Category: Nigerian Tribune

Regular peanut consumption may be linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with researchers identifying a distinctive pattern of blood fats that could help explain the relationship.

The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people with a particular lipid profile associated with peanut consumption had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Body mass index (BMI) appeared to account for much of this association.

Peanuts are nutrient-rich legumes that provide protein, fibre, healthy unsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. Although commonly grouped with nuts, they belong to the same plant family as beans and lentils.

Researchers led by Dr Inés Domínguez-López and Professor Matthias Schulze of the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Barcelona, investigated how peanut consumption affects fats circulating in the blood.

Unlike conventional cholesterol tests, which measure only selected blood lipids, a technique known as lipidomics provides a more detailed picture of the different types of fats in the bloodstream.

The researchers first conducted the ARISTOTLE randomised controlled trial involving 63 healthy adults aged 18 to 33.

For six months, participants consumed either 25 grams of skin-roasted peanuts, 32 grams of peanut butter or 32 grams of a control butter containing peanut oil daily.

Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, the team identified a distinctive pattern of blood fats associated with peanut consumption, which they named the Peanut Lipidomic Signature (PeLS).

The analysis showed significant increases in certain very long-chain saturated fatty acids, particularly C24:0 and C22:0. These fats were incorporated into specific lipid groups, including ceramides, through processes involving enzymes that lengthen fatty acid chains.

Lead author Domínguez-López described the changes as a complex remodelling of the blood lipid profile rather than simply an increase in fat levels.

The researchers subsequently examined data from the EPIC-Potsdam long-term population study, involving more than 27,000 participants.

The analysis included 774 cases of type 2 diabetes and 545 cases of cardiovascular disease.

They found that the peanut-related lipid signature was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but no similar association was observed for cardiovascular disease.

BMI statistically explained much of the relationship between the lipid signature and diabetes risk, suggesting that body weight or metabolic processes linked to body fat may play an important role in the association.

Schulze said the findings offered insight into how the quality of dietary fats could influence metabolic health.

The researchers noted that peanuts could be a practical addition to a balanced diet, given their nutritional value and affordability.

However, the findings demonstrate an association rather than proof that eating peanuts directly prevents type 2 diabetes. Further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms involved and establish how peanut consumption influences long-term metabolic health.

African comedy is set for a fresh platform to expand its global reach as Africa Comedy Live (ACL) prepares to unveil its web application at a special gathering in Lagos on November 13.

The platform, which seeks to connect African comedians, content creators and comedy enthusiasts across the continent and the diaspora, will hold its launch event at TRIB3, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The invitation-only gathering is expected to attract comedians, entertainment industry stakeholders, media representatives and prospective partners as the organisation begins a new phase of its efforts to promote African comedy and storytelling to international audiences.

Among the comedians associated with the platform’s activities are Kenny Blaq, Helen Paul, Real Warripikin and David Operah, who have featured in its comedy showcases in the United States since 2019.

The Lagos unveiling will also celebrate established African comedy acts whose creativity and influence have helped shape the industry, while providing opportunities for emerging performers to connect with audiences and industry players.

According to the organisers, Africa Comedy Live was established on the belief that African comedy deserves greater international visibility and a dedicated platform through which its creators can showcase their talents.

The web application is expected to serve as a meeting point for comedians, content creators and comedy lovers, offering opportunities to discover new talent, access comedy content and build connections across geographical boundaries.

For entertainers and digital content creators, the platform is expected to provide an additional avenue to expand their audiences, improve visibility and explore collaborations within the entertainment industry.

It will also create opportunities for brands and corporate organisations interested in partnering with African comedy talents to reach wider audiences through creative collaborations.

The organisers said the decision to bring the platform’s next phase to Lagos reflects their desire to strengthen its presence on the continent and build closer relationships with African comedy stakeholders.

Beyond providing entertainment, the initiative seeks to promote the cultural identity and everyday experiences that distinguish African humour, while creating opportunities for local stories and comedic expressions to resonate with international audiences.

With the Lagos launch, Africa Comedy Live is looking to build on its activities in the United States since 2019 and establish a stronger connection between African comedy creators at home and in the diaspora.

Authorities of the 17 local government areas in Plateau State have concluded arrangements to establish security outfits in their respective councils to supplement traditional security agencies in combating persistent killings and other security challenges across the state.

