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Nigeria Ratifies International Coffee Organisation Membership

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coffee and tea

By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government has ratified Nigeria’s membership at the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) 12 years after it signed the agreement.

This was part of the three major policy decisions taken at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo, revealed that the council ratified Nigeria’s membership of the global coffee group.

According to him, the ratification gives Nigeria a full membership status at the organisation, although it signed the agreement in 2008.

“We signed the international coffee agreement in 2008 and until now (October 21), Nigeria had not ratified this agreement and the result of not having ratified, gave us only an observer status in the organisation and unfortunately, there are a lot of things that come with full membership that the country had been missing on,” he said.

The Minister said the ratification will now afford the country the opportunity to benefit more from the organisation and be actively involved in creating policies on French press coffee trade worldwide.

“The benefits that will come to the country include the allocation of coffee development project, access to consultative fora on coffee sector finance, where our farmers will have access to funds to improve farm yields and boost coffee production in Nigeria,’’ he said.

According to the Minister, Nigeria has a lot of coffee growers in the six geo-political zones of the country with over a million farmers involved.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment, Mr Muhammad Mahmood, said also at the meeting, the council looked into how plastic waste management can boost the nation’s economy.

“Three months ago, we presented a memo on solid waste management. Plastic, being one of the compositions of total waste, has a significant place in the total waste regime because of its non-biodegradable nature and we have plastics littered all over the place, causing an environmental hazard to both humans and animals.

“What this policy seeks to do is to seize the opportunity of our paradigm shift from linear to a circular economy. The standard procedure in the past was, you produce, you use and dispose and we just realised that we cannot continue to do that as plastic has lent itself to recycling or reuse.

“Therefore, what this policy intends to achieve is to capitalise on that property of it being reused,” the Minister explained.

Mr Mahmood maintained that already, the Ministry of Environment has built some plastic recycling plants across the country, which will serve as a pilot scheme.

According to him, the private sector will have the opportunity to dominate the recycling plants, saying that plastic waste is the second form of waste the country needs to deal with.

He, however, stated that plastic could be recycled to produce blocks, new plastics and palettes for the production of interlocks and many more uses.

The Minister of Health, Mr Osagie Ehanire, on his part, said the council approved a bill on the establishment of a National Council for Traditional and Alternative Medicine and complementary medicine practice in Nigeria.

According to the Minister, the bill seeks to take traditional and complementary medicine out of obscurity and institutionalise it.

Mr Ehanire noted that the emergence of Coronavirus had renewed the call for home-grown solutions to public health diseases as well as to find the value in traditional medicines.

“It will also provide the opportunity for the possibility of training, setting up institutions and also being able to research further, in collaboration with the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research of Nigeria, to actually dig out the values that are in our traditional medicine, where they can be used,” he added.

The Minister said the proposed law, when approved, will also help to protect the intellectual property of traditional medicine practitioners in the country.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Pastor Ogbueli’s Abuja Night of Glory Holds Today

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Abuja Night of Glory

By Blaise Udunze

Momentum is gathering for the Abuja Night of Glory taking place today, Friday, December 5, 2025, at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

The crusade is being hosted by Dominion City Church headed by Pastor David Ogbueli and it starts by 7pm.

The all-night programme will feature dynamic worship leaders like Nathanial Bassey, Dunsin Oyekan, Theophilus Sunday, Chioma Jesus, Kaestrings, Sunmisola Agbebi Okeleye, Minister GUC, Ebuka Songs, Anthony Kani, and DC Angels.

Reputed as a teacher of righteousness and anointed minister of the gospel, evidenced by the miracles that have trailed his ministry, and one who champions the cause of the poor through empowerment initiatives, Dr. David Ogbueli will be joined by renowned ministers from within and outside Nigeria, including Evangelist Andres Bisonni, Dr. Charles Ndifon, Evangelist Dan Scott, Apostle Ikechukwu Nnajiofor, and several others.

Night of Glory has, in previous editions held across Nigeria’s cities, recorded remarkable results, such as immediate healings and freedom from chronic ailments, recovery of vision and movement after many years of paralysis, along with liberation from dependencies and emotional distress. Numerous participants have also shared testimonies of breakthroughs and big personal changes after the experience. Organisers state that this year’s event, in Abuja, is anticipated to exceed previous editions.

The event is intended for all individuals trusting God for divine intervention in any area of life.

Understanding the role of faith in the destiny of individuals and nations, a dedicated prayer session for Nigeria will take place during the crusade to tackle some of the current challenges being faced in the country and also to uplift he leaders and institutions before God.

Attendance is free, and registration is encouraged via the QR codes on event banners. Organisers expect a massive turnout as worshippers travel from across the country for what is anticipated to be a transformative encounter.

Adequate security and free transportation have been put in place ALL over the city of Abuja, while those outside Abuja are expected to join online.

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Rivers Speaker, 15 Other Lawmakers Leave PDP for APC

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martin Amaewhule, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the plenary on Friday, Mr Amaewhule joined the ruling party from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with 15 other members of the state parliament.

This development comes some months after they had earlier declared their support for the APC in the wake of a crisis with the state governor, Mr Sim Fubura.

The lawmakers had an issue with Mr Fubura, which led to a state of emergency declared on the oil-rich state by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025.

This embargo was only lift in September 2025 after the duration of the six-month emergency rule in the state.

A few days ago, members of the Rivers Assembly passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu, backing him to remain in office till 2031, when he would have spent eight years in office if re-elected in 2027.

Announcing their defection today, the lawmakers pinned their decision on the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level.

It is not certain if their political godfather, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will join them in APC.

Mr Wike, who governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, has been accused of instigating the crisis in the opposition PDP. He was expelled from the party last month at a national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

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Nigeria Risks Brain Drain in Energy Sector—PENGASSAN

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energy sector

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has warned that Nigeria risks massive brain drain in the oil and gas sector due to poor remuneration.

The president of PENGASSAN, Mr Festus Osifo, said at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union on Thursday in Abuja that the industry was facing challenges arising from Naira devaluation and inflation, noting that, oil and gas skills remained globally competitive.

Painting an example, he said, “A drilling engineer in Nigeria does the same job as one in the US or Abu Dhabi,” noting that the union must take steps to bridge the wage gap to prevent members from leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.

“If we don’t act, the brain drain seen in other sectors will be child’s play,” he said.

According to him, PENGASSAN has recorded significant gains through collective bargaining across oil and gas branches.

“We signed numerous agreements across government agencies, IOCs, service and marketing sectors,” he said.

He said the agreements brought relief to members facing rising costs of living, adding that, the association’s duty is to protect members’ jobs and enhance their pay.

Mr Osifo urged companies delaying salary reviews and those foot-dragging as a result of the prevailing economic realities, to do the needful.

He said the industry employed some of the nation’s best talents, making competitive pay critical to retaining skilled workers.

“This industry recruits the best. Companies must provide the best conditions,” he said.

On insecurity, Mr Osifo urged government to take decisive action against terrorism and kidnappings across the country.

“We are tired of condemnations. government must expose sponsors and protect citizens,” he said.

He urged government at all levels to prioritise tackling insecurity through better funding and equipment for security agencies.

Mr Osifo said PENGASSAN supported calls for state police to improve local security response, adding that decentralising policing will protect citizens better than rhetoric.

He also said economic indicators meant little, if food prices remained high and farmers could not return to farms due to insecurity.

“Nigerians want to see food on the table, not macroeconomic figures,” he said, urging the government to coordinate fiscal and monetary policies to ensure economic gains reach households.

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