The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the Federal Government to immediately conclude a long-pending Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as their nationwide strike entered its 15th day on Saturday.

The union is also demanding a comprehensive review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), describing it as outdated and insufficient to meet modern doctors’ needs.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), NARD said:
“Doctors deserve fair treatment and timely remuneration. The government’s delays in finalizing the CBA and reviewing salaries have left doctors struggling with rising living costs and declining morale.”

Strike Disrupts Healthcare Delivery Nationwide

The strike, which began earlier this month, has affected 91 hospitals across Nigeria, including federal teaching hospitals, specialist institutions, and federal medical centres. Medical services have been severely disrupted, impacting patient care nationwide.

NARD’s 19-point demand list includes:

• Payment of arrears under the CONMESS salary structure
• Disbursement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund
• Timely payment of specialist allowances
• Recognition of postgraduate qualifications
• Improved working conditions for doctors

The union says these measures are essential to sustain doctors and maintain a functional healthcare system.

Government Response and Ongoing Concerns

President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Ministry of Health to resolve the strike immediately, noting that the government is taking steps to address doctors’ demands. Despite this, NARD insists delays in finalizing the CBA and reviewing salaries continue to demoralize doctors, many of whom are struggling with rising costs while providing critical medical services.

The post Nigerian Doctors Strike Enters 15th Day, NARD Pushes for Salary Review appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

After more than three decades of dormancy, the Nigergas Company Limited in Emene has been brought back to life through a major rehabilitation and upgrade spearheaded by the Enugu State Government.

The gas plant, originally established in 1962 under the leadership of Dr. Michael Okpara, had been abandoned for years due to weak governance and mismanagement. The new administration undertook a full-scale restoration, introducing modern facilities and a management model that combines public ownership with private-sector efficiency.

During the relaunch on Thursday, Governor Peter Mbah said the revived plant has already employed over 100 skilled and semi-skilled workers, with projections to generate more than 5,000 indirect jobs across transport, fabrication, distribution, and supply chains.

He stressed that the project aligns with his broader economic agenda to expand Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion. “This is not merely the reawakening of old pipes and equipment, but the revival of industrial promise and productivity for our people,” Mbah said.

The plant’s new installed capacity includes the production of 100 cubic metres of oxygen per hour and 45 cubic metres of acetylene per hour. It will serve hospitals, manufacturers, welders, and agro-processors, ensuring steady supplies of medical and industrial gases while reducing reliance on costly imports and distant suppliers.

Mbah also announced plans to add nitrogen, argon gas, carbon dioxide, and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations to the production line in the near future.

Stakeholders described the relaunch as a turning point for the state’s industrial sector. Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, head of the Enugu State Investment Authority, said the project had revived the original vision of the Okpara government. Chief Chike Madueke, Managing Director of Ten Gas Development Ltd the engineering firm responsible for the rehabilitation said the facility would also serve as a training hub for young people in the state.

Traditional rulers, community leaders, and business figures, including Nollywood veteran Kanayo O. Kanayo, applauded the administration for revitalizing state-owned assets and strengthening security to support industrial and creative activities.

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President Bola Tinubu has directed immediate action to improve the welfare of Nigerian retirees, with a focus on free healthcare access for low-income pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The President emphasized that providing healthcare and securing the dignity of those who have served the country remains a key priority for his administration. He also called for the urgent adjustment of long-overdue pension increments and the introduction of a minimum pension guarantee to protect vulnerable retirees.

These directives were issued following a detailed briefing at the State House by the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms. Omolola Oloworaran.

During the meeting, Tinubu highlighted the need to resolve the prolonged challenges facing police pensioners, stressing that security personnel who have served the nation must be assured of a peaceful and dignified retirement.

According to Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Ms. Oloworaran updated the President on ongoing reforms to safeguard pension funds amid economic pressures such as inflation. She also presented plans to open up foreign currency contribution options for Nigerians abroad, enabling greater participation in the national pension system.

