The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) is working to establish a robust biotechnology reference laboratory by 2026, according to its Director-General, Mr. Bello Bawa Bwari. Bwari disclosed this during the opening ceremony of a regulatory study tour by the Senegal National Biosafety Authority on Tuesday in Abuja. “We are planning, hopefully by the end of 2026, to have the most robust biotechnology reference laboratory, comparable to what exists in Europe,” he said. He added that NBMA’s 2026 focus includes enhancing Nigeria’s national bio-intelligence system to ensure that no biosafety threat goes unnoticed or unchecked. “We are also pushing towards establishing…
Author: Newsdesk
Plateau State government, in collaboration with various organisations, on Tuesday launched a campaign to sensitise citizens against gender-based violence as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The event, which kicked off with a procession from Old Airport Roundabout to Secretariat Junction in Jos, featured dignitaries, including the wife of the state governor, Helene Mutfwang, who officially flagged off the programme at the Rayfield Government House. Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Caroline Dafur, emphasised the need for collective action to protect women and girls from violence, noting that gender-based violence is a threat to national…
In a bold move to enhance cancer care and prevention across Nigeria, FundACause, a digital fundraising platform in Nigeria, has partnered with the Nigeria Cancer Society (NCS) to launch the ‘Shield for Cancer’ fundraising campaign aimed at raising ₦100 million for the deployment of mobile cancer screening vans across all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The campaign, which officially launched at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, on October 30, 2025, seeks to improve early cancer detection and treatment by extending screening services to rural and underserved communities, where access to diagnostic care remains limited and advanced cancer cases are most…
The Federal Government, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is set to launch a coordinated national effort to tackle the growing threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV). Minister of Women Affairs, Sulaiman-Ibrahim, announced the initiative on Monday at a press briefing and orange-lighting ceremony in Abuja to mark the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against GBV. She warned that online abuses — including sextortion, digital romance scams, cyberstalking, and threats to share intimate content — were inflicting severe emotional harm and, in some cases, leading to fatalities. Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the ministry would work closely with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and…
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has called for full enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 to curb cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). The Director-General of the agency, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, made the call on Monday in Abuja, at a news conference to launch the agency’s campaign for the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. She said that the lack of nationwide enforcement of the VAPP Act had contributed to the rising cases of SGBV, stressing the need to change the narrative and stem the tide. Adamu-Bello…
The Kwara Government on Monday in Ilorin, flagged-off its deworming programme for 810,267 school-aged children across 12 Local Government Areas of the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that school children would be administered Mebendazole tablets for the control of Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH). In her opening remark, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, described the programme as a vital public health intervention. El-Imam who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Taoheed Abdullahi stated that the STH is one of the most widespread and persistent Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). According to her, the…
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has said that the current funding levels for the health sector remain far below the commitments the National Assembly has made at continental and global levels. He made the remarks at a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) held in Abuja on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hearing was on five bills, including the Sickle Cell Disorder Research and Therapy Centres (Establishment), sponsored by Sen. Sunday Katung (Kaduna South). The National Health Act (amendment) Bill sponsored by Sen. Ipalibo Banigo (Rivers West),…
Kashifu Abdullahi, Director‑General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for efforts to transform the torrent of online misinformation into a “digital shield” for Nigeria. Abdullahi made the call in a keynote address on Monday at a national symposium on digital innovation in crisis communication, themed “Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Transform Crisis Communication”, hosted by the National Defence College and organized by the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) in Abuja. The director-general noted that the speed of crises has shifted dramatically from the era of physical messengers to the digital age. “Twenty‑five years ago, a crisis moved at…
QNET, a global direct selling company, says it has developed technologies designed to structure liquids and enhance human wellness through improved hydration, reduced microbial load, and strengthened environmental protection. Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is the process by which a fluid, such as water, and a solid structure influence each other. The interaction typically involves a two-way exchange, with the fluid’s motion capable of causing the structure to deform or move. Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, QNET’s Research Scientist, explained this during the organizations exhibition of technology products promoting human health in Abuja. Adebayo, also a former Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Ogun State, said…
Nigeria is expanding its capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease threats by leveraging existing laboratory platforms, adopting multiplex testing, and enhancing genomic sequencing capabilities, Prof. Alash’le Abimiku has stated. Abimiku, Executive Director of the International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN), spoke on Monday in Abuja during the close-out meeting of the five-year SECURE-Nigeria project. The SECURE-Nigeria project was implemented to address priority gaps identified in Nigeria’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and strengthen national capacity to meet the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control…