Health
UI targets training Ten Thousand new geospatial experts-Official
The University of Ibadan has set a target to train 10,000 new researchers and students on the use of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) geospatial tools.
Mr Ahmed Olanrewaju, Principal Systems Analyst, Management Information System Unit, University of Ibadan, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday.
Olanrewaju said the strategy was to explore the benefits of adopting ESRI technology to enable students and research communities have more access to spatial technological tools for research.
According to him, it is also to help in utilising its efficient data repository for information archiving Technology.
Olanrewaju said that since the University of Ibadan received the technology grant from the ESRI in 2014, it had utilised it to optimise research and enhance teaching.
“The university has radically migrated from traditional data collection and analysis processes to dynamic technology-driven research processes,’’ he said.
According to him, the benefit of adopting ESRI technology is enormous because UI students and research communities now have access to spatial technological tools for research and it utilises its efficient data repository for information archiving.
“This means that people who want to build on previous research; once they have the necessary approval, can access the required data sets and add to the knowledge pool.
“This is a very big one for the university as there would be no need to duplicate effort and time will not be wasted generating previously captured information,” he said.
He further stated that even non-science-based faculties of education and others have been adopting the use of technology for location-based data collection and analysis.
Olanrewaju stated that the university had been able to increase the number of students and researchers who now use location-based digital surveys compared to what was obtained in the past.
He said a major step taken by the university was to innovatively remove the problems students face in accessing software licenses.
Olanrewaju added that technology support services were now provided for those who had technical issues during working hours.
“For the first time, simultaneously, research in multiple locations is now coordinated, and data is collected and archived seamlessly. Through the use of this technology, researchers now have the capacity to even collect location-specific audio data.”
“Another major progress recorded is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) student programmers now use ESRI tools with their python knowledge to access special geo-spatial-data-sets for machine learning,” Olanrewaju said.
According to him, the university has set a target of training 10,000 new researchers and students to adopt the use of the ESRI geospatial tools. Presently, about 5,000 are using the technology, an improvement from 3,800 users in the last year.
He said the institution had been working on a project that will collect data sets from the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
“At the end of the day, over 15,000 records will be accessed from respondents, which will be the first large-scale data collection in UI using ESRI tools,” he said.
Olanrewaju also said there was a need to enact policies for the adoption of location based technology research in Nigeria; for instance, researchers must collect and work with precise location-based data.
“Once students signup for research work, the University of Ibadan can now provide technology tools and platforms for use just as is obtainable in other universities around the world.
“Also, the university can do many things within the same ecosystem to harmonise research and provide access for use by government, industries, and stakeholders for the development of the country.
“Universities do not have to be maintaining several software to run their e-learning. ESRI technology is capable of supporting multidimensional e-learning for the tertiary institutions,” he said.
Some of the students who spoke on the use of the technology, Abiodun Awokoya from the Faculty of Arts, Thomas Adesina and Oluwadamilare Akindipe said that it had contributed immensely to their research work because ArcGIS has lots of tools and an easy user interface coupled with lots of documentation and an active community for support.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Federal Government,(FG) said it recorded 132 deaths, 696 confirmed Lassa fever cases in Nigeria.Olajide Idris, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), stated this in Abuja.He said Nigeria has recorded a steady decline in confirmed Lassa fever cases from 41 cases down to 10 in epidemiological week 16 (ending 20th April 2025).
He added the number of deaths and the case fatality rate (CFR) have also decreased, with only three deaths reported. He noted that the above improvement is as result of the the positive impact of ongoing surveillance, treatment, and community engagement efforts.He however, lamented that Nigeria risk remains high, especially in endemic areas.Meanwhile, on Mpox, the NCDC boss said, since the beginning of 2025, there was 3 deaths, 723 suspected cases of Mpox were reported across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Of these, 136 cases were laboratory-confirmed, spanning 27 states and the FCT.He said, “Since the beginning of 2025, Nigeria has continued to monitor and respond to Mpox outbreaks across the country through coordinated national surveillance efforts.”From Week 1 to Week 16 of 2025, a total of 723 suspected cases of Mpox were reported across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Of these, 136 cases were laboratory-confirmed, spanning 27 states and the FCT.”Unfortunately three (3) Mpox-related deaths recorded during this period: two (2) in Week 10 from Abia and Ebonyi states, and one (1) more recently in Rivers State, involving a young male with advanced HIV and tuberculosis (TB). This brings the national case fatality rate (CFR) for 2025 to 2.2%”.He lamented, Mpox has shown a steady increase in Nigeria since its reemergence in 2017, with sharp spikes from 2022 to 2024, making the country one of the most affected globally..
