Big Gist Africa

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 ...

The Independent Public Service Accountability Watch (IPSAW) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately remove the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, over what it described as "gross incompetence and abuse of public office" in the agency's enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic beverages. Addressing a press conference at the Ministry of Health in Abuja on Thursday, IPSAW Executive Director, Amb. Stephen Eriba, accused the NAFDAC boss of disregarding government directives, undermining existing regulatory frameworks, and pursuing policies capable of destabilising businesses and threatening thousands of jobs across the alcoholic beverage value chain. The group alleged that NAFDAC's enforcement actions contravene provisions of the National Alcohol Policy and violate resolutions of the House of Representatives, which had earlier calle...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has recorded yet another significant breakthrough in its sustained fight against transnational organized crime, illicit trade, threats to national security and public health. Acting on credible, actionable intelligence and utilizing advanced risk assessment tools, officers of the Command in collaboration with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday June 15, 2026 at about 1200hrs successfully intercepted 1 x 40FT container with number CAAU7569127 conveying a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as “Canadian Loud.”  A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer Apapa Area Command,  Chief Superintendent of Customs,  Isah Sulaiman  said that the operation led to the recovery of 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, with each sachet weighing 500 grams.  This brings the total weight to approximately 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes). Preliminary field tests condu...