No fewer than 342,919 children under two years old in Benue State are stunted, representing 25 per cent of the 1,371,676 children in that age bracket. The Benue State Nutrition Officer, Dr Faustina Shar, also revealed that 699,554 children, representing 51 per cent, are anaemic. Shar disclosed these figures on Wednesday during a two-day Joint Inception and Planning Meeting on preventing malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. The meeting, held in Awka, was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Enugu and Benue State Governments, with funding from the United States. Shar described the growing burden of malnutrition…
Author: Newsdesk
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra on Wednesday sensitised motorists and pedestrians on safe road usage while conducting free drunk-driving tests at motor parks in Awka. The exercise, which took place around Regina Caeli Junction in Awka, aimed to promote safe highway use and reduce road traffic crashes. The Sector Commander, Mrs Bridget Asekhauno, told newsmen that the campaign was part of the corps’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to reduce road traffic crashes by 10 per cent. “Our mission is to fulfil part of our strategic goal of reducing road traffic accidents by 10 per cent. We are…
Lasaco Assurance Plc recorded an 81.5 per cent growth in profit to N2.36 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. This represents a significant increase from N1.30 billion reported in the same period of 2025. The company disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, as contained in its unaudited first-quarter results. According to the company, the strong performance reinforces its position as one of the most resilient players in Nigeria’s insurance sector. It said the significant increase was driven by improved operational efficiency, stronger underwriting performance, and disciplined execution of its growth strategy. A major highlight was the insurance…
Lagos State faces a severe shortage of doctors and nurses that could take centuries to resolve without urgent intervention, Health Commissioner Prof. Akin Abayomi has warned. Abayomi spoke on Wednesday during the Lagos State Primary Health Care Financing Retreat on Advancing Sustainable Health Systems in Lagos: A 10-Year PHC Financing Plan. He identified workforce shortages as the greatest crisis confronting the health sector and urged local government chairmen to support ongoing reforms. “We have problems in health. The main crisis is the workforce. We have a serious shortage of doctors and nurses,” Abayomi said. According to him, Lagos, with nearly…
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) says its ongoing nationwide data verification exercise is aimed at ensuring accurate and reliable data for revenue sharing among states and local government areas. Prof. Adekunle Wright, RMAFC Commissioner, who led the delegation to Kebbi State, stated this at the inauguration of the exercise in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday. Wright described the exercise as a critical national assignment that would strengthen the integrity of indices used for revenue distribution across the federation. He said it aligns with the commission’s constitutional mandate under Paragraph 32(b) of Part I of the Third Schedule to…
The Lagos State Government has unveiled a comprehensive 10-year Primary Healthcare (PHC) Financing Plan (2026–2036) aimed at expanding functional health centres and achieving universal health insurance coverage. Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, introduced the plan during a two-day retreat in Lekki focused on developing a sustainable and accountable funding model for the state’s growing population. The retreat themed “Advancing Sustainable Health Systems in Lagos: A 10-Year PHC Financing Plan” aligns with the Lagos State Development Plan 2052 (LSDP 2052), a 30-year roadmap to overhaul the health system, strengthen primary care, and reverse poor maternal and child health…
Members of the Ekiti State Executive Council on Wednesday donated N100 million to support the re-election bid of Governor Biodun Oyebanji ahead of the June 20 governorship election. This was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, in Ado-Ekiti. Oyebode said the donation was announced during a meeting at the State Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti. He noted that the council members described the donation as “a token” of their love, loyalty, and commitment to the governor’s second-term bid. Presenting the cheque on behalf of the members, the Secretary to the…
The management of MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has charged its staff and customers to remain committed to electricity safety, stressing that “electricity does not forgive mistakes.” The Managing Director of MEDL, Dr. Ernest Mupwaya, gave the charge while declaring open the company’s Safety Week on Wednesday in Enugu. Mupwaya urged everyone to remain disciplined and build a strong safety culture. “Let us build a culture where safety is lived every day and every life is protected,” he said. He called on staff and customers to work safely, look out for one another, and speak up when things go wrong.…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Africa is training more health workers than ever before, yet millions of people still lack access to healthcare. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of trained professionals remain unemployed or are migrating out of the continent. In a report launched on Wednesday titled ‘The State of the Health Workforce in Africa 2026: Plan. Train. Retain’, WHO called for a deliberate shift linking education, employment, retention, quality, productivity, and investment to resolve the paradox of growing personnel numbers alongside unmet health needs. The report was launched at the Second Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum…
The Federal Government will close one full carriageway of the Eko Bridge in Lagos State for urgent repairs. The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, made this known on Wednesday in Lagos during the site handover of the Carter Bridge to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). “By midnight on Sunday, that full carriageway must be closed while the other carriageway remains open. “I am directing the Director of Bridges and the Controller of Works in Lagos to liaise with the Lagos State Government, mount a public awareness campaign, and identify alternative routes,” Umahi said. “We will not allow people…