Health
Sanwo-Olu opens SDGs multi-storey Sickle Cell Centre at LASUTH
Sanwo-Olu opens SDGs multi-storey Sickle Cell Centre at LASUTH
• Intervention will stem infant mortality rate — Orelope-Adefulire
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, inaugurated the two-storey Paediatric Sickle Cell Centre sited in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The medical facility was donated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) occupied by Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
Sanwo-Olu described the intervention as a “remarkable donation” strategic to the state’s healthcare value chain.
The governor said the project would scale up response time to cases and stem infant mortality.
He said, “This collaboration with the Office of the SSA to the President on SDGs is a testament to our collective commitment to improving care for children living with sickle cell diseases. “I acknowledge Princess Orelope-Adefulire for her vision and unwavering commitment to healthcare advancement that made this centre a reality.
“This will not only transform our healthcare landscape, it will also add to the number of child care facilities in Lagos.
“If we all work together, we can achieve a lot more together. This hospital will provide a comprehensive care that will include early diagnosis, advanced treatment and continuous management to children that are suffering the debilitating condition.
“The centre will also serve as a hub for research and education, which will foster and deeper understanding of the disease. More importantly, it will contribute to reducing infant mortality index.”
Sanwo-Olu said the facility would nurture an environment where children would get holistic care tailored to their individual needs, including medical treatment and psychological support.
The governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding Lagos worthy to benefit from the intervention.
He said the project had further reinforced the health vision of the President to enhance the nation’s capacity to meet global health coverage.
Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, described sickle cell as health burden on the nation.
He said the disease doesn’t affect carriers alone, it also places constraints on family members and community as a whole.
Alausa called for optima use of the facility adding that the centre would provide top tier care for patients and researchers.
He thanked the SSA to the President for her contributions to the health sector.
Mrs Orelope-Adefulire, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos, said sickle cell disease had impacted communities across the nation negatively, subjecting families to psychological torture.
This, she said, informed the priority accorded the development of modern medical care capability to address the growing cases.
The SSA said three million people are living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria, projecting precarious outlook for the country.
She said the President approved the initiative to further demonstrate his commitment to achieving all targets set in Goal 3, Target 2 of the SGDs and leave no one behind in the initiatives rolled out to address the challenges.
She said, “This intervention is a cardinal pillar of healthcare and empowerment in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration. Knowledge and skill among the public health workers are critical to improving the care for sickle cell cases.
“Before now, LASUTH treated 45 out of 1,000 patients weekly due to constraints of space and facilities.
“This Sickle Cell Care Centre will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3, Target 2, which seek to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age, thereby reducing global burden to 25 per 1,000 by 2030. In Nigeria, our target is to achieve zero per 1,000 at the end of implementation period.”
She thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership and commitment to the achievement of the SDGs through his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The SSA also hailed Governor Sanwo-Olu for his unwavering commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Lagos State and collective desire to achieve the SDGs.
LASUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabanwo, said the facility would offer preventive and therapeutic care to child sufferers, thanking Orelope-Adefulire for supporting the teaching hospital with the project.
He said the centre would take off the burden of the Paediatric Unit in the teaching hospital, which was challenged by surging cases of child sufferers.
The new facility, he said, offers conducive environment for treatment.
“LASUTH is blessed with dedicated staff that look after children with sickle cell disease. In the new Centre, child patients will have the benefit of a conducive environment to be attended as out patients; those in need of a day or prolonged admission can also be admitted,” Prof. Fabanwo said.
Head of the Paediatrics, Haematology, Oncology Unit at LASUTH and Coordinator of the centre, Dr. Ijeoma Akinwumi, gave details of the activities that would be carried in the facility.
The Associate Professor of Paediatrics said the centre would cater for children between zero age and 18 years, giving them comprehensive care in their moments of crisis.
She said the centre is equipped to carry out diagnosis of sickle cell within 10 minutes.
She also said the units in the facility include multi-disciplinary unit, counseling unit, X-Ray therapy unit, laboratory and pharmacy.
“The centre is built with electronic record technology to manage medical records of patients from birth to adult,” she said.
Health
Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU
Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has warned of an imminent return to a nationwide strike, appealing to senior members of the medical profession to intervene as talks with the Federal Government stall.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NARD Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the association is on the verge of embarking on another Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS 2.0) due to the government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed after the suspension of the last industrial action.
“I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s health sector and the medical profession,” Ibrahim said while addressing respected medical elders.
According to him, the looming strike stems from the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour commitments freely entered into with NARD.
“The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors stands on the brink of another nationwide industrial action, TICS 2.0, triggered by the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour the MoU,” he stated.
Ibrahim described the situation as distressing, noting that it reflects a breakdown of trust between the government and medical professionals. He said resident doctors had exercised restraint for months by suspending strikes and extending ultimatums without receiving any meaningful response.
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He explained that after suspending a warning strike, NARD issued a two-week ultimatum, which elapsed without response, before extending it by 30 days and later by another seven days, all without results.