President Tinubu expressed full support for the outlined reforms and reiterated his administration’s broader commitment to economic inclusion and the welfare of ordinary citizens.

The post Tinubu Orders Swift Pension Reforms, Free Healthcare for Retired Workers and Police appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The facility, which serves a community of over 10,000 residents, marks the second health intervention by the club following the successful upgrade of the Okota Primary Health Centre in 2022.

Rotary President, Mr. Nayak, described the renovation as a deeply personal milestone. “During an informal visit before the handover, seeing the smiles on the faces of community members and staff felt like a defining moment for me,” he said.

Nayak credited the success of the project to strategic partnerships, especially with corporate sponsor Kewalram Chanrai Group and several private donors. He emphasized that the intervention was not a one-off gesture but part of the club’s long-term plan to rehabilitate one health centre each year.

He also commended the health centre’s staff and urged the community to ensure the facility is maintained and used optimally.

Group Managing Director of Kewalram Chanrai, Mr. Siva Subramanian, pledged continued support, noting that while the company had operated in Isolo for over six decades, this marked its first direct investment in the area’s healthcare sector. “We consider Isolo home, and we are here to stay and contribute meaningfully,” he said.

Chairman of Isolo LCDA, Hon. Adebayo Olasoju, praised the Rotary Club’s dedication and described the project as a result of meaningful collaboration between the private sector and local government. He announced plans to upgrade access roads to the health centre and expand elderly healthcare services, urging corporate stakeholders to support these initiatives.

The centre is expected to operate on a 24-hour basis soon, with additional medical equipment such as incubators to be installed. Community leaders and residents present at the commissioning expressed optimism that the enhanced facility would improve local health outcomes.

“This is more than a building upgrade—it’s a transformation in the way we can now access care,” said Mrs. Rashidat Lawal, a resident. “We feel valued.”

The ceremony was attended by health professionals, local leaders, and representatives of the Rotary Club, marking a significant step forward for healthcare delivery in the Ajao Estate and wider Isolo area.

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Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu at the commissioning, described the AMCE as a critical step toward achieving self-reliance in advanced medical services. He emphasized that the facility, which features West Africa’s largest stem cell laboratory, represents a significant investment in human capital and healthcare infrastructure.

The AMCE’s first phase includes 170 inpatient beds and cutting-edge diagnostic technology, such as the only 3 Tesla MRI currently operational in West Africa and a 256-slice CT scanner. A second phase will expand the centre’s capacity to 500 beds, alongside the development of a medical and nursing school in collaboration with international academic institutions.

President Tinubu noted the centre aligns with his administration’s broader health reform strategy, which includes a $2.2 billion initiative to overhaul primary health centres, scale up health worker training, and expand insurance coverage.

CEO of AMCE, Brian Deavers, stated the centre aims to deliver world-class, patient-focused care without the need for West Africans to seek treatment abroad. Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, added that AMCE will host the most extensive biobank in the region, enabling cutting-edge research and partnerships across Africa.

The new centre is seen as a transformative addition to Nigeria’s healthcare landscape and a model for future medical innovation on the continent.

The post Tinubu Backs $350M African Medical Centre in Abuja to Boost Local Healthcare Access appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Over the past year, the foundation has facilitated the enrollment of 4,078 pregnant women and 600 children under the age of five into the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme. The initiative aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality by expanding access to essential medical care for underserved communities.

“No woman should die while giving life,” Mrs. Nwifuru affirmed through her foundation’s coordinator, Professor Nkechinyere Emma-Echiegu, who shared highlights of BERWO’s activities with reporters.

Support for Widows, Sickle Cell Patients, and Hernia Surgeries
Beyond maternal health, BERWO has constructed housing for widows across the state and enrolled over 300 individuals living with sickle cell disorder into the state’s insurance program. In addition, the foundation has facilitated surgical treatment for more than 300 men and boys suffering from scrotal hernia.