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As Nigeria approaches the peak of the raining season, the Federal Government (FG) at the weekend, cautioned Nigerians on bad sanitation and contaminated water, which are the major sources of cholera disease.Olajide Idris, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), revealed this in Abuja.
He Said the epidemiological week 16 (ending 20 April 2025), there were 1,307 suspected cases of cholera, across 30 states and 98 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with 34 associated deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 2. 6%. This rate is well above the target of less than 1%.The NCDC boss lamented that Cholera remains endemic in Nigeria, particularly in communities with limited access to clean water and sanitation. It is a highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and can be fatal without prompt and adequate treatment.He said, “As we approach the peak of the rainy season, a concerning trend in cholera transmission is emerging. During the presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook, the Federal Government issued a warning to 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory about imminent flood risks. Notably, this year’s outlook introduced a community-based forecasting approach designed to enhance preparedness and early response efforts across vulnerable regions.”According to the forecast, over 1,200 communities in 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) have been identified as high-risk flood zones, and an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs are classified as being at moderate risk of flooding.”This proactive dissemination of localized flood risk data is expected to drive coordinated action at the federal, state, and community levels, ensuring timely interventions that can help prevent waterborne disease outbreaks like cholera. NCDC is actively tracking these occurrences”.He said, Cholera is a food and water-borne disease, caused by the ingestion of the organism Vibrio Cholerae in contaminated water and food. Water is usually contaminated by the feces of infected individuals. Contamination of drinking water can occur at the source, during transportation, or during storage at home. Food may be contaminated by soiled hands, either during preparation or while eating.Beverages prepared with contaminated water and sold by street vendors, ice, and even commercial bottled water have been implicated as vehicles of transmission, as have cooked vegetables and fruits freshened with untreated waste water. The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms (incubation period) is 2 hours to 5 days. It has a higher risk of transmission in areas that lack adequate sanitation facilities and/or a regular supply of clean water. Unsafe practices such as improper disposal of refuse and open defecation endanger the safety of water used for drinking and personal use. He noted that people that is mostly at risk include, people of all ages living in places with limited access to clean water, People living in areas with poor sanitation and poor hygiene, People living in slum areas where basic water or sanitation infrastructure is missing, People living in rural areas who depend on surface water or unsafe piped or borehole well water sources for drinking and People who consume potentially contaminated food or fruits without washing and cooking properly etc.Some of the symptoms of Cholera,include acute profuse, painless watery diarrhea (characteristic rice water stools) of sudden onset, with or without vomiting. It may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting and fever. Severe cases can lead to death within hours due to dehydration (massive body fluid loss). However, most infected people (about 80%) may only show mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all.Idris, therefore advised state government to prioritize action for solutions that ensure access to and use of safe water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene practices in communities.
By Laide Akinboade Abuja
The Federal Government, (FG), has raised alarm over the challenges of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Nigeria.Olajide Idris, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), stated this in Abuja.
The NCDC DG, who described AMR as a silent killer and it kills more than the combinations of malaria, Tuberculosis and Immunodeficiency Virus,(HIV) Acquired Immunodeficiency (AIDs) syndrome combined together. He said it unacceptable that most Nigerians don’t know how dangerous AMR challenges are.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) refers to the ability of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites to survive and thrive in the presence of antimicrobial medications, making infections harder to treat. This resistance occurs naturally over time as microbes evolve and adapt, but it’s also accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and agriculture. AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of a wide range of infections, potentially increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.According to the NCDC boss, “AMR is a huge importance. AMR was suppose to be part and parcel of this program.”And we are about to roll out some programmes on this AMR. As you all know we are already working on National Action plan on AMR, this would look at Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), anti microbial stewardship and finance these are some of the areas we are looking at. “AMR is a silent killer, it kills more than the combination of malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV combined together.”The worst thing is that much is not known about it. It has become a global focus. “Nigeria is set to host the next ministerial conference on AMR in 2026. This is a huge responsibility for us. We will be planning for this conference next year, we have created various committees to plan this programme but unfortunately we are yet to get funding for this programme. In terms of awareness, it is imperative to create awareness to Nigerians on how dangerous AMR is. Especially stopping unnecessary access to antibiotics, to ensure that if you are going to take antibiotics, you take them based on prescription of Doctors, people should not be going to buy over the counter antibiotics, people should stop prescribing antibiotics for themselves”.He decried Nigerian’s culture and practices and the healthcare workers are all at risk of the effects of AMR.According to him, health workers are guilty as well, because they don’t take proper history or proper diagnosis before prescription and most time their patients don’t need those drugs.In conclusion he said AMR is huge and therefore should be given attention, by creating awareness it deserves.
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