In a significant step toward prioritizing public health, six communities in Kwara State have achieved open defecation-free status following a partnership between the state government and Local Government Chairmen. The achievement was recorded in Oke Ero Local Government Area of the state. A statement shared on the state government’s Facebook page on Monday noted that the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Usman Yinusa, announced this during a Water, Sanitation, and…

After 17 years of trafficking illicit drugs worth billions, 59-year-old Ogbonnaya Jeff has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at his hideout in Ojo, Lagos. NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), announced the arrest on March 3, 2025, in Abuja. He revealed that Ogbonnaya had been on INTERPOL’s wanted list between 2023 and 2024 and was tracked with intelligence from South Korea’s National Intelligence…

To prevent mortality and enable real-time testing of drug and beverage authentication, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Southern Nigeria People’s Mandate (SNPM), has urged the Federal Government (FG) to establish modern laboratories for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The call aims to identify illicit drug producers and tackle traffickers across the country. In a statement released in Enugu State recently, according to a Voice of…

Wife of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Dr. Nonye Soludo, has raised concerns over Anambra State’s low immunization rate, urging mothers to prioritize their children’s health through vaccination. Speaking at the Mothers’ Wellness Summit in Awka, hosted by Women Initiative for Greater Anambra (WIGA) in partnership with Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, she emphasized that healthy children bring peace of mind and reduce financial stress. The initiative promotes maternal health awareness…

Advocating for professionalism, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, has urged Nigeria Police Force (NPF) authorities to perform mental health evaluations on its officers. This was made known on Tuesday through a document issued in Port Harcourt by NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama. Thompson-Wakama, however, disclosed that Ogbuku said this during the fifth edition of the Strategic Security Conference and Retreat for…

The Media Health and Rights (MHR) Initiative of Nigeria and the Lawyers Alert have decried high Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence in Benue. The groups expressed the concern at a virtual news briefing on Wednesday while speaking to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi. President of Lawyers Alert, Mr Rommy Mom, said Benue was still struggling with 4.5 per cent HIV prevalence and a significant TB burden. Mom stated…

To prevent outbreaks, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has called for improved border surveillance and advanced kits for early detection of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs). This call came following results obtained from research conducted in some part of the country between 2018 and 2022. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the monthly institute’s conference in Lagos, the Director of Research at NIMR, Prof. Rosemary Audu, urged improved border…

As number of people living with HIV/AIDS soar high within Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi has integrated a campaign, “Free to Shine” aims to lessen rising infection rate among women and children. Mrs. Tinubu, during the flag-off ceremony of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development “Free to Shine” campaign held on Tuesday, stressed the significance of this development. The event took place at the North-West zone…

To mitigate the levy charged on car parking within the premises of the private hospitals in Lagos State, the Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) has urged the state government to revoke the fee while highlighting their essential services. The payment of parking fees was initiated by the Lagos State Parking Authority. Speaking with The Punch in an interview, Dr Raymond Kuti, the GMD President described the newly levy imposed as…

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has placed at least 1,600 employees on administrative leave as part of a broader workforce reduction plan. The announcement was made on Sunday, at 11:59 pm EST through an official statement titled “Notification of Administrative Leave,” published on the agency’s website. According to the statement, most USAID direct-hire employees, except those assigned to mission-critical tasks, leadership positions, or specially designated programs, have…

Indonesia has introduced a free medical check-up programme for all its 280 million citizens. A statement from the chief of the Presidential Communication Office, Hasan Nasbi, said the healthcare initiative was the first of its kind. The ‘Cek Kesehatan Gratis (CKG) programme’ initiative aims to promote preventive healthcare, eliminating barriers to accessing healthcare services. Mr Nasbi said citizens can access the programme through the Satu Sehat mobile app or by…

In a renewed effort to combat Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Lagos, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has engaged 60 Magistrates in discussions on addressing the issue effectively. The initiative aims to enhance the role of the judiciary in ensuring justice for survivors and holding perpetrators accountable. This was made know via a post shared on the government Facebook page on Sunday. Speaking at the…