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Health

Medical college seeks investment in teaching, specialist hospitals

Medical college seeks investment in teaching, specialist hospitals

By Ummul Idris
Investment
Abuja, Oct. 9, 2019 (NAN) Dr Da Lilly-Tatriah, the President of National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (PMCN), has called for an all-round investment in teaching and specialist hospitals across the country.
Lilly-Tatriah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that while healthcare is capital intensive, it is also productive.
He said that the country’s teaching hospitals must be equipped with modern facilities and the needed manpower must be trained.
Lilly-Tatriah said that the issue of remuneration should not invoke guilt, stating that doctors and healthcare workers should get remuneration that could take them home and keep them at home so that they do not go abroad.
He stated that disease profiles were changing; hence there must be appropriate response to meet such needs.
He added that with modern equipment, the requisite competences and research to treat patients better would be developed.
According to him, in achieving this objective, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should be strengthened and made truly universal and compulsory.
“Over 99 per cent of Nigerians do not undertake medical tourism abroad; we should pay attention to them too.
“It is no coincidence that the nations that have universal healthcare are great destinations for medical tourism.
“There is no gainsaying therefore, where the direction of medical tourism will be, if and when our healthcare is universal,” he said.
He said that the challenges the country faces in healthcare would continue to grow, adding that if the country must fight brain drain and health tourism, it must improve the healthcare of Nigerians. (NAN)
UMD/ZGA/MST
Edited by Zainab Garba/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Economy: NGO advocates more investment in maternity sector

Economy: NGO advocates more investment in maternity sector
By Talatu Maiwada
Maternity
Abuja, Aug. 19, 2019 (NAN) March Health Care Initiative (MHI), an NGO, on Monday said investing in Nigeria’s maternity protection would produce a healthier and productive workforce as well as a stronger economy.
Mrs Olubunmi Aiyedun, the President, Maternal Adolescent and Reproductive Child Healthcare Initiative (MARCH Healthcare Initiative), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
She explained that breastfeeding was essential as it saves lives, improves women and children health, and boosts their intelligence and lifelong productivity, hence the need to invest in maternal and child healthcare.
“Most women are part of labour force and some in the formal workforce, thus improving maternity protection such as extending paid maternity leave and workplace support for breastfeeding would boost the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the country.
“Also mothers will provide their infants with the very best start to life leading to improved health, social and economy outcomes for Nigeria,’’ she explained.
Aiyedun said according to a recent report by the National Maternity Entitlement Survey “only nine per cent of organisations had a workplace breastfeeding policy.
“1.5 Per cent of public sector and 23 per cent of private sector organisations provide crèches or day care.
“While 72 per cent of women are in favour of extending national maternity leave policy.
“However, only 30 per cent of women take their entire maternity leave currently granted by legislation or employers,’’ she said.
Aiyedun listed factors that encourage mothers to continue breastfeeding after returning to work to include availability of breastfeeding room, provision of crèches, and breastfeeding breaks supported by the work place.
Others include reduction in hours while breastfeeding, nursing facilities and availability of nearby crèches to workplace.
She noted that policy makers, government entities and employers have a role to play in supporting and improving Nigeria’s maternity entitlements.
She said it was crucial that policy makers advocated for and support legislation that enable women to take advantage of sufficient and paid maternity leave.
Aiyedun maintained that it would also promote policies that support mothers and fathers after they return to work.
She said government entities should develop monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure organisations offer consistent benefits and engage informal sector to create supportive environment for women.
She added that government entities should require organisations to educate and inform employees about all policies and benefits.
Aiyedun further mentioned that employees must also ensure consistency with national and states policies to offer private breastfeeding rooms, flexible hours and breastfeeding breaks within official policies.
She said if such polices were fully implemented, it would lead to reduction in child mortality, better mental and physical health for mothers, absenteeism would reduce while productivity increased with job satisfaction. (NAN)
TIM/AMM/MST
Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

