Victoria Ojiako 

OneHealth, Nigeria’s digital-first pharmacy and healthcare platform, is strengthening its healthcare offering with The Method, the country’s first structured, medically supervised GLP-1 weight loss programme.

The Method addresses a health challenge that has largely gone unmanaged in Nigeria: an estimated one in four urban Nigerian adults is overweight or obese, yet most who seek help cycle through unregulated supplements, fad diets and misinformation. GLP-1 medications are increasingly available in the Nigerian market, but they remain largely inaccessible, unsupervised, and in many cases misused.

Speaking during a recent knowledge session, Adeola Alli, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OneHealth, said weight management should be approached as a long-term health need rather than a short-term intervention, particularly for people who require sustained clinical support. “Weight management is often treated as a short-term problem, but for many people, it is a long-term health need, just like any other condition. People either struggle to access these treatments safely or access them without appropriate medical guidance. The Method exists to close that gap.”

Rather than positioning GLP-1 medication as a routine consumer purchase, The Method begins with medical screening, consultation and diagnosis, ensuring that treatment decisions are guided by clinical assessment. Patients who are clinically eligible are prescribed tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) or semaglutide (Ozempic® or Wegovy®), with medication verified and dispensed through OneHealth’s pharmacy supply chain.

The programme brings together medical consultation and diagnosis, GLP-1 prescription and dispensing, ongoing physician and pharmacist supervision, and personalised health coaching. Dosages are reviewed and adjusted based on each patient’s clinical response, while coaching addresses nutrition, physical activity and behavioural change. The programme also includes home medication delivery, three months of gym access through OneHealth’s partnership with i-Fitness, and structured progress tracking and reporting to support measurable outcomes over time.

“Medication may be part of the solution for an appropriate patient, but medical guidance, follow-up, active lifestyle, nutrition and long-term support all matter,” Alli added. “That is what makes this a healthcare programme, rather than a simple prescription refill.”

Each patient enrolled in The Method follows a personalised, structured care pathway covering screening and enrolment, medical consultation, medication dispensing, active monitoring, lifestyle coaching and a formal review at the end of each treatment cycle. At this review, the physician and pharmacist assess the patient’s progress and determine the appropriate next step, whether to adjust the treatment plan, renew it or graduate the patient from the programme.

The Method is available on a monthly subscription basis, with corporate and HMO pricing available on request. The programme builds on OneHealth’s existing pharmacy and healthcare infrastructure, the same network that already connects patients, HMOs and pharmacy partners across the country.

“OneHealth has always been about building a trusted digital health infrastructure so the average Nigerian can access vetted, verified medicines and healthcare solutions,” Alli said. “The Method brings that same thinking to weight management, while keeping the quality, professional oversight and patient-centred approach that healthcare requires.”

OneHealth is a Nigerian digital-first pharmacy and healthcare platform focused on making access to quality medicines and healthcare services more convenient and connected. Founded by Adeola Alli in 2019, OneHealth has served more than 800,000 customers through a network of partner pharmacies across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The platform brings together innovative healthcare products under a single brand: an online pharmacy for same-day medication delivery; PillFinda, a wholesale marketplace connecting pharmacies, distributors and manufacturers; Pillmova, an end-to-end logistics service; The Method, a medically supervised GLP-1 weight-management programme; Imani, a wireless breast pump; Refill, a service that ensures you never miss a dose or run out of essential items through convenient monthly deliveries; and Lumina, providing AI-guided health information and clinical consultations for maternal and sexual health.

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Chief Executive Officer of ZenithCare Hospital, Dr. Lekan Ogunlowo, has urged governments and stakeholders to establish stronger support mechanisms for indigent patients unable to afford medical treatment.

He made the call during an ongoing free medical and surgical outreach organised by the Pistis Foundation in collaboration with ZenithCare Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The expert said some illnesses require treatments that are financially beyond the reach of many Nigerians, leaving indigent patients unable to settle their medical bills, stating that government intervention is necessary to complement the efforts of foundations and hospitals providing free healthcare services to vulnerable people.

According to him, “There are some illnesses and medical problems in society that, if you leave them to individuals, some people will not be able to cope with them financially during treatment.

“We have a lot of indigent patients that are unable to take care of their medical needs.”

Ogunlowo said the government could support foundations undertaking free medical interventions or create avenues through which hospitals could provide assistance to patients who could not afford their bills.

“If the government can actually support this kind of foundation or create an avenue by which hospitals could attend to such people, it will be a welcome idea in society.

“We have many of them in society who are unable to pay their medical bills,” he said.

He added that the collaboration with Pistis Foundation was aimed at contributing to healthcare access for the less privileged members of society, disclosing that ZenithCare provided its facility and medical personnel to support the foundation’s free surgical programme.

According to him, the hospital was targeting about 100 beneficiaries for the surgical component, adding that about 20 patients had been attended to last Monday.

He said the procedures being undertaken include lipoma removal, laparotomy, appendectomy, aneurysm-related procedures and myomectomy, subject to medical assessment, stating that the outreach also provided eye care and other medical services, while beneficiaries could undergo registration and necessary laboratory investigations to determine their treatment needs.

Ogunlowo said ZenithCare was committed to providing quality healthcare with compassion, particularly to people who required assistance.

The Pistis Foundation’s Ubomi medical and surgical outreach offers free general medical check-ups, dental care, eye care and glasses, surgeries, medications and laboratory services, among other interventions.

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‎The Managing Director of Ultimate Health Management Services, a Health Management Organization, Otunba Lekan Ewenla, has explained that preventive health care is a major component of health insurance in Nigeria, saying enrolment in the program will help eliminate or curb sudden deaths in the country.

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‎Ewenla, in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, said Nigerians should not wait until they are ill to access health care or know their health status as health insurance is mainly designed to address both preventive and curative healthcare services.

‎”As a matter of fact, the concept of health insurance was, first of all, to change the health seeking behavior of Nigerians,” he said.

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‎The HMO MD, who lamented cases of sudden deaths in the country, noted that the National Health Insurance Authority, the regulatory agency for health insurance in Nigeria should embark on strategic media or publicity campaign to create top-of-mind-awareness to highlight the enormous benefits inherent in the health insurance program to Nigerians. 

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‎Ewenla, went further to mention the high point of the circular issued by the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation on 4th September, 2025 focusing on the introduction of sanctions for non-compliance with the mandatory enrolment on the program by all Nigerians.

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‎He stated, ” It is important that to educate the populace about the inherent benefits and the implications of non-compliance with the law.”

‎He said “Health insurance is designed to change the narration of our poor health indices through regular interactive session and sensitization of the enrollees by the health maintenance organizations that are statutorily saddled with the responsibility of driving enrolment and managing their access to quality health care services.  Health insurance is designed to let our people appreciate the importance of paying premium attention to their wellbeing.”

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‎According to him, “it is the commitment to change the narration of our poor health indices that made Ultimate Health HMO to recently adopt the benefit package of the public sector social health insurance program for introduction to the operators in the   informal sector including the small and medium business owners across the country.

‎”It is important to mention that the benefit package is robust, well understood by the NHIA accredited network of Health Care Facilities -HCFs across the country and above all, the premium is very affordable.”

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‎He explained that with the National Health Insurance Authority NHIA Act of 2022 and the Federal Government circular of September 2025, Nigerians should begin to embrace the health insurance program and reach out to Ultimate Health HMO for their enrolment.

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‎“We need to migrate completely from paying out of pocket for medical services. It is no longer in vogue.  It is no longer trending. People should enroll in the health insurance program to have unhindered access to qualitative and affordable health care services all year round”.  he added.

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‎On his recent trip to the United Kingdom and his meeting with Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ewenla said the company went to the United Kingdom to re-launch and re-introduced the health insurance program to Nigerians living in the United Kingdom in order to encourage them to enroll their dependents, family members and business associates in the program back home most especially with the introduction of sanctions for non-compliance.

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‎He stated, “we have it on good authority that remittances from the Diaspora back home on a monthly basis is presently over $1billon  per month and a reasonable fraction of these funds- these informal funds are sent to individuals to access care.”

For patients seeking care in Lagos public hospitals, the struggle does not always end at the consultation room. At payment points, network failures, limited alternatives and demands for cash can turn urgent medical needs into prolonged ordeals. Eight months after ������Ƶ investigated the consequences of the state’s electronic payment arrangement, fresh public complaints have renewed questions about the system, eliciting response from the state government. 

Omolabake Fasogbon reports 

Eight months after ������Ƶ newspaper’s investigation uncovered the dangerous monopoly in the payment system across Lagos public health facilities, the situation has persisted unabated, sparking a viral public outcry that has now drawn a response from the Lagos State Government, with its claims clashing with the true picture.

Patients Still Struggle at Pay Points

Patients continue to struggle at pay points, where decisions regarding their access to treatment ultimately lie.

The investigation, titled “How Single-provider Payment System Deepens Healthcare Barriers, Endangers Lives,” detailed heartbreaking patient experiences, including delayed and denied treatment, missed appointments, exploitation and even avoidable death under an arrangement that entrusts bill payment across the state’s 36 public hospitals to a sole payment provider.

The provider also routes transactions primarily through one bank, a protocol that locks patients out of treatment when the sole provider inevitably suffers downtime, as there is no alternative payment vendor to process payments.

European Merchant Services (EMS), a London-based payment consultancy, defines the single-provider model as a system in which “an organisation handles all its transactions through one payment provider”.

In healthcare, this means that when the provider fails, patients are trapped, unable to pay, and therefore unable to receive care.

A recent outburst by Mrs. Kafayat Oshodi in a viral video detailing her encounter at Randle General Hospital, followed by public outrage echoing her claims, corroborated ������Ƶ’s report.

Oshodi’s experience attests to the continuity of a monopolistic payment structure that remains a thorn in the flesh of healthcare seekers.

Mrs. Oshodi narrated how she was stuck at the payment point during an emergency case when the hospital insisted on cash, rejecting the e-payment option she had prepared for, the very payment method the government has consistently promoted.

According to her, “Despite rushing to the hospital with four different debit cards, they rejected POS transfers and insisted on a cash deposit, even after I had queued for an hour,” she stated.

“When I asked to make a transfer from my phone, they claimed the network was bad and directed me to a POS operator who charged me far higher fees than usual.”

While the government reacted to her claim, its response was evasive, failing to address the main issue: the demand for cash in hospitals, which was the major bone of contention, as Nigerians continued to question the motive for cash demands amid multiple digital payment options and the push for cashless transactions.

The investigation found that cash often becomes the last resort in Lagos hospitals when the sole provider faces downtime.

Experts Warn Against Single-Vendor Risk

The outcome is understandable, given Nigeria’s connectivity challenges, which is precisely why experts submit that state administrators must adopt a multi-provider payment system to allow seamless switching when one network fails, while offering freedom of choice to healthcare seekers.

As an implication of embracing a single payment vendor, digital health advisor Emeka Chukwu cautioned that it could create structural bottlenecks where a single outage can freeze public health corridors, disrupt emergency care, and erode patient trust.

“No critical investment should centralise payment around one agent. It is simply dangerous,” he warned.

From ������Ƶ’s investigation, however, Kafayat’s struggle was among the least of the hurdles patients endure under the state’s rigid system. Experts believe a state-owned contingency would have averted these ordeals, should a vendor system fail or come under a cyberattack, as once happened in the US.

������Ƶ found none, save for the provider’s manual backup—cash—an alternative found to cause delays often associated with increased mortality and readmission rates, worsening clinical outcomes, and, in extreme cases, leading to death.

CEO of Clearwater, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm, Steve Cagle argued that health organisations must maintain an in-house contingency, different from the vendor’s.

His submission followed a disruption that hit a large part of the US health system, when Change Healthcare—the sole billing and payment provider for much of the country’s healthcare sector, much like the model Lagos has embraced—suffered a major cyberattack that put healthcare on hold for over a month.

“Hospitals should have a plan if a critical vendor goes down. What if you have a vendor that’s down for an extended period of time?” he asked.

Nigerians React on Social Media

The outcry following Mrs. Oshodi’s viral video suggests the masses are indeed pushed to the wall and eager for reforms that will be expedited.

������Ƶ captured some of the struggles Nigerians relayed via social media following Mrs. Oshodi’s revelation, below:

Onefold Mission wrote:

“I have experienced it first-hand many times. Once I was told by 2am midnight to pay N100,000 cash.”

Olowoyan Benjamin also wrote:

“I understand this woman very well because it happened to me too at Massey Hospital. If not for God that kept my baby alive, they almost turned me into a mad person. Even some people beg for money just to settle some bills and some still lost baby and you will still pay if the baby die.”

Also expressing her grievance, Iyanuoluwa Olatunde shared:

“You will wonder if stakeholders of government parastatals are in touch with government policies. How would the federal government implement cashless policies and a government hospital is still insisting on cash payment? Isn’t that counterintuitive?”

Joseph Omogbehin also recounted his experience, saying:

“She’s saying the truth, I experienced this. My wife was referred on emergency to Ikorodu General. We got there 11am; she didn’t get to the ward until 6:30pm. The main problem is their payment system. The government is still responsible for this kind of operations; our health systems are still far from being reliable.”

Lagos Government Responds, But Claims Contrast with Reality

In response to ������Ƶ’s investigation into hospital e-payment failures, the Lagos State Government has addressed concerns over adopting a sole payment provider, which leaves patients stranded and scrambling for cash when the payment provider is down.

Appearing on Arise News’ The Morning Show, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, addressed the issue after interviewers cited ������Ƶ’s January 2026 report titled “How Single-provider Payment System Deepens Healthcare Barriers, Endangers Lives” and a September follow-up report documenting how payment difficulties persist.

Asked about the choice of a single payment gateway and whether the policy was being reviewed, Abayomi explained that the state outsources fee collection to private operators so health workers can focus on clinical care.

“We’ve now outsourced the payment gateways to the private sector so that it doesn’t mess up with clinical activities,” Abayomi said. “It makes it much cleaner for us. It’s an outsourced process.”

When the interviewer asked, “Is it to one private sector, or different?” Abayomi replied, “They’re different, yeah and the different pay gateways here”, a stance that contrasts with ������Ƶ’s findings, which revealed that transactions across state facilities are still routed through a single electronic vendor, Megalek Nigeria Limited.

Addressing a viral video involving a patient at Randle General Hospital, highlighted in ������Ƶ’s follow-up report as an example of ongoing operational challenges, Abayomi stated that state investigations showed the patient received emergency care funded through public welfare, explaining that the dispute stemmed from a refund request when a relative requested a refund.

However, the state government did not provide specific details regarding frequent network outages or the absence of digital backup payment channels identified in ������Ƶ’s findings.

When probed further on the payment gateway and the consequences of cash demands, the commissioner did not explain why patients are directed to seek cash during system downtime.

