Lifestyle

By Maimuna Katuka Aliyu

Pollution poses one of the greatest threats to human existence, yet it remains highly underestimated. All over the world, air, water, and land are being contaminated by industrial waste, plastic, toxic emissions, and deforestation. 

The impact is devastating—rising diseases, extreme climate shifts, and dwindling biodiversity. Yet, many people treat it as a distant problem, failing to see that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that grows our food are already contaminated.

With rapid industrialisation, urban expansion, and population growth, pollution has reached critical levels, threatening ecosystems and human survival. The consequences are already here—millions of lives are lost to pollution-related diseases annually, while climate change escalates natural disasters. 

Without urgent action, the world may be heading toward irreversible environmental collapse.

The Invisible Killer in the Air

Air pollution remains one of the deadliest forms of contamination, responsible for nearly 7 million preventable deaths yearly. Toxic substances such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides fill the atmosphere due to vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and deforestation. 

Respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and lung cancer are rising sharply, even in developing nations where pollution regulations are weak.

A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) campaign has garnered support from nearly 50 million individuals, highlighting the growing global concern over pollution’s impact on health. 

Advocates call for cleaner energy, stricter environmental policies, and large-scale sustainable infrastructure. Without such efforts, air pollution will continue to rob millions of their health and shorten lifespans worldwide.

Poisoned Waters and a Dying Ecosystem

Water pollution is another crisis unfolding before our eyes. Industrial waste, plastic pollution, and chemical runoffs have turned once-thriving rivers and oceans into toxic dumps. 

Marine life is being suffocated by plastic debris, while communities reliant on rivers and lakes for drinking water are facing increasing cases of waterborne diseases. The situation is especially severe in developing countries, where clean water is still viewed as a luxury rather than a basic right.

Land pollution is also eroding our ability to produce safe food. Improper waste disposal, deforestation, and unregulated pesticide use are depleting the soil, making it more difficult to grow crops. This issue coincides with the rise of global hunger, further exacerbating the suffering of millions.

Nigeria’s Battle Against Pollution and Disease

While the world grapples with pollution, Nigeria confronts a dual crisis—environmental contamination and disease outbreaks. The country is currently facing an alarming rise in Lassa fever cases, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) implementing emergency measures to contain its spread. 

This outbreak, linked to poor sanitation and rodent infestation, is a stark reminder of how environmental degradation fuels public health disasters.

The parallel concerns of pollution and infectious diseases demand urgent intervention. Nearly 50 million individuals worldwide have signed petitions demanding stronger policies to combat pollution, but actions on the ground remain insufficient. 

If nations like Nigeria fail to address these twin threats, millions more could be at risk.

The Fight to Save Our Planet

The crisis may seem overwhelming, but solutions exist. Governments must enforce stricter environmental laws, encourage the adoption of clean energy, and invest in waste management systems. Individuals also have a role to play—reducing plastic use, supporting eco-friendly products, and advocating for policy changes.

Nigeria, in particular, must strengthen its disease surveillance systems and healthcare access, especially in rural areas where pollution-related illnesses are rampant. Public health campaigns must be intensified, educating citizens about preventive measures against pollution-induced diseases and outbreaks like Lassa fever.

There is no more time for complacency. The battle for a cleaner planet is also a fight for human survival. Every moment wasted brings us closer to a world where clean air, safe water, and healthy food become privileges rather than rights. The time to act is now.

Maimuna Katuka Aliyu is a correspondent of PR Nigeria in Abuja.

By Aisha Musa Auyo

I will begin my write-up with this Hadith: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Nothing is heavier on the believer’s scale on the Day of Judgment than good character.” (Sunan al-Tirmidh).

If we pay attention and are fair to ourselves, I bet you will realise that none of us is perfect. We all have areas in our lives where we excel, and we all have areas where we do not excel – or even fail. This will be true in your marital life as well. So, let us try to upgrade our character based on this fact.

Marriages collapse for many reasons. Some marriages and relationships go wrong because people fail to praise each other’s strengths and tend to criticise each other’s weaknesses. 

Let me tell you from experience. I love getting praise when I do something good, but if I totally blow something, I am already critical and upset enough with myself that I do not need my mate coming in and twisting the knife, so to speak. I am pretty sure everyone out there would agree with me on this. 

If you want to approach marriage the right way, you must generously praise each other, particularly when one excels at something, and use criticism sparingly when one flounders. Pray about the challenges and allow Allah, the Most High, to handle the work. 

