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South Africa’s transition to a low-carbon economy requires substantial infrastructure investments—modernizing electricity grids, deploying renewables, and enabling new sectors such as green hydrogen. However, infrastructure alone cannot achieve a just transition. Drawing on data from the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP) and stakeholder consultations, the brief highlights a persistent imbalance: while it is expected that infrastructure absorbs a large share of grant funding due to its capital intensity, this has come at the expense of adequate support for social dimensions such as skills development, worker protection, and economic diversification in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga. Only 11.21% of tracked grants have been allocated to skills development, and less than 5% of Mpumalanga’s funding needs are met—the U.S. withdrawal from the International Partners Group in 2025 further strains the financing landscape. To mitigate socio-economic disruption and promote inclusive growth, the op-ed recommends scaling TVET programs, strengthening social protection systems, and increasing local participation in renewable energy value chains. Achieving a just transition will require recalibrating financial strategies to ensure that people and communities remain at the core of South Africa’s energy future alongside essential infrastructure.

Marriage rates, especially among young adults, have declined substantially over the past seventy-five years. Credit: Shutterstock

By Joseph Chamie
PORTLAND, USA, May 14 2025 (IPS)

Until the middle of the 20th century, marriage between men and women was the societal norm among countries, and the cohabitation of couples was uncommon and stigmatized. In the subsequent decades, however, that situation changed significantly worldwide.

Marriage rates, especially among young adults, have declined substantially over the past seventy-five years. Additionally, women and men who decide to marry are doing so at older ages and having fewer children than in the recent past.

The median ages at first marriage for men and women have been steadily increasing in countries worldwide. The increasing marriage ages are partly due to increased education, employment, and career decisions; the evolving role and improving status of women; lifestyle preferences; and changing societal norms concerning personal relationships between men and women.

Besides marriage at older ages, couples are choosing to have fewer children than they had a half century ago. For example, the world’s average number of births per woman has declined from 5.3 births in 1963 to 2.3 births in 2023. Also, in over half of all countries, representing over two-thirds of the world’s population, fertility rates are below the replacement fertility of 2.1 births per woman.

At the same time that marriage rates have been declining and women are having fewer births, cohabitation, or people living together without being married, has become increasingly acceptable and common in many countries worldwide.

In the United States, for example, the proportions of young adults and older adults living with a partner increased significantly over the past half century. Whereas in 1970 the proportion cohabitating was a fraction of one percent, by 2018 the percentage had increased to nearly 10% among those aged 18 to 24 years and to nearly 15% among those aged 25 to 34 years and those aged 65 years and older (Figure 1).

 

Source: US Census Bureau.

 

In 1970, cohabitation preceded about 11% of the marriages in the United States. That percentage increased significantly over the subsequent decades, and currently approximately 75% of marriages are preceded by cohabitation. Also, the large majority of Americans, close to 70%, say cohabitation is acceptable even if a couple doesn’t plan to get married.

With the increasing levels of cohabitation among young adults in the US, the proportion of births to unmarried mothers also increased. Whereas 5% of all births in the United States in 1960 were to unmarried women, the proportion increased to 33% by 2000 and reached approximately 40% by 2021.

Cohabitation is becoming more prevalent in most populations, particularly in Latin America and Western countries. In contrast, cohabitation is less common in some countries, especially in Asia and the Middle East, because of traditional roles and cultural norms. In those countries, such as Indonesia, Jordan, the Philippines, and Egypt, the large majority of adults in ages 18 to 49 years old are married (Figure 2).

 

Source: World Family Map Report, 2015.

 

However, even among some traditional countries, cohabitation has increased. For example, despite the religious laws in Iran, increasing numbers of young Iranian couples, especially those living in urban areas, are choosing cohabitation before marriage.

Cohabitation is becoming more prevalent in most populations, particularly in Latin America and Western countries. In contrast, cohabitation is less common in some countries, especially in Asia and the Middle East, because of traditional roles and cultural norms

Non-marital cohabitation is also becoming increasingly common in China, gaining acceptance among young men and women living in urban areas. Similar to many Western countries, cohabitation in China among young adults has been increasing rapidly with older marriage ages, declining fertility levels, and increasing divorce rates.

