Africa Business Radio

The Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi disclosed that all governors in the country have in principle agreed that open grazing was outdated and there was a need to embrace modern livestock management approaches.Fayemi says the governors have also subscribed to the national livestock transformation plan via the National Economic Council decision that was taken during a meeting chaired by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.He stated that there was a need to balance the position of the southern governors on anti-open grazing legislation with that of the Northern Governors’ Forum by giving support to all states that have subscribed to the National Livestock Transformation Plan through funding from federal government agencies like NARSAL in the same way the Central Bank of Nigeria provided support to rice farmers through funding.

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions have alleged that the federal government was deliberately abdicating its responsibility and refusing to honour signed agreements with labour unions.The unions lamented that the non-implementation of agreements was responsible for persisting industrial actions in the country.The Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige says though the federal government would not reject the agreements reached with the workers, its implementation will however depend on the availability of funds.

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has raised an alarm over alleged plans to rig the 2023 general elections.He says that other countries are talking about how their elections will be transparent but some are talking about how they will plot to rig an election in 2023.He also raised concerns over why Nigeria is yet to adopt the electronic mode of transmission of election results.He believes Nigerians should have had a good reason to celebrate the country at 61 if the electoral system is made a little stronger by introducing electronic transmission of results.

The minority caucus in the House of Representatives has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, claiming Boko Haram terrorists were emboldened under his watch.Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, says the caucus had extensively reviewed the President’s address at the 76th session of the UNGA, noting that it is incomplete disagreement with the ugly reality of the failures of his administration, as well as the economic, security and social ruins that have confronted the nation under his watch.The opposition lawmakers argue that Buhari did not reflect the closure of schools and crippling of education in some parts of the country neither did it show any empathy towards the victims of terrorism attacks.

The US House of Representatives has approved $1bn in additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system after days of controversy around the push.Legislators passed the bill in a 420 to nine vote on Thursday, paving the way for a significant increase in US support for the system.The bill will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to pass easily before being signed into law by President Joe Biden, who already has signalled support for the additional aid.The move came amid the growing number of progressive voices in Congress are calling on Biden to condition US assistance to Israel on the country’s human rights record.

The World Health Organisation has added the Regeneron antibody drug, casirivimab and imdevimab to its list of treatments for people with COVID-19, urging the manufacturer to reduce the price and ensure equitable distribution.The WHO says Clinical studies showed the drug combination was effective in patients who were not severely ill but at high risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19, or those with severe cases of the disease and no existing antibodies, The antibody therapy secured emergency use authorisation in the United States in November last year after it was used to treat former President Donald Trump when he was admitted to hospital with COVID-19. The United Kingdom has also approved it, while it is under review in Europe.

The United States is shipping another 2.5 million Covid vaccine doses to hard-hit Bangladesh after the Biden administration announced a ramping up of global donations.A White House official told AFP that the latest shipment of 2,508,480 Pfizer doses will bring the total of US shots to the country above nine million.The official says they are able to deliver these safe and effective vaccines to the people of Bangladesh adding that there were no strings attached to the donation.

The five permanent UN Security Council members found common ground in Afghanistan with officials saying all the powers would press the Taliban to be more inclusive after their military takeover.China and Russia have described last month’s Taliban victory as a defeat for the United States and moved to work with the insurgents, but no country has moved to recognize a government that includes international pariahs.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Security Council powers all want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan where humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems and without discrimination.He says they seek an Afghanistan where the rights of women and girls are respected, an Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism, an Afghanistan with an inclusive government representing all sections of the population.

The US special envoy to Haiti resigned Thursday two months after his appointment, denouncing the Biden administration’s deportation of Haitian migrants from the US-Mexico border back to their poverty-stricken homeland. State Department envoy Daniel Foote says he will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti.Foote described Haiti as a place where US diplomats are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life. The resignation came after the administration of President Joe Biden began last weekend loading Haitian migrants who crossed into the country from Mexico onto aircraft and flying them back to Haiti.

