Author: Helen Okechukwu

Gombe State has been selected to pioneer Nigeria’s transition to digital birth registration, with health officials and ward representatives undergoing specialised training to drive the initiative. The programme, introduced by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the National Population Commission (NPC), is designed to provide every child with a recognised legal identity from birth. It also links the registration process with National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment, strengthening Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system. At a three-day Train-the-Trainers exercise, participants drawn from 114 health facilities and 114 wards across the state were equipped with digital devices…

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, has launched a programme offering free eye treatment and surgeries to 5,000 patients.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, will respond in due course to recent comments made by former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal, his senior aide has said. Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, stated on Monday that the minister would not leave Tambuwal’s criticism of him and President Bola Tinubu unanswered. Tambuwal, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today last Friday, said his political decisions were guided by principles rather than personal relationships. He added that, if forced to choose, he would back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over Wike in a presidential…

The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has ordered a discreet investigation into the discovery of a decomposing body inside a vehicle parked at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. The body of the yet-to-be-identified man was discovered on Sunday morning in a red Peugeot 406 with registration number BWR-577 BF, stationed outside the annexe gate of the legislative complex. Sources within the Assembly suggested that the deceased was one of the labourers engaged at a construction site within the premises. Read Also: El-Rufai accuses Kaduna Police of misconduct, files complaint with PSC The body was initially moved to…

As the global community marks International Literacy Day (ILD), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has urged governments across the federation to intensify efforts in reversing the country’s alarming education crisis. In a statement signed by its National Secretary, Achike Chude, the NUJ described the annual observance as an opportunity for sober reflection on the state of literacy in Nigeria. It warned that unless urgent measures are taken, millions of children will remain deprived of access to quality education, undermining the nation’s development prospects. The Union expressed dismay at findings in UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report, which showed that 251…

A major push to strengthen West Africa’s defences against Lassa fever began on Monday as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) opened the second Lassa Fever International Conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Obesity specialist Louis Aronne has welcomed the arrival of a new weight-loss pill, saying it could give patients who prefer oral medication the same benefits as injections without loss of effectiveness.

Nigeria, the giant of Africa, known for its oil production, agriculture, and economic diversity, has faced numerous climate change effects for years, leaving many residents with recurring challenge.  The most recent climate change disaster that struck Mokwa districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa, located in Niger State, claimed the lives of more than 200 people, while 500 residents were reportedly missing.  After the torrential rain swept some victims into the Niger River on 29 May 2025, over 3,000 victims were left with no shelter after 265 homes were ravaged by the flash flood, with the last recurring experience dating…

The Oyo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of 80 suspects and conviction of 43 for drug-related offences between January and August 2025. The State Commander, Olayinka Joe-Fadile, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ibadan. He said the arrests cut across traffickers, dealers and users of narcotics and psychotropic substances. According to him, the suspects comprised 246 males and 34 females, aged between 13 and 50 years. He explained that while some were caught with narcotics, others were apprehended for dealing in cannabis…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expanded its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), introducing a range of new therapies for cancer, diabetes and several rare conditions. According to the notice released on Friday, the updated lists mark the 24th edition of the EML and the 10th of the EMLc. They serve as a global reference for more than 150 countries when deciding which drugs to prioritise for public procurement, health coverage and supply schemes. In the 2025 update, 20 medicines were added to the adult list and 15 to the children’s list, while…