Instead, he remarked, “There might be no network on that day or something like that, you know, but generally speaking we try. We’re rolling out the Smart Health Information Platform for Lagos so all our general hospitals are going digital.”

������Ƶ’s initial report found that using one payment vendor, Megalek Nigeria Limited, leaves patients stranded during network failures because there is no alternative to process payments.

The follow-up report showed that eight months after the initial publication, patients in Lagos public hospitals continue to experience delays and demands for cash payments when Megalek suffers downtime.

The commissioner, however, disclosed that the state’s welfare structures are functional, adding that digital updates are underway.

Francis Sardauna writes that after years of enduring poor facilities and limited healthcare services, the recent renovation of the Bakiyawa Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCHC) by UNICEF, with funding from the Global Fund, has given Suwaiba Abubakar, a mother of nine, fresh hope for safer and better healthcare for women and children in her community

For Suwaiba Abubakar, the Bakiyawa Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCHC) in Batagarawa Local Government Area of Katsina State is more than a hospital. It is where she gave birth to all her nine children and where each of them received their routine vaccinations.

But for years, the 45-year-old mother associated the facility with more than memories of childbirth. She also remembers the discomfort, poor maternity care, limited services and anxiety that women faced whenever they came to seek care.

Before its renovation by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with funding from the Global Fund, Suwaiba said women in labour sometimes had to give birth in the same ward where other female patients were being treated because the centre had no dedicated labour room.

In an exclusive interview with ������Ƶ on the sideline of the project’s inauguration, Suwaiba said the experience was particularly uncomfortable for women who needed privacy and specialised attention during labour. 

“Sometimes, women in labour had to give birth in the same ward where other female patients were staying because there was no labour room,” she recalled.

She also recalled how women who require blood during or after childbirth were being referred to neighbouring hospitals in Babban Ruga, a situation she added, was dangerous in emergencies where every minute counts.

“When a woman needs blood, she has to be taken to another hospital. This is a serious challenge, especially for women who lose a lot of blood during childbirth, and other patients seeking immediate blood transfusion services,” she said.

However, the 45-year-old mother, who was visibly excited by the renovation, said: “I gave birth to all my nine children here and they all received their vaccinations here. The renovation will improve the hospital and encourage more women within and outside Bakiyawa to use the facility.”

She added that the renovated Maternal and Child Health Centre is not merely a refurbished hospital, but a place where memories of anxiety and discomfort during childbirth and other health-seeking services are replaced with hope of life. 

While commending UNICEF for coming to their aid, Suwaiba appealed to the Katsina State Government to provide the health centre with adequate medical equipment, additional health workers, essential drugs and other consumables needed to sustain effective service delivery.

She said such support would ensure that women and children who come to the facility can receive comprehensive healthcare without being referred elsewhere for services that should be available at the centre.

Another woman from the community, Fatima Yusuf, said: “The condition of the old facility made many women afraid to go there. Sometimes, we had no choice but to depend on traditional birth attendants because the health centre was not in a condition we could trust.

“We are happy that attention is finally being given to maternal healthcare in our community. What we need now is for the facility to remain functional, with qualified health workers, drugs, water and other basic equipment.”

The mother of three, who was seen leaving the old section of the hospital with cannula in her right hand, added that: “All women and children in this place depend on this health centre. So, if the facility works properly, it will save families the stress and danger of travelling elsewhere for treatment.”

Her concern was echoed by the Health Manager, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Dr Serekeberehan Seyoum, who urged the state government to ensure adequate staffing, regular provision of essential medicines and supplies, routine maintenance and the prompt commencement of quality services at the facility.

Seyoum, who spoke while handing over the renovated centre to the state government on Thursday, said the sustainability of the investment would depend on effective management and continued commitment from government and community stakeholders.

He described the completion of the renovation of the Bakiyawa MCHC; Sabon Gari Primary Health Centre in Daura and Dandutse Primary Health Centre in Funtua as an important step towards improving access to essential healthcare and creating better working conditions for health workers.

He said the upgraded facilities would particularly benefit women, children and other vulnerable groups within and outside the shores of the three benefiting local government areas of the state.

Seyoum said: “Under the Global Fund implementation support, UNICEF served as the implementation partner for the renovation of three Primary Health Care facilities: MCHC Bakiyawa (Batagarawa LGA), Sabon Gari PHC (Daura LGA), and Dandutse PHC (Funtua LGA).

“We are pleased that the renovation works have been successfully completed and the facilities are now ready to provide quality health services to their communities.

“These improved facilities will contribute to better access to essential health services, enhanced working conditions for health workers, and improved health outcomes for women, children and other vulnerable populations.”

He added that: “Today (Thursday), UNICEF formally hands over these facilities to the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, transferring responsibility for their management, utilization, and maintenance to the state government and stakeholders in benefiting communities. 

“We encourage the state government to ensure adequate staffing, provision of essential supplies, routine maintenance, and the prompt commencement of quality service delivery so that communities can immediately benefit from this investment.

“On behalf of UNICEF, we are proud to hand over these renovated facilities and look forward to seeing them serve as centres of quality health care for the benefit of communities across Katsina State.”

Unveiling the Bakiyawa MCHC facility amidst jubilation by residents, the acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr Shema’u Kabir, said the government would provide the equipment required for the centre to resume full operations.

She said the agency would assess the facility’s outstanding needs and make a formal request to the state government for additional equipment to complement what has already been provided.

She further explained that health workers who were providing services at the facility before the renovation would return and continue their duties, adding that the state government is currently implementing a programme to revitalise at least one healthcare facility in each of the state’s 361 wards.

She stressed that another health facility in Bakiyawa had already benefited from comprehensive government intervention, including renovation, provision of equipment, a tricycle, an ambulance and human resources for health. 

Dr. Kabir stated that the newly renovated facility would require further government support as it is an additional facility beyond those already prioritised under the state’s revitalisation programme.

The acting executive secretary applauded UNICEF for supporting the Katsina State Government in improving maternal and child health services and other healthcare programmes across the state. She said: “Not only the infrastructure, they (UNICEF) are supporting the state government in terms of strengthening the human resource for health, the quality of the services we are providing. 

“So they have been one major partner that we have been working with, and we will continue to collaborate with UNICEF to improve the maternal and child health intervention and services in Katsina State”.

Earlier, the Vice-Chairman of Batagarawa Local Government Area, Abdulrahman Ahmed Ajiwa, described the UNICEF intervention as a significant step towards improving access to healthcare services in the community. He said the initiative would help bring essential healthcare services closer to residents, particularly those in underserved communities, and urged residents to take ownership of the projects and ensure that the facilities are properly maintained for the benefit of the people.

He also called on the community to protect projects provided by the government and development partners, stressing that their sustainability depends largely on the support and cooperation of the beneficiaries.

But Suwaiba, who had gone through childbirth nine times, believes that the renovation will only be complete when women who come to the centre in the most critical moments of their lives can access every service they need without being sent elsewhere. “For us mothers, we want a hospital where we can come and receive complete care, especially when there is an emergency. We are grateful for what has been done, but we still need more,” she said.

Her message is simple but crucial: a renovated hospital can change the appearance of healthcare, but adequate equipment, personnel and emergency services are what ultimately save lives. Beyond the renovated health centre, Suwaiba appealed to the state government to reconstruct the road linking the community, which she said was critical in accessing healthcare and facilitating the movement of people, goods and services.

As fibroids continue to affect the quality of life of many women, Avon Medical Practice is using the story of survivor Moyo Awotile to deepen awareness and promote timely medical care. Through its documentary, Overcoming Fibroids: A Journey of Care and Compassion, the Lagos-based multispecialty healthcare provider is bringing the conversation beyond diagnosis and treatment to the realities patients face, while highlighting its broader approach to women’s health and comprehensive medical care. Chiemelie Ezeobi���ɰ����ٱ����

“You are not meant to suffer in silence.”

For Moyo Awotile, those words carry the weight of experience. Her warning to women about painful and excessively heavy periods comes from a decade-long journey with uterine fibroids that gradually moved from a medical diagnosis she barely worried about to a debilitating condition that affected almost every part of her life.

Awotile was diagnosed with fibroids in 2018 after missing her period for a month and undergoing an ultrasound. At the time, the discovery did not appear urgent.

“I didn’t take it seriously. I just kept living my life. And I noticed that over the years, my periods got progressively worse,” she said.

That progression is part of what makes fibroids difficult to confront. The condition does not always announce itself dramatically. For some women, fibroids remain small and cause no symptoms. For others, they grow silently until heavy bleeding, pain, abdominal swelling or pressure begins to interfere with everyday life.

For Awotile, the symptoms became increasingly difficult to ignore.

“I was in pain almost all the time. I could not sit down for long. Working in the office was a nightmare. I could not fly for long, and I could not walk for long. Everything was painful,” she recalled.

At one point, one of the growths became visible through her abdomen.

“One was protruding from my abdomen. I would lie down and look at my stomach and wonder what was happening because I had never seen anything like it before.”

By the time she returned to Avon Medical Practice, the condition had progressed significantly. Seventeen fibroids were eventually removed from her body.

“The fibroids were massive. Seventeen fibroids were removed from my body. I was experiencing shooting pains in my legs in addition to the heavy periods and cramps,” she said.

Awotile’s experience provides a human face to a condition that Nigerian researchers continue to describe as a significant women’s health burden.

When Pain is Dismissed

Fibroids are benign growths that develop from the muscle of the uterus. While they are not cancerous, their effect on a woman’s health can be substantial when they become large, numerous or positioned in areas that interfere with normal uterine function.

Symptoms can include heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, painful periods, pelvic pain and pressure, abdominal enlargement, anaemia and fertility problems.

Nigerian studies have also documented menstrual irregularities, abdominal swelling and infertility among common presentations.

But one of the challenges is that women can become accustomed to symptoms before seeking help.

A 2025 study involving 138 women receiving care at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, found that 62.3 per cent presented more than six months after symptoms began. The researchers linked delayed presentation to factors including inadequate knowledge, fear of surgery, treatment costs, cultural misconceptions, negligence and lack of social support.

That pattern helps explain why early attention matters.

Awotile herself described her initial attitude simply: “I knew from 2018 that I had fibroids. Because I was small and younger, I didn’t care. I thought everybody has it.”

But fibroids are not necessarily something a woman has to endure simply because they are common.

“Having painful periods is not normal. Having excessively heavy periods is also not normal,” she said.

The message is not that every painful period indicates fibroids. Rather, persistent or unusually heavy bleeding and pain that disrupt work, movement, relationships or daily activities deserve medical assessment.

Avon’s Approach to Women’s Health

It was against this background that Avon Medical Practice used Awotile’s experience to create Overcoming Fibroids: A Journey of Care and Compassion, a documentary that moves the conversation beyond the medical description of fibroids to the lived experience of a patient.

For Avon, the story also reflects a broader approach to healthcare. The Lagos-based multispecialty healthcare provider offers services spanning primary care, specialist consultations, diagnostics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, endoscopy, radiology, laboratory services and wellness screening. 

Its women’s health services include obstetrics and gynaecology, while its wider specialist network covers areas such as cardiology, paediatrics, endocrinology, orthopaedics and physiotherapy.

Its facilities are designed around what the organisation describes as end-to-end care — from prevention and diagnosis through treatment and recovery. The practice also provides pharmacy, laboratory and radiodiagnostic support, allowing patients to access several components of care within the same healthcare system.

That combination becomes particularly important in conditions such as fibroids, where diagnosis, treatment decisions and follow-up cannot always be separated.

A woman presenting with heavy menstrual bleeding may require a consultation, pelvic imaging and laboratory investigations before doctors determine whether fibroids are responsible and how severe the condition is. 

Depending on the findings, treatment may range from observation and medication to procedures or surgery. Avon’s diagnostic services include laboratory testing and radiology, while its clinical services include gynaecology and surgical care.

For women whose condition requires surgery, that wider ecosystem of care can also become important before and after the procedure. It was the kind of care Awotile experienced.

From Diagnosis to Treatment

At Avon, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr. Akintomiwa Bankole, said Awotile’s pelvic ultrasound showed multiple fibroids located within the uterine muscle and beneath the lining of the uterus.

Treatment for fibroids is not one-size-fits-all. Doctors consider factors such as the size and location of the growths, the severity of symptoms, the woman’s age and whether she hopes to have children.

Some women may only need observation, particularly where symptoms are absent or mild. Others may require medication to manage bleeding and pain, minimally invasive procedures or surgery.

Awotile eventually underwent an open abdominal myomectomy, a procedure that removes fibroids while preserving the uterus.

For many women, the possibility of surgery can raise another concern — fertility.

Bankole explained that having fibroids removed does not automatically mean that a woman will lose the ability to conceive.

“Fibroid surgery does not automatically mean that a woman will be unable to get pregnant,” he said.

“We have managed patients who have gone on to conceive after fibroid surgery.”

The decision about treatment therefore has to be individualised, rather than driven by fear.

That is one reason access to specialist gynaecological care and appropriate diagnostics is important.

Care Beyond the Operating Room

For Awotile, however, the story did not end when the 17 fibroids were removed.

Recovery became another part of the experience. She remembers not only the procedure but also the attention she received afterwards.

“Nobody knew who I was, yet they were happy to take care of me,” she said.

“After my discharge, the aftercare has also been very good. I keep getting calls and check-ups. I have come back a couple of times, and even though I have been discharged, they still check on me to find out how I am doing.”

That emphasis on patient experience is central to Avon’s positioning of its healthcare model.

Its services extend beyond hospital treatment to wellness screening, home nursing care and ambulance evacuation, while its facilities include specialist clinics, diagnostics and surgical services. The practice describes its model as focused on total wellbeing rather than medical intervention alone.

For Chief Executive Officer of Avon Medical Practice, Dr Akinbiyi Oke, that philosophy was behind the decision to document Awotile’s experience.

“Fibroids are not just medical statistics. They are significant factors in the life of a woman, and this affects her quality of life and overall wellbeing,” Oke said.

“What we are about to watch is not Nollywood or Bollywood. It is a story about real people, real patients and real doctors.”

The documentary therefore serves two purposes: drawing attention to fibroids and demonstrating what compassionate, patient-centred healthcare can mean when a woman moves from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.

A Wider Nigerian Health Challenge

The need for that awareness is underscored by the available Nigerian evidence. A 2023 population-based study described African women as carrying some of the highest fibroid burdens globally, while a review of fibroids among Black African women found higher incidence and prevalence among women of African ancestry compared with other racial groups.

Researchers have also identified gaps in reliable data on fibroids across sub-Saharan Africa. That makes awareness and early medical assessment even more important.

The challenge is not simply getting women into hospitals. It is helping them recognise when a symptom deserves attention.

For Awotile, that lesson came after years of progressively worsening symptoms.

Today, she describes a very different relationship with her menstrual cycle.

