The Federal Government will officially launch a nationwide integrated campaign aimed at scaling up protection against vaccine-preventable and neglected tropical diseases. The campaign will raise awareness on measles, rubella, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and polio, while also strengthening routine immunization and tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, the event—hosted by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate—is being organised by the Federal Ministry of Health…
Author: Newsdesk
Twenty students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, have received N300,000 each under the OPay National Scholarship Initiative for undergraduates in Nigeria. The disbursement, amounting to N6 million for AAU, was facilitated by the Edo State Government through the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). OPay Digital Services, in a statement on Thursday, said the nationwide initiative, valued at N1.2 billion, was launched in early 2025 to support indigent students across 20 universities and promote access to quality education in line with SDG 4. The programme will run for 10 years. Speaking on…
The Kaduna State Government has launched a comprehensive emergency medical service, including Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (KADSEMSAS), to improve healthcare delivery and save lives in critical situations. Governor Uba Sani, who inaugurated the initiative on Thursday in Kaduna, said the programme would provide timely care during childbirth, accidents, surgeries, and other emergencies. The system comprises the Kaduna State Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (KADSEMSAS) and the Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport (RESMAT). It features ambulance stations across the state, a 24-hour call and dispatch centre, and medical teams on standby. Sani said the initiative would cover…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed substandard, falsified, and expired products worth over N15 billion at the Moniya dumpsite in Ibadan, Oyo State. Speaking during the destruction exercise on Wednesday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye—represented by Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement—said the move was aimed at preventing dangerous products from re-entering the Nigerian market. The destroyed items included counterfeit, expired, controlled, unregistered, and banned medicines such as Analgin, Co-codamol, codeine-based syrups, Tramadol, Oxytocin, and expired vaccines. Adeyeye said these posed serious risks to public health if circulated. She revealed that…
A coalition of 52 civil society organizations (CSOs) has called for an immediate investigation into the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over alleged asset concealment, illicit enrichment, and violations of asset declaration laws. In a joint statement on Thursday, the groups urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), National Judicial Council (NJC), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to launch coordinated inquiries without political bias. They stressed that no public official should be above the law, warning that selective enforcement undermines public trust in…
Nigeria’s health system is functioning at only 45 per cent capacity, well below the African regional average of 56 per cent, according to a new report by the African Health Observatory Platform on Health Systems and Policies (AHOP). The findings were released in the maiden edition of the Country Health System and Services Profile (CHSSP) for Nigeria, published by the Health Policy Research Group, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with support from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the World Health Organization–African Region (WHO-AFRO). The report, signed by Prof. Obinna Onwujekwe, Director of Nigeria’s National Centre for AHOP,…
In Sokoto State, where insecurity and extremism have affected many lives, a new wave of hope is emerging—led by youth and women empowered to build peace from within their communities. The North East Youth Initiative for Development (NEYIF), working with the Al-Yateem Charity Initiative (AYCI) and supported by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), is helping communities resist violent extremism through education, dialogue, and economic empowerment. At a recent press briefing, NEYIF’s Executive Director, Comrade Mohammed Dauda Gombe, shared stories of transformation. “Peacebuilding must be people-centered,” he said. “By equipping youth, women, and community leaders, we’re laying the…
The Lagos State Government has defended the demolition of buildings at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, insisting that the exercise was technical and not targeted at any ethnic group. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, dismissed claims of ethnic victimization during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday. “That is not true,” he said. “We have been to Owode Onirin, Idumota, and Ikeja. It has no ethnic coloration. The fact is that we just have to do our work. There is nothing ethnic here; it is purely technical.” Oluyinka explained that similar enforcement…
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has unveiled a National Farmers’ Data Bank, Helpline, and Digital Identity Card aimed at uniting farmers and addressing decades of neglect in the agricultural sector. Speaking at the launch in Abuja, AFAN’s National President, Dr. Faruk Rabiu Mudi, said the initiatives are designed to give farmers a single, powerful voice and protect them from exploitation. He lamented that despite constituting nearly 70 percent of Nigeria’s population, these category of people have remained marginalized and voiceless. According to him, the Farmers’ Helpline, officially announced as 0800-000-AFAN, which translates to 0800-000-2326, will serve as a…
The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out two separate suits filed by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, seeking to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) from probing him. Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the cases after sighting a notice of discontinuance in the court record and with no legal representation for any of the parties at Tuesday’s resumed hearing. Saraki had filed the suits in 2019 to challenge EFCC’s decision to investigate his earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he served as governor of Kwara State. At the time,…