A UN panel of experts says political, military and business leaders in South Sudan have been illicitly diverting millions of dollars and undermining the stability in the country. The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan found evidence that linked to the government has embezzled and laundered at least tens of millions of dollars.The report says the level of corruption undermines human rights and security in the country adding that the figure is only a fraction of the overall amount looted.Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka says the findings revealing the patterns and trends of embezzlement include the involvement of politicians, government officials, international corporations, military personnel, and multinational banks in these crimes.

Algeria has closed its airspace to all Moroccan planes due to provocations and hostile practices by its neighbour.Morocco called the severing of ties completely unjustified and says the decision was based on false, even absurd pretexts.The Algerian presidency says the decision had been made "to shut its airspace immediately to all civilian and military aircraft as well as to those registered in Morocco."The presidency says they examined the situation on Algeria's border with Morocco and took into account the continuation of provocations and hostile practices by Morocco without providing details.

France's defence minister warned Mali against hiring paramilitaries from Russian private-security firm Wagner.Florence Parly told reporters that if Mali hired the firm, at a time when international partners fighting jihadism in the Sahel had never been so numerous, such a choice would be that of isolation. A Mali defence ministry official says that no decision regarding Wagner had been made. Malian defence minister Colonel Sadio Camara told Parly that France's abandonment of Mali meant everything had to be considered to secure the country.

The UK parliamentary committee that scrutinises British aid has described funding cuts to several African countries as outrageous and hypocritical.The International Development Committee says several conflict-hit East African countries will see their aid slashed by half or more, despite being identified as priority areas.The countries include Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Mozambique and Somalia.The committee said UK aid in the region was needed more than ever as humanitarian crises were being exacerbated by conflict and climate change.

The African Union’s health warned that Britain’s pandemic travel restrictions could make people across the continent more reluctant to get vaccinated.Britain under the restrictions only recognises vaccines administered in a few countries.John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says the message passed regarding the vaccine creates confusion within the population creating more reticence, reluctance for people to receive vaccines.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed has declared that a direct relationship exists between governance, poverty, and insecurity, stressing that poverty is a direct cause of insecurity.She pointed out that insecurity in turn further exacerbates poverty and impacts governance.She noted that there was a near-global consensus among world leaders, policy experts and academics that the fight against poverty was essential to ensuring global peace, security and stability.She says the federal government recognises that peace, justice, and accountable institutions were critical to the achievement of Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, says the ongoing 895 contracts and 795 infrastructural projects nationwide were part of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.The minister argued that embarking on building massive infrastructure remained the quickest way to create wealth worldwide.He maintained that nations that are richer than Nigeria have more infrastructure than the country, stressing that in order to bridge the gap there must be a deliberate investment plan. He says no nation would be able to grow bigger than its stock of infrastructure.

The European Union and UNICEF are working together to provide community-based psychosocial services aimed at improving children’s mental health as children continue to bear the brunt of the 12-year conflict in North-East Nigeria, The project will supports vulnerable children across Borno with protection and health services, vocational and basic literacy skills, and access to justice and security.They said under a holistic humanitarian intervention that has so far provided 15,552 out-of-school children with vocational training; 1,610 out-of-school children with literacy and numeracy skills and 5,194 children enrolled into integrated Qur’anic schools across focus LGAs.

The United Nations Children’s Fund has revealed that more than 300,000 children lost their lives in the last 12 years because of the insurgency ravaging the North East region.UNICEF in its latest statistics disclosed that over one million people have been displaced within the period under review.The agency further divulged that no fewer than 5,129 out-of-school children were currently battling mental health challenges as a result of the conflict in the North.

Members of the House of Representatives have raised an alarm over the trend of Nigerians being illegally detained in prisons in foreign lands and asked the Federal Government to secure their release.They urged the Federal Government to intervene and secure the release of Nigerians being held illegally in prisons abroad.They noted that Nigerians were in almost all countries of the world, making exploits in sports, technology, business, education, and politics, and have been ranked as one of the highest educated immigrants in foreign countries.

The Federal Government says it is making efforts to get justice in the case involving Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo.Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, they are doing the needful in terms of looking at the law as it exists, and then working within the context of the law in ensuring that justice is done as far as the contending issues between the parties are concerned,” States.Igboho’s lawyer, Yomi Alliyu, argued that the action of the security outfit was a violation of Igboho’s fundamental right to peacefully own property and wealth.