From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Tuesday, officially flagged off the South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP), a 200-hectare pilot integrated model farm by the South East Development Commission (SEDC) at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State.

The historic event, which marks a significant transition from planning to physical implementation by the Commission, was witnessed by the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Chairman of SEDC, Dr.

Emeka Wogu; Managing Director/CEO of the Commission, Mark Okoye; Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, as well as traditional and community leaders and other stakeholders, and community members.

Governor Peter Mbah, who was represented by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai, described the project as an important example of what strategic collaboration between South East states and the Commission can achieve, particularly at a time when food production and economic diversification had become increasingly important.

He noted that the Agro-Development Programme fitted perfectly into the state government’s decision to build 200-hectare modern farm estates in the 260 wards of the state, saying the state’s investment in agriculture connects perfectly with other government projects and the commitment to eradicate poverty in the state by 2031.

The Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, Mr. Okoye, explained that the project was deliberately designed as a development project to redefine how the region approaches agriculture.

Okoye said the project would ultimately be measured by its impact beyond the physical boundaries of the 200-hectare site, stating that the Nomeh Unateze project is intended as a starting point and practical template for the Commission’s wider agricultural and agro-mechanisation interventions across the five states of the South East.

He commended Governor Mbah for his visionary and proactive approach to governance, also expressing his pleasure at the uncommon level of buy-in and support so far demonstrated by Nomeh Unateze.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Momoh, said the objective of the project transcended mere food production.

Chairman of the SEDC, Dr. Wogu, assured that the Commission would continue to work with state governments and other stakeholders to ensure that SEDC’s interventions complement existing development efforts.

“Regional development requires partnership. The Commission cannot and should not work in isolation from the state governments, communities, the private sector and development partners. Our responsibility is to create platforms that connect these stakeholders around opportunities that can generate sustainable economic value for the people of the South East,” he stated.

Speaking on behalf of the community, President General of Nomeh Unataeze, Dr. Chukwudi Anyianuka, described the project as a restoration of the glory of the community, assuring the total community support and ownership of the project.

Community leader and media aide to Enugu State Governor Mbah appreciated President Bola Tinubu for answering the age-long prayers of the people of the South East through the creation of the SEDC to coordinate and speed up the region’s development post-civil war.

The Executive Director, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Rural Development (NRARD) at the SEDC, Dr. Clifford Ogbede, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to reviving the agro-industrial revolution that placed the defunct Eastern Region as the fastest-growing economy between 1954 and 1964, courtesy of the late Dr. Michael Okpara’s visionary leadership.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 30 new academic programmes for the Federal University Dutse (FUD), beginning from the 2026/2027 academic session.

This is contained in a statement signed by Abdullahi Yahaya-Bello, Director, Public Affairs of the university, on Wednesday in Dutse.

The approval, he said, included the commencement of academic activities by the university’s Faculty of Law for the full-time Bachelor of Laws (LL.

B) in Common and Islamic Law.

Yahaya-Bello said the approval was contained in a letter dated Sept. 11, with reference number NUC/AP/F33/VOL.

II/15, signed by Mr Abubakar Girei, Director, Academic Planning, NUC.

He quoted the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ahmad Mohammed-Gumel, as saying that the approved programmes included Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, Information Systems, Community Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Physiotherapy, Radiography and Optometry.

He listed Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Parasitology and Entomology, Environmental Standards, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Applied Geology and Remote Sensing, Arabic Education, English Education and Science Laboratory Technology as other approved programmes.

At postgraduate level, he noted that the approval covered PGD, M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes in Forestry and Wildlife, Accounting, Treasury and Finance, Banking and Finance, and Information Technology.

He added that Master’s programmes in Banking and Finance and Accounting and Finance were also approved.

Mohammed-Gumel described the development as an important step in his initiative to introduce new academic programmes at the university.

He said the programmes were designed to address evolving educational needs, particularly in technology, science education and health-related disciplines.

“The new programmes are specifically designed to address the evolving educational needs of society as the courses focus on critical areas such as technology, science education, and health-related disciplines,” he said.

Mohammed-Gumel added that the academic expansion would equip students with relevant skills and knowledge aligned with current industry demands and societal challenges.

