China's Chengdu rolled out the red carpet for the second Golden Panda Awards from September 12 to 13. The film event bodes well for cross-border cultural ties through direct creative exchanges in fashion, animation, film and music, said Hannatu Musa Musawa, Nigeria's minister of art, culture, tourism and the creative economy. CGTN's Tian Wei had a one-on-one conversation with her on the sidelines of the Golden Panda Cultural Forum. The minister added that creative exchanges enable countries to tell their own stories in ways that resonate across Global South nations.
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Video - Nigeria's minister of art, culture, tourism, and the creative economy speaks on creative exchanges
China's Chengdu rolled out the red carpet for the second Golden Panda Awards from September 12 to 13. The film event bodes well for cross-border cultural ties through direct creative exchanges in fashion, animation, film and music, said Hannatu Musa Musawa, Nigeria's minister of art, culture, tourism and the creative economy. CGTN's Tian Wei had a one-on-one conversation with her on the sidelines of the Golden Panda Cultural Forum. The minister added that creative exchanges enable countries to tell their own stories in ways that resonate across Global South nations.
Nigeria unveils $3.1 billion agricultural investment portfolio to boost food security
The federal government has announced a $3.14 billion agricultural investment package targeting major staple foods consumed in the country under the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Hand-in-Hand Initiative.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in a statement posted on his X page on Wednesday.
“Yesterday in Abuja, I presented Nigeria’s $3.14bn Agricultural Investment Portfolio at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, graciously declared open by His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON,” the Minister said.
He explained that the programmes are designed to enhance food productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and strengthen food security while offering investors significant financial returns.
Mr Kyari said the portfolio focuses on tomato, cassava, maize, dairy and fisheries, backed by $1.75 billion public and $1.39 billion private investments.
This, he said, will benefit over 4.1 million Nigerians, raise incomes by up to $657, and deliver strong returns with an average internal rate of return (IRR) of 14.2 per cent.
“With vast farmland, irrigation potential, a market of 230m+, and clear incentives, Nigeria is ready for bankable agribusiness investments that will secure food, jobs and growth,” he said.
The FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative is a country-led programme to accelerate agricultural transformation and rural development to end poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2).
Under this initiative, the FAO deploys the use of data and evidence to identify priority areas with the highest poverty and hunger, and then matches countries with donors, private sector organisations, and financial institutions to mobilise investments for sustainable agri-food systems and inclusive growth.
Also, the initiative employs a robust matchmaking process and features an award-winning geospatial platform and data lab to support these goals.
By Abdulkareem Mojeed, Premium Times
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in a statement posted on his X page on Wednesday.
“Yesterday in Abuja, I presented Nigeria’s $3.14bn Agricultural Investment Portfolio at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, graciously declared open by His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON,” the Minister said.
He explained that the programmes are designed to enhance food productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and strengthen food security while offering investors significant financial returns.
Mr Kyari said the portfolio focuses on tomato, cassava, maize, dairy and fisheries, backed by $1.75 billion public and $1.39 billion private investments.
This, he said, will benefit over 4.1 million Nigerians, raise incomes by up to $657, and deliver strong returns with an average internal rate of return (IRR) of 14.2 per cent.
“With vast farmland, irrigation potential, a market of 230m+, and clear incentives, Nigeria is ready for bankable agribusiness investments that will secure food, jobs and growth,” he said.
The FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative is a country-led programme to accelerate agricultural transformation and rural development to end poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2).
Under this initiative, the FAO deploys the use of data and evidence to identify priority areas with the highest poverty and hunger, and then matches countries with donors, private sector organisations, and financial institutions to mobilise investments for sustainable agri-food systems and inclusive growth.
Also, the initiative employs a robust matchmaking process and features an award-winning geospatial platform and data lab to support these goals.
“Investment breakdown”
On Wednesday, Mr Kyari explained that the tomato programme alone is estimated at $869 million and will cover 72,000 hectares in Kano, Bauchi, and Borno States.
He noted that the aim is to cut post-harvest losses, increase yields up to 30 tonnes per hectare, and benefit 36,000 farmers, and that the investment is projected to generate an IRR of 12.5 per cent and a net present value (NPV) of $171 million.
For cassava, Nigeria is seeking $382 million to expand productivity across 207,000 hectares in Ogun, Oyo, and Anambra, the statement said.
