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More than £150,000 has been raised for the family of late University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday following his death and the controversy surrounding plagiarism allegations that preceded his resignation from the university.

The fundraising campaign was launched on Saturday by Windrush campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon, shortly after Arday died on Friday.
Vernon said the strong public response reflected widespread concern for Arday’s bereaved family and anger over the circumstances surrounding the controversy.

“Britain still cares – people, black, white, brown, care and feel angry about the situation,” Vernon said, according to The Guardian.

He said the donations were intended to support Arday’s family, including his parents and young relatives, rather than address questions about his personal finances.

Arday, who had held a senior academic position at Cambridge, came under intense scrutiny following allegations of plagiarism. He resigned from his position as Professor of Sociology of Education shortly before his death.
Cambridge had previously indicated that it would examine issues surrounding Arday’s appointment and tenure as part of a broader review of its procedures for appointing senior academics.

However, the university is understood to have decided against continuing the investigation while his family mourns.
Cambridge Chancellor Chris Smith on Monday addressed the controversy, saying allegations of academic misconduct should be investigated rigorously while cautioning against what he described as a racially charged campaign against Arday.

Smith said it was possible to uphold academic integrity and investigate plagiarism allegations while also rejecting what he called “a racist feeding frenzy” against an individual academic.

Vernon was among prominent figures who publicly supported Arday as the controversy intensified. Green Party leader Zack Polanski and crossbench peer Simon Woolley were also among signatories to an open letter backing the late professor.
Vernon said the episode had raised broader questions about media scrutiny, university accountability, press regulation and race relations in Britain.

Meanwhile,
campaign group Stand Up to Racism is expected to hold a vigil for Arday at Trafalgar Square in central London on Monday evening.
His death has also renewed scrutiny of the support available to academics facing intense public pressure, including questions about welfare and mental health support.

Downing Street has so far declined to say whether an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Arday’s death would be considered, saying it was not prepared to comment “at this stage.”

The fundraising campaign remains ongoing, with supporters urging the public to focus on assisting Arday’s bereaved family as debate continues over the allegations and events that preceded his death.

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By Gloria Ikibah

The Federal Government has announced that another batch of 83 Nigerians stranded in South Africa will arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, as efforts to support citizens affected by rising anti-foreigner sentiments continue.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the returnees will be airlifted from Johannesburg aboard a South African Airways flight scheduled to depart the Oliver Tambo Airport at 3:35pm. local time and arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at approximately 8:45pm.

In a statement issued on Monday, by the Spokesperson of the ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa,  disclosed that the latest evacuation exercise was made possible through the intervention of private individuals who volunteered to sponsor the air tickets of the returnees.

“The Ministry wishes to note that this latest cohort of returnees is facilitated through the kind intervention and sponsorship of tickets by public-spirited private individuals, whose generosity the Federal Government acknowledges with profound gratitude,” the statement read.

The ministry explained that the latest evacuation follows the completion of the government’s earlier voluntary repatriation programme, through which nearly 1,490 Nigerians were brought back home amid growing Afrophobic attacks and anti-immigrant sentiments in South Africa.

The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to protecting Nigerians living abroad, stressing that the welfare and dignity of citizens remain a top priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguard the welfare and dignity of all Nigerians at home and abroad.

“In line with its Citizen Diplomacy agenda, the government views Nigerians in the diaspora not as a burden, but as critical assets for national development, and is dedicated to ensuring their protection and well-being,” the ministry stated.

The government also praised the philanthropists who contributed to the evacuation exercise, describing their intervention as an example of the collaborative approach needed to address humanitarian and consular challenges.

“The Ministry extends special appreciation to the private individuals and philanthropists who have stepped forward to assist in this humanitarian effort.

“Their action is a sterling example of the ‘whole of society approach’, public-private collaboration championed by the government in addressing challenges facing our citizens abroad,” the statement added.

The ministry further commended the donors for what it described as an act of patriotism and selflessness.

“The Ministry commends their patriotism and selflessness, which have significantly alleviated the plight of our compatriots in South Africa”, it said.

It also appealed to corporate organisations, state governments, members of the organised private sector and Nigerians in the diaspora to support similar initiatives aimed at assisting citizens facing difficulties abroad.

