A new report released in Abuja has unveiled a concerning landscape of food insecurity affecting a vast majority of Nigerian households.
According to the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrients Survey, only about 21% of households in Nigeria are considered food secure.
Naija News reports that the survey, a collaborative effort between the Federal government, foreign partners, and stakeholders in the food sector, paints a dire picture with 79% of households facing varying degrees of food insecurity.
Dr. Olarinwaju Isiaka, one of the researchers presenting the report, highlighted some distressing statistics: about 59% of households are moderately food insecure, while another 20% face severe food insecurity.
The study, focusing on women of reproductive age, children aged 0-59 months, and adolescent girls, found that a staggering 41.5% of households had not had enough money to buy food in the week preceding the survey.
Adding to the complexity of food access issues, the report also sheds light on sanitation challenges. Approximately 23% of Nigerian households lack toilet facilities, which compounds the public health challenges associated with food insecurity.
The availability of clean water, a critical component of food hygiene and overall health also varies significantly across the country.
The report stated that 62.9% of households have access to improved water sources, 42.6% use borehole water systems, and 17.40% rely on protected well water.
The distribution of these resources is uneven, with the South East and South-South zones showing the lowest access to piped water but the highest access to borehole facilities.
The disparities in water supply were noted by Dr. Michael Ojo, the Country Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), who expressed concern over the decline in water supply infrastructure.
“It is worrisome that we are not going forward in water supply from 11-1.1%, showing a decline of 10% within a period of 10 years,” he said.
Dr. Ojo also critiqued the fragmented approach to addressing these critical issues, stating, “The reason Nigeria has an issue with the food system is that every stakeholder has been working in silos without addressing the root cause of the problem.”
He emphasized the need for concerted efforts to overhaul the nation’s food system, considering the entire chain of processes involved in food production and distribution.
Former Big Brother Naija contestant Ifu Ennada has shared a directed message to men regarding marital priorities.
In a recent Instagram post, Ennada emphasized that men who prioritize their mothers over their wives aren’t prepared for marriage and should reconsider tying the knot.
She further stated that anyone who wants to argue with her should read the scripture.
Ennada said: “To all the men who place their mothers above their wives. I believe any man who places his mother above his wife is not ready for marriage. In fact, he has no business being married. Before you argue with me, let Genesis 2.24 be your guide.”
Nigeria’s financial sector fraud surged by 496.96 per cent from 2019 to 2023 amid the rise of electronic payment.
Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System disclosed this in its recent ‘Annual Fraud Landscape’ report.
The report said Nigeria’s Bank customers lost N59.33 billion between 2019 and 2023, with losses increasing from N2.96 billion in 2019 to N17.67 billion in 2023.
“The amount lost to fraud has increased over the past five years along with the growth of financial transactions in the digital payments sector.
“The Mobile channel was statistically the most profitable channel for fraudsters in 2023 with a Fraud Interest Index of 34 per cent. It is followed by Internet Banking and POS with 33.99 per cent and 26.37 per cent, respectively”, NIBSS stated.
The development comes amid the 463 percent surge in electronic transactions, which will reach N611.06 trillion in 2023 and N108.42 trillion in 2019.
In the same period, mobile subscriptions have grown by 21.68 per cent, from 184.43 million as of the end of December 2019 to 224.41 million as of 2023.
DAILY POST reports that electronic payments hit N234 in the first quarter of 2024.
MTN Nigeria said it had eliminated at least 8.6 million lines from its network in compliance with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ruling of February 28, 2024, which requires telecommunication companies to disconnect SIM cards not linked to the National Identity Number (NIN).
This information was disclosed in the company’s financial report for the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, indicating an impact on the operations of the quarter.
MTN specified that users with more than five lines connected to an unverified NIN and those who did not submit their NIN are the ones affected by the complete ban on their lines.
Additionally, MTN mentioned that the NCC has extended the deadline from April 15 to July 31, 2024, to allow users with fewer than five lines connected to an unverified NIN more time to complete the necessary verification process.
Karl Toriola, the CEO of MTN Nigeria, addressed the effects of the NIN-SIM linkage exercise and the regulatory directive on the sector, stating that during the quarter, the company also continued to manage the effects on its business of the industry-wide directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for a full barring of subscriber lines not linked to their National Identity Number (NIN) – the NIN-SIM directive.
He added: “This impacted the development of our user base across all of our key business units (voice, data, and fintech) in Q1 2024. Although we had to fully bar 8.6 million subscribers in line with the directive, we minimised the net effect of the barred subscribers, and our total number of subscribers only decreased by 2 million in Q1, closing with a total of 77.7 million subscribers.”
