Big Gist Africa

*Commends Apapa Command  The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC  Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has warned criminals planning to bring in illicit items into the country to have a second thought, as the officers and men are well equipped with intelligence and technology to beat them to their game. CGC Adeniyi gave the warning, while speaking at the handover of seized narcotic drugs to the NDLEA and expired/unregistered pharmaceutical products to NAFDAC on Wednesday July 1, 2026.  "However, these interceptions equally demonstrate that the Nigeria Customs Service possesses the intelligence capability,  technological capacity and operational readiness to detect, intercept and  dismantle these criminal enterprises," he said. He said that the importation of expired pharmaceuticals  and controlled substances poses a direct threat to public health, while the  sophisticated concealment methods adopted by the criminal networks  demonstrate their deter...

*Accuses presidency, INEC, judiciary of conspiracy to keep Atiku off  ballot  Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, alleged a fresh plot by the Presidency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and elements within the judiciary to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from the ballot ahead of the 2027 general election. Frank warned that any attempt to exclude the ADC and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, from the election would amount to an assault on democracy capable of plunging the country into chaos and anarchy. In a strongly worded statement, Frank claimed that credible information available to him indicated that the ADC had become the principal target of a coordinated plan aimed at crippling the opposition and entrenching a one-party state. According to him, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is merely being used as a decoy while the real obje...

After an intriguing 13 days of exciting  action, the First Phase, Third    Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Volleyball Premier League ended at the Indoor Sports Hall, National Stadium Abuja  on Saturday. As expected, two teams that showed strength from Day 1, Nigerian Customs Service and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) teams, did not leave their fans disappointed. On Day 13,  CNS Spikers spanked  Offa VC 3-0,  25-23,  25-12 and 25-12 in the male fixtures. Nigeria Police Force shot down  Sunshine Spikers 3-0,  25-20,  25-11 and 25-14. NSCDC wasted no time in dismantling UCEM 3-0, 25-21,  25-16 and 25-22. Defence Spikers could not survive and were punished by Nigeria Correctional Service 1-3,  19-25, 15-25,  25-23 and 20-25. Hard fighting Kano Pillars lost to  Life Camp VC 2-3,  24-26, 16-25,  25-17, 25-21 and  13-15. In what was expected to be the star match of the male fixture, COAS Spik...

Farmers in Bunkure, Kano State, are optimistic about improving their harvests and cutting production costs following a community sensitisation programme by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) alongside Mastrotun Global Agro Allied Limited that introduced the benefits of TELA maize technology. The engagement brought together farmers, traditional leaders, and community members to learn how the new TELA maize hybrids can help address some of the biggest challenges facing maize production, including devastating Fall Armyworm infestations, stem borer attacks, and increasingly unpredictable weather. Leading the sensitisation, AATF's Hybrid Seed Market Development Manager, Mr. Olawale Ojo, explained that the same advanced biotechnology that has helped farmers protect their cowpea crops is now available in TELA maize.  He said the improved hybrids combine resistance to destructive insect pests with drought tolerance, enabling farmers to achieve higher yields w...

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has intensified efforts to improve maize productivity in Kano State by educating farmers and community members on the benefits and proper cultivation of TELA hybrid maize, a climate-smart technology designed to deliver higher yields while reducing crop losses. Speaking during a community sensitisation programme in Dawakin Tofa, AATF's Hybrid Seed Market Development Manager, Mr. Olawale Ojo, explained that the initiative was aimed at equipping farmers with the knowledge needed to increase their annual harvests.  He stressed that quality seed remains the foundation of successful farming and one of the most important determinants of crop productivity. Mr. Ojo introduced participants to the TELA Maize Project, explaining its origin, objectives, and the science behind the technology in simple, relatable terms.  Using the example of two farmers cultivating different maize varieties, he demonstrated how modern breeding...

*Demands President's disqualification  Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, a civil society group, the Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA)  has reopened the issue on the genuiness or otherwise of the Chicago State University certificate used by President Bola Tinubu to get clearance for the 2023 general election.  The group, championing good governance in Nigeria, has formally written the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Joash Amupitan, demanding clarifications on the status of the degree certificate claimed to have been obtained and being paraded by  President Tinubu.  In a letter to the Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the group demanded expedited clarifications from the electoral body to ensure that sanity prevails in the body polity of the country, especially in the 2027 election.  Specifically, the group predicated its demand on the certificate status on the need ...