UNFPA urges African countries to embrace Demographic Dividend programme

UNFPA urges African countries to embrace Demographic Dividend programme
By Mustapha Sumaila
Investment
Abuja, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called on African countries to key in to achieving Demographic Dividend in order to meet 2030 target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The UNFPA’s Regional Director of West and Central Africa Regional Office, Dr Mabingue Ngom, made the appeal when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
Ngom explained that there was direct link between SDGs and harnessing the Demographic Dividend (DD).
He said that the DD, like SDGs, was working on four pillars of integrating vital sectors of education, health, job opportunity for the youth and good governance for harnessing the DD.
“Any African country which is not ready to key in will surely be left out in achieving SDGs by 2030.
“As it is in DD, you cannot say you are working only on one sector to meet up the target of 2030 SDGs as all the four vital sectors must be integrated.
“There is need to have policies that are well coordinated, policies that speak to each other in achieving this,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria has signed up to all of these and the country has strong partnership with UNFPA in harnessing DD.
He said that SDGs was all about national vision and national ownership to achieve sustainable development. (NAN)
MS/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Evago Global list benefits of impact investment conference in Nigeria

Evago Global list benefits of impact investment conference in Nigeria
By Kingsley Okoye
Investment
Abuja, July 4, 2018 (NAN) Evago Global, a multi-sector investment firm based in Latvia, says the scheduled impact investment conference tagged “Arise Africa’’ is designed to kick start the process of attaining sustainable growth in the African continent.
Mr Evans Osemwegie, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, said this while fielding questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the conference became necessary given the huge potential that lies within African continent and the inadequate efforts invested to understand, categorise, differentiate and manage the investment processes in a systematic way.
“The key driver for this project is to know that a strong Africa is one that will transform the world, and will touch the world in a positive manner.
“This conference will highlight the fact and begin the process of managing and implementing good strong investments opportunities and good strong investment policies.
“I believe that the time is right, that is what is most important, for someone who has spoken to many investors, especially in Europe, a large challenge for them is yield.
“They are looking for good investment opportunities and they are looking for high yielding investment opportunities, and they have no time to push forward, the African investment narratives, and this conference allows us to do that.
“An impact investor is one who invests with a set of principles that add wider value to the society; this is what these investors are coming to discuss, because we have had investors and investment in the past.
“These were mostly in the extractive sector and this did not give any wider benefits to African society in general and this is what we would like to change,’’ he said.
According to him, the impact investment model is designed to increase local production and local capacity in the form of industrial machinery, processes equipment and knowledge transfer.
This, he said, would help create local jobs and businesses in Nigeria and other African nations.
He explained that the conference was also designed to evolve measures to promote inter-Africa trade, via addressing infrastructure issues, especially transportation, internal trade, customs barriers, free movement of capital and development of a strong institutional capital.
Besides, Osemwegie said the conference was meant to discuss measures to position Africa as leading partner in international trade that actively participates and shapes the global discourse on world trade and socio-economic trends.
According to him, coming of some multi-nationals corporation to the proposed conference scheduled to hold in November in Abuja will help transfer knowledge on investment, establish business models, global networks and international partners.
He said this would help local partners to scale up on investment procedures globally.
He said the participating 300 investors at the end of the three-day conference would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that they all will adhere to at the initial stage of beginning their investments in the continent. (NAN)
KC/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Environment

UNICEF worries over low attention, investment in sanitation

 

Sanitation
By Tosin Kolade
Awka (Anambra), June 11, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday expressed concern over the low attention and investment in the sanitation sector in Nigeria.

Ms Mainga Banda, a UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, spoke at the opening of a Media Dialogue on WASH in Awka, Anambra.

It was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information.

Banda said that access to WASH in the country was critical as its absence affects health, nutrition and education.

She said that Nigeria was among the top three countries practicing open defecation, stressing the need for increased investment to reverse this trend.

Banda said it was saddening to note that 75.8 per cent of people practicing open defecation was in the rural areas.

She called for sustainable ways to close the gaps toward ensuring that everyone has access to improved sanitation and hygiene.

The specialist observed that much impact has not been seen in the 15 years of intervention, as many people were still practicing open defecation.

Banda urged the stakeholders to do more to scale up interventions in hygiene promotion.

She said that UNICEF was working with WASH committees, especially in the rural areas to scale up access to WASH through the use of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS).

The WASH specialist said that with availability of toilets, behaviour change would occur and people would also understand the importance of scaling up hygiene promotion practices.

“It is important for Nigeria to invest in WASH, if the country would meet the Sustainable Development Goals before 2030.

“Access to WASH has a great impact on health, education and nutrition; we must do more to better our lives,” Banda said.

She said there was need for promotion of safely managed excreta, adding it involves the need to ensure that toilets were covered at all times with fly proof items.