At a press conference in Jos, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Usman Ephraim Gar, said the council chairmen had agreed to adopt the Wase Local Government security initiative as a model for strengthening grassroots security.

‘The decision came after the successful training and formal registration of a community-based security organisation aimed at improving surveillance, intelligence gathering and response to criminal activity.

‘They have all agreed that they will take a cue to have a formal security outfit that will help our traditional security agencies combat crime in our society,’ he said.

He added that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had trained security personnel in Wase for three months. He said the formal registration of the outfits would facilitate information dissemination and improve collaboration between local security personnel and conventional security agencies.

Gar also dismissed speculation that the state government was interfering with local government finances, stating that Governor Caleb Mutfwang had never dictated how councils should spend their allocations.

He therefore advocated an increase in federal revenue allocations to local governments across the country, saying this would enable the third tier of government to execute more meaningful projects with a direct impact on their communities.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been sidelined in the political alignments of the rainbow coalition.

Wike stated this on Thursday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, monitored in Abuja, noting that the governor had been fully involved in the critical decision-making process.

He added that the governor had also publicly endorsed the coalition’s candidate for the Rivers governorship election.

‘For somebody to come out and publicly unveil the governorship candidate, yet you are saying he is not involved?’ the Minister queried.

Speaking on Fubara’s political future and whether he would be compensated with another political position, Wike emphasised that public political life was dynamic and that service to the public was not strictly tied to holding office continuously.

‘Fubara is a young man whom God has blessed to be a governor. As far as you are alive, you have hope,’ the Minister added.

Wike also assured residents and stakeholders that ongoing political activities in Rivers State and the FCT would not hamper his commitment to governance or slow the pace of infrastructure development in the nation’s capital.

The Minister demonstrated a comprehensive grasp of ongoing projects within the capital territory and emphasised that he was effectively monitoring them amid his political engagements.

‘As I sit here, I can see all the projects in FCT. Many projects are almost completed. The ISEX (Inner Southern Expressway), where they are launching the bridge now, is almost completed.

‘The Southern Parkway, which was flagged off by the National political leader of APC, is almost completed by this December. You go to the one by CCECC from Tungan Madaki to Zuba, it is almost completed.

‘The road by Nile University is almost completed. The one done from Kubwa to Bwari by the SCC is also almost completed,’ the Minister stated.

‘So, while I’m doing my politics, my eyes are also on the projects. I don’t need to carry a camera, because I’m not the Minister of Works or the Governor of television to see. I’m doing the work, and the work is almost completed,’ he added.

The Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has challenged Senator Sharafadeen Alli of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to present fresh ideas capable of transforming the state, saying political experience alone does not amount to a vision for development.

Adekanmbi, through the Oyo State APM Campaign Council, said Alli’s Oyo AHEAD manifesto lacked originality and largely repeated policies and programmes already being implemented by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde.

The campaign council, in a statement signed by its Co-Director, Media and Publicity, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the debate should focus on the quality and originality of Alli’s proposals rather than the political offices he had occupied.

‘Public office is not an achievement in itself. It is an opportunity to make achievements,’ the statement said.

It acknowledged Alli’s previous positions as local government chairman, Secretary to the State Government and senator but argued that his political experience had not translated into a clearly defined development agenda for Oyo State.

The council questioned why the APC candidate’s manifesto, despite his years in public service, appeared to rely on familiar promises of more roads, teachers, hospitals, healthcare centres and welfare programmes.

‘If he has lived governance for decades, why does his manifesto struggle to produce a single transformative idea that the people of Oyo State have not heard before?’ it asked.

The APM campaign council also accused the APC of contradicting itself by criticising the Makinde administration’s healthcare delivery while proposing the establishment of primary healthcare centres in every ward, which it said was already part of the current government’s policy direction.

‘It condemns the government’s developmental philosophy while borrowing heavily from it. It attacks the government’s record while marketing many of the government’s priorities,’ the statement said.

It further questioned why the APC would present a manifesto that allegedly mirrors the policies of an administration it had repeatedly described as unsuccessful.

‘The people of Oyo State are politically sophisticated enough to ask a simple question: If Governor Seyi Makinde’s government is a failure, why does the APC manifesto look so much like its roadmap?’ it added.

