Nigeria

By Ali Tijjani Hassan 

On December 19, 2025, President Bola Tinubu presented Nigeria’s 2026 budget to the National Assembly. As a health advocate, I was curious about sector allocations, especially in health, aligned with his Renewed Hope Agenda to revitalise Nigeria’s healthcare system. I hope the administration commits to the 2001 Abuja Declaration, in which African leaders pledged to allocate at least 15% of their budgets to health to address chronic underfunding and improve health sector outcomes. Nigeria proposed spending 2.82 trillion naira, only 4.26% of its 2026 budget.

 I was nearly buried in shame when I heard the president repeating that “this health allocation represents approximately 6% of the total budget net of liabilities.” Meaning that, excluding the net liabilities, the health sector’s take-home after deduction of debt servicing of almost 15 trillion Naira from the gross budget will be only 4.26%. Which makes me pause and ask myself, “Is this allocation holistic toward changing the narrative of the dilapidated healthcare system in Nigeria?” 4.26% against the 15% is relatively less than one-third of the Abuja Declaration—a beacon of hope to combat the ravages of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other scourges plaguing our continent.

Yet here we are in 2025, over two decades later, and Nigeria, the self-proclaimed Giant of Africa, continues to stumble in the darkness of illusion, allocating a paltry 4-6% to health in the just-presented 2026 budget. How can a nation so rich in oil, talent, and potential treat its people’s health like an afterthought?

This is not just negligence; it is a disappointment that endangers millions, especially as the United States government slashes its global health aid, leaving citizens exposed to infectious diseases, non-communicable ailments like chronic kidney disease (CKD), and a rapid population boom that threatens to overwhelm our fragile systems. The Abuja Declaration was no mere rhetoric; it was a collective vow by African Union members to prioritise health financing, recognising that without robust funding, diseases would continue to feast on our people like vultures on carrion.  Nigeria is a party to this decree, but history shows we’ve never come close to honouring it. From 2001 to now, our health allocations have hovered below 10%, peaking at around 5.95% in recent years before dipping again in the 2026 proposal of ₦2.48 trillion out of ₦58.18 trillion—a measly 4.26% when liabilities are included.

Our leaders always cite debt servicing, infrastructure, and security as excuses, but I want to ask a single question: “Is the life of a Nigerian child not worth more than another flyover or armoured vehicle?”

Although they are relatively important, one thing is certain: no nation can grow beyond the quality of its people. Apology to President Tinubu.

I can’t comprehend how we can parade ourselves as Africa’s economic powerhouse yet fund health like beggars at the roadside. In comparison to our African brothers, who have shown what true commitment looks like. Rwanda, rising from the ashes of genocide, consistently meets or exceeds the 15% mark, allocating up to 18% in recent budgets, which has built a universal health coverage system envied across the continent. 

In Botswana, with its prudent diamond revenues, which hit 15-17%, investing in HIV programs that have slashed infection rates. On the other hand, the Côte d’Ivoire joined this elite club, channelling funds into preventive care that keeps NCDs at bay. Even Tanzania briefly touched the target in 2011. While we proclaimed the giant of Africa’s band, these nations have long proved it’s possible by prioritising health as a national security issue, not an optional charity. The Giant of Africa lags behind most West African peers, where allocations average below 10%. 

We boast the largest GDP in Africa, yet our per capita health spending is a shameful $15-20 annually, far below Rwanda’s more than $50. This comparative disgrace isn’t just numbers; they represent the lives lost. While Rwanda’s life expectancy climbs to 69 years, ours stagnates at 55, a gap widened by our funding failures. The consequences are alarming, starting with the relentless burden of infectious diseases that stalk our land like ghosts in the night. 

Nigeria bears the heaviest malaria load globally, with millions infected annually and economic losses of $1.1 billion each year from treatment and lost productivity. In 2025 alone, Lassa fever has claimed 195 lives, with over 1,069 confirmed cases amid 9,041 suspected—a fatality rate hovering at 18.5%, higher than previous years. Cholera surges during rains, diphtheria ravages unvaccinated children, and HIV/AIDS affects millions, with Nigeria hosting the second-largest HIV population worldwide. These figures aren’t abstract statistics; they are the number of our brothers dying in rural clinics without drugs and mothers burying infants from preventable fevers.

Underfunded surveillance systems mean outbreaks explode before a response, as seen in the 2025 Lassa resurgence, which cost billions in emergency measures. If we met the 15% pledge, we could bolster primary health centres, stockpile vaccines, and train more community health workers—turning defence into offence against these microbial invaders. But wait, the horror deepens with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), silent killers creeping up as our lifestyles urbanise. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) exemplifies this scourge, with prevalence rates of 10-19% among adults, yet awareness is abysmally low. 