“These are not widely publicized efforts, but they’re making a difference,” Prof. Emma-Echiegu noted. “We want to ensure the children born to these women also survive. That’s why we extended the health insurance to infants.”

Empowerment Through Education and Skills Training
In the area of education, seven students from Ebonyi are now studying in Abuja on full scholarships provided by the foundation. Meanwhile, over 60 youths have received vocational training, complete with startup tools such as laptops and specialized kits to help them begin their careers.

“Skill development is one part. Equally important is equipping beneficiaries to take action immediately. That’s why we ensured they left with tools to support themselves,” the BERWO lead added.

Participants in the digital skills training program, for instance, received HP computers valued at over ₦400,000 each following their completion of computer literacy sessions.

Postnatal Outreach and Family Values Advocacy
Through its Baby Shower Initiative, the foundation plans to distribute 17,000 care packages to new and expectant mothers in rural areas. These postnatal items are intended to support early child care and promote safer motherhood practices.

Prof. Emma-Echiegu also used the occasion to urge parents to raise more self-reliant children and discourage the culture of overprotection. “We’ve spoiled this generation with too much comfort. There’s no shortcut to success—children must learn resilience,” she emphasized.

She further encouraged couples to treat each other with mutual respect and continue building stronger families as the foundation of society.

“We are trying our best, but there’s a lot of work ahead. This generation needs intentional guidance, and we all have a role to play.”

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The agency announced this in a statement emphasizing that the action aligns with its statutory responsibilities under the SON Act No. 14 of 2015, which mandates it to regulate and ensure the quality and safety of goods circulating in Nigeria.

Director-General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, underscored the critical role of quality control, especially in products like tyres, which directly impact public safety on highways. He warned that both new and used tyres have a shelf life of four years and can fail catastrophically if used beyond that period.

Dr. Okeke also highlighted the risks posed by improper storage, stating that exposure to extreme temperatures can compromise the integrity of tyres, making them hazardous. He urged Nigerians to report suspected substandard goods to SON offices or through the organization’s toll-free line.

“Our mission is to protect consumers, and the destruction of these goods reflects our unwavering commitment to that goal,” Okeke said. “We cannot afford to allow unsafe products into our markets—doing so puts lives at risk and undermines national standards.”

He added that the agency remains vigilant and would continue to take decisive action against the importation, production, and sale of substandard products.

SON reaffirmed its appeal to manufacturers, importers, and distributors to prioritize compliance and quality, noting that regulatory enforcement will remain firm to protect public health and consumer trust.

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Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this after Tuesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He highlighted key government efforts to strengthen the healthcare system, including the approval of N12 billion for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment across six tertiary health institutions.

“People are now coming from the subregion and even from distant places like the UK and the US to receive quality healthcare in Nigeria,” Pate said. “Despite challenges, significant progress is being made, and the transformation promised by President Tinubu is taking shape.”

The approved contracts include the procurement and installation of MRI machines and CT scanners at:

• University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Akwa Ibom
• Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta, Ogun State
• Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Osun State
• Federal Medical Center, Keffi, Nasarawa State
• Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Adamawa State
• Federal Teaching Hospital, Kebbi, Kebbi State

Pate emphasized that this investment in critical diagnostic infrastructure is part of broader efforts to expand the nation’s healthcare capacity and enable tertiary institutions to offer world-class medical services.

Another key decision from the FEC meeting was Nigeria’s ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, aimed at harmonizing medical regulatory standards across the continent. The treaty, adopted by the African Union in 2019, seeks to improve access to safe, high-quality medical products through a unified regulatory framework.

“So far, 37 African Union member states have signed the treaty, with 26 having ratified it. Today, FEC directed that Nigeria take all necessary steps to fully implement this treaty,” Pate said.

The move is expected to expand Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, allowing locally manufactured medical products to meet continental standards and gain wider recognition.

