Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, yesterday, declared an outbreak of Lassa fever in the country, following an upsurge in the number of confirmed cases recorded across states since 1st January.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of NCDC, announced this in Abuja. He said: “There has been an increase in the number of Lassa fever cases reported from several states across the country since the beginning of the year. “As at January 13, 60 confirmed cases have been reported in eight states. “Given this increase in reported cases, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has declared this an outbreak.” He also said an Emergency Operations Centre, EOC, has been activated to coordinate the nationwide response to the outbreak, noting that the EOC includes World Health Organisation, WHO; mini-stries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment, US Centres for Disease Control, among others.
Vanguard
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Video - Nigerian woman tackles mental health stigma
A Nigerian woman is leading the fight against stigma associated with mental health. Hauwa Ojeifo was diagnosed with Bipolar and post-traumatic stress in 2015. She has not allowed it to bring her down. Instead, she is using her experience to raise awareness on mental illness -- in a country where 30 percent of the population is affected.
3 stabbed in All Progressive Congress party rally in Nigeria
At least three people were stabbed Tuesday after violence flared at a campaign rally in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria, police said.
Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode addressed thousands of supporters at the event, organized by Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress party.
Violence broke out after members of a transport union stormed the campaign venue, said Lagos police spokesman Chike Oti.
The violence was directed at supporters of a top transport union official, MC Oluomo (real name Musiliu Akinsanya), who was among those stabbed at the rally, according to police. Police said the union official and others were discharged following treatment at a hospital.
Video from the rally posted online shows men brandishing machetes as people cower and run for safety. Gunshots can be heard.
Three journalists covering the event were injured, a Lagos-based journalists' union said in a statement on Wednesday.
It called for a media boycott of political rallies by parties who cannot provide "minimum security" for journalists covering their campaigns.
Police said 16 people were arrested following an investigation. Tuesday's incident has sparked fears of election-related violence as Nigeria begins a heated campaign season leading up to a general election in February.
CNN
Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode addressed thousands of supporters at the event, organized by Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress party.
Violence broke out after members of a transport union stormed the campaign venue, said Lagos police spokesman Chike Oti.
The violence was directed at supporters of a top transport union official, MC Oluomo (real name Musiliu Akinsanya), who was among those stabbed at the rally, according to police. Police said the union official and others were discharged following treatment at a hospital.
Video from the rally posted online shows men brandishing machetes as people cower and run for safety. Gunshots can be heard.
Three journalists covering the event were injured, a Lagos-based journalists' union said in a statement on Wednesday.
It called for a media boycott of political rallies by parties who cannot provide "minimum security" for journalists covering their campaigns.
Police said 16 people were arrested following an investigation. Tuesday's incident has sparked fears of election-related violence as Nigeria begins a heated campaign season leading up to a general election in February.
CNN
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Video - Nigeria 'failing' to implement increased minimum wage
People in Nigeria are protesting, demanding a better minimum wage. The federal government had agreed to nearly double the minimum wage - but some states claimed they could not afford to pay it. Nigerian workers have taken to the streets, threatening to launch a crippling strike if the new minimum wage is not implemented.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Nigeria lost $2.8 billion of revenue in 2018 due to oil related crimes
The United Nations say Nigeria lost an estimated 2.8 billion dollars in revenues in 2018, mainly due to oil-related crimes.
This is according to a new ‘Report by the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)’ on Monday in New York.
The report, which covered from July 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018, said “Maritime crime and piracy off the coast of West Africa continued to pose a threat to peace, security and development in the region.
“Oil-related crimes resulted in the loss of nearly 2.8 billion dollars in revenues last year in Nigeria, according to government figures. “Between January 1 and November 23, there were 82 reported incidents of maritime crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.’’ The report also noted that compared to the situation reflected in the previous report, there was an increase in drug trafficking throughout West Africa and the Sahel. “In Benin, the Gambia and Nigeria, more than 50 kilogrammes of cocaine were seized between July and October by joint airport interdiction task forces.
“During the same period, joint airport interdiction task forces seized more than six kilogrammes of methamphetamines, eight kilogramme of heroin (double the amount in the first half of 2018) and 2.6 tonnes of cannabis. “Drug production across the region was also reportedly on the rise, with more than 100 kilogrammes of ephedrine and phenacetin seized by competent authorities,’’ the report said. During the reporting period, it said that conflicts between farmers and herders resulted in loss of lives, destruction of livelihoods and property, population displacements and human rights violations and abuses. The report said outbreaks of violence were recorded in many states across Nigeria, although with more frequency in the Middle Belt region, as well as Adamawa and Taraba. It said the spike in conflict between farmers and herders was closely linked with demographic pressures, desertification and the attendant loss of grazing reserves and transhumance routes, which had been exacerbated by climate change.
Others were challenges in the implementation of effective land management and climate change adaptation policies, and limited enforcement of existing pastoral laws. Political and economic interests, the erosion of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, and weapons proliferation, were other factors attributed to the increased cases of herders-farmers conflict.
Vanguard
This is according to a new ‘Report by the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)’ on Monday in New York.
The report, which covered from July 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018, said “Maritime crime and piracy off the coast of West Africa continued to pose a threat to peace, security and development in the region.
“Oil-related crimes resulted in the loss of nearly 2.8 billion dollars in revenues last year in Nigeria, according to government figures. “Between January 1 and November 23, there were 82 reported incidents of maritime crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.’’ The report also noted that compared to the situation reflected in the previous report, there was an increase in drug trafficking throughout West Africa and the Sahel. “In Benin, the Gambia and Nigeria, more than 50 kilogrammes of cocaine were seized between July and October by joint airport interdiction task forces.
“During the same period, joint airport interdiction task forces seized more than six kilogrammes of methamphetamines, eight kilogramme of heroin (double the amount in the first half of 2018) and 2.6 tonnes of cannabis. “Drug production across the region was also reportedly on the rise, with more than 100 kilogrammes of ephedrine and phenacetin seized by competent authorities,’’ the report said. During the reporting period, it said that conflicts between farmers and herders resulted in loss of lives, destruction of livelihoods and property, population displacements and human rights violations and abuses. The report said outbreaks of violence were recorded in many states across Nigeria, although with more frequency in the Middle Belt region, as well as Adamawa and Taraba. It said the spike in conflict between farmers and herders was closely linked with demographic pressures, desertification and the attendant loss of grazing reserves and transhumance routes, which had been exacerbated by climate change.
Others were challenges in the implementation of effective land management and climate change adaptation policies, and limited enforcement of existing pastoral laws. Political and economic interests, the erosion of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, and weapons proliferation, were other factors attributed to the increased cases of herders-farmers conflict.
Vanguard
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