In Lagos alone, hypertension affects 29% of adults, fueling CKD and cardiovascular woes.  NCDs now cause 73.6% of deaths in developing nations like ours, surpassing infectious ones. Diabetes and cancer add to the tally, with households spending fortunes on out-of-pocket care—up to ₦384 billion annually, pushing families into poverty. The double burden is real: As we fight malaria, the CKD dialysis costs bankrupt families, while public facilities are overwhelmed. In armed conflict zones of Northern Nigeria, NCD prevalence hits 15% for hypertension and diabetes, compounding the trauma of insurgency. Without the pledged funding, proper disease-screening programs remain dreams, and preventive education is scarce. 

Compared to Botswana, where 15% allocation funds are for NCD clinics, reducing mortality by 20% in a decade. Exacerbating Nigeria’s demographic tsunami. Our population stands at 237.5 million in 2025, growing at 2.5-3% annually, and is projected to hit 380 million by 2043 and 440 million by 2050. Nearly half are under 15, a youthful bulge that could be a dividend but risks becoming a curse without health investment. More mouths mean more disease vectors: crowded slums breed cholera, and rapid urbanisation spikes NCDs driven by poor diets and pollution. By 2050, we’ll add 130 million souls, straining hospitals already at breaking point.

Rwanda, with controlled growth and high health spending, harnesses its youth; we risk a generation crippled by untreated ailments. And now, the dagger twist: US funding cuts. In early 2025, the Trump administration froze billions in global aid, slashing USAID programs by 23-40%. Nigeria lost over $600 million—a fifth of our health budget—crippling HIV treatment for millions, dropping coverage from 1.1 million to 350,000. Malaria and TB programs falter, with NGOs downsizing and lives lost estimated in the thousands.

We’ve long relied on foreign donors for 30-40% of health funding; now, with cuts, the gap yawns wider. Botswana and Rwanda, self-reliant through domestic pledges, weather this storm; we scramble with supplements like ₦4.8 billion for HIV packs, mere band-aids.

To redeem ourselves, the government must urgently ramp up to 15% by redirecting funds from wasteful subsidies, tax evasion loopholes, and corruption black holes. Invest in primary care: build 10,000 more health centres and train 50,000 midwives and doctors annually. Prioritise prevention: free CKD screenings, anti-malaria campaigns, and NCD education in schools. Forge public-private partnerships, like Rwanda’s with tech firms for telemedicine. Address demographic needs through family planning integrated into health services. And hold leaders accountable—civil society, demand audits; lawmakers, reject budgets below 10% as a start.

My compatriots, the clock ticks. It’s high time to hold our leaders accountable for their words and actions. If we sleep on this, infectious outbreaks will merge with NCD epidemics amid population surges, turning Nigeria into a health wasteland.

But with resolve, we can honour the spirit of the Abuja Declaration, outshine our peers, and build a nation where health is a right, not a lottery.

Arise, O Nigerians—demand better, for our future’s sake!

Ali Tijjani Hassan is a public health enthusiast, civil society actor, and public affairs analyst. He writes from Potiskum, Yobe State, and can be reached at alitijjani.health@gmail.com.

By Mallam Tawfiq

The scaffold that sturdily supports the pillar of success in everything is “unity”, without which we will somberly watch every beautiful thing in our everyday life running into a complete fiasco.

In healthcare settings, unity and peaceful coexistence among healthcare professionals are of paramount importance and a necessity for ensuring the delivery of effective, high-quality healthcare services.

To easily fathom the significance of that, should we reflect and ponder on the biological level of organisation of life? It succinctly and holistically depicted that the degree of unity among various cells leads to the formation of “body tissues”, and that the harmonious agreement among these tissues leads to the formation of “organs”.

Organs, however, organise to form a system, and thus the effective functioning of the respective systems yields a healthy life. Snags created by pathological factors deflect the spirit of harmonious union at different levels of this organisation, resulting in abnormality and disruption of robust, sound well-being.

The milieu of the hospital/healthcare settings comprises various health specialities from different professional backgrounds. This includes Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Radiography, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing Science, Dentistry and Medicine, among others. The aims and objectives of each and every profession can only be appraised by rendering its best to the prime concern, and that is the patients.