It said the initiative will directly benefit 45,000 farmers, set up 375 processing units, and reduce the nation’s import dependence on starch and high-quality flour. Additionally, it said the cassava portfolio is expected to deliver an IRR of 15.2 per cent and NPV of $187.7 million.
The statement indicated that the largest share of the investment will be allocated to the maize value chain, with $1 billion planned across one million hectares in Katsina, Kaduna, and Oyo states.
According to the Minister, the maize programme is expected to help close Nigeria’s five million metric tonne production gap, directly impacting 420,000 farmers, and indirectly benefiting nearly three million people.
“The financial outlook for maize shows an IRR of 18.7 per cent and an NPV of $75.6 million,” the statement said.
Officials emphasised that the planned investments would stimulate food security, industrial growth, and regional exports, while also creating resilient livelihoods and sustainable development opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
On Wednesday, Mr Kyari explained that the tomato programme alone is estimated at $869 million and will cover 72,000 hectares in Kano, Bauchi, and Borno States.
He noted that the aim is to cut post-harvest losses, increase yields up to 30 tonnes per hectare, and benefit 36,000 farmers, and that the investment is projected to generate an IRR of 12.5 per cent and a net present value (NPV) of $171 million.
For cassava, Nigeria is seeking $382 million to expand productivity across 207,000 hectares in Ogun, Oyo, and Anambra, the statement said.
It said the initiative will directly benefit 45,000 farmers, set up 375 processing units, and reduce the nation’s import dependence on starch and high-quality flour. Additionally, it said the cassava portfolio is expected to deliver an IRR of 15.2 per cent and NPV of $187.7 million.
The statement indicated that the largest share of the investment will be allocated to the maize value chain, with $1 billion planned across one million hectares in Katsina, Kaduna, and Oyo states.
According to the Minister, the maize programme is expected to help close Nigeria’s five million metric tonne production gap, directly impacting 420,000 farmers, and indirectly benefiting nearly three million people.
“The financial outlook for maize shows an IRR of 18.7 per cent and an NPV of $75.6 million,” the statement said.
Officials emphasised that the planned investments would stimulate food security, industrial growth, and regional exports, while also creating resilient livelihoods and sustainable development opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
Microsoft seizes websites linked to Nigeria-based phishing
Microsoft said on Tuesday that it seized 338 websites linked to a Nigerian-based service that allowed users to carry out phishing campaigns
The service, called "Raccoon0365," allowed users to engage in phishing campaigns that involved thousands of emails at a time, according to Steven Masada, assistant general counsel for Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit.
The phishing operation ended up stealing at least 5,000 Microsoft user credentials.
Phishing is a cybercrime in which criminals impersonate trustworthy domains to deceive users into revealing sensitive information like passwords or banking details.
By Hauwau Samaila Mohammed, DW
The service, called "Raccoon0365," allowed users to engage in phishing campaigns that involved thousands of emails at a time, according to Steven Masada, assistant general counsel for Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit.
The phishing operation ended up stealing at least 5,000 Microsoft user credentials.
Phishing is a cybercrime in which criminals impersonate trustworthy domains to deceive users into revealing sensitive information like passwords or banking details.
How did the phishing scheme work?
Raccoon0365 operates through a private Telegram channel with over 850 subscribers.
The service enables users to impersonate trusted brand names and get targets to enter Microsoft login details on fake Microsoft platforms. According to Microsoft's Masada, the service has generated at least $100,000 (€84,425) in cryptocurrency payments for its operators since launching in July 2024.
Raccoon0365 users targeted a wide range of industries, a significant number of which are organizations based in New York City, Masada said.
Raccoon0365 operates through a private Telegram channel with over 850 subscribers.
The service enables users to impersonate trusted brand names and get targets to enter Microsoft login details on fake Microsoft platforms. According to Microsoft's Masada, the service has generated at least $100,000 (€84,425) in cryptocurrency payments for its operators since launching in July 2024.
Raccoon0365 users targeted a wide range of industries, a significant number of which are organizations based in New York City, Masada said.
How did Microsoft seize Raccoon0365?
According to Masada, Microsoft identified what it said was a Raccoon0365-related effort using tax-themed phishing emails to target more than 2,300 organizations, mostly in the US, in February this year, according to a company blog posted in April.
Earlier this month, Microsoft obtained an order from the US District Court in Manhattan to seize domains associated with Raccoon0365. The seizure of the websites occurred over a period of days earlier this month.
"Cybercriminals don't need to be sophisticated to cause widespread harm," Masada said. "Simple tools like Raccoon0365 make cybercrime accessible to virtually anyone, putting millions of users at risk," he added.