Crushing your spouse’s soul will only push them away and never pull them toward you. When you see your spouse has messed something up, this is a time to draw them into your arms, hug them tight, and assure them everything will be okay. 

Marriage is teamwork, not competition, so learn to support and encourage each other. If you discover that you have strengths in areas where your spouse is weaker, take the lead in those aspects of the relationship and allow your partner to excel in what they do best. This synergy is achievable only in a healthy, selfless, progressive marriage.

If you both struggle in an area, agree to collaborate to address it. Learning to use this key effectively will create tremendous harmony in your relationship.

This formula can be applied beyond marital relationships. Any type of relationship can benefit from it, including those between parents and children, teachers and students, siblings, coworkers, or employers.

In a world where you can be anything…. choose positivity, compassion, empathy, and kindness. Remember, people may forget how you look, but they may never forget how you made them feel.

One more reason to be kind, encouraging, and compassionate is the hadith that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The best among you are those who have the best manners and character” (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Aisha Musa Auyo is a Doctorate researcher in Educational Psychology. A wife, a mother, a homemaker, caterer, parenting, and relationship coach. She can be reached via aishamuauyo@live.co.uk.

By Muhammad Ahmad Iliasu

When Barr. Ammani recommended Hillary Clinton’s Autobiography ‘Living History’ to me back in 2018, I said to myself where could I find it? Because, among others, one thing was certain; books that are authored across the ocean are not easy to find. And if, in the rare case, they are available, a young student like me was most likely priced out of contention.

Then one day, during one of my trekking braggadocios between Kantin Kwari, Bata to Sabon Gari, I stumbled upon an intensely greying old man of modest stature, smiley and incredibly alert and mobile for a man of his age. What pulled my attention to his makeshift shop wasn’t him, but rather the large book carrying the face of Herbert Hoover – USA’s 31st President.

At that time, there were a lot of debates in our Macro class in BUK on Buhari’s Protectionist policy. And with Yanis Varoufakis’s dominance on my bookshelf, how protectionism backfired against Hoover as stated in his ‘Global Minotaur’ became of great interest to me. I didn’t only want to know all about protectionism in the 1930s but the whole lifetime of President Hoover and his administration.

Therefore I stepped to the old man, pointed at the book and asked ‘how much is that one, Baba?’ ‘It’s price is two-thousand five-hundred Naira, boy’ – he replied. I responded ‘what?’ – almost terrified by its incredible cheapness, even though I didn’t have that amount at the time. To which he incredibly remarked ‘if you are truly serious, I will leave it to you at one-thousand seven-hundred Naira’. I laughed and borrowed the money from my boss’s change to settle the payment. I asked him once again ‘do you by any chance have Living History?’ The old man smiled and said ‘That will be Hillary Clinton’s Autobiography. I sold it two days ago. But I have ‘Women in Charge’. He put my curiosity into perspective with that response. Because I didn’t think he would know that instantly. And from then my relationship with him became very close. I admired his familiarity with books, genres and authors. And he became fond of how much I was willing to spend on books.

Interestingly, we never exchanged contacts. I usually stopped by his place anytime my boss sent me to Sabon Gari. And whenever he had a book he knew I’d like, he would keep asking his customers if they knew one big lad from the core metropolis who is crazy about books – I knew that because he asked three people who knew me and passed the message.

Beyond the unbelievable cheapness of his books, what made Alaji Garba special wasn’t his eagerness to sell, but knowing what his customers wanted to buy. He had a way of profiling people’s interest perfectly. For example, anytime he had an autobiography of a famous leader or historical figure he would try his best to see me acquire it. I recall how he kept the biography of Joseph Stalin waiting for weeks even though many wanted to get it ahead of me. Funny enough, I didn’t know who Stalin was at that time. He just believed I would like it. And he was right.

From him I acquired more than 20 biographies of US presidents including those of Washington, Maddison, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR and Reagan. I first heard about The Bourbons, House of Windsor and The Bolsheviks from him. Better yet, he supplied deep readings on them. I got classics authored by Rousseau, Locke, Homer, Byron, Marx, Calder, Orwell, Dante and Dumas from Alaji Garba.

He introduced me to the artistic savagery of Mario Puzo’s Mafia and the boiling horror of Stephen King. I know Jenni Calder and her father Angus Calder because of Alaji Garba, and thanks to that I know Thomas Carlyle and whoever he mentioned in his analysis of Heroes. I’ve forgotten to mention the book “Heroes” by Jenni which Alaji Garba gave me almost for free, the very book whose analytical dexterity formed the earliest foundation of my ability to conflate history with literature, personality with reality, and what an author seeks to achieve with every detail of his book.

