By Jane Eze

Lucky Elohor was still conscious when they placed her in the ambulance.

The 29 year old founder of Digital Creator Chic had built her career connecting young Nigerians to digital opportunity. After a serious road accident in Ilorin, doctors suspected spinal cord and head injuries.

To know the full extent of the damage, they needed an MRI scan.

They did not have reliable access to one.

Ilorin, a major state capital, could not provide immediate, functional and accessible MRI imaging in that critical moment. The decision was made to stabilise her and transfer her to another city. She died before reaching definitive imaging.

Her death highlights a national problem that extends far beyond one tragedy.

A National Deficit

Nigeria has about 58 MRI machines for roughly 218 million people. That equals 0.3 scanners per one million citizens.

By comparison: Ghana has about 0.48 per million, The United States has nearly 39 per million and Japan has more than 50 per million

Even more troubling is distribution. Nearly all MRI machines are located in urban centres. Rural Nigeria has virtually none.

Within cities, access is unequal. Many scanners are in private facilities where a single scan costs between fifty thousand and two hundred thousand naira. In a country where most healthcare expenses are paid out of pocket, this cost alone delays or prevents care.

In public hospitals, unstable electricity is a major obstacle. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has repeatedly warned that erratic power supply leaves many public hospital MRI machines non-functional. MRI systems require constant power and cooling. Voltage fluctuations damage sensitive components.

A machine on record is not the same as a machine that works in an emergency.

Geography Determines Survival

Advanced imaging in Nigeria is concentrated in a few cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, with smaller numbers in other major urban centres. Patients from smaller states often travel hundreds of kilometres for scans.

For conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage and cancer staging, delay in imaging can mean permanent disability or death.

Studies show that more than seventy percent of cancer cases in Nigeria present at late stages. Limited access to diagnostic tools contributes to that delay. Tens of thousands of cancer related deaths occur annually, many with poorer outcomes because of late detection.

For families, the economic burden is severe. When public facilities cannot provide imaging, patients are forced into private centres. A single scan can equal months of income. Some delay testing. Others never receive it.

Why the Gap Persists

MRI machines require more than purchase funds. They demand uninterrupted power supply, specialised rooms with shielding, stable cooling systems, liquid helium, trained technologists and biomedical engineers.

A new 1.5 Tesla MRI machine can cost between two and three million dollars before installation. Even refurbished machines remain expensive. Without maintenance and stable electricity, they deteriorate quickly.

Policy choices have also shaped the crisis. Investment in advanced diagnostics has not matched population growth. Public private partnership models have concentrated high end imaging in profit driven centres, reinforcing inequality. This means hose who can pay are scanned. Those who cannot travel, wait or gamble with time.

What Must Be Done

Solutions are practical and achievable: Conduct a national audit to determine which of the 58 MRI machines are functional and which can be restored.

Stabilise power supply at designated MRI centres before purchasing additional machines.

Ensure every federal teaching hospital has at least one reliably functional MRI unit.

Mandate insurance coverage for medically indicated MRI scans to improve affordability.

Invest in local training for biomedical engineers and MRI technologists to reduce downtime.

Deploy mobile MRI units to underserved state capitals while permanent infrastructure is developed.

A Question of Priorities

Lucky Elohor’s story is not only about a road accident. It is about diagnostic distance. It is about a country where access to lifesaving imaging still depends on geography and income.

The MRI crisis is not a technical mystery. The machines can be bought. The expertise can be trained. The infrastructure can be built.

What remains uncertain is whether access to advanced diagnosis will be treated as a national priority or continue as a privilege.

Jane N Eze is a Research and Data Analyst.

By Demola Bakare

The Nigeria economy since 2023 when President Bola Tinubu assumed office has been characterised by significant structural reforms – notable is the petroleum subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification. Birthing a sluggish, and painful transition towards stability

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank had described the Nigerian economy to be in a critical transition phase, moving from a period of “limited reforms and muted growth” towards a “bold, necessary, but painful” market-oriented restructuring.

Ever since, the Bretton Woods institutions have generously applauded the Tinubu administration’s audacity for the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of the foreign exchange (FX) market, which hitherto was chaotic and opaque. These actions, expectedly, worsened the cost-of-living crisis for Nigerians, particularly the poor.  But recently President Tinubu declared the economy out of the woods.

Specifically, he said Nigeria’s economy has transitioned from a period of ‘stabilization to acceleration’. This, he has spoken at many fora, locally and abroad, where he had expressed confidence that his bold but painful reforms are now fruitfully bearing dividends.

