Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

A significant milestone in agricultural innovation and climate resilience was celebrated today with the inaugural harvest of greenhouse grown cucumbers from the greenhouse facility farm at the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), achieved by Kogi ACRESAL Project, through collaboration with the Federal University Lokoja.

The event, held at the University’s Faculty of Agriculture, featured a high-profile delegation of government officials, underscoring the administration’s commitment to sustainable agricultural development, especially in the area of greenhouse produce.

His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, was represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun, Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Yahaya MD. Farouk.

ALSO READ: 10 construction firms bid for ACReSAL project in Taraba

Also in attendance were Hon. Jubril Abu, Member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency and Chairman of the House Oversight Committee on Environment, alongside his Lokoja counterpart.

Speaking as the Governor’s representative, Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun reaffirmed the administration’s dedication to agricultural and environmental sustainability.

‘Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is deeply proud of the collaboration between the state, through ACReSAL, and Federal University Lokoja.

‘This greenhouse is a tangible example of our commitment to climate-smart agriculture. We are cultivating a new generation of farmers and equipping them with the tools to ensure food sustainability for Kogi State and Nigeria,’ Engr. Oluwasegun said.

In her keynote address, Barrister Ladi Jatto – OON, Project Coordinator, Kogi State ACReSAL, expressed profound joy and gratitude for this achievement.

‘It is with great joy and gratitude that I stand before you today at this landmark occasion-the official harvesting of our greenhouse-grown cucumber.

‘This moment is more than just the culmination of a planting cycle; it is a testament to what collaboration, innovation, and vision can achieve,’ stated Barr. Jatto.

She highlighted the Project’s transformative impact, explaining, ‘When we embarked on this journey months ago, we saw beyond the seeds and soil. We envisioned a future where sustainable agriculture thrives within academic institutions, where students learn not just from textbooks, but from hands-on experience, and where our University becomes a beacon of climate-smart farming in Nigeria.’

She expressed her gratitude to Kogi State Government for the ongoing agricultural revolution where farmers are supported. She further appreciated the World Bank (lenders) and the ACReSAL National office for their continuous support and guidance.

Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja, detailed ACReSAL’s comprehensive support while praising the harvest as a symbol of institutional and communal progress in greenhouse produce efforts.

‘Today’s harvest symbolides growth, resilience, and productivity. We are particularly grateful to Kogi State Government through Kogi ACReSAL for their transformative contributions, which include supporting 30 farmers through land preparation of 30 hectares, provision of improved seeds including 300kg of maize and 250kg of sorghum, establishment of a university orchard with over 3,200 seedlings, donation of 9,000 seedlings for campus beautification, and the construction of this greenhouse facility with irrigation. This represents not only the fruits of the soil but also the fruits of dedication and a shared vision,’ Professor Akinwumi stated.

The Vice-Chancellor emphasised that the initiative has created ‘a golden opportunity for our students to engage in all-year-round vegetable production, providing practical, hands-on experience that bridges the gap between theory and practice. It aligns perfectly with our University’s mission of promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods based on greenhouse produce.’

Hon. Jubril Abu, in his dual role as Ajaokuta Constituency Representative and Chairman of the House Oversight Committee on Environment, commended the Project as a model of strategic partnership. He emphasised the Project’s technical excellence and environmental benefits, pledging continued legislative support for the expansion of such climate-resilient initiatives.

The event concluded with an invitation from Barr. Jatto for attendees to tour the greenhouse, interact with student farmers, and savor the fresh produce-a fitting celebration of a promising new chapter in agricultural education and sustainable production in Nigeria.

IN a report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it was reported that at the end of 2024, there were 123.2 million displaced people globally. 73.5 million of these individuals were internally displaced persons, 42.7 million were refugees, and 8.4 million were asylum seekers. The UN Refugee Agency raises the alarm that displacement has nearly doubled in the past ten years. This crisis is even more disastrous for children, who make up 29 per cent of the world population but 40 per cent of all forcibly displaced people globally.

Here in Nigeria, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reported that there were 3.4 million internally displaced people at the end of 2024. According to UNICEF, about 1.9 million people are displaced in Northeast Nigeria alone, and sixty per cent of these people are children. Over the past decade, the number of people affected by conflicts, disasters such as floods and droughts, insurgency, artificial disasters, and public crises has increased significantly.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that over 1.3 million people were affected by floods in 34 states in Nigeria in 2024. In the fire at Afriland Towers in September 2025, 10 people were reported dead and 25 people were injured. The Ibaji tragic boat accident was also reported to have led to the death of over 30 people, with multiple people missing. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also reported that 278 people were kidnapped in April 2025.