Also, changes in Chinese laws may contribute to changes in public attitudes toward cohabitation. For example, whereas the Chinese Marriage Law of 1980 referred to “illegal cohabitation”, a 2001 amendment to the law changed the wording to “non-marital cohabitation”.

Similarly, in India, cohabitation is considered a taboo in traditional Indian society. However, over the recent past, cohabitation has become increasingly popular among young men and women in urban centers.

With more Indian women becoming educated, joining the labor force, and gaining financial independence, traditional attitudes toward marriage are shifting towards more acceptance of cohabitation. Again, live-in relationships are being used by many young couples in urban areas to test their compatibility and differences before making a commitment to marriage.

In contrast to many of the traditional countries in Asia and the Middle East, cohabitation across Latin America and the Caribbean has become increasingly prevalent since the 1970s. Also, adults aged 18 to 49 years have relatively low proportions married, often less than 30%.

Because of the comparatively high prevalence of cohabitation in many Latin American countries, the large majority of births in that region are out of wedlock. Between 2016 and 2020, approximately three-quarters of the children born in Latin America are estimated to have been born outside marriage. In countries such as Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico, the percentages of births born out of wedlock in 2020 were no less than 70 percent (Figure 3).

 

Source: OECD.

 

Various factors are behind the increasing trend away from marriage and towards cohabitation. Among those factors are testing personal relationships, assessing compatibility, financial benefits, flexibility, widespread availability of modern contraceptives, disillusionment with the institution of marriage, and avoidance of legal and monetary obligations related to marriage, including the risks of divorce.

Cohabitation offers an opportunity for couples to get to know each other in a shared living environment. It permits couples to assess their compatibility and areas of discordance before deciding whether they wish to enter a marriage or remain cohabitating.

Cohabitation also typically avoids the legal process and formalities of marriage. It provides couples with the flexibility to move on with their lives if their personal relationship doesn’t work out. In addition, some men and women may not want to make a long-term commitment and take on the responsibilities and obligations that marriage typically entails.

While some cohabiting couples may choose to avoid making a long-term commitment, others may view cohabitation as providing a promising path to marriage. In many countries, including Brazil, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the large majority of marriages are preceded by cohabitation.

Also, increasingly, in some countries, couples decide to wed after they’ve had children together. Having children for many couples often represents a serious commitment to one’s partner, and marriage provides those couples with a visible way to celebrate their commitment to each other and their family. There are also financial and legal benefits to getting married, including pensions and inheritance matters.

However, some concerns have been raised about the consequences of cohabitation on families. In general, cohabitation is less stable for families with children than marriage and contributes to the rise of single-parent households with fathers missing.

In a global study of over sixty countries, cohabitating couples with children were found to be more likely to break up than married couples. More specifically, in nearly all the countries examined, children born to cohabiting parents were significantly more likely to see their parents break up before age 12 compared to children whose parents were married at their birth.

In sum, over much of the past, marriage between men and women existed as the world’s societal norm, permitting men and women to live together, take part in sex, and have children. After the middle of the 20th century, that societal norm changed significantly, with marriage becoming increasingly replaced or preceded by the cohabitation of men and women and greater numbers of children born out of wedlock.

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division, and author of many publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Population Levels, Trends, and Differentials”.

Technical standards help drive innovation and growth by ensuring that interoperable and secure technologies are widely adopted by businesses and consumers. This is even more essential in consideration of the rapid digitalisation and AI transformation impacting all industrial fields.

Written by Pieter Baert.

Over the last ten years, the EU has taken several key measures to combat aggressive corporate tax planning, aiming to curb the billions in revenue losses suffered by Member States. However, the variety and breadth of the measures introduced have raised concern about their administrative complexity and overall effectiveness. The Subcommittee on Tax Matters will hold a public hearing on this topic on 15 May 2025.

From post-crisis reforms to simplification initiatives

Following the Great Recession and the subsequent European sovereign debt crisis, and fuelled by publication of various ‘tax leaks’, the EU set out an ambitious range of initiatives to counter corporate tax avoidance. Numerous laws were put into place to close tax loopholes and increase transparency on the tax practices of (large, multinational) companies, including the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) and the directives on Administrative Cooperation (DAC) and Public Country-by-Country Reporting (Public CbCR). In 2021, a historic global agreement paved the way for the introduction of a minimum effective corporate tax of 15 % for multinationals in the EU, which entered into force in 2024.

