Scientists at Oxford University, United Kingdom, have commenced a clinical trial for a novel HIV vaccine. The trial known as HIV-CORE 0052 began on Monday. The goal of the trial, according to Oxford, is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the HIVconsvX vaccine – a mosaic vaccine targeting a broad range of HIV-1 variants, making it potentially applicable for HIV strains in any geographical region. For this clinical trial, 13 healthy adults aged between 18–65 who were considered not to be at high risk of infection received one dose of the vaccine which will be followed by a…
Author: Temitope N.
The Coalition of Nasarawa State Health Professional Associations has suspended its one-month-old strike. The spokesperson of CNSHPA, Mr. Kyari Caleb, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Friday in Lafia. Caleb, who is also the state Chairman, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, explained that the suspension of the strike followed interventions by major stakeholders in the state. He added that the agreement to suspend the strike was reached on Friday (today) at the congress of the coalition, following appeals by the Traditional Council of Chiefs in the state, led by its Chairman and Emir of Lafia, Sidi Bage. Caleb,…
An insider told newsmen last night that the emergency board meeting was called as a result media report that alleged that ‘’the company was being used as a conduit to siphon public funds’’, especially when it was discovered that NBET Plc was allocated N7.68 billion in 2021 budget – for projects outside its mandates. It was alleged that there was N630 million in its 2021 budget to buy transformers; a budget for “electrifying communities across the country” — a project that ought to have been handled by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) charged with the responsibility of electrification of…
The Department of Petroleum Resources has sealed 30 filling stations and eight liquefied Petroleum Gas outlets for various offences in Akwa Ibom. The state Operations Controller of DPR, Victor Ohwodiasa, said this when he spoke with newsmen in Eket, headquarters of Eket Local Government Area of the state on Thursday. Ohwodiasa said the filling stations and LPG outlets were sealed for offences ranging from under dispensing, operating without valid sales and storage license, poor housekeeping, poorly sited and illegally operating in the state. “I can authoritatively tell you that we have sealed 30 filling stations and eight gas outlets for…
The House of Representatives has said Nigeria must begin to adopt other sources of energy as the world is shifting from fossil fuel to cleaner, renewable energy. It also stated the need for the country to have a national policy on energy, which drives the power and petroleum sectors. This was made known in Abuja on Wednesday at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Science and Technology on three bills seeking to amend the Amend Energy Commission of Nigeria Act and create a National Renewable Energy Development Agency. One of the legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for…
The Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has commended the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, for his intervention in the reopening of its national secretariat. IPMAN’S National President, Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja. NAN reports that the secretariat located, at No. 41 Gnasimgbe Eyadema St., Asokoro District, Abuja, was sealed off on June 25 by some police officers acting on an alleged petition against IPMAN’S national executive. Okoronkwo said Malami’s directive to the police authorities which led to the reopening of the secretariat…
The Federal Government on Thursday assured operators in the oil and gas sector as well as other stakeholders that the Petroleum Industry Bill would soon be signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who gave the assurance in Abuja, stated that the bill would be signed into law because it would ensure openness in the oil sector. Sylva disclosed this when the Board of Trustees of Corruption Reporters led by Yunusa Tanko gave him an award for championing anti-corruption fight by promoting transparency in the petroleum industry. The non-passage of the…
The Federal Inland Revenue Service has raked in over N650 billion in June, which is its highest monthly revenue recorded since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was disclosed on Thursday in a statement titled ‘FIRS makes historic tax haul, rakes in N650 billion in June’, signed by the FIRS Director of Communication and Liaison, Abdullahi Ahmad. The statement partly read, “The Federal Inland Revenue Service has raked in over N650 billion in June 2021, the highest revenue in a single month since the COVID-19 pandemic started and the assumption of office of the current management.” The statement revealed…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $50 million loan to First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to support local enterprises and women-led businesses in the agribusiness, manufacturing, healthcare and renewable energy sectors. In a recent statement by AfDB on Wednesday, the bank said 30 percent of the funds, intended to mitigate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, are earmarked for underserved women-empowered businesses. AfDB said it will provide a technical assistance grant of $200,000 through its affirmative finance action for women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative, supported by the World Bank-AfDB’s women entrepreneurship finance initiative. It said the grant will complement…
FCMB Pensions Limited, one of the subsidiaries of the First City Monument Bank Group Plc, has acquired a 60 percent stake in AIICO Pension Managers Limited, taking control of the subsidiary of AIICO Insurance Plc. FCMB’s Chief Financial Officer, Kayode Adewuyi, stated on Wednesday that the acquisition follows relevant regulatory approvals. According to the deal, FCMB pensions acquired a 33.9 percent stake held by AIICO Insurance Plc and 26.1 percent stake held by other shareholders in AIICO Pensions. FCMB Pension Limited, had in June 2020, announced that it is in talks with AIICO Pensions to acquire a total of…