As interdependent social animals tightly bound by the strong bond of humanity, we must interact, socialise, and, above all, reciprocate love and respect everywhere, be it in worship places, hospitals, banks, medical schools, and so on. The essence of so doing is to set our hearts and souls free from the bondage of emotional malice, attain optimum peace and maintain both physical and emotional well-being within ourselves. Unfortunately, the hostility, ranging from an exaggerated self-compliment and a show of self-worth and superiority to contempt for other professions in the name of rivalry amongst medical students and, to some extent, healthcare professionals, is worrisome and indeed condemnable.

Under whose tutelage in the medical school are students being mischievously taught that the six years of MBBS discipline should make them condescend and disregard other professions from being part of the healthcare system? Or the greater dispersion in the juxtaposition of the tense and heinous atmosphere under the five years of Radiography training with that of Medical Laboratory Science or Nursing renders the significance of the former and the insignificance of the latter. This is absolutely puerility of the highest degree. Each profession is worthwhile, and its ethics are centred on meeting the needs of patients.

Can we patiently have a proper dekko at how the systems of our body unite to execute their functions and maintain an equilibrium conducive to survival? What will happen if, for instance, the neural tissue says it is superior and appears to boss other systems, while the circulatory system, in response, denies it sufficient oxygen to meet its basic metabolic demand? Or what do we think is going to happen when the renal system quarrels with the immune system, whose function serves the body best, and both react so that one can predominate over the other and effectively carry out both the functions concurrently? Will this ever happen!? Capital NO.

Conspicuously, the hospital/healthcare environment is analogous to our biological level of organisation and how bodily systems work.

Togetherness leads to the existence of all sorts of misunderstandings; this is inevitably true, and the ripple effect of us not allying with one another is directed towards our subject of interest, which is the patient, because a medical doctor alone cannot efficiently run a whole hospital, nor can pharmacists or physiotherapists. As such, we need to come close, close enough together, thus respect our differences and welcome each other to specialise in one skill or the other and benefit from each other’s knowledge. Only by doing so can we render our best compassion to our patients.

There is a saying, “united we stand, divided we fall.”

Service to humanity is service to the Lord. May everything we do be solely for the sake of God and to attain the reward of God. Ameen.

Mallam Tawfiq, Physiotherapist, writes from Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops of 1 Division, Sector 1 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have foiled a bandit attack and neutralised one suspected terrorist during an operation in the Maraban Rido area of Kaduna State.

The operation followed a distress call received late on January 22, 2026, which reported the presence of armed bandits who had rustled livestock in Anguwan Fulan village within the Rido axis.

Acting on the information, troops moved quickly to the area to set up a snap ambush.On arrival, the troops encountered the fleeing bandits and engaged them with superior firepower.

This forced the attackers to retreat in disarray, with several sustaining gunshot wounds. The troops later extended the operation to nearby forested areas, including the Kankomi forest.

Another encounter occurred around Anguwan Sarki, which was identified as a suspected crossing point.

During the clash, the troops again overwhelmed the terrorists with heavy fire. The criminals abandoned the stolen livestock and fled the area. Some of the rustled animals were recovered during the operation.

Further exploitation of the ambush location in the early hours of January 23, 2026, led to the neutralisation of one terrorist. Troops also recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and fifteen rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

The General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander of Sector 1, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed Wase, commended the troops for their bravery and professionalism during the encounter.

He urged them to maintain the momentum of operations against criminal elements and their hideouts.

The GOC reassured members of the public of the military’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property. He also called on citizens to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.

The update was signed by Bello Nuradeen, Captain and Acting Staff Officer Grade 2, Community Relations, Army Public Relations, 1 Division Nigerian Army, Sector 1, Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

By Muhammad Abubakar

Authorities in Niger have detained DW Hausa journalist Gazali Abdou Tasawa and placed him in Niamey Central Prison following a court summons on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The journalist appeared before the public prosecutor at the Niamey High Court for questioning related to a video report he produced.

The report highlighted the difficult living conditions of refugees from Katsina State in northern Nigeria who have sought refuge in Niger. However, no official statement has yet been issued detailing the specific charges against the journalist.

The detention has raised concerns among media observers and press freedom advocates, particularly regarding the treatment of journalists reporting on humanitarian and refugee issues in the region.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A Magistrate Court in Kano State has ordered the remand of a popular Islamic cleric, Ibrahim Makwarari, over allegations of forgery linked to land ownership documents.

Mr Makwarari appeared before Magistrate Court No. 53, sitting at Normansland, Kano, on Wednesday. He is facing charges bordering on illegal possession of land and forgery of land documents in connection with two properties located along Ahmadu Bello Way in the Kano metropolis.