Following the 2024 European elections, the European Commission embarked on an overall strategy to cut red tape and simplify EU legislation. In March 2025, the Council called on the Commission to present a road map before the end of Q3 2025 to reduce the reporting burdens for both tax administrations and taxpayers, eliminate outdated and overlapping tax rules, increase the clarity of tax legislation and streamline the application of tax rules, procedures and reporting requirements. This work should cover both direct and indirect taxation, and should ‘preserve the successful achievements’ the EU has made in this area.

Commission evaluations of the ATAD and DAC are already ongoing, and may lead to legislative changes.

Anti-tax Avoidance Directive

The Anti-tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) set out five key provisions – four specific, one general – to close loopholes that were often abused for aggressive tax avoidance purposes. The ATAD rules entered into force between 2019 and 2022.

Table 1 – ATAD overview

Council Directive (EU) 2016/1164 laying down rules against tax avoidance practices that directly affect the functioning of the internal marketArt. 4Interest limitation ruleDiscourages debt arrangements designed to minimise taxation, limiting the deductibility of taxpayers’ excess borrowing costsArt. 5Exit taxation rulePrevents companies from avoiding tax when relocating assetsArt. 6General anti-abuse rule (GAAR)Counters aggressive tax planning when other rules do not applyArt. 7-8Controlled foreign company (CFC) ruleDeters profit shifting to a dependent company in a low-tax country to reduce taxable profitsArt. 9Hybrid mismatch rulePrevents companies from exploiting national mismatches to avoid taxation

The provisions of the ATAD function as ‘minimum standards’, allowing Member States to introduce stricter provisions, if they choose to. This flexibility has led to some divergence in the application of these standards, resulting in legal complexity. Additionally, the directive includes several options for Member States, often to exclude certain entities from the scope of a particular anti-avoidance rule. Some stakeholder feedback on the ATAD encouraged the Commission to seek more harmonisation in this area. A study conducted for the Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) similarly noted that reducing the number of available options ‘should be considered for a more homogenous anti-avoidance landscape’.

Discussions are also ongoing about the continued relevance of certain ATAD provisions – such as the CFC rules – in the context of the broader global minimum corporate tax framework. While ATAD is designed to target specific tax avoidance loopholes, the EU Minimum Tax Directive focuses on a minimum level of effective taxation, irrespective of any tax planning strategies employed.

Directive on Administrative Cooperation

As its name implies, the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC) does not govern the imposition or payment of taxes directly. Instead, it facilitates the collection and, increasingly, the automatic exchange of tax-related information between Member States concerning individuals and companies. Benefiting from increasingly efficient digital tools, Member States can track and cross check income streams, swiftly detect evasion or avoidance practices and impose taxes where required according to national legislation. The DAC has undergone eight revisions (DAC1-DAC9) over the past ten years. This has progressively widened the scope of taxpayers and reportable data.

Table 2 – DAC overview

DACInformation being reported and exchangedDACInformation being reported and exchangedDAC1Income from employment, pension, director fees, income and assets from immovable property and life insuranceDAC6Potentially aggressive tax planning schemes of intermediariesDAC2Financial account data (account balances, gross amount of interest and dividends received …)DAC7Income earned by sellers on digital sales platformsDAC3Advance cross-border tax rulings and advance pricing arrangements of companiesDAC8Income earned by crypto-asset tradersDAC4Country-by-country reports on multinationals (data on revenue, profits, tax paid …)DAC9Top-up tax information returns for the purposes of the Minimum Tax DirectiveDAC5Beneficial ownership and due diligence information as collected through the anti-money laundering legal framework. 

Stakeholder responses to the public consultation on DAC indicated that many would welcome greater transparency on how, and to what extent, tax authorities use the data reported. The European Court of Auditors raised a similar concern, noting Member States ‘generally underused’ the data reported under DAC1 to DAC5, which were subject to limited data quality checks.

