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The National Economic Council, on Thursday, urged state governments to key into the programmes of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit to address food insecurity. NEC also approved the winding down of the ad-hoc committee on flood, erosion, drought, and desertification, chaired by the governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, transferring its duties to a task force on flood, erosion, drought and mitigation agencies. The council took the decision at its 147th meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. In a presentation to the council, the Technical Assistant to the President on Agriculture (Office of the Vice President), Marion Moon and the coordinator of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit highlighted the strategy proposed by the unit to collaborate with sub-nationals in addressing food insecurity and unlocking Nigeria’s agricultural potentials across the country. Moon said the PFSCU priorities, especially in agri-business, will enhance delivery mechanisms and expedite action in attaining targets enshrined in the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the various aspirations of the respective state governments. In its resolution, NEC commended the presentation by the unit’s coordinator and urged state governments to key into the initiative. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said Moon was asked to present a summary of its key achievements at the next council meeting in January 2025. Edun explained, “There was a resolution whereby the Council noted the presentation and the prayers and requested that the unit prepare a summary of its key achievements to present to the next council meeting. “The issue of food security is a worldwide phenomenon. Food insecurity affects, to one extent, over 30 per cent of the world. “The major micro reforms that Mr President has implemented have successfully stabilised important parts of the economy and changed the whole economic incentive framework from rent-seeking to one of now looking to produce in agriculture to manufacture for exports.” Meanwhile, Ododo who is the chairman of the NEC Ad-hoc Committee updated the council on the committee’s activities, noting that the implementation of some of its recommendations, especially the provision of financial support to states and disbursement of funds to line ministries and agencies of government to address flood and related disasters across the country. Ododo prayed that the council approve the winding down of the committee’s activities and the transfer of its duties to the Taskforce on Flood, Erosion, Drought and Desertification. Related News NEC approves RMAFC’s new funding plan, legislative amendments NEC to review state police reports today Nigeria's food security top priority, says minister The council noted the prayers of the committee, commended the chairman and members for discharging their tasks dutifully and approved its recommendations for the disbursement of the balance of funds approved for MDAs for flood mitigation and related activities. Council members were also briefed on the World Bank collaboration on Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equality, known as the HOPE Project. The World Bank team told attendees that the HOPE-SOP provides an opportunity to boost human capital by tackling both upstream and downstream challenges. The Secretary of NEC, Vitalis Obi, told journalists that the presentation focused on addressing governance and service delivery constraints in basic education and primary health care, among others. The expected outcomes include an enhanced allocation, utilisation and transparency of federal and state funds at facility levels for health and basic education; improved focus on foundational service constraints at facilities (ANC-4, DPT3, mCPR, use of technology); improved foundational literacy & numeracy through structured pedagogy programs to reduce learning poverty (currently at 80; increased access to basic education and primary healthcare services at facility level through community-based management approaches, among others. Having approved the HOPE-GOV and HOPE-PHC in September 2024, the World Bank says it will grant the green light to HOPE-EDU in March 2025 An expression of Interest letter is a pre-requisite for program participation, as a few states have submitted theirs. Also, interested states are to submit their EOIs to the Finance Ministry with copies to sectoral Ministries and the World Bank. Obi said the Council noted the importance of the presentation on human capital development, noting that the programmes under the HOPE initiative are result-driven and would benefit all sub-nationals given the quantum of the challenges across the country. Speaking earlier, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima noted that the programme is a golden opportunity for states to reposition healthcare delivery and the education sector in the various domains and urged all state governments to key in and nominate focal persons to assist in driving the programmes in their areas. Shettima also described the World Bank’s HOPE Project as a significant opportunity for Nigeria. “This initiative promises to strengthen our basic education and primary healthcare systems, ensuring that we expand our human capital indices in ways that create lasting impacts. “Through targeted strategies, we can address long-standing inequalities and position our workforce to compete in a rapidly evolving global economy,” he noted.Moment of silence for former President Jimmy Carter held before the Falcons-Commanders game
