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Why Nigeria has High Child Mortality Rate – Tinubu’s Aide

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By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health, Dr. Salma Anas has explained the reason Nigeria has the high  child mortality, saying it’s due to lack of access to Primary Healthcare centres (PHC) in the country.

Dr. Salma stated this in  her speech titled “On Improving Access To Healthcare: The Role Of The Primary Health Care At The 7th Annual Health Conference Of The Association Of Nigeria Health Journalists, ANHEJ,  organized by ANHEJ in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) in Nasarawa State.

She said the challenges to maternal and child deaths could be addressed and prevented if the PHC is rebranded to guarantee health security.

Nigeria in 2023, had 54.740 deaths per 1000 live births, a 2.63% decline from 2022 while the infant mortality rate for Nigeria in 2022 was 56.220 deaths per 1000 live births.

Out of 34,076 PHCs in Nigeria, it is estimated that only 20% are functional.

According to her, the PHC is the fulcrum for a resilient health system and should be structured to be able to deliver services that will support the attainment of UHC and guarantee health security.

“The PHC is the entry point into the health care service delivery system where 80% of the health issues should be sorted out and essential with basic care needs provided.

“The role of Primary Healthcare in improving access to healthcare towards the attainment of UHC in a holistic, comprehensive and sustainable manner that would impact on the productive potential of the people for desirable national growth and development of the country.

She lamented, “The challenges to reducing maternal and child deaths remain the problem of poorly functional PHC system with issues of low healthcare coverage for life-saving interventions; ill-equipped and weak service delivery systems; low coverage with community and household-level interventions; gaps in the RMNCAH+N continuum of care; shortage of essential RMNCAH+N supplies; skilled healthcare worker shortages and overall inadequate financing for RMNCAH+N and other health care service. The three delays in seeking maternal health care and their associated causes remain, unfortunately, some of the major challenges to averting preventable maternal and child deaths in Nigeria.”

Chief Medical Director/ Chief Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon of Alliance Hospital Dr. Christopher Otabor, in his own presentation, urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the private sector inorder to address the challenges of medical tourism in the country.

Dr. Otabor, addressing the pressing issue of medical tourism trends, revealed that over 60,000 Nigerians seek medical treatment abroad annually, posing a drain on national resources and contributing to capital flight. He stressed the urgent need for the private sector to play a pivotal role in reshaping the healthcare landscape.

The economic implications of medical tourism were dissected by Dr. Otabor, who highlighted the cost-effectiveness of medical procedures in destinations like India, making it a preferred choice for those seeking quality healthcare at lower costs. Cardiac procedures, joint replacements, and complex surgeries such as kidney transplants were identified as major drivers of medical tourism.

Dr. Otabor emphasized the critical need to address these healthcare gaps within Nigeria to reduce the reliance on foreign medical services. Factors fuelling medical tourism, including dissatisfaction with local healthcare services and strikes within the healthcare sector, were analyzed, emphasizing the necessity for systemic change.

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Tinubu Honors Buhari, Renames University of Maiduguri after Late President

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By David Torough, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State as Muhammadu Buhari University.

“May we now adopt the University of Maduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University,” Tinubu said at the close of a special session of the Federal Executive Council held to honour Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

The President paid a glowing tribute to Buhari, describing him as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man” whose legacy of discipline, patriotism and moral uprightness would endure for generations.

Tinubu said although the late president was not without flaws, his unwavering commitment to national service set him apart.

“President Buhari was not a perfect man, no leader is, but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man.

“His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten.

“His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God,” he said.

Reflecting on Buhari’s time in office and his long military and civil service, Tinubu praised the late leader’s simplicity, humility, and stoic resistance to the trappings of power.

He said, “He stood, always, ramrod straight; unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right, rather than what is popular.

“His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism lived more in action than in words.”

Tinubu also recounted their political alliance, which culminated in the historic 2015 elections that marked Nigeria’s first democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.

“We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions and tongues, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.

“When he was sworn in as our party’s first elected President, he led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint,” he said.

The President expressed admiration for Buhari’s post-office modesty, noting that he returned to his hometown, Daura, without seeking to wield influence behind the scenes.

“When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or to hold court, but to live as he always had, never seeking to impose his will but content to let others carry the nation forward.

“Even in death, he maintained the serenity that defined him in life: not a sigh, not a groan, just a quiet submission to the will of God. Such was the man Nigeria has lost. Such was the man for whom our nation now mourns,” he added.

Tinubu thanked the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, for organising a befitting state funeral within 48 hours, describing it as a “profound honour” to lead the burial procession in Daura.

He concluded his tribute with a prayer: “Mai Gaskiya, the People’s General, the Farmer President, your duty is done. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness. President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.”

Buhari died on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82.

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C’River First Female NUJ Chairman Describes Tenure as Trial Period

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The first female Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Cross River, Archibong Bassey has said that her first tenure in office was a trial period.

Bassey, who was returned unopposed in council’s election, made the assertion in an interview on Thursday in Calabar.

The Bassey- led executive was first elected on 9th May 2025, to complete the tenure of Nsa Gill, who was then appointed as Chief Press Secretary to Gov.

Bassey Otu.

The chairman, who thanked the members for keeping faith in her and her team, said that she would improve on her achievements while correcting any mistakes she might have made in her first tenure.

She pleaded that any member who she must have offended in the course of her leadership should forgive her as she was not perfect and called for unity among members.

“Let’s leave any form of rancour behind, I need all your support;push me from the back, support me as you can.

‘’Tell me your ideas of moving the council forward and not what someone told you about me; I am asking God for the spirit of humility and love, to enable me lead the council well.’’

Earlier in his goodwill message, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, Cross River’s Commissioner for Information, had commended the union’s unity in electing its new executives.

According to Ekpang, they will continue as a government to give the Cross River Council of NUJ what it needs and all the necessary support to enable it carry out its functions objectively.

“I want to thank you for your unity, it’s better to come unopposed, I believe one day, the Cross River Council will emerge as the best in the nation,” he said.

Other executive members who were returned unopposed are Mr Sunday Inah of the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC) as Vice Chairman, Michael Abang of Business Day as Secretary.

Others are Kingsley Agim of the Cross River Ministry of Information as Assistant Secretary, Mrs Achiane Adams of the Ministry of Information, Treasurer, and Benedine Tete Anam of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Auditor.

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Gov Makinde Confered With Prestigious Chieftaincy Title of Aare Omoluabi of Akure Land by Akure Kingdom

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The Akure Kingdom will today bestow a prestigious chieftaincy title, Aare Omoluabi of Akure Land, meaning President of the Respectable People, upon His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

The conferment ceremony, which will take place in Akure, Ondo State, marks a significant recognition of Governor Makinde’s exemplary leadership, integrity, and contributions to the advancement of Yoruba culture and national development.

The title, one of the highest honors in the Akure Kingdom, celebrates individuals who embody the virtues of respect, dignity, and service to humanity.

Governor Makinde’s conferment reflects his outstanding commitment to good governance, infrastructural development, and fostering unity across Nigeria.

The ceremony will be attended by traditional rulers, dignitaries, and government officials, underscoring the significance of this historic event.

This honor further strengthens the bond between Oyo and Ondo States, fostering mutual respect and cooperation for the progress of the Yoruba nation and Nigeria at large.

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