By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Government yesterday revealed that only one out of four Nigerians has accurate knowledge about Tuberculosis (TB).

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate stated this at the Ministerial Press briefing in commemoration of 2025 World Tuberculosis Day in Abuja with the theme: ‘Yes! We Can End TB, Commit, Invest and Deliver’.

He said in 2023 about 71,000 Nigerians succumbed to TB.

According to the Minister, “World TB Day, observed annually on March 24th, seeks to raise public awareness about the severe health, social, and economic impact of tuberculosis.

“TB remains a significant public health challenge both globally and in Nigeria. The 2024 World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report estimates that 10.8 million people worldwide developed TB in 2023, with Nigeria accounting for approximately 4.6% of these cases, positioning us among the high TB burden countries.

“Nigeria is also among the ten countries with the triple burden of TB, drug-resistant TB, and HIV-associated TB. In 2023, about 71,000 Nigerians succumbed to TB. Alarmingly, only one in four Nigerians had accurate knowledge about TB (KAP Survey 2017)”.

He lamented, “The primary drivers of TB in Nigeria include undernutrition, HIV, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and alcohol use, with the working-age group (15-44 years) being the most affected.

“In this context, eradicating TB remains a top priority for the government. Aligned with our commitment to ensuring good health for all Nigerians, as outlined in SDG 3, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), through the NTBLCP and with the support of our dedicated partners, has implemented several impactful TB control interventions.

“To advance our Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, we have significantly expanded rapid molecular testing platforms for TB. The number of GeneXpert machines has grown from 32 in 2012 to 513 in 2024, while Truenat machines increased from 39 in 2022 to 372 in 2024, and TB LAMP equipment from 52 in 2022 to 275 in 2024. Additionally, we have expanded TB treatment services, increasing the number of DOTS centers from 12,606 in 2019 to approximately 23,000 in 2024—achieving about 57% coverage of all health facilities in Nigeria”.

Pate who was represented by Dr Nse Akpan, Director Port Health Services, FMOH, noted, “Our collaboration with the private sector extends beyond service delivery, leveraging corporate social responsibility initiatives to mobilize additional resources and bridge the TB funding gap. In 2024, we successfully raised a $50 million bond to support TB control efforts in Nigeria, with the private sector contributing 50% of this amount. I am pleased to share that a significant portion of the private sector has fulfilled its commitment, and we urge those yet to do so to kindly honour their pledges”.

“In 2024, children accounted for approximately 10% of all detected TB cases, totaling about 40,000—an increase from 36,197 cases in 2023. This progress represents a significant step toward enhancing childhood TB detection and treatment.

“By 2023, 56% of health facilities in Nigeria provided DOTS services. With our ongoing expansion efforts, we anticipate that by the end of 2025, 62% of health facilities will be equipped to offer TB treatment, ensuring greater access to care across the country”, he said.

Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, the World Health Organisation (WHO), country representative in Nigeria, in his goodwill message, said Nigeria accounts for 5% global TB burden with an estimated 499,000 TB cases.

Mulombo, who was represented by Dr Mya Ngon, Team Lead, Communicable & Non-Communicable Diseases, WHO, said,  “Nigeria accounts for more than 5% of the global TB burden with an estimated 499,000 TB cases occurring annually according to the 2024 Global TB report.

“With the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Initiative, the health system has received a boost in infrastructural development of the PHC and provision of funding for the BHCPF gateways.

“Additionally, Honorable Minister under your leadership, the Private Sector TB Strategy was launched paving the way for developing additional domestic resources needed for achieving both national as well as global TB targets.

“All these laudable efforts have created the enabling environment for effective and efficient application of partners’ support for the national TB response.

No doubt this has contributed to the huge success Nigeria has made in its TB response efforts as demonstrated by 300% increase in TB notification of 138,583 in 2020 during the pandemic year to 418,198 in 2024. This tremendous progress led to reduction of the case detection gap from 73% (2019) to 17% (2024), marking Nigeria’s dramatic progress toward closing the TB detection gap”.

The Police Command in Rivers has confirmed the neutralisation of an unspecified number of suspected vandals attempting to vandalize a pipeline in the Aluu and Rumuekpe communities, Rivers.

The Commissioner of Police in Rivers, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, stating that the suspects died on the spot.

He explained that the operation was part of the ongoing joint effort with other security agencies to safeguard the state.

“The joint security forces successfully thwarted an attempt by miscreants to vandalise a pipeline, leading to the death of the vandals who sought to detonate it.

