Africa Business Radio

The World Health Organization is recommending the widespread use of the world's first malaria vaccine, in what the UN health agency's chief described as a historic day for the decades-long battle against the deadly disease. WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti, says today's recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease and they expect many more African children to be protected from malaria and grow into healthy adults.

The federal government accused some broadcast media organisations of lending their platforms to some disgruntled elements whose stock-in-trade is to promote hatred and disunity among Nigerians.The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed says divisive and hate messages, as well as misinformation being peddled by certain broadcast media, constitute a great risk.He called on broadcast organizations to continue to leverage their power and reach to foster national unity and development.

Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano says President Muhammadu Buhari has foreclosed a possible declaration of a state of emergency in Anambra State ahead of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in the state.Obiana declared that the reported threat of a possible state of emergency in his state was not President Muhammadu Buhari’s idea.The governor says he wondered why Malami had not mooted the idea of emergency rule in some Northern states, where he observed there had been a lot of killings.

President Muhammadu Buhari says that Nigerians have a right to be concerned about recent borrowings by the Federal Government.He, however, stated that the debt level of the present administration was within sustainable limits.The President says that the debt level of the Federal Government is still within sustainable limits. Borrowings are targeted at specific strategic projects and can be verified publicly.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says where the president comes from has never been the solution to the series of problems facing the nation.He stated that the next president can come from any region as the Peoples Democratic Party moves to reclaim power at the centre in 2023.Atiku says the people of Nigeria also have the right to determine who governs them.He added that where the president comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria neither will it be the solution.

President of Commonwealth Medical Association, Dr Osahon Enabulele, has emerged as the President-elect of the World Medical Association.His emergence comes after almost one week of voting by participating medical associations from various countries across the world.Dr Enabulele, a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, takes over from Dr Heidi Stensmyren of Sweden as the President-elect of the association.He vied for the position with Dr Muhammad Nizami, a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and President of the Pakistan Medical Association.

The United Kingdom has reviewed its travel protocols for travellers from Nigeria who have taken their complete jabs of the COVID-19 vaccines approved by authorities in the country.The revised policy applies to those who have been fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (including Covidshield), Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.The British High Commission in a statement says they must be able to prove that they have been fully vaccinated under a vaccination programme and have a valid proof of vaccination recognised by the British Government.Acting British High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, described the changes to travel rules for fully-vaccinated Nigerians as a very welcome development.

President Muhammadu Buhari proposed a total budget of N16.39 trillion for the year 2022 to the National Assembly.The President says the budget will focus on diversifying the economy, with robust MSME growth; investing in critical infrastructure; strengthening security and ensuring good governance; enabling a vibrant, educated and healthy populace; reducing poverty; and minimizing regional, economic and social disparities.He also noted that the 2022 budget is the first time in Nigerian history where MDAs were clearly advised on gender-responsive budgeting.The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, says the National Assembly is committed to passing the budget before the end of the year.

Johnson & Johnson says it had submitted data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine in people aged 18 years and older.J&J says its submission includes data from a late-stage study that found a booster of its vaccine given 56 days after the primary dose provided 94% protection against symptomatic COVID-19 in the United States and 100% protection against severe disease, at least 14 days after the booster shot.The FDA has already authorized a booster dose of the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech for 65-year olds and older, people at high risk of severe disease and others who are regularly exposed to the virus.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he hopes the diplomatic tension with Algeria will ease soon.President Macron says he had cordial relations with his Algerian counterpart.Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris and closed its airspace to French military planes a day later after the French president made comments about the northern Africa country.President Macron was quoted as saying the former French colony was ruled by a political-military system with an official history that was based not on truth, but on hatred of France.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service announced what it described as a life-changing treatment for sickle cell disease.A statement from the NHS says the new drug known as Crizanlizumab will be delivered by a transfusion drip and works by binding to a protein in the blood cells to prevent the restriction of blood and oxygen supply that lead to a sickle cell crisis.The World Health Organisation is a major genetic disease where the normal round shape of red blood cells become like crescent moons, leading to blood clots which can cause extreme pain in the back, chest, hands and feet.

A jury in California ordered Tesla to pay a Black former employee $137 million in damages for turning a blind eye to racism the man encountered at the firm’s auto plant in Fremont, US media reported.Diaz says African-American employees at the factory, where his son also worked, were regularly subjected to racist epithets and derogatory imagery.The suit filed by Diaz, his son Demetric and a third former employee says the plaintiffs encountered a scene straight from the Jim Crow era.The court filing says Tesla’s progressive image was a facade papering over its regressive, demeaning treatment of African-American employees.

A report published by Unesco shows that Filmmakers in at least 47 African countries say they face restrictions on what topics they are allowed to cover in their work, The report says Subjects like LGBTQ rights, sex, religion, politics, conflict and ethnicity are often better avoided when not completely banned.It says such limits have an impact on the quality of work film creators produce. The report also highlighted gender inequality in the film and audio-visual industries on the continent, with the largest disparity seen in central Africa where 98% of practitioners estimate that the percentage of women in the sector is less than 10%.It also cited Nigeria as a country where the sector is dominated by female producers.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has condemned the deportation of Somalis from the self-declared republic of Somaliland.The agency placed the number of people forced out of their homes at 1,000. It says it had information that those deported had lived in the area for nearly 20 years.The agency says it was concerned about the reports of additional forced displacements planned in the coming days.Somaliland deported people from southern Somalia citing insecurity.

Kenya confirmed its bid to host the 2025 athletics world championships, which if accepted, would bring the event to Africa for the first time.Athletics Kenya chief Jackson Tuwei told AFP that they formally confirmed the bid to host the global championships on Friday, October 1 which was the deadline set by World Athletics.Kenyan sports minister Amina Mohammed first announced the country’s bid for the 2025 world championships in Doha in September 2019, after WA said the global event would be held on a rotational basis across continents.

The United Kingdom has omitted Nigeria from its list of countries with valid COVID-19 vaccine certificates.Nigeria was missing from the list despite not being on the UK’s COVID-19 red list.No other African country was on the list.The UK, in a statement, says it was taking a phased approach to recognise vaccines administered by other countries and territories, building on the success of the pilot with the U.S. and Europe.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed the Administration of Criminal Justice (Amendment) Law (ACJL) 2021.The ACJL was first passed in Lagos State in 2007 and amended in 2011 to ensure the fundamental rights of suspects and persons that come into contact with the justice system, as enshrined in the constitution are protected.Governor Sanwo-Olu’s assent to the bill is in a bid to further strengthen the justice system, promote the rights of victims and suspects, as well as address the issue of delay in the administration of criminal justice in Lagos State.

The US Consulate General opened a Window on America in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.Windows on America provide a venue for the Embassy and Consulate outreach activities, offering a meeting place for U.S. Government alumni, and a host for visiting speakers and other events that promote a better understanding of the US.Hosted at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, the Osogbo Window on America will serve as a community resource centre for accurate and current information about the political, economic, cultural, educational, and social life in the United States.

President Muhammadu Buhari will present the 2022 budget estimate to a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday.The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege made the announcement while presiding over the plenary as the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was absent.

A senior official says the United Arab Emirates is trying to manage long-running rivalries with Iran and Turkey through dialogue to avoid any new confrontations in the region as the Gulf state hones in on its economy post-COVID-19.Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, says there was uncertainty about the United States’ commitment to the region and concern about a looming Cold War between Washington and Beijing.Gargash says they will observe in the coming period what really is going on with regards to America’s footprint in the region.