The council also cited Oyo State’s recognition by Phillips Consulting as Nigeria’s most liveable state and its ranking in the 2025 Democracy Performance Index, released by Kimpact Development Initiative and published by StatiSense, as evidence of the state’s performance under the present administration.

It argued that the APC had yet to demonstrate why residents should abandon the current development trajectory for what it described as recycled promises.

‘The debate is whether the APC has presented a genuinely superior and original alternative. Days after unveiling Oyo AHEAD, the answer remains elusive,’ the statement said.

It added: ‘Credentials are not a vision. Statistics are not a strategy. And experience, however extensive, does not automatically translate into innovation.’

The APM campaign council maintained that residents deserved a more compelling development agenda than what it described as a repetition of existing government policies.

It said Adekanmbi represented a credible alternative for sustaining progress, strengthening governance and building on the achievements recorded in the state.

The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has enrolled 1,666 vulnerable women, children and elderly persons in the Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme as part of efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare and strengthen universal health coverage in the region.

The initiative, which was officially flagged off in Calabar, aims to reduce the financial burden of healthcare on economically disadvantaged persons and ensure that vulnerable groups can access essential medical services without being pushed into poverty.

Speaking at the event on behalf of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SSDC, the Commission’s Director of Social Services and Human Capital Development, Preye Aganaba, said the intervention was part of the commission’s mandate to advance human capital development across the South-South region.

He explained that the programme was designed to assist people facing financial barriers to healthcare, particularly women, children and older persons in underserved and hard-to-reach communities, where the cost and distance of accessing medical facilities often discourage families from seeking treatment.

He urged the implementation team to ensure that every enrolment slot went to an eligible beneficiary, calling for proper verification, the prevention of duplicate enrolments and deliberate efforts to reach underserved communities.

The SSDC representative also emphasised the need for effective follow-up to ensure that beneficiaries understood the benefits of their insurance coverage, knew the facilities where they could access treatment and had information on where to seek assistance when necessary.

He disclosed that the programme would be extended to all six South-South states, namely Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers. He added that Cross River was selected for the first flag-off because of the state’s responsiveness and cooperation with the commission.

The Director-General of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Gowin Iyala, described healthcare as a collective responsibility, stressing that the government alone could not shoulder the responsibility of providing quality healthcare for all citizens.

He commended Governor Bassey Otu and his wife for prioritising healthcare delivery and supporting the expansion of health insurance coverage in the state, noting that their commitment had strengthened the agency’s efforts towards achieving universal health coverage.

Iyala particularly appreciated the SSDC for supporting the enrolment of the 1,666 beneficiaries, describing the intervention as an important demonstration of how regional development institutions could complement state government efforts to deliver sustainable social protection.

He disclosed that the beneficiaries would have access to healthcare through a three-tier service delivery arrangement covering primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, with referrals provided where necessary.

Iyala also said the agency had established a monitoring mechanism to ensure that healthcare facilities provided services in line with approved standards. He added that the agency would continue to strengthen its capacity to deliver quality healthcare to enrollees.

The SSDC’s Executive Director of Finance, Soni Abang, commended the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency for developing a sustainable model, expressing confidence that the initiative could be replicated across the region and adopted by other development institutions.

He said the commission would work towards expanding access to healthcare across the region, stressing that a healthy population remained essential to economic productivity, development and national security.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chairman of the Cross River State Planning Commission, Dr Bong Duke, described the enrolment as a practical demonstration of inclusive governance, noting that it would give vulnerable families access to healthcare, dignity and peace of mind.

Duke said the enrolment aligned with the state’s social protection framework, particularly the Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme law, which provides for mandatory health insurance coverage for residents and earmarks one per cent of the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund for vulnerable populations.

He described the SSDC intervention as a direct contribution to expanding the state’s equity-based healthcare coverage.

He urged the beneficiaries to utilise the opportunity and hold healthcare providers accountable, insisting that the success of the initiative would be measured by the actual services received rather than the number of insurance cards distributed.

The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, described the intervention as a welcome development and called on the SSDC to sustain and expand the programme.

He assured that the state government would monitor the utilisation of the funds and ensure that healthcare facilities were adequately equipped to provide effective services.

