Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says restructuring has become inevitable for the nation to prevail over its challenges. Soyinka spoke at the Punch Nigeria Ltd 50th Anniversary Lecture titled “Recovering the Narrative at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Delivering a lecture on the theme, Soyinka said that Nigerians did not have to go through unending hardship to live better. He said that restructuring remained the panacea to sustainable development of the nation. Soyinka said those leading the country recognized the importance of restructuring and its inevitability but were not adopting it, for whatever reason. He said: “It is about time that leaders of this…
Author: Editor
Nigeria and The Netherlands have signed an agreement on addressing blood shortages leading to unnecessary suffering and death. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, while signing the agreement in Abuja, said the partnership aligned with the National Health Plan to increase blood supply. Pate, represented by Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator, Presidential Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain Initiative, added that the agreement would also unlock the health sector value chain and encourage private sector participation. “The partnership to initiate an autologous blood service resonates with the vision of President Bola Tinubu to establish a coordinated blood…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says adopting a One Health approach that recognises the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals. The Director-General, WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said this at the second quadripartite executive annual meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday. Ghebreyesus says, “Our shared environment offers promising solutions for addressing unprecedented challenges”. According to him, we need sustained political will to ensure One Health principles are embedded in national and international policies. “Implementation in countries; resource mobilisation; science and evidence; and political will. “These are the four priorities that we must pursue together in the…
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), has issued a stern warning to Nigerian women and youths, urging them to refrain from consuming illicit drugs and alcohol. Marwa made the call during a sensitisation and advocacy programme for women and youths in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday. The NDLEA boss said that the involvement of women and youths in drug abuse had taken a frightening dimension in Nigeria. He added that drug users now included young people, females and those living in rural areas. Marwa was ably represented by the…
The Bulgarian Parliament is seeking the partnership of Uniccon Group, a Nigerian Company to collaborate on seamless ties and foster Artificial Intelligence (AI) between both countries. The Chairman, Uniccon Group of Companies, Dr Chuks Ekwueme, made this known when the Bulgarian Parliament paid a courtesy visit to its facility on Thursday in Abuja. Ekwueme reaffirmed the organisation’s dedication to bridging the technological gap through indigenous innovative solutions. He said that the visit and collaboration with the Bulgarian delegation was just the beginning of Uniccon’s efforts to elevate Africa’s technological prominence. “This innovative solution will further strengthen the ties between Uniccon…
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has warned patients against seeking medical treatment outside health facilities, saying it could worsen morbidity of patients. Chairman, NMA Lagos, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, gave the warning in an interview on Thursday in Lagos. Olowojebutu expressed concerns over reports of patients seeking medical treatment from chemists and “quack nurses” to save costs. He acknowledged that the economic situation of the country had led to increased costs of medicines and hardship for citizens, causing many to adopt cost-cutting measures. Olowojebutu stressed that health safety shouldn’t be jeopardised over economic concerns, noting that such practices had led to…
The House of Representatives has urged the Ministry of Education to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to develop mandatory drug tests for secondary school students in Nigeria. This followed the adoption of a motion “On the need to Introduce Mandatory Drug Tests for Secondary School Students in Nigeria, by Rep. Moshood Oshun (APC-Lagos) at a plenary in Abuja on Thursday Presenting the motion, Oshun, said the adolescent age remained a critical period in human development. He said individuals at this age were usually influenced by factors such as experimental curiosity, peer pressure, poor socio-economic conditions at home, and the…
In a bid to boost agricultural productivity amidst changing climatic conditions, experts have strongly advocated for the widespread adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) among farmers. During an interview held on Thursday in Lagos, an agriculture consultant, Mr Akin Alabi, said farmers need to be proactive in order to mitigate the effects of climate change on crop cultivation. “Climate-smart agriculture simply means applying smart practices to mitigate the effects of climate change on the agriculture process. “Due to the changing weather patterns due to climate change effects, we encourage all local farmers to invest in automatic irrigation systems. ALSO READ:…
The Registrar of Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr Yakubu Baba, has cautioned Nigerians against consumption of bush meat so as not to contract Lassa Fever.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Adamawa recorded 21 cases of rights violations between January and February, with parental neglect high due to hardship. The NHRC Adamawa Coordinator, Grace Mamza, disclosed this during an interview in Yola on Thursday. She said that during the period under review, the commission recorded 11 cases of parental neglect, among other violations. She listed other violations to include physical assault, right to dignity, threat to life, and child trafficking. Mamza urged security agencies to respect human rights while discharging their duties for peaceful coexistence in the state and the country. She emphasised that…