“The failed detonation was due to the swift response of security personnel to the incident at Allu-Rumuekpe in Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers on March 16,” he stated.

Adepoju further revealed that, following the success, security forces proceeded to Onelga LGA on March 19, where they averted another potential bomb attack by criminals.

During the operation, he said that two suspects were arrested in possession of four dynamites, detonating pods, and other Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components.

“Subsequently, on March 21, our joint security forces raided a kidnappers’ hideout along Omoku Road in Ahoada East LGA, leading to the arrest of eight suspected kidnappers.

“Six victims were rescued from the kidnapper’s den during the operation,” he said.

Items recovered included two pump-action guns, two locally made pistols, four locally made single-barrel guns, live ammunitions and cartridges, as well as communication equipment.

Adepoju also disclosed an increased deployment of security operatives to disrupt criminal activities across the state.

According to him, the joint security forces have established a State Operations Control Room to provide real-time surveillance and facilitate rapid response to security threats.

“To this end, within the next seven days, we will commence enforcement operations to impound all vehicles operating without registered number plates, as such violations often aid criminal activities.

“Vehicle owners who have not complied are advised to take advantage of this grace period to obtain the necessary registration documents,” he stated.

The police officer also issued a stern warning against further acts of vandalism on oil and gas pipelines, as well as other public infrastructure in the state.

He assured that security forces would identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals engaged in such unlawful activities. (NAN)

The Senate has mandated its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to investigate the compliance by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) with federal character principle, in line with sections 14(3) and 14 (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The upper chamber said that the investigative hearing was to ensure fair and equitable representation across all zones and ethnic groups in appointments, promotions and recruitment.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sen.

Ngwu, in the motion entitled: “Urgent need to address systemic abuse and ineffective implementation of federal character principle in Nigeria’s public sector”, said systemic abuse had become a major challenge to achieving balance and equity within Nigeria’s public service.

He said that the challenge was due to limited recruitment opportunities, skewed promotions based solely on years of service and insufficient avenues for worker-mobility outside the public sector.

According to him, the federal character principle mandates fair representation in federal appointments to reflect linguistic, religious and geographic diversity of the country.

Ngwu quoted section 14(3) and (4) of the constitution as stipulating that “no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups should exist within the federal government or its agencies.

He said that despite the focus on geographical quotas, imbalances still persisted with some institutions, often relocating problems rather than resolving them, while certain zones remained under-represented.

The senator expressed concern that the process of addressing public sector disparities had been undermined by institutional inertia and lack of accountability.

This, he said, was particularly prevalent in the area of recruitments at senior levels and influenced more by internal preferences than by merit and fairness.

“The quota system has, in many cases, created confusion between merit-based recruitment and equitable state representation, to the detriment of discipline, morale and institutional efficiency,” he said.

The lawmaker said that the constitutional criteria for equitable distribution of employment required that each state contributes its proportionate quota of 2.75 per cent to the national workforce.

“The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) account for 1.00 per cent of the workforce, while catchment areas are to address localised recruitment for junior staff up to 75 per cent of positions,” he said.

He also said that Order 96(27)(b) of the senate rule 2023 and sections 62, 88, 89, 143-(4) of the constitution gave its committee power of legislative oversight on matters relating to implementation and monitoring of policy on federal character.

Ngwu alleged that various federal institutions had consistently failed to adhere to federal character mandates, often by-passing regulations in their recruitment exercises, adding that evidences abound.

He listed some of the agencies to include: Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its subsidiaries like Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Others, he said, were NAFDAC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Pension Commission (PenCom), Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

He also listed Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN),Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) and National Library of Nigeria (NLN) among those flouting the federal character principle.

He said that the contempt emanating from the foregoing, if unchecked, would continually erode efficacy of section 14(d)(e) of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act, 2017, Part 1(1)-(2) of the Subsidiary Legislation 23 of 1997 and section 11(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

Ngwu expressed concern that the Federal Character Commission (FCC), although constitutionally empowered, remained hindered by chronic underfunding, political interference and limited enforcement capabilities.

The senate, following intense debates from Sens. Abba Moro,(PDP-Benue), Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi), Seriake Dickson (PDP-Bayelsa), Olalere Oyewumi (PDP-Osun), Victor Umeh (LP-Anambra), Anthony Ani (APC- Ebonyi),Adams Oshiomhole (APC-Edo), mandated the committee to turn in its report in three months. (NAN)