President of Namibia, Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has hailed the launch of Dangote Industries Limited’s $2.5 billion petroleum storage and regional pipeline investment as a historic milestone in Africa’s industrialisation, describing the occasion as the most memorable day of her presidency.

Speaking at the official launch in Walvis Bay on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah commended President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, for demonstrating confidence in Africa’s economic potential through large-scale investments designed to strengthen energy security, accelerate industrial development and deepen regional economic integration.

‘Today, this is the most memorable day of my presidency,’ she declared, describing Dangote as a son of African soil whose investment demonstrated the growing capacity of African entrepreneurs to drive the continent’s transformation.

The President disclosed that she had placed the project under the coordination of the Office of the President to ensure effective collaboration among government institutions and timely implementation, drawing lessons from previous investment opportunities lost to prolonged administrative delays. She said her administration was committed to creating a more responsive investment environment, particularly for strategic projects capable of generating employment, strengthening infrastructure and stimulating economic growth. The investment comprises a proposed 600-million-litre petroleum storage facility and an approximately 1,700-kilometre regional pipeline network intended to position Namibia as a strategic energy distribution gateway for Southern Africa.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the project aligned with Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan and its priorities in infrastructure, logistics, energy security, industrialisation and employment creation. She described the investment as a practical demonstration of African economic integration, consistent with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

‘The African people cannot continue to live in poverty when our continent is so richly endowed with natural resources,’ she said.

The President urged Namibian businesses to develop the technical capacity required to participate in emerging industrial supply chains, disclosing that her administration intended to broaden its local content framework beyond oil and gas to other sectors. She also emphasised skills transfer, saying the project should equip Namibian workers with expertise that would remain valuable beyond construction and enhance their competitiveness internationally.

Addressing the gathering, Dangote disclosed that the $2.5 billion investment would cover petroleum storage, pipeline infrastructure and associated distribution facilities.

He said the proposed tank farm would occupy approximately 70 hectares at Farm 58, about 10 kilometres east of Walvis Bay, with storage capacity for 360 million litres of diesel and 240 million litres of petrol. The planned pipeline will extend from Walvis Bay towards Otjiwarongo, with connections towards Rundu, Ghanzi and Francistown in Botswana. The wider distribution network is intended to serve Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Dangote explained that the final pipeline alignment and length would be determined through detailed engineering studies, route surveys and regulatory approvals.

Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has condemned the attack on the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, by suspected political thugs in Calabar, warning that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

The governor also directed security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attack, describing the incident as barbaric, unacceptable and contrary to the peaceful disposition of Cross River State.

Otu, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Linus Obogo, expressed sadness over the incident and extended his sympathies to Obi and members of his entourage.

He said the state remained committed to providing a safe environment for all political actors to engage with the electorate, irrespective of their political affiliations.

The governor said, ‘Our administration maintains a zero-tolerance stance against political violence and criminality in any form,’ adding that he had directed security agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing every perpetrator to book.

Meanwhile, Obi has pledged to unite the country, tackle insecurity and fight corruption if elected president, identifying national security, education, healthcare and citizens’ welfare as priorities of his proposed administration.

Obi made the commitment during a town hall meeting in Calabar on Wednesday, where he said national unity was essential to addressing the country’s security and developmental challenges.

‘Our commitment is to unite Nigeria. Nigeria today is not united. If we unite Nigeria today, we will have the strength to fight insecurity,’ he said.

On insecurity, the former Anambra State governor vowed that his administration would adopt a tougher approach to kidnapping and attacks on schoolchildren, promising to pursue perpetrators into their hideouts and secure the release of abducted victims.

He also promised to fight corruption decisively, insisting that public resources must be used for the benefit of citizens rather than diverted for personal enrichment.

‘We will fight corruption head-on. We want people to stop stealing public money. Public money must be used for public good and for the welfare of the people,’ he said.

Obi further promised increased investment in education and healthcare, describing the sectors as critical to national development.

The presidential candidate said the town hall meeting was designed to give residents an opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and engage directly with his political team without restrictions.

However, his visit to the state capital was marred by an attack on his convoy by suspected hoodlums while he was on his way to the meeting venue.

The police subsequently arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of participating in the attack.

Despite the incident, the town hall meeting went ahead at the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, where Obi engaged residents on his political vision and proposed solutions to the country’s challenges.

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited paid a total of N8.96 billion in death claims and annuity benefits in 2025, representing a 68.3 per cent increase from the N5.33 billion disbursed in 2024, as the insurer recorded sustained growth in policyholder payments over five years.

The payments covered 5,986 claims and annuity obligations during the year, comprising N1.59 billion paid on 1,162 death claims and N7.37 billion disbursed through 4,824 annuity payments to retirees. The performance highlights the growing scale of the company’s insurance and retirement income businesses, as well as its expanding obligations to policyholders and beneficiaries.

The latest figures represent a significant increase in the company’s payouts, with the value of claims and annuity benefits rising more than 25-fold over five years, from N358 million to N8.96 billion in 2025.

Commenting on the performance, Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Insurance, Akinjide Orimolade, said the growth reflected the company’s expanding customer base and its responsibility to provide financial support to families, beneficiaries and retirees when their policies become payable.

He disclosed that death claims had grown more than eightfold in value and over twentyfold in volume during the five-year period, while annuity payments increased more than 40-fold in value and nearly ninefold in number.

‘Behind every payout is a family, a retiree or a beneficiary we have been able to support at an important moment. Five years ago, we paid N358 million in claims and annuity benefits. In 2025, that figure was N8.96 billion, more than 25-fold growth,’ he said.

Orimolade added that the company remained conscious of the responsibility associated with serving a growing number of customers, stressing that dependable claims settlement remained central to its operations.

The increasing volume of payments has also necessitated improvements in claims administration, customer communication and operational controls to ensure the timely settlement of valid claims.

According to the company, it has strengthened its claims assessment processes and customer service infrastructure to improve policy administration, provide clearer information to policyholders and ensure efficient communication throughout the claims settlement process.

The development comes as Stanbic IBTC Insurance enters another phase of expansion following a successful recapitalisation exercise that strengthened its capital base and enhanced its capacity to grow its life insurance and retirement income businesses.

The stronger capital position is expected to support further investments in policy administration, claims management and customer service infrastructure, while providing additional capacity to meet policyholder obligations as the business expands.

The recapitalisation also comes against the backdrop of the company’s growing payout commitments, having paid more than N20 billion in claims and annuity benefits over the past five years.

Orimolade said the strengthened capital base would enable the insurer to build on its payment track record, expand its customer reach and sustain the delivery of insurance and retirement income solutions.

‘Having paid over N20 billion in claims and annuity benefits over the past five years, our successful recapitalisation puts us in an even stronger position to build on this progress.

‘It gives us greater capacity to serve more customers, grow our life insurance and retirement income businesses, continue meeting our obligations to policyholders as the business expands, while maintaining the discipline and service standards they expect from us,’ he said.

The insurer’s performance comes amid growing attention to the role of insurance companies in providing financial protection and sustainable retirement income, particularly through life insurance policies and annuity products.

Annuity payments provide retirees with regular income in exchange for accumulated retirement savings, making the financial strength and operational capacity of insurance companies critical to meeting long-term obligations.

For Stanbic IBTC Insurance, the next phase of growth will focus on expanding its life insurance and retirement income businesses while maintaining prudent underwriting, effective risk management and dependable claims settlement.

The company said its priority remained supporting customers throughout their policy journey, from providing clear information at the point of purchase to ensuring prompt payment when claims or annuity benefits become due.

Former First Lady of Oyo State and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Austria, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, held a strategic meeting with the Oyo State Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Teslim Folarin; Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North); former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and Barr. Akeem Agbaje.

Tribune Online learnt that discussions centred on repositioning and strengthening the Oyo State APC through genuine reconciliation, inclusive leadership and renewed unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sources at the meeting disclosed that the leaders resolved to put aside personal differences and work as a united front, stressing that only a cohesive and disciplined party structure could guarantee victory for the APC in Oyo State in 2027. They also emphasised the need to carry along all tendencies, youth and women groups, as well as grassroots mobilisers, in the ongoing rebuilding process.

The meeting, described as frank and forward-looking, is said to be part of a series of consultations aimed at healing old wounds, harmonising interests and charting a clear roadmap for the party’s success in the forthcoming elections.