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World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, an outgrowth of the interest generated by the Day of Five Billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987. By resolution 45/216 of December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly decided to continue observing World Population Day to enhance awareness of population issues, including their relations to the environment and development. The Day was first marked on 11 July 1990 in more than 90 countries. Since then, a number of a number of UNFPA country offices and other organizations and institutions commemorate World Population Day, in partnership with governments and civil society. Population Trends Current estimates indicate that roughly 83 million people are being added to t

William Troost-Ekong said his late goal that earned Nigeria a 2-1 victory over South Africa and a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals was a “dream moment”. The centre-back knocked home a corner in the 89th minute in Cairo as Nigeria advanced to the last four of the competition for the 15th time in 18 appearances. “I dream about moments like this. To score and for it to be important for the team is amazing,” said Troost-Ekong. “It’s not my job to score, I’m a defender so I was happy we didn’t give away too many chances. After they scored from a set-piece I thought that I wanted revenge. “We were confident we could score again. We didn’t want to go to extra time because we were going to be tired but I think it was the same for South Africa.” Nigeria, who won the last of their three titles in 2013, will face Algeria or Ivory Coast on Sunday for a place in the July 19 final. “I think every game is tough now. We’ve seen big

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress is under pressure from the Presidency to reverse the indirect primary already ordered for the August 29 governorship primary in Kogi State. It was learnt that the party’s top hierarchy were already reviewing the decision in the overall best interest of the party. Our correspondent gathered that the issue was already generating interest among members of the National Working Committee who met on Wednesday in Abuja. The meeting, which took place at the national secretariat of the party, was presided over by the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. The meeting started a few hours after the Kogi State Governor, Yahya Bello, came to pick his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms. The party had adopted an indirect mode of primary for Kogi State but kept mute on the Bayelsa State governorship primary fixed for the same day. About 20 governorship aspirants of the party had on Monday protested against the d

The Senate on Wednesday warned the South African government to halt the frequent killings of Nigerians by its citizens to avoid grave consequences. The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who stated this at plenary, warned that the South African government must extend due respect to Nigeria and should not take the good gesture towards it for granted. The red chamber summoned the Nigerian ambassador to South Africa to explain the circumstances that led to the alleged murder of the Deputy Director-General of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Elizabeth Ndubusi-Chukwu, in the country recently. The killing of Ndubusi-Chukwu in June made the number of Nigerians murded in South Africa in three and half years to rise to 127. Debating the death of the CIIN deputy director, the Senate asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue travel alerts to Nigerians going to South Africa. The red chamber also asked the ministry to carry out a comprehensive investigation

The President of the Senate,  Ahmad Lawan,  has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will submit the list of ministerial nominees for the consideration and approval of the red chamber this week. Lawan who stated this at plenary on Wednesday explained that the executive arm of government was working hard to ensure that the list was ready early enough before the senators proceed on their annual two-month recess. The President of the Senate was reacting to a point of order raised by  Senator Bassey Akpan to the effect that the delay in the submission of the list could affect the holidays of the senators. Lawan, however, assured his colleagues and Nigerians that President Buhari would send the list to the Senate before the week runs out. He also expressed confidence that the nominees would be screened by the upper chamber before the annual vacation which would commence on July 26.

Super Eagles smooth sailed to the semi finals of the 2019 AFCON after BEATING South Africa 2-1 in the quarter finals of the ongoing tournament in Egypt. Two strikes in either halves by  Samuel Chukwueze and Williams Troost Ekong gave Nigeria the edge over Bafana Bafana. Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr made two changes to the made two changes to the starting XI, with Nigerian young talented forward Samuel Chukwueze returning to the starting lineup for the second time in the competition after replacing Moses Simon who started in the 3-2 victory over Cameroon in the second round while Jamilu Collins starts in defense ahead of Ola Aina while their opponents manager Stuart Baxter stick with the same lineup that upset the host nation, Egypt in the round of 16.