“What we produce will not just be ‘Made in Nigeria’ but will also be recognized as ‘Made in Africa.’ This is a crucial step towards self-sufficiency in medical products and pharmaceutical industrialization,” the minister added.

Pate credited President Tinubu’s leadership for driving these reforms, stating that while challenges remain, Nigeria’s health sector is on a transformative path.

“We are investing in infrastructure, human resources, and regulatory frameworks to build a healthcare system that Nigerians can rely on and that attracts patients from around the world,” he said.

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In this special report, JOHNSON IDOWU writes on how the abandoned Abesan Primary Healthcare Centre building in Lagos has become a haven for hoodlums, pushing the community into despair as residents find themselves cut off from essential healthcare services

Approaching the Akinyele Primary Healthcare Centre in the Abesan area of Ipaja, Lagos, it is impossible to miss the haunting silence and desolate look of a building that aimed to give life to residents of its host community who now look upon it with frustration and sadness.

For individuals who lack the resources to seek private healthcare, the dilapidated state of the hospital and its inability to render basic healthcare services means long, often unaffordable trips to distant facilities.

A resident, who identified herself simply as Mrs. Akande, told our correspondent how the majority of the residents had lost faith in getting any serious medical service in the facility as they now patronise private hospitals within the area while others travel several miles to neighbouring communities to access primary health centres.

She noted that those who still patronised the hospital do so for minor health challenges as it cannot attend to some essential healthcare services.

“This hospital is just like a figurehead because we cannot access basic healthcare services like delivery, diagnosis, treatment and others. The facility has no bed, no equipment and is in bad shape.

“Going there for serious medical issues is just like putting yourself at risk because you cannot get quality healthcare. Those you see going there are just going for minor health cases like antenatal, immunisation and few health issues that do not require much attention,” Akande said.

A retired civil servant, Baba Oluwo, said he no longer had a reliable place to access routine checkups and affordable medication, noting that he had resorted to paying higher fees by patronising private hospitals for routine checkups.

“If it is about this hospital, we have all given up on it because it has been abandoned for a long time. It seems they are playing politics with it. I am a retiree with underlying health issues, and because of the state of the hospital, I cannot access affordable healthcare.

“Some routine checkups that I often go for were done at a private hospital which means I have to pay more money and you know how a private hospital can be expensive compared to a public hospital.

“If the hospital had been functional, I wouldn’t have to spend large sums paying for hospital bills monthly. What can I do than to accept the situation as it is? It will be a great relief if this hospital can become fully functional at least in my lifetime,” Baba Oluwo narrated with a sober face.

WHO Declaration

Nigeria, along with other member countries of the World Health Organisation, adopted the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration, which agreed to provide accessible and affordable primary health centres for the grassroots so that residents in remote areas and cities can have access to affordable and basic healthcare.

However, the over 35,800 residents of Abesan Estate in the Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (Lagos State Social Security Exercise and Population Figure 2006, Population by Size, Abesan Estate Lagos State, 2006) are now at a disadvantage in terms of affordable and basic healthcare as the only government-owned hospital lies in ruins, denying residents their statutory right to healthcare.

Located within Lagos’s most populous housing estate lies Akinyele Primary Healthcare Centre, whose construction began in 2013. However, several years after its foundation was laid, residents of the estate have lost hope in the possibility of the two-storey edifice providing essential and affordable healthcare.

The hospital construction, which was welcomed by the community with hopes and optimism and the belief that succour had come in the area of healthcare delivery, was slowly abandoned. Over time, its state deteriorated, with broken windows, crumbling walls, and overgrown weeds replacing what was hoped to be a place of healing.

The deteriorating state of the hospital not only halted essential health services but also opened the door for unlawful activities within its premises.

Community laments insecurity

Approaching the hospital from the East side, this reporter was greeted with the presence of fiery-looking five young men with some holding sticks of cigarettes while a few puffed smoke of cigarette into the air.  The wall betrayed any attempt to conceal the fact that the spot is a usual gathering spot for the hoodlums with several paintings and inscriptions written on the fence.

