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  By Robert Egbe Despite the millions of people its products kill every year, and the thousands more whose health is destroyed, the tobacco industry is aggressively lobbying governments and the public to embrace newer kinds of harmful tobacco products that it presents as “less harmful” or “safer” than traditional tobacco use. According to the World Health Organisation, the industry is particularly bent on luring young people to use its so-called “smokeless” nicotine-filled tobacco products, so that it can create a new generation of addicts. The industry regards these novel products as its future, meaning it quietly hopes that these youth will replace those who die or whose health is destroyed from traditional tobacco use so that the industry can continue making huge profits at the expense of peoples’ lives. Confronted with clear evidence of the deadly harm of tobacco use, the tobacco industry now claims that it wants people to stop smoking. However, it has refused to stop manufactu...

By Ogunlade Olamide and Esi-ife Arogundade As we step into a world increasingly defined by climate change extremes, the recent conclusion of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) that 2024 marks the warmest year yet is a formidable wake-up call for Nigeria and the rest of the world. Many were already bracing for this announcement, understanding the gradual yet persistent surge in global temperatures, particularly driven by the Global North.  This report isn't just relegated to statistics; it represents an urgent call to action, especially for vulnerable regions like Africa, which bear the brunt of climate change despite contributing minimally to global emissions. The findings underscore the ongoing warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), pleading with policymakers to heed the escalating climate crises. Africa, a continent already grappling with socio-economic challenges, finds itself in a precarious situation.  The last decade has been signifi...

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and Richard Edoki Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has congratulated Nigerian-born broadcaster Richard Edoki, known as Richybongo, on his nomination for Best Newcomer at the National Hospital Radio Awards 2025. This is contained in a congratulatory message issued by the Commission's Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun in Abuja. Dabiri-Erewa commended Edoki's efforts as a shining example of Nigerian excellence in the diaspora, while wishing him success at the Awards Ceremony, set for April 5, 2025, in Leicestershire. The National Hospital Radio Awards is a yearly event organised by the Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA), to honour brilliant contributions to hospital broadcasting across the UK. Richybongo, the host of African Vibe with Richybongo on the Community & Hospital Broadcasting Network (CHBN Radio), Cornwall, has been recognised for promoting Africa...

... Warns Against Transforming Fund into a Discriminatory Policy The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the federal government and Trustees of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to abandon plans to restrict access of the loan to specific courses deemed “high demand” and “practical” to national development.  The organisation described this potential direction of the policy as discriminatory, a clear manifestation of the increasing commercialisation of public education, and a betrayal of the Fund’s original mandate to ensure access to higher education for all, not just a privileged few.  Speaking during a virtual event titled Student Loan Masterclass, hosted by The Renewed Hope Global recently, NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyer, was quoted announcing a soon-to-be-implemented shift of the Fund’s priorities. Under the proposed change, loans would be directed towards students in "practical" fields such as engineering ...

Richard Edoki, a Nigerian-born broadcast journalist popularly known as Richybongo, has been named a finalist in the Best Newcomer category at the National Hospital Radio Awards 2025. Organized by the Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA), this annual event honors exceptional contributions to hospital broadcasting across the UK. Richybongo hosts African Vibe with Richybongo on CHBN Radio, a Community Hospital Broadcasting Network station in Cornwall, England. The show, aired every Sunday evening, celebrates the rich cultural and worldview diversity of African people while fostering inclusivity with Cornish audiences.  Through music, food, dress sense, and language, Richybongo creates a platform that bridges cultures and builds a shared sense of community. Speaking on his work, Richybongo said: "By exploring African traditions, we’ve introduced the richness of our heritage to Cornish audiences, while creating a ‘home away from home’ for Africans in Cornwall. It’s fulfilling to see...

The Nigeria Police Force has demanded an immediate retraction and public apology regarding a publication titled "Bloody August: Nigeria Government's Violent Crackdown on and Bad Governance Protests" via a letter dated 6th January 2025, formally written to Amnesty International. The publication in question, which includes numerous unsubstantiated claims, falsely accuses the Nigeria Police of human rights violations, police brutality, and excessive violence during the August 2024 End Bad Governance protests.  The NPF in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said “upon careful review and investigation, categorically rejects these baseless allegations, affirming that the claims are entirely false and without foundation.” It emphasizes that during the protests, the Police acted with restraint and professionalism, even at the highest point of provocation and violent attacks, adhering to global best practices and using minimal force where nece...