Amid an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in West Africa, the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India (SII) have entered into a $3.5 million agreement, supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), to establish the world’s largest reserve of Oxford’s investigation Rift Valley fever vaccine. The development was announced in a statement released on Tuesday, against the backdrop of a deadly outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in Senegal and Mauritania. Under the agreement, SII will manufacture up to 100,000 doses of the University of Oxford’s investigational vaccine candidate, ChAdOx1 RVF. An initial batch of…
Author: Newsdesk
Mrs Pauline Okoli, a registered midwife and nurse in charge of Manaria Osonwa Primary Health Centre (PHC), has urged residents of Obunagu-Amaikwo in Awka to make effective use of the health facility to promote healthy living. Okoli made the call in an interview with reporters on Tuesday at Obunagu-Amaikwo in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. She said the health centre was built by an indigene of the community, Mr Onuora Osonwa, in memory of his late mother, Esther Osonwa, and was handed over to the Anambra State Government on April 29, 2025. According to her, medical services…
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it will disburse N6.452 billion to tertiary institutions in its 2026 intervention cycle. The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ workshop with heads of beneficiary institutions on the 2026 disbursement guidelines. Echono explained that with the planned 2026 intervention cycle, while each university would receive N2.525 billion; polytechnic, N1.871 billion, each college of education would get N2.056 billion respectively. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that allocation letters for the intervention were also distributed to beneficiary institutions. Echono said the total direct disbursement accounted for…
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday told world leaders that Nigeria is mobilising climate finance through a newly activated carbon market framework expected to unlock between $2.5bn and $3bn annually over the next decade. Speaking at the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, themed ‘The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,’ Tinubu said the country has taken “vigorous regulatory steps” to strengthen its climate governance. This includes the adoption of the National Carbon Market Activation Policy and the launch of the National Carbon Registry to improve emissions reporting and verification. “Nigeria feels at the heart of development opportunity. “In this spirit,…
American multinational technology company, Meta, which owns and operates major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed more than half a million social media accounts belonging to underage children in compliance with Australia’s new social media law that restricts users under 16 from operating some social media apps. The law came into effect on December 10, 2025, and requires big tech platforms, including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, to restrict accounts for those under 16. Meta said that between December 4 and 11, it deactivated 544,052 accounts that were believed to be held by users aged under 16.…
Adamawa Government has reaffirmed commitment to supporting national health sector reforms toward providing an enabling environment for young professionals to contribute meaningfully to evidence-based decision-making and sustainable health outcomes. Zirra Bubanani, Permanent Secretary, Adamawa Ministry of Health and Human Services, stated this at the three-day Physical Interview for National Health Fellowship Program Cohort 2.0 in Yola on Tuesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme is in collaboration with the National SWAp Coordination Office, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW), and development partners. Bubanani said that the National Health Fellowship Programme aligned with the…
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says it has disbursed N161.97 billion to 864,798 students nationwide since the inauguration of its student loan portal. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NELFUND student loan portal was inaugurated as part of efforts to expand access to tertiary education. The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, while briefing journalists on the progress, impact and challenges of the scheme. Sawyerr who described NELFUND as a product of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, said it was established to ensure that no Nigerian…
At least nine newborns have died since New Year in a maternity ward in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk, according to official figures reported by state news agency, TASS. The health authority of the Kemerovo region was quoted by TASS on Tuesday as recording nine dead infants. In Moscow, the Health Committee of the Duma lower house and the chairperson of the Federation Council or upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, have demanded clarifications. The State Investigative Committee for the region has opened a case into alleged negligence by medical staff. News agency Ria Novosti reported that Maternity Ward Number…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed concern over the high rate of drug abuse among youths in the country. The agency said drug abuse among young people had become a source of serious concern in Nigeria. The Deputy Commander of NDLEA in Osun, Mrs Oluwatoyin Adegoke, stated this on Tuesday while delivering a lecture at a two-day orientation for new students at the Federal University of Health Sciences (FUHSI), Ila-Orangun, Osun. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture was themed “Healthy Living on Campus: Avoiding Drug Abuse and Its Long-Term Consequences”. Adegoke said many…
Healthcare experts and clinicians have renewed calls for far-reaching reforms in Nigeria’s health sector following the death of Nkanu Nnamdi, son of author Chimamanda Adichie, at a hospital in Lagos. The incident has reignited a national debate on patient safety, accountability and the absence of effective oversight in healthcare delivery across the country. The experts, who spoke with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, said the tragedy underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to prevent avoidable deaths and restore public confidence in the health system. They noted that the growing convergence of views among healthcare professionals, legal experts and policy…