- Iconic Nigerian singer Onyeka Onwenu passes away at 72
- Nigeria Customs suspends import duties on essential food items
- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claims over 100 biological children
We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Wednesday, July 31, and present them below.
5 issues in the news that should matter to you today
1. Iconic Nigerian singer Onyeka Onwenu passes away at 72: Veteran Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress Ms. Onyeka Onwenu is dead.
According to reports, the iconic singer died on July 30 after performing at an event at Banana Island, Lagos. She was 72. Onwenu was said to have slumped after performing at the birthday ceremony of Stella Okoli, owner of Emzor Pharmaceuticals.
She was later confirmed dead at a hospital in Victoria Island. However, her family has yet to confirm the death.
2. Floods devastate 52 LGAs in Nigeria: 44 dead, 55,030 displaced: At least 44 persons have lost their lives and 367 more injured in disastrous flood incidents that have also seen not less than 55,030 people displaced in Nigeria since the return of the rains this year.
Wagami Lydia Madu, Assistant Director of the Search and Rescue Department at NEMA, presented a paper at the national emergency coordination forum meeting on July 30, reporting that the devastating flood has affected 145,744 people so far and warning that the situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks.
3. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claims over 100 biological children: Founder and CEO of Telegram Messenger, Pavel Durov, has shared an intriguing personal revelation of fathering over 100 biological children scattered across the globe despite being unmarried.
In a post on his popular channel on July 29, the 39-year-old entrepreneur recounted how he ended up fathering so many children. He mentioned that he is considering open-sourcing his DNA to allow his biological children to find him if they wish.
4. Nigeria Customs suspends import duties on essential food items: The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has declared a suspension of import duties on essential food items on July 30.
Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi said the measure aims to make essential food items more affordable for Nigerians.
According to Adeniyi, the reforms will give farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs a faster path to global markets, benefiting their families and communities. It is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address the high cost of food.
5. WHO: 80% of 20 million Nigerians infected with Hepatitis unaware of status: The World Health Organisation (WHO) disclosed that with one person dying every 30 seconds, it is regrettable that 80% of 20 million Nigerians infected by hepatitis B and C do not know their status.
Speaking in Maiduguri on July 29, the WHO state coordinator, Dr Ibrahim Salisu Audu, said the date was selected to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, the Nobel Laureate who discovered Hepatitis B infection (HBV) in the 1960s and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for it, adding that the year‘s theme for World Hepatitis Day is “it’s time for action”.