The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has reported the death of a 103-year-old woman following a fire outbreak at 8 Bola Street in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State. The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident in a statement to newsmen on Friday. He said the agency received distress calls at 11:43 a.m. through the 767/112 emergency lines, prompting an immediate response from its Onipanu base. According to Oke-Osanyintolu, responders arrived at the scene around 12:13 p.m. and found a residential bungalow with two attached shops fully engulfed in flames. He explained that the fire…
Author: Newsdesk
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Muhammed Pate, has emphasized the need to expand access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians. Pate made the remarks on Friday during the inauguration of the prototype building of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in Owerri. “The health insurance programme will significantly improve the quality of life for Nigerians, enabling them to lead healthier and more productive lives,” he said. He commended the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, for driving efforts to improve access to quality healthcare in the state, while urging other state governments to replicate similar initiatives. Pate…
The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Kogi State, has called for stakeholders’ support to improve nutrition outcomes in the state. The call was made by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Timothy Ojomah, during a Nutrition Policy Dialogue on Friday in Lokoja. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Moses Joseph, the commissioner commended VCDP’s impact on farmers’ lives in Kogi. He noted that the event aimed to showcase IFAD-VCDP’s five-year achievements in promoting nutrition along the cassava and rice value chains. Ojomah highlighted…
The Taraba State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), has graduated youth fabricators in the state. Mr Irmiya Musa, VCDP State Programme Coordinator (SPC), said on Friday in Jalingo that the training was a critical component of the programme. He urged participants to apply and enhance their skills to support the agricultural mechanization drive of both the state and federal governments. Mrs Altine James, Rural Institutions, Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Officer (RIGYMO) of VCDP in Taraba, said the programme specifically targets women and youths in its…
A Benin-based non-governmental organization, Connected Advocacy, has engaged the National Centre for Energy and Environment (NCEE) to explore collaboration on strengthening local engagement, research, and public advocacy around Nigeria’s energy transition agenda. Mr Israel Orekha, Executive Director of Connected Advocacy, made this known during a visit to the centre in Benin on Friday. Orekha said the organization was keen on bridging the gap between Nigeria’s national energy transition plan and its implementation at local and institutional levels. He explained that the advocacy visit was part of the implementation of a project titled “Taxation as a Phase-Out Strategy from Africa’s Fossil…
Mr Williams Wakili, a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator under a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) project, has encouraged tailors to recycle textile waste generated in their shops to create wealth and promote a cleaner environment. Wakili made the call on Friday during a WASH clean-up day campaign organized for the Tailors’ Association in Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He urged tailors to make productive use of fabric waste from sewing activities by recycling the materials into income-generating products, while also maintaining a clean and healthy environment. “What we are trying to do is to encourage tailors…
Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to comprehensive health reforms, stronger systems and sustainable partnerships to improve access, quality and equity in healthcare delivery. Bago made this known at the opening of a two-day external retreat of the Niger State Ministry of Health on Friday in Kaduna. The retreat was supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The governor, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mr Abubakar Idris, said the state government remained committed to implementing its health sector agenda through stronger coordination, sustainability and system strengthening. He announced the merger of…
A Nigerian scientist, Prof. Iruka Okeke of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, has called for urgent reforms of Africa’s research supply chains to strengthen health research and development across the continent. Okeke made the call on Friday during a webinar, following a commentary published in Nature Health by African scientific leaders, amid growing disruptions in global health funding that threaten healthcare access and research advancement in Africa. According to her, persistent procurement and logistics bottlenecks continue to undermine health research and development (R&D) in many African countries. She said procurement and logistical processes across the continent were often…
The Cowpea and Beans Farmers Association of Nigeria has warned that low yields in the current harvest season may lead to an increase in the price of beans and cowpeas in the coming months. The President of the association, Mr Kabir Shuaibu, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Friday in Lagos. Shuaibu said that the prices of beans and cowpeas were currently at their lowest levels due to the peak of the harvest season. However, he noted that prices might rise slightly in the next few months because yields from the current harvest were lower compared with previous…
The Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have assured parents and caregivers of the safety and effectiveness of the Measles–Rubella (MR) vaccine. The assurance was given on Friday during a media engagement organized by the Anambra State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with ASPHCDA and development partners, ahead of the introduction of the Measles–Rubella vaccination in the state. The Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA, Mrs Chisom Uchem, said the vaccination exercise would run from Feb. 5 to Feb. 15, targeting children aged nine months to 14 years. Uchem explained that the engagement…