Stakeholders have been particularly critical of DAC6, which obliges intermediaries – such as tax advisors and accountants – to report information on potentially aggressive cross-border tax arrangements to the tax authorities. Stakeholders regarded the criteria for identifying such arrangements, known as ‘hallmarks’, as overly broad or difficult to apply in practice. This concern was echoed in a study commissioned by the FISC Subcommittee, which also warned about the additional administrative costs for tax authorities: ‘Tax authorities will also be heavily impacted due to the [… expected] volume of disclosed information they will receive. The danger of over-reporting due to the over-inclusion and multiplicity of hallmarks (…) is a real one, and may cause tax authorities [to miss …] some red flags’.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘The future of EU anti-tax avoidance rules‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

La ville de Cotonou est confrontée à des inondations récurrentes depuis plusieurs années. Face à ce fléau, le gouvernement béninois a mis en place le Programme d'Assainissement Pluvial de Cotonou (PAPC) pour améliorer le cadre de vie des populations, assurer la mobilité urbaine pendant la saison des pluies et limiter les risques d'inondation. Les ouvrages réalisés changent déjà le cadre de vie des habitants de plusieurs quartiers de Cotonou.

Derrière le commissariat de Fidjrossè, dans le 12 e arrondissement de Cotonou, s'étendait une vaste zone de broussailles et de marécages. Aujourd'hui, ce paysage a radicalement changé grâce à la réalisation d'un bassin de rétention des eaux pluviales. Cet ouvrage, en cours de finition, offre non seulement une solution technique aux inondations mais transforme aussi l'aspect visuel et fonctionnel de la zone.

« Avant, cette partie était inaccessible, pleine de moustiques et d'eaux stagnantes. Maintenant, on voit de vrais travaux, des engins, des voies en construction. Cette zone du quartier change », témoigne Ludovic Ahouansè, habitant de Fidjrossè depuis plus de dix ans.
Dame Sèna, commerçante au même quartier, renchérit : « J'ai constaté qu'ils sont entrain de tracer un chemin, ça veut dire que désormais on peut circuler par là. C'est une belle avancée ».

Des travaux en cours juste derrière le commissariat de Fidjrossè

Le PAPC ne se limite pas à Fidjrossè. Il est mis en œuvre dans plusieurs autres quartiers de Cotonou et consiste à la construction de collecteurs d'assainissement pluvial et d'aménagement de voies connexes. Ces collecteurs acheminent les eaux pluviales vers des bassins de rétention, où elles sont temporairement stockées, ce qui permet de réduire les pics d'inondation observés au cours de la saison pluvieuse à Cotonou. L'objectif à long terme est de mettre en place un système qui permet de drainer les eaux pluviales vers les lacs et lagunes.

Des travaux en cours à Aïbatin 1

Au-delà de limiter les inondations, le PAPC redonne vie à des zones longtemps négligées. À Aïbatin 1, un autre bassin est en cours de réalisation, suscitant là aussi l'enthousiasme des riverains. « J'ai déjà vu cet ouvrage dans le quartier Agla. C'est une joie pour moi de voir que mon quartier est pris en compte. Avant, on ne pouvait pas passer par là à cause des herbes et de la boue », a affirmé Marcello Amoussou, moniteur d'auto-école.

Ouvrage réalisé à Sètovi (Vêdokô)

Lancé depuis avril 2022, le Programme d'Assainissement Pluvial de Cotonou (PAPC) a permis de changer l'aspect de plusieurs quartiers de la ville. Des ouvrages d'assainissement ont été réalisés dans les bassins versants Y et PA3 au profit des habitants d'Akpakpa-Dodomè et ceux de Sètovi. Le bassin XX d'une superficie de 524 hectares draine les quartiers de Ménontin et Agla, situés en bordure du lac Nokoué.
Le PAPC prend aussi en compte l'éclairage public, le reboisement et l'aménagement d'espaces verts.

Le projet est financé par la Banque Mondiale, l'Agence Française de Développement (AFD), la Banque Islamique de Développement (BID), la Banque Africaine de Développement (BAD), la Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD) et la Banque Européenne d'Investissement (BEI). Grâce à ce programme ambitieux, les habitants espèrent que Cotonou sortira définitivement de l'inondation.

Akpédjé Ayosso

L’autoroute A13 dans les Grisons a été fermée pour laisser passer des chars de combat «Leclerc» et des véhicules blindés «Griffon».

Ce mercredi 14 mai 2025 en conseil des ministres, plusieurs nominations ont été prononcées à la Commission béninoise des droits de l'homme (CBDH). Ceci, après un processus de sélection.

