Category: Health

  • NBSC calls for investment in blood bank

    NBSC calls for investment in blood bank

    The National Blood Service Commission (NBSC) has called for a robust Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the blood services for improved availability of safe blood.

    The Acting Director-General of the commission, Dr Omale Amedu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to celebrate the World Blood Donor Day.

    The World Blood Donor Day, held yearly on June 14, is aimed at raising global awareness on the need for safe blood and blood production for transfusion.

    Amedu said investing in blood services would improve the availability of blood and blood products such as whole blood; red cell concentrates; platelets; fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and others.

    He also added that it would also provide avenue for the production of plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMP), which can also be sold within and outside the country.

    “The aspect of ensuring safe blood for Nigerians cannot be complete without the private sector. So, we need them to invest in providing blood services not just as whole blood, but as blood products and plasma derived products. These products are products that are sold as drugs. This aspect is business oriented.

    “Investors who are able to put together good initiative can go into the business, where they can separate blood into its components and produce drugs like antigen, haemoglobin and several others. All these are sold not just in the local market, but international market as well. And the Federal Government will collaborate with anyone who is interested through Public Private Partnership (PPP) to ensure they fully establish this venture and make profit out of it,” the acting D-G said.

    According to him, the commission’s mandate was to regulate, coordinate and ensure the provision of safe blood and blood products.

    He, therefore, appealed for more voluntary unpaid donors to donate blood to save lives, improve their health status and increase the nation’s blood bank.

    “Our target is to ensure that blood units collected will increase from 25,000 to one million by 2023 and three million by 2030,” Amedu said.

    The D-G described blood donation as an act of solidarity and urged Nigerians to join the effort to save lives. He said the act highlights the critical contributions voluntary, unpaid blood donors make to national health systems.

  • Sterling Bank seals three-year deal with NHEA

    Sterling Bank seals three-year deal with NHEA

    Sterling Bank Plc has signed a three-year agreement with organisers of the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) to become title sponsors of some of their special recognition awards.

    Sterling Bank’s Divisional Head for Business Growth and Transaction Banking, Mr. Obinna Ukachukwu, said the bank recognises the role NHEA has played in the health sector in the past eight years by rewarding excellence and promoting positive outcomes in the sector.

    Sterling Bank, a leading player in the financing of the health sector, decided to come on board to further support excellence and growth of the sector, Ukachukwu added.

    NHEA Executive Secretary, Vivian Alkali, expressed the appreciation of the award organisers. “NHEA 2021 was a great success! Attendance and participation by the various stakeholders continue to increase. We are confident that with Sterling Bank’s partnership and support, NHEA 2022 and subsequent editions will be a greater success.”

    The NHEA is a yearly event where individuals and organisations are recognised and celebrated for their exceptional contributions to the healthcare sector. This initiative, through its eminent team’s research and innovation, has continued to encourage improvements and focus on the quality and standard of service provided by various stakeholders in the industry. This year’s awards will come up on June 24 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    NHEA is an initiative of Global Health Projects & Resources, in collaboration with Anadach Group.

  • Nigeria gets $1.1billion for HIV intervention, says NACA

    Nigeria gets $1.1billion for HIV intervention, says NACA

    Nigeria has received over $1.1 billion for HIV intervention from Global Fund,  the Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Gambo Aliyu, has said.

      Aliyu made this known in Abuja during the presentation of the publication entitled: “From the darkest of days to a new dawn,” by NACA, United Nations, Network of People Living With HIV and AIDS (NEPWHAN) and Federal Ministry of Health.

      He said the funds made the country the largest recipient of HIV funding, which would span last year to next year.

     He urged stakeholders to ramp up domestic funding for HIV, especially as international funding is dwindling.

    According to the NACA chief, the publication is based on the evolution of HIV in Nigeria over the past 35 years. “The quicker we begin to look at domestic financial sustainability, the better for Nigeria because we do not expect donor support to continue forever. Nigeria has the largest global fund portfolio in a single country with over $1.1 billion for last year to 2023 implementation. We have also had increased domestic HIV financing with 50,000 additional ART yearly using the government of Nigeria’s resources and the establishment of the HIV Trust Fund.

