Sir Rufus Ebegba, the director-general and chief executive officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NABMA), at a meeting held in Abuja to review two applications submitted for the release of genetically-modified (GM) cotton and maize, said Nigerians should prepare to see more GM products in the market to serve as alternative to consumers’ choice. In this interview with Etta Michael ...

The Ogun State Government has solicited the support of stakeholders in the state’s forestry sector to join its efforts in curbing illegal felling of trees in government owned forest reserves in order to enhance its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Commissioner for Forestry, Kolawole Lawal, gave the charge while addressing the Timber Contractors Association, Ogun Waterside Chapter, during a working visit ...

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Abuja, Connected Development (CODE), has listed drawbacks being experienced by a project aimed at curbing desertification in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The group however unfolded measures it hopes to undertake to realise the scheme’s potential. The Great Green Wall (GGW) scheme brings together Nigeria and several other countries to grow a wall of trees ...

The National Immunisation Prevention Diseases (NIDPs) campaign has commenced in Lagos. The campaign is aimed at reaching 95% of children within the age of 0-59 months, notwithstanding their previous immunisation status. Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr Olufemi Onanuga, said the children would be administered with the oral polio virus vaccine, which he described ...

China will aim to close more than 1,000 coal mines over this year, with a total production capacity of 60 million tonnes, as part of its plans to tackle a price-sapping supply glut in the sector, the country’s energy regulator said. China is the world’s top coal consumer but demand has been on the wane as economic growth slows and ...

Ratifications by Togo and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have brought the total number of ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation to 72. The Governments of Togo and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland deposited their instruments ...

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has announced the release of Justina Ojo, wife of its Executive Director, Godwin Uyi Ojo, who was abducted by unknown gunmen last Monday. Justina was kidnapped in front of her residence around 8pm on February 22, 2016 in Benin and was only released last night (Friday, February 26) to her family ...

Observed high mercury levels in dental clinics may have prompted the Lagos State Government to take up a campaign to phase down dental amalgam, which scientists say is injurious to health and the environment. In applying the Minamata Convention on amalgam provisions to Nigeria, the state’s Ministry of the Environment (MoE) is collaborating with the Sustainable Research and Action for ...

As the nation awaits this year’s Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) courtesy of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) as well as the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), stakeholders have attempted an appraisal of last year’s flood response profile in order to ensure a hitch-free 2016 preparedness. Both the SRP and AFO are analysed to make ...

Bicycle ownership around the world is declining amid rising wealth levels and increased use of motorised vehicles in developing countries, a study has found. Four out of 10 households on the planet own a bike, according to a paper based on surveys from 150 countries between 1989 and 2012. But the growing popularity and affordability of motorised transport, such as ...