The charges were filed by the police after a petition submitted by the Kano State Ministry of Land. The ministry alleged that the cleric forged title documents that were originally issued in the names of Kassim Usman Baba and Audu Yaro Fagge.

According to investigators, the disputed documents were recovered from the defendant. The police stated that Mr Makwarari failed to give a satisfactory explanation concerning the authenticity of the documents.

When the charges were read in court, the defendant pleaded not guilty.Counsel to the defendant, A. T. Shehu, applied for bail and assured the court that his client would be available for trial. The prosecution counsel, Nura Salisu, opposed the request.

Mr Salisu told the court that the defendant had previously ignored police invitations and was arrested only after a specific court order was issued.

In his ruling, the magistrate, Mustapha Datti, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of ₦20 million with two sureties. The court directed that the sureties must include a district head from any local government area in the state, supported by an official letter from the relevant Emirate Council, and a Kano-based businessman with verifiable property.

The magistrate also ordered the defendant to submit his international passport to the court. Both sureties are required to provide recent passport photographs.

Mr Datti further ruled that the defendant should be remanded in a correctional facility until all bail conditions are met.

The case was adjourned to 12 February for hearing.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Supreme Court has definitively ended the murder trial of former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), over the 1996 killing of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola.

In a unanimous ruling on Friday, the apex court dismissed the case, citing Lagos State’s complete abandonment of the appeal.

Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, presiding, noted that the state had failed to take any legal steps for over nine years despite being granted permission in 2014 to challenge an appellate court’s decision.

Lagos State, which had sought to overturn Al-Mustapha’s 2013 acquittal by the Court of Appeal, was absent from the proceedings and had filed no documents since the Supreme Court’s 2014 order gave it a 30-day window to act.

Al-Mustapha’s counsel, Paul Daudu, successfully argued that the state had lost all interest, urging the court to dismiss the matter entirely.

“The appellant has abandoned the case,” Justice Aba-Aji declared, stating that nine years was more than sufficient for Lagos to pursue the appeal.

The court also expressed displeasure that the state offered no representation or explanation despite receiving hearing notices since 2020.

This ruling seals the legal saga that began with Al-Mustapha’s 2012 death sentence by a Lagos High Court for his alleged role in Kudirat Abiola’s murder, a sentence overturned on appeal in 2013 due to insufficient evidence.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal closes the final chapter, affirming Al-Mustapha’s acquittal.

By Uzair Adam

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has dismissed claims circulating on social media that the newly revised Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum excludes religious subjects, describing the information as false and misleading.

In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Professor Salisu Shehu, the Council said it was responding to allegations by “some people” who claimed that the new curriculum made provision for Christian Religious Studies (CRS) alone, with no space for Islamic Studies (IS), while others alleged the reverse.

According to NERDC, both claims amount to disinformation and do not reflect the approved curriculum.

The Council clarified that the revised curriculum, developed under the Federal Ministry of Education’s National Education Sector Initiatives (NESRI), clearly provides for both CRS and Islamic Studies at all relevant levels of basic and senior secondary education.

It explained that the subjects are offered on the basis of pupils’ religious affiliation, with CRS designated for Christian pupils and Islamic Studies for Muslim pupils.

Contrary to previous practice where religious studies were largely optional, NERDC said the revised curriculum accords greater importance to religious education by making it a consistent component of learning from Primary One through Senior Secondary School Three.

“The claim that either CRS or Islamic Studies has been removed from the curriculum is completely false,” the Council said, noting that the approved subject offerings comprehensively accommodate both religions in line with Nigeria’s plural society.

According to the Council, the curriculum review was designed to streamline content, reduce overload and improve learning outcomes, while still ensuring balance across sciences, humanities, vocational studies and religious education.

It added that the Federal Ministry of Education has officially released the list of approved subjects for all levels, and that any other versions in circulation are unauthentic.

NERDC explained that at the basic education level, pupils are required to study a broad mix of core subjects alongside either CRS or Islamic Studies, while at the senior secondary level, both subjects are clearly listed among the humanities offerings.

However, science, technology and commercial students that are interested in offering CRS and IRS can pick them as elective.

This, it said, demonstrates that the curriculum council adopted an inclusive and comprehensive approach rather than favouring one religious subject over another.

Professor Shehu urged parents, teachers and other stakeholders to ignore “fake and unauthorised” subject lists circulating online, warning that such misinformation could cause unnecessary confusion and tension.

He said the Council is already planning nationwide sensitisation and teacher capacity-building programmes to support smooth implementation of the revised curriculum.

