Blast Naija Media

  The World Health Organization (WHO) says the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine given provisional approval by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) still needs to undergo more trials. The trials are to be recommended by WHO. WHO Country Representative to Nigeria Dr Walter Mulombo, during a media parley at the UN House in Abuja on Tuesday, also restated the importance and efficacy of the RTSS vaccine adopted by countries like Ghana and Kenya. As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Malaria Day during Africa Vaccines Week and World Immunisation Week, Mulombo also emphasised the need for proper policy funding and education in the efforts to get Nigeria and Africa to zero malaria. He noted that 96 percent of world deaths and 95 percent of world infections from malaria occurred in Africa, while Nigeria contributed to 79 percent of Africa’s unvaccinated children. The Federal Government, earlier this month, granted regulatory approval for the R...

  Reports say the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has commenced the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination nationwide. Data obtained from the examination body revealed that close to 1.6 million candidates across over 700 centres are expected to take the examination which will come to an end on May 12,2023 so as to give room for the registration for the Direct Entry examinations. In some centres in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, it was observed that candidates were being checked into the examination halls through the use of Biometric Verification Machines. Though some candidates noted that they encountered hitches during the verification process, officials on the ground acknowledged that all the glitches would be resolved. It is gathered that the examination was earlier scheduled to commence on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The board, in an earlier statement by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, explained that the change in the date of the UTME was to accommodate so...

  RnB singer, Robert Sylvester Kelly, popularly known as R. Kelly, has been moved to a correctional centre located in North Carolina, the United States of America, where he is expected to serve his 30-year prison sentence in connection with multiple sexual offences. He was moved to the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Caroline Wednesday last week from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, the US Federal Bureau of Prisons announced. R. Kelly, in February 2023, was sentenced to one additional year in prison for his Chicago conviction of federal child pornography and child enticement charges. This is in addition to the 30 years he’s already serving for a separate conviction out of New York. He was also acquitted by the jury of enticement charges involving two other accusers – Tracy and Brittany. The singer was also acquitted of seven other charges, including obstruction of justice, accusing him and two associates of rigging his 2008 child pornography trial...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed as “mischievous” allegations that their minister, H.E Geoffrey Onyeama has been suspended from the All Progressives Congress, APC because “he was sent to the United States to blackmail Peter Obi, and he declined the request”. A statement by Francisca K. Omayuli (Mrs), Spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the general public to disregard the information. According to the statement, “The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to a story circulating on social media that the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama has been suspended by his Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) because as alleged, “he was sent to the United States to blackmail Peter Obi, and he declined the request”. “The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs states that there is no iota of truth to the mischievous allegations. “The General Public is therefore, called upon to disregard the story.”

  More corporate organisations have embraced the federal government-initiated road tax credit scheme (TCS) that was designed to reduce road infrastructure deficit in Nigeria.  Dangote Group Plc, NNPCL, MTN Nigeria, NLNG and Floor Mills of Nigeria are among the companies that have started taking advantage of the scheme to improve access to their operational centres and public perception. The TCS which was introduced four years ago to enable private sector operators invest in infrastructure across the country, has become a major game changer in the provision of roads.  Nigeria has about 195, 000 kilometers of untered roads. According to official data, 63,000km of roads have been built by both the federal and state governments, a gap the government seeks to close with introduction of the scheme that allows private sector companies to build roads.  The roads under construction have strategic economic interest to the country such as the Bonny-Bodo road and bridge which is...

The federal government has approved the reconstruction of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway by one of the telecommunication service providers, the MTN, at the cost of over N202.8 billion under the road Infrastructure tax credit scheme. This was sequel to the approval of a memorandum presented by the Ministry of Works and Housing to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Briefing newsmen after the FEC meeting, the Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, explained that the road project was being executed in line with the Executive Order 7 signed by the President in January, 2019. According to him, the telecommunication giant would complete the dualisation of the 110-kilometer road. He also revealed that the Council approved the Umuchi-Ususu-Umueme GZ Industries Road in Abia for construction by GZ Industries also under the Tax Credit Scheme at the cost of about N4.2 billion. “So we, the Ministry of Works and ...