This underscores the monetary policy reforms undertaken by the governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Olayemi Cardoso since 2023.  For his conservative orthodox central banking, he has repositioned the Nigeria financial landscape, making it a one-stop investment destination. But for space constraints his achievements already in the public domain would have been shared here.

However, the focus here is on the outcome of the just concluded 304th stanza of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee {MPC} meeting, the implications of the decisions taken on the economy, its consequences across national development, and mandate alignment.  

The Committee reduced the monetary policy rate {MPR} by 50 basis points to 26.5 per cent from 27.0, aimed to support economic expansion while maintaining price and financial stability.  Retained cash reserve ratio {CRR} at 45 percent for commercial banks and 16 percent for merchant banks; retained liquidity ratio {LR} at 30 per cent, and fixed Standing Facilities Corridor at +50/-450 basis points around the MPR.

These outcomes reflect CBN’s cautious but measured approach to monetary easing, considering inflation deceleration for the eleventh consecutive time, and improved macroeconomic pointers. Headline inflation dropped to 15.10 per cent in January 2026.

The decision received mixed reactions. The outcome was widely applauded as a positive signal by investors and the organized business community, who believed the ease will improve investor sentiment, and will gradually ease financing conditions of members, while some felt the outcome fell short of expectation.

Members of the Organised Private Sector {OPS} welcomed the 50-basis-point reduction as a cautious development set to signal a gradual shift toward supporting growth. Dr. Muda Lawal, Executive Director, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, commended the CBN for transitioning from aggressive tightening to a more balanced approach, viewing it as a “cautious optimism” signal for the economy.

Mrs. Elizabeth Bamidele, C.E.O Elimco Investment Ltd., sees the reduction in MPR as a necessary move to stimulate growth, support investment, and lower the high cost of borrowing for businesses.

While applauding the gesture, Mr. Olubayo Agbi, chartered accountant at Agbi & Partners, said the cut has been what the private sector had been clamouring for. He said a lower interest rate alone is not good enough. He urged the CBN and government to focus on tackling the root causes of inflation, specifically rising energy costs, transportation bottlenecks, insecurity and banditry, and food supply issues.

The outcome is refreshingly positive to investors and the businesses, capable of improving investor sentiment and gradual easing of financing conditions of operators. Some market operators received the rate cut news only as a cautious step by the CBN towards monetary easing, and balancing growth support with price stability. While few operators see the marginal rate cut as insufficient to significantly impact the economy. In fact, they expected a more aggressive cut.

The 50-basis point reduction is expected to support economic growth by making credit available and more accessible to businesses, particularly to the real sector, which include manufacturing, agriculture, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The high cash reserve ratio (CRR) at 45 percent for commercial banks may however hamper the effectiveness of this action, as it will ultimately restrict the amount of money available for lending.

The CBN’s tight monetary position has no doubt been hugely effective in curbing inflation. The measure was so potent to have decelerated inflation for 11 consecutive months, berthing at 15.1 per cent in January 2026.

The eased MPR is generally believed to be a shift by the CBN towards a more accommodative monetary policy stance. Responding to this perception, the CBN governor said the measure was an expression of commitment to ensuring price stability. He pledged that the CBN will remain vigilant and cautious as it watches over the economy.

Olayemi Cardoso restated CBN’s conservative posture under his watch, recommitting to strict orthodox central banking, and operating within its mandate.  The CBN policy reforms became a reference template for other jurisdictions desirous of a virile and strong economy. World’s financial institutions and some globally reputed rating agencies rallied with the Bank in its onerous task of ensuring financial stability, transparency, and accountability in the nation’s financial ecosystem.

As of the month of February 2026, the governor confirmed 20 banks that have completed recapitalization, while 13 almost rounded up with their minimum capital requirement benchmark. Hopefully, he assured, they will beat the deadline.

The CBN’s volte-face from hitherto quasi-fiscal intervention policies to stay focused on its mandate is well aligned with the promotion of economic growth, and price stability. The foremost bank seems positioned in solidarity with President Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy ambition by 2030. The support, no doubt, is anchored on a strong, strategic, and robust banking institution equipped for the huge volume of transactions befitting such an economy.

Nevertheless, some economic agents have argued that the CBN can do more to support the real sector, and address structural challenges than it is currently doing. Cardoso concurred, and acknowledged that, “all of our monetary measures were tough, but have begun to pay off. Part of it is the monetary policy tightening, and if sustained, particularly in the foreign exchange market, we are definitely going to see a decrease in food inflation. The fiscal authority is also doing everything possible to balance things out to continue the disinflation pathway”.

Most importantly, Cardoso echoed, “all stakeholders just have to be disciplined to ensure that those gains achieved are sustained”, he admonished. 

Ademola Bakare, a financial analyst writes from Abuja.

By Omagbitse Barrow

There are many factors that drive the sustainable performance of an individual in an organization over time. These include having a clear vision, being driven by specific goals, collaborating with a supportive team, and having an effective system of performance management, among others (Sonnentag and Frese 2002).

One factor that seems to cut across all of the others and potentially has the most significant impact on performance is feedback (London & Smither 2002).

Feedback is the signaling that people receive (positive or negative) about their behavior and results that challenges and motivates them to improve. Organizations must therefore pay attention to creating a culture of effective feedback so that their leaders, managers, and professionals will have a clear understanding of the changes in behavior and results required as they face the heat of battle each day.

As human resources professionals, we should be very concerned about the feedback that positional leaders and managers receive in our organizations for a number of critical reasons. First, as people grow into higher positions of leadership, depending on the dominant leadership culture in the organization, they unfortunately become more and more insulated from the truth and the realities of the organization.

The people around them are either too afraid to confront them with the true state of affairs or will rather say what the leader wants to hear so that they remain in their good books. With an increasingly global workplace with dispersed teams and hybrid work, supervision and performance management have evolved significantly, and managers are struggling to get their fingers on the pulse of their teams and organizations much more these days. The impact is that we are unfortunately creating more positional leaders who are lacking in self-awareness and therefore providing sub-optimal leadership to the people around them.

Secondly, in an attempt to transition from command-style leadership to a culture of transformational leadership, a culture of excessive “politeness” seems to be emerging in our organizations. Managers are unable to be honest in correcting the people around them, and people are increasingly fragile when confronted with the truth about their performance. In this extreme situation, many managers are abandoning their responsibility of giving feedback to their team members altogether.

This is also not a sustainable or effective practice. It creates more dysfunction and undermines the culture of performance.

So, organizations need to find innovative ways of fostering and sustaining a culture of feedback that will ensure that managers get the feedback they need so that they are more effective and productive and that they are more confident in providing feedback to the people around them in a professional and ethical manner that does not sacrifice psychological safety in the workplace.

There are a number of interventions that could support this goal, including providing managers with training on giving effective feedback, providing managers with coaches, and providing training to employees on how to receive feedback (Bickman et al. 2012). One particular intervention that continues to receive attention amongst researchers and practitioners is the use of 360-degree feedback.

While there are arguments in favor of and against the use of 360-degree feedback in organizations (Waldman & Atwater 1998; London & Beatty 1998; Fleenor et al. 2020), organizations that use it effectively have made significant progress in improving the self-awareness of their leaders, creating a culture of performance, and motivating employees towards higher levels of performance (Metcalfe 1998).

360-degree feedback involves managers receiving feedback on their behavior from their supervisors, peers, and subordinates (from all directions). This way, they get a view of their leadership behaviors from the various rich perspectives that supervisors, peers, and subordinates bring. Some people refer to it as the “Wisdom of the crowd. The 360-degree perspective creates a more balanced and holistic view of the leader’s behavior than the typical unidirectional appraisal or feedback from their supervisor alone.

Based on studies that have investigated the use of 360-degree tools (Fleenor et al., 2020; London & Beatty; and our own field experience), we suggest that 360-degree appraisals should be used only for the purpose of development and not tied to rewards and promotion.

When organizations use 360-degree feedback to determine salary increases, bonuses, and promotions, the feedback received is not honest, as people tend to be “polite” in their responses so that no one’s income is curtailed significantly. So, the feedback from the 360-degree appraisals should only be used to identify learning gaps that can be bridged through training, mentoring, and coaching programs.

Also, rather than focusing on just numerical ratings of behavior, 360-degree tools should create an opportunity for more qualitative and descriptive feedback using prompts like “What should the manager STOP, CONTINUE, or START doing? This is called the Traffic Lights approach. Again, this ensures that the feedback is clear and actionable and not just focused on numerical ratings.

Overall, creating a culture of feedback in our organizations is important for achieving sustainable performance. When done properly, feedback supports psychological safety in our organizations and bolsters productivity. 360-degree tools have been found very effective in creating a culture of feedback and performance when used as a tool for development, not reward, and when focused on descriptive and actionable responses, not just numbers.

Omagbitse Barrow is the Chief Executive of Efiko Management Consulting that supports organizations to translate their strategy to results.