Author: Helen Okechukwu

The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to providing widespread Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and support as it dismissed a viral online report falsely claiming that the state has an 86% HIV prevalence rate. In a statement released on Monday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, described the circulating figures as misleading, fabricated, and not issued by any authorised health agency. It noted that the publication did not come from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and bears no resemblance to Nigeria’s recognised health data. Read Also: Reps begin probe into $4.6bn HIV, other grants According…

Police

The Bauchi State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all schools across the state following escalating security concerns that officials say pose risks to students, teachers and learning environments. In a statement issued by Jalaludeen Usman, Information and Public Relations Officer of the State Ministry of Education, the government said the directive affects all primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, including Federal Government-owned and private schools. He explained that the decision was reached after extensive consultations, adding that although difficult, the move became necessary to prioritise the protection of schoolchildren and educational staff amid heightened threats. Recall that New Daily…

Hospital

Oyedepo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested nine suspected drug cartel leaders in a week-long nationwide offensive that has led to the dismantling of six syndicates and the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances across several states. Backed by intelligence-led operations, NDLEA officers in Lagos, Anambra, Kogi, Cross River, Edo, Kebbi, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) made multiple high-profile arrests and intercepted consignments of methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis (known locally as skunk), tramadol, codeine syrup and other illegal drugs. The operations also uncovered links to online drug sales, cross-border trafficking routes and concealed shipments passing through…

The Rivers State Government has called on Rotary International to intensify its role in fostering national unity, peace and youth empowerment across the country, especially at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with socio-political divisions and rising youth challenges. Governor Siminalayi Fubara made the appeal on Friday during the All-Nigeria Rotary Conference held at the Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt. Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, the Governor applauded Rotary’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian service and charged the organisation to deepen interventions that promote tolerance, fairness and peaceful coexistence. He…

The Eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has closed in Geneva with delegates adopting strong new measures aimed at reducing the environmental harms caused by tobacco production, consumption, and waste. The week-long meeting, held from 17–22 November 2025, brought together 160 Parties to negotiate updated commitments under what is widely regarded as one of the most successful public health treaties in UN history. According to the statement shared on Saturday by WHO, it noted that central to this year’s decisions were policies targeting the environmental…

A total of nine civil society organisations in Nigeria have secured a combined $1.7 million from the Malala Fund to expand efforts aimed at helping out-of-school girls return to formal education, including pregnant girls. The grant is part of a wider $4.8 million funding package awarded to 21 organisations across Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tanzania, as the fund rolls out its 2025–2030 strategy.  The plan focuses on countries with the highest proportion of girls missing out on schooling, a challenge particularly acute in Nigeria and Pakistan, which together account for 15% of the global population of out-of-school girls. Read…

WHO