To spotlight the critical need for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for individuals and communities who have been affected by all these crises, the theme for World Mental Health Day this year is ‘Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.’ World Mental Health Day, celebrated every 10th of October, is a day for global mental health education and advocacy. This year, the focus is on mobilising support for people who are struggling due to humanitarian crises and emergencies.

Impact of Humanitarian Crises and Emergencies on Mental Health

Crises are often traumatic events that cause people to experience intense fear, uncertainty, and extreme stress. They often experience fatigue, exhaustion, feelings of sorrow, hopelessness, irritability, and anger, and sleep challenges. Another source of emotional distress is grief from the loss of loved ones, identities, and life achievements. This leads to psychological distress among victims, resulting in a mental health crisis for these individuals. Persons who have pre-existing mental health conditions often experience an exacerbation of symptoms, putting them at more risk.

Beyond the trauma of the emergency, individuals are also exposed to socioeconomic stressors. In conflict regions around the world, it is the intense fear and struggle for survival, for personal safety as well as for basic necessities of life. These concerns are often compounded by personal tragedies, loss of loved ones, uncertainties and heightened feelings of vulnerability.

ALSO READ: Police suspend enforcement of vehicle tinted glass permit

All over the world, from the northeast (Boko Haram) to the northwest (bandits) to unknown gunmen in the southeast and kidnappings across north-central and southwest Nigeria, the emotional impact and trauma can be devastating. For people in Gaza, as well as Ukraine, it is the hunger and the uncertainties and the anxiety of where to get the necessities of life. Individuals whose loved ones have been kidnapped are often thrown into financial turmoil by paying ransom. When people are displaced due to conflicts, floods, and other crises, they become financially incapacitated through the loss of their breadwinners and/or sources of income. All these are major stressors that negatively impact people’s mental health.

In many countries like Nigeria, mental health access is already limited, even in normal times. During emergencies, the demand for mental health services exponentially increases without the necessary facilities and human capital to satisfy them. Presently, only two in 10 Nigerians have access to mental health services, representing a treatment gap of 80 per cent. Thus, during emergencies and crises, access to mental health services for the most vulnerable becomes even worse.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for All: A Communal Effort

As we commemorate World Mental Health Day, individuals, stakeholders, professionals, and the government must increase their commitment to fostering optimal mental health for all. We must mobilize efforts to provide mental health and psychosocial support for all individuals affected by humanitarian and personal crises. As individuals, we must also create and maintain communities of support for ourselves and people around us.

Collaboration between major stakeholders is important now more than ever. During the Maiduguri Flood crisis, the Asido Foundation partnered with the Centre for Health Ethics, Law, and Development (CHELD), and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Maiduguri, to provide mental health and psychosocial support to all affected individuals. Collaborations like these, when combined with a robust government implementation of the Mental Health Act and other relevant policies, will improve mental health for all. Happy World Mental Health Day.

Vice chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, has cautioned Nigerians not to always look at the corridors of political power as only location where corruption practices take place, saying corruption is virtually everywhere in the country.

She made this observation last Thursday at the international conference on anti-corruption hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, in collaboration with the Panafricana Strategic and Policy Research Group and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

The theme of the conference was, ‘Politics, governance, probity, religion and corrupt behaviour in Nigeria,’ while Professor Babatunde Babawale was the guest speaker.

The vice chancellor described corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain which she said, comes with a mindset and not a culture.

She explained that corruption happens when individuals in positions of authority, whether in government, business, or other organisations use their influence unethically to benefit themselves or others at the expense of fairness, integrity, and the public good.

So, corruption, she pointed out, is about anything that reduces the level playing field so that all may excel or have access to opportunities.

Citing educational institutions as example, the vice chancellor said: ‘Issues like cheating during examinations, staff-aiding examination malpractice, buying and selling of questions and answers, plagiarism, buying or selling of grades, students bribing lecturers or lecturers demanding for something unduly, favouring certain individuals based of family and ethnicity ties, friendships, or other personal interests are all form of corruption.’

She added that: ‘In research, data falsification or fabrication, ghost writing, unethical authorship, misuse of research funds, diverting grants or resources for personal gains, nepotism and cronyism, misallocation of resources, manipulating accreditation or rankings, falsifying data to improve the institution’s reputation are all form of corruption.

