Author: Helen Okechukwu

Helen Okechukwu is an award-winning investigative journalist with three years experience. She specializes in health, accountability and transparency reporting.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is reviewing the continued use of ethanol in disinfectants and other biocidal products, following scientific concerns

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is reviewing the continued use of ethanol in disinfectants and other biocidal products, following scientific concerns that the substance may pose cancer and reproductive health risks. According to information obtained by the Financial Times, a working group within the agency recently proposed classifying ethanol as a potentially toxic chemical. The group’s assessment highlighted possible links between ethanol exposure and increased cancer incidence, as well as potential complications during pregnancy. ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee is expected to deliberate on the matter during its next session, scheduled for late November. Read Also: UK govt pushes to overturn Maccabi…

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NDLEA chair Mohammed Marwa

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has unveiled a digital platform aimed at streamlining its drug integrity test and visa clearance processes as part of efforts to curb substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. The agency’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, launched the platform, known as the Drug Integrity Test and Visa E-Administration System (DITViCAS), during a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, says News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He described the initiative as a significant milestone in the NDLEA’s mission to merge enforcement with efficiency and strengthen its anti-drug campaign through technology. Represented by the agency’s…

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Femi Gbajabiamila

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has praised the Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust for its decade-long work in promoting infection prevention and strengthening Nigeria’s public health preparedness. Speaking in Abuja during DRASA’s 10th anniversary, Mr Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to prioritise prevention and preparedness as key to achieving lasting improvements in national health systems. “This is what we need: institutions that sensitise people and promote the principle that prevention is better than cure. We must act before problems arise, not after damage is done,” he said. He described DRASA as a model of proactive health engagement…

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Minister of Health Prof Mohammed Pate

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has emphasised the need for inclusive health policy design that captures the voices of youth, women, and marginalised groups across Nigeria. Mr Pate made the call on Monday in Abuja during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust, where he was represented by Nse Akpan, Director of Port Health Services in the ministry, says News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He said Nigeria’s health reforms would only be effective if rooted in the day-to-day realities and experiences of people at the grassroots, rather than through top-down strategies…

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Education Minister Tunji Alausa says FG is committed to ending university strikes, promises better engagement with academic unions.

The Federal Ministry of Education has reassured the public that English Language and Mathematics remain compulsory subjects for all secondary school students in Nigeria, following widespread misconceptions about the recently streamlined O-Level admission guidelines for tertiary institutions. In a statement issued by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations Sunday, the Ministry stressed that while institutions now have more flexibility to set programme-specific admission criteria, all candidates must still register and sit for English and Mathematics in their O-Level exams. The clarification comes amid public debate and misinterpretation of the new admission policy, which some had wrongly construed as…

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The Delta State Police Command has stepped up its intelligence-driven operations across the state, intercepting a cache of live ammunition and dismantling a suspected

The Delta State Police Command has stepped up its intelligence-driven operations across the state, intercepting a cache of live ammunition and dismantling a suspected drug network in a renewed push to curb organised crime. The Commissioner of Police (CP) Olufemi Abaniwonda, said the Command’s ongoing operations are part of a deliberate strategy to enhance public safety through proactive and intelligence-led policing. In one operation carried out on 16 October, 2025, personnel attached to the ‘C’ Division, Asaba, led by Ogbe Emmanuel, stopped a Toyota Hiace Hummer Bus during a routine patrol at the Asaba Head Bridge. The driver, Ozoemenam Sylvanus,…

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The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple consignments of illicit substances cleverly hidden in export goods

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple consignments of illicit substances cleverly hidden in export goods at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos. The seizures, according to the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi disclosure on Sunday, stated that the targeted destinations including the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), led to the arrest of two suspected traffickers. Further revelation by the agency, indicated that one of the suspects, identified as Boladale Riliwan, was taken into custody on 7…

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Kwara State

The Kwara State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners, has renewed its commitment to improving adolescent health and development through strengthened policy implementation and community engagement. This renewed effort was underscored during activities marking the 2025 International Adolescents’ Week, which featured a sensitisation walk in Ilorin to raise awareness on the physical, emotional and social needs of young people, says News Agency of Nigeria report. Speaking during the event, the Director of Public Health, Kwara State Ministry of Health, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, said the government is working closely with partners to ensure…

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