“I do not even know when my period is coming anymore. Apart from the normal hormonal changes, there is no pain. It has been very good, and the surgical scar is almost gone.”

Her experience has also changed what she wants other women to do. “My advice is that women should not be scared. Go to the hospital and speak to your doctors. Go to the right doctor and get the right medical attention.”

That message sits at the heart of Avon Medical Practice’s wider women’s health effort: that healthcare should not begin only when a condition becomes unbearable, and treatment should not end when a procedure is completed.

For women living with fibroids, the journey can involve diagnosis, specialist care, treatment, recovery and continued support.

And sometimes, as Awotile’s experience shows, the most important step is simply deciding that the pain is no longer something to live with.

As Africa’s disease burden shifts, access to essential medicines is emerging as an even bigger challenge. A new report launched by the Access to Medicine Foundation has spotlighted how generic medicine manufacturers are responding to rising demand for treatments, particularly for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, while warning that only one in two people living with type 1 diabetes on the continent has reliable access to insulin. Chiemelie Ezeobi�������ǰ��ٲ���

The growing number of Africans living with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer is creating a new challenge for health systems already struggling to keep essential medicines within patients’ reach.

That concern took centre stage during a virtual press briefing where the Access to Medicine Foundation launched a new report examining how generic medicine manufacturers are responding to Africa’s changing healthcare needs.

The report warned that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) could become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, raising the stakes for a continent where access to medicines is already uneven.

For a person living with type 1 diabetes, the problem is particularly stark. Insulin is not a medicine that can be taken when it becomes available or stopped when supplies run short. It is a daily necessity.

Yet the report found that only one in two people living with type 1 diabetes across Africa has reliable access to insulin.

Behind that statistic are patients who must depend on a medicine supply chain that is often affected by fragmented procurement, uncertain demand, financing difficulties and regulatory differences between countries.

The challenge is becoming broader as more Africans require treatment for conditions that demand continuous care.

A Changing Patient Population

Africa’s healthcare priorities are changing.

Infectious diseases and maternal health conditions remain significant, but NCDs are becoming an increasingly dominant part of the continent’s health burden.

Given that Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are illnesses that often require patients to remain on treatment for long periods, this places a different demand on pharmaceutical systems that have traditionally had to respond heavily to infectious diseases and acute health needs.

The implication is straightforward: medicines must not only be produced, but remain available. A patient managing diabetes cannot afford an unpredictable insulin supply. Someone taking cardiovascular medication cannot simply stop treatment because a particular medicine is unavailable. For families already struggling with healthcare costs, repeated shortages can add another layer of uncertainty.

The report therefore examines an industry that will have to become more responsive to this changing pattern of demand.

What Manufacturers are Doing

During the study, Access to Medicine Foundation studied eight generic medicine manufacturers including Sothema, Universal Corporation Ltd, Cipla Ltd, Hikma Pharmaceutical, Aspen Pharmacare, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries, Sothema, EVA Pharma and Viatris Inc to examine how generic medicine manufacturers are responding to Africa’s changing healthcare needs.

According to the report, generic manufacturers already occupy a central position in the global pharmaceutical market, producing about 80 per cent of medicines by volume and in Africa, they are seeking to strengthen that role by expanding the medicines they offer and making their supply chains more resilient.

While several manufacturers are expanding into priority NCD areas, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases as well as continuing to provide medicines for infectious diseases and maternal health, others are also investing in local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients where possible.

Where local sourcing is not feasible, manufacturers are diversifying their suppliers to reduce the risk that a disruption in one location will affect the availability of medicines.

Long-term supply agreements are another strategy identified by the report. Such arrangements can provide manufacturers with greater certainty about future demand and allow them to plan production more effectively. The importance of this becomes clearer in markets where demand is difficult to predict.

A pharmaceutical company may know that thousands of patients need a particular medicine, but still struggle to determine how much to produce when procurement systems are fragmented or purchasing commitments are uncertain.

That uncertainty can discourage investment in new manufacturing capacity.

For patients, the consequence can eventually appear at the point of care, as an unavailable medicine, a delayed treatment or a product that becomes too expensive.

The Problem Beyond the Factory

The report makes clear that Africa’s medicine access problem cannot be solved simply by asking manufacturers to produce more.

Much of the difficulty lies in what happens between production and the patient.

African pharmaceutical markets remain fragmented, with countries operating different regulatory systems and procurement arrangements. Financing is also uneven, while demand can be unpredictable.

These conditions make it difficult, particularly for emerging regional manufacturers, to determine where to invest and how much capacity to build.

Regulatory differences can further increase the cost and complexity of supplying medicines across borders.

A manufacturer that wants to serve several African countries may have to navigate different registration requirements and processes, limiting the advantages of operating in a regional market.

But there are signs that this could change.

The report points to growing momentum towards regulatory harmonisation, regional trade integration and better-coordinated procurement.

If these efforts translate into more predictable markets, manufacturers could have stronger incentives to invest in production and expand access.

Building Africa’s Own Capacity

The report also identifies a shift in the nature of pharmaceutical partnerships.

Rather than focusing only on distributing medicines or opening markets, newer partnerships are increasingly centred on technology transfer, regulatory support and localised production.

The potential benefit is significant.

A partnership that helps an African manufacturer acquire new technical capabilities can create capacity that remains within the market after the initial collaboration.

It can also help local companies expand their product portfolios and eventually reach more markets. But the report warns that this will require sustained investment.

Technology transfer cannot deliver lasting results if local manufacturers are left without the financing, regulatory support or market opportunities needed to use the capabilities they acquire.

The objective, therefore, is not simply to establish partnerships but to build a foundation for manufacturer-led growth.

Making the Medicine Reach the Patient

Claudia Martínez, Director of Research at the Access to Medicine Foundation, said manufacturers have an important role to play in responding to Africa’s changing healthcare needs.

“Africa’s healthcare needs are evolving, and manufacturers across the ecosystem will play an important role in determining whether medicine supply evolves alongside them. 

“Our research shows encouraging progress – from growing local manufacturing to the emergence of new partnership models – but also highlights that companies cannot succeed in isolation. Coordinated action between stakeholders will be essential to ensuring affordable, life-saving medicines can reach patients consistently, sustainably and at scale.”

That coordination is at the heart of the report’s recommendations. It identifies eight opportunities for manufacturers, governments and global health partners, including improving visibility of future demand, making medicine supply more affordable and predictable, coordinating procurement, harmonising regulatory practices and reducing fragmentation.

It also calls for capital to be directed towards areas where it is most needed and for regulatory bottlenecks and unnecessary red tape to be reduced.

These may sound like industry-level reforms, but their consequences will ultimately be felt by patients.

Better procurement can mean fewer stock-outs. More predictable demand can encourage manufacturers to invest. Harmonised regulation can make it easier for medicines to move between countries. Greater financing can support production where capacity is currently limited.

And stronger local manufacturing can make supply chains less vulnerable to disruptions elsewhere.

Africa is therefore approaching a critical point. The continent is not only dealing with the health problems it has always faced; it is also preparing for a rapidly growing population of patients who will need lifelong treatment.

The Access to Medicine Foundation report suggests that generic manufacturers are already adapting to this reality. But it also makes clear that the industry cannot close the access gap alone.

Governments, regulators, procurement agencies, financiers and global health organisations will have to make the pharmaceutical environment more predictable if manufacturers are to invest at the scale required.

For the patient, however, the issue remains much simpler. It is being able to walk into a pharmacy and find the medicine prescribed by a doctor, not today alone, but every time it is needed.

With NCDs projected to become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, ensuring that this basic expectation becomes a reality could determine how prepared the continent is for its next major healthcare challenge.

For Mariatou Tala Jallow, Director of the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism, local manufacturing could eventually contribute to lower medicine prices, but only if manufacturers have predictable demand and sufficient production volumes. 

During the launch, she posited that governments should invest in African manufacturers rather than focusing exclusively on securing the lowest price in the short term. She also raised concerns about the quality of some medicines entering African markets, particularly products sourced from outside the continent. 

While a number of manufacturers have obtained World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalification or other international quality certifications, she questioned how effectively African markets can guarantee the quality of medicines supplied through wholesalers and other distribution channels.

As succinctly opined by Dr. Jay Iyer, Chief Executive Officer of the Access to Medicine Foundation, the progress documented in the report should not obscure the scale of the remaining challenge, as she added that “the work is not done yet, as the scale of access to medicines in Africa is still far from being realised”.

Onuminya Innocent

The ward at the Infectious Disease Centre in Damba is quiet in a way that feels wrong. Fluorescent lights hum above rows of iron beds. Mothers sit on plastic chairs, cloths pressed to fevered foreheads. Nurses move fast between patients, but their voices are low.  

Last week, the Zamfara State Ministry of Health confirmed what many families here already feared: an outbreak of diphtheria has claimed 39 lives. The ministry also recorded another 261 suspected cases across 10 local government areas.  

Most of the faces in these beds are small. Health workers say many of the children are between six and ten months old.  

“Some of them came in too late,” a nurse at the WCWC Primary Healthcare Centre in Kwata, Gusau, said as she checked a child’s throat with a torchlight, adding, “By the time the parents realise it’s not just a cough, the breathing is already difficult.”  

Diphtheria, caused by Corynebacterium, attacks the nose, throat, and sometimes the skin. The early signs look ordinary: fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes. Then comes the neck swelling. Then the struggle to breathe. Without antitoxins and antibiotics, it kills.  

What is new is how quickly it has moved this year.  

A disease of missed chances

The numbers paint a worrying picture. Gusau Local Government Area alone accounts for 191 of the 261 suspected cases—the highest in the state. Laboratory tests have confirmed some cases, while surveillance teams continue to test and trace contacts across communities. The state government responded immediately. The Ministry of Health convened a rapid response team and deployed it to affected areas to identify new cases, provide emergency treatment, and prevent further spread.  

Rilwan Musa, Permanent Secretary of the Zamfara State Ministry of Health, said that the response has full backing from Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration and development partners.  

“We mobilised across the state the moment we saw the trend,” Musa told ������Ƶ. “But we need government at all levels to intensify efforts – more vaccines, more health workers, more sensitisation in every ward. This cannot be a one-state fight.”  

But behind the mobilisation is a harder truth: most of the children who died had not been vaccinated. National data backs that up. According to UNICEF, only 22 per cent of confirmed diphtheria cases in Nigeria had received routine childhood immunisations. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports that 68 per cent of confirmed cases nationwide involved unvaccinated people.  

“It’s heartbreaking to note that only 22 per cent of the confirmed cases received their routine childhood immunisation vaccinations,” said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “Many children did not receive their vaccines during the COVID-19 lockdown. We now urgently need to catch up. These zero-dose children, those who haven’t received a single dose of vaccine, are a primary concern.”  

In Zamfara, that gap is visible. At Kwata PHC, health workers point to immunisation hesitancy and missed doses as major drivers of the spread.  

“We are begging parents,” the nurse added. “Please bring your wards for vaccination. The vaccines are free at all PHCs. Waiting costs lives. If your child misses a dose, go to the clinic today. Don’t wait for symptoms.”  

Ten LGAs, one fear

The outbreak is not confined to Gusau. Cases have been reported in nine other LGAs, stretching response teams thin. From Kwata PHC, the rapid response team proceeded to Damba to check on patients receiving care at the Infectious Disease Centre. Some were on oxygen. Some were stable. All were children.  

Diphtheria thrives where routine vaccination drops. Nationwide, the outbreak has hit Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Lagos, FCT, Sokoto, and Zamfara hardest—those seven states account for 98 per cent of suspected cases. Children aged 2 to 14 make up about 71.5 per cent of confirmed cases. The case fatality rate sits at 8.7 per cent. For every 100 children infected, nearly nine do not make it. In the last three years, NCDC says diphtheria has claimed over 1,300 lives across Nigeria.  

What happens next: A two-pronged responsibility

In Damba, the immediate work is clinical: identify, isolate, treat. Antitoxin and antibiotics are being administered. Contacts are being traced. Health education teams are moving through markets and schools with megaphones and pamphlets. But health officials insist that treatment alone will not end this. For government, the demand is clear: intensify efforts. That means deploying more vaccines to rural PHCs, funding mobile vaccination teams, paying community health workers promptly, and sustaining surveillance even after the outbreak slows.  

For parents and caregivers, the responsibility is just as urgent: avail your wards for vaccination. The diphtheria vaccine is part of Nigeria’s routine immunisation and is provided free at primary healthcare centres. Children are to receive doses at six, 10, and 14 weeks, with boosters later. Catch-up campaigns are now being prioritised in Zamfara to reach “zero-dose” children.  

Health officials are asking communities to do three things: bring any child with fever, sore throat, or breathing difficulty to a clinic immediately; complete the full vaccination schedule; and report suspected cases early. At Kwata, a mother rocked her eight-month-old and whispered prayers. She had missed the second vaccine dose during the pandemic.  

“I thought we could wait,” she said. “I didn’t know it would come like this. I will take my other children tomorrow.”  

The weight of 39

Thirty-nine funerals in a matter of weeks. Thirty-nine names that will be read at community meetings. Thirty-nine empty spaces at dinner tables across 10 LGAs. The rapid response team will keep working. The vaccines are available. The message from the health ministry and UNICEF is simple and urgent: this disease is preventable—but only if government intensifies efforts and parents step forward.  

For now, Zamfara is in a race between the bacteria moving through unprotected children and the health workers trying to reach them first. In Damba ward, a nurse adjusts an IV and checks a chart. Outside, another ambulance pulls in. The fight is not over.  

Making Families Surrogacy Limited says cost, speed and cultural care are driving diaspora and international patients back to Nigeria in 2026

For years, the story of fertility treatment in Nigeria was simple: if you could afford it, you flew out. To London,  Dubai and India. In 2026, that story is changing.

World-class fertility care is now available in Nigeria, attracting Nigerians at home, Diaspora Africans, and International Intended Parents who are choosing to start their families closer to culture, community and considerate care.

“For so long people believed you had to leave Africa to get proper IVF,” said Fertility Counselor at Making Families Surrogacy Limited, Peace Mmewurum-Udeh.

“The technology, the embryologists, the success rates — they are here now. What makes us different is the heart behind the science.”

From Medical Tourism to Global Fertility Destination

Nigeria now has 80+ registered IVF centres equipped with time-lapse incubators, vitrification, and PGT labs — the same equipment used in top United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) clinics. Success rates for women under 35 now rival global averages at 80 per cent + per cycle. But the biggest draw isn’t just the tech. Its cost, speed, and care.

– IVF cycle in Nigeria: N4.5 million – N6.5 million.

– In the US: $20,000 – $30,000

– In the UK/Canada/EU: 6–12 month wait for consultation

-In Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt: treatment can start the same month

Whether patients are flying in from Houston, London, Toronto, or Accra, they are finding doctors who understand their faith, family dynamics, and the stigma around infertility.