‘Corruption is a mindset that will certainly manifest in people, who are corrupt once they have the opportunity.’

She commended the organisers of the conference, expressing optimism for its positive impact in the society.

In his welcome address, the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, UNILAG, Professor Adelaja Odukoya, also bemoaned the high spate of corruption in the country, describing it as a national embarrassment.

According to him, the issue of corruption in Nigeria is no longer a case of the popular axiom that says ‘if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.’

As it is, he explained that ‘many Nigerians are losing their lives daily on account of the consequences of corrupt practices across spheres of our national life.

He said: ‘So, we must move from perception to impunity index and also change our legal template where somebody who is accused of financial corruption, for example, must have to prove his or her source of wealth and not the case beyond all reasonable doubt.’

He emphasised that ‘It is important we extricate our nation from the stronghold of corruption so that it won’t continue to keep the country perpetually poor and the time to do that is now.’

ALSO READ: Police suspend enforcement of vehicle tinted glass permit

Also speaking, a former Army Chief, General Ishola Willams (retd), lamented that corrupt practices keep getting worse each day rather than reducing globally.

He attributed this situation to some factors, chief of which he said is selfishness and greediness that make many accumulate resources that they don’t even need.

He said: ‘So many people, especially in public offices, always wait for opportunity to steal or loot without minding the consequences on the generality of people and the society.’

He noted that the issue is that most Nigerians are pretenders and hypocrites by claiming to be honest and persons of integrity, when they are actually not.

He said that people must change their mindsets and desist from corrupt practices for the country to have a working system.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, stated that Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is not only obsolete but also an infrastructure that has outlived its lifespan.

She hinted that the facility that was built 50 years ago had not undergone rehabilitation ever since it was constructed.

Kuku further stated that a lot of the airports that she visited around the world have to make such improvements over time, while Nigeria waited for 50 years to make such an investment.

Speaking during a television interview, Kuku carpeted critics opposed to the N712-24 billion approved for the project by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), saying that oppositions to the project cannot continue to describe the airports as substandard while criticising a comprehensive airport upgrade.

‘You can’t stay in one place and say the airports are in shambles, and then after four years you come back and ask what did you do while you were there. The same critics are at the forefront today, saying airports are a mess. So, the question is: do we fix it now or continue to postpone?’

‘Murtala Mohammed is an airport that was built almost 50 years ago with no major rehabilitation. A lot of the airports that we visit globally continue to make such improvements over time. They don’t wait 50 years to make such an investment,’ she said.

She stated that every stage of the airport upgrade was transparent, adding that the ?712.24 billion airport upgrade approved for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) rehabilitation followed a full tender process, reviewed by the Bureau of Public Procurement and ratified by the FEC, backed by verified data and is publicly available for scrutiny.

‘Do you think that such a project will be passed without going through a full tender process? No, it wouldn’t and definitely not under my watch. We did go through a full tender process where it was reviewed by the BPP; it went through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and of course, the facts are there, the data is there, it’s public information for anyone who’s looking for it,’ Kuku said.

She assured that FAAN is committed to accountability by making procurement documents and project milestones available for public access.

‘We’re working for the public. At the end of the day, we need to justify, we need to be accountable, and we need to be transparent about our actions. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, then we should make the information available,’ she added.

The FAAN czar noted that the airport upgrade is not limited to surface works but includes a full revamp of Terminal 1, modernisation of facilities, expansion of the apron, and construction of a brand-new transit facility.

Nigeria currently has no transit system, which prevents connecting passengers from transferring seamlessly.

‘Today, there is no single transit activity that happens within the Nigerian airport. If we’re talking about improving our passenger traffic, it has to be done through transit passengers. How do we do that without the right infrastructure?’ she queried.

ALSO READ: Police suspend enforcement of vehicle tinted glass permit

Kuku added that structural gaps at Terminal 2, where wide-bodied aircraft struggle to operate, would also be addressed. Expansion of the finger section, new road networks, and redesigned passenger flow systems are included in the ?712.24 billion airport upgrade plan.

She added that rerouting of check-in procedures and scheduling adjustments had already begun in consultation with airlines.

According to Kuku,’ the project goes beyond brick and mortar. It is about positioning Nigeria’s aviation for global competitiveness.’

