Northwest Zonal sensitisation campaign on Police Public Complaints Committee, held in Sokoto State. It was the second sensitisation campaign for the Police Public Complaints Committee. The first edition took place in Lagos on 18th November 2021. Following the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister had inaugurated the resuscitated Police Public Complaints Committee in Abuja on 7th April 2021 to bridge the gap between the…

Rakiya A. Muhammad  The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has decried the increasing wave of ritual killings and harvesting of body parts across the country and urged all to contribute their quota towards tackling the menace. NAWOJ also observed with dismay the rise in drug abuse and thuggery among the youth and emphasised the need to prioritise youth empowerment and sensitisation at various levels to stop the negative trend. These were contained in a communique issued at the end of the association’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria. The communique signed by NAWOJ National…

A new study by Canadian researchers has indicated that pregnant women who consume lots of artificial sweeteners could be more at risk of giving birth to children who end up being obese. The study, though carried out on rats, found that pregnant rats fed stevia or aspartame artificial sweeteners had pups that were fatter. The researchers who performed the experiment stated that their findings could be used to caution expectant mothers against consuming sweeteners, noting that other studies have found similar findings in humans. Explaining how the study was performed, the experts said that the pregnant rats were split into…

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has signed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill into law, exiting the club of 19 states long criticised for not domesticating the key human rights law. Kwara was until now one of the 19 states that have not domesticated the law which addresses domestic violence and other sociocultural and political issues such as genital mutilation, rape, unlawful restraint, spousal battery, attack with harmful substance, harmful widowhood practices, forced isolation or separation from family and friends, among others. VAPP is cited as a law to eliminate violence in private and public life, promote maximum protection and…

Rakiya A. Muhammad Palm oil is a vital food source and trade commodity in Nigeria, serving as a key driver of local economies and livelihoods. The United States Department of Agriculture reported world palm oil production in 2021 at about 75.46 million metric tons. Nigeria ranks fifth with 1,280,000 metric tons. Oil palm plantations blanket Nigeria, especially the southern region. Cross River State, in the South-South, is a major oil palm-producing state in the country. Statistics from the State Chambers of Commerce, Mines, and Industry and Agriculture show that in 2018, Cross River produced over 200,000 metric tons of palm…

By Rakiya A. Muhammad For many journalists, it has been a silent struggle to stay sane as the psychological effect of coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on them. ‘Since March, life hasn’t been the same with regards to reporting and covering news for me, ‘states Elizabeth Merab, who endured the torment of loneliness occasioned by the pandemic. She shares her experience on the impacts of the lockdown at the African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC): The virtual edition where “Journalists and Mental Health”, comes to the fore. The Kenyan broadcast journalist was confined to remote reporting because of an underlining condition…

Rakiya A. Muhammad The rhythmic clang of hammers on metal echoes through the workshop in Sokoto State, Nigeria, as the smell of molten aluminium fills the air. Alhaji Adamu Ba’are, a Nigerien and a celebrated producer of aluminium pots, reflects on over four decades of his enterprise with profound satisfaction and pride. “I recall my arrival in Sokoto in the late 1970s.Back then, nobody was doing this pot business among the indigenous people of Sokoto,” the 67-year-old calls to mind. “So, we started the production of a local pot known as Tukuyan in the Hausa language.” The migrant is a…

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, reiterated his government’s prioritisation of the development and progress of the teeming youths.