On the afternoon I bought Eisenhower’s biography, Alaji Garba gave me ‘Thirty Centuries of Command’ for free. And beyond acquiring familiarity with the military-industrial complex, the misinformations in the Thirty Centuries of Command on Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih rattled me into reading the history of the Ottoman Empire since Sulayman Shah and Ertugrul up to Lawrence of Arabia and Mustafa Kemal Attaturk.

Indeed, I am nothing without my bookshelf, and my bookshelf would be nothing without Alaji Garba’s heavenly supply. There are five times more books on my shelf that were supplied by Alaji Garba than any other bookseller. And he’s probably only edged by Jakara City on the quantity of my readings supplied. The poor man, whom I truly loved, probably had no idea what he was doing jumping from one shadow to another under a bridge with those small sacks of old treatises. He was probably just trying to put food on his table, unsure of who next will buy, and whether that will be enough to pay the fare home. But he was more than that. And I wish he knew it. I wish he knew how many lives he changed with that materially unrewarding trade. I wish he can get recognition for the volume of knowledge he worked very hard to put into the hands of people who otherwise would never have gotten the chance to get.

I wish he knew how much I loved him and how much I understood his efforts and how much I admired him and his trade. I wish he knew how people like him inspire me to be great despite having no independent ambition to be so, just so that when I tell their story to the people who should’ve known them it will bear some weight. I write, partially, so I could tell the stories that may never be told. And Alaji Garba’s is truly one of a kind. May Allah rest him in His eternal peace. May ‘Iqra’a’ rescues him from the wrath on the day of judgement. For certainly very few have dedicated more to the love of reading.

Muhammad Ahmad Iliyasu is Strategic Communications Officer at the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity. He can be reached via his email: Muhada102@gmail.com

By Oladoja M.O

…and if we begin to face a threat of setbacks in our supposed success against diseases induced by pathogenic microorganisms, are we not seemingly sent back to the dark ages even as we claim to have advanced? When recounting the history of medicine, few triumphs can compare to the emergence and widespread use of antimicrobials, for indeed, it was a win for the world. 

Without mincing words, Alexander Fleming’s serendipitous discovery of penicillin on his petri dish ushered in a new era in biomedicine. For just before our eyes, pathogens that had wreaked havoc for generations, perpetuating morbidity and mortality in their wake, were suddenly at the mercy of the new chemical arsenal deployed in the fight; and just like that, infectious diseases receded before the ever-rising tide of antimicrobials. Everyone felt optimistic and, in fact, predicted a swift and righteous victory over the scourge of infection.

For over a decade now, the world’s leading figures have consistently voiced concerns about the threat to global health posed by microorganisms’ resistance. It appears that humanity’s arsenal, which once assured victory over these microorganisms and their harmful effects, is now inadequate. Can we suggest that the drugs being produced are ineffective? Can we assert that our research is flawed? Or that humanity has developed a different genetic makeup? Or that these microorganisms are now clever enough to evade destruction? 

Well, many questions like these are very relevant. But as we consider these questions, it is more reasonable to retrace our steps to identify the real causes and understand what has positioned the world, particularly Africa and Nigeria, toward this path of looming global, continental, and national health breakdown.

Nationally, for example, this issue is moving very rapidly. Diseases that should be treated in a short time are becoming difficult to manage, with treatment becoming elusive. Many blame the serious organized crime surrounding “fake drug production ” in Nigeria, which floods the market day and night, and yes, this is a reasonable claim. What greater factor could contribute to a drug’s ineffectiveness than poor or flawed production? However, if this were the only cause, it would be a unique issue to Nigeria; instead, it transcends even beyond that. 

The individual practice can be directly linked to this whole issue without prejudice. Simply put, the consistent intake of drugs renders the individual impotent over time. The Department of Health of the Australian Government, in one of their submissions, noted that “using a drug regularly can lead to tolerance (resistance); your body becomes accustomed to the drug and needs increasingly larger doses to achieve the same effect or, even, becomes less potent.” This attitude, unfortunately, is almost a daily occurrence for many individuals, stemming from the persistent issue of self-prescription, however minor it may appear. 

The US National Library, in one of its publications in 2013, stated that “Self-medication is a global phenomenon and a potential contributor to human pathogen resistance to antibiotics. The adverse consequences of such practices should always be emphasized to the community, along with steps to curb them.” I think we can all agree that many people are guilty of this act; at the first sign of discomfort, almost everyone becomes a medical expert in their own home, concluding which drug works best for them, diagnosing their own ailments, and taking antibacterial drugs for fungal issues. 