Raccoon0365 operators used Cloudflare services to help conceal the service's backend infrastructure. Cloudflare worked with Microsoft and the US Secret Service to take down Raccoon0365 operations and prevent the operators from establishing new accounts.
Blake Darche, the head of threat intelligence at Cloudflare, said that while Raccoon0365 operators made some operational security mistakes, they were highly effective.
"They're in people's accounts, they compromise lots of people, and it needs to obviously be stopped," he said.
According to Masada, Microsoft identified what it said was a Raccoon0365-related effort using tax-themed phishing emails to target more than 2,300 organizations, mostly in the US, in February this year, according to a company blog posted in April.
Earlier this month, Microsoft obtained an order from the US District Court in Manhattan to seize domains associated with Raccoon0365. The seizure of the websites occurred over a period of days earlier this month.
"Cybercriminals don't need to be sophisticated to cause widespread harm," Masada said. "Simple tools like Raccoon0365 make cybercrime accessible to virtually anyone, putting millions of users at risk," he added.
Raccoon0365 operators used Cloudflare services to help conceal the service's backend infrastructure. Cloudflare worked with Microsoft and the US Secret Service to take down Raccoon0365 operations and prevent the operators from establishing new accounts.
Blake Darche, the head of threat intelligence at Cloudflare, said that while Raccoon0365 operators made some operational security mistakes, they were highly effective.
"They're in people's accounts, they compromise lots of people, and it needs to obviously be stopped," he said.
Over 650 Kidney Trafficked in Nigeria, Fuels $41B Global Market
Professor Aliyu Abdu, a nephrologist and academic at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and a consultant at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), has disclosed that between 2015 and 2020, at least 651 kidneys were illegally harvested and transplanted in Nigeria, with an estimated global value exceeding $41 billion.
Professor Abdu shared the staggering figure while speaking at a seminar on National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Standards held in Abuja.
He highlighted that this illegal activity is part of a broader international organ trade, where approximately 10,000 kidneys are sold on the black market each year.
He attributed the growing illicit trade in Nigeria to inadequate regulatory oversight, despite existing laws.
While the National Health Act of 2014 criminalises the commercial sale of human organs and mandates informed donor consent, enforcement has been inconsistent, leaving vulnerable individuals exposed to exploitation.
“Most of the people who fall victim to this are poor and desperate. They’re lured by money without understanding the serious health risks involved,” Abdu said.
He also pointed out that many donors are left without medical support following surgery, often suffering long-term health complications and emotional trauma.
According to him, the underground kidney trade in Nigeria is driven by well-organized criminal networks.
These syndicates typically involve a wide range of actors from recruiters and medical professionals to drivers, travel agents, and insurers all working together to facilitate illegal transplants.
The professor further noted that the lack of cadaveric (deceased donor) kidney donations and the absence of functioning organ banks in the country contribute to the continued reliance on illicit means to meet transplant demands.
Professor Abdu shared the staggering figure while speaking at a seminar on National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Standards held in Abuja.
He highlighted that this illegal activity is part of a broader international organ trade, where approximately 10,000 kidneys are sold on the black market each year.
He attributed the growing illicit trade in Nigeria to inadequate regulatory oversight, despite existing laws.
While the National Health Act of 2014 criminalises the commercial sale of human organs and mandates informed donor consent, enforcement has been inconsistent, leaving vulnerable individuals exposed to exploitation.
“Most of the people who fall victim to this are poor and desperate. They’re lured by money without understanding the serious health risks involved,” Abdu said.
He also pointed out that many donors are left without medical support following surgery, often suffering long-term health complications and emotional trauma.
According to him, the underground kidney trade in Nigeria is driven by well-organized criminal networks.
These syndicates typically involve a wide range of actors from recruiters and medical professionals to drivers, travel agents, and insurers all working together to facilitate illegal transplants.
The professor further noted that the lack of cadaveric (deceased donor) kidney donations and the absence of functioning organ banks in the country contribute to the continued reliance on illicit means to meet transplant demands.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Video - Drive to solar power gathers pace across Nigeria
With rising costs, and unreliable electricity supply from the national grid, many in Nigeria are turning to alternatives like solar energy. Despite the country having regular sunlight, solar power makes up less than 0.5 percent of its generation capacity in 2022. And now households and businesses are tapping into the power of the sun, to fill the energy gap.
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