“In light of this, the Ministry calls upon the organised private sector, corporate organisations, state governments and other well-meaning Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to emulate these worthy examples.

“Our collective efforts will bolster our national capacity to respond to consular emergencies effectively,” the statement further noted.

The ministry reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with South Africa to tackle the root causes of Afrophobia and ensure that acts of discrimination and violence against Nigerians are not only condemned but prevented.

“The government remains committed to deepening strategic partnerships with host nations, including South Africa, to address the root causes of Afrophobia and ensure that such acts of violence and discrimination against Nigerians are prevented and are strongly condemned when they occur, including holding perpetrators of such violence to account”, it added. 

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By Gloria Ikibah

The Federal Government has declared that Nigeria is ready to lead Africa’s industrial transformation by taking advantage of China’s new zero-tariff policy, with a renewed focus on value addition, manufacturing, technology transfer and job creation.

The position was outlined during an international seminar on “China’s Zero-Tariff Treatment for African Countries and Its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation of Africa,” held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Conference Centre in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, said the policy presents a major opportunity for African countries to move beyond the export of raw materials and embrace industrialisation.

According to him, the key issue for Africa is not simply increasing exports to China but ensuring that African countries retain more value from what they produce.

Ambassador Ahmed explained that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is deliberately shifting away from an overreliance on unprocessed commodities.

“The policy presents a strategic opportunity, but its real benefit depends on Africa’s productive capacity. For Nigeria, the central question is not simply how much Africa can export to China, but what Africa will produce, how it will produce it, and how much value will be retained within African economies.

“Our natural resources must become the starting point, not the end point, of economic activity.
“We seek investors who will build factories, develop industries, transfer technology, train our young people, strengthen local businesses and create sustainable employment,” he said.

He added that Nigeria possesses the demographic and economic advantages required to become Africa’s manufacturing powerhouse.

“Nigeria is well placed to lead Africa’s industrial push, leveraging its large market, AfCFTA membership, entrepreneurial population and abundant resources to attract investments that establish manufacturing and regional value chains,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, disclosed that the zero-tariff policy, which took effect on May 1, 2026, is already producing significant results.

He revealed that bilateral trade between Nigeria and China reached 18 billion dollars in the first half of 2026, representing a 35 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

He also noted that Chinese imports from Nigeria rose by 80 per cent to 2.3 billion dollars, while monthly growth exceeded 40 per cent in both May and June.

“Since it took effect, we have seen immediate and concrete results because tariff eliminations are reducing costs, trade volumes are expanding, and local businesses are leveraging zero tariffs to invest in domestic processing and move up the value chain,” Ambassador Yu said.

To maximise the benefits of the initiative, the Chinese envoy proposed four priority areas, including improving product quality, strengthening supply chains, expanding local processing and aligning trade policies with long-term investment strategies.

He also called for stronger policy awareness among Nigerian small and medium-scale enterprises.

According to him, China is ready to deepen its economic partnership with Nigeria.

“China is ready to finalise an Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development with Nigeria and to support joint industrial parks, technology transfer and training,” he said.

Earlier, the Director of the Centre for China Studies, Charles Onunaiju, described the policy as a turning point for Africa’s economic development.

He said the initiative, which now covers 100 per cent of tariff lines across 53 African countries, should be viewed as the beginning of a broader economic transformation rather than an end in itself.

“The zero-tariff treatment, now covering 100 per cent of tariff lines for 53 African countries, is not a finished line but only a starting point,” he said.

Onunaiju argued that African countries must address domestic production challenges and fully utilise the African Continental Free Trade Area to benefit from the policy.

“With an obvious sense of collective relief spanning 53 countries and one shared open door, the ‘Made in Africa’ brand is finally shifting into high gear,” he added.

He explained that the seminar brought together manufacturers, exporters, farmers, customs officials and financial institutions to explore practical ways of translating the new trade arrangement into economic gains.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with China, African countries and development partners to convert expanded market access into industrial growth.

The ministry said its goal is to ensure that increased trade leads to stronger manufacturing capacity and transforms Africa’s vast natural resources into sustainable economic prosperity.