A user on X @the_beardedsina narrated his experience: “A patient comes to the hospital. He has been sick for a week, having had a fever for days. A blood culture is done, and the result shows that he’s resistant to the following drugs (antibiotics): Ceftriaxone, Ampicillin, Cipro, Levofloxacin, Metronidazole, Cefepime, Meropenem, Piperacillin, Gentamicin, Amikacin, Nitrofurantoin, Vancomycin, and Chloramphenicol.” How can we survive this??

The issue of how antimicrobials are used in agriculture is another concern. The rise of industrial farming has fully embraced the prophylactic use of antimicrobials in livestock, not primarily to treat diseases, but to enhance growth rates. However, unlike clinical settings, the agricultural use of antimicrobials lacks the same oversight and prescribing guidelines. 

The inconsistency in regulation allows for significant variation in the classes and concentrations of antimicrobials used in agriculture. In 2021, approximately 54% of the 11 million kilograms of antimicrobials sold for use in domestic agriculture in the United States were categorised as “medically important. “

In conclusion, this issue requires significant awareness and sensitisation of the general public regarding the dangers of antimicrobial resistance. Conservative preventive care should be promoted, and individuals should seek care from qualified professionals. 

The commercial use of antimicrobial drugs must be approached with caution, and all relevant agencies responsible for this oversight at national, continental, and global levels should act swiftly before the situation escalates and threatens global health, reverting us to the dark ages of high mortality and the economic toll of microbial threats.

The world faces numerous challenges, and we should focus on celebrating our victories rather than becoming overwhelmed by this struggle.

Oladoja M.O writes from Abuja and can be reached at mayokunmark@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sulaiman

A recent study conducted by the University of Otago has found that using electronic devices in bed, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, is linked to poorer sleep quality. The research indicates that individuals who engage in screen time while in bed experience delayed sleep onset and reduced overall sleep duration.

Dr. Bradley Brosnan, the lead author of the study, emphasized that while screen time before bed had little impact on sleep, usage once in bed significantly impaired sleep quality. The study observed that 99% of participants used screens in the two hours before bed, with more than half continuing this usage once in bed, leading to an average delay of 30 minutes in falling asleep.

Health experts warn that poor sleep can have serious long-term effects on mental and physical well-being, including increased risks of anxiety, depression, obesity, and heart disease.

Dr. Amina Bello, a sleep researcher at the National Institute of Sleep Research, who was not involved in the study, commented on the findings: “This research reinforces the importance of creating a tech-free bedtime routine. Even just 30 minutes without screens before bed can make a significant difference.”

The study recommends setting screen curfews, charging devices outside the bedroom, and engaging in relaxing activities like reading or meditation before bed to promote healthier sleep habits.

By Sa’id Sa’ad

“Silence is really golden. For many years, I have respected you as a great actress, but after listening to you speak for once, I lost all respect for you. Silence is, indeed, golden.” 

These were the exact words shared by a fan after watching one of the popular Kannywood actresses’ podcasts.

Recently, a podcast went viral in which four Kannywood actresses sat, warming their chairs, sharing opinions about relationships. While many criticise the podcast, I find myself wondering just how ‘golden silence really is.’

From Talk with Feezy by northern Nigerian artist Feezy to the highly criticised The Social Spotlight by Kannywood actress Nafisa Abdullahi, podcasts are slowly becoming the North’s new thing. Famous faces with thousands of followers are tapping into this audio-visual world and, irrespective of the content, are reaching a wide audience thanks to their massive followings.

Podcasting is the new cool in the North. Content creators, entertainers, film producers, actors, actresses and wannabe influencers are all jumping on this new wave. Everyone’s got something to say. But the unifying factor is they are all saying it in Hausa. This not only makes it content by creators from northern Nigeria but also for northern Nigeria and the broader Hausa-speaking population.

Now, let’s not be mistaken. Podcasting isn’t exactly new. Like most things, it just arrived in the North late. Young audiences are now tuning in, eager to consume original opinions from faces they admire beneath the thousands of Instagram followers. 

But here comes the twist. While popular faces trend with podcasts that often miss the mark, there’s a whole storm of lesser-known creators. Just as hungry. Just as passionate. Diving into podcasting, hoping to go viral. Few get it right. Many get it wrong, and most are just aiming to create controversy. 