    “The new dawn is a rich inventory of insights and great lessons to guide health workers, researchers and policy makers in addressing Nigeria’s unfinished business in HIV/AIDS. We must close the unmet HIV treatment needs among women, children and men,” Aliyu added.

    The United States Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard, said: “Today is such an incredibly important moment to reflect on how far we have come in the past 35 years. We remember in the 1980s when we never thought that there would be a world in which you will be free from HIV; in which it would be a manageable disease. Through the efforts of so many people – partners like the United States, Global Fund, Nigerian government agencies, activists, civil society – we all worked together and came up with systems, data and outreach  that has brought Nigeria now credibly within months of epidemic control. It is an incredible achievement. It is a proud moment for the United States as a major partner and beneficiary of some $6 billion since 2003, to reflect on what it is that people of good will and resources and good plans can accomplish together.”

    The UNICEF Country Representative, Peter Hawkins, said: “This book does very well to help us understand the great achievements Nigeria has made over the years. No child should be born with HIV. We must do all we can through testing, care etc., to make this happen. We must also integrate HIV treatment in the public health architecture of the country, especially in the primary health care (PHC) system. We must invest in PHCs which is the entry point to care. Domestic investment in the PHC system is integral.”

     According to the Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, “The presentation of the publication is timely because we are a few miles to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 target. It would provide a platform for us to build on.”

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, represented by the Permanent Secretary General Services Office, Maurice Nnamdi, said: “Thirty-five years is a long journey, and without the commitment of the PLHIV, this day would have been a mirage. Through this collection of articles, we have the collection of 35 years of Nigeria’s efforts towards eradicating HIV.  THE AIDS indicator and impact survey for our response were adapted to responding to COVID-19. Lessons from HIV response were adopted to combat COVID-19. The Federal Government is committed to improving the health of Nigerians and achieving SDG 3. Nigeria is committed to combating the barriers to accessing HIV treatment.”

  • UNICEF, others to ensure financial discipline in Bayelsa PHCs

    UNICEF, others to ensure financial discipline in Bayelsa PHCs

    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government, has trained directors, accountants, programme officers and immunisation officers of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the local governments in Bayelsa State.

    The programme was part of the measures by the global body and the state government to ensure proper use of resources for PHCs in the state.

    The two-day workshop, which held in Yenagoa, the state capital, was targeted at delivering the PHC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by UNICEF, Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) and the state government.

    On the significance of the training, health specialist and UNICEF Rivers Field Officer, Dr Eghe Abe, said the workshop was aimed at helping imbibe financial discipline in professionals that operate the PHCs in Bayelsa.

    He said with the PHC, being the nearest to the people, the programme was a sure way of getting it right and to improve outcome for women and children in the state.

    He added that the training was to build capacity of the council team such as the directors of the PHC, the accountants, some of the programme officers, local immunisation officers, the routine immunisations officers and the councils to understand and appreciate the financial systems that are needed to make the project work.

    Abe said the project, if well implemented, would do a lot to improve the lot of the children and women as well as improve the health indices in the state.

    He said the indices in Bayelsa were not very good, noting that the project, if well implemented with the support of stakeholders, the communities as well as local governments, they would succeed and that would mean a lot for the women and children in the state.

    “The procedure we are talking about, if properly implemented, will strengthen the system, but if it is not, will mean that there is a lot of work to be done in the system and it will come with improved funding. Our idea for this training is to let the state know what we want to do and to make them appreciate what is being done.

    “The training will help in ensuring financial discipline. It is not totally different from what is expected from a state but to further buttress it and for them to know what is right and what should be done,” he added

  • Qatar, foundation sponsor eye surgery

    Qatar, foundation sponsor eye surgery

    No fewer than 486 people with cataracts have benefited from free eye surgery, with medicines and eyeglasses in Jigawa State.

    The project, sponsored by Qatar Charity Foundation, in collaboration with Malam Inuwa Foundation, held at the Gumel General Hospital.

