A Professor of Psychiatry at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Taiwo Sheikh, has called for a shift in how society addresses suicide and its prevention. Sheikh, who also coordinates the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group, made the call in an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Lagos. He stressed the importance of treating individuals who attempt suicide with compassion and urged changing the narrative around criminalising such acts to encourage more people to seek help. The psychiatrist criticised provisions in the Criminal Code and Penal Code that classify attempted suicide as an offence punishable by up to one year in prison.…
Author: Newsdesk
Nigeria is strengthening its public health system through strategic global partnerships, with a strong focus on learning from China’s pandemic response models. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a high-level public health symposium themed “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria.” Pate underscored the need to build a resilient health system capable of preventing outbreaks, epidemics, and future pandemics. “At the core of resilience is a strong public health system,” he said. Reflecting on Nigeria’s experience with Ebola, COVID-19, and other outbreaks, Pate said the…
Health experts have stressed that trust, community engagement, and effective communication are critical to controlling infectious disease outbreaks. They made this known at a one-day high-level public health symposium themed “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria,” held on Monday in Abuja. The event brought together public health professionals, scientists, and key stakeholders to review lessons from both countries’ responses to past health emergencies. Dr Liukui Wang of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said pandemic response is not only a technical challenge but fundamentally a social one. “Even the most effective interventions only…
The Federal Government’s N501.02 billion bond issuance marks a significant step in efforts to address longstanding liquidity challenges in Nigeria’s power sector. Mr Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Tunji said the bond is central to restoring confidence in the electricity market and repositioning the sector for long-term sustainability. He described the issuance—executed through the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET)—as part of the N4 trillion Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme approved by President Bola Tinubu. According to him,…
The Federal Government says it is taking deliberate steps to reduce reliance on external health funding, boost domestic investment, and build equitable global partnerships. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, stated this on Monday in Abuja during a high-level health security dialogue with the People’s Republic of China on pandemic preparedness and response. Reflecting on decades of global assistance, Pate acknowledged that international support had delivered significant gains but noted that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in health systems and the risks of over-dependence. “You cannot outsource the delivery of your health system or the…
NewSpace Systems has officially opened a new 5,200 m² manufacturing facility in Somerset West, South Africa, now the largest commercial space component and subsystem manufacturing site on the African continent The expansion significantly increases the region’s capacity to support the global satellite supply chain. The purpose built facility is designed to meet the high volume production requirements of modern satellite constellations. NSS, Africa’s largest exporter of space utilised hardware, supports the majority of commercial spacecraft manufacturers globally. The development marks an important step in the company’s transition from a specialised component provider to a high cadence industrial manufacturer. Since construction…
BUA Foods Plc has posted revenue of N1.77 trillion for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, up 16 per cent from N1.53 trillion in 2024. The company disclosed this in its audited financial results released on Monday in Lagos. The Board proposed a dividend of N28 per share, indicating a 115 per cent increase compared to the N13 per share paid in the corresponding period of 2024. The proposed dividend amounts to a total payout of N504 billion, subject to shareholders’ approval at its 2026 Annual General Meeting. The firm’s profit after tax rose by 95 per cent to N518.4…
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has sought the support of the World Bank to help Nigeria bridge a $22 billion gas infrastructure gap. This was made known in a statement shared by the NMDPRA on X on Monday. The agency’s Chief Executive, Saidu A. Mohammed, made the call while delivering remarks at the Decade of Gas Ministerial Roundtable on Regional Gas Development, organised in partnership with the World Bank. According to the statement, Mohammed emphasised the importance of regional collaboration in advancing gas development across Africa. “Mohammed reaffirmed that the NMDPRA would continue to provide regulatory support to enable gas infrastructure investments, particularly…
No fewer than 9.2 million Nigerians have benefited from the Federal Government’s Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer Programme, with approximately N688bn disbursed within two years. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed this on Monday at the HOPE-CT implementation update and press conference in Abuja. The cash transfer scheme, anchored on the National Social Register, is one of the Federal Government’s key social protection interventions aimed at cushioning the effects of recent economic reforms on vulnerable households. The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission, the National Social Safety…
Armed assailants killed 73 people at a gold mine in South Sudan, government officials said on Monday, in violence linked to a dispute over gold extraction. The attacks occurred on Saturday near Jebel Iraq in Central Equatoria state in the south of the country, Vice President James Wani Igga said. At least 25 others were injured and some fled the scene. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as the search for missing people continues. It remained unclear which group was responsible for the attack. The vice president said an official investigation would be launched and security measures at…