Very close to the spot where these hoodlums gathered is a pub. This reporter observed a few customers go in and out of the pub, which indicated it was rendering service to customers. The presence of these two situations contradicts the global standard of an ideal hospital environment.

Inside the hospital building, this reporter attempted to take the stairway to other floors but he was restricted by the abandoned wood used to guide the stairway indicating long years of use.

When he eventually gained entry into the first floor, the evidence of the activities of some hoodlums was visible as the remnants of smoked cigarettes littered the floor.

Also, some of the windows were shattered while parts of the plastered walls were peeling off indicating prolonged exposure to sun and rain.

On the last floor of the hospital, the aluminum materials used in the roofing had succumbed to the impact of wind, with some parts of the roof tattered while other parts had caved indicating long years of abandonment.

Lamenting on how hoodlums have taken over the facility, the President of the Abesan Estate Residents’ Association, Michael Kehinde, disclosed that the abandoned structure had become a haven for hoodlums who now use the place for their illicit activities.

He noted that some residents had lost personal property, such as money, mobile phones, and laptops, and had even sustained injuries from gunshot attacks.

“The estate has experienced rising criminal activities, including kidnappings, robberies, and home invasions. Residents have faced incidents of theft, violent ‘one-chance’ robberies, kidnappings, and break-ins.

“One Engineer Kennedy, a resident of Sector 12, was on his way to work when he boarded a Lagos State-painted vehicle at the American Junction. Instead of reaching his destination, he and fellow passengers were driven to the Gowon Estate, near Dominion Cathedral, where they were robbed, beaten, and tortured.

“Similarly, a resident of Sector 29, Block 599, boarded a Lagos State commercial bus at the Akinyele Bus Stop. He and others were taken to Agege, where they were robbed of money, phones, and laptops. They were then beaten with iron rods, leaving some with permanent injuries and trauma. All these were due to the hoodlums taking shelter in the dilapidated hospital.”

Speaking further on insecurity, another resident, Bisola Ogunyanwo, noted that the security situation had worsened to the point where vehicles were stolen from the premises of the fire service station located in the community.

He attributed the security breakdown to the influx of commercial motorcyclists and scavengers operating illegally in the area.

Ogunyanwo said, “Borehole pumps are removed in broad daylight, flats are broken into, generators are stolen, cars are vandalised or stolen, and all sorts of damage are done. The Lagos State Fire Service fence was broken into, and two vehicles within their premises were vandalised. The estate is becoming more dangerous due to the lack of security and its porousness.

“The level of drug use, peddling, and related immoral activities is alarming. ‘One-chance’ vehicles operate around the estate at any time of the day. There is no monitoring system, and everyone does whatever they want. It’s like a no man’s land.

“Motorcycles, tricycles, minibuses, and Danfo buses operate illegally and drive on one-way roads without any caution. The main entrance to the estate is always congested and resembles a marketplace—the old Oshodi before Governor Fashola was even better than our gate.”

‘We are incapacitated’

However, the reality for employees of Akinyele Primary Health Centre is the opposite as the state of the hospital has rendered them incapacitated to deliver on their core mandate.

A nurse at the hospital who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation disclosed that the dilapidated state of the hospital had posed a constraint to effective healthcare delivery for residents of the community.

The nurse lamented that aside from the absence of necessary healthcare equipment that could facilitate their work, the poor state of the hospital had also left the staff members with poor working conditions.

She noted that from the rainy season, the ground floor had been filled with water, making it difficult to attend to a few patients who still patronised the hospital.

She said, “We don’t carry out much medical services here because of the nature of the facility. Each time there’s rain, this place will be filled with water.

“Also, there is no equipment here because there is nowhere to keep them. As you can see, there are no windows and doors that can guarantee the safety of the equipment.

“We often refer some patients who come here to another health centre that can handle them but we carry out immunisation, antenatal and other minor cases.”

