
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has launched an initiative to plant 10,000 economic trees across communities in her district. The project, titled “Growing Kogi Central, Building Our Future,” aims to promote environmental sustainability and address climate change impacts. It focuses on restoring degraded land, preventing soil erosion, improving biodiversity, strengthening food security, and creating economic opportunities for residents. The initiative includes planting species like mango, guava, orange, moringa, and neem, valued for their environmental, nutritional, medicinal, and commercial benefits. Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that this project is a strategic investment in the future of Kogi Central and aligns with global climate action efforts, emphasizing that tree planting is a practical solution for absorbing carbon dioxide, restoring ecosystems, and improving livelihoods. She urged community leaders and residents to take ownership of the initiative, highlighting that environmental sustainability and economic prosperity should go hand in hand.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund NELFUND is investigating approximately 34 tertiary institutions for allegedly failing to refund students whose tuition fees were paid twice under the Federal Government's student loan scheme. Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND's Managing Director, stated in an interview with ARISE NEWS that the investigations were launched due to numerous petitions from affected students. The issue arose because President Bola Tinubu directed the loan scheme to begin mid-academic session, leading some students to pay tuition before receiving NELFUND loans. Consequently, some schools received double payments, from both students and NELFUND. Sawyerr clarified that the refund process is the responsibility of the institutions that received the double payments, as NELFUND does not have legal power to compel refunds or prosecute offenders. Many students rely on these refunds to repay funds borrowed by themselves or their families. While some institutions have processed refunds promptly, others have not. NELFUND is upgrading its payment system to allow students to authorize tuition payments electronically via a tokenized system to prevent future issues. The agency deliberately pays tuition directly to institutions to mitigate the risk of fund diversion by students. Sawyerr also mentioned that NELFUND has refused to pay institutions that increased fees beyond acceptable levels after the scheme's introduction. NELFUND is collaborating with anti-corruption agencies, the Nationa

The Federal Government has cautioned petroleum marketers against maintaining high petrol prices by using profits from previously acquired expensive fuel inventories, insisting that consumers must benefit from lower replacement costs. This warning was issued during a stakeholders' meeting on cost-reflective pricing of Premium Motor Spirit PMS at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority NMDPRA headquarters in Abuja. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Oil, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, stated that temporary gains from inventories bought when crude oil prices were higher should not sustain elevated pump prices after global oil prices decline. He emphasized that as marketers replenish stocks at lower costs, these reductions should be reflected in ex-depot and retail petrol prices. Lokpobiri acknowledged that factors beyond crude prices, such as exchange rates and logistics, influence petrol pricing but urged marketers to differentiate between legitimate replacement costs and extraordinary gains from inventory management. He warned that artificially high energy costs could worsen inflationary pressures and undermine efforts to moderate the country's inflation rate. The minister directed the NMDPRA to intensify market surveillance and enforce pricing transparency. The Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, noted that the meeting aimed to address concerns about petrol pricing and ensure Nigerians benefit from improved global market c

Dr. Dorcas Akanbi, a Nigerian student, has graduated from a medical school in Russia with an impressive 4.90 out of 5.00 cumulative grade point average, making her one of the institution's top graduates. She announced her induction into the medical profession on X on July 3, expressing gratitude for her academic journey. Akanbi also shared a video of herself delivering her valedictory speech in fluent Russian to fellow graduates, faculty, university officials, family, and friends. Her speech received applause and widespread admiration on social media, with many commending her Russian language proficiency and academic success. Akanbi thanked well-wishers, stating she was grateful and honored to be Nigerian. Her achievement has been celebrated online by Nigerians, who view her success as inspiring and a positive representation of the country globally.