“This strategic academic growth in the University aims to equip students with relevant skills and knowledge that align with current industry demands and societal challenges,” he said.

He further explained that the initiative would prepare graduates for the workforce and enable them to make meaningful contributions to their respective fields. (NAN)

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised alarm over new counterfeiting in Nigeria, saying criminals now fake medicines, bottled water, toothpaste and herbal products.

South-West Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Dr.

Isaac Kolawole, said this on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the agency’s regulatory activities and consumer protection measures and compliance efforts.

Kolawole said the development was more dangerous than fashion counterfeiting, as adulterated medicines and foods could cause severe health complications, treatment failures and potentially fatal consequences for consumers across affected communities.

According to him, NAFDAC, established by Decree No. 15 of 1993, amended by Decree No. 19 of 1999 and codified as Cap N1 in 2004, regulates food, drugs, cosmetics and chemicals.

He said the agency also had the mandate to combat counterfeit, expired and substandard regulated products, while protecting consumers from associated health risks across Nigeria and strengthening regulatory compliance and safety.

The Zonal Director advised Nigerians to buy medicines from trusted pharmacies and avoid open-air drug markets when purchasing critical prescriptions, especially medicines requiring proper storage and professional guidance to ensure safety.

He urged consumers to check physical details such as poor print quality, missing batch numbers and unusual seals, and use NAFDAC’s Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) where available to verify products safely.

“Read everything on the label carefully before usage and report suspicious items immediately if a common brand tastes or looks wrong. NAFDAC is customer-focused, agency-minded,” he said.

Kolawole also gave updates on other regulatory activities, including product registration, rice fortification and trans-fatty acids, highlighting measures aimed at improving consumer protection and public health nationwide for consumers nationwide.

On registration timelines, he said NAFDAC registration currently took 120 days for micro food products, 180 working days for small, medium and large food and cosmetics, and 240 days for drugs/vaccines.

He gave the breakdown for micro food products as 10 working days for document verification, 20 working days for inspection, 60 working days for laboratory analysis and 30 working days for approval.

On inspection scheduling, he explained that the vetting and inspection fee was generated and paid, after which the client selected an inspection date for approval by responsible officers before inspection was conducted.

Speaking on rice fortification, Kolawole said with more than 90 per cent of Nigerians consuming rice, it remained an effective vehicle for delivering essential micronutrients at scale across households nationwide consistently.

“The rice remains the same. Micronutrients are added in measured quantities. Fortification improves nutrition without changing eating habits,” he said, explaining the nutritional benefits of the programme to consumers.

He said the initiative was aimed at tackling deficiencies in iron, zinc, folic acid, B vitamins and vitamin A, adding that the programme was approved in 2021 as public health intervention.

Kolawole said the programme was currently voluntary but would eventually become mandatory, as authorities sought to improve nutritional outcomes through wider adoption of fortified rice products across Nigeria over time.

He said NAFDAC planned to strengthen its laboratories in Lagos and Maiduguri for micronutrient testing and promote the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) system for improved monitoring nationwide.

He added that rice mill owners could apply to NAFDAC for fortification certification, requiring a blender and premix containing iron as ferric pyrophosphate, zinc oxide, vitamins B1 and B12, and folic acid.

He said the certification process also required inspection by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and NAFDAC, while importers were expected to present fortification certificates before their products entered the Nigerian market.

Earlier, the Ekiti State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Stella Dosunmu, expressed delight at the number of participants, describing it as evidence of stakeholders’ commitment to safeguarding public health and promoting growth.

She said the stakeholders’ engagement was designed to bridge the gap between regulatory requirements and business operations, while improving understanding and compliance among relevant stakeholders in Ekiti and supporting safer practices.

“We are here to deliberate on best manufacturing practices, hygienic food handling, the dangers of substandard and falsified medical products and the streamlined pathways for product registration,” she said, emphasising compliance.

In his goodwill message, Prof. Samuel Fafure, Chief Executive Officer, Faforum Herbal Medicine, urged the agency’s management to expand its workforce to enable it to carry out regulatory oversight more effectively.

The meeting was attended by members and executives of trade associations, technical groups, bakers’ associations, manufacturers, distributors and retailers from across the state.(NAN)