Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has hailed Nigerian chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, for her daring spirit and record-breaking achievements, which he said have brought honour to the state.

Eno gave the commendation on Wednesday when he received the Akwa Ibom-born celebrity chef at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital.

The governor said Baci’s success story was proof that determination and courage could enable individuals to break barriers and achieve remarkable feats.

He said, “I want to specially commend our very own, Hilda Baci, for her bold and adventurous spirit, which has contributed to her world record-breaking achievements and have brought honour to the State.”

Eno commended her for making Akwa Ibom proud through her exploits in the culinary world and charged her to continue to fly the flag of the state high.

“Your success story is a demonstration that determination and courage could enable individuals break barriers and achieve remarkable feats. I thank you for making Akwa Ibom State proud through your cooking exploits and I urge you to continue to fly the state’s flag high,” the governor said.

In her remarks, Baci, an indigene of the state, described Akwa Ibom as “amazingly beautiful”, applauding the pace of infrastructural development, peaceful atmosphere and investment opportunities under the Eno administration.

She expressed delight at the world-class facilities at the Victor Attah International Airport, which she said were first-rate and impressive.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend and appreciate our dear Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, for his vision and leadership style that has made Akwa Ibom amazingly beautiful.

“I am particularly delighted at the world-class facilities at the Victor Attah International Airport. Such a first-rate and impressive infrastructure,” Baci said.

She also lauded the hospitality and industrious nature of Akwa Ibom people and pledged to partner with relevant stakeholders to support the state’s development.

The Guinness World Record holder urged tourists and investors to visit Akwa Ibom to explore its environmental, recreational, hospitality and other investment opportunities.

“Akwa Ibom are hospitable and industrious people. We will partner with relevant stakeholders where necessary to further support the State’s development.

“This is a state tourists and investors can visit and explore its environmental, recreational, hospitality and other investment opportunities to help businesses maximise their potential,” she said.

Baci further called on Akwa Ibom people to continue to promote love, unity and peace as a means of attracting sustainable development.

Source: punchng.com

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Fiji has declared a national HIV crisis as sexual transmission and illicit drug use help to spread the virus, now infecting an estimated one in 60 adults in the Pacific nation.

New HIV diagnoses surged to 2,016 cases in 2025 — 16 times the level recorded in 2019, authorities said, vowing a “whole of government” response.

“I am formally declaring a national HIV emergency in Fiji,” Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu told reporters on Wednesday.

“This decision recognises the seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent, coordinated response our country now needs.”

An estimated one in 60 adults in Fiji have HIV — up from one in 167 five years earlier, the government said.

Two in every 100 pregnant women carry the virus, it said. Of the 59 babies born with HIV in 2025, 18 died before their first birthday.

The government said it was expanding access to free HIV testing, prevention services and treatment.

“This includes rapid testing, prevention medicine for people at higher risk, harm-reduction measures for people who inject drugs, and free treatment for people diagnosed with HIV.”

Fiji said it was receiving external support in the effort, including from Australia, New Zealand, India, the Global Fund and the United Nations.

Among HIV cases with a known mode of transmission, more than half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42 per cent to injecting drug use, UNAIDS said.

– ‘Change the course’ –

The UN agency welcomed Fiji’s plans to introduce legislation for a needle and syringe programme.

“Fiji still has an opportunity to change the course of this epidemic,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS director for regions including Asia and the Pacific.

“Stronger cooperation across the Pacific and sustained international solidarity can reinforce the national effort and help accelerate action,” he said in a statement.

HIV transmission rates began to increase around 2019 when a group of “very high-risk” injecting drug users emerged, primarily in the sex worker community, UNAIDS country director Renata Ram told AFP in Fiji earlier this year.

Pacific islands including Fiji have been transit hubs for drugs from Latin America and Asia destined for lucrative markets in Australia and New Zealand.

The flow of highly addictive drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine rose sharply after a lull during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime.

Those drugs are increasingly seeping into the Pacific’s domestic markets — in part due to foreign criminal syndicates opting to pay their local facilitators in kind.

AFP

Source: punchng.com

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