    At least 200 persons out of the 486 received free eye glasses. Also, 286 people were given free medicines after a medical examination had detected their eye defects.

    Read Also: ‘Not every fibroid requires surgery’

    The Mallam Inuwa Foundation, initiated and sponsored by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), also offered free eye treatments to a lot of people with sight defects in Jigawa State.

    In an interview, many of the patients expressed their happiness and gratitude for the free eye service.

    The eye treatment/care service holding in selected hospitals is supervised by experts with visitations by the Board of Directors of the Qatar Charity Foundation at the outreach centre.

  • 22 June 2022… onpassive register closing…one more step towards launch

    22 June 2022… onpassive register closing…one more step towards launch

    I know of no numerological indicator which suggests that 22 June 2020 is a unique date in the cosmic calendar. But what do I know? All I can say is 22 June 2022 is the date Ash Mufareh has chosen to close the register of O founders of ONPASSIVE. Ash Mufareh is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of onpassive which he has been building up since 2018 to offer the latest global technological advancement in artificial intelligence (AI). The closure of this register on which about two million subscribers worldwide from about 200 countries are listed is programmed to trigger other business activities which will end in the launch of Onpassive, an internet digital solutions company with about 50 product departments designed since 2018 to be the largest single company worldwide in its class of business.

    Response to Onpassive subtle marketing efforts in Nigeria has been that of doubting Thomases waiting to see the end of the script. The script began to unfold in 2018 when Ash Mufareh, an American multilevel business and digital solutions marketer, began to put together an international O founders group who would help to bring to fruition his dream of establishing the biggest internet digital solutions company on earth. He wanted that company to not only provide the most-effective digital products at the cheapest prices but to also be owned by not only himself or a small group of investors, but by millions of persons in every country. It was a new dream in business with an in-built guarantee for success from the launch date. This is because those  millions of O founders in all countries would abinitio be part of a new ecosystem of customers and products. Whereas the void world companies struggled to build the customer base after launch, dissipating energy and money in ceaseless and needless competition, Onpassive would already before it’s launch have standing by millions of “ready made” customers who, as it’s co-founders, are, if you like, also it’s shareholders.

    Every o founder was asked to express interest in the dream with the payment of 95 USD. In reality, the payment could go up to between 105 USD or 120 USD in Nigeria, because of the cost of “handling” or “service” charges. After the launch, there would be an additional payment of between 250 USD and 300 USD per account. But this has not been decided. Such decisions are usually made after global webinars where opinions are sampled and together with a small group of associates, Ash Mufareh takes a decision which is later communicated to o founders at webinars and in the back offices of their onpassive internet accounts.

    On 2nd June 2022, Ash Mufareh personally announced the register of co-founders now known as O founders which would be officially closed at midnight on 22 June 2022.

    CLOSURE EFFECTS

    Closure of the register will usher in many activities, perhaps in quick succession before the launch, including

    1) No new o founder would be admitted to the project.

    2) Existing o founders would add between 250 USD and 300 USD to their original payment of 95 USD.

    3) All O founders would belong to the inner caucus of the company and earn, everyday, something from the profit it will be making globally.

    4) The o founders would not pay for using Onpassive internet services and products. These products are the onpassive’s version of Google, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, play store, zoom and many more. There are to be 50 departments of these digital products, each department furnishing various products.

    5) O founders will not pay for using these products because their bills will be financed exclusively from their earnings. For every account they paid for, they would have two wallets. One wallet would be for their earnings. The other would be fed by the main wallets to finance their use of the various products. Thus, they would not need to bring money from out of their dress pockets or borrow money from the bank or the service provider to purchase “recharge cards” or “credit”. Their income or bonus credit would be fed from their daily earnings.

    6) While business is going on in the “inner caucus” o founders club, Onpassive will also open its doors for business to non-o founders. But these would enjoy only customer benefit, including rock-bottom prices, and their activities would yield additional income to the o founders group. The customer group would earn no income from Onpassive. But it would enjoy efficient and effective products at prices far cheaper than they now do. Besides, every customer will enjoy free use of Onpassive products for seven days trial.

