The orgainsers of the Naija Fan Village to be based in the city of Durban, during the World Cup in South Africa have been promised the best of Nigerian hospitality.

International tourism is steadily gaining momentum following an extremely challenging 2009. International tourist arrivals grew by 7% in the first two months of 2010 worldwide, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Growth was particularly strong in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. UNWTO forecasts international tourist arrivals to grow by 3% to 4% in 2010.

Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, in the 2007 election, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday threw his weight behind Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s sacking of Professor Maurice Iwu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, but said more still needed to be done if a free and fair election was to be conducted in 2011.

A 27-year-old staff of a microfinance bank at Ikeja, was on Wednesday arraigned over a N1.16 million fraud. Jumoke Alausa, who is facing a one-count charge of stealing at an Ikeja Magistrate’’s Court, was alleged to have defrauded Fatima Gold Ltd of the money.

THE Federal government has launched a Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) project in order to improve the income generating potential of oil palm in West and Central Africa. The CFC is an inter-governmental financial institution established within the framework of the United Nations with the aim of supporting commodity dependent developing and least developed nations.

Lt. General Aliyu Gusau, the National Security Adviser is a fine officer and a gentleman. Friends call him the smiling General, a gentle giant with an immaculate heart. A forthnight ago he bared his fangs and accused CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi of sabotaging the economy because of consequential effects of the corrective measures he has taken to bring the Nigerian banks back to the path of sanity; and for punishing only a few bankers for the sins committed by all bankers.

Niger government is to commence the sale of 24,500 metric tones of fertilisers to farmers for the 2010 cropping season, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf has said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has lauded the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, for implementing the Cassava Value Chain Development project in West Africa.

The Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Sheikh Abdallah, has said that modernisation of agriculture remained the only way to achieve sustainable food security in the country.

The World Bank has approved $4.6 million(about N690 million) for the implementation of the Fadama III project in Bauchi State.