Author: NewsDesk

By Shafa’atu Suleiman Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Minister for Women’s Affairs, has prescribed the death penalty for perpetrators of rape. Tallen made the recipe as a guest at the Nigerian News Agency Forum in Abuja. He said that only capital punishment and other forms of punishment consistent with the inhumane crime of rape would act as deterrents to rape. The minister, expressing her ministry’s commitment to protecting and promoting women’s rights, said rape had devastated many women. However, Tallen blamed the slow judicial system as being responsible for the continued rape and other forms of violence against women. He urged the…

The 2022 Climate Change Conference of the Parties, popularly known as COP 27, kicked off on Sunday in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, with a call for everyone to work to prevent a further climate crisis. The Nigerian News Agency reports that no fewer than 50,000 delegates have so far registered for the annual global climate summit. The annual event, which takes place on the African continent for the second time, after 2001 in Marrakech, Morocco, will end on November 18. “Everyone, every day, everywhere in the world must do everything to prevent the climate crisis,” said UN Climate Change Executive…

A digital rights advocacy enterprise, Paradigm Initiative has harped on the need to respect and safeguard online users’ privacy, stressing digital rights are human rights. “We call on stakeholders, policymakers, governments, academia, businesses, and the general public to be intentional in sensitizing the masses and cautiously considering measures to ensure that the right to privacy and is given due consideration in the way data is collected and stored,” it stated. Paradigm Initiative said this in commemoration of the Data Privacy Week, asserting that it would persist in its efforts to monitor and support the appropriate use of data collection and…

African health ministers has launched a campaign to raise awareness, strengthen prevention and care to curb the toll of sickle cell disease, one of the most common diseases in the region but receiving inadequate care. More than 66% of the 120 million people affected by sickle cell disease worldwide live in Africa. Approximately 1,000 children are born with the disease every day in Africa, making it the most prevalent genetically acquired disease in the region. More than half of these children will die before their fifth birthday, usually from infection or severe anemia. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood…

By Tunde Omolehin In recent years, Nigeria had made a significant stride in the efforts to uphold press freedom, yet challenges persist in the country’s media landscape. The roles of a free and independent in a vibrant democracy cannot be overstated, and the state of press freedom in Nigeria is a critical issue that warrants attention of all sundry. Nigeria as the most populous nation in Africa, as a diverse and dynamic media environment. The Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the press this has aided the country’s history of a relatively open and robust media landscape with larger…

By Rakiya A.Muhammad The international community has increasingly focused on sustainable cocoa production, driven by a growing need to safeguard human rights and environmental preservation. Cocoa, which predominantly supports the livelihoods of around 50 million individuals, primarily in developing nations, has become a focal point for global efforts towards sustainability. With a total trade value of $9.59 billion in 2021, cocoa ranks as the 367th most traded product in the world. It holds significant economic importance as a key ingredient in various industries, including the confectionery, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors. Grown across different continents, with a significant…

By Rakiya A.Muhammad The National Population Commission (NPC) has assured of its determination to hold the first-ever digital census in Nigeria. Federal Commissioner in charge of Sokoto state, Alhaji Chiso Dattijo, gave the assurance at a meeting with media executives and other stakeholders in the state. “The census will be conducted. The new administration will announce a new date,” he stated. He noted that the postponement allowed NPC to perfect its processes and systems for conducting the exercise. Dattijo lauded the media for their role in information dissemination on the census and urged them to sustain the tempo towards the…

Rakiya A. Muhammad Given the immense contributions of legendary Nana Asmau, daughter of Shehu Usman Fodiyo, to society, stakeholders should set aside a day to commemorate her life and historical achievements. Member Representing Bodinga /Dange Shuni/Tureta constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr Balarabe Shehu Kakale Shuni made the assertation while reflecting on the works of Nana Asmau, an iconic African woman and a great mother of Sokoto Caliphate. He described her as a princess, scholar, author, humanitarian, entrepreneur and a female mass literacy champion. “Arguably the greatest female African intellectual of the 19th century,” he added. “She authored more…

Generic drug manufacturers will make a more affordable version of Merck’s anti-Covid pill for 105 of the world’s poorer nations, in deals announced on Thursday by a UN-backed organisation. The global Medicines Patent Pool signed agreements with 27 manufacturers to produce the oral antiviral medicine molnupiravir, for supply in low- and middle-income countries. “This is a critical step toward ensuring global access to an urgently needed COVID-19 treatment and we are confident that… the anticipated treatments will be rapidly available in LMICs,” said MPP executive director Charles Gore. Merck granted a licence to the MPP in an agreement announced in…

Rakiya A.Muhammad Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, echoed this during a sensitisation campaign on the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) activities for the South-South zone held in Calabar, Cross Rivers state. He assured of advancing technology-led policing in line with global best practices and deepening community policing and human intelligence in Nigeria. The Minister spoke on the newly revitalised Police Public Complaints Committee, which he noted to eliminate all forms of subjective narrative hitherto hindered cooperation between police and citizens. “Following the directive of Mr President, I inaugurated the resuscitated Police Public Complaints Committee in Abuja on…