Another nurse who does not want to be mentioned in print but corroborated the claim of her colleague said, “We only receive minor cases here because of the limited personnel and equipment available. Most of the healthcare cases related to maternity are often referred to other PHCs.”

Unending wait for solutions

Community members have repeatedly appealed to the local and state government authorities to either renovate the hospital or repurpose the space for community use. However, these requests have so far gone unanswered, with authorities often citing budget constraints or shifting priorities.

The AERA president, Michael Kehinde, stressed that the community had made several efforts to persuade the LCDA and the state government to see to the completion of the building but all appeals had been futile.

Kehinde noted that there were rumours that the integrity test fee requested had been a bone of contention in the handing over process.

“We also have a health centre that is meant for residents that is yet to be completed. The state government is to carry out stability tests on the three floors of the building, but the council has yet to pay the sum of N300,000 to carry out the test, which has left the building in a state of despair.

“I learnt that the disagreement over who should pay the fee has delayed the handover because the state government said they could not take over a building that they were not sure of its foundation.

“We have petitioned, written letters, and even staged peaceful protests, but our words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Our community deserves better than this.”

Similarly, another resident of the community who identified himself as Akeem lamented the delay in renovating the facility.

In his words, “Believing that they will complete this hospital soon is like someone waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ that you don’t know when it will happen.

“It will be a delight if this building is completed because if not that our government is wasteful, how can they leave this gigantic building to rot away?”

Experts express fears

Public health experts believe that dilapidated hospital buildings pose danger not just to the staff members but also to patients alike. They believe that the lives of health workers operating in the dilapidated structures are at risk because of the integrity of such structures.

Beyond the risk the structure poses to patients and workers, it is also believed that there could be a surge in infant mortality due to reduced access to PHC services.

A public health expert, R. A. Iyagba, in his inaugural lecture at the University of Lagos in 2005, stressed that patients patronising dilapidated health structures are prone to allergic diseases.

He added that workers in such environments are also prone to reactions such as dizziness and irritation among others.

Iyagba said, “Hospital buildings are places where care and cure should be available to the public, but due to lack of maintenance, public hospital buildings have become a place where people working in the built environment and patients have allergic-like reactions to unspecified stimuli: reactions like dizziness, nausea, irritation of mucous membrane, eye and/or nasopharyngeal irritation and sensitivity to bad odour from human waste, poor toilet facilities, and insufficient cleaning methods.”

Speaking on the negative impact a dilapidated and abandoned PHC could pose on the residents, a Consultant Community Physician at the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Best Ordinioha, stressed in a recent interview with our correspondent that denying community access to primary healthcare could spark infant mortality while hoodlums activities could fuel high blood pressure among residents.

“Dilapidated PHC structure can affect childhood immunisation rates, and percentage of skilled attendance at birth, death and outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases can occur.

“The presence of hoodlums in such a facility can lead to insecurity and fear which can lead to increased blood pressure.

“Also, there could be a surge in the cost of treatment because services at the PHC are cheaper and when not available means higher cost of treatment. There can also be reduced access to important PHC services such as immunisation, antenatal care, delivery and treatment of minor diseases.”

Blame game

To ascertain the genesis of the current state of the hospital, this correspondent reached out to the ex-council chairman whose administration began the construction of the facility, Abiodun Mafe.

Mafe disclosed to our correspondent that the facility was 80 per cent complete as of 2014 when he left office.

He, however, decried its abandonment by successive administrations while stressing that despite repeated efforts to persuade his successors to complete the project, his efforts did not yield any result.

Mafe said, “Health care was the cardinal point of my administration, and the Akinyele Primary Health Centre construction started in 2010. As of May 2014, it was at 80 per cent completion.  The facility, which is more spacious with ample car parking space, was designed to cater for health at the grassroots.

“We had the budget to inaugurate the project before my second term in October 2014, but internal saboteurs caused its delay. After my administration ended, my vice chairman was appointed executive secretary for one year and eight months, and she ought to have completed the project because she was from the same estate.