    7) O founders who are unable to pay up the 250-300 USD after the onpassive launch would not earn an income from the company until this has been done. But Onpassive makes it easy for such o founders. Their bonuses would pile up in their wallets but they would not be able to make a draw on them until the wallet has made the mark or has enough money in them to finance the budget.

    8) An e book in the back offices of o founders in the onpassive website which explains how Onpassive has been working and would work in the future, subject to policy updates. Onpassive is not a multi-level marketing (MLM) company. Thus, the company does not pay referral bonuses to o founders whose efforts, such as this article, to introduce it to potential o founders. What I am saying is that (A) I am an o founder. (B) I have written this article to introduce you to Onpassive and to encourage you to be an o founder like me. (C) Onpassive will not reward me with a referral bonus if you accept my invitation and become an o founder like me. The e book explains that Ash Mufareh had done marketing for MLM companies, For several years, I observed the deception of many of them, witnessed crashes and personal loss of huge chains of downlines, upline insincerity and how uplines often stole the downlines of their downlines. The question arises: Of what benefit to an O founder is an effort such as this one to share the onpassive opportunity with other people before the register of o founder is closed on 22nd June 2022? A simple answer is: Through the documentation of registrations, artificial intelligence (AI) will recognise the effort of every o founder and reward them with daily bonuses from transactions. This is because o founders are classified into groups or teams on the basis of the sources of their invitation to the company. Thus, for bonus payments, the different groups will be wait differently with more money flowing to the heavier groups then the leaner groups. An o founder who invited 100 o founders will, thereby, earn four times  more than the one who invited 25. A greater benefit is that Onpassive marketing campaign will help every o founder through artificial intelligence AI to populate his or her team .

    This, however, is a small picture of the reward system. A larger picture will be how much money traffic o founders in one country help to attract to their own country from what will be the biggest internet business on earth. What I mean is this: right now, NIGERIA’S economy is drained abroad whenever Nigerians use Facebook, Instagram, Zoom or Twitter. No Nigerian earns anything for spending his or her hard-earned money on these digital products. All the money they put into them will go abroad, save for the one retained by the service provider which, in any case, is foreign owned and pays only token tax in Nigeria. When Onpassive begins operations and Nigerians patronise it, the money drain will continue unless there are many Nigerian o founders who will not only earn from the income from the Nigerian market but earn also from the income in, say, far away Bangladesh, Canada or India. This is a way to attract foreign currency influx into the economy and depend less on petroleum. It is a way to create wealth for the individuals and the country and discourage quarreling on ethnic or religious grounds over the blessings of Mother Nature beneath the soil. This was what Alex Okonkwo, a security expert, beautifully advocated on Jordan fm radio station in Lagos this week with host Babalola Fage.

    LEGITIMATE FEARS

    In the Nigerian personal finance market, e-commerce and digital businesses are distrusted. Behind many of them are gold diggers. They fall upon the nation like a whirlwind, conscripting willing radio and television stations for their wild business campaigns. The economy is down. The banks are not encouraging savings with interest on deposits. They invest deposits, make money from the investments, pay depositors no interest but even charge them all sorts of fees for bringing their monies for safekeeping and lending to other people which brings profits to the banks. Thus, it is tempting to put money to productive use for passive income rather than keeping it idle in the banks where it depreciates. It is this longing that has been grossly abused by crooked purveyors of digital marketing businesses in Nigeria, especially those in forex trading and Bitcoin ventures. Not so long after they open shop for business, their websites like their operating platforms, disappear from the air waves without a trace and humongous sums of investment from hard-earned money go down the drain with them. Soon after, these crooked businesses surface under new names and new operating platforms, change their tactics, and it is business all over again. Unfortunately, the law against financial and internet fraud is not strong and smart enough to catch up with them. So, like armed robbery and banditry, Nigerian internet fraudsters and their collaborators from America, Europe and Asia rule the waves.

