The Edo State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has vowed to continue its ongoing strike until its abducted colleague is safely released. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Dr Eustace Oseghale, and Secretary, Dr Iluobe Inegbenosun, on Wednesday in Benin City, the association said the decision was prompted by the deteriorating security situation in the state. The NMA expressed deep concern over the continued captivity of Dr Abu Babatunde, a medical doctor kidnapped in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area, on January 1. The association said medical services would remain suspended until there was a concrete…
Author: Newsdesk
The Gombe State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a safe and adequate supply of blood to support lifesaving care during emergencies and routine medical services. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, made this known at a stakeholders’ engagement on a blood donation campaign on Wednesday in Gombe. He said the campaign, scheduled for next week, marks the first coordinated effort to bring together government agencies, health institutions, civil society organisations, security agencies, faith-based organisations, and community leaders to collectively address the state’s blood shortage. According to Dahiru, the new strategy focuses on ensuring blood is readily available…
Mr Lawal Dauda, a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, has called for proactive measures to regulate the operations of private health training institutions in the state. Dauda, who is also Chairman of the House Committee on Health, made the call in a motion raised at the plenary on Wednesday. He described the proliferation of unauthorised health training institutions in the state as alarming, noting that many operate without the mandatory accreditation and approvals from relevant regulatory bodies. “No approval has been obtained from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of…
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and nine other federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are projected to spend about N24 billion on software-related projects in 2026, according to details in the Federal Government’s 2026 Appropriation Bill. Although 115 MDAs received allocations for software acquisition, 10 agencies account for the largest share, spanning identity management, education, mining, cybersecurity, health, finance and immigration. NIMC tops the list with a proposed N7.58 billion, making it the single largest spender on software among MDAs. It is closely followed by the Federal Ministry of Education (Headquarters) with N7.55 billion, reflecting ongoing digitisation efforts in…
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has announced that a total of 1,185 films were approved and classified between January and December 2025, reflecting sustained growth and robust activity within Nigeria’s film industry. The figure represents an increase from the 1,088 films classified in 2024, indicating continued confidence among filmmakers and distributors in Nigeria’s regulatory framework and a steady flow of content into the market. According to the NFVCB’s annual classification report, the films approved during the year covered a wide range of genres and languages. The report noted that both locally produced films and foreign-language titles were…
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the total inmate population rose from 69,946 in 2017 to 81,710 in Q2 2025. The NBS said this in its Nigerian Correctional Service Statistics for 2017 to Q2 2025 released on Wednesday in Abuja. It said that the Q2 2025 figure of 81,710 represented a 16.82 per cent increase from the 69,946 recorded in 2017. The bureau said that the report presented data from the Nigerian Correctional Service covering 2017 to Q2 2025, which included the prison inmate population, correctional centres capacity, unsentenced inmates, and admissions. The report said that in Q2 2025,…
A platform for borderless living, Multipolitan has released a digital state project report examining how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and the metaverse are reshaping governance, statehood and citizenship. The report was unveiled during a webinar held on Wednesday in Lagos, where the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Multipolitan, Mr. Nirbhay Handa, said digital tools are fundamentally changing how governments interact with citizens and residents. Handa noted that the report projects a future in which people increasingly “log into” countries through digital identity platforms, rather than relying solely on physical borders. “Digital identity systems now determine access…
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement of the sale of application forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session. The announcement was made in a photostatement signed by the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and shared on the Board’s official X handle on Tuesday night. According to JAMB, applications are open to suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. The Board stated that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to be eligible for admission consideration. However, underage…
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Ilyasu Gital, has lamented the worsening conditions faced by farmers in the state due to rising costs of farm inputs and falling market prices for agricultural produce. Speaking in Bauchi on Wednesday, Gital described the situation as “uncommon, unusual and very pathetic.” He attributed the challenges confronting farmers to the soaring prices of farm inputs and the drastic decline in the market value of agricultural produce, noting that the combination has made farming largely unprofitable. According to the commissioner, many farmers can no longer afford essential inputs such as fertiliser, pesticides and improved…
A Professor of Enzymology and Biophysical Chemistry at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ayodele Kolawole, has canvassed local production of insulin and antivenoms in Nigeria, saying the country has the capacity to produce them in commercial quantities with the right investment and enabling environment. Kolawole stated this while delivering the 190th Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The professor, who titled his lecture “Exquisiteness of Enzymes: Its Economic Role in an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem,” said Nigeria has the potential to produce its own insulin for diabetic patients as well as antivenoms for snake and scorpion…