Author: Helen Okechukwu

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Fagbemi, SAN, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), have expressed confidence that the amended NDLEA Act will boost Nigeria’s fight against drug abuse and trafficking once signed by President Bola Tinubu. Speaking at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting in Abuja, Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, said the amendment will enhance NDLEA’s legal and operational powers. He praised NDLEA’s achievements in arrests, convictions, and public awareness through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. “The…

Doctors in England are demanding a 29% pay increase to restore real-terms earnings to 2008 levels, warning that failure to act now would deepen NHS challenges and worsen staff retention.  The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents resident doctors (formerly junior doctors), began balloting its members this week for potential industrial action. The move follows widespread criticism of the government’s latest pay offer—a 4% increase plus a £750 one-off payment for resident doctors. The BMA insists this falls far short of reversing years of pay erosion, claiming doctors have lost 23% of their earnings in real terms since 2008. If…

About 20 newly built and upgraded Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) of Level Two have been commissioned across 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Niger State. For quality and easy access to health facilities in the state, Governor Umaru Bago, at the commissioning ceremony held in Minna, Niger State, vowed to construct an additional 40 health facilities in the coming months. Describing the project as a significant milestone initiated by his administration, Governor Bago said this initiative aims to transform the health sector and ensure rural areas, along with underserved communities, have access to quality healthcare. According to the governor, the…

NACA has urged healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to work closely together to eliminate pediatric HIV and ensure an HIV-free generation for Nigerian children as the world marks Children’s Day

In a bold move to tackle maternal and neonatal mortality, the Ondo State Government in collaboration with the Federal Government (FG) has launched a five-day co-creation workshop aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths by 30% by the year 2027. The workshop, themed “Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMMI),” brought together stakeholders in the health sector to develop a strategic template for the effective execution of interventions targeted at reducing mortality rates. The initiative focuses on uncovering local barriers to maternal and neonatal survival through deep-dive community visits across priority Local Government Areas (LGAs). Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa,…

Some reputable women in Rivers state have reiterated their support for the embattled Governor of Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara. According to them, they want the federal government to reinstate the governor as soon as possible. However, there has been allegations that the governor could join the APC in order to get reinstated. Ever since the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, there have been mixed reactions between the pro-Fubara and pro-Wike camps. This division has led to various women leading protests, some calling for the reinstatement of suspended elected officials, while others support the continuation of the…

Forty-seven Nigerian medical students who fled the war in Sudan in 2023 are currently unable to register for the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) licensing exams due to missing travel documents. According to News Agency if Nigeria (NAN) report on Sunday, the students, formerly enrolled at Sudan International University (SIU), were evacuated during the conflict without proper exit visas, leaving many of their passports behind. With the National Universities Commission (NUC) approval, they continued their medical training at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto under a formal academic agreement. Read Also: Firm donates multimillion-naira medical equipment, drugs…

With cancer remaining a leading cause of non-communicable disease-related deaths in Nigeria and globally, three cancer centres are set to be commissioned for public access in the next couple of days. This move aims to improve Nigeria’s specialized healthcare system, with 500 clinicians to be trained, 2,000 cancer patients expected to be treated, and 350,000 people to receive diagnostic services yearly. According to a Nairametrics publication on Sunday, this announcement was shared by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate’s X page. Out of the six centres announced to be established in February 2024, the three…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted no fewer than six million opioid pills—including Tamol, Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol—and 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup at the Port Harcourt and Apapa ports. The street value of the seizures is estimated at ₦6.52 billion. At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, NDLEA operatives, in a joint operation with Customs and other security agencies, uncovered six million opioid pills and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup in two containers on May 19 and 20. In a similar exercise at the Apapa Port, Lagos, 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered on May…

The Nigerian Senate has approved the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which proposes the creation of a Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Kafanchan, Southern Kaduna. The bill, initiated by Senator Sunday Katung of Kaduna South Senatorial District, is intended to enhance access to specialized healthcare in a region that has long faced challenges in medical service delivery. In a statement issued after the bill’s passage, Senator Katung highlighted the importance of the proposed centre, stating that it would reduce the need for residents to travel far distances to receive adequate medical attention—a factor that often contributes to…