    Who in this horrible jungle of a market and environment would not be skeptical when invited to a business that has been on the drawing board for four years since 2018 (2018-2022)? In this environment, many Nigerians want quick fixes for all investments. They are hardly futuristic. They have been so psychically badly hurt by financial losses that they hardly appreciate that only thoroughness breeds dependability and that, in dependability, resides continuity and the investment peace of mind that they are longing for. They hardly realise it took Mark Zuckerberg no fewer than three years from his days at Harvard to build Facebook, an idea he had been toying with since the age of 11. It probably hasn’t registered well with them that while Elom Musk has just bought Twitter for 44 billion USD, Onpassive o founders have already put together more than one trillion U SD with two or three times more of that due to fall in when the register closes. In other words, even at the present value of one trillion USD, Onpassive, which has not begun business, can buy more than 20 Twitters at 44 billion USD per Twitter. There is a lot to say about a company which has not begun business but has this huge liquidity which Ash Mufareh regularly transparently discusses in the open. There is a lot to say also about Onpassive, which is not owing anyone a Kobo despite the huge business eco system it has cultivated.  There are no more than five such companies in the United States, we are told. Ash Mufareh discusses the finances and capacities of onpassive in the public. A man and his company intent on defrauding will not do this, in my humble opinion. It is legitimate and rational in the Nigerian emasculating business environment for a traumatised investor to become paranoid about the next investment news or offer. I consider it even a duty for such an investor to adequately protect himself or herself. But for how long in that environment can one survive by closing one’s eyes and stuffing one’s ears? Do we not sometimes or always carry rationalism too far? Do we not see clearly through our tears even when we cry our hearts out? Does a baby learning to walk not cry when he or she falls but gets up soon after, a smile on the face and tries all over again, laughter in the heart after the first few sure steps? Was there no Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah? Was there no Noah on this Earth when, reportedly, water effaced a civilization?

    If we fear internet business because we cannot verify the brains behind them and the addresses of their operations, Onpassive is not one of such businesses. Ash Mufareh is well known in the business circles of the United States. As for the veracity of the operational offices of the company, pls listen to the Onpassive e-book:

    ONPASSIVE is an American Company. Our IT Hub is located in Hyderabad, India but we are headquartered in Orlando, Florida. An impressive fact: We are 100% debt-free!

    Think about that for a moment. How many new, globally-operating companies are completely debt-free?

    The foregoing are my counsel for people who, bitten several times, have become despondent and immobile in the personal finance market. I, too, like Mufareh, have gone up and down the waves, but I have refused to knock out or give up. I have found, in the midst of these financial calamities, honest businesses which work. They are not noisy or flamboyant with rewards, the Hallmark of the tricksters, and they took some time to diligently plan their platforms which are unique to them, not operating platforms that can be purchased two for a Kobo or naira and slammed on the market.

    POST-22 JUNE

    “By their works ye shall know them” We are told. After the closure of o founders register on 22 June 2022, Onpassive will embark on a number of activities that would build up to it’s launch .

    1) Early this year, it unveiled 21 applications, a major activity since it’s drawing board days in 2018. About 80,000 engineers and support staff had been domiciled in India for their design, research and development. From the company’s information available online, the venues and these activities can be verified. So can update information from the webinars from country to country.

    2) After the o founders register closes on 22 June 2022, Onpassive will embark on a massive business campaign to promote it’s digital products from one country to another.

    3) To prevent hackings and system collapses which are some of the reasons behind the failure of some organisations which are not self reliant on security matters, Onpassive is hosting its own platform. Accordingly, it is migrating it’s present website and the special website of “o founders” from the present host to its own data hosting system.