It’s great that young creators are speaking up. It’s refreshing to see new northern voices adding their two cents to conversations about relationships, religion, family, entertainment, and society. But even at that, when done poorly, this new podcast culture is more dangerous than beneficial. 

I’m an avid fan of vodcasts, particularly those produced by Nigerians. I also strongly support consuming content from Northern Nigeria. However, just because it’s from the North doesn’t mean our standards should be low. We owe it to ourselves to demand quality.

Upon close observation, it’s clear that many of these podcasts bring ‘more face’ and ‘less value.’ In the first few minutes of an episode, you can already tell the host isn’t fully prepared. They ramble. They say empty phrases. And you’re left wondering: What am I supposed to take away from this? These podcasts often fail to provide value, and let me remind you, that’s the very foundation of podcasting: Value.

It’s a strange thing. Really. The lights are bright, the makeup is on point, and the guests are ready. The studio setup is perfect. Yet, after all that effort, the conversation feels empty. It leaves you craving more, but in a bad way.

This reflects the current trend in both public and private Hausa-speaking media, where a designated show for Kannywood stars is often featured. These shows rarely extend beyond inviting the stars for views and likes, failing to address the critical questions of why these shows exist in the first place.

But this isn’t just happening among famous creators. A new wave of young creators has emerged; unfortunately, many of them, without doing their homework, are merely copying the same format used by the stars, eager to replicate the same model: 

Create podcast → Talk carelessly → Create controversy → Get views and likes.

While this model keeps some people in the limelight, it doesn’t do the North any favours. It’s as if we’re holding a mirror to the region’s weaknesses and saying, ‘Here, look at us, this is what we’ve got.’ It’s reinforcing the negative stereotype that we can’t produce quality. 

Whether we like it or not, the digital presence of these creators who act as our representatives shapes how the world perceives us.

But let’s not ignore the few non-popular creators producing quality content in Hausa for the region. Many of these are tech-driven podcasts that, although still growing, offer substantial value. Unfortunately, these high-quality contributions are often overshadowed by the more glamorous but shallow content produced by popular stars or emergent ones desperate to trend. 

The question we must ask ourselves is: Which popular Hausa-speaking podcast from northern Nigeria truly offers real value to its audience? How much of the value is visible? Is the content truly for the audience or just for the producers? What narratives are being sold, and can we, in terms of quality, truly compete with podcasts from other regions in the country?

Until we get it right and have the right people behind the mics, with the right knowledge and intentions, these creators will continue to podcast about northern Nigeria’s weaknesses for likes. The unfortunate truth is that this will only serve to bury our efforts to challenge negative stereotypes six feet under. 

Ultimately, every creator has the right to produce what they want. In this case, the power is in the hands of the audience. 

You and I decide what should be popular.

Sa’id Sa’ad is a Nigerian writer and journalist currently residing in Germany. He is the author of the podcast-play “Gangare”. He won the Peace Panel Short Story Prize in 2018 and the NFC Essay Prize that same year. He presently works with the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. 

By Lawal Dahiru Mamman

Some Nigerians with the wrong intention to mock believe that sick individuals, particularly those living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Africa, especially Nigeria, are now an “endangered species” due to the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, marking his return to the White House after defeating the Democratic candidate in a fierce election battle. As the world looked on to see how he would start fulfilling his promise to make “America great again,” he wasted no time signing executive orders that sent shockwaves around the globe.

One of his most controversial directives came just days into his presidency: the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, an organization of which it had been a founding member since 1948. This move was not entirely unexpected, as Trump had previously attempted to exit the WHO in 2020 before his decision was overturned by President Joe Biden in 2021.

To the delight of his supporters and the disappointment of his critics, Trump successfully achieved the withdrawal in early 2025. In February, he made further decisions, including cutting funding to certain organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

WHO leadership bemoaned the decision for obvious reasons. According to financing data, the U.S. contributed an estimated $988 million between January and November 2024, marking approximately 14% of WHO’s $6.9 billion budget. The organization further noted that U.S. funding provides the backbone for many large-scale emergency operations to combat diseases globally.

Citing an example, the WHO stated, “U.S. funding covers 95% of the WHO’s tuberculosis program in Europe, along with 60% of the agency’s TB efforts in Africa, the Western Pacific, and headquarters in Geneva.”

The African Union (AU) also expressed deep concern over the development as events continued to unfold. In a statement, AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat emphasized the crucial role the U.S. has played in shaping global health standards over the past seven decades. He noted that the U.S. was a key supporter in establishing the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which works closely with WHO to tackle global health challenges, including those on the African continent.