Liste des nominations
Membres
Au titre de la qualité d'enseignant à l'université
– Titulaire : Monsieur Abdou-Bakari IMOROU
– Suppléant : Madame Sylvie Vitondin De CHACUS
Au titre de la qualité d'avocat
– Titulaire : Maître Brice HOUSSOU
– Suppléant : Maître Falilatou S. Alexandrine SAÏZONOU BEDIÉ
Au titre de la qualité de médecin
– Titulaire : Docteur Basile FASSINOU
– Suppléant : Docteur Cédric E. Parfait BIGOT
Au titre de la qualité d'expert en matière pénitentiaire et autres questions de privation de liberté
– Titulaire : Monsieur Jean Paul Serge PRINCE AGBODJAN
– Suppléant : Madame Akouavi Inès Laurenda HADONOU épouse TOFFOUN
Au titre de la qualité d'expert en matière de promotion et de protection des droits des personnes handicapées et des personnes vulnérables
– Titulaire : Madame Tchokomi Sabine TOUNGAKOUAGOU
– Suppléant : Madame Olga Louise Véronique NOUATIN
Au titre de la qualité d'expert en matière de promotion et de protection des droits des femmes
– Titulaire : Madame Sidikatou ADAMON BISSIRIOU
– Suppléant : Monsieur Olaïtan Michel Kintossou DJEIGO
Au titre de la qualité d'expert en matière de promotion et de protection des droits des enfants
– Titulaire : Madame Perpétue KOSSOUOH épouse HOUINATO
– Suppléant : Monsieur Rahman A. OROU BARE
Secrétaire générale
Madame Lérya KOUNDE

A kérdést hónapról hónapra feltesszük egy-egy kollégának. A célunk az, hogy több szempontból is megismertessük azt a projektet, amelynek a hivatal ezúttal nem a kiírója, hanem a kedvezményezettje. Első beszélgetőpartnerünk Sóvágó Krisztina, a Stratégiai és Monitoring Főosztály munkatársa, a KFI ökoszisztéma fejlesztése elnevezésű GINOP PLUSZ 2.1.2-22-2024-0002 projekt szakmai vezetője. Tőle először azt kérdeztük, hogy miben más ez a kiemelt projekt, mint egy általános, innovációs projekt, egyáltalán, mennyiben különbözik a kis- és közepes vállalkozások támogatásával kapcsolatos állami feladatoktól?

“Trump methods in the velvet EU glove,” a Ukrainian source involved in the farming sector told Euractiv.

Le gouvernement béninois a tenu, ce mercredi 14 mai 2025, la session ordinaire du Conseil des ministres. Ci-dessous les grandes décisions.

Après plus de 130 ans d'absence, le Kataklè, siège royal au nombre des œuvres pillées pendant la période coloniale est revenu au Bénin. La cérémonie officielle de sa restitution s'est tenue, mardi 13 mai 2025, au Palais de la Marina à Cotonou.

La coopération entre la Finlande et le Bénin est en bonne voie. C'est dans ce cadre que le Kataclè a retrouvé sa place, mardi 13 mai 2025, parmi les autres trésors royaux.

Lors de la cérémonie de restitution de l'œuvre, le ministre béninois du Tourisme, de la Culture et des Arts, Babalola Jean-Michel H. Abimbola, a souligné que ce n'est pas seulement une restitution matérielle, mais un acte de souveraineté culturelle et un moment de vérité historique. « Le retour du Kataklè est un geste de réparation symbolique pour notre peuple », a-t-il déclaré. Ce retour incarne, selon le ministre, l'engagement du Bénin à reconnecter les générations actuelles à leur histoire et à faire du patrimoine un levier de développement, de mémoire et de rayonnement.

La ministre finlandaise des Sciences et de la Culture, Mari-Leena Talvitie, a exprimé sa satisfaction et sa fierté quant à la réussite de ce processus. « La Finlande promeut fortement les droits culturels et la protection du patrimoine. Le retour du Kataklè est une victoire pour la coopération internationale », a-t-elle indiqué. Elle a souligné que cette restitution s'inscrit pleinement dans les principes de l'UNESCO et démontre l'engagement de la Finlande à respecter et à restituer le patrimoine culturel des peuples d'Afrique.

