POLITICS
Sickle Cell Disorder Research, Therapy Centers Bill Scales Second Reading in Senate
A Bill for an Act to establish the Sickle Cell Disorder Research and Therapy Centers has scaled second reading in the Senate.
The bill aims to drastically reduce the country’s high sickle cell mortality rate and improve access to specialised care for patients.
This followed the presentation of the lead debate on the general principles of the bill by the sponsor, Sen.
Sunday Katung (PDP-Kaduna) during Wednesday’s plenary.The proposed legislation provides for the establishment of one Sickle Cell Centre in each of the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Centres will offer diagnostic, curative and rehabilitative services, while also serving as hubs for research, data collection and patient education.
Katung said that the initiative would provide a structured and sustainable approach to the management of sickle cell disorder, one of the most common inherited diseases in Africa.
He explained that they would not only deliver advanced medical care but also support families and communities affected by the disorder through counselling and public education.
The lawmaker described Nigeria as the global epicentre of sickle cell disorder, accounting for about half of the estimated 300, 000 newborns with the disease each year.
“Sickle cell disorder is the most common inherited disorder in tropical Africa, with over 650 children dying per day.
“In Nigeria, most of those with the most severe form of the disorder die before the age of five,” he said.
He, however, noted that more than 90 per cent of patients in high-income countries now survive into adulthood due to improved treatment and care.
“But Nigeria continues to record a high mortality rate because it lags behind in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
“In spite of the tremendous global scientific progress, Nigeria still records a very high rate of SCD complications and deaths because we have not fully implemented the treatment plans that have worked in other countries,” he said.
Contributing to the debate on the bill, Osita Ngwu (PDP-Enugu), described the bill as timely and important.
He said, “It comes from a genetic transmission, due to ignorance of the parents. This bill is timely and will go a long way in providing therapy and saving lives.”
On his part, Sen. Buhari Abdulfatai (APC-Oyo) said that the bill should prioritise enlightenment and rural outreach to sensitise more people on the disorder.
He said: “Most people don’t even know who to marry in terms of genotype compatibility.”
Similarly, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi) supported the bill, but expressed the view that the centres should be attached to university teaching hospitals to enhance research and reduce establishment cost.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau who presided over the plenary referred the bill to the Committee on Health for further legislative action.
By David Torough, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has signed the Appropriation (Amendment) (No. 4) Bill, 2025, extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget from September 30, 2026, to December 31, 2026.
The amendment was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, before being transmitted to the President for assent.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the extension will give Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) additional time to complete ongoing capital projects.
The statement said the move would ensure that funds already appropriated are fully utilised without disrupting critical government programmes.
“The extension gives Ministries, Departments and Agencies more time to complete ongoing capital projects,” the statement said.
“It ensures that funds already appropriated are fully put to work for Nigerians, without disrupting critical programmes.”
Tinubu also commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for what the statement described as the prompt consideration of the amendment.
The president said the development demonstrated continued cooperation between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in the interest of the country.
The amendment therefore allows the Federal Government to continue implementing the 2025 budget until December 31, 2026, instead of the earlier September 30 deadline.
President Bola Tinubu has submitted the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the House of Representatives for consideration and passage.
This is contained in a letter dated Aug.
20, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen and read by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu at plenary on Tuesday in Abuja.In the letter, Tinubu said that the budget was prepared by the Minister of Niger Delta Development in line with the provisions of Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the proposal was based on the NDDC’s revenue and expenditure forecasts and it aligned with the fiscal and developmental policies of the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said that the proposal also took into consideration the 2024–2026 Economic Recovery Growth Plan as well as key assumptions of the 2026 Appropriation Act of the Federal Government.
The President said the NDDC had prioritised programmes aimed at improving youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, health and security.
He also listed increased agricultural productivity among the commission’s priorities, saying the interventions were intended to lift a significant number of citizens out of poverty.
Tinubu urged the House to give the proposal consideration and ensure its timely passage.
“I look forward to the timely passage of the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the NDDC by the House of Representatives,” he said. (NAN)
By David Torough, Abuja
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to translate the findings of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) into concrete improvements in their operations in order to strengthen accountability and public trust.
He gave the charge while delivering the keynote address at the presentation of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index held at the Auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja.
The SGF said the administration of President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to open, accountable and responsible governance, stressing that public institutions must ensure that their policies, programmes and actions are transparent, visible and understandable to Nigerians.
According to him, the Index has become a vital instrument for assessing accountability, openness and ethical standards across government institutions, while providing MDAs with clear benchmarks to identify areas of strength and gaps requiring improvement.
He urged heads of MDAs to integrate the findings and indicators of the Index into strategic planning, performance management, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training and digital disclosure rather than allow the report to become another document left unused.
“The report should not sit on the shelf and should inform management decisions, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training, digital disclosure, and how you communicate with the public,” he said.
Akume emphasised that transparency should be viewed as an institutional asset rather than an administrative burden, noting that integrity must be embedded in the procedures and culture of public institutions through clear policies, proper record-keeping, effective oversight, ethical leadership and consequences for wrongdoing.
He further tasked MDAs to take advantage of technology by ensuring that their websites and data portals provide accurate, timely and user-friendly information, including current budget, contract and service information, to enable citizens to effectively engage government and track the utilisation of public resources.
The SGF explained that the 2026 TII assesses public institutions in five critical areas comprising fiscal transparency, open procurement and contracting, human resources and inclusion, control of corruption and citizens’ engagement, adding that the initiative complements existing public service reforms, anti-corruption measures and Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership commitments.
He noted that the ultimate objective of transparency and integrity should go beyond institutional rankings to building public institutions that Nigerians can understand, engage with and hold accountable, while safeguarding public resources and improving service delivery.
“The Federal Government remains fully committed to this goal. We will continue building institutions that are transparent, accountable, professional and responsive to the needs of the people,” the SGF said.
Akume commended the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) for sustaining the initiative, while calling for stronger collaboration among government, civil society, professional bodies, development partners and the media in strengthening transparency and bringing corruption to its knees.
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