Surrogacy: Speed, Transparency and Heart

For intended parents, who need a surrogate, Nigeria is offering something many countries cannot: access without the wait. At Making Families Surrogacy Limited, surrogacy journeys that used to take 18–24 months overseas can now begin within weeks of medical and legal clearance.

“Our considerate all-inclusive packages are designed to be accessible without compromising safety, ethics, or care,” Mmewurum-Udeh explained. “Every package covers medical screening, IVF, surrogate arrangement and management, legal support, delivery and post-birth — with clear milestones and no hidden fees.”

The agency reports a notable increase in inquiries from diaspora and international clients in 2026, citing shorter timelines, cultural understanding, and significantly lower costs compared to $120,000+ in the US or €70,000+ in Europe.

“We match intended parents with screened, healthy and willing surrogates right here in Nigeria,” Mmewurum-Udeh added. “We walk with you through every scan, every legal step, every prayer. You don’t have to navigate this alone, and you don’t have to do it far from home.”

For many families, this means no transatlantic flights for monitoring, no time-zone stress, and the opportunity to have grandparents present.

Come Home to Your Miracle

To every intended parent still waiting, the message is clear: your miracle doesn’t have to wait. It’s possible here.  Nigeria is no longer just a country people leave for treatment. It’s the country the world is coming to for treatment.

Making Families Surrogacy Limited is a Nigeria-based fertility support and surrogacy agency providing compassionate, ethical, and transparent reproductive care. The organization connects intended parents with comprehensive IVF and surrogacy services, including medical coordination, surrogate screening and management, and legal support. With a focus on cultural understanding and patient-centred care, Making Families Surrogacy Limited is committed to making family-building accessible to Nigerians, Diaspora Africans and international clients.

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

A non-governmental organisation in Kwara State,.Arike Hopeful Heart Foundation, has supported over 3,000 indigent residents of the state with various kinds of medical outreach as part of effort to reduce untimely death of the people in the state.

The foundation was formed and launched on Monday by Hajia Zainab Kale Kawu, wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for 2027 election in the state, Mr. Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu.

Speaking in Ilorin on Monday during the launch of the foundation, Hajia Kawu said that the foundation was formed to bring healthcare delivery to the doorsteps of Kwarans without any conditions.

The launch of the foundation coincided with  Hajia Zainab Kawu’s birthday celebration.

She said the gesture would go a long way in assisting vulnerable women, children and families who want access to basic healthcare in the state.

The founder said the initiative was also  driven by her desire to give back to society by addressing challenges confronting vulnerable members of the community, particularly in accessing healthcare and obtaining timely health information.

“I believe life is measured not only by what we achieve, but by the lives we touch, the burdens we ease and the hope we give,” she said.

Kawu said the foundation would focus on basic healthcare, health awareness, prevention and early detection, with particular attention to conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, which she described as silent health challenges capable of becoming life-threatening when left undetected.

“Our mission is to provide compassionate and practical support, particularly for women and children, while promoting health awareness, prevention and early detection,” she said.

She added that the foundation would also pay attention to post-menopausal health and other healthcare needs, stressing that its intervention would not be limited to material assistance.

“For me, this foundation is about more than assistance. It is about restoring dignity, creating awareness, bringing healthcare closer to people and, most importantly, giving hope,” she said.

According to her, the name Arike Hopeful Hearts reflects the vision of encouraging people to care for one another and respond to the needs of those experiencing hardship.

She noted that seemingly simple interventions, including medical screening, providing health information, caring for a child or supporting a woman, could have a lasting impact on beneficiaries.

“Sometimes, changing a life begins with simply reminding someone that their life matters,” she said.

The founder called on healthcare professionals, development partners, philanthropists, organisations, community leaders and individuals to support the foundation as it begins its humanitarian activities.

She also appreciated her husband and family members for their encouragement and support, promising that the foundation would operate with integrity and remain responsive to the needs of its beneficiaries.

“As we begin this journey, I make this promise: We will listen, we will serve, we will act with integrity and we will continue to give hope,” she added.

Also speaking, Hajia Kawu’s husband, Bolakale Kawu, pledged his support for his wife’s humanitarian initiative, describing her as a woman passionate about improving the lives of people in need.

The PDP governorship candidate said he was confident that the foundation would make meaningful contributions to the wellbeing of vulnerable women, children and other members of the society.

He stressed the importance of supporting initiatives designed to address the challenges confronting ordinary people, assuring his wife of his continued encouragement.

“I am 100 per cent dependent on somebody that thinks she is a fine woman, but we decided to go through this situation with support and support,” Kawu said.

He urged supporters and well-meaning members of the public to encourage the foundation and contribute to its success.

The launch marked the beginning of what the founder described as a long-term commitment to promoting healthier communities and restoring hope and dignity to vulnerable people in Kwara State.

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Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A South Africa-based medical expert, Dr. Ademola Tosin Ojo, has called on women to pay greater attention to their reproductive health and take preventive measures against cervical cancer, which he described as a major health concern among women.

He made the call during a health programme on radio where he sensitised listeners on cervical cancer, its risk factors and the importance of early detection.

According to him, cervical cancer affects the cervix, the lower part of the womb that opens into the vagina, stating that women should not ignore unusual symptoms, including abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding, and should seek medical attention when such signs occur.

He emphasised the importance of regular medical check-ups and screening, noting that early detection can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment.

Ojo also enjoined women to avoid risky sexual behaviour, including having multiple sexual partners, which can increase the risk of infections associated with cervical cancer.

He further encouraged women to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating more vegetables, fruits and other nutritious foods that support overall health and the immune system.

While discussing the body’s ability to fight diseases, Ojo stressed the importance of maintaining good general health and urged women to seek professional medical advice rather than relying solely on self-medication or home remedies.

He then called for increased awareness and education on cervical cancer, particularly among women, maintaining that prevention, regular screening and early medical intervention remain essential in reducing the impact of the disease.

Ayodeji Ake

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised the alarm over the worsening conditions confronting healthcare workers in Nigeria, warning that poor remuneration, insecurity and difficult working conditions are accelerating the migration of medical professionals from the country.

The association made the call at a press conference following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.

The NEC, the highest policy-making organ of the association, brought together representatives of medical doctors from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to deliberate on critical issues affecting healthcare delivery and the welfare of medical professionals.

At the meeting, the NMA acknowledged ongoing government investments in healthcare infrastructure but stressed that physical infrastructure alone could not guarantee quality healthcare without adequate investment in the workforce.

The association said, “Infrastructure alone cannot guarantee an effective health system without a motivated, adequately protected and properly remunerated health workforce.”

It urged the Federal Government to urgently address outstanding welfare issues affecting doctors and other health workers, warning that failure to do so would further worsen the country’s brain drain crisis.

According to the NMA, prolonged delays in concluding and implementing the outstanding Collective Bargaining Agreement have contributed to dissatisfaction among health workers and encouraged more professionals to seek opportunities abroad.

The association therefore called on the Federal Government to conclude, approve, sign and implement the agreement early enough for its financial implications to be captured in the 2027 budget.

“Meaningful engagement with health workers is essential to industrial harmony and the retention of skilled professionals in the Nigerian health system,” the association said.

The doctors also demanded tax relief for healthcare professionals working in both public and private hospitals.

The association argued that medical practitioners work under demanding and sometimes hazardous conditions, including long hours, emergency response and service in underserved communities.

It called for appropriate tax waivers, rebates and other relief measures, particularly for doctors in private hospitals who it said were facing multiple taxation and high electricity costs.

The NMA warned that the burden of such costs could eventually be transferred to patients.

On the growing problem of drug and substance abuse among young Nigerians, the association described the situation as a major public health concern requiring urgent government intervention.

It called for the government to declare youth drug and substance abuse a national public health priority and expand mental health and addiction treatment services across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare levels.

“We consider this a growing public health emergency requiring a coordinated national response,” NMA said.

It also called for stronger collaboration among government ministries and agencies responsible for health, education, youth development, security and social welfare to tackle the menace.

The association further raised concerns over the country’s poor road infrastructure, linking bad roads directly to poor healthcare outcomes.

According to the NMA, bad roads delay patients from accessing emergency treatment, impede referrals, disrupt the transportation of medicines and medical supplies, and make it difficult for healthcare workers to reach remote communities.

It therefore urged governments at all levels to prioritise the rehabilitation, construction and maintenance of roads leading to healthcare facilities.

NMA said, “We urge Government to recognise road infrastructure as an essential component of healthcare delivery and a critical determinant of health outcomes.”

On the retirement age of clinical health workers, the association renewed its demand for the implementation of a 65-year retirement age, describing it as an important measure for retaining experienced professionals amid Nigeria’s shortage of skilled healthcare workers.

In one of the strongest aspects of its statement, the NMA expressed grave concern over the worsening insecurity confronting healthcare workers across the country.

The association disclosed that a medical practitioner from Niger State had reportedly remained in captivity for approximately four months.

It described the continued captivity of the doctor as unacceptable and appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure his release.

“Healthcare workers are essential to the survival and wellbeing of our communities. They should not have to choose between serving their patients and protecting their own lives,” the association argued.

It further called for stronger security around hospitals and healthcare workers in vulnerable communities.

The association also demanded universal applicability of salaries, wages and income to doctors irrespective of where they work, including federal, state, university and local government institutions.

The NMA urged the government to strengthen measures to retain and motivate medical professionals in Nigeria, warning that the country could not build a sustainable health system while losing some of its most experienced professionals to other countries.

It said: “A hospital building without doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other skilled professionals cannot provide the quality-of-care Nigerians deserve.”

The association maintained that its demands were not aimed at confrontation with government but were part of its commitment to constructive engagement and improving Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Concluding its statement, the NMA said, “We cannot build a healthy nation on unsafe roads. We cannot retain healthcare professionals in an environment where their lives are threatened. We cannot effectively address brain drain without improving the welfare and working conditions of health workers.”

The association called for stronger collaboration between government, healthcare professionals, development partners, civil society organisations and Nigerians to address the challenges confronting the health sector.

It reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for the welfare of doctors while protecting the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Dr Daniel Awomukwu

For many Nigerians, DNA is something they hear about only in crime movies or paternity disputes.

Yet DNA is much more than that. It is a remarkable scientific tool that can help solve crimes, identify victims of disasters, reconnect missing families, and even tell the story of our shared ancestry.

Over the past few years, I undertook an extensive forensic genetics study involving Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups—Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani. The research was designed primarily to strengthen forensic science in Nigeria, but along the way it also answered several long-standing questions about our population, our ancestry, and our readiness for a national forensic DNA database.

The findings demonstrate that science can provide answers where speculation, assumptions, and myths have often dominated public discussion.

Understanding DNA Beyond Paternity Tests

Every human being inherits DNA from both parents. Although more than 99 per cent of human DNA is shared, the small differences that remain are enough to distinguish one individual from another.

This is why forensic scientists often describe DNA as a biological fingerprint.

Unlike ordinary fingerprints, DNA can be recovered from blood, saliva, semen, hair roots, skin cells, bones, and other biological material. When properly collected and analysed, these samples allow investigators to identify individuals with an exceptionally high level of accuracy.

Forensic DNA technology has transformed criminal investigations worldwide. It has helped identify serial offenders, solve decades-old crimes, exonerate innocent people who were wrongly convicted, and identify victims following natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and major accidents.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has not yet fully embraced this scientific capability.

Why Study Nigerian DNA?

Modern forensic science depends on population-specific research. DNA technologies developed in Europe or North America cannot be assumed to perform identically across all populations. Countries need their own genetic reference data to ensure that forensic evidence is interpreted accurately and fairly.

Before this research, comprehensive forensic genetic data on Nigeria’s major ethnic groups remained limited despite Nigeria being Africa’s most populous nation.

This knowledge gap prompted my doctoral research.

Blood samples were collected from more than 300 unrelated volunteers representing the Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani populations. Advanced forensic DNA technologies commonly used within the United Kingdom were then used to analyse the samples using internationally accepted forensic genetic methods.

The objective was straightforward: to determine whether Nigeria possesses the scientific foundation required for modern forensic DNA applications.

One Country, One Forensic DNA System

Nigeria is home to hundreds of ethnic groups, each with its own history, language, and cultural identity.

Naturally, some people have wondered whether such diversity would make it difficult to establish a single national forensic DNA database.

The results provide reassuring evidence.

From a forensic perspective, the Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani populations are genetically very similar. Standard forensic DNA markers showed no major differences that would prevent one national system from serving all three populations effectively.

This finding is particularly important because it demonstrates that Nigeria’s ethnic diversity is not a scientific obstacle to implementing a national DNA database.

Rather than requiring separate systems for different ethnic groups, one carefully managed national database could provide equitable forensic support across the country.

Choosing Technology That Works Best for Nigeria

An important part of the research compared two forensic DNA systems currently used in the United Kingdom.

Both technologies performed exceptionally well and produced highly reliable DNA profiles. However, one system analysed more genetic markers than the other and consistently generated stronger discriminatory power and greater statistical confidence for Nigerian samples.

This has important implications for policymakers.

As Nigeria develops its forensic infrastructure, it has the opportunity to adopt the most advanced and effective technology available rather than investing in systems that may become out-dated.

Good scientific planning today will reduce costs and improve investigative capability for many years to come.

What Our DNA Says About Our Ancestry

The study also explored paternal ancestry by examining Y-chromosome DNA, which is inherited from father to son.

The findings revealed interesting historical relationships.

The Igbo and Yoruba populations showed evidence of closer paternal ancestry, while some Hausa-Fulani groups displayed signs of historical genetic admixture, reflecting centuries of interaction with neighbouring populations.

The research also found that Fulani populations share genetic links with populations in parts of West Africa, particularly Senegal. These findings support historical accounts describing migration and interaction across West Africa over many centuries.

These discoveries illustrate how genetics can complement archaeology, linguistics, and recorded history in reconstructing human migration.

Science does not replace history; it strengthens our understanding of it.

Revisiting Long-Standing Historical Claims

One of the most widely discussed historical claims involving Nigerian ancestry concerns the belief held by some that the Igbo are descendants of one of the Lost Tribes of Israel.

This subject has generated considerable interest for many decades.

Using internationally recognised forensic genetic methods, the study examined available comparative population data to determine whether a strong genetic relationship exists.

The results did not identify a close genetic connection between the Igbo population and Israeli populations. While questions of culture, religion, and identity extend beyond genetics alone, the available scientific evidence from this study does not support a direct genetic relationship.

Science helps distinguish historical evidence from longstanding assumptions.

Nigerian DNA in a Global Context

The research extended well beyond Nigeria.

DNA data from thousands of individuals across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas were analysed to understand where Nigerian populations fit within the broader human family.

The results confirmed that Nigerian populations are genetically closest to other West African populations, reflecting shared regional ancestry.