“Consequently, TICS 1.0 commenced, prompting limited engagement that culminated in the signing of an MoU with clear timelines,” he said.
However, Ibrahim noted that 31 days after the signing of the MoU, there has been no visible or substantive progress in its implementation.
“Resident doctors should not be blamed if industrial action resumes, having repeatedly demonstrated patience while government obligations remain unmet,” he added.
The NARD scribe said resident doctors, who form the backbone of service delivery in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals, remain overworked and demoralised, warning that failure to respect agreements sends a dangerous signal to professionals in the health sector.
“When agreements addressing our welfare endorsed by the Federal Government are treated with levity, it sends a dangerous signal that sacrifice, dialogue and professionalism no longer count,” he said.
He therefore appealed to respected medical elders to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to urgently implement the MoU.
The warning comes weeks after NARD suspended a 29-day nationwide strike that began on November 1, 2025, following an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting. About 11,000 resident doctors across 91 teaching hospitals withdrew services during the strike, disrupting healthcare delivery nationwide.
The strike was suspended after the signing of an MoU addressing issues such as the reinstatement of Lokoja doctors, release of the Professional Allowance Table, payment of promotion and salary arrears, implementation of specialist allowance, and resolution of entry-level and membership certificate concerns.
NARD had warned that failure to meet the agreed timelines would result in a resumption of industrial action.
Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU
Health
Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017
Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017
No fewer than 16,156 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives have been licensed to practise in the United Kingdom between 2017 and September 30, 2025, according to latest data from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The figure, obtained from the NMC register, underscores the deepening brain drain in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, popularly referred to as “japa”, as skilled professionals continue to migrate in search of better pay, working conditions and career opportunities.
In an email response, the NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives in the UK, confirmed:
“As of 30 September 2025, there were 16,156 nurses on the register who were educated in Nigeria.”
The data shows a steady rise in migration. As of March 31, 2025, the number stood at 15,421, representing a 4.8 per cent increase within six months. Nigeria ranked as the third-highest source of foreign-trained nurses in the UK, behind India and the Philippines, according to the NMC’s March 2025 report.
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Although international recruitment into the UK slowed across major source countries, including Nigeria, India and the Philippines, the report noted that the increase in UK-trained nurses has been too slow to offset the decline, resulting in slower overall growth on the NMC register.
The impact of this migration is being strongly felt at home. The 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics report, released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, revealed that 43,221 healthcare professionals—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists—left Nigeria between 2023 and 2024.
Specifically, the report showed that over 23,000 Nigerian nurses and midwives migrated abroad in 2024 alone. Their preferred destinations were the United States (8,613), United Kingdom (7,463), Canada (5,603), Saudi Arabia (1,231) and Ireland (989).
Highlighting the scale of the crisis, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:5,000, far below the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 1:600, while the nurse-to-population ratio is about 1:2,000, compared to the recommended 1:300.
Salako said the Federal Government is working to address the shortfall through strengthening primary healthcare, expanding the Health Workforce Registry, increasing training quotas, and implementing retention policies aimed at slowing the tide of healthcare migration.
Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017
Health
NAFDAC Assures Nigerians: Locally Made Indomie Noodles Safe Amid French Recall Alert
NAFDAC Assures Nigerians: Locally Made Indomie Noodles Safe Amid French Recall Alert
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reassured the public that Indomie Noodles Vegetable Flavour is not registered or sold in Nigeria, following a recall alert issued by French health authorities.
In a press release on Sunday, NAFDAC clarified that the recall, initiated by Rappel Conso, France’s official consumer safety platform, involved undeclared allergens—milk and eggs—in the Vegetable Flavour variant, posing risks to individuals with allergies or intolerances. The agency emphasized that the product does not originate from Nigeria and is not approved for sale.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, stated:
“The Indomie noodles vegetable flavour in question is not registered with NAFDAC for sale in Nigeria.”
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The agency highlighted that noodle imports are on the Federal Government’s Import Prohibition List, making it illegal to bring such products into the country. To safeguard public health, NAFDAC has intensified nationwide surveillance, directing zonal directors, state coordinators, and Ports Inspection authorities to prevent any circulation of the recalled product.
The agency further assured that all Indomie noodles produced in Nigeria are locally manufactured, strictly regulated, and comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. Consumers are advised to report any suspected sale or adverse reactions via NAFDAC’s toll-free number 0800-162-3322 or its e-reporting platforms.
In a separate statement, Indomie Nigeria confirmed that the company does not manufacture, import, or sell the Vegetable Flavour variant in Nigeria, stressing that all locally made Indomie noodles are safe for consumption. The company warned against purchasing noodles with unfamiliar packaging and urged reliance on official sources for verified information.
Both NAFDAC and Indomie Nigeria appealed for public calm, reiterating that Nigerian-produced Indomie noodles remain safe, unaffected, and compliant with regulatory standards.
NAFDAC Assures Nigerians: Locally Made Indomie Noodles Safe Amid French Recall Alert
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