- Tinubu cuts short France trip, swears in CJN today
- FG declares 4.4 million children malnourished in NE, NW
- Bolt restricts inter-country ride requests, blocks users from fake orders
We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Friday, August 23, and present them below.
5 issues in the news that should matter to you today
1. Tinubu cuts short France trip, swears in CJN today: President Bola Tinubu will swear in the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, today, August 23. Tinubu, who returned from France on August 22, had shortened his private visit to the European country to swear in Nigeria’s new Chief Justice.
Confirming the development, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “The President is breaking his private visit to France and arriving today (Thursday) so that he can swear in the Chief Justice of Nigeria tomorrow (Friday).”
2. FG adopts one-health approach for mpox, cholera, others: The Federal Government said it will adopt the one-health approach to address cholera, monkeypox, antimicrobial resistance, and other issues in the country.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during an interview.
One Health is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation, and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes. It is critical to addressing health threats in the animal-human-environment interface.
3. FG declares 4.4 million children malnourished in NE, NW: The Federal Government has stated that 4.4 million children in the Northeast and the Northwest are suffering from malnutrition. It noted that the significant factors contributing to the widespread malnutrition in both regions include limited access to food, poor dietary habits, and improper feeding practices.
The government said broader economic and political challenges and low health-seeking behaviours and educational levels among the population exacerbated the situation.
4. Bolt restricts inter-country ride requests, blocks users from fake orders: Technology ride-hailing firm, Bolt, says it has blocked an undisclosed number of accounts involved in requesting fake rides and cancelling them. The ride-hailing app also restricted inter-country ride requests after escalating in Nigeria and South Africa.
On August 22, TheRadar reported that the Nigerians's and South Africans’ online debacle took on a new dimension after both divisions engaged in another supremacy battle. Citizens from the two countries went for each other's jugulars by ordering e-hailing drivers from opposing countries in the comfort of their homes.
5. Swipha gets WHO’s prequalification for two products in West, Central Africa: The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has said Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (Swipha) is the first indigenous pharmaceutical company in West and Central Africa to secure the World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalification for two products within 15 months.
Swipha, a leading player in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, recently achieved WHO prequalification for its Sulphadoxine/Pyrimethamine 500/25 mg tablet, which is used to prevent malaria in pregnancy.