The analyses also demonstrated that populations of African descent in North America, South America, and the Caribbean retain strong genetic connections with West Africa despite centuries of separation following the transatlantic slave trade.

This finding reinforces the historical significance of West Africa as an ancestral homeland for millions of people living throughout the African diaspora.

Science in Service of Justice

Although the ancestry findings are fascinating, the primary purpose of this research remains forensic science.

DNA technology is not simply about understanding where we came from.

It is about protecting people today.

A properly managed national forensic DNA database could help investigators identify offenders more quickly, connect crimes committed in different parts of the country, identify disaster victims, locate missing persons, prevent wrongful convictions, and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

Scientific evidence is impartial.

Unlike eyewitness testimony, DNA cannot be influenced by fear, emotion, prejudice, or financial inducement.

It speaks only through biological evidence. Building Nigeria’s Forensic Future

Scientific discoveries alone cannot transform a justice system.

They must be supported by investment, legislation, education, and institutional commitment.

Nigeria needs more forensic laboratories, better-equipped crime scene investigators, continuous professional training, internationally recognised quality standards, and stronger legal frameworks governing DNA collection, storage, and privacy.

The country also requires a national Disaster Victim Identification programme to ensure that victims of plane crashes, terrorist attacks, explosions, floods, building collapses, and other mass casualty incidents can be identified with dignity and accuracy.

These are not merely scientific ambitions.

They are humanitarian responsibilities.

Looking Ahead

Forensic genetics has moved beyond the research laboratory.

It is now one of the most powerful tools available for delivering justice, strengthening national security, and advancing scientific knowledge.

My research demonstrates that Nigeria possesses both the scientific evidence and the technical foundation needed to embrace this technology responsibly.

The country’s remarkable ethnic diversity should be celebrated, not viewed as an obstacle.

The science shows that while our languages, cultures, and traditions may differ, our shared genetic heritage provides a strong foundation for a unified forensic system that serves every Nigerian equally.

The future of forensic science in Nigeria will not be determined solely by advances in technology.

It will be determined by our willingness to invest in evidence, trust science, and build institutions that deliver justice through knowledge rather than speculation.

If we make those investments today, future generations will inherit a criminal justice system that is faster, fairer, and better equipped to protect every citizen.

That is the promise—and the responsibility—of modern forensic science.

*Dr. Awomukwu is a forensic scientist, forensic geneticist, molecular biologist, biotechnologist and double doctorate holder in forensic genetics and molecular genetics based in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

In commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, leading pathology company Cerba Lancet took its campaign off hospital grounds and into the heart of Mushin, offering free tests, health education, and referrals to hundreds of residents. The goal was simple: meet people where they are, break the silence around Hepatitis B, and give a community the tools to protect itself. Writes MARY NNAH

The plastic chairs were already full by 7:15 am. Outside the multi-purpose hall of Mushin Local Government, a line snaked down to the gate. Traders in wrappers, okada riders, students in uniform, and elderly men with walking sticks. All of them had come for one thing: to know.

On Friday, August 7, 2026, Cerba Lancet, one of Nigeria’s leading pathology companies, turned the council hall into a clinic for a day.

In partnership with Mushin LGA, they held a public enlightenment and free screening drive to mark World Hepatitis Day,  observed globally on July 28.

For many in the crowd, it was the first time they had ever heard “Hepatitis B” said outside of a hospital.

We started here. We cannot forget this.

Inside, nurses moved quickly. Registration. Blood pressure. Weight. Random blood sugar. Then the Hepatitis B test.

Dr. Olayemi Dawodu, MD/CEO of Cerba Lancet, stood near the testing bay, greeting people in Yoruba and English.

“What we are doing today is not just about giving results,” she said. “It’s about dignity. It’s about telling someone: this is your status, this is what it means, and this is where you can get help.” 

She explained the company decided to come to Mushin for two reasons: proximity and history.

“This is where Cerba Lancet started. And we are just minutes from LUTH. If someone tests positive today, we can refer them immediately to a secondary facility for proper management. We are also giving palliatives – food and drugs – to those we can support.”

The company had budgeted for 200 people. 247 showed up.

A “Silent K���������”&�Բ�����;Hiding in Plain Sight

Temitope Ambrose, Head of ������Ƶ Development, said the delay from the global July 28 date was intentional.

“We wanted to do it right, not rush it. When the council chairman, Hon. Tunbosun Haruna Aruwe, said yes, we knew Mushin was ready.”

He walked through the hall pointing to different stations. “Look, we are not just doing Hepatitis. People need to know their BP, their sugar. But Hepatitis B is the one we don’t talk about. Unlike HIV or COVID, there is no daily news about it. Yet it kills.”

He explained it simply for the crowd: Hepatitis B spreads through infected blood, unprotected sex, sharing needles, and unclean tools for piercings and tattoos. If left undetected, it can cause chronic liver damage and liver cancer.

“And there is a vaccine,” he kept repeating into the microphone. “If you have taken it, you are covered. If you haven’t, go take it. But first, test.”

He also addressed Hepatitis C. “People think they are the same. They are not. But they spread the same way. And you can have C without knowing you had B first. That is why screening matters.”

Health Is Our Number One Priority

The council turned out in full. Hon. Semiu Ishola Karaole, Vice Chairman and supervisor for health, said the chairman assigned him health because “that’s where the people feel government most.”

“In Mushin, we run monthly health programmes. We have seven primary health centres and four functional ambulances. When Cerba Lancet called, we didn’t think twice. Our people deserve this,”  he said.

Dr. Odufuwa Kayode, the council’s Medical Officer, called Hepatitis B “a silent killer.” “When it becomes chronic, it causes liver inflammation. The liver is the engine of the body.  Once it is weak, other organs follow. That is why early screening is key.”

He commended the Lagos State Government for investing in screening and treatment programmes.

“The goal is simple: catch it early so the body’s antibodies can fight it.”

Voices from the Line

Mama Risikat Adebayo, 52, sells tomatoes at Mushin Market. She came with her two daughters.

“I’ve been having stomach pain and tiredness for months. I thought it was typhoid or malaria,” she said, clutching her result slip. “Now I know. If I’m okay, I’ll thank God. If not, at least I know where to go.”

A 24-year-old barber, Tunde, came because of a friend. “My guy died last year. Doctors said liver problem. Nobody said Hepatitis. Today I came to check so it won’t be me.”

Many asked the same question: “Will you come back?” “Please come every three months,” one woman pleaded. “Not just Mushin. Go to all the LCDAs too.”

Beyond the Test

By 2 pm, the hall was quieter. Volunteers were packing, but doctors were still counseling those with positive results, writing referral notes to LUTH and other secondary facilities.

Dr. Dawodu said the bigger fight is education. “We need to do advocacy in Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa. In the market, in churches, in schools. If people understand how it spreads, we can prevent a whole generation from getting infected.”For Cerba Lancet, the day was also a reminder of purpose.

“We are a lab company,” Ambrose said. “But labs don’t mean anything if the person never walks in the door. So we brought the lab to the people.”

As residents left with bags of refreshments, fliers, and in some cases, hope, one message was clear: knowing is the first step to living.

Why Knowing Matters

Hepatitis B spreads quietly through infected blood, unprotected sex, shared needles, and unsterile piercing or tattoo tools, and in its early stages it often shows no symptoms at all until fatigue, body pain, or jaundice sets in. Left unchecked, it can lead to chronic liver damage and liver cancer, but the good news is that a safe and effective vaccine exists, and early testing can make all the difference. With more awareness, community education in local languages, and regular screening, thousands of Nigerians can avoid infection or get treatment in time, turning what is often called a silent killer into a condition that can be managed and prevented.

The Universal Archaivar Elders (UAE) of the Kegites Club (Ẹgbẹ́ Àgbà Ẹlẹ́mù) has successfully concluded the inaugural UAE Table Tennis Tournament 2026 and Community Medical Outreach (COMO 2), marking another milestone in the organisation’s commitment to sports, healthy living, unity and humanitarian service.
The two-day event, held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, commemorated the Centenary Celebration of Table Tennis as a global sport while providing free healthcare services to hundreds of beneficiaries.
The historic occasion was graced by HRM Oba Dr. Mukaila Akanbi Salako, the Adokun of Igan Okoto Kingdom, and HRM Oba Nojeemdeen Osuolale Afolabi, Tukuru II, the Gegun of Ayetoro Oke Kingdom.
The traditional rulers commended the Universal Archaivar Elders (UAE) for transforming the values of culture, unity and brotherhood into practical community service. They particularly praised the combination of sports and free healthcare, describing it as a worthy example of how cultural organisations can contribute meaningfully to nation-building, healthy living and humanitarian development.
The tournament was officially declared open by Dr. Tayo Adesoji, President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and Chairman of the Oyo State Table Tennis Association (OYSTTA), who described the championship as a worthy contribution to the global celebration of 100 years of table tennis.
He commended UAE for promoting unity, healthy competition and community development through sports.
In his opening address, Basorun Fayth Deleola Daramola, President of the Universal Archaivar Elders, said the event represented much more than competition.
“We celebrate a century of table tennis as a global sport and reaffirm our belief that sports remain a powerful instrument for unity, discipline, friendship, healthy living and peaceful coexistence. By combining this tournament with our Community Medical Outreach, we demonstrate our commitment to serving humanity through sports, healthcare and community engagement.”

Running concurrently with the tournament, COMO 2 welcomed well over 1,000 attendees, including 79 distinguished VIP guests, while hundreds of beneficiaries received free medical consultations, blood pressure and blood sugar screening, pharmacy services, health education, essential medications and other healthcare interventions.
Professor Bade Adewale, widely regarded as Nigeria’s No. 1 acupuncturist, also provided specialist acupuncture services to selected beneficiaries.
A major contributor to the success of COMO 2 was Colgate Tolaram LFTZ Enterprise, whose partnership provided hundreds of attendees with free dental consultations, oral health education and oral care products, significantly expanding the scope and impact of the outreach.
Chief (Dr.) Edward Olusegun Alo, Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, attributed the success to purposeful planning, teamwork and the commitment of sponsors, partners, volunteers and UAE members.
Similarly, Ms. Olori Adetoun Olugbile, Coordinator of COMO 2, described the opportunity to provide healthcare without financial barriers as deeply rewarding and thanked the volunteer doctors, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare assistants, Colgate Tolaram LFTZ Enterprise, Professor Bade Adewale and other partners.
A patron of the Kegites club and ace broadcaster, Akeem Yomi Opakunle, who played a pivotal role in managing and coordinating tournament activities throughout the championship, described the successful first edition as proof of what commitment, discipline and collective responsibility could achieve.
He praised the enthusiasm of the players, officials and spectators, expressing confidence that the UAE Table Tennis Tournament had established a strong foundation to become a major annual sporting event.
The championship climaxed with the presentation of prizes by Mr. Owolabi Odele, Chief Executive Officer of ZUZLON Properties, sponsor of the Championship Cash Prizes.
Chief Gbenga Adene, Kegites Chief of Ilya Du Tractor 2003/2004, made history as the First Champion of the UAE Table Tennis Tournament, receiving the Gold Cup, Gold Medal and ₦300,000 cash prize.
Mathew Babalola received the Silver Medal and ₦250,000, while Sheriff Badmus of Ilya Lisabi and Gbenga Vincent of Ilya Du Moore received Joint Bronze Medals and ₦200,000 each.
Quarter-finalists Akeem Onaleye, Abiola Adesope, Lekan Ogboriefon and Olumide Akintola, alongside Best Loser Tayo Odusanya, each received a ₦10,000 Consolation Prize in recognition of their performances and sportsmanship.
Reacting to his victory, Adene described becoming the tournament’s first champion as an honour he would cherish, noting that the championship went beyond competition to celebrate friendship, unity, longevity and the enduring sporting spirit of the Kegites family.
At the prize presentation, Mr. Owolabi Odele congratulated Adene and all participants, describing ZUZLON Properties’ sponsorship as an investment in sporting excellence, friendship, healthy competition and community development.
“Supporting this championship is about much more than presenting prizes. It is about encouraging excellence, bringing people together and supporting an organization making a tangible difference in its community.”
Participants and beneficiaries similarly praised the initiative, particularly the opportunity to enjoy an exciting sporting competition while accessing quality healthcare and health information free of charge.
The Universal Archaivar Elders extends profound appreciation to the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Oyo State Table Tennis Association (OYSTTA), ZUZLON Properties, Colgate Tolaram LFTZ Enterprise, Royal Resorts, Success and Miliki FMs, Professor Bade Adewale, Femi Fadah Media, healthcare professionals, volunteers, media organisations, sponsors, partners and individuals whose support contributed to the success of the programme.
Special appreciation goes to the traditional rulers, distinguished guests, tournament officials, participating players, medical and security personnel, media practitioners, members of UAE and the public for making the historic two-day programme memorable.
Following the success of the inaugural edition, the Universal Archaivar Elders (Ẹgbẹ́ Àgbà Ẹlẹ́mù) has reaffirmed its commitment to developing the UAE Table Tennis Tournament and Community Medical Outreach into annual flagship programmes promoting sporting excellence, healthy living, humanitarian service, unity and the preservation of African cultural values.

Funmi Ogundare and Ayodeji Ake 

The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has urged journalists to take the lead in educating residents on the benefits of mandatory health insurance, saying effective public communication is critical to achieving universal health coverage in the state.

The Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, made the call on Tuesday at a two-day capacity-building programme organised for journalists on the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) and the Mandatory Social Health Insurance Programme, known as ILERA EKO.

Zamba said the media had a major responsibility to build public confidence in the scheme by providing accurate information, correcting misconceptions and holding institutions accountable.

“Policies alone do not guarantee success; their effectiveness depends on understanding, cooperation and participation,” she said.

According to her, the training was designed to strengthen journalists’ understanding of the state’s health insurance programme and equip them with the knowledge required for responsible and informed reporting.

She recalled that she had made a commitment at a National Media Dialogue organised by the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) in Abuja in October 2025 to prioritise the capacity building of journalists upon her return to Lagos.

Zamba said the commitment had resulted in the first batch of the programme in February 2026, during which 56 journalists were trained in collaboration with ISMPH.

She disclosed that journalists, who participated in the first batch, alongside their family members and dependants, were given one year of free health insurance coverage by LASHMA.

The permanent secretary said the state government’s decision to make health insurance mandatory was driven by its commitment to ensuring that all residents, irrespective of their socio-economic status, could access affordable and quality healthcare.

She pointed to the Executive Order signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on July 16, 2024, making health insurance under ILERA EKO mandatory for all residents of Lagos State.

“To demonstrate leadership by example, all Lagos State public servants have been enrolled on ILERA EKO,” she said, adding that the government pays 75 per cent of their annual premium while workers contribute 25 per cent.

Zamba also disclosed that one per cent of the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund had been dedicated to an Equity Fund for vulnerable residents.

She said the fund had been increased from N1 billion to N3 billion and approved as a one-line charge by the governor.

Despite these interventions, she expressed concern that a significant number of residents remained outside the health insurance system.

“Despite these efforts and the introduction of innovations aimed at simplifying enrolment and reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure, many residents remain uncovered,” she said.

She therefore urged journalists to use their platforms to deepen public understanding of the scheme, noting that health insurance was particularly important in a megacity such as Lagos because it could protect families from catastrophic medical expenses.

Also speaking, the Coordinating Director, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Adesegun Ogundeji, said the mandatory nature of ILERA EKO applied to everyone living in Lagos State, irrespective of their state of origin or nationality.

“On 16 July 2024, Mr. Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu signed an executive order making Social Health Insurance mandatory for all residents of Lagos State,” Ogundeji said.

He explained that ILERA EKO was the platform through which residents access the health insurance coverage and disclosed that enforcement commenced following the inauguration of an enforcement team.

“Therefore, if you reside in Lagos State, you are expected to enrol and have ILERA EKO,” he said.

Ogundeji said the applicable premium is N15,000 for an individual, N55,000 for a family of four and N80,000 for a family of six.

He listed services covered under the scheme to include consultations, specialist care, dental and eye care, selected surgeries, treatment of common illnesses such as malaria and typhoid, management of hypertension and diabetes, emergency services, childhood healthcare, medical tests and prescribed drugs.

Describing journalists as critical partners in the implementation of the programme, Ogundeji said their influence went beyond reporting events.

“Your role goes beyond mere reporting events, you help shape public understanding and influence the choices people make,” he said.

He urged journalists to make the most of the training by asking questions and seeking clarification from facilitators to ensure that their subsequent reports would be accurate, balanced and informative.

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A Nigerian medical expert based in South Africa, Dr. Ademola Tosin Ojo, has enjoined Nigerians to pay close attention to their health and adopt preventive measures to reduce the risk of stroke.

He gave the advice during a radio/television programme where he discussed stroke, its warning signs, possible causes, prevention, and appropriate first-aid measures.

The cardiovascular doctor urged members of the public to take early warning signs seriously, stating that prompt recognition of stroke symptoms and immediate medical attention could significantly improve the chances of survival and recovery.

 According to him, lifestyle choices, diet, and certain underlying health conditions can increase an individual’s risk of suffering a stroke, charging Nigerians to maintain healthy eating habits, monitor their blood pressure, and seek medical attention whenever unusual symptoms occur.

Ojo also spoke on how to respond when a person begins to show signs of a stroke, cautioning against self-medication and unnecessary delays in seeking professional medical care.

He further explained that basic first-aid measures could be taken while waiting for emergency medical assistance, particularly in cases involving cardiac arrest, and highlighted some of the factors that may contribute to such medical emergencies.

The Ekiti-born medical expert has continued to use his public health programmes to promote health awareness and educate members of the public on common health challenges.

He has previously discussed a wide range of health issues, including malaria, kidney disease, hypertension, and other conditions affecting people in Nigeria and around the world.

Dr. Adegbajo Odedina once planned to join the wave of Nigerian doctors leaving the country. But he walked away from that plan and from a comfortable life abroad to come home with a mission.

Faced with Nigeria’s staggering child and neonatal mortality rates, the pediatrician and neonatologist set out to build something different: a hospital that treats only children.  What started as a modest 9-to-5 clinic in GRA, Ikeja, has grown into Haven Pediatrics, a 24-hour mono-specialist facility. Here, there are no adult wards. Just pediatric consultants, a NICU, and every sub-specialty a child might need, all under one roof.  For premature babies and children with complex conditions, it is a place built for one purpose: to give them specialists, equipment, and round-the-clock care and a real fighting chance. Writes MARY NNAH

At 1am on a quiet night, the phone at Haven Pediatrics rang. A baby, just 4 days old, was being rushed in from a general hospital in the Iyana Ipaja axis. The child was already on a makeshift “bottle CPAP” – tubes in a bottle of water being used to push oxygen.

“We see this too often,” said Dr. Adegbajo Odedina, Chief Medical Director of Haven Pediatrics. “By the time some babies get to us, they have lost precious hours.”

Four hours later, that baby was on a proper CPAP machine, in a temperature-controlled incubator, under the watch of a pediatrician. It is the save Dr. Odedina left the UK for.

There Is Something I Can Fix

Dr. Odedina trained and worked in both public and private hospitals in Nigeria and abroad. Like many doctors, he once planned to leave for good.

 “Several years ago, I made up my mind, like the average Nigerian doctor, to pack my bags and leave the country,” he recalled. “But while I was there, I was very uncomfortable, and I had to come back. I came back with the mindset that there is a need in my community here.”

That need is stark: Nigeria has one of the highest under-five and neonatal mortality rates in the world. A neonate is a child in the first 28 days of life. Premature babies are the most vulnerable.

“So I teamed up with some friends, and we decided that we are going to start a hospital exclusively for children, where they can get quality, affordable care.”

On March 20, 2025, Haven Pediatrics opened in GRA, Ikeja. Not a mother-and-child hospital. Not a general hospital. Just children.

One Roof, Every Pediatric Specialty

Haven started as a 9am to 5pm clinic. Within months, it went 24 hours a day, with admissions. What makes it different, Dr. Odedina insists, is simple: there is always a pediatrician.

“You have access to a pediatrician every day of the week. On Sundays, we are not seated there, but there is a doctor available. And if need be, a consultant will come.”

But it goes deeper. Haven is a “mono-specialist” hospital, meaning everything inside it is about pediatrics and pediatric subspecialties.

“We have pediatric cardiology for children with heart problems. Neurology for brain problems. Nephrology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, neonatology, endocrinology, ENT, optometry, speech therapy, behavioural disorders,” Dr. Odedina listed.

“We also do school health screening, all immunizations, and work closely with dental facilities. It’s a one-stop place. Everything is pediatrics; you will find it under one roof. You can call us, chat with us on Instagram or WhatsApp, and we will book an appointment.”

The consultants, he said, are not fresh graduates. “They have several years’ experience. They work in several places in and out of the country. In fact, one of my teachers in postgraduate medical school is also part of our team”, he noted.

Beyond the people is the infrastructure. “There is no issue of power. The lab is fully functional. It is clean. It is comfortable. We have the equipment to back it up,” he says.

The ₦2 Million Lifeline For Preemies

Haven’s most expensive service is its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). And that is deliberate. “For as little as 2 million Naira, you have access to NICU for about a week,” Dr. Odedina explained. “You don’t have to pay everything at once”, he added.

In a country where NICU care in some private hospitals “costs an arm and a leg,” he believes Haven is among the cheapest. Registration is ₦10,000. Consultations run from 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday.

The NICU itself is built for the smallest fighters. The ventilators can support babies from 0.4kg, though Haven’s minimum acceptance is 26 weeks because of infection control.

The unit is deep-cleaned three times a week and cleaned daily. Staff observe strict hand-washing and gowning protocols. 

Why does it matter? Because premature babies die from very basic failures.

“The lungs are not mature. They struggle to breathe. They cannot control temperature. Blood sugar is all over the place. And infections,” Dr. Odedina explained.

“Imagine a 26-week baby delivered in a church. There is no skill there to resuscitate. Some centers still slap newborns, causing fractures.”

At Haven, babies get surfactant – the expensive medication that helps immature lungs expand and CPAP or ventilators if needed.

“The machine we have can take over the breathing of the child and tell you exactly what measure of oxygen the child is getting. Not guessing with a bottle.”

Why Babies Are Born Too Early

As a neonatologist and trainer in neonatal resuscitation, Dr. Odedina sees the root causes daily. “The number one problem is that most mothers still don’t go for antenatal care. They don’t register at hospitals. Some still go to deliver in churches and other places where they are not monitored,” he said.

Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and untreated infections can trigger early labour. IVF pregnancies with multiple fetuses also overstretch the womb.

“When you register, your BP, blood sugar, and urine  are checked and treated. And if early delivery is inevitable, we give injections to help the baby’s lungs mature before arrival.” 

That is why Haven now partners directly with obstetricians and IVF centers. “We tell them: we can take this problem off your hands. If it is a planned delivery, we can come with an ambulance and transport incubator, receive the baby, stabilize, and transfer to our facility. The babies that come this way are the ones that recover with little or no side effects.”

Fighting The ‘GRA Is For Big People’ Perception

Haven’s biggest challenge isn’t medicine. It’s perception. We struggle with people hearing ‘Ikeja GRA’ and assuming it’s going to cost an arm and a leg,” Dr. Odedina admitted.

“I don’t want to create an impression that this is an elitist hospital. My goal in life is to save as many children as possible.”

The hospital is actively courting referrals. They have partnered with schools and churches like Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral. They have engaged hospitals and HMOs – Haven works with over 15 major Health Management Organisations in Nigeria. When the NICU opened, the Chairman was the CMD of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo. “A lot of prominent pediatricians were there, and they all gave their thumbs-up”, he pointed out quickly.

He even sees diaspora patients flying in from the UK to see Haven’s allergist, dermatologist, ENT, and cardiologist because of long waiting times abroad.

“And yes, Iya Sukurat in Bariga can access care here,” he said. “Through out-of-pocket payment plans, and through HMOs. Our prices are comparable to, or even lower than, the private arms of many teaching hospitals.”

More Than NICU 

Dr. Odedina is quick to say Haven is not just about premature babies. “We don’t want us to just focus on NICU. Any specialty in pediatrics, Haven offers it.”

He also holds a senior position at a government children’s hospital on Lagos Island. He said there is no conflict. “I’ve never diverted a patient. But I see the challenges there. This is highly capital intensive. The kind of equipment and cleaning we do is difficult to sustain in government hospitals.”

The Mission

For Dr. Odedina, it comes back to one thing: survival. “The peculiarity with premature babies is that there are too many things that can go wrong. I can have a 26-week baby and discharge that baby without any issue. Meanwhile, a 33-week baby may die. Nobody can guarantee survival. But we can guarantee you the best chance.”

Haven Pediatrics is still young. But its message is clear: every child deserves a pediatrician, the right equipment, and a fighting chance, whether you come from GRA or Bariga.

“Call us. Chat with us. Come in,” Dr. Odedina said, adding, “Because the world needs all the good that we can do for our children.”

Kelechi Ohiri, director-general of NHIA, is one of the country’s foremost health reformers, writes BASHIR IBRAHIM HASSAN

Economic reforms dominate Nigeria’s public discourse. Inflation, taxation, exchange rates and fiscal deficits command headlines almost daily. Yet beneath these familiar debates lies a quieter question with far greater implications for the country’s long-term prosperity: who will build the Nigeria those reforms are meant to serve?

For Kelechi Ohiri, director-general of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the answer begins with people. “We don’t make enough reference to Nigeria’s greatest resource, which is human capital,” he observed during a fireside conversation at the ������ƵDay CEO Forum. It was a simple statement, delivered without rhetorical flourish, yet it captured a philosophy that has defined his career across medicine, global development and public policy.

Unlike many healthcare leaders who see hospitals, insurance schemes and disease control as ends in themselves, Ohiri views healthcare as economic infrastructure. Healthy populations are more productive. Productive citizens build stronger businesses. Stronger businesses create wealth. Universal health coverage, in his worldview, is not merely a social obligation. It is a national competitiveness strategy.

That conviction explains why one of Africa’s most accomplished health policy professionals returned home in 2023 to lead an institution long regarded as one of Nigeria’s most difficult public sector assignments. At first glance, the move seemed counterintuitive.

Before his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as director-general of the NHIA, Ohiri had assembled the kind of international career many public policy professionals spend a lifetime pursuing. A medical doctor trained at the University of Lagos, he later earned both a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University before joining McKinsey & Company’s London office, where he advised governments and institutions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He subsequently joined the World Bank through its prestigious Young Professionals Programme, working on health financing and social protection reforms before moving to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where he rose to become chief strategy, policy and innovation officer.

Few professionals accumulate experience across clinical medicine, strategy consulting, multilateral finance and global health institutions with such ease. Fewer still choose to exchange those platforms for the demanding realities of public sector reform at home. Yet the decision was entirely consistent with Ohiri’s philosophy. Throughout his career, he has gravitated towards systems rather than programmes.

As special adviser to successive Nigerian ministers of health and later to the minister of finance, he helped shape reforms that extended beyond healthcare, including the Saving One Million Lives Programme and the conceptual foundations of Nigeria’s National Social Safety Nets Programme. These initiatives reflected his enduring belief that poverty, health and economic opportunity cannot be addressed in isolation. That systems perspective would become even more pronounced at Gavi.

There, he contributed to the strategic direction of one of the world’s most successful public health partnerships, helping guide policies that have enabled the immunisation of more than one billion children across lower-income countries while strengthening national health systems. The experience reinforced an important lesson: sustainable progress depends less on isolated interventions than on institutions capable of scaling impact over decades.

It is precisely that lesson he brought to the NHIA. For years, Nigeria’s health insurance system struggled with low enrolment, fragmented financing and widespread public scepticism. Healthcare remained overwhelmingly financed through out-of-pocket spending, leaving millions of households vulnerable to financial hardship whenever serious illness struck.

Ohiri inherited more than an agency. He inherited one of Nigeria’s most significant structural development challenges. His response has been to redefine the institution’s purpose.

The NHIA, under his leadership, is no longer presented simply as an insurance administrator. It is increasingly positioned as the financial architecture underpinning universal health coverage and, by extension, one of the foundations of long-term economic resilience. That ambition is already reflected in measurable progress.

Through closer collaboration with state governments, accelerated implementation of the National Health Insurance Act and targeted interventions for vulnerable populations, health insurance coverage has expanded steadily under his leadership, rising from approximately 16 million beneficiaries when he assumed office to more than 22 million Nigerians. At the same time, the Authority has introduced reforms in strategic purchasing, digital systems and quality assurance designed to improve both efficiency and public confidence.

Yet statistics, while important, reveal only part of the story. Universal health coverage is not an aspiration measured by insurance cards issued or hospitals accredited. It is measured by whether a mother survives childbirth, whether a worker remains productive, whether a child stays in school because illness did not bankrupt the family, and whether businesses spend less replacing exhausted talent and more creating value.

It is a philosophy that increasingly distinguishes his leadership from traditional health administration. At the ������ƵDay CEO Forum, he urged chief executives to abandon the narrow view of healthcare as an employee benefit or welfare programme.

“Every CEO understands that people are the organisation’s greatest asset,” he said. “The question is not simply how we pay for treatment when employees become sick. It is how we help them remain healthy throughout their productive lives.”

That shift – from treating illness to producing health – has become the organising principle of the NHIA’s reform agenda. Under Ohiri’s leadership, the Authority has expanded beyond financing curative care to promoting prevention, wellness and financial protection. Programmes now place greater emphasis on maternal health, vulnerable populations, quality improvement and strategic purchasing, ensuring public resources reward better outcomes rather than merely higher volumes of care.