Whether governments and local authorities should add fluoride to tap water has always been a politically charged topic. In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city in the world to take this step, in an effort to promote dental health. "From epidemiological data, it was discovered that there was less decay in children's teeth in some areas versus others," Lucy O'Malley , an applied health scientist at the University of Manchester in the U.K., told Live Science. "They found this was because some areas had water supplies that had natural fluoride levels at around 1 ppm [part per million] and that was beneficial for protecting against caries," better known as cavities. In the decades since, health authorities across the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries have introduced similar levels of fluoride to tap water. But what is the science behind how fluoride actually prevents cavities? It helps to first understand the anatomy of teeth , which are made up of an extremely specialized body tissue, Dr. Alexander Morris , a professor of dental public health at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., told Live Science in an email. Related: How does plaque cause cavities? Teeth have four components: enamel (the hard, shiny outer covering), dentine (the bulk of the tooth), pulp (the inner soft tissue), and cementum (a thin covering of the root to anchor it to the jaw), he explained. The enamel acts as the first line of defense against tooth decay. Composed of a mineral called hydroxyapatite — a tough solid containing charged molecules of calcium, phosphate and hydroxide — enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. The bulky phosphate particles are packed closely together , with the smaller calcium and hydroxide ions sitting in the small spaces between. Strong attraction between the positive and negative particles holds this structure together, creating a continuous and extremely tough mineral. This shield protects the softer and more vulnerable dentine and pulp underneath it from damage and wear. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. However, frequent consumption of refined sugars — such as those in sugary snacks and drinks — can degrade this protective surface. "When you eat sugars, they get broken down by bacteria in your mouth," O'Malley said. "As the bacteria feed off the sugars, they excrete acid, and that acid contributes to the demineralization of enamel." On a chemical level, the acid leaches the negative phosphate and hydroxide ions out of the enamel, weakening the overall structure. As holes in this enamel surface wear through to the dentine, bacteria can invade that inner tooth tissue and accelerate decay. "If the area of tooth affected gets big enough, the tooth structure collapses, forming a cavity," Morris said. Fluoride addresses this problem by facilitating two key protective mechanisms that help safeguard the enamel. "Incorporation [of fluoride] into the tooth enamel makes it more resistant to the acids produced by bacteria, helping prevent tooth decay in the first place," Morris said. "The presence of fluoride can also help repair early decay by creating more resistant enamel during the repair process." Known as remineralization, the tiny fluoride ions replace a portion of the hydroxide within the enamel's structure. Fluoride is much smaller than hydroxide, so these particles fit better in the gaps between the phosphate ions. This creates a stronger and more compact crystal structure, called fluorapatite. The greater attraction between the different ions in this fluorinated mineral means the negative particles are much less likely to leach out of the enamel. This thereby provides greater protection against acid damage and wear. — Should you floss before or after you brush your teeth? — Which teeth fall out? — Are cavities 'contagious'? Tooth-decay yeast can pass from moms to babies The benefit of fluoride for dental health is well established — in fact, the ion has been included as an additive in toothpaste since the 1970s . "It's become more widespread in usage," O'Malley said, "and from about that time, we've seen a really dramatic decline in the rates of caries." Whether through water, toothpaste or dental treatments, "adequate exposure to fluoride in whatever form reduces the risk of tooth decay," Morris concluded. Some jurisdictions, rather than fluoridating their water, provide children fluoride in milk, salt, or mouth rinses that they're given at school. This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice. Ever wonder why some people build muscle more easily than others or why freckles come out in the sun ? Send us your questions about how the human body works to community@livescience.com with the subject line "Health Desk Q," and you may see your question answered on the website!De'Aaron Fox Talks Mike Brown's Firing as Kings HC: 'He's Still Getting Paid''
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Alabama sophomore running back Justice Haynes entered the transfer portal and could be headed home to Georgia. Haynes played in all 12 games as part of a timeshare with co-starter Jam Miller for the Crimson Tide in 2024 and was third on the team in rushing with 448 yards and tied for second with seven TDs. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheerIt’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .