Author: Helen Okechukwu

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

The Nigeria Police Force has warned all intending protesters and counter-protest groups to steer clear of restricted areas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which prohibits demonstrations around major government installations. In a statement signed by the Force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Saturday, the Police recalled a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, issued on 17 October 2025 by Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Omoyele Sowore & 4 others. The order restrains the respondents and their associates from staging protests in…

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has called on Nigerians to take greater responsibility in the fight against HIV, as Adamawa State records a steady rise in new infections despite years of donor-funded interventions. Speaking at a media engagement on the state’s HIV/AIDS response in Yola, the North-East Zonal Coordinator of NACA, John Tobias, said the recent “stop-work order” issued by the United States Government in February had disrupted donor-supported HIV programmes across the country, a development he described as a “wake-up call” for Nigeria. “This development is a wake-up call for us to begin to take…

To deepen understanding of the link between chronic illness and depression, Osibogun said LUTH has launched a research initiative called Project Suffering, aimed at exploring how long-term physical ailments contribute to suicidal tendencies.

Yobe State has taken a pioneering step in Nigeria’s public health sector by launching the country’s first-ever integrated measles-rubella campaign that combines six life-saving health interventions in a single exercise. The initiative, inaugurated on Friday in Damaturu by Governor Mai Buni, marks a new chapter in Nigeria’s approach to disease prevention and maternal-child health. The campaign, set to run from October 28 to November 1, 2025, will be implemented simultaneously across all 17 local government areas of the state. Read Also: LASG urges promotion of cleanliness, good sanitation practices in communities Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam-Wali,…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has taken a decisive step towards promoting entrepreneurship and financial inclusion in the oil-rich region with the launch of a N1.5 billion loan scheme for small and medium-scale enterprises. In partnership with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA), the initiative seeks to support business expansion, reduce poverty, and create a new culture of enterprise among residents of the Niger Delta. At the official unveiling in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the NDDC Director of Commercial, Industrial and Trade Development, Mrs. Lyna Okara, explained that the programme was designed to…