Pour le ministre des Affaires étrangères du Bénin, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, ce retour est également un modèle de diplomatie culturelle. Il a précisé que cette restitution fait partie d'une démarche globale que le Bénin mène depuis plusieurs années pour renforcer sa diplomatie du patrimoine, fondée sur le respect mutuel et la coopération. « Par cette coopération avec la Finlande, le Bénin montre sa capacité à construire une diplomatie moderne, apaisée et tournée vers l'avenir », a-t-il ajouté.

Le chef de l'Etat, Patrice Talon s'est également réjoui de l'aboutissement du processus de restitution du Kataklè. Cela traduit la vitalité des relations de coopération entre la Finlande et le Bénin, a fait le président de la République lors d'une audience tenue à l'issue de la cérémonie de restitution.

Un trésor retrouvé, une mémoire ravivée

Le Kataklè, objet modeste en apparence mais d'une grande signification, retrouve ainsi sa place parmi les 26 autres œuvres déjà retournées au Bénin. Il sera exposé au Musée des Rois et des Amazones du Danxomè (MuRAD) à Abomey, où il prendra place aux côtés des autres trésors royaux, restitués grâce à un travail de coopération sans précédent.

Cet objet, fabriqué en bois massif, est un symbole fort de l'histoire du Bénin. Il représente bien plus qu'un simple siège royal. Il incarne l'élégance et la sobriété des rituels princiers de la cour d'Abomey. La restitution du Kataklè est un pas important dans la réappropriation du patrimoine par le Bénin et dans la reconnection des générations actuelles à leur histoire collective.
M. M.

The arrests come amid heightened awareness about Russian-linked saboteurs targeting logistics networks.

Un prêtre de l'Ordre d'Augustin au Kenya évoque ses souvenirs du pape « humble » avec lequel il s'est lié d'amitié.

Un prêtre de l'Ordre d'Augustin au Kenya évoque ses souvenirs du pape « humble » avec lequel il s'est lié d'amitié.

Le braquage d’un véhicule de transport de fonds a eu lieu à Wünnewil jeudi dernier. Un fourgon blanc pourrait être impliqué, selon la police.

Deux jeunes de 17 ans ont été arrêtés après des vols de voitures commis à Sion et à Ardon tôt dimanche matin.

Lezárult a Svájci Magyar Együttműködési Program második támogatási időszakának keretén belül meghirdetett MAPS (Multilateral Academic Partnerships in Science) pályázati szakasza és értékelése.

Dans le cadre du règlement européen sur la déforestation, l’UE prévoit d’inscrire seulement quatre pays sur sa liste noire des États à haut risque de déforestation, épargnant les grands exportateurs de matières premières comme le Brésil.

The post Déforestation : l’UE n’inscrira que quatre pays sur sa liste noire appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Die Präsidentin der EU-Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, wird sich am Mittwoch trotz heftiger Widerstände für eine Reform des EU-Haushaltes aussprechen. Das Reformvorhaben beinhaltet einen 200 Milliarden Euro schweren „Superfonds“ für Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.

More than one-third of Nigerian adults suffer from hypertension, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Excess salt intake contributes significantly to these conditions. Credit: Shutterstock

By Ifeanyi Nsofor
WASHINGTON DC, May 14 2025 (IPS)

In Nigeria, salt is deeply woven into the fabric of food and culture. It brings out flavor, preserves ingredients, and enhances tradition. But recently, salt has become the centerpiece of dangerous misinformation promoted by one of Nigeria’s most powerful spiritual leaders.

During a now-viral sermon, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder of the global megachurch Christ Embassy, declared that warnings about excess salt are part of a broader conspiracy to harm Africans. He said, “They told you salt is not good so you won’t take salt anymore and then you get sodium deficiency and need their sodium tablets and sodium medication. Wake up, Africa!”

Within days, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health issued a formal advisory contradicting his claims and reinforcing the risks of high salt intake. The ministry emphasized the well-known risks: high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. WHO recommends adults consume less than 5 grams of salt daily (about one teaspoon).

But what happens when millions believe the pulpit over public health policy?

 

A Pattern of Misinformation by Pastor Oyakhilome

Pastor Oyakhilome’s salt remarks are not an isolated incident. He has a troubling record of promoting health-related conspiracy theories that put his followers and the larger Christian community at risk.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he falsely claimed that 5G technology was responsible for the spread of the virus. Though he later walked it back, the damage was done, fueling confusion and mistrust.

