Federal Medical Center (FMC) Abuja, has successfully performed its first living-donor kidney transplant.

Living-donor kidney transplant usually involves a donated kidney from someone you know. It might be a family member, friend or co-worker.

The facility’s management disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the surgery which was conducted on May 6, was performed on a 69 year old male Nigerian, who suffered from end-stage renal disease, a condition where the kidneys lose the ability to function.

However, a healthy donor, aged 39 and a close relative of the patient, donated one of his kidneys to the recipient, allowing for a life-saving transplant.

It also said that the medical team led by Dr Ernest Aniede, consisting of in-house qualified surgeons, nephrologists, and other medical and non-medical professionals, worked diligently to ensure the successful outcome of the procedure.

Also, that the surgery was performed under strict sterile conditions and involved meticulous techniques to minimise risks and maximise the chances of transplant success.

The statement also notes that during his visit to the patient and the donor in the ward after the procedure, the Medical Director, Prof. Saad Ahmed, commended the patient and donor for their trust in the hospital’s services.

He also commended the medical team for a successful surgery.

“This is a major milestone for FMC Abuja and a positive sign for the healthcare landscape in Nigeria.

“This surgery demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to providing advanced and life-changing treatments to its esteemed patients.

“This momentous surgery represents a step forward in providing life-changing treatment options for patients with kidney failure in the region and beyond.”

He, however, said that the hospital’s dream was to be a world-class health institution for rendering quality healthcare through teamwork, leveraging on cutting-edge technology to enhance research, training, and innovation in healthcare provision.

According to the statement, Ahmed appreciated President Bola Tinubu, for his unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of the citizens and implementing crucial health reforms and initiatives in addressing kidney-related issues.

He added that the president’s vision and dedication has led to significant progress in strengthening the healthcare system, especially in expanding access to dialysis, increasing funding for kidney disease research, and enhancing training for healthcare professionals.

In response, the donor and patient (recipient) expressed their heartfelt appreciation to the hospital management and staff for the professionalism and dedication they demonstrated before, during, and after the procedure.

The statement added that the patient and donor have recovered fully and are awaiting discharge from the medical team. (NAN)

Procare Hotel and Suite, in Noforija, Epe Division, has employed no fewer than 30 new staff to tackle unemployment challenges amidst economic crisis.

Mr Segun Osifeko, Managing Director of the hotel, disclosed this in an interview in Eredo-Epe on Friday.

He said that this development had become necessary to support the government employment initiative for the citizens.

“This bold initiative underscores the hotel’s commitment to empowering local communities by creating meaningful job opportunities,” he said.

He said that the recruited staff were professionals in hospitality management, culinary arts, housekeepers, bakers, bar manager, front desk operations, and facility maintenance.

According to him, the recruitment drive was not only designed to strengthen service delivery but also to contribute to the socio-economic development of the host community.

He said that most of the new staff were indigenes of Epe Division and businesses must rise to the occasion in providing sustainable solutions to societal challenges.

“We recognise that unemployment remains one of the biggest issues in our society today.

“By expanding our workforce, we are not only enhancing our services but also providing livelihoods and restoring dignity to hardworking individuals,” he added.

He said that this effort aligns with broader national objectives to stimulate economic growth through the private sector.

Osifeko urged hospitality and tourism owners to emulate this kind of gesture to drive inclusive economic development.

He reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining this employment strategy and hinted at further expansion plans that could create even more job openings in the near future. (NAN)

 Information Technology experts have attributed the recent technical glitch experienced during the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination to inadequate testing of the system.

The experts spoke during a television broadcast on Thursday night.

The experts said that the system should have been subjected to rigorous testing, which included regression testing, to ensure it could handle the high volume of users.

The body which runs Nigeria’s university entrance exams had admitted to a “technical glitch” which compromised some results of this year’s tests, after nearly 80% of the students got low grades.

The low pass rate had sparked widespread outrage, with students complaining about not being able to log in to the computers, questions not showing up and power cuts making it impossible to take the examinations.

The President, Mr Bimbo Abioye, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), said that system glitches could happen, irrespective of country.

Abioye noted that globally, big names like Microsoft, Meta among others have had their share of system glitches, as recent as 2024 and 2025.

He said that everyone was seeking perfection but anything technical could malfunction and one should not be too confident.

According to him, a whole lot can be done to minimise such possibilities and reduce the chances of error to near zero.

“Especially, when you are dealing with systems that the whole nation is relying on.

“The process has got to be very rigorous, the testing processes and the various validations before the system is rolled out.

“It is because system glitches can have significant impact just like we are seeing now,” Abioye said

The Vice-Chairman, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Eyo Essien, said that system failure was likely due to the inability of the software to handle the surge of users.

Essien said that the software was not subjected to proper testing to see if it could work with a high volume of users.

“A system that is not tested for three million or five million concurrent users will fail if suddenly there is a surge of users.

“The solution was not properly tested, especially for regression testing, which is designed to see if the system can function correctly under high load,” he said.

He, however, encouraged proper engagement of professionals such members of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria.

The experts also called for a comprehensive evaluation of the system to determine the extent of the problem and to prevent future occurrences.

JAMB had attributed the technical glitch to a network issue, but the experts believe that the problem may be more extensive than initially thought.

The development has raised concerns about the readiness of Nigeria’s education sector for digitalisation, with many calling for more robust systems and infrastructure to support online examinations.

The technical glitch affected over 1.9 million candidates who sat for the examination, with many experiencing difficulties in accessing the platform. (NAN)