latest
Agriculture Minister Unveils ₦1.5 Trillion Push To Empower Young Farmers.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has emphasized that the transformation of Nigeria’s food system depends on aligning policies with innovation and empowering the youth to take central roles in shaping the nation’s agricultural future.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Speaking at the World Food Forum Nigeria Chapter Side Event themed “Bridging Policy and Innovation: Youth at the Forefront of Agri-Food Transformation,” Kyari said young entrepreneurs are key to driving agricultural innovation, creating opportunities, and fostering a more inclusive and productive ecosystem.
According to Nivo News, the minister noted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, agriculture has been positioned as a cornerstone of national development. He described food security as “more than an economic priority” but rather “the foundation of national sovereignty and stability.”
Kyari explained that through the Renewed Hope agenda, the government is restoring confidence in Nigeria’s food systems by strengthening production and empowering young people to lead in agricultural transformation.
He stated that the ministry is bridging the gap between policy and practice through strategies that are data-driven, inclusive, and informed by those directly engaged in the food systems, especially innovative youth.
Highlighting the government’s shift from a top-down model to co-creation, Kyari said collaboration now replaces prescription, ensuring that young Nigerians play active roles in shaping agricultural policies that define the nation’s future.
He cited the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy as the foundation of a tech-enabled, youth-driven, and commercially viable agricultural sector. However, Kyari stressed that sustained funding remains crucial for scaling youth-led innovations.
“To sustain innovation, we must ensure young agripreneurs can access financing to scale their ideas. No matter how brilliant our technologies are, without affordable finance, they cannot grow into tangible impact,” he stated.
The minister outlined major financing efforts, including the operationalisation of the National Agricultural Development Fund and the ₦1.5 trillion recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture—one of the largest agricultural finance initiatives in Nigeria’s history. These moves, he added, will expand access to affordable financing for youth and women-led agribusinesses.
Kyari also celebrated the contributions of young Nigerian innovators such as Samson Ogbole, Femi Adekoya, Atinuke Lebile, and Azeez Salawu, who are advancing innovations in soilless farming, drone technology, biofortified crops, and agricultural ecosystem coordination. He also commended Abdulsalam Umar of Matura Agro for pioneering Nigeria’s first large-scale cultivation of alfalfa grass for export.
Announcing the procurement of 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 agricultural implements, Kyari described the move as the largest mechanization initiative in Nigeria’s history. He said the intervention would expand access to modern machinery, boost productivity, and open new opportunities for youth in machinery operation, maintenance, and agribusiness services.
Kyari lauded the establishment of the World Food Forum (WFF) Nigeria Chapter, calling it a platform that connects local innovation with global priorities. He added that it would unite youth-led organisations, private sector players, researchers, and government institutions to build a resilient food system for the country.
He called on partners to support the government’s efforts to de-risk investments, scale agribusiness enterprises, and provide blended finance for youth-driven projects.
“Let us build a food-secure, youth-powered, and innovation-driven Nigeria, where every young person sees agriculture not as a struggle but as a pathway to prosperity and national pride,” he said.
The State Wing Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has ordered all public primary and secondary school teachers in Abuja to commence an indefinite strike from Monday.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The union also directed parents and guardians to keep their children at home until further notice, citing unresolved welfare concerns and what it described as government inaction.
This followed a communiqué issued after an emergency SWEC meeting held in Gwagwalada, Abuja, over the weekend and signed by the state leadership of the union.
Teachers were instructed to fully comply with the strike directive and await further instructions from the union leadership, as the industrial action remains in force until their demands are addressed.
According to the communiqué, the strike became necessary after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, which elapsed without a satisfactory response.
The union recalled that although previous interventions led to the suspension of an earlier strike, several key issues affecting teachers’ welfare were still unresolved.
It also expressed concern that a committee set up to address outstanding entitlements submitted its report in August 2025, but the findings have not been made public or implemented.
While acknowledging the payment of the new minimum wage and some salary arrears, the union insisted that major concerns remain unattended.
The NUT further demanded reforms in promotion processes and a review of the 2024 promotion exercise.
After what it described as unsuccessful engagements and expired deadlines, the union declared that all teachers in the FCT will remain on strike indefinitely until their demands are met.
Nigerian actor and filmmaker Emmanuel Ikubese has spoken about the breakdown of his marriage to celebrity makeup artist Anita Adetoye.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The couple tied the knot in March 2020 in a widely publicised wedding that attracted attention nationwide. However, by February 2021, speculation about a split began after Ikubese deleted their wedding photos from Instagram and both parties unfollowed each other on social media.
Speaking on the Archives of Becoming Podcast, Ikubese described the end of the marriage as a painful personal setback. He said it made him deeply question himself, especially as someone who had always hoped for a stable family life.
According to him, achieving marriage had felt like a major life goal, and its collapse left him feeling as though he had failed. He added that the public nature of their wedding made the experience even more difficult, leaving him exposed and emotionally shaken.
He explained that the experience pushed him into deep reflection about his identity and life direction, describing it as a turning point that forced him to re-evaluate himself. He also noted that he could only speak from his own experience and not on behalf of his ex-wife.
Ikubese further revealed that the breakup brought him significant emotional pain and altered how he viewed life, eventually drawing him closer to his faith as he searched for answers.
“It was an identity thing. If you don’t find your identity, you always find yourself in moments like this… God needed a reset, and that was the reset for me,” he said.
“I had always desired a family… The wedding I had was very high-profile… and I just felt like I’d failed.
“It changed my life… it felt like I had to go back to God and ask, ‘Where did I miss this?’
“I was always a lost Emmanuel… fame just felt good… I didn’t even understand why I was in the industry… 2020 was just a crash.”
Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has explained why he left the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying his experience in the party became unbearable and forced him to move on.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He made this known during an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Akinbaloye, where he reflected on his time in the ruling party and his decision to exit.
Melaye said the political environment he found himself in at the time no longer aligned with his values, adding that he had to step away to reassess his direction in politics.
He compared the decision to a major personal turning point, stressing that it was not made hastily but after deep reflection on his future.
According to him, leaving the party was necessary for his personal and political survival as the situation had become difficult to manage.
He said the experience marked a significant change in his political journey, prompting him to seek a new path that better suited his beliefs and ambitions.
-
latest8 months ago“Social Media Erupts As Jim Iyke Declares Rita Dominic Nollywood’s Most Beautiful”
-
latest2 years agoEdo Political Showdown: Oshiomhole Appears At Presidential Villa As Tinubu Hands APC Gubernatorial Flag To Okpebholo (Photos & Video)
-
entertainment2 years agoLove Knows No Age American Woman Defends Marriage To Young Nigerian Man “I’m Not 70”
-
latest2 years agoOlumide Akpata Strikes Again: Drops Killer Track, Sends Edo State Into Frenzy!(Video)
-
Politics2 years agoNigerians React As Pastor Adeboye Foresees Passing Away On A Sunday After Enjoying A Satisfying Meal Of Pounded Yam
-
latest2 years agoFG Identifies 31 States At Risk Of Heavy Flooding In 2024: See Full List
-
Politics2 years agoBREAKING: Inspector-General Of Police Summons Top Police Commanders For Crucial-Security Challenges
-
latest2 years ago5 NYSC Corpers Perish In Fatal Road Accident Returning From Camp