Deputy Medical Director, General Hospital, Apapa, Dr. Ridwan Kekere-Ekun, said high costs of dental materials, equipment and hospital operations limit Nigerians’ access to timely dental care.

Kekere-Ekun, Chief Dental Officer at the hospital, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.

Kekere-Ekun identified imported dental equipment and materials, whose prices were affected by the naira’s depreciation, as major factors driving up treatment costs.

He added that high energy costs, including petrol and diesel for generators, increased hospitals’ operational expenses, which were transferred to patients through higher bills.

The dentist also attributed the problem to inadequate government funding of hospitals and limited public trust in health insurance schemes.

He said poor insurance coverage forced many Nigerians to pay out-of-pocket for consultations, X-rays, prescriptions and dental treatments.

According to him, financial constraints often prevent patients from completing investigations and recommended procedures, forcing some to abandon treatment or select only one of several planned interventions.

Kekere-Ekun added that delayed treatment could necessitate referrals and specialist reviews, while increasing morbidity and mortality risks.

He said the problem was common among patients visiting his hospital, noting that feedback from patients regularly highlighted the financial difficulties they encountered.

The dentist said some patients moved between dental facilities in search of cheaper and more affordable treatment.

He urged the government to increase funding for dental units and reduce import duties on dental equipment to make services more affordable.

Kekere-Ekun also called for mandatory enrolment in health insurance schemes, supported by adequate public sensitisation, to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket expenditure.

He recommended greater investment in preventive dental care through public education, community outreach, free scaling and polishing, and public-private partnerships.

The dentist further urged the government to expand dental services and reduce hospitals’ energy costs through electricity and diesel subsidies, generator support and solar installations. (NAN)

Maryam Umar, a limb difference student, is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Gombe State University.

Umar, who successfully completed her Level 400 course work, examinations and project, achieved this feat after overcoming educational and financial challenges.

In an interview on Monday in Gombe, Umar said that the intervention by the Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU) made her journey to attain university education a reality.

Umar recounted that she started primary education at the age of 11 at Hammadaji Primary School in Gombe metropolis, adding that she could not immediately proceed to secondary school due to challenges.

The foot-writer student later attended Government Day Secondary School, Nasarawo, Gombe, where she obtained a senior school certificate.

“Many people doubted my ability to attend university because of physical and financial challenges.

“Nevertheless; I sat for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, and passed both, but could not proceed due to lack of sponsorship.

“Apparently, my predicament widely circulated in the national dailies attracted the attention of the ASUU,” she said.

She said that the union visited her family home, verified her educational credentials, and subsequently offered her scholarship.

Umar said that handwriting proved to be a major obstacle because she writes with her toes during lectures, tests and examinations.

“During my first test, I couldn’t finish within the allocated time and reported the matter to the union.

“The ASUU chairman subsequently wrote to my Head of Department, requesting an additional time for me during tests and examinations. The department granted the request and continued to support me throughout my studies,” she said.

Umar also commended her lecturers for their support and understanding.

She recalled that when a journalist visited the university, and inquired about her academic performances, the records rated her as being more punctual than most of the able-bodied students.

Umar also expressed joy over the successful completion of her degree programme without any academic failure. 

“I am happy that I am about to graduate. I give God the glory because I have had no problem academically.

“Some students who I started schooling together had withdrawn or dropped out,” she said.

While urging people living with disabilities not to allow their conditions to distract  them from pursuing their dreams, Umar enjoined them to shun street begging.

“You should not see begging as the only option. I once begged on the street, but now I am about to achieve my dream of becoming a graduate.” (NAN)

The Cross River State government on Saturday said it had closed down no fewer than 58 schools in Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Odukpani and Yakurr local government areas of the state.

Commissioner for Education in the state, Professor Stephen Odey, disclosed this in Calabar, the state capital.

According to him, the ministry’s Department of Quality Assurance has intensified crackdown on schools operating without Approval To Operate (ATO) across the state.

He noted that the exercise was part of the state’s ongoing efforts to sanitise the education sector, enforce compliance with established regulations and ensure acceptable standards for teaching and learning.

The commissioner further explained that the exercise was aimed at protecting learners and ensuring that schools operated in safe, conducive and properly regulated environments.

Odey stressed that the government would not compromise the standards required for operating educational institutions in the state.

The commissioner explained that the exercise was not intended to witchhunt school proprietors, but rather, ensure that all schools met the prescribed minimal requirements for establishing and managing educational institutions.

He urged proprietors of unapproved schools to regularise their operations by obtaining the necessary approval, warning that any school sealed by the government and reopened without authorisation would face appropriate sanctions.

According to him, the enforcement exercise will continue across the state’s 18 local government areas, until the objectives of the sector’s ongoing cleanup are achieved.