The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has urged publicly owned medical laboratories to pursue international accreditation to strengthen the quality, reliability and credibility of laboratory services across the country.

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of MLSCN, Dr Donald Ofili, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during the presentation of ISO 15189:2022 accreditation and re-accreditation certificates to six medical laboratory facilities.

The accredited facilities are International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Lagos Laboratory, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) Diagnostics Laboratory, Labcrest Medical Diagnostics and Clinic, Agape Laboratory Services Ltd.

and OncoGenomics Laboratories, while EL-Lab Laboratories received re-accreditation.

Ofili said that none of the six accredited facilities was government-owned, urging public laboratories to attain similar standards by embracing accreditation and strengthening quality management systems across their operations nationwide.

He described ISO 15189:2022 as an internationally recognised benchmark for the competence, quality and impartiality of medical laboratories, providing assurance that services met globally accepted professional standards consistently.

According to him, accreditation demonstrates that a laboratory’s management system, technical competence and reported results are dependable, accurate and fit for purpose in supporting quality patient care.

He explained that accreditation decisions were made by an Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) following assessments conducted by the MLSCN Accreditation Service (MLSCN-AS), ensuring transparency and professional oversight throughout.

Ofili emphasised that he did not interfere with accreditation decisions, noting that structural separation and operational safeguards within MLSCN-AS were designed to protect impartiality and prevent conflicts of interest.

He said accredited laboratories were required to maintain compliance, while periodic surveillance visits were conducted to ensure standards were sustained and quality systems remained effective over time.

“Quality-assured laboratory science is a right of every Nigerian, not a privilege,” Ofili said, reaffirming the council’s commitment to ensuring dependable laboratory results and quality services nationwide.

He said accreditation would improve patient safety, promote reliable results, enhance international recognition, support research and collaboration, improve competitiveness and foster continual quality improvement across laboratories.

Ofili said accreditation was particularly important for facilities such as IOM and IHVN laboratories because of their roles in disease surveillance, public health response and emergency preparedness.

He added that accreditation could strengthen confidence among donors, development partners and regulators by demonstrating that laboratory processes and results met internationally recognised quality standards consistently.

Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), commended the facilities for undergoing the rigorous accreditation process and achieving international recognition.

Ifeanyi also commended MLSCN for providing independent assessments against international standards, saying the process would contribute significantly to improving laboratory practice and service delivery nationwide.

He urged the Federal Government to encourage public laboratories to adopt quality management systems and pursue accreditation, noting that they handled a significant volume of medical testing.

According to him, modern equipment alone does not make a laboratory compliant with quality standards, citing differences in infrastructure, safety procedures and quality systems among facilities.

Samuel Felle, President of the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors (GMLD), congratulated the accredited facilities and commended MLSCN management for promoting excellence, professionalism and integrity within the profession.

Felle urged the laboratories to sustain the standards achieved and called for the establishment of a Healthcare Bank to provide financing for critical sector needs.

He said such a financing institution could support the procurement of laboratory equipment, reagents and other healthcare commodities required to improve diagnostic and medical services.

Dr Elochukwu Adibo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EL-Lab Laboratories, described accreditation as a major milestone because it subjected laboratories to independent external assessment.

Adibo said EL-Lab had maintained ISO accreditation through five cycles since 2013, emphasising that maintaining accreditation was more difficult than attaining it in practice.

He said sustaining accreditation required continuous staff training, consistency in operations and strong management commitment to quality improvement and compliance with established international standards.

Adibo appealed to MLSCN to consider reducing some regulatory costs for accredited laboratories to encourage more facilities to participate in the accreditation programme nationwide.

Doris Calistus, Medical Laboratory Director of Agape Laboratory Services Ltd., said the accreditation demonstrated that the facility had successfully passed rigorous external audits.

She said the certification would strengthen the reproducibility and standardisation of laboratory results, while enhancing confidence among clients, healthcare providers and regulatory authorities alike.

Faduola Oluwakemi, Managing Director of OncoGenomics Laboratory, said accreditation was particularly significant because of the facility’s work in DNA testing and forensic investigations.

She added that the laboratory was also involved in prenatal and postnatal investigations, making adherence to internationally recognised quality standards especially important for service delivery.

According to her, the accreditation strengthened confidence in the laboratory’s results and ensured that findings met recognised quality standards locally and internationally for healthcare applications.

The stakeholders urged more laboratories, particularly public facilities, to embrace ISO 15189:2022 accreditation and sustain compliance to improve the quality of medical laboratory services nationwide.(NAN)

An Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Abakiliki has sentenced a 60-year-old man, Alo James, to death by hanging for the murder of Edwin Omar.