Toriola stated that this demonstrated the effectiveness of the company’s customer value management (CVM) initiatives, contributing to lower churn rates, improved customer loyalty, and an increase in total connections.
Information provided by the NCC indicates that the combined active mobile subscriptions in Nigeria from MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile decreased from 224.4 million in December 2023 to 219 million by March 2024 due to the enforcement of the mandatory NIN-SIM registration policy by all telecom service providers.
“MTN also reported a decline in its data subscribers in the quarter under review. Active data subscribers declined marginally by approximately 78,000 to 44.5 million. Notwithstanding these headwinds, we recorded increased activity within the base, with voice traffic rising by 5.1 per cent and data traffic by 40.6 per cent. This is a result of the consistent growth in demand for data and voice, supported by our attractive offers to customers and continuous investment in network quality and coverage,” Toriola stated
Popular content creator and singer Nasboi has said that social media influencing and skitmaking is very lucrative.
The singer stated this during an appearance on Bahd And Boujee Podcast co-hosted by reality star Tolanibaj and actress Moet Abebe.
He said that because of how well paid skitmakers are he once thought that Sydney Talker was an internet fraudster.
However, Nasboi said that after he joined the industry he realised how lucrative it was.
He said many people still accuse skit makers and influencers of fraud because they don’t know how lucrative the creative industry is.
According to him, “Before I became a skit maker, I could beat my chest that Sydney was a Yahoo boy [internet fraudster]. Because I didn’t know how lucrative the creative industry was until I joined.
“A lot of female influencers and skit makers are also being trolled. Social media users often accuse them of sleeping with men for money but they don’t know these female influencers make a lot of money from endorsements and advertisements.
“Yahoo [internet scam] is stressful. It’s not even as lucrative as skit making. There are some skit makers who are not popular but earning huge amounts of money. I know someone who made $33,000 off a video on Facebook. He is not even popular.”
[NaijaNews]
Following Chelsea’s commanding 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, manager Mauricio Pochettino showered praise on Noni Madueke for his exceptional performance, particularly highlighting his support for youngster Alfie Gilchrist on the right flank.
Goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson secured a comfortable win for the hosts, with Pochettino emphasising the significance of a strong response after a string of disappointing results.
In contrast, Spurs endured a lacklustre display, prompting frustrations from manager Ange Postecoglou, who was visibly irked with Cristian Romero and Pape Matar Sarr during the first half.
Amidst the action, Gilchrist, making only his second Premier League start, showcased his talent on the right side of Pochettino’s defence, effectively neutralising the threat of Son Heung-min.
Reflecting on the match in his post-match interview, Pochettino commended Madueke’s impact, stating: “If you see today, Noni Madueke was amazing in the way, the effort that he helped the full-back. The midfielders and the whole team in both phases were connected.”
His words underscored the collective effort that propelled Chelsea to victory and showcased Madueke’s pivotal role in supporting the defensive line.
[DailyPost]
Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has confirmed that he will start two different goalkeepers for their next two matches.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ancelotti revealed that Thibaut Courtois will start this weekend’s LaLiga clash with Cadiz.
Courtois has been out with ACL and meniscus injuries, but is now fit and available for selection.
However, Ancelotti will start Andriy Lunin for next week’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich.
“Courtois will play tomorrow, Lunin will play vs Bayern on Wednesday,” Ancelotti said.
When asked who will play a potential Champions League final, he replied: “I don’t know.”
[DailyPost]
A 45-year old man, Chiemenam Adigwe, has been arrested by the operatives of the Delta State Police Command for allegedly manufacturing fake alcoholic drinks in Bomadi, Bomadi local government area of the state.
Police accused the suspect, a native of Akpo community in Aguata local government, Anambra State, of mixing ethanol with water and then add flavor before packaging the fake drinks in empty bottles of popular beverage brands which he usually buys from Onitsha.
The suspect confessed to telling those he supplied that he usually order the drinks from Onitsha.
Adigwe was apprehended on 25th April 2024 at about 1100hours following an intelligence received about his fake production of alcoholic drinks in Bomadi.
On receiving the intelligence, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi directed the DPO of Bomadi Division to ensure that the suspect is tracked down, arrested and brought to book.
The DPO then led operatives to the hideout of the suspect where he was arrested with over hundred bottles of counterfeit Gordons, Chelsea, Eagle Schnapps and McDowell.
