Author: straightnewsng.com

The coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged many countries in the world has dealt a devastating blow on two prominent Nigerian families, claiming one life. Suleiman Achimugu, former managing director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a victim of the pandemic died Monday at 2 a.m. The death of the 67-year-old who been had underlying medical issues and was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer is the first recorded death from the pandemic in the country. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the death in its update on the virus on Monday. ”Our family is deeply saddened to inform you…

A Federal High Court in Lagos has fined Facebook Inc and Facebook Ireland Ltd for unlawfully interfering with the use of a Nigerian firm’s trademark. Justice Ayokunle Faji ordered Facebook to pay N10 million to Double Paws Enterprise as damages. The judge upheld Double Paws’ claim that Facebook interfered with the Nigerian firm’s ‘Pawsbook’ trademark. The judge, who delivered the judgment last Friday, also granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining Facebook from interfering with the plaintiff’s statutory rights under the Trademark Act. Double Paws filed the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1164/2017, through its counsel Gideon Okebu in July 2017. It claimed…

By Akanimo Sampson The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 30 cases of the coronavirus pandemic have now been confirmed in the country. This is coming as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says due to the complexity of the pandemic, flexible resources at the global level will be essential to responding to priority countries and where needs are greatest. Already, the indicative funding requirement supporting UNFPA’s planned interventions stands at $67,500,000 for two months (March and April). Given the fact that coronavirus is a rapidly-evolving outbreak, the funding requirements, according to UNFPA, are provisional and will be revised…

Lagos State Government has directed its public servants on Grade 01-12 to stay at home for the next 14 days as a precaution to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic. However, staffers in the health sector, water board and other essential duties are exempted from the directive but are asked to continue with their official duties. Addressing a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor said the Lagos State government was still monitoring the situation apart from the 19 reported coronavirus cases in the state, advising Lagos residents to observe social distancing to curb the spread…

By Akanimo Sampson More than 320 million children around the world are currently missing out on school meals due to school closures because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the children, according to a key United Nations agency, are from poor families and depend on the daily meals they receive at school. Some 37 countries where the World Food Programme (WFP) implements school feeding programmes have so far reported partial or country-wide closure of school. This means that nearly nine million children are no longer receiving WFP-supported school meals – and that number is set to rise in coming days…

By Akanimo Sampson Organic farmland in Europe has increased by more than one million hectares just as organic producers are also on the rise. The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) says organic land increased by 1.25 million hectares in Europe and by one million hectares in the European Union, representing an increase of 8.7 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. France reported over 290,000 hectares more than in 2017 and Spain reported over 160,000 hectares more. FiBL is, however, one of the world’s leading institutes in the field of organic agriculture. Its locations are situated in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France…

Vocalist Kenny Rogers, who dominated the pop and country charts in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of sleekly tailored hits and won three Grammys, has died. Aged 81, Rogers “passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family,” a representative for the singer said in a statement. Due to the national COVID-19 emergency, the family is planning a small private service at this time with a public memorial planned for a later date. Rogers had announced a farewell tour in 2015 and was able to keep it going through…

By Akanimo Sampson The March 9 dethronement of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, by the Kano State Government could result in a new candidate in the 2023 presidential race, Menas Associates says. Menas has been helping multinational companies operate in the Middle East, Africa, and other emerging markets since the late 1970s. It is a strategic and political risk consultancy providing actionable intelligence for its clients, from country entry strategies, to due diligence, stakeholder analysis, political risk reports, market assessments, problem-solving and exit strategies. In a report, Menas claims that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje ordered the removal of Sanusi…

As coronavirus pandemic scare continues, National Universities Commission, Friday, ordered the closure of universities across the country for a month beginning from March 23, 2020. This is contained in a circular signed by the NUC’s deputy executive secretary, Suleiman Rammon-Yusuf. This is in line with the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education, ordering the closure of tertiary, secondary and primary schools nationwide over the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country. NUC said the directive is necessary to curtail the further spread of the COVID-19 across the country. “I write at the bearest of the Executive Secretary to inform…

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people who have died has risen to 10,000, according to an AFP tally based on official data at 1030 GMT Friday. In total, 10,080 deaths have been reported, most of them in Europe (4,932) and Asia (3,431). Italy is the worst affected country with 3,405 fatalities, followed by China with 3,248, the initial epicentre of the outbreak, and Iran with 1,433. On Wednesday, March 18, President Donald Trump continued to blame China and doubled down on his use of the racist term “Chinese virus.” Coronavirus infections spiral out of control,…