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Fake COVID-19 Vaccines not in circulation-FG
Niger State Saves N300m from Medical Tourism
… Yobe Gov Takes Vaccine
…7,300 Enugu Residents Receive First Jab
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja and Dan Amasingha, Minna
The Federal Government has said yesterday that there was no possibility of any fake COVID-19 vaccines circulated, being administered or sold by unauthorised institution in the country.
This is contained in a circular signed by Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, the Director, Department of Hospital Service, Federal Ministry of Health, on behalf of the
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said in a circular through his Director, Department of Hospital Service, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, that such insinuation was not correvt.
The circular followed a letter from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 regarding the arrest of about 3,000 doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines destined for Africa from China.
The minister, who acknowledged receipt of the PTF letter, however, stated that “I am, therefore, to bring this to your notice and dispel any possibility of COVID-19 vaccines being available for sale or being administered by any unauthorised institution.
“To prevent the importation of fake vaccines, kindly note that the Nigeria Customs Service has designated the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as the only Point of Entry (PoE) for imported COVID-19 vaccines.”
He called in the attention of chief medical directors and medical directors of federal tertiary health institutions to the fake COVID-19 vaccines destined for Africa, noting that it had been arrested in China.
One of the sources said: “the ministry issued a circular to inform the medical directors of federal hospitals about the fake vaccines.
“It is just to let them (medical directors) know that fake COVID-19 vaccines are on the way to Africa but is not in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not even taking vaccines from China, so there is no way fake vaccines can get into the country because it is only the Federal Government that is authorised to import COVID-19 vaccines for now”.
Niger State Saves N300m from Medical Tourism
Meanwhile, Niger State Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, Dr Muhammad Makunsidi has disclosed that the outbreak of COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise for the health sector in the state as it saved the government from spending over N300 million on medical tourism.
According to the Commissioner, the state had spent over N300 million on medical tourism in 2019, adding that in 2020, nobody in the state travelled outside Nigeria on medical tourism.
“In Niger state, COVID-19, for us in the health sector is 90 per cent a blessing because last year, none of us travelled outside Nigeria for medical treatment. This made us save a lot of resources which we, in turn, infused into reviving our medical system.”
Makunsidi stated this at the annual general meeting and election of the Kutigi Old Students’ Association (KUOSA) at the College of Education in Minna, Niger state.
Responding to the keynote address titled, ‘Medical Tourism; Matters Arising’, the Commissioner described the increasing rate of medical tourism abroad as worrisome stating that a peg needs to be put on it.
“In the Niger State Ministry of Health, we are trying to kill medical tourism abroad because if we do not kill it, it will kill the Ministry of Health. This is because the money taken for medical assistance abroad is taken from our overhead and other votes to the ministry.
“It is horrible and has put the health sector in an emergency state. While domestic medical tourism is also very costly, we are very concerned about international medical tourism because 90 per cent of people benefiting from International medical tourism are not using their resources but that of government and individuals,” he said.
In his paper presentation on ‘Medical Tourism; Matters Arising’, the Managing Director of the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Bida, Dr Aminu Usman noted that COVID-19 reduced international medical tourism which gave the government room to reflect on how to revive the health system.
He stated that healthcare concepts, policies and operations and commercialization of health care further fuel international medical tourism urging on the need for government to see the need for health centres to commence reverse medical tourism
Usman advocated that there should be a revival of the healthcare concept adding that individuals and groups can join hands with the government to ensure that international medical tourism ends in Nigeria.
Yobe Gov Takes Vaccine
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala-Buni, yesterday in Damaturu received his first jab of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine was administered to the governor by his personal physician, Dr. Mohammed Umar, assisted by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mohammed Gana.
The governor was vaccinated along with his deputy, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana, Secretary to the State Government, Baba Mallam-Wali, Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Garba Iliya, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Abdullahi Yusuf, among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor received the vaccine over two weeks after it was delivered to state.
He charged frontline healthcare workers to ensure they received the vaccine to remain safe.
Mala-Buni called on the general public to shun misconception about the vaccine, saying it was safe and provides protection against the disease.
No fewer than 7,300 residents of Enugu State have so far received their first jabs of Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine on the eight-day of the ongoing vaccination in the state.
7,300 Enugu Residents Receive First Jab Vaccine
Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr George Ugwu, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.
Ugwu said that the number represented those vaccinated as at 12 noon on Sunday.
“In Enugu State, we have given the vaccine to up to 7,300 residents without any adverse health reaction from those vaccinated already,” Ugwu said.
The executive secretary expressed satisfaction at the compliance by residents of the state and urged those who were still skeptical to take the vaccine as it was safe.
NAN recalls that the state government on March 8 received 65,400 doses of the vaccine from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Abuja, and vaccination began across the state on March 19.
A total of 102 well-trained vaccination teams were deployed to five Primary Health Care centres and two fixed post centres in each of the 17 local government areas of the state.
Ugwu said that those already vaccinated included health workers, critical/strategic leaders at both state and local government levels and some elderly persons.
He said: “We are in the eighth day of the statewide vaccination and we are doing tremendously well.
“However, not all the people vaccinated and recorded have been reflected in the NPHCDA national data bank; since we have challenges of internet and electronic devices.
“The NPHCDA and ENS-PHCDA offices, are currently fixing these challenges.
“Initially, a lot of people did not understand the reason for taking the preventive COVID-19 vaccines.
“But, with leaders-lead awareness creation, massive public and interpersonal sensitization, our people are taking their jabs in their numbers.
“We expect that within few days the number of those vaccinated will increase exponentially as more people can see and testify that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and free-of-charge’’.
Ugwu said the state government was currently partnering with strategic leaders at the grassroots including traditional, religious and opinion leaders to get the message to their subjects, congregation and followers.
“For the medical workers, we are meeting with the heads of various medical associations so that they impress it on their members to present themselves for the vaccination,’’ he said.
The executive secretary applauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for supporting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to get to all residents of the state, notwithstanding their remote locations.
“Apart from financial and moral assistance to the agency, Gov. Ugwuanyi volunteered himself, to be publicly vaccinated,’’ he added.
NCDC Records 101 New COVID-19 Infections
Recent development showed that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded 101 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 162,489.
The health agency disclosed this on its official Twitter handle yesterday.
It said that two COVID-19-related deaths were recorded within the period, bringing the number of lives lost to the disease to 2,041.
The NCDC disclosed that the new cases were reported across 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with Lagos recording 32 cases while Abia had 16.
Ebonyi had 14, FCT 10, Bayelsa and Rivers, six each, while Bauchi had five.
Further details revealed that Jigawa had four, Oyo and Akwa Ibom, three each, while Osun had two.
The agency stated that 219 cases were successfully treated and discharged from various isolation centres on the reviewed date, while a total of 150,205 people had recovered from the pandemic.
It added that the nation currently has10,363 active cases of the ailment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the country has continued to witness a decline in the disease from the all-time high of 2,314 recorded on Jan. 22, 2021.
On March 21, 2021 the populous African nation recorded only 86 cases, its lowest daily figure since the first case of the pandemic was recorded in Lagos on February 27, 2020.
The statement said that a total of 1,727,467 people have been tested for the disease that had killed millions worldwide.
The UK unemployment rate in the three months to October has increased to 5.1%, according to official figures.
That marked a rise from 5% for the three months to September.
The number of people in the UK who are unemployed is now at its highest level since January 2021, just below the peak rate seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the data reflected a “Subdued labour market”.
Average wage growth was 4.6%, excluding bonuses, between August and October 2025, but headed in different directions depending on whether you were employed by a company or the state.
Earnings growth in private companies slowed from 4.
2% to 3.9% but accelerated for the public sector employees from 6.6% to 7.6%, compared with the prior three-month period.Wage growth, excluding bonuses, still remains higher than the rate of price increases in the economy.
Estimates for employees on company payrolls dropped by 149,000, or 0.5%, in October compared with the previous year.
Liz McKeown, the ONS director of economic statistics, said the figures indicate “a weakening labour market”.
“The number of employees on payroll has fallen again, reflecting subdued hiring activity.
McKeown also said young people were particularly affected by the fall in payroll numbers and the rise in unemployment.
The number of unemployed 18-24 year olds increased by 85,000 in the three months to October 2025, the largest rise since November 2022.
The government has said it will launch an investigation into youth unemployment and inactivity.
Meerah Nakaayi is 22 and from London. She did a two-year apprenticeship in policy and then worked in the sector for two years, but has been out of work since June.
“The last six months have been incredibly frustrating and demotivating” Meerah said.
“My last interview feedback stated how they had 290 applications for a policy analyst role for a niche policy area. I think that just shows how competitive it really is out there.”
James Reed, the chief executive of Reed Recruitment said all the main measures of the labour market were “going in the wrong direction”.
“I’m wondering whether they’ve hit the bottom or not,” he said.
Reed told the BBC’s Today programme the increase to the minimum wage announced in the Budget was “very welcome for people who have jobs” but “the economics of hiring at entry level is becoming less and less appealing to employers”.
The government has pledged to scrap the two-tier minimum wage and create a new rate for all adults.
But many businesses have said this will make them less inclined to hire young workers with little or no experience.
Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said: “The prospects for a rebound in hiring activity for younger workers remain weak.
The falling rate of private-sector wage growth reflects “a marked slowdown in hiring activity amongst businesses,” she said.
Selfin also said that the overall picture bolstered the case for the Bank of England to cut its base interest rate on ThursdaResponding to the ONS figures, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said the data “underline the scale of the challenge we’ve inherited”.
“That is why we are investing £1.5bn to deliver 50,000 apprenticeships and 350,000 new workplace opportunities for young people – giving them real experience and a foot in the door.
Helen Whately, shadow work and pensions secretary, accused the government of implementing “growth-killing policies” that would lead to job losses in the run up to Christmas.
“Fourteen months in a row of higher unemployment means thousands of families will be struggling through the holiday season and without a steady income heading into the New Year.”
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has attributed the recent decline in power supply across the South-East to low electricity frequency.
The Group Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, said in a statement on Tuesday in Enugu that the development was caused by gas constraints affecting the Generation Companies (GenCos).
“The development has necessitated the load shedding of available energy by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“As a result, energy allocation to EEDC and daily service levels for customers served by its subsidiary companies – MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand – have been impacted.
“Efforts are being made by key stakeholders in the electricity supply industry to address the challenge and restore normal power distribution,” he said.
Ezeh apologised for the inconvenience caused to customers, adding, “We appreciate the patience and understanding of electricity consumers across the South-East.”
Liverpool hero Didi Hamann believes Florian Wirtz made the wrong decision joining the Reds this summer.
Wirtz, a £100m summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and is yet to register a single goal after 16 games in the competition.
Speaking with Sky Deutschland, Hamann stated that the Germany international would have adapted easily to the Bundesliga if he had joined Bayern Munich instead of Liverpool this summer.
“Christmas is approaching and he still hasn’t scored a goal or decided a match. Football is played differently in the Premier League, and he’s had little to no impact there so far.
“Liverpool signed a player for €140 million hoping he could turn around a struggling team with one or two plays.
He still hasn’t done that, and why would he now in January?“When I watch him play, I sometimes get the feeling that he himself no longer believes in his potential. Wirtz made the wrong choice in the summer when he was faced with the choice between Liverpool and Bayern Munich.”
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