CP Olufemi confirmed this while parading the suspect among other arrested persons for various criminal activities in Asaba.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect committed the offense. He is in police custody while investigation is ongoing,” Olufemi said.
The Kano State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has intercepted a tanker carrying over 20,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) along Ibrahim Taiwo Road amidst the shortage of petroleum products in the state.
A statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SC Ibrahim Abdullahi, revealed that the tanker was suspected to have diverted the petrol from a filling station in Kano and was heading to an undisclosed location in neighbouring Katsina State when it was intercepted.
Abdullahi said, “An investigation is underway, and upon conclusion, the petroleum product will be returned and offloaded at the original designated filling station in Kano. Legal action will be taken against the offenders.”
Meanwhile, the Command also addressed concerns about criminal activities in the Bachirawa Kwanar Ungoggo Market in Ungoggo local government.
Abdullahi said traders at the market have reported the activities of miscreants bordering on vandalism, theft of private property, and dealing in illicit drugs to the NSCDC.
In response, he said a joint operation involving NSCDC personnel from the armed squad unit and vigilante groups was assembled and this has resulted in the arrest of over 50 suspected criminals in the market.
The NSCDC spokesman confirmed that investigations into the matter have commenced, and that the suspects will face prosecution for their alleged crimes at the appropriate time.
The executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, stressed the importance of following rules and regulations for the growth and development of the country.
He emphasized that the lack of compliance with these regulations is the root cause of corruption in the country.
Naija News reports that the Chairman of EFCC disclosed this during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Compliance Institute Nigeria (CIN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Olukoyede pledged his support and commitment to CIN, while citing lack of compliance as the primary cause of corruption in the country.
According to him, “The success of any process or procedure in any society is based on the issue of compliance. The difference between developed countries and undeveloped ones is simply compliance.
“If you take compliance out of developed countries, they would be as terrible and as poor as the undeveloped countries. If we get it right with compliance, we have gotten it right with governance and corporate governance in Nigeria.”
“Compliance has been dear to my heart. It is the core of my professionalism and practice. So, you have found the right partner in me.
“We are ready on our part in EFCC to collaborate with you. The essence of our work is compliance and enforcement. We make people play by the rules and if they don’t, we apply the force of law. We are ready to cooperate and collaborate with you. We will support your activities and your programmes.”
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The Schengen visa is a document that allows non-European Union (EU) citizens to enter, travel within, and leave the Schengen Area, which comprises 26 European countries that have abolished passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders.
These countries have agreed to common visa policies and procedures, allowing travelers to move freely within the area without needing separate visas for each country.
The Schengen visa is issued by one of the Schengen Area member states and grants entry to all member countries for a specified period, typically up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
However obtaining a Schengen visa can be tiring and frustrating especially if it keeps getting rejected after meeting several criteria.
Here are six common reasons why you Schengen visa application might be rejected.
1. Incomplete or incorrect documentation
If any required documents are missing or filled out incorrectly, it can lead to a rejection.
Also, providing false information or withholding important details on the application form can lead to a rejection and may also result in a ban from future applications.
2. Lack of travel insurance
Failure to provide proof of travel insurance covering medical emergencies and repatriation can result in a visa rejection.
This is because travel insurance is a compulsory requirement needed while applying for a Schengen visa.
3. Unconvincing travel itinerary
If the purpose of the trip or the itinerary provided by the applicant seems unclear or not well-planned, the visa may be denied.
Therefore it is important to clearly state the purpose of your visit whether for vacation, tourism, family visit or study.
4. Insufficient funds
If the applicant cannot prove they have enough money to cover their expenses during their stay in the Schengen area, the visa may be rejected.
5. Previous immigration or visa violations
If the applicant has a history of overstaying visas or other immigration violations, it can greatly reduce the chances of getting a Schengen visa.
6. Lack of strong ties to home country
If the applicant cannot demonstrate strong ties to their home country, such as stable employment, property ownership, or family relationships, it may cast doubt on their intention to return after their trip.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has identified the government’s bulk purchases of foodstuffs for palliative distribution as a key factor exacerbating the food inflation crisis in Nigeria.
Speaking during the March Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, Cardoso expressed concerns about the inflationary impact of these purchases, with the details published on the CBN’s official website.
Naija News recalls that the MPC increased the benchmark interest rate to 24.75% from 22.75% in an effort to combat rising inflation.