He has also repeatedly mischaracterized COVID-19 vaccines, describing them as tools of genetic manipulation. In one broadcast, he suggested that they alter human DNA, a claim unequivocally refuted by scientists and fact-checkers.

In April 2025, Oyakhilome falsely claimed that Pope Francis had died due to the COVID-19 vaccine. The Vatican quickly debunked this falsehood and confirmed that the 88-year-old pontiff passed away due to complications from a stroke, which led to a coma and heart failure.

Such statements have drawn regulatory action. In 2021, the UK’s broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, fined Oyakhilome’s television channel £25,000 for airing COVID-19 conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated medical claims.

 

Why Salt Misinformation Matters

The impact of misinformation is compounded in countries like Nigeria, where religious leaders wield enormous influence. According to a 2022 Afrobarometer survey, 60% of Nigerians said they trust religious leaders ‘somewhat’ or ‘a lot’. This is far higher than the trust shown for political leaders or public institutions: the president (27%); members of the National Assembly (19%); and political parties (15%).

 

Misinformation from the pulpit has real consequences

More than one-third of Nigerian adults suffer from hypertension, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Excess salt intake contributes significantly to these conditions, as documented across multiple global health studies.

When salt enters the body in excess, its effects ripple silently across vital organs, often without early warning signs.

It starts with the heart, which must work harder to pump the increased volume of blood retained by the sodium. Over time, this sustained pressure can lead to hypertension and eventually heart failure, with the slow thickening of the heart’s walls and the quiet exhaustion of a vital muscle.

The kidneys, too, struggle under the weight of too much salt. These delicate filters are tasked with removing excess sodium, but when overwhelmed, they begin to break down. This can lead to chronic kidney disease, protein leaking into the urine, and the painful formation of kidney stones. Furthermore, reduced kidney function results in less excess water being removed, which increases blood pressure levels.

The brain is especially vulnerable. Prolonged high blood pressure caused by excess salt can rupture or block these vessels, leading to strokes. Even when no stroke occurs, the reduced blood flow can gradually impair memory and cognitive function.

Meanwhile, the arteries harden. Once elastic and responsive, they lose their ability to expand and contract. The result is a narrowed highway for blood, increasing the risk of heart attacks and peripheral artery disease.

High salt levels irritate the lining of the stomach and may contribute to the growth of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium strongly linked to gastric cancer. What begins as seasoning at the table may, over years, become fuel for malignancy.

These are not speculative concerns. They are well-established scientific facts. When a high-profile pastor tells millions to increase their salt consumption, it risks undoing years of public health education and investment.

 

The Role of Faith Leaders in Health Communication

As a public health physician, I understand the importance of cultural context and trusted messengers. Faith leaders can, and often do play powerful roles in promoting healthy behaviors. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Enoch Adeboye (General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God) encouraged christians to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. He said, “It is foolish to keep having faith that God will protect you from an infection when He has made provision for vaccines that can provide a high percentage of protection. I have taken the jab. I prayed about it and got a clear direction from God to go and receive it.”

But when spiritual authority is used to promote pseudoscience, it becomes a dangerous betrayal of trust. We must challenge misinformation, especially when it comes from influential voices. Public health officials must collaborate with faith communities to train leaders on evidence-based health communication. And regulatory agencies must be empowered to hold repeat offenders accountable.

 

Conclusion: Let Salt Season Food, Not Falsehood

Salt should enhance flavor. Not endanger lives. It is not a cure, and it certainly is not a conspiracy. Leaders with influence, especially in matters of faith, have a duty to uphold truth, not distort it.

As Nigeria and other countries navigate the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), we cannot afford sermons that sacrifice science for spectacle. NCDs cause about 29% of all deaths in Nigeria — over 684,000 annually.

Let’s preach health. Let’s defend the truth. Let’s keep misinformation out of our kitchens, and out of our pulpits.

 

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Nsofor, a public-health physician, global health equity advocate and behavioral-science researcher, serves on the Global Fellows Advisory Board at the Atlantic Institute, Oxford, United Kingdom. You can follow him @Ifeanyi Nsofor, MD on LinkedIn