     FINALLY…

    I have written this report not in respect of the launch date or of the activities which will herald it, but in respect of the impending closure of the register of “founders” to invite attention to the fact that the rare opportunity of becoming something like a “shareholder” in what is promising to be the biggest internet company on earth is only a few days away. Only the lion heart, only the ones who are not afraid of risk taking, those who believe that “something good can come out of Israel” will summon the courage, clear aside all the dross which scammers have strewn on their way and all around them, and see the light shinning bright afar off, yet so nearby, at the end of the dark tunnel. My prayer is that many Nigerians will avail themselves of this rare opportunity to become o founders before 22nd June 2022, so that our country will not suffer another haemorrhage and drain to other countries when Onpassive finally blasts off. I am available for further discussion on this subject on 08034004247(Telephone, and WhatsApp),.

    • Pls follow me for related reports on Facebook (at John Olufemi Kusa), and omoobalasaokufemikusa@gmail.com(medium).

  • Five reasons to drink enough water

    Five reasons to drink enough water

    Water is one of the classes of food and the most important one at that because without water death can occur. That explains the popular saying “water is life”. Hence the importance of water cannot be overemphasized.

    Below are some reasons why water should be taken adequately:

    *It aids Digestion: water is essential to good health. It helps break down food so that your body can absorb them( nutrients) into the body. It also helps to prevent constipation and make stool softer. Everyday, you should choose water over other sugary drinks. It is the best.

    *For regulating body temperature: the human body uses water to stabilize temperature meaning it can absorb heat before its temperature rises. This is what allows the water in every cell of the human body to stabilize the human system against sudden temperature changes. Water also helps to expel heat from the body as water vapour from the lungs and through sweat on the skin.

    Read Also: Imported bottled water?

    *It reduces skin harshness: water helps to maintain the skins elasticity and keep it hydrated. People who drink enough water are less likely to suffer from scars and wrinkles and they won’t show many signs of ageing as those that drink little amounts of water.

    *To normalize blood pressure: dehydration causes the kidney to release renin. This results in sodium and water retention in the body to correct the low fluid volume. This response if constant can cause the blood pressure to be high. If these effects remain constant in the body, the brain will constantly have to maintain a blood pressure higher than it normally should so that other organs can receive blood supply. When this happens, people are at risk of having hypertension because of poor water intake.

    *Cushioning joints: Water helps to keep your joints properly lubricated and flexible. The synovial fluid that directly lubricates the joints consists of mainly water. This fluid reduces friction between joints and helps to maintain healthy tissues. Intake of alcoholic drinks can heavily affect your joint movement because it easily makes you dehydrated and this is not good for the joints. Therefore, it is advised that taking alcohol should be accompanied by almost a double of water measurement to keep the body hydrated.

  • Four main misconceptions ladies have about Postinor pills

    Four main misconceptions ladies have about Postinor pills

    The first thing that comes to mind after unprotected sex is “the Postinor Pill” because its an early and easy way to prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, adults are caught in this web of fear when they think of a possible pregnancy that they end up using the pill wrongly. This is common especially among young adults.
    Here are some misconceptions adults have about the Postinor pills:
    *It will abort a pregnancy: This pill is only used for emergencies. It is most effective if used immediately or not later than 3 days after unprotected sex. Some people think that taking it after an egg is fertilised will remove the pregnancy. This is false and should be corrected because it won’t work in any way. The prescribed time to use it is immediately after unprotected sex. But not later than 72 hours(3 days).
    *Excessive intake will make you gain/lose weight: There is no standing rule that this pill will bring about weight loss or weight gain. It is totally dependent on your body type. Person A may take it and and lose some weight while person B may take it and not lose anything at all. Its the body type that will determine if there will be change in the body weight or not.

    Read Also:Four main misconceptions ladies have about Postinor pills

    *It prevents STIs: sexually active people should take note of this because some adults take this pill after unprotected sex forgetting that it’s only job is to prevent a pregnancy. Not all contraceptive methods help to prevent Sexually transmitted infections. Condoms prevent pregnancies and also shield against infections but Postinor pills ONLY prevent pregnancies. It is adviceable to get checked with your partner if raw sex is enjoyable for both so you don’t battle possible infections alongside unforseen pregnancies.
    *Effect on menstrual flow: some adults think that taking it excessively will only delay their period for a week or two but this may not always be the case. If at all you find yourself taking it two or three times a month, it will definitely mess up your cycle. You may either release two eggs a month or your period may dissappear for a while. Live cases have shown people that didn’t see their blood flow for up to 2 months because of too much intake. Though this may not be so for everybody, it is still advised to stick to the prescribed dosage in order to prevent fear of the unknown.
  • Six local products good for export

    Six local products good for export

    The rate of demand for African foodstuff overseas is high due to the increasing numbers of Africans especially Nigerians who have migrated.