This concern, coupled with comments such as those in the opening paragraph of this piece, should not be taken at face value or dismissed as mere press statements. It warrants careful consideration. Although the latter’s comment may be seen as a reaction to unfolding events or an attempt to mock Nigeria and Africa jokingly, more is at stake if the lives of millions of Africans solely depend on that funding.

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa, a 2009 book written by Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo, comes to mind. It earnestly challenged the traditional approach to foreign aid in Africa.

Moyo argues that foreign aid has failed to lift Africa out of poverty and has instead fostered a culture of dependency, corruption, and stagnation. She claims that aid has weakened Africa’s incentive to develop its own economic and political systems. Consequently, it has hindered the growth of Africa’s health sector.

It is a universal truth that no nation can survive in isolation; however, countries should be able to provide for their basic survival needs. The concern raised by the AU may validate Moyo’s hypothesis, as Africa remains dependent on aid from foreign entities like the WHO, despite having a continent-wide centre for disease control.

In 2001, African leaders signed the Abuja Declaration, promising to increase budgetary allocation for health, eradicate HIV/AIDS, and strengthen the health sector through improved infrastructure, human resources, and access to essential medicines.

Two decades later, we are lamenting a single nation’s withdrawal from the WHO because we have failed to uphold the promises we made to ourselves. What will happen if other “powerful” countries choose to leave? Will our already poor health metrics deteriorate? This should serve as a wake-up call.

All hope is not lost, as some progress has been made. In Nigeria, there was a breakthrough in November 2024. Doctors at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), in collaboration with the Sickle Cell Foundation, successfully carried out a bone marrow transplant on two patients. This procedure once thought impossible in Nigeria, was described as “a significant step forward in the treatment of sickle cell disease—the first of its kind in West Africa.”

Also, in February 2025, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) joined the ranks of medical facilities that have successfully performed kidney transplants.

Nigeria can build upon and enhance these developments, attracting patients from other regions for treatment. This influx will generate revenue and may elevate us to a point where we no longer depend on funding from external organizations.

Nigeria and other African nations can leverage their existing resources to generate revenue while investing further in research to discover cures or treatments for diseases for which we have traditionally relied on palliatives.

Lawal Dahiru Mamman writes from Abuja and can be reached at dahirulawal90@gmail.com.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A recent analysis of how medical professionals are spread across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has uncovered some striking differences in the number of doctors available to meet the needs of the country’s growing population.

Leading the pack is Lagos, the nation’s bustling commercial center, boasting an impressive 7,385 doctors. Following closely is the FCT with 4,453 doctors, and then Rivers, which has 2,194 doctors.

Other notable states include Enugu with 2,070 doctors, Oyo with 1,996, and Edo with 1,777, all of which highlight the correlation between urbanization and the demand for healthcare services.

These areas tend to attract more healthcare workers, drawn by the opportunities in metropolitan settings.

However, the report also sheds light on a troubling disparity in healthcare professional availability across different states.

While southern and southwestern states generally enjoy a better doctor-to-population ratio, the northern and northeastern regions are facing a significant shortage of medical personnel.

Taraba, situated in northeastern Nigeria, has the fewest doctors, with only 201, which raises serious concerns about the challenges of providing adequate healthcare in that area.

Other states like Yobe (275 doctors), Adamawa (280 doctors), and Kebbi (273 doctors) further illustrate how the distribution of medical staff is heavily tilted towards more urbanized and economically prosperous regions.

Among the states with lower doctor counts, Zamfara (267 doctors), Jigawa (255 doctors), and Gombe (485 doctors) also highlight a significant gap in healthcare access.

This uneven distribution means that many areas in Nigeria, especially in the north and rural regions, are struggling to deliver quality healthcare services to their communities.

In contrast, southern states like Akwa Ibom (888 doctors) and Abia (829 doctors) show a more favorable situation, underscoring the ongoing challenges in achieving equitable healthcare access across the country.

By Ibraheem A. Waziri

MashaAllah. As the crescent moon rose to herald Ramadan this year, on this twentieth day of March 2025, a profound stillness has settled over me. The fast silences my body’s clamor, the long nights of prayer elevate my spirit toward the heavens, and my thoughts drift into the boundless expanse of the unseen. This Ramadan, I find myself wrestling with the nature of dimensions—what they signify, how they shape our fleeting lives, and how death might unlock realms beyond our earthly reach. 