Despite these measures, the national inflation rate soared to 33.2% in March, with food inflation particularly severe at 40.01%, a significant increase from the previous year’s rate of 24.45%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The spike in food prices comes in the wake of the Federal Government’s decision to eliminate fuel subsidies, prompting an allocation of ₦5 billion to each state and the Federal Capital Territory for food purchases intended for the economically vulnerable. This move, however, has contributed to inflationary pressures.
“Despite notable stability in the foreign exchange market resulting from decisions taken at that 293rd MPC meeting, inflationary pressure remains unabated,” Cardoso stated.
He highlighted that the government’s interventions in the food market have introduced new inflationary dimensions, exacerbated by seasonal fluctuations during religious and festive periods.
Emphasizing the structural nature of the current inflation, Cardoso argued for a combined fiscal and monetary strategy to address the issue effectively.
“This could be considered as evidence of the impact of decisions reached at the 293rd MPC meeting,” he noted, pointing out that primary drivers of inflation now include hikes in food and energy prices due to structural factors.
MPC member Bala Bello also commented on the inflationary trend, noting its impact on the economy.
He said, “Inflation is currently unacceptably high and requires decisive and coordinated efforts to curb it, given its adverse impact on citizens’ purchasing power, investment decisions, and broad output performance.”
Bello acknowledged the government’s initiatives to mitigate food insecurity, such as distributing seeds and supporting dry-season farming, as critical, though insufficient to counter the broader inflationary trends.
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appointed Basirat Damilola Marshall, daughter of Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, a.k.a KWAM1, as his Senior Special Assistant on Tourism.
This was according to a viral video of her father thanking the governor, and congratulatory messages sighted by PUNCH Online on her Instagram page, @damimarshall_ on Thursday.
In the viral video, her father, KWAM1, while performing on stage at the coronation and birthday reception of Oba Sikirullah Apena on Thursday, thanked Sanwo-Olu for appointing his daughter into his cabinet.
The fuji singer noted that it was his daughter, Damilola, who asked him to publicly thank the governor for her appointment.
Congratulating her on the appointment, a Nigerian, Olanrewaju-Smart Wasiu wrote, “Congratulations Barr. @damimarshall_ on your appointment as the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism. This is a deserving recognition for your hard work and contributions to our party”, to which she responded by saying “Thank you, sir.”
Another person, Balogun Basia wrote, “Please, join me in congratulating my friend K1 and the entire family on the appointment of my daughter Barrister Basirat Damilola Marshall as the SSA to the governor of Lagos State on Tourism. Damilola, this shall be the beginning of many good things that will come your way and that of your siblings Insha Allah, Alaumoh Amin.”
Until her appointment, Damilola was a principal partner at a law firm, Damilola Ayinde Marshal and Co.
As of the time of this report, efforts to reach the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, for confirmation proved abortive, as messages sent to his WhatsApp line were not responded to.
Any possible merger of political parties aimed at ousting the ruling All Progressives Congress at the centre during the 2027 general elections will not see the light of the day unless the masterminds drop their personal interests.
The former Chairman of APC in Enugu State, Dr Ben Nwoye, stated this in Enugu on Thursday during a programme. He however said it would be in the interest of democracy if there was a strong opposition, but played down anything concrete coming from the merger of Alh Atiku Abubakar, Mr Peter Obi and Engr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Atiku was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obi was that of the Labour Party while Kwankwaso was the standard-bearer of the New Nigerian Peoples Party during the 2023 elections. It was won by APC’s Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
There have been reports of a possible merger of the trio. Nwoye said because it was unlikely for any of them to cede their presidential ambitions, the talk was dead on arrival.
According to him, “The so-called merger ahead of 2027 polls will be a welcome development. For democracy to thrive, there should be competition. But if the merger is self-serving, it will fail. It will be a case of strange bed fellows.
“Remember that Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso are originally of PDP. In fact, people forget that Obi was Atiku’s running mate during the 2019 presidential election. So, their coming together again can’t be called a merger.”
Nwoye, however, admitted that if Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso had jettisoned their selfish interests, the outcome of the 2023 elections would have been different.
He said, “If they had stayed together and ceded their ambitions to one of them, PDP should have defeated APC going by the ratio of votes cast. But the problem with our politics is that Nigerian politicians are simply after their personal interests. So, it has been a case of self-serving.”
On alleged crisis in APC, Nwoye said, “There is no implosion in APC. APC has been solid. The truth is that after party primaries, there must be crises. This is because Nigerians hardly accept defeat. Every contestant will claim they won. That creates tension and litigations. It is not perculiar to APC.”