‘Our airports are the gateway to the nation. Every traveler that comes into Nigeria, whether a first-time visitor, a business traveler, or an investor, their very first experience is our airports. This airport upgrade project is about ensuring that experience reflects the image and aspirations of Nigeria,’ she added.

THE prevalence of type 2 diabetes has surged globally, making researchers to explore natural remedies that may help control blood sugar.

Now, in a new study, researchers reported that using lime extract as a dietary supplement offers a financially sensible method of achieving home-based glycaemic control and could help treat type 2 diabetes.

The study found that lime extract greatly lowers blood sugar levels after meals, showing a 47.9% drop compared to those not using it, which suggests that it could be a helpful natural addition to regular diabetes treatments.

Citrus aurantiifolia, also known as lime, has numerous medicinal uses in traditional medicine, and its traditional uses include treating sore throats, coughs, stomach ailments, and headaches, while scientific studies highlight its potential in improving immunity, promoting skin health, and preventing certain cancers and kidney stones.

In the International Journal of KIU, they reported that participants consuming lime extract had lower blood glucose levels after glucose ingestion, indicating its effectiveness in managing blood sugar responses.

They suggested that the potential of lime extract in managing blood sugar fluctuations in people with type 2 diabetes may be due to its chemical content, such as flavonoids and polyphenols.

Studies indicate that these flavonoids and polyphenols can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance, which are critical factors in managing type 2 diabetes.

According to the study, ‘Incorporating Citrus aurantiifolia extract as a dietary supplement may offer a cost-effective home-based remedy in blood sugar level control and diabetes management, contributing to improved health outcomes and quality of life.’

The randomized clinical trial enrolled 74 healthy male participants. They were randomly assigned into two groups and were administered 75g of glucose in water, following an overnight fast of 8 to 10 hours.

After that, one group (the test group) was given lime extract, and the other group (the control group) was not. Blood glucose levels were measured during a fast, half an hour after eating, and then at regular intervals for an hour after the glucose solution was consumed.

ALSO READ: Police suspend enforcement of vehicle tinted glass permit

The extract exhibited a significant reduction of 47.9 per cent in blood glucose levels in the test group compared to the control group after 30 minutes, indicating lime as a simple, cost-effective supplement for blood sugar management and possible benefit in type 2 diabetes care.

Even a tea from lime and Lipton tea (Camellia sinensis) in moderate dosage can be significant in the reduction of high blood glucose levels; hence, it may be promising as alternative preventive medicine for the management of diabetes mellitus and its complications.

Researchers at Niger Delta University, Bayelsa, had determined the effects of the decoction of lime and Lipton tea on blood glucose concentration and weight of normal albino rats in the Scholars International Journal of Biochemistry.

The result showed that tea made from lime and Lipton tea in moderate dosage significantly decreased the blood glucose level in the test group compared to the controls.

They believe that the impact is most likely the result of the tea’s anti-obesity effects compounding the lime.

Further studies also suggest that lime extracts may serve as a safe and effective nutritional adjunct to metformin in the early management of prediabetes.

In the journal, Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers found that lime supplements, when combined with metformin, significantly improved several metabolic markers in prediabetic patients, including blood sugar control, inflammation, oxidative stress, body composition, and blood pressure.

Prediabetic patients have blood sugar (glucose) levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. This condition increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but it is often reversible or preventable with lifestyle changes like diet modification and increased physical activity.

Metformin therapy in individuals with prediabetes reduces the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes by 7.2% and promotes modest weight loss.

Supplementing metformin with lime led to modest but statistically significant decreases in body weight, fat mass, and BMI.

Systolic blood pressure was reduced by 4 per cent in these prediabetic patients, which was potentially linked to improved antioxidant status and higher dietary potassium intake.

The researcher claims that adding lime to metformin therapy offers a promising way to improve metabolic control-the chemical interactions in the body’s cells that convert food into energy-and reduce a number of health indicators in people with prediabetes, which calls for more research.

Gastrointestinal adverse effects-primarily diarrhoea and nausea-occur in up to 25 per cent of individuals that take metformin.

Recent studies have demonstrated that combining metformin therapy with natural compounds exhibiting antidiabetic activity may enable effective blood sugar control with lower metformin doses and fewer gastrointestinal side effects.

Thus, by improving insulin sensitivity, the addition of lime to metformin therapy may help reduce long-term CVD risk in prediabetic individuals.

In order to guide future research in this field, the study also highlights the necessity of additional long-term studies to validate these results and clarify underlying mechanisms