    Nigeria is one of the highest producers of many crops as such some of its produce could be processed and exported into values.

    Exportation of local produce to Europe and America can serve as a good means of income, earning a living, and creating employment, All you need to do is decide on the product to export and choose the right packaging pattern.

    Here are six (6) local product that can be exported from Nigeria to overseas:

    *Ginger: Ginger is one of the most requested spices for cooking. It also has lots of health benefits and medicinal purpose which makes it high in demand. You can start by trading and exporting this item overseas.

    Read Also: ‘We have to restructure agriculture to win’

    *Nuts: Nigeria is one of the high producers of nuts it is believed to have has some high nutritional value. exporting Nuts such as groundnut, cashew nut, kolanuts, could be very lucrative.

    *Cassava flour: cassava flour popularly known as Garri has a high demand due to its sustainability and various ways of consumption.

    *Locust beans: Consuming locust beans is not only beneficial to the body but also adds aroma to cooking, Exporting the Locust beans locally known as Iru with the right packaging and preservation is also considered a smart option in which you can venture to make money.

    *Shea butter: Due to its numerous benefits shea butter could be used as a skin moisturiser, major ingredients for hair hair growth, cooking oil, and many more….shea butter is considerably a good product for export.

    Crayfish: Crayfish is a major cooking ingredients for Africans especially Nigerians Abroad it has a high order in which exporters can make money from.

  • Ekiti NMA honors Afe Babalola with topmost award

    Ekiti NMA honors Afe Babalola with topmost award

    The founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola has received the Distinguished Medical Vanguard Award (DMVA) from the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ekiti branch.

    The award, which is the most recognised and highest ranked in the medical field for non-medical practitioners, is given to individuals who has contributed immensely to the growth of health care.

    Ekiti NMA chairman Dr Kayode Ariyibi described the legal icon as an asset to Ekiti State and the nation at large.

    According to Dr. Ariyibi, the award is the most coveted of the three in the medical profession, which is given out to personalities who have distinguished themselves in the medical society despite not being a medical practitioner themselves.

    He maintained that Aare Afe Babalola is the first recipient of the award since the establishment of the association 25 years ago.

    “This award is in line with the constitution of the Nigeria Medical Association to recognize, celebrate and encourage individuals who took health care as priority. The physical and infrastructural facilities which is evident in ABUAD Multi-System Hospital and the contributions to the economic growth of the state by creating massive employment deserves commendation.

    “Article 16 section 22 of the NMA constitution empowers the association to give out this award to deserving individuals and it is notable that Aare Afe Babalola is the first recipient of this award,” Ariyibi stated.

    Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Professor Smaranda Olarinde  extolled the virtues of the founder while she took time to explain the growth of the ABUAD multi-system hospital which includes medical facilities, industrial park and other investments in the institution.

    She was of the opinion that the institution, recently ranked as one of the 400 best universities in the world by a United States based Educational Organisation, is setting the pace with its economic goals.

    Read Also: Festschrift: Tinubu, Afe Babalola, others laud Akinfeleye’s media feats

    She thanked the NMA for deeming it fit to honour the founder whom she describes as a man who has passion for humanitarian services.

    The legal icon flanked by his wife, Yeye Aare, was decorated with NMA Jersey and presented with a plaque, medallion and a glass portrait of the founder to the admiration of the audience.

    The award was then presented by the NMA Chairman and ably assisted by Professor J.O Sanya and Dr. Omole.

    Responding, Babalola thanked the NMA for recognisng his efforts and celebrating him for what he has been able to achieve.

    He