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Sokoto state government has donated over N100 million and 408 bags of assorted food items to families affected by bandit attacks and a boat mishap in...
Seven persons have been confirmed dead in the early hours of Monday August 24, 2026, following a fatal multi-vehicle collision along the busy Ibafo–Lagos corridor near...
Members of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are reportedly set to resign from their positions to pave the way for sweeping reforms...
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has felicitated the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and across the world on the occasion of Eid el Maulud,...
OGOGO: PhotoNews of The Final Farewell Final resting place of Taiwo Hassan Ogogo Taiwo Babatunde Hassan 31 October 1959 -23 AUGUST 2026 Yinka Qadri in tears...
The Gidan Galadima, a Royal Family from Lafia has appealed to governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state to include the family in the proposed creation of...
Nigeria’s battle against hidden hunger is taking a new economic dimension as nutrition experts warn that widespread deficiencies in folate and vitamin B12 are fuelling preventable birth defects, undermining child development and weakening the country’s future workforce. The experts are calling on the federal government to make the fortification of bouillon cubes with folic acid and vitamin B12 mandatory, describing it as a cost-effective intervention capable of protecting millions of Nigerians and strengthening human capital. Blueprint reports that Nigeria records an estimated 7.5 million births annually, with about 11,000 babies reportedly born each year with neural tube defects (NTDs) serious abnormalities affecting the brain and spinal cord. Experts say adequate folic acid intake before conception and during the early stages of pregnancy can reduce the risk of NTDs by as much as 70 per cent. Beyond the health implications, they warned that the economic burden is enormous. Children affected by severe NTDs may require lifelong medical treatment, surgery, rehabilitation and specialised care, placing financial pressure on families, government and the healthcare system. Some survivors live with permanent disabilities, while others die shortly after birth. Nutrition specialists argue that many of these cases could be prevented if women receive sufficient folic acid before conception and during the first weeks of pregnancy often before they know they are pregnant. Dr. Jamila Lawal, a nutritionist and public health expert, said bouillon cubes provide an opportunity to reach women through a food product already deeply embedded in Nigeria’s food culture. She stressed that food fortification should complement, rather than replace, folic acid supplementation, noting that some women begin taking supplements too late or do not take them consistently. Olusola Malomo, Assistant Director of Dietetics, Lagos State Health Service Commission, General Hospital, Badagry, supported the proposal but called for strict regulatory controls. He said manufacturers must add scientifically appropriate quantities of micronutrients and ensure that fortified products undergo rigorous testing. Malomo also advocated nationwide public awareness campaigns on the importance of folic acid before conception and during early pregnancy. Scientific evidence from the Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial (CoMIT) in Ghana, involving more than 2,000 women and children, found that fortified bouillon significantly improved folate and vitamin B12 levels. Nigeria introduced voluntary standards for bouillon fortification in September 2024, permitting the addition of folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and iodine. However, experts argue that voluntary adoption may not be sufficient to achieve nationwide impact. With more than 40 per cent of Nigerian women of reproductive age estimated to have inadequate folate intake, nutrition advocates say mandatory fortification could become a major public-health and economic intervention. They urged policymakers to act, arguing that reducing preventable birth defects, improving cognitive development and building a healthier workforce are essential to Nigeria’s long-term economic growth.
The Group Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, on Sunday described the passage of the Benue State Startup Act as a major step towards positioning the state as a destination for innovation, entrepreneurship and investment. According to him, the new Startup Act will provide tax relief, establish innovation and incubation hubs and attract investors to support youth-led businesses and innovation across the state. Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi, Asemakaha, who sponsored the legislation, said the law would provide a framework for nurturing startups, promoting innovation and unlocking youth-led enterprise and wealth creation. He said the Act, which aligns with Nigeria’s Startup Act 2022, provides incentives including tax relief, incubation infrastructure, access to funding and improved ease of doing business. According to him, the legislation would help tackle youth unemployment by enabling young people to turn innovative ideas into sustainable businesses and become employers of labour. Asemakaha said the law would also attract Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, Private Equity investors and other sources of capital into Benue while promoting technology adoption, research and development and intellectual property protection. He also said the Act provides for innovation and incubation hubs, including proposed facilities at the Galleria Centre in Makurdi, as well as a Benue Startup Fund to support innovative ideas and early-stage businesses. The GMD added that a single-window startup portal would simplify registration and regulatory compliance, while eligible startups would benefit from pioneer tax relief, waivers on business premises and signage fees and priority consideration in relevant government procurement. Asemakaha explained that implementation would begin with the development of the startup portal and establishment of the first set of innovation hubs, urging young entrepreneurs and technology-enabled businesses across the state to prepare for registration under the new framework.
NAFDAC orders manufacturers to recall sachet alcohol, PET drinks delow 200ml Oguntade Ismaila The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered nationwide recall of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200 millilitres, warning manufacturers that continued violations could lead to factory closures and revocation of product registrations. NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this while addressing journalists at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, stressing that affected manufacturers must immediately withdraw the prohibited products from distributors, warehouses, retail outlets and other points across the supply chain. She said manufacturers would also be required to sign irrevocable compliance undertakings committing them to full implementation of the Federal Government’s directive. According to her, production lines used for the banned pack sizes must be dismantled, permanently disabled or reconfigured under NAFDAC’s supervision before any facility shut down for non-compliance could be reopened. The agency also directed affected companies to submit periodic compliance reports detailing their recall and disposal efforts. Adeyeye said the latest enforcement action followed the discovery that sachet alcohol and PET-packaged alcoholic drinks below 200ml were still being sold in parts of the country despite the expiration of the phase-out period. She warned that manufacturers and other operators who disregard the directive would face sanctions, including factory closure, suspension or revocation of product registration and other penalties provided by law. The enforcement is the culmination of an eight-year regulatory process which began in 2018 following growing concerns over the widespread availability of cheap, highly concentrated alcoholic drinks in small packages. NAFDAC said the products were considered particularly problematic because they were inexpensive, easy to conceal and readily accessible to children and young people. She said following consultations between the government, regulators and industry stakeholders, manufacturers were initially granted a five-year moratorium in December 2018 to phase out the affected products. The deadline was subsequently extended by one year to December 31, 2025, paving the way for full enforcement from January 1, 2026. Adeyeye said NAFDAC adopted a phased enforcement strategy, beginning with manufacturing facilities and subsequently extending operations to markets, motor parks, bars, warehouses and distribution centres nationwide. The agency said recent enforcement operations uncovered continued circulation of prohibited products, resulting in the closure of some facilities and sanctions against defaulting operators. NAFDAC also cited research indicating that almost half of underage alcohol consumers obtain alcoholic drinks through sachets and small PET bottles, reinforcing the agency’s position that stricter controls are necessary. Adeyeye stressed that the government’s policy should not be interpreted as a ban on alcohol consumption, but as a public-health intervention aimed at restricting children’s access to highly concentrated alcoholic beverages. She maintained that the agency would continue to monitor manufacturers and the wider supply chain to ensure that prohibited pack sizes do not return to the Nigerian market.
Reject thuggery, cultism, cybercrime – POWA president tells youths Oguntade Ismaila The National President of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Chief Mrs. Mutiat Olufunmilola Disu,...