Contributing, Mr Olumide Osanyinpeju, the Head, Child Rights Information Bureau, Federal Ministry of Information, urged the media to advocate improved access to water and sanitation, especially in the rural areas.

Osanyinpeju said that concerted efforts were needed by all to support the provision of safe drinking water for all Nigerians, noting that access to water and sanitation means inclusive development for all.

He commended UNICEF and EU for being at the fore-front in ensuring that every Nigerian has access to potable water and sanitation. (NAN)
TAK/JPE/GOK
Edited by Joseph Edeh/Olagoke Olatoye
=========

Health

Investment in ageing an asset, not burden – Foundation

Investment in ageing an asset, not burden – Foundation
NAN-HG-2
Ageing
Abuja, March 10, 2018 (NAN) Dr Emem Omokaro, Executive Director, Dave Omokaro Foundation, has called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to invest in ageing as a profitable venture and not a burden.
She made the appeal on Friday in Abuja during a training jointly organised by the foundation and International Institute on Ageing, United Nations – Malta (INIA)
According to her, older persons are not homogenous and should be seen as national assets because some of them still earn income as well as supporting their families.
She stressed the need for governments to empower the older persons, noting that it will present opportunities of new enterprise for the youths.
“If you make older persons productive, you have removed burdens from the youths.
“Where you do not include the older persons, there is an assumption that they are not relevant.
“It is time to begin to see ageing as a way of giving work to the youths because you create employment in solving challenges of older persons.
“Empowering the aged will boost income security of them, eradicate poverty, promote social enterprise, preserve their independence, long life learning as well as keeping them connected,’’ she said.
Omokaro said that developed countries are using older persons as a national resource of proportional dimensions.
She noted that research and practical evidence has enabled some of the nations with the perspective in ensuring and recognising that ageing population was assets to their society.
Omokaro further stated that focusing on maintenance of functional capacity, ensuring enabling environment and promoting community livelihood will help the elderly live long.
She, however, said that having a context for policy and legislation, budgeting on ageing as well as monitoring would stop ageism.
She noted that “ageism denies a nation its conceptional framework that unlocks a hidden treasure, a framework and model of a society that spins gold out of silver haired citizens which signify a model of healthy ageing’’.
She, therefore, called on stakeholders, MDAs on inclusion of all older persons, the frail, the vulnerable and the strong in order to have a friendly ageing society. (NAN)
CSO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Physician urges govts to invest in health sector

Physician urges govts to invest in health sector
NAN-HG-2
Health
By Toba Ajayi
Ilorin, March 2, 2018 (NAN) Dr Femi Olagoke of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has called on government at all levels to invest more in the health sector.
Olagoke made the appeal in Ilorin on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that Nigerian healthcare facilities deserved more infrastructure, personnel and equipment to discourage Nigerians from medical tourism and enriching other countries.
The medical expert said that Nigerian leaders neglected the health sector since they started seeking alternative healthcare abroad rather than improving the facilities in the sector.
He added that most of the hospitals in the country have sub-standard medical equipment which had sent many Nigerians to their early graves.
He said that the neglect has also made people to lose confidence in Nigeria’s health centres, thereby preferring overseas treatment.
“It is not only personnel that is lacking in hospitals. We also lack basic health equipments that are necessary in most Nigerian hospitals.

“Some government hospitals are nothing to write home about because the leaders never care to invest in the sector anymore.
“In most of our hospitals, you cannot find ordinary syringe not to talk of a functioning generating set to work with when the power is off.
“Nobody cares to upgrade the medical facilities, which leaves only the average and poor people to use what is left of the hospitals.
“It is only here in Nigeria that you will see a clinic or health centre where there is no curtain for the window and no net to cover the window, thereby exposing patients to all sorts of cold and insects.
“Our leaders must wake up and do something quickly, because it is not everybody that can afford to seek medical help abroad,” said the expert.
He, however, called on the government to prioritise health sector and upgrade healthcare facilities to international standard to save lives.
“Health is wealth. Let the government and private individuals accept responsibility and invest in our hospitals.
“Government must learn to treat their medical personnel well to prevent them from running abroad for a better working condition,” Olagoke said. (NAN)
LEX/KOLE/MST
Edited by Remi Koleoso/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