Justice Esther Ota, in a judgment delivered on Wednesday in Suit No. HKW/55C/2025 convicted James of causing the death of Omah during an altercation at a drinking joint in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state.

The prosecuting counsel, Lilian Anya had told the court that the convict assaulted Omah with fist blows on Sept.

6, 2025, at New Jerusalem, also known as Azuegu village, Umuhuali community in Ishielu LGA.

Anya, a Senior State Counsel in Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice said the victim later died in hospital from injuries sustained during the assault.

Testifying in the court, the deceased’s son, Nnabuike Samuel, said his father was attacked at about 11 p.m. on the said day, following an altercation with James at the village square.

Mr Marcel Akamabe, the Defence Counsel and State Coordinator, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, said his client would appeal the judgment.

“This is a charge that carries the maximum sentence of death.

“I feel bad because my expectations were quite high, considering the way the matter went and the manner in which we defended it.

“Definitely, we will apply for the Certified True Copy of the judgment, study it and then seek redress at the appellate court,” Akamabe said.(NAN)

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Enugu State Government has announced measures to restore free movement on major roads across the Enugu metropolis, with a ban on traffic obstruction, indiscriminate passenger pick-and-drop, roadside trading and other activities impeding vehicular and pedestrian movement.

The government also directed commercial vehicles and tricycles to use only designated parks for loading and offloading, warning that violators would face sanctions under a new enforcement regime aimed at making the state capital safer, cleaner and more accessible.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof.

Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Government House, Enugu, while addressing stakeholders from the transport, environmental, market and local government sectors.

Onyia announced the establishment of the Access and Sanitation Taskforce, comprising representatives of relevant ministries, departments and agencies, the three municipal councils, transport unions, market associations and security agencies.

He said the taskforce would commence operations in two weeks, stressing that it was not a revenue-generating mechanism but an enforcement body established to ensure compliance with the government’s access management policy.

The SSG recalled that the state government, upon assumption of office in 2023, issued an Executive Order aimed at removing unauthorised barriers and obstructions from roads across the state.

According to him, it would be contradictory for the government to remove physical barricades only for motorists and traders to recreate similar obstructions.

“Most of you remember that the first Executive Order at our assumption of office was access management. We said we would remove all obstructions on the roads. We cannot remove those barricades and allow vehicles to form a new kind of barricade on the roads,” Onyia said.

He explained that the initiative also had a security dimension, noting that blocked roads could impede security operations, particularly when security personnel were pursuing suspects or responding to emergencies.

The SSG said vehicles, tricycles and roadside traders apprehended for violating the policy would be taken to the appropriate local government headquarters and would not be released until the prescribed conditions had been met.

He disclosed that the government was working with the Attorney-General to finalise the penalties, including proposed fines of N50,000 for buses and N30,000 for tricycles.

Onyia added that an impounded vehicle would not be eligible for the release process until seven days after apprehension, with offenders required to fulfil stipulated conditions, including psychiatric evaluation.

He, however, assured roadside traders, particularly those dealing in perishable goods, that the government would adopt a humane approach.

The taskforce, he said, would work with market leaders to develop appropriate sanctions that would serve as deterrents without unnecessarily destroying livelihoods.

While warning against repeated violations, Onyia said additional measures would be developed for serial offenders in consultation with the Attorney-General.

He also warned members of the taskforce against compromising the exercise, stressing that there would be no room for favouritism or interference on behalf of offenders.

“The purpose of this taskforce is not to catch anybody; it is for people to do the right thing,” he said.

The Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Chidiebere Aniagu, commended the initiative, saying state roads, including major and internal roads, were meant to remain free for easy movement.

Aniagu pledged the association’s support, assuring that its members would comply with the policy and work towards achieving a cleaner, safer and more efficient transport system.

He also commended Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as the achievements of his administration and reiterated the association’s support for the government.

Similarly, the State Chairman of the Tricycle Transport Union, Kingsley Edeh, described the meeting as fruitful and pledged the union’s cooperation for the successful implementation of the exercise.

Edeh also assured the government of the continued support of tricycle operators and their commitment to supporting Governor Mbah’s re-election bid in 2027.

Speaking after the meeting, the Managing Director of the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), Richard Onaga, said the sanitation component of the exercise would target persons blocking drainage channels, littering the streets and throwing refuse from moving vehicles.

Onaga warned that persons apprehended for violating environmental regulations would face prosecution for environmental offences.