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as Shi’ites, on Tuesday invaded the National Assembly and shot two policemen. The sect members, who were protesting the continued incarceration of their leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky, that had been in detention since December, 2015, also attacked six other policemen at the National Assembly with stones and clubs. One of our correspondents learnt that the Shiite members overpowered the policemen at the gate of the National Assembly, collected one of their guns and shot the two security operatives. They entered the main entrance popularly known as MOPOL gate and vandalised the gate house. They also burnt three vehicles and destroyed many others. The sect unleashed terror on security operatives when tear-gas canisters were thrown to disperse them. There were fears among the National Assembly staff on Tuesday that one of the policemen, who were shot, had died. But when contacted, the Federal Capital Territory Po

Third seed Rafael Nadal continued to breeze through the Wimbledon draw with a sharp three-set victory over Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the last 16. The 33-year-old Spaniard, only tested so far by second-round opponent Nick Kyrgios, eased to a 6-2 6-2 6-2 win. The 18-time major winner will face an unseeded American – Sam Querrey or Tennys Sandgren – in the last eight. Long-time rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic look to join Nadal there when they both play later on Monday. Eight-time champion Federer, 37, meets Italian 17th seed Matteo Berrettini on Centre Court after British number one Johanna Konta’s match, while defending champion Djokovic, 32, faces France’s Ugo Humbert last on Court One. “It was a good solid match, the second serve didn’t work as well as two days ago, but the rest was very positive,” Nadal told BBC Sport . “I am happy to be where I am, the body is holding well and I’m playing some good tennis.” Copyright PUNCH.               

A member of the National Youth Service Corps scheme serving in Osun State, Ayomikun Ademorayo, on Sunday died after she reportedly washed her hair with an insecticide, Sniper, to eliminate lice. Some colleagues of the deceased told our correspondent that Ayomikun, an orphan, discovered lice in her hair while preparing a new hairdo in preparation for her birthday on July 18. They added that Ayomikun, a prominent member of the state NYSC volleyball team, applied the insecticide to her hair on Sunday afternoon and became unconscious a few minutes later. The deceased, who studied Human Kinetics at the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, it was learnt, lost her mother in June this year, while her father died some years ago. She was said to be the breadwinner of the family and had younger siblings in secondary schools. An eyewitness, who lives in the same compound with the deceased, told PUNCH Metro that Ayomikun became unconscious shortly aft

Barely 72 hours after the fire incident in Biagbini, Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state, the Ondo State Government has ordered a full investigation into the incident. No fewer than five people lost their lives in the fire incident that happened on Saturday morning in the community while the victims were asleep. The victims included a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Moyo Jide and her four grandchildren, all of whom were below 10. In a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Donald Ojogo, on Monday, the state government, described the incident as unfortunate and sad. The statement read in part, ” The incident is sad. It is particularly pathetic that a 70-year woman and her four grandchildren were victims of the inferno. The state government shares in this agonising moment that has inflicted an indelible pain in the hearts of relations, friends and acquaintances of the departed. “Whether this incident was avoidable or not, it has once again

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday, made his first appearance at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, since its inaugural sitting which began on June 10. The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the February 23 presidential poll, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, are by their petition filed before the tribunal challenging the victory of APC and its candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, at the poll. Oshiomhole arrived the courtroom at about 9:36 a.m. on Monday barely some few minutes before the five-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba started sitting. He was sat in between the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and leader of the APC from Adamawa State, Nuhu Ribadu, to his right, and a PDP leader, Tom Ikimi, to his left. On Ikimi’s left was the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan. When the proceedings began, Oshiomhole announced himself as re

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, have called on Nigerians across state demarcations to defend the sanctity of their ancestral lands against usage for Ruga cattle settlements. The call was contained in a communiqué issued on Sunday to document highlights of last Thursday’s meeting between the monarch and Soyinka at the latter’s home in Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The meeting focused on the state of the nation. Oba Ogunwusi and Soyinka made the call just as the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum raised the alarm that the Federal Government was plotting to repeal the Land Use Act, which conferred the power to control lands in states on governors. The Ooni of Ife and the Nobel laureate, in the communiqué on Sunday, said their call on Nigerians to defend themselves became necessary as the Coalition of Northern Groups gave a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement the Ruga project for Fulani herders d

The International Day of Cooperatives is an annual celebration of the cooperative movement which happens on the first Saturday of July since 1923 by the International Cooperative Alliance.  Since 1995, together with the United Nations, we have been setting the theme for the celebration of #CoopsDay through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), a multi-stakeholder partnership of global public and private institutions that champions and supports people-centred and self-sustaining cooperative enterprises as leaders in sustainable development.  The International Cooperative Alliance is a founding member.