SA News

By Bukola Olukemi-Odele A mother walks into a store to buy a healthy snack for her child. The shelves are stocked with snacks, chocolates, and drinks, all featuring brightly coloured packaging adorned with child-friendly cartoon characters. She picks an item that displays bold nutrition claims, such as "fortified with brain-boosting vitamins for growth and vitality." This imagery gives her confidence that she is making a healthy choice for her family. However, it does not disclose the hidden sugars, excessive sodium, and unhealthy fats that could negatively impact her child's health.  This scene occurs every day in markets and shops across Nigeria, where consumers are bombarded with expertly crafted messages that make processed and prepackaged foods and drinks appear healthier than they actually are. Nigeria is currently undergoing a significant nutritional shift from traditional, nutrient-dense diets to processed and prepackaged foods. This change has resulted in a publi...

NCC Chairman, Idris Olorunnimbe The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced a major policy drive to support local manufacturing of smartphones, tablets, routers and other telecommunications devices, promising executive backing and incentives aimed at reducing device costs for Nigerians. Chairman of the Commission, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, said the NCC is shifting from being only a market regulator to becoming a partner in building a domestic technology industry. He explained that strong regulation remains essential to making digital services affordable, noting that a device is only truly affordable when it is reliable, safe, properly connected and supported with a warranty. “Regulation and market integrity are what make a market affordable in the first place. They are the precondition for it. A phone is only truly cheap if it is real, if it is safe, if it connects properly, and if it carries a warranty the buyer can rely on,” Olorunnimbe said. The initiative see...

The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Lagos, has recorded major breakthroughs in its fight against criminal activities, with the arrest of suspected telecom infrastructure vandals, recovery of firearms, stolen items, vehicles and seizure of counterfeit products. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), FCID Annex, Lagos, Simeon Akpanudom, disclosed this during a press briefing on the operational achievements of the department between March 30 and June 25, 2026. Akpanudom said the command remained committed to protecting critical national infrastructure, tackling economic sabotage and ensuring that criminal elements face justice. He revealed that operatives arrested three suspected members of a syndicate involved in vandalising telecommunication facilities in Ayobo, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos. The suspects — Ezekiel Omoloye, 46; Olaoluwa Shuwunmi, 44; and Olaleye Kehinde, 41 — were arrested following intelligence-led operations carried out on Jun...

The Lagos State Government and technology stakeholders have called for stronger commitment towards creating gender-inclusive opportunities in science, technology and innovation. The call was made at the fifth edition of the Women in Technology and Engineering Summit (WITESA), held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos. Representing the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake, said stakeholders must move beyond discussions and embrace practical collaboration to enable more women to thrive and lead in the technology space. Alake stressed that Lagos’ ambition as a digital hub depends on inclusive innovation, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data science and renewable energy. “We need to move beyond conversation to collaboration in creating an environment where women can thrive, where they can lead, and where they can innovate,” he said. At the summit, industry experts highlighted the need to ...

The Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) has called for stronger collaboration with the Nigerian Navy through expanded opportunities for journalists to participate in naval operations, exercises and strategic maritime engagements. DECAN made the call during a courtesy visit by its newly elected executive members to the Directorate of Naval Information in Abuja. The DECAN President, Sunday Odita, who led the delegation, said the engagement was aimed at strengthening the relationship between defence correspondents and the Nigerian Navy while improving national security communication. Odita said defence journalists play a crucial role in bridging the information gap between the military and the public, adding that limited access to naval activities often affects public awareness of the Navy’s operational achievements. He urged the Navy to sustain and expand media-embedding programmes, particularly for Abuja-based correspondents, to enable journalists gain firsthand knowle...

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to establish a comprehensive whistleblower protection law to safeguard individuals who expose corruption, misconduct and other wrongdoing. MRA made the call in commemoration of the 2026 World Whistleblower Day, stressing that whistleblowers in Nigeria continue to face retaliation, including job loss, intimidation, harassment, threats, discrimination and legal challenges. The organisation said Nigeria requires a legal framework that meets international standards by providing secure reporting channels, protecting whistleblowers in both public and private sectors, ensuring independent investigation of disclosures and imposing penalties against those who retaliate against whistleblowers. MRA Programme Officer, Ms Adesewa Akintokun, in a statement said existing policies encouraging the reporting of corruption and misconduct remain inadequate without enforceable legal protection. She noted that whistlebl...