The Qur’an unveils glimpses of this mystery: seven heavens layered in divine order, Jannah’s gardens of eternal serenity, Jahannam’s depths watched by stern guardians, and Allah’s timeless, infinite dominion. The number four—etched into our 4D reality and echoed in a hadith debate I explored last week—anchors my reflection, while the nineteen of Surah Al-Muddathir, mirrored in the nineteen letters of *Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim*, stirs my soul. Could death guide us through a cosmic graveyard of stars into these dimensions, as some now ponder in awe?

Let us begin with dimensions as we experience them in this Duniya, this transient abode. We dwell within three spatial dimensions—length, width, and height. A minaret pierces the twilight sky; its shadow stretches wide across the sun-warmed earth, and its foundations sink deep into the soil. Time, the fourth dimension, flows relentlessly forward, a current bearing us from the first whispered adhan of Fajr to the tranquil hush of Isha. 

These four—three of space and one of time—form our 4D reality, a spacetime framework we navigate with every breath and every step we take. Yet science, with its insatiable curiosity, gazes beyond this familiar quartet, proposing extra dimensions—ten, eleven, or perhaps far more—coiled tightly at scales too tiny for our eyes to discern or sprawling across unseen planes our hands cannot grasp. These are not mere directions to wander but subtle layers, bending the forces of gravity, energy, or the very essence of creation in ways that stretch our comprehension.

In 2018, a Northern Nigerian Hausa broadcasting Television Station, Arewa24, in a documentary about space named black hole mutuwaren taurari (Mortuary of Stars), but I preferred mak’abartar taurari—the Graveyard of Stars—as a more evocative term. Here, death is a profound key, a passage to what lies beyond. In this 4D shell, we are tethered—our physical forms bound to the limits of space, our lives measured by the steady march of time. 

The Qur’an, however, assures us that the soul, the ruh, endures beyond this fragile vessel. When we die, might that soul break free, slipping into a fifth dimension, a sixth, or even further—realms where Jannah’s rivers ripple with mercy and Jahannam’s fires blaze with justice, domains veiled from us until Malak al-Mawt, the Angel of Death, carries us across the threshold? 

Physics offers a faint echo of this possibility: higher dimensions might surround us, omnipresent yet inaccessible, hidden behind a veil that only death can part. Some astronomers link each soul to a star wandering the cosmos; when a person dies, their star might collapse into this graveyard, bearing their ruh along. Could this black hole be a portal, a barzakh, where dimensions unfold beyond our sight?

The Qur’an sketches this vastness with strokes of majesty. “He who created seven heavens in layers,” proclaims Surah Al-Mulk (67:3), urging us to reflect on the nature of these layers. Are they celestial skies arching above our world, glowing in the twilight? Or could they be universes, dimensional planes, each distinct yet interconnected, ascending beyond our perception into a hierarchy only Allah fully comprehends? 

Our 4D reality, with its glittering stars and sprawling earth, might be the “lowest heaven,” as Surah As-Saffat (37:6) suggests, with its adorned lights, while six more heavens rise above, reachable only when death turns the lock. Time, too, bends in Allah’s presence—Surah Al-Ma’arij (70:4) likens a day with Him to fifty thousand years of our earthly counting. In these higher dimensions, time might not flow as we know it; it could stretch into an endless horizon, loop upon itself, or fold into an eternal now—a reality death alone might usher us into.

Yet it is the number four that steadies my wandering mind, a pattern I cannot unsee. Just last week, in *The Eternal Quartet: Understanding the Hadith Debate in Northern Nigeria*, I wrote of a debate stirring Northern Nigeria’s Muslim online space—Shaykh Prof. Ibrahim Saeed Ahmad Maqari and Shaykh Prof. Sani Rijiyar Lemo clashing over the degree of certainty in different categories of Hadith rather than dismissing their essence outright. 

I framed the scholars’ dispute through four lenses: reason, belief, doubt, and rejection, a quartet mirrored in Islam’s four legal schools—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali—and four theological paths—Mu’tazila, Ash’ari, Maturidi, Athari. Maqari, with his Ash’ari and Maliki roots, demands the unshakable certainty of Mutawatir hadiths, those narrated by many, while Rijiyar Lemo, grounded in Athari and Salafi trust, upholds authentic Ahad narrations with strong chains, even if from fewer sources. Four emerged as a complete, balanced square: Maqari’s logic seeking widespread proof, Rijiyar Lemo’s faith in vetted tradition, the doubters’ hesitant questions, the rejectors’ outright dismissal. As I dwell in our 4D spacetime, I see it again—four as our foundation, the root from which higher dimensions might grow, a motif threading through faith, nature, and the human heart.

