Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson A latest report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations says global food prices declined in August, driven by sharp falls in the prices of staple cereals and sugar. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly traded food commodities, averaged 169.8 points in August 2019, down 1.1 percent from July while still up 1.1 percent from its August 2018 level. The FAO Cereal Price Index declined by 6.4 percent from the previous month. Maize values turned sharply lower due to expectations of a much larger…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was established in 2000 with the mission of facilitating the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful. Tackling ecological and environmental problems that arise from the exploration of oil mineral in the Niger Delta region and advising the Federal Government and the member states on the prevention and control of oil spillages, gas flaring and environmental pollution, liaising with the various oil mineral and gas prospecting and producing companies on all matters of pollution, prevention and control as…

As the two-day Education Summit which kicked off on Thursday rolls to an end, education stakeholders gathering in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital have dusted their academic books and stormed internet to proffer solutions to the ailing educational system bedeviling the country and the state at large. For 2018, West African Examinations Council, WAEC, released a damning report that the state occupied 17th position in the country. Not done, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, rolled out another whimper that Akwa Ibom was leading in the unemployment profile in 2019 in the country. Deeply concerned by the unemployment rate staring many…

Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has urged the leadership of Tiv and Jukum tribes of Benue and Taraba states to sheathe their swords and seek ways to resolve their differences without further bloodshed. Recently, hundreds of people, including a Catholic Priest, Rev Fr. David Tanko, died as a result of renewed hostilities between both ethnic groups. In a statement signed by his media aide, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, CAN President, Rev Samson Ayokunle, noted Thursday that the leadership of both ethnic groups were largely Christians but expressed worries over their alleged reluctance to embrace peace. Ayokunle said: “We appeal to the…

No fewer than 1,000 traders, marketers and artisans are to benefit from N1billion soft loan under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, KWASSIP to run their businesses. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State noted that the proposal has been sent to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval. The governor said this on Thursday at a maiden breakfast meeting with journalists in Kwara State that the focus of his administration centred on human capital and infrastructure development to attract investments, combat poverty and take Kwara to the top of the table of revenue generation and competitiveness. “Under the…

A judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja Thursday withdrew from a suit the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari, filed to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from seizing some of his assets. She is Justice Evelyn Maha who backed out of the case for an undisclosed reason. At the resumed proceeding Thursday, Justice Maha, who is sitting as the vacation Judge, announced her decision to return the case-file to the court’s registry to enable the Chief Judge re-assign it to another Judge. However, Justice Maha adjourned the matter till September 30 for possible…

The organised labour, Thursday, renewed its opposition to the proposal by the Federal Government to concession the 22 Nigerian federal teaching hospitals. Labour told the government that health remains the foundation of development around the world and should not be for profit-making venture. Comrade Ayuba Wabba, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, spoke at the 2019 Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nurses Week/Scientific workshop in Abuja, said if the government was allowed to concession the teaching hospitals, it could lead to exorbitant cost of medical treatment beyond the capacity of majority of Nigerians. Wabba, at the workshop organized by the National…

The World Bank in collaboration with Adamawa State government of Nigeria, says plans have been concluded to disburse $62 million on a number of intervention projects in the state. Mr. Solomon Kumangar, the Director-General, Media and Communications to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, stated this in a statement on Friday, in Yola. Kumangar said the governor had held several meetings with various developmental partners, with the aim of boosting the state’s economy and infrastructure. He said the deal was struck during one of the meetings with officials of the bank, where they agreed to commit 200 million dollars on some projects across…

Serena Williams will look to avenge a 2016 defeat at the Rio Olympic Games in Thursday’s US Open semi-final against Elina Svitolina as the American targets a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title. A run to the last four in New York, bookended by crushing routs of long-time foe Maria Sharapova and China’s Wang Qiang, brought up a century of US Open wins for Williams, chasing her first Slam crown since the 2017 Australian Open. Williams, who turns 38 later this month, holds a 4-1 career advantage over Svitolina, but the Ukrainian triumphed in their most recent encounter — a…

Despite Federal Government’s decision to boycott the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Capetown, South Africa, some Nigerian governors are said to be attending the forum which began on Wednesday. But Geoffrey Onyeama, the minister of foreign affairs, explained that the presence of state governors at the froum was not in any way a gesture of flouting the federal government’s order. Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, September 5, Onyeama explained that the Nigerian delegates were already in South Africa before the federal government made a decision to boycott the forum, The Nation reports. The foreign affairs minister…