Among the most visible reforms is the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Maternal Care initiative, which finances life-saving emergency services for pregnant women across hundreds of health facilities. In a country that accounts for one of the world’s highest maternal mortality burdens, the programme demonstrates how targeted health financing can directly improve survival while protecting families from catastrophic medical costs. 

Technology forms another pillar of his strategy. Artificial intelligence, telemedicine, electronic medical records and digital identity systems feature prominently in his vision, not because they represent fashionable innovation, but because they offer practical solutions to structural constraints.

Nigeria, he argues, cannot wait decades to build enough hospitals, train enough specialists or deploy enough healthcare workers through conventional models alone. Digital technology offers the opportunity to leapfrog those limitations.

Innovation without scale, he argued, changes little. Nigeria has produced no shortage of successful pilot projects. Its challenge has been converting those pilots into national systems.

During the CEO Forum, he pointed to countries that deliberately invested in health and education before experiencing decades of sustained economic expansion. Nigeria, with one of the world’s youngest populations, faces a similar opportunity. Its demographic dividend, however, is not guaranteed.

Without sustained investment in human capital, today’s youthful population risks becoming tomorrow’s development burden. With the right investments, it could become Nigeria’s greatest economic advantage. That argument resonates well beyond government.

Increasingly, business leaders recognise that workforce productivity depends not only on technology or organisational design, but also on physical health, mental wellbeing and financial resilience. Poor health raises operating costs, reduces output, weakens competitiveness and undermines economic growth. For Ohiri, the distinction between health policy and economic policy is therefore largely artificial. Asked what single decision Nigeria must make over the next five years to secure its future, he resisted offering a silver bullet. Instead, he returned to first principles. “We cannot wait for prosperity to trickle down,” he said. “Government, businesses and institutions must deliberately invest in human capital while ensuring those investments reach every segment of society.”

He is betting that nations become prosperous not because they first become wealthy, but because they first invest in the health, capability and dignity of their people. If that proposition continues to shape Nigeria’s health financing reforms, his tenure at the NHIA may ultimately be remembered for something larger than expanding insurance coverage.

It may be remembered as the moment healthcare ceased to be viewed as social expenditure and began to be recognised for what it has always been: one of the country’s most valuable economic assets.

Hassan writes from Abuja

Raheem Akingbolu

The Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, and Professor of Medical Law, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, has expressed concern over the declining public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system, attributing it to the persistent failure to hold medical practitioners and healthcare institutions accountable for negligence. He also condemned the practice of demanding police reports from victims of emergencies before they can receive medical attention, describing it as unlawful and inhumane.

Prof. Abugu made these remarks while delivering the 52nd Inaugural Lecture of the University of Abuja titled, “Restoring the Dignity of the Patient.” He noted that although Nigerian law expressly prohibits the denial of emergency medical treatment, there remains a significant gap between the country’s legal framework and its implementation.

“Although Nigerian law unequivocally prohibits the denial of emergency medical treatment, a significant gap remains between the legal framework and its practical implementation. Consequently, access to urgent healthcare often remains uncertain and, in many instances, dangerously inadequate,” he said.

According to the legal scholar, the gap is evident in numerous incidents across the country where patients have either been denied emergency treatment or subjected to delays that sometimes resulted in avoidable deaths.

To buttress his point, Prof. Abugu cited the case of Greatness Olorunfemi, who died in October 2023 after allegedly being denied prompt emergency care at Maitama District Hospital in Abuja following injuries sustained during a “one chance” robbery attack.

He said the incident underscores the continued disregard for the legal obligation placed on healthcare providers to administer emergency treatment without delay.

Speaking on the consequences of medical negligence, Prof. Abugu stressed that public trust is central to the effective functioning of any healthcare system because it influences patients’ willingness to seek medical care and comply with professional medical advice.

“When members of the public perceive that medical negligence or malpractice can occur without consequences, confidence in healthcare providers diminishes significantly,” he said.

He added that many Nigerians are either unaware of their legal rights or are discouraged from asserting them, thereby fostering widespread skepticism about the ability of the healthcare system to deliver safe, effective and reliable healthcare services.

Prof. Abugu also decried the abandonment of patients because of their inability to pay for emergency medical services, describing the practice as one of the most disturbing forms of medical negligence in Nigeria.

According to him, such conduct undermines not only the constitutional right to life but also the inherent dignity of the human person by making access to healthcare dependent on financial capacity rather than medical necessity.

He further referenced the case of Goodness Ibeh, who was reportedly rushed to a private hospital in Lagos in 2024 after sustaining severe injuries from a violent assault.

According to him, despite requiring immediate emergency stabilisation, the hospital allegedly delayed treatment while insisting on the payment of an upfront deposit before any meaningful medical intervention could commence.

He described the incident as a stark reminder of the grave consequences of placing financial considerations above the urgent need to save lives, and called for strict compliance with existing laws governing emergency medical care.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja and Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, commended the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) for its invaluable contributions to nation-building through quality legal education, scholarship and the promotion of the rule of law.

The vice-chancellor also praised Prof. Abugu for his visionary leadership in repositioning the University’s Faculty of Law and for his courage and commitment to advancing legal scholarship, which were evident in the successful hosting of law lecturers from across the country during the Association’s conference last year.

Dr. Olufunmilayo Oduniyi

When people hear the word cancer, they immediately think of hospitals, chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and medicines. These are undoubtedly essential components of cancer care, but they tell only part of the story.

For thousands of Nigerians diagnosed with cancer every year, the greatest barriers to survival often lie far beyond the hospital walls.

How does a patient travel hundreds of kilometres for radiotherapy without money for transportation? Where does a caregiver sleep during weeks of treatment away from home? How does a family provide nutritious meals after exhausting their savings on surgery and chemotherapy? What happens when a patient abandons treatment because accommodation, food and transport have become unaffordable?

These questions lie at the heart of what public health experts describe as the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), the social, economic and environmental conditions that influence whether people can access healthcare, complete treatment and ultimately survive.

For cancer patients, these determinants are not secondary issues; they are often the difference between hope and despair, treatment completion and abandonment, survival and premature death.

Recognising this reality, the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) Technical Working Group launched Nigeria’s Social Determinants of Health Initiative, a pioneering effort to ensure that cancer care extends beyond clinical treatment to include the practical support patients need throughout their journey.

That vision moved from policy to action on June 17, 2026, when the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, officially flagged off the initiative in Abuja and demonstrated government commitment with a N50 million donation to support its implementation. More importantly, the initiative immediately began translating compassion into action, with 228 carefully selected cancer patients and survivors approved to receive N100,000 each, amounting to N22.8 million in direct assistance.

Behind those figures lies a process built on transparency, accountability and equity. Applications were subjected to rigorous verification and quality review to ensure that support reached genuinely deserving beneficiaries across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory. In an environment where public trust is essential, the integrity of the selection process has become one of the initiative’s defining strengths.

The momentum has not stopped in Abuja. Following the national launch, the South-East geopolitical zone recently commenced regional implementation, bringing together stakeholders from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States to localise the initiative and address the unique realities confronting cancer patients in the region. Similar launches are now being planned across the remaining geopolitical zones, reflecting a growing national movement towards more equitable and patient-centred cancer care.

For many patients in the South-East and other parts of Nigeria, travelling long distances to treatment centres in Enugu, Abuja, Lagos or Ibadan often means leaving families behind, paying for accommodation, losing income and enduring months of emotional and financial uncertainty. These realities explain why many patients interrupt treatment—not because they lack the will to survive, but because the burden becomes unbearable.

As Professor Folakemi Odedina, Global Chair of the NCCP Technical Working Group, rightly observed, “Cancer control cannot succeed if we focus only on treatment. We must address the social realities that determine whether patients can access care, complete treatment and live productive lives.” That philosophy has become the foundation upon which the SDOH Initiative is being built.

Already, survivor testimonies are affirming the importance of this approach. Many recount that the most difficult aspect of their cancer journey was not the chemotherapy itself but the hidden costs – transportation, accommodation, feeding, loss of income, caregiving responsibilities and emotional distress. One beneficiary aptly described the initiative as “humanising cancer care” because it recognises that patients are people first, not merely diagnoses.

The initiative also seeks to create something Nigeria has never had before – a coordinated national cancer support ecosystem linking patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, survivor organisations, civil society groups, philanthropists, development partners and the private sector. Rather than isolated acts of charity, it aims to build sustainable pathways through which support can be mobilised, coordinated and delivered with dignity.

This is why the SDOH Initiative deserves national attention. It represents a shift from treating disease to supporting people. It acknowledges that health outcomes are shaped not only by what happens in the consulting room, but also by whether patients can afford to reach the hospital, feed themselves during treatment, care for their families and maintain hope throughout one of life’s most difficult journeys.

Encouragingly, plans are already underway for a high-level national fundraising and partnership dinner that will bring together government, corporate organisations, development partners, philanthropic foundations and distinguished Nigerians to expand the initiative’s reach. Such partnerships will be essential if support is to move beyond hundreds of beneficiaries to thousands of Nigerians living with cancer.

Government cannot do this alone. Neither can healthcare professionals nor survivor organisations. Sustainable cancer support requires collaboration across every sector of society. The media must continue to tell these stories. Corporate Nigeria must embrace cancer support as part of its social investment agenda. Development partners and philanthropists must see patient support as an investment in human dignity. Communities, faith-based organisations and individuals must also play their part.

The Ministerial Flag-Off was not the destination; it was the beginning of a national commitment to compassionate, equitable and people-centred cancer care. Because in the end, cancer treatment may save lives, but it is often support beyond treatment that enables patients to complete the journey.

*Dr. Olufunmilayo Oduniyi is Chair, Social Determinants of Health Initiative, National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) Technical Working Group

Dettol Nigeria is turning everyday hygiene into a national conversation. With its newly launched “Dettol Original 12hrs Protection Challenge,” the brand is asking Nigerians to share 60-second stories about how Dettol has protected their families — and rewarding 25 of them with exciting prizes. Writes Mary Nnah

Nigeria’s leading hygiene brand, Dettol, has opened entries for the “Dettol Original 12hrs Protection Challenge,” a nationwide consumer storytelling competition encouraging Nigerians to adopt consistent hygiene habits.

Running from 13 July to 15 August, the challenge invites Nigerians to create and share a 60-second video on Instagram, featuring a bar of Dettol Original Soap and telling their personal Dettol story. 

The competition offers participants the chance to be among 25 consumers who win a range of exciting prizes. For those interested, more details can be found on the brand’s Instagram page.

Through this initiative, Dettol aims to spotlight the real experiences and memories that have connected generations of Nigerians with the brand, while encouraging meaningful conversations around everyday protection, hygiene, and family wellbeing.

Speaking on the challenge and the broader campaign, Boma Harrison, Marketing Director, Reckitt West Africa, said, “Every day, Nigerians are exposed to germs as they commute, work, attend school and carry out their daily activities. 

The ‘12 Hour Protective Shield’ campaign is our way of reminding and encouraging people to make hygiene a consistent part of their everyday routines. 

With regular use, Dettol Original supports the skin’s natural germ fighters for 12 hours.  We want Nigerians to go about their daily routines with confidence, knowing they are protected every step of the way.”

The challenge builds on the wider Dettol “12 Hour Protective Shield” campaign. It centers on Dettol Original Antibacterial Bar Soap, which provides a 12-hour protective shield.

 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), , underscoring the importance of consistent hygiene in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

The campaign’s rollout also coincides with Nigeria’s current rainy season, which has already brought heavy flooding to Lagos and several other states. 

Health experts have repeatedly warned that contaminated floodwater raises the risk of cholera, typhoid and other waterborne illnesses in its aftermath. 

Against this backdrop, Dettol Original Soap takes on added relevance for Nigerians navigating the season.

For decades, Dettol has championed hygiene education and encouraged behaviors that help prevent the spread of germs. 

By inviting consumers to share personal stories of protection, care and everyday hygiene, the “12 Hour Protective Shield” campaign and its consumer challenge seek to celebrate the role Dettol has played in Nigerian households for generations while inspiring healthier habits for the future.

Funmi Ogundare 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Thursday, called on the Lagos State Government to sustain investments in child nutrition and ensure every child under five is reached through the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW).

It stressed that about three million children in the state depend on timely nutrition and healthcare interventions.

Speaking at the official flag-off of the 2026 first round of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week held at the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Secretariat, UNICEF Chief of Office, Lagos, Celine Lafoucriere, commended the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, for her consistent support and leadership in advancing child health programmes across the state.

She stated that Sanwo-Olu’s sustained commitment over the years had ensured that millions of children in Lagos benefited from life-saving interventions, describing her as a key driver of the campaign’s success.

She noted that Lagos is home to about three million children under the age of five whose growth and development depend on access to adequate nutrition and healthcare, adding that although significant progress has been made, more work remains to be done.

According to her, “During the week-long campaign, health workers will visit communities across the state to administer Vitamin A supplements to improve children’s immunity and eyesight, provide deworming tablets to children, screen babies for malnutrition, and distribute micronutrient supplements to pregnant women to safeguard maternal and child health.”

She disclosed that UNICEF provided Vitamin A and micronutrient supplements for the exercise, supported community mobilisation efforts, and deployed field teams to monitor implementation and verify that eligible children were reached.

Lafoucriere, however, stressed that UNICEF’s support alone would not be sufficient without sustained government commitment.

She praised the Lagos State Government for releasing N156 million last year through the child nutrition match fund, noting that the funding enabled the procurement of essential nutrition commodities that directly benefited children across the state.

“When a government invests its own resources in child nutrition, it expands the programme’s reach, allows more children and mothers to be served, and improves the efficiency of service delivery,” she said.

She called on the state to ensure that the second round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health week is conducted before the end of November so that children missed during the current exercise would have another opportunity to receive the interventions.

Lafoucriere also urged the government to procure sufficient quantities of deworming tablets for children aged 12 to 59 months, warning that the campaign could not achieve its full impact without adequate supplies.

Reaffirming UNICEF’s commitment, she assured the state that the organisation would continue supporting Lagos throughout the current campaign, the second round later in the year, and other child health initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing of women and children.

Earlier in her remarks, wife of Lagos State Governor,  Dr. Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, described the campaign as a strategic intervention designed to increase access to high-impact, cost-effective healthcare services, while encouraging positive health-seeking behaviour.

She warned expectant mothers against seeking care from unqualified birth attendants, stressing that patronage of quacks continues to result in avoidable complications and maternal deaths. 

According to her, “Government agencies, community leaders and the traditional medicine board must intensify efforts to identify and prosecute illegal practitioners whose activities endanger lives.”

Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, noted that the initiative has become one of Lagos State’s most impactful public health programmes. 

She recalled that the concept originated in Lagos before being adopted nationally by the National Council on Health in 2010.

