Author: straightnewsng.com

The demarcation of boundaries between the coastal communities of Oku Iboku in Akwa Ibom and Ikot Offiong in Cross River will begin from November 11 to December 10. Over the years, the two contending communities have been embroiled in boundary crisis that has led to loss of several lives and properties worth millions of Naira. The decision was reached at a joint meeting of the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom, Mr. Moses Ekpo, his Cross River counterpart, Prof. Ivara Esu and the Acting Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, NBC, Mr. Adamu Adaji, in Uyo on Thursday. In a communiqué…

By Akanimo Sampson Morocco, Egypt and South Africa have left Nigeria far behind as countries in Africa with best-connected sea ports. In West Africa, where Nigeria is the big brother, the region has relatively low connectivity because it does not lie at the crossroads of major North-South or East-West shipping routes. These facts are contained in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (port LSCI). The index which now provides data on more than 900 ports dating back to 2006, is generated using the same methodology as that for the recently released country-level…

Marcus Rashford’s double helped rampant Manchester United start the new season with a bang as Chelsea capitulated in Frank Lampard’s first match in charge. The Premier League kept the most eagerly anticipated of the opening weekend to last as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer started the Reds’ latest transitional season against a side buoyed by the appointment of a club great. Lampard’s side were on top for large patches but ended up being blown away at Old Trafford, where Rashford’s double complemented goals from Anthony Martial and debutant Daniel James as United’s curtain-raiser ended in a dream 4-0 victory. Solskjaer will be…

By Akanimo Sampson Humanitarian agencies have warned that periodic droughts, floods and land degradation caused by over-grazing are aggravating the existing vulnerabilities in Niger, and putting population at risk. Since Niger’s economy is largely dependent on subsistence agriculture, making it vulnerable to adverse climatic conditions, it is estimated that more than 100,000 hectares of arable land are lost each year in the country due to desertification. This troubled African country since 1975 has been celebrating National Arbor Day on August 3, which also doubles her Independence Day, by encouraging citizens to plant trees and organise environmental events. Both are essential…

By Akanimo Sampson For coastal communities like those of the Niger Delta, largely abandoned by development planners and executors, the ‘invention’ of a blue energy might just be all they need to rapidly transform their social and economic conditions. But, with around 800 million people worldwide still lacking even a basic drinking-water service, and with the global population expected to hit 10 billion soon, prospects for such happier days are not appearing very bright. However, a post-doctoral scholar in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University in California, USA, Kristian Dubrawski, says blue energy is an immense and untapped source…

By Akanimo Sampson A strategic and political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, has taken a critical look at President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees, and returned an uninspiring verdict. The political risk consultants also chided President Buhari for wasting the opportunity to pass sound economic policy through the National Assembly because of the perceived overriding need to maintain peace among the All Progressives Congress (APC) big wigs. According to Menas Associates, “around 84 per cent of the nominees are men and most will be anti-reformist with the notable exception of Pantami among several others. While only seven nominees are female they include…

The inauguration of the 9th National Assembly on June 11, 2019 did not take anybody by surprise. But, the composition of the various committees by the two leaders of the National Assembly caught many Senators and members of House of Representatives aghast. Though the reconstitution has doused tensions and calmed frayed nerves in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP depending on the role the members played in the emergence of the leaderships, some ranking members in the house particularly in the opposition party are still in shock as their names are conspicuously missing…

By Akanimo Sampson The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has recorded 840 deaths on the three main Mediterranean Sea routes through seven months of this year. This represents about 45 per cent of the 1,517 deaths confirmed during the same period in 2018. However, the 840 deaths at sea do not include, 20 persons reportedly drowned early this August. IOM Italy’s Flavio Di Giacomo reported late Monday that 49 migrants arrived in Lampedusa earlier in the day without escort – that is, apparently without any rescue effort by official units or NGO operations – stating that the arriving migrants saw…

Saudi Arabia will stage the world heavyweight title rematch between Britain’s Anthony Joshua and champion Andy Ruiz Jr, promoters announced on Friday. The December 7 fight, dubbed ‘Clash on the Dunes’, will see Joshua trying to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO titles he sensationally lost to Ruiz Jr in New York in June. The bout will take place in Diriyah, which incorporates the UNESCO World Heritage site of Al-Turaif, on the outskirts of the capital Riyadh.

By Akanimo Sampson Though the global merchandise trade grew by three percent last year, just above the 2.9 percent rise in world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the same time-frame, this was however, substantially less than the 4.6 percent growth observed in 2017. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) puts this loss of momentum in part down to growing trade tensions and historically-high trade restriction levels. These facts are taken from the WTO’s World Trade Statistical Review 2019, a 176-page document exploring the latest trends concerning world trade, with analysis of both trade in goods and services and performance of front…