He further explained that implementation will begin at the start of each three-year education cycle—Primary One, Primary Four, JSS One and SS One—whenever the revised curriculum is introduced.

NERDC assured the public that the revised curriculum reflects national values, respects religious diversity and remains focused on improving the quality and relevance of education across the country.

By Uzair Adam

The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the long-standing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and university degrees by empowering polytechnics to award degrees, a reform aimed at repositioning technical and vocational education as a key driver of national development.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing a high-level retreat of council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars and bursars of polytechnics across the country.

Describing the move as a landmark policy shift, the minister said the reform would end decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and reposition the institutions as centres of excellence within Nigeria’s higher education system.

He explained that the initiative would strengthen polytechnic education while preserving its core advantage of hands-on, industry-oriented training.

According to Dr. Alausa, Nigeria’s future competitiveness depends largely on a workforce capable of creating, building and solving real-world problems.

He added that the policy was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises job creation, industrial growth and human capital development.

With the new degree-awarding status, polytechnics are expected to attract stronger industry partnerships, improved funding opportunities and increased public confidence.

The minister assured stakeholders that the transition would be guided by clear standards, strong regulation and robust quality assurance mechanisms to ensure global competitiveness.

Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Innovation, Good Governance and Sustainability for National Development,” Dr. Alausa noted that polytechnics remain critical to building a skills-driven economy.

He said the ministry had placed priority on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to ensure graduates are industry-ready, innovative and capable of driving economic growth.

He urged polytechnic leaders to promote innovation through entrepreneurship centres, research hubs and strong industry linkages, identifying renewable energy, agri-technology, digital manufacturing and climate-resilient solutions as key priority areas.

On governance, the minister warned that transparency, accountability and ethical leadership must define the new era of polytechnic administration.

He called for fiscal discipline, timely audits, prudent management of resources and zero tolerance for corruption.

Dr. Alausa also emphasised sustainability, encouraging institutions to boost internally generated revenue through production and services, develop eco-friendly campuses and build resilient infrastructure.

Polytechnics, he said, should aim to produce what they consume and contribute to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports.While acknowledging challenges such as funding gaps, outdated facilities and societal bias in favour of university degrees, the minister maintained that the opportunities ahead were far greater.

He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting polytechnics through policy reforms, infrastructure upgrades and strategic partnerships.

He further announced a special TETFund intervention this year to upgrade engineering schools in polytechnics with modern equipment, following a similar intervention for 12 medical colleges last year.

Charging participants to return to their institutions as agents of change, Dr. Alausa said, “The future of our youth, our economy and our nation depends on the transformation we ignite here today.”

Education experts at the retreat described the announcement as a turning point, noting that it would boost enrolment, motivate students and staff, and enhance the contribution of polytechnics to sectors such as manufacturing, technology, agriculture and renewable energy.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Kano State Police Command has finally identified and exposed individuals from the local community who failed to assist Fatima Abubakar and her six children while they were alive, but later took to social media to spread fabricated stories after the family was tragically murdered.

The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, revealed this development in a short video posted on his official Facebook page.

The video featured the implicated individuals, alongside a stark caption that translates to: “It’s easy to be brave after the deed! You refused to help the woman and her children, only to come and weave lies.”

This statement directly contradicts earlier sensational claims made by these residents, who had given conflicting accounts to the police before presenting a different narrative on social media.

The police action aims to set the record straight and condemn the exploitation of the tragedy for attention.

The case of Fatima Abubakar and her six children, who were all killed, has shocked the state.

The police have reiterated their commitment to the investigation and warned against the circulation of unverified information that can hinder justice and cause further pain to the bereaved.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A fatal road crash claimed two lives and left six others seriously injured on Tuesday night along the Gombe–Yola Road.

The incident occurred around 10:20 pm at New Mile 3, near the entrance to the main dual carriageway. Preliminary investigation by authorities points to negligence by the driver of a heavy-duty truck loaded with rice.

Ambassador Yusuf Danbayo, Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters, confirmed that the truck was improperly parked with its handbrake not fully engaged. It subsequently rolled uncontrollably, colliding with a Toyota Hilux and striking several individuals at the scene.

The two deceased victims were pronounced dead on arrival and deposited at the Specialist Hospital, Gombe. Six injured persons received emergency care at the Federal Teaching Hospital.

Police have arrested the truck driver, who is currently held at the Tumfure Police Division pending transfer for further investigation and prosecution.

Authorities have advised motorists, especially drivers of heavy vehicles, to exercise utmost caution when parking on major highways to avoid similar tragedies.