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

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.

A Federal High Court in Kano has issued an order restraining the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company from implementing the new electricity tariff for Band A consumers.

The suit marked FHC/KN/CS/144/2024 was filed by Super Sack Company Limited and BBY Sacks Limited.

Others are Mama Sannu Industries Limited, Dala Foods Nigeria Limited, Tofa Textile Limited, and Manufacturers Association Of Nigeria Limited.

However, ruling on an ex-parte motion by Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to the plaintiffs, the presiding judge, Abdullahi Liman, ordered NERC and KEDCO from going ahead with the impending tariff pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.

The order also restrained the defendant from intimidating and threatening to disconnect the applicants’ electricity supply for non-acceptance of the new increased tariff.

In April, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

With the new tariff, customers under the category, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, would begin to pay N225 per kilowatt, starting from April 3 — up from N66.

The sudden hike has since been criticized by the House of Representatives and other stakeholders who have asked NERC to suspend the implementation of the new tariff.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, provided insights into the NLC’s rationale behind proposing a monthly minimum wage of N615,000.

This was posted on the Nigeria Labour Congress X handle on Friday, 3rd May, 2024.

It wrote, ”It has become imperative at this point that we inform Nigerians who may not have known already the foundations upon which our initial demand for a N615,000 (Six Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Naira) new National Minimum Wage is based upon.

The figure was a product of a painstaking effort through which we captured the cost of living of Nigerian workers and masses in all parts of the country.

It was essentially an outcome of an independent research conducted by the NLC and TUC on the cost of meeting the primary needs of an average family around the country.

Our research was based on a family with both parents alive and four children without the burden of having other dependents with them.

A questionnaire was designed and sent to all the State Councils of NLC and TUC from where these questionnaires were sent to our members in all the Local government areas in the country to gather the monthly cost of living for the average family as described above.

Below is a summary of our findings and we hope that this will enable Nigerians understand what propels our demand so that better clarity is made to create better engagement around the ongoing National Minimum Wage negotiation process.

A cursory look at the table above shows that we have deliberately removed certain elements from the Basket used in calculations of this nature.

However, it should also be noted that we have not included things like expenditure on calls and data, offerings in churches and Mosques, community dues, entertainment, savings and Security etc.

These are therefore just for the bare necessities. It should be noted that we arrived at this figure before the increase in electricity tariff and the recent scarcity of Petrol across the nation leading to the appearance of long queues with attendant increased transport fares.

Any figure below this amount becomes a starvation wage and condemns Nigerian workers and their families to perpetual poverty.

We have to remember that the old one having expired on the 18th day of April, 2024, a new one is expected to have come into effect on the 19th day of April, 2024.

However, because of government’s inability to comply with the Law that demanded for negotiations for a new national minimum wage to have begun 6 (six) months before the expiration of the existing one, concluding the new one has become unfortunately delayed.

We are sure that our social partners would see our demonstration of understanding, sacrifice and reasonableness in our demands thus accepts this figure without much delay.

We also enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to implore the Government and Employers to meet our demands for the sake of justice, equity and national development.”

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.”

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.