“The current chairperson abandoned the project deliberately for the past seven years. I made several pleas for the hospital to be completed because the laudable project would be for the benefit of all residents and its environs.”

Lagos promises renovation

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area, Olabisi Adebajo, when contacted on the state of the facility, told our correspondent that it had been handed over to the Lagos State Government for completion.

She, however, dispelled claims that an integrity test fee was delaying the handing over of the facility to the state government.

“We have handed the hospital to the state government and they have promised to complete it. I recently spoke with the commissioner who said  they were working on it.

“There is no truth about any fee delaying the handing over. It is a rumour; please, disregard it,” Adebajo said.

The Lagos State Government confirmed Adebajo’s assertion, saying it had commenced the process of renovating the Akinyele PHC following its takeover from the LCDA.

“The ministry has taken over the Akinyele PHC and we will commence the renovation soon. The process of renovating the facility has commenced,” Ogunbanwo said.

Private-public partnership

To restore the hope of the residents of having access to affordable healthcare, experts suggest that the government and the community should consider a Private-Public Partnership agreement that would fund the hospital project and get it working for the benefit of the community.

According to Ordinioha, members of the community could also consider liaising with companies and individuals within the community who could contribute financially through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

He said, “Government can embark on community ownership as part of an effort to engage communities and stakeholders in maintaining and improving primary healthcare infrastructure. They can also solicit help from companies as part of Corporate Social Responsibility and sourcing funds from philanthropic individuals.”

As long as this hospital remains in its current state, it is both a physical and symbolic barrier to the well-being of residents of Abesan Estate.

The post Hoodlums Take Over Abandoned Lagos Hospital, Denying Community Access to Healthcare appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

This development was disclosed by Dr. Babagana Adams, Permanent Secretary of the Health and Environment Services Secretariat (HESS), during a dinner and award ceremony hosted by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) FCT Council in Abuja. Adams confirmed that the recruitment drive was approved by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Dr. Adams revealed that the recruitment, approved by Minister Wike, is set to begin soon and aims to bolster the healthcare workforce in the FCT. In addition, Wike gave the go-ahead for the hiring of 342 more healthcare professionals to strengthen the region’s medical capacity. Adams also shared plans to propose the establishment of a “Health Professionals’ Village” to improve the living and working conditions for healthcare workers in the capital.

READ ALSO; FCTA Threatens Land Title Revocation Over Unpaid Fees

Nigeria’s healthcare sector is currently facing a major shortage of professionals due to the rising trend of brain drain. At the event, Dr. Adams referred to a recent report by Prof. Sa’ad Ahmed, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, which revealed that 51 doctors had resigned from the facility this year alone.

In response to this challenge, President Bola Tinubu has approved a National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, aimed at addressing the migration of healthcare workers and rebuilding a resilient healthcare workforce in Nigeria.

Dr. Adams also discussed ongoing discussions with WEMA and Zenith banks to improve transportation support for nurses, providing them with mobility solutions to ease their commute. The FCT government has recently approved a 25% wage increment for nurses, in addition to the payment of outstanding arrears, a move commended by Jama Medan, Chairman of the NANNM FCT Council.

READ ALSO: FCTA to Waive Taxes for Diplomatic Missions in Abuja, Says Wike

Medan praised Minister Wike for his commitment to enhancing the welfare of healthcare workers and noted the urgent need for hospital expansion to serve the rapidly growing population in the FCT. He called for the construction of more hospitals and the provision of better medical equipment to alleviate the pressure on existing healthcare facilities.

The evening concluded with the presentation of the “Best Nurse in the FCT” award, which was given to Rosemary Okoroafor of Karshi General Hospital. The award was presented by Dr. Esther Osunluyi, representing the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America.

With these initiatives, the FCTA is taking significant steps to address healthcare challenges, retain medical talent, and improve services across the FCT.

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