Then comes a piercing verse—Surah Al-Muddathir (74:30): “Alaiha tis‘ata ‘ashar”—“Over it are nineteen.” Nineteen angels guard Jahannam, their number stark and resonant, a mystery that stirs my soul to its core. Are these guardians confined to our 4D frame, or do they stride across dimensions, overseeing a hell that burns beyond our spacetime? This deepens when I count the letters in Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim—ب س م ا ل ل ه ا ل ر ح م ن ا ل ر ح ي م—nineteen in all, the sacred invocation that opens every surah but one. Could this parallel—nineteen angels, nineteen letters—hint at more, perhaps 19 dimensions woven within or alongside the seven heavens? Science freely posits dimensions; string theory suggests ten or eleven, but the Qur’an’s seven and nineteen numbers carry a divine weight. From our 4D base, the seven heavens might rise as broad realms, each enfolding finer layers, totaling 19—a cosmic framework death unveils, where the nineteen serve as eternal watchmen.

Consider the black hole, this mak’abartar taurari. Could it be barzakh, a liminal space bridging dimensions? Does it cradle Jannah’s tranquility or Jahannam’s torment? Some wonder: might the Day of Judgment spring from this starry graveyard, an event science cannot yet name, where fallen stars—and souls—rise into new dimensions? We perceive only four in this Duniya, but black holes might harbor twelve, as some speculate. Add seven for Jahannam’s planes, and we reach 19—four we know, eight in Barzakh’s depths, seven in Saqar’s fire, guarded by nineteen, as Allah declares, “Alaiha tis‘ata ‘ashar”. Last century, scholars like Khalifa Rashad stirred debate with new readings of this verse—could it point to such a cosmic order?

Envision it: our 4D reality as the first heaven, rooted in four—length, width, height, and time. Six more heavens ascend, each a dimensional cluster, totaling 19 with Barzakh and Jahannam’s layers. Surah Fussilat (41:12) says each heaven has its command—unique laws across these planes, from fifth to nineteenth. His Kursi (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255) spans them, the nineteen as sentinels in its scope. The Qur’an says the soul’s end wanders in the space between the dimensions of fire (dread) or peace (natsuwa). Death might thrust us through mak’abartar taurari into these 19, where nineteen angels stand guard.

As Taraweeh’s verses wash over me this Ramadan, I feel four and nineteen entwined. If 19 dimensions veil Jannah, Jahannam, or more, might they host others—angels, jinn, beings unseen? Science puzzles at silence; death might unveil a chorus. In sujood, fasting’s clarity sharpens this: the Qur’an bids us marvel. Whether seven heavens hold 19 dimensions via a starry graveyard, death is our key—a mercy cloaked as an end.

Breaking my fast, dates sweet with Jannah’s echo, I feel tethered to this vastness. Our 4D world—fourfold in dimensions and thought—is a breath, a shadow of Allah’s infinite craft. Ramadan 2025 is my pilgrimage—through hunger, hope, and “Alaiha tis‘ata ‘ashar”, mirrored in Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim—toward a reality where death, from our fourfold root, opens the door to seven heavens, nineteen dimensions, and Allah’s eternal truth. Allah Shine masani.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Kano State government has honored Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba for his exceptional contributions to the state’s development.

Dr. Magashi, who serves as the Technical Adviser to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Disabled, as well as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, is also the Chair of the AMG Foundation.

His efforts have been instrumental in advancing initiatives that support women and other vulnerable groups.

During the International Women’s Day celebration at the Kano State Government House on Monday, March 17, 2025, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Disabled, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi Sani, presented him with an Award of Excellence.

The recognition shows his dedication to improving the well-being of Kano State residents, particularly in the areas of health, humanitarian services, and poverty alleviation.

While presenting the award, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi Sani stated:

“Dr. Magashi has decades-long dedication to public service and commitment to improving the lives of Kano’s underserved communities. He led several reforms in the health sector leading to the establishment of so many agencies, notably PHIMA, KHETFUND KUSH, KNCDC to mention but few.”

She further acknowledged his role in shaping policies, saying:

“His strategic insights and leadership were also vital as Chairman of the health transition committee, where he collaborated closely with His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf to craft a transformative agenda for Kano State’s healthcare.”

Additionally, she presented his contributions to governance:

“He also led the technical committee which supported H.E. Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf to develop his campaign blueprint in 2022.”

Dr. Magashi’s recognition underscores his commitment to public service and his lasting impact on health and social welfare initiatives in Kano State.