Real eaters are up
Nigeria’s food prices might drop, and scientists seem to have found life on another planet
Good morning, Big Brains. I hope this email finds you in your pyjamas. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to cook to celebrate Easter, but the price of pepper is making those plans look unlikely. Shettima might have a plan to fix things soon so that’s something to look forward to.
This Week’s Big Question: ”You get a get-out-of-jail card, which Nigerian politician are you choosing to replace you?” Share your responses with us, and if we think they’re fun enough, we’ll feature them in the newsletter :) so be on the lookout.
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1, 000
Reading time ~ 5 mins
Let’s get into the news you missed during the weekend
Nigeria has a plan to make food prices drop
Scientists think they’ve found life on another planet
The Big Deal
Nigeria has a plan to make food prices drop
Jesus isn’t the only one rising this fine Easter morning; food prices are too. Not to worry though, Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima has a plan to fix that. The VP, who hasn’t exactly been the poster child for innovation, recently put together a committee to improve food security, energy security, and reduce the country’s reliance on imports. If the committee lives up to expectations, Nigeria’s import bill could drop by 50%.
Nigeria has a weird obesseion with setting up committees but Shettima says this one isn’t just any committee. It’s the first step in a grand mission to turn Nigeria into a trillion-dollar, innovation-powered economy within the next decade. He said the committee will create strategies across sectors that could change everything, from agriculture and energy to manufacturing, healthcare, and natural resources.
Shettima also gave us interesting updates about the other things their administration has in the works. President Tinubu has approved a yearly presidential forum where policymakers, researchers, industry heads, and even civil society will meet to decide on Nigeria’s tech and development focus, but don’t hold your breath for that one because he still owes us a youth confab.
Why is this a big deal?
If you live in Nigeria, you probably don’t need a reminder of how expensive food has gotten since you-know-who became president, but we’ll refresh your memory anyway. A 50kg bag of rice was priced at about ₦38,000 in 2023 when Tinubu started settling into his presidential seat, but it is now worth over ₦90,000. A crate of eggs cost between ₦1,300 to ₦2,000 around the same period. Now it’s sold for ₦6,000 in most Nigerian states. Even a 50kg bag of garri, the cheapest food for most Nigerians, has gone from about ₦20,000 to over ₦50,000 in some locations.
With food prices going crazy, the federal government’s committee isn’t a bad idea. But as the legends always say, “Once bitten, twice shy”. The Tinubu-led administration knows how to get Nigerians excited with big plans, but execution has always been the administration’s biggest flaw.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu approved a temporary halt on duty and value-added taxes on basic food items. This tax break was supposed to kick off on July 15 and run until December 21, 2024. Spoiler alert: We’re still waiting for Daddy T to remember his promise.
But hey, people change. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for this new committee because this administration is starting to force people to kick “foodie” off their Instagram bio.
Scientists think they’ve found life on another planet
Women are always achieving and we’re here for it. Katy Perry and the girlie pops took a girl trip to space, and one week later, scientists are talking about a possibly remarkable science discovery on another planet. If you don’t think these two events are related, you hate women.
On April 17, astronomers spotted what might be the strongest sign yet that we’re not alone in the universe, and it’s coming from a faraway planet called K2-18b, sitting about 124 light-years away in the Leo constellation. Walk with us and try not to overthink the details.
Using the super-powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists discovered two interesting chemicals, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide, in the planet’s atmosphere. On Earth, those are only produced by living organisms, mostly by tiny ocean algae called phytoplankton. That’s why these chemicals are considered potential signs of life.
But before you start packing your bags for space, the researchers said nothing is final yet. They haven’t found proof of life yet, just signs that could point to it. According to Nikku Madhusudhan, the lead scientist on the study, “This is the closest we’ve come to spotting something we can link to life.” Still, more research is needed.
To officially call it a discovery, scientists need to reach a confidence level called five sigma which basically means the chances of the results being a fluke are almost zero. Right now, they're at three sigma, which is promising but not solid proof.
Some researchers aren’t convinced, though. They say the planet might actually be too hot to support life, maybe even hot enough to melt rock.
But if further research confirm what Webb found, this could end the “Do aliens exist or not?” debate.
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CBN Governor, Legal Director Face N220m Contempt Suit: The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, and the CBN’s Director of Legal Services, Salam-Alada Kofo, are facing contempt proceedings for allegedly failing to comply with a Supreme Court Judgement that reversed the forfeiture of N1.22 billion and N220 million.
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