By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has attributed the continued high cost of food to gaps in agro-processing and distribution, despite increased agricultural production under the President Bola Tinubu administration. Kyari made the disclosure in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, 18 September, 2026 while explaining why the impact of the government’s agricultural reforms had yet to translate fully into lower food prices for consumers. He said farm-gate prices had fallen considerably, indicating increased production, but challenges in processing and moving food from farms to markets continued to keep consumer prices high.…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
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By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has questioned the need for consumers to spend heavily on the iPhone 18, urging them to consider investing their money instead of following consumer trends. Omokri made the remarks in a post on his official X handle, @renoomokri, while comparing the iPhone 18 with the decade-old iPhone 7 and discussing the financial implications of upgrading to the latest model. He argued that most people do not need the iPhone 18 because their existing iPhones and Samsung devices can perform many of the same functions. According to him, the major differences between…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the reported deaths of 37 people in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the probe on Saturday, 19 September, 2026, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident, which occurred on Thursday, 17 September, 2026 The victims were reportedly being held on suspicion of illegal mining. Tunji-Ojo also ordered the suspension of all officers involved in the incident, including the Niger State…
By Kayode Akinmade There is a defining difference between occupying public office and using the privilege of office to establish institutions capable of serving the public long after the officeholder has left. Governor Dapo Abiodun’s assent to the Ogun State Education and Skills Trust Fund Bill marks an important step in that direction. By signing the Bill into law, the Governor has established a statutory framework for mobilising additional resources for education and skills development in Ogun State. The significance of the new law lies not simply in the creation of another government fund, but in establishing a more durable…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Agege stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, and a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, convened an interfaith prayer session seeking divine victory for the party’s candidates ahead of the forthcoming elections. The gathering was held on Saturday, 19 September, 2026, at 59, Oyewole Road, Railway Compound, Mulero, Agege, Lagos, bringing together Islamic and Christian clerics, party leaders, elders, ward executives, and members of the youth and women wings in a show of unity and faith.…
The deaths of at least 33 persons arrested over alleged illegal mining activities in Niger State have triggered fresh demands for an independent investigation into conditions inside the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd/Gte (SOJA), a human-rights organisation, on Friday, 18 September, 2026, called for a transparent probe into the deaths, insisting that the fact that the deceased were suspects could not extinguish their constitutional right to life, dignity and humane treatment. The organisation’s demand came amid conflicting reports over the number of persons who died after being arrested during…
By: Dr James Bwala Thirty-seven (37) miners’ tragic death In Niger State, Nigeria is catastrophic. Residents said this incident was reportedly a result of the unholy actions of security operatives, and this has ignited a crucial national discourse. Beyond the immediate grief and calls for justice, this incident compels a deep examination of the role and conduct of security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in protecting citizens. The question of how “civil” the NSCDC truly is in the face of such devastating loss, and whether this tragedy is a symptom of a broader problem of…
The 2026 Korean Film Festival in Abuja has placed Nigerian filmmakers at the centre of Korea–Nigeria cultural diplomacy, with locally produced short films drawing on Korean culture to tell distinctly Nigerian stories of resilience, family, love, grief and survival. The three-day festival, organised by the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria (KCCN), is being held from September 17 to 19 at Silverbird Cinemas, Abuja, bringing Korean feature and short films together with works produced by emerging Nigerian filmmakers. Beyond exposing Nigerian audiences to the depth and diversity of Korean cinema, the festival is providing a platform for Nigerian creatives to engage with…
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced a preliminary investigation into the deaths of 37 persons suspected to be artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. The Commission’s intervention comes amid mounting public concern over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees, who were arrested during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi-Lukoto axis on September 15 and 16, 2026. Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, condemned the incident and expressed concern over the loss of lives in…
Nigeria and Spain are set to deepen cooperation in agriculture, technology transfer and food-value development as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, held talks with Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas Puchades, in Madrid. The meeting, held on Thursday, 17 September, 2026, at the Palacio de Fomento, focused on expanding bilateral collaboration in agro-food production, animal health, irrigation, improved seedlings and food preservation, amid Nigeria’s drive to strengthen domestic food production and create more employment opportunities for its growing population. Planas, who received Ikpeazu during the Ambassador’s courtesy visit, congratulated him on his appointment as Nigeria’s…