Despite improvements in healthcare delivery, she observed that maternal and child mortality remain significant public health concerns. 

She therefore encouraged parents, caregivers and individuals who have missed routine healthcare appointments to take advantage of the ongoing free services.

Beyond roads, bridges and other signature projects, the ongoing infrastructure renewal in the Federal Capital Territory is also extending to institutions that shape Nigeria’s future. Among them is the Nigerian Law School, where extensive rehabilitation and modernisation projects are redefining the learning environment for aspiring legal practitioners. In this report, Raheem Akingbolu examines how the infrastructure drive spearheaded by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is transforming the nation’s foremost institution for legal education

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‎There are moments in the life of an institution when new buildings represent far more than bricks, mortar and concrete. They become symbols of renewed purpose, fresh ambition and a determination to redefine the future. Such a moment unfolded recently at the Nigerian Law School Headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, where an impressive array of infrastructure projects transformed what could have been another routine government ceremony into a compelling statement about the future of legal education and judicial development in Nigeria.

‎By the time the day’s engagements ended, ten newly completed staff quarters had been commissioned, the foundation laid for a state-of-the-art 2,500-capacity auditorium, twenty additional housing units approved, and the institution presented with its long-awaited Certificate of Occupancy after decades of operating without one. Earlier in the day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, had commissioned the new Body of Benchers Office Annex in Abuja, reinforcing an unmistakable message that investment in the legal profession has become an important element of the administration’s institutional reform agenda.

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‎For many observers, however, the significance of the occasion extended beyond the physical projects unveiled. It reflected an uncommon convergence of political will, institutional vision and administrative execution. More importantly, it demonstrated how purposeful leadership can reposition a strategic national institution whose influence reaches every courtroom, law firm and justice institution across the country.

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‎The Nigerian Law School occupies a unique place in Nigeria’s democratic architecture. Every lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar must first pass through its classrooms. It is where academic knowledge is refined into professional competence and where the ethical foundations of legal practice are strengthened. Any meaningful investment in the institution, therefore, transcends physical development; it becomes an investment in the quality of justice, governance, and the rule of law itself.

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‎That understanding shaped the interventions unveiled in Bwari.

‎Speaking through Senator Akume, President Tinubu situated the projects within the broader objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasising that no nation can aspire to build a world-class justice system while neglecting the institutions responsible for producing its legal professionals. Providing quality accommodation for lecturers and administrators, expanding learning facilities, and modernising institutional infrastructure, he argued, are strategic investments in Nigeria’s democratic future rather than routine construction projects.

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‎The president’s position reflects an increasingly visible policy direction. Across the Federal Capital Territory, major roads, bridges, public schools, healthcare facilities and institutional infrastructure are being delivered at an unprecedented pace under the leadership of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike. Beyond Abuja, similar investments in highways, rail, education and healthcare are redefining public infrastructure across the federation, signalling an administration that increasingly views infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth and institutional renewal rather than simply a measure of physical development.

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‎Nowhere was that philosophy more evident than at the Nigerian Law School.

‎For the Director-General, Dr Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, the projects represented the practical fulfilment of an ambitious agenda she has consistently championed since assuming office. Anchored on what she describes as an “Infrastructural Rebirth”, her vision seeks not merely to renovate ageing facilities but to reposition the institution for the demands of twenty-first century legal education through improved infrastructure, enhanced staff welfare and comprehensive digitisation.

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‎Vision, however, requires partnership to become a reality. That partnership came through the Federal Capital Territory Administration under Wike, whose tenure has become synonymous with rapid project execution and visible results. Rather than offering routine assurances, the Minister responded with practical interventions that are already reshaping the institution’s landscape. 

The commissioning of ten fully furnished four-bedroom staff quarters formed only one part of a broader development programme that includes two 300-bed student hostels, the planned 3,000-seat auditorium, additional residential accommodation and support for the digitisation of academic and administrative operations.

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‎Perhaps the most symbolic achievement was the presentation of the Nigerian Law School’s Certificate of Occupancy. For decades, the country’s foremost institution for vocational legal education operated without one of the most important legal instruments governing land ownership. Resolving that anomaly not only strengthens the institution administratively but also carries fitting symbolism for an institution entrusted with teaching and defending the law.

‎Throughout the ceremony, appreciation for these interventions was unmistakable.

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‎In her welcome address, Dr. Odusote described the projects as timely and transformative, observing that they would significantly improve staff welfare while reducing accommodation shortages that have challenged the institution for years. She paid glowing tribute to President Tinubu for sustaining investments in legal education and commended Wike for what she described as visionary leadership and unprecedented commitment to the Nigerian Law School.

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‎Her remarks reflected the mood across the campus.

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‎Away from the official podium, lecturers, administrators and other members of staff openly acknowledged what the interventions would mean for their daily lives and professional responsibilities. Decent accommodation, functional facilities and improved infrastructure are increasingly recognised as essential ingredients in attracting and retaining experienced professionals within public institutions at a time when many continue to seek opportunities elsewhere.

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‎The Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, echoed similar sentiments, describing the interventions as invaluable contributions to legal education. Every improvement made to the Nigerian Law School, he observed, ultimately strengthens Nigeria’s justice sector because every lawyer who appears before the nation’s courts begins professional training within its walls.

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‎Wike’s response was characteristically decisive. Beyond commissioning the completed projects, he announced presidential approval for twenty additional housing units and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the institution’s digitisation agenda while ensuring that ongoing student hostel projects are completed on schedule.

‎Those commitments resonated because they addressed longstanding institutional challenges rather than temporary concerns. Accommodation deficits, ageing infrastructure and growing pressure on facilities have remained recurring issues for years. The interventions therefore represent enduring solutions rather than symbolic gestures.

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‎The events in Bwari also echoed another significant ceremony held earlier the same day. Commissioning the new Body of Benchers Office Annex, President Tinubu rejected suggestions that Executive investment in judicial infrastructure could compromise institutional independence. Rather, he insisted, it remains the constitutional responsibility of government to provide the environment within which justice can flourish efficiently and independently.

‎That perspective provides important context for the Nigerian Law School projects. Buildings alone can not strengthen the rule of law, but institutions responsible for training legal professionals require facilities capable of supporting excellence. Comfortable accommodation encourages scholarships. Modern classrooms improve learning. Digital systems prepare lawyers for an increasingly technology-driven legal profession.

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‎Perhaps the greatest lesson from Bwari lies in the value of purposeful collaboration.

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‎Dr Odusote brought institutional vision. Wike supplied political will, administrative speed, and implementation. President Tinubu provided policy direction and sustained government support. Together, those elements produced tangible outcomes that many public institutions continue to struggle to achieve.

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‎Ultimately, the significance of the projects extends beyond construction.

‎Roads connect places. Institutions shape nations. Every investment in the Nigerian Law School strengthens the quality of lawyers who will defend rights, interpret laws, advise businesses, resolve disputes, and sustain democratic governance for decades to come.

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‎For Wike, the projects further reinforce a growing reputation for translating policy into visible development. 

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‎To Dr. Odusote, they represent a defining milestone in her determination to reposition Nigeria’s foremost legal training institution. For President Tinubu, they illustrate how the Renewed Hope Agenda is steadily extending beyond economic reforms into strategic investments that strengthen national institutions.

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‎Long after the applause fades and the ceremonies  become history, the true measure of success will not be the number of buildings commissioned. It will be found in the calibre of lawyers produced, the confidence inspired by stronger institutions and the quality of justice delivered to Nigerians. 

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If the momentum generated in Bwari is sustained, the day may well be remembered not simply for the infrastructure unveiled but for the future it helped to build.

Every seven minutes, a Nigerian woman is estimated to die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, making the country the global epicentre of maternal mortality. While postpartum haemorrhage remains the single biggest killer of mothers, a simple, low-cost intervention backed by the Gates Foundation is beginning to change that grim reality. From dramatically improving the early detection and treatment of excessive bleeding after childbirth to delivering encouraging results in Kano State, the E-MOTIVE initiative is emerging as a promising model in Nigeria’s fight to reduce preventable maternal deaths. This report examines how the evidence-based intervention is reshaping maternal healthcare and why experts believe it could help reverse one of the country’s most persistent public health crises. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

Nigeria carries the heaviest maternal death burden of any country on earth. Global estimates put the country’s maternal mortality ratio at 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, with roughly 8,200 maternal deaths a year and a share of 28–29 per cent of all maternal deaths recorded worldwide, despite Nigeria holding only a small fraction of the global population.

 Some estimates put the annual toll closer to 75,000 deaths, which is about one every seven minutes as only 43 per cent of Nigerian births are attended by a skilled provider, and 59 per cent of deliveries still happen at home rather than in a health facility.

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH),  severe bleeding after childbirth, is the single leading cause of these deaths, responsible for an estimated 27 per cent of maternal deaths globally. It is also one of the most preventable, if caught early enough.

 That premise is what sits behind E-MOTIVE, the Bill Gates Foundation-funded intervention now being credited with measurable declines in maternal deaths in the states where it has been rolled out.

What E-MOTIVE actually is

E-MOTIVE is not a new drug. It’s a change in clinical routine. It pairs a low-cost calibrated plastic drape, placed under a woman after delivery to objectively measure blood loss rather than relying on visual estimation, with a rapid, first-response treatment bundle: uterine massage, oxytocic drugs, tranexamic acid, IV fluids, examination, and escalation to higher care if needed (summarised by the acronym MOTIVE).

E-MOTIVE is one of the simplest innovations in maternal healthcare is helping health workers identify postpartum haemorrhage before it becomes fatal.

The E-MOTIVE protocol, now being implemented in several African countries, places early detection at the heart of preventing postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). Developed through research in countries with high maternal mortality rates, the protocol provides a set of evidence-based steps for managing excessive bleeding after childbirth.

The first step—represented by the letter “E” in E-MOTIVE—is early detection. According to the foundation, recognising PPH quickly is often difficult, particularly in overcrowded maternity wards and low-resource health facilities where electricity and advanced monitoring equipment may be unavailable. Delays in identifying dangerous blood loss can cost mothers their lives.

To address this challenge, the protocol recommends the use of the PPH drape, a simple but effective device that collects blood in a V-shaped plastic pouch marked with measurement indicators. Rather than relying on visual estimates, healthcare workers can accurately measure blood loss in real time, enabling them to recognise excessive bleeding early and begin life-saving treatment without delay.

The approach was tested in a large, Gates Foundation-funded cluster-randomised trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04341662) conducted by the University of Birmingham with WHO’s reproductive health research arm (HRP).

 The trial ran across 80 secondary-level hospitals in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania, enrolling more than 210,000 women who underwent vaginal delivery.

What the Trial Found

The published results, since carried in The Lancet and reported by the research consortium, were striking: use of the calibrated drape lifted PPH detection rates from 51 per cent to 93 per cent. 

Adherence to the WHO-recommended treatment bundle rose from 19 per to 91 cent. The combined intervention produced a 60 per cent reduction in severe PPH and its associated adverse outcomes (severe bleeding, laparotomy for bleeding, or death from bleeding).

Median blood loss, need for postpartum blood transfusion, and maternal deaths were all reduced in intervention hospitals compared with hospitals providing usual care.

A follow-up nested study within the trial also looked at how fast PPH was actually being caught on the ground. In Nigeria and Tanzania, the median time from birth to PPH diagnosis was 15 minutes, faster than Kenya (17 minutes) and South Africa (30 minutes) and across all four countries, 96–100 per cent of haemorrhage cases were diagnosed within an hour of delivery.

From Trial to National Rollout

Following the trial results, Nigeria, through Kano and Bayero University’s African Center of Excellence for Population Health and Policy at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, became one of the implementation sites for scaling E-MOTIVE into routine care, under the Accelerating the Expanded Adoption of RMNCH Innovations and Health Reforms (AEARI) project. 

It’s run by West and Central Africa Health Options (WCAHEALTH), supported by Technical Advice Connect (TAConnect), and funded by the Gates Foundation, spanning March 2024 to June 2026.

Kano was a deliberate target as the state is described by health officials as having the country’s highest number of maternal deaths by population, concentrated in roughly 18 of its local government areas.

Recent reported results from that Kano rollout, presented at a WCAHEALTH stakeholders’ workshop and separately at the project’s learning and dissemination meeting where 

Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, said the state’s maternal mortality figure fell by about 50 cent, from 1,206 to 570 recorded cases, attributing the improvement to E-MOTIVE and the calibrated drape.

A separate WCAHEALTH presentation cited a decline from roughly 1,025 to about 937 per 100,000 live births.

In the target local government areas, WCAHEALTH’s Dr. Ofuoma Omo-Obi said 14,000 babies were delivered with zero maternal deaths; about 4,500 women received calibrated treatment drugs; and 507 women who developed postpartum haemorrhage were successfully treated, cases she said would very likely have been deaths before the programme.

The state government has procured 484 ambulances for its 484 primary healthcare centres to speed emergency transport for women in labour, and expanded free maternal healthcare commodities across those facilities.

Kano’s health commissioner said the state is targeting a further 25–30 per cent  reduction over the next 18 months, with an eventual goal of zero maternal mortality within three to four years — a directive attributed to Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf.

The national picture beyond Kano

Nigeria’s federal government has been pairing facility-level interventions like E-MOTIVE with broader system investments. 

In May 2026, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Ali Pate’s ministry launched the Nigeria Strategic Direction for Midwifery 2025–2030, aimed at expanding the skilled-birth-attendant workforce nationally, one of the structural gaps (57 per cent of births still lack a skilled attendant) that PPH-focused interventions alone can’t fix.

The Gates Foundation has also framed E-MOTIVE as part of a wider regional push, a similar rollout in Kenya’s Makueni County, using the same calibrated drape and bundle, has been folded into that country’s national maternal care guidelines. 

Federal and Gates Foundation officials meeting in Abuja in late 2025, under the Regional Think Tank on Accelerating Implementation for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Nutrition and Health (AIM MNCH), pointed to Kano’s reported drop in maternal deaths, cited there as falling from “over 1,000 to about 500” per 100,000 live births, as a model they want replicated in other states and countries.

Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio last had a solid nationwide benchmark in the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, which put it at 512 per 100,000 live births nationally, already far above the global figures cited above, which reflect more recent WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA/World Bank modelled estimates (1,047 per 100,000).

 A fresh, nationally representative maternal mortality figure from the 2023–24 NDHS specifically for maternal deaths (as opposed to under-five mortality, which that survey shows falling from 132 to 102 per 1,000 live births). That gap matters: the state-level figures coming out of Kano are encouraging, but more definitely needs to be done. 

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Nigeria carries the heaviest maternal death burden of any country on earth, accounting for about 28–29 per cent of maternal deaths recorded worldwide…

The E-MOTIVE intervention produced a 60 per cent reduction in severe postpartum haemorrhage and its associated adverse outcomes