NANS to hold colloquium on investment in health sector

NANS to hold colloquium on investment in health sector
NAN-HG-7
Colloquium
By Mustapha Sumaila
Abuja, Sept. 14, 2017 (NAN) The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says it will hold a colloquium in December to attract investment to the health sector in the country.
Mr Chukwu Ani-Jo, the Director, NANS’ Health Directorate, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Ani-Jo explained that the neglect of the sector had been an impediment to its contribution towards economic development.
He said that the line-up programme of the proposed colloquium would commence on Dec. 4, and end on Dec. 9, with the focus to create wealth from the health sector.
He stated that part of the programme would be public lecture, plenary session and courtesy visits to major stakeholders including the National Assembly as well as addressing press conference.
According to him, the association will bring relevant stakeholders like government, private sector, non- governmental organisations and media, among others, to profound solutions and make health revenue driven in the country.
The director stated that health was an important sector that must be given the attention it deserved.
Ani-Jo noted that the proposed colloquium would workout modalities to discourage or stop medical tourism.
He said that it was regrettable that instead of the government to do everything possible to attract investment to health sector, some officials of the government go overseas to seek medical care thereby boosting economy of such countries at the detriment of the state.
“The new NANS leadership under Chinonso Obasi has brought all medical students like those studying medicine and nursing together to make contributions and promote the health sector in the country,” he said. (NAN)
MS/HS/MST
Edited by Halima Sheji/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

National petroleum policy will increase investments in oil, gas sector – Kachikwu

 NAN-HE-16

Investment

By Kingsley Okoye

Abuja, July 26, 2017 (NAN) The Ministry of Petroleum Resources says the new National Petroleum Policy will ultimately remove barriers affecting investment and development of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

A statement in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of Press in the ministry, Mr Idang Alibi, said that the policy articulated the vision of the Federal Government for improving the petroleum sector.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on July 19, approved the policy.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, had explained that the 100-page document was very comprehensive on all  aspects of the  oil industry.

Kachikwu had also reiterated that the ministry was pushing for a refining processing environment to move away from exporting to refining petroleum products, given the volatility in crude oil price regime.

Alibi said that the set goals and strategies inherent in the new policy would promote a level-playing field between state owned-enterprises and the private operators in the sector.

“The policy defines the strategy of the Federal Government on Nigeria’s oil resources.

“It establishes the medium to long-term targets for oil reserves growth, utilisation and strategies to be pursued to ensure the successful implementation of the policy in accordance with Nigeria’s national socio-economic development priorities.”

He said that the policy also proposed for a fundamental reforms to improve the operational efficiency and performance of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He said that the document proposed the long-needed overhaul and modernisation of the existing petroleum industry legislation.

According to him, the policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure consistency in government policy objectives at all times.

He listed the main components of the policy to include governance, comprising legal and regulatory framework; industry structure, with proposal for establishment of a new National Oil Company of Nigeria (NOCN) and restructuring of NNPC into autonomous business units.

Other components of the policy included strategies to develop resources in the upstream sub-sector, development of the midstream operations, and downstream subsectors of the industry.

He said the policy also proposed measures to develop the national human resources, the sector with emphasis on local content and export skills development.

“The policy also highlights internal and external communications strategies and roadmap  for   its implementation,” he said. (NAN).

KC/OFN/IA

(Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Idris Abdulrahman)

General news

Britain to invest in Nigeria’s pipeline infrastructure, gas, power

NAN-H-48
Investment
By Kingsley Okoye
Abuja, July 23, 2017 (NAN) The British Government  has said  that it is ready to invest in pipeline infrastructure, renewable energy, gas and power in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright, said this while receiving the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja on Sunday.

Arkwright said that the government of Britain had genuine investment interest in the downstream, midstream and upstream sectors of the nation’s oil and gas sector.

He said that the British Department for International Trade was ready to liaise with the Federal Government to invest in the country.

The High Commissioner also urged the Federal Government and the NNPC to organise a road show in London to create awareness on the possible investment opportunities available in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

According to him, so many British investors have funds which they are willing to invest in the country.

He, however, said that the process of obtaining Nigerian visa in the United Kingdom was cumbersome with three different levels of visa procurement fees and Nigeria’s postal order system.

Ughamadu, on behalf of the Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, condoled with the British government over the recent terror attacks in the United Kingdom.

He commended the High Commissioner for the Commission’s promptness in issuing visas to officials of the NNPC.

He said that the corporation would sustain the cordial relations with the UK.(NAN)
KC/AMY/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf