Health
COVID-19: NGF Constitutes Sub-committee, Pledges Functional Isolation Centres

The Nigeria Governors‘ Forum (NGF) sets up seven-member sub-committee to review the trend of the Corona virus and global failing in petroleum price, as well advice State governments on required measures to address the challenges on the economy.
The chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Gov.
Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, disclosed this while reading the communiqué issued after the forum meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja.Fayemi said that the committee to be chaired by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, is expected to submit its report as soon as possible.
Fayemi also expressed the governors’ pledge to work with the Ministry of Health to set up functional test and isolation centres in each state in Nigeria.
“The Forum received an update on the COVID-l9 pandemic from the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.
“Governors pledged to work with the Ministry of Health to set up functional test and isolation centres in every state in the country.
“After an extensive discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and falling oil prices in the Nigerian economy and the revenues of states governments, the forum constituted a sub-committee consisting of the Governors of Kaduna (Chair), Kebbi, Ebonyi, Ogun, Nasarawa, Edo and Jigawa states.
“The committee is to comprehensively review the trend and advice State governments on the set of actions required to address challenges in our economy,” Fayemi said.
Fielding question on the call by the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on Corona Virus, the Ekiti state governor said what the nation needed was regular information and not necessarily from the president.
“Everyday, I noticed that we received address. There is a COVID -19 taskforce that have been put together by the Federal Government and that taskforce addresses the nation almost on daily basis.
“We have seen the minister of health, secretary to the government of the federation briefing the nation.
“What the nation needs is information, regularly delivered in order to keep the citizens informed about steps to take. Really, it should not matter who is given this conference on daily basis,” Fayemi said.
On other resolutions of the meetings, the NGF chairman said that the forum commiserated with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on the unfortunate Sunday fire incident in Abule-Ado in the state, in which over 20 lives were lost.
Fayemi said that a delegation of the forum would visit Lagos on Saturday to support the governor of Lagos state.
“The Forum received a presentation on fostering values-based leadership from the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa led by its Chairperson, Mrs Amina Oyagbola. Members resolved to engage with the Institute through its Secretariat.
“The Forum received a presentation from Laoye Jaiyeola, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group on the NGF-NESG Economic Roundtable (NNER).
“NNER is a joint platform created by both institutions to facilitate public private dialogues and develop joint programmes geared towards building competitive advantages of States across clusters, geographic corridors and economic belts.
“Governors adopted a strategy to operationalise the NGF-NESG Economic
Roundtable and committed to constitute a Steering Committee to provide governance to the partnership.
“Finally, the Forum received a presentation and invitation from the Global Citizen led by its vice Chairperson, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to co-host the Global Goal Life Festival in Lagos.
“The Forum pledged to work With the non governmental organisation to provide a unique opportunity for Nigeria to showcase and expand her SDG efforts at the global stage.”
He added that the forum welcomed Hope Uzodinma Gov. of Imo, to his first NGF meeting since his resumption as Governor.
Ehanire in an interview with newsmen after his presentation, said he was at the forum meeting to brief governors on how Corona virus spread abroad and how it came into Nigeria and what the Federal Government had done so far.
The minister expressed his joy about the response and wiliness of the governors to tackles the virus in their respective states.
“They asked questions about our strategies, our approach and how it affects their states and how they can have access to materials to be able to respond.
“I did not need to make an effort to remind the governors on what they should do because they all offered to play a role which was very good.
“In fact, they want to know the cost of building an isolation centres, the cost of the equipment and the kits. They want us to present them with them cost tomorrow. We are happy that there is such engagement by the governors,” Ehanire said.
The minister said that Nigeria now had eight confirmed cases and government was trying to manage the information.
Others present at the meeting include NGF Deputy Chairman, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State; governors of Kaduna, Edo, Imo, Taraba, Kano,Ogun, Osun, Adamawa, Niger and Nasarawa.(NAN)
Health
Group urges Nigerians to embrace healthy habits to prevent diseases

The Society of Lifestyle Medicine of Nigeria (SOLONg) has advised Nigerians to embrace healthy preventive lifestyle habits to prevent the root causes of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases.
The President of SOLONg, Dr Moyosore Makinde, gave the advice in an interview in commemoration of the “Global Lifestyle Medicine Week” on Tuesday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the Global Lifestyle Medicine Week, taking place from May 18 to May 24, 2025, has the theme “Celebrating Healthy Habits: Inspire Change with D.
R.E.A.M.S.”Makinde, also an International Board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, said the week was dedicated to raising awareness about the transformative power of lifestyle medicine in improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of chronic diseases worldwide.
According to her, lifestyle medicine empowers people to live healthier, happier and longer lives.
She explained that the D.R.E.A.M.S. acronym highlighted the six key pillars of lifestyle medicine that guide individuals toward healthier lives namely: Predominantly plant-based Diets, positive Relationships or social connections, Exercise, Avoidance of toxic substances, Mental wellness and stress management, and restorative Sleep.
She said that these pillars had been proven by scientific research to not only manage and prevent chronic diseases like coronary heart disease, diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s but also to promote a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with ourselves and with our planet.
Makinde added that it contributed to planetary health and the stability of our ecosystem.
“SOLONg is proud to announce its participation in Global Lifestyle Medicine Week, taking place from May 18 to May 24, 2025.
“Scientific studies, including numerous randomised clinical trials and longitudinal studies, have consistently shown the remarkable benefits of lifestyle interventions in reducing the incidence of chronic conditions.
“Additionally, these healthy habits play a pivotal role in strengthening resilience against infectious diseases.
“The ongoing impact of several pandemics has underscored the importance of adopting healthy behaviours, as poor lifestyle choices have been associated with worse disease severity and slower recovery times,” she said.
Contributing, the General Secretary of SOLONg, Dr Chika Anozie, said that Global Lifestyle Medicine Week aimed to foster a community of like-minded individuals and healthcare professionals committed to lifestyle medicine.
Anozie, also a Family Physician, said that SOLONg would organise various activities to mark the week, including a Webinars and educational workshops on lifestyle medicine topics.
She added that there would be courtesy visits and community outreach programmes promoting healthy habits, as well as social media campaigns sharing lifestyle medicine tips and resources.
“As we observe Global Lifestyle Medicine Week, it is clear that the need for Lifestyle Medicine is greater than ever.
“This is a clarion call for the government to create policies that promote healthy lifestyle practices while restricting behaviours that contribute to disease.
“We urge medical institutions to prioritise the accreditation of Lifestyle Medicine programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
“It is equally important that health professionals receive the proper training to effectively communicate these life-saving messages to the public.
“The Society encourages individuals to embrace the principles of healthy living, which are not only lifechanging but also long-lasting,” she said.(NAN)
Health
NAFDAC Clarifies Sachet Alcohol Ban Timeline

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified its stance regarding the nationwide ban on sachet alcohol.
Mr Kenneth Azikiwe, Director of the FCT Directorate of the agency, in an interview on Monday in Abuja that the temporary lifting of the ban was only valid until Dec.
31, 2025.He emphasised that the recent ministerial lifting of the ban was not permanent and urged the public to disregard misinformation suggesting that the government had permanently lifted the restriction.
“There is a ministerial lifting on the ban of sachet alcohol, but it is only temporary and will be reviewed by Dec. 31, 2025.
“After this date, the full enforcement of the ban will commence.
“The minister granted this temporary relief to allow manufacturers and regulators time to collaborate and ensure a more structured and effective implementation of the ban,” Azikiwe stated.”
He highlighted NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to sensitise the public across the country, noting that awareness campaigns had reached every state.
“We have sensitised distributors, and we’ve emphasised that alcohol should not be sold to individuals under the age of 18, which is also clearly indicated on product labels,” he added.
Azikiwe also commended the Distillers and Beverages Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) for supporting the awareness drive.
He reassured the public that NAFDAC remained fully committed to regulating alcohol consumption and reiterated that sachet alcohol products containing less than 200 milliliters would be phased out after Dec. 2025.(NAN)
Health
Janabi Nominated Regional Director WHO African Region

The World Health Organisation(WHO) says that Prof. Mohamed Janabi has been nominated as the next Regional Director of the World Health Organisation(WHO) African Region.
The organisation said in a statement that the nomination was during a special session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Geneva ahead of the World Health Assembly on Sunday.
“The special session by member states of the WHO African Region to elect the next Regional Director was agreed upon and organised following the sudden and untimely death of Regional Director-elect, Dr Faustine Ndugulile in November 2024.
“Other candidates were Dr N’da Konan Michel Yao (proposed by Côte d’Ivoire), Dr Mohammed Dramé (proposed by Guinea), and Prof.
Moustafa Mijiyawa (proposed by Togo),” it said.According to it, Janabi’s nomination would be submitted for appointment by the 157th session of the WHO Executive Board, which will take place from May 28 to 29 in Geneva.
It said that the newly appointed Regional Director would take office thereafter for a five-year term and be eligible for reappointment once.
In his acceptance remarks, Janabi expressed commitment to advancing health of the people of the region.
“Thank you for your trust in me. I will not let you down. Your support underscores our collective resolve to build a healthier stronger and more united Africa.
“As we face challenges ranging from infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases to climate change and limited health financing, we must harness African resilience and unity,” he said.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, congratulated Janabi on his nomination as Regional Director for Africa and praised the other candidates on their campaigns.
“I offer my warm congratulations to Janabi on his nomination as Regional Director for Africa, and also to the United Republic of Tanzania.
“I also thank Dr Yao, Dr Lamine and Prof. Mijiyawa on their campaigns for this challenging but extremely important position,” Ghebreyesus said.
According to Ghebreyesus, Janabi will take the reins at an unprecedented time for the African Region, and WHO as a whole.
“We are grateful for his experience and expertise as we work together to navigate the challenges we face, and position our organisation to be stronger, sharper and more effective in the future.
” I look forward to his appointment by the Executive Board, and to working with him for a healthier, safer, fairer Africa,” Ghebreyesus said.
He thanked Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, for his service in steering the regional office during the transition period following the end of the term of former Regional Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti.
In his remarks, Ihekweazu congratulated Janabi and wished him success as he takes up the new role.
“Congratulations Janabi on your election. This is a true reflection of the trust that member states have placed in you.
“The African region has made important strides in health. But it also faces real and complex challenges.
“You can count on my support and that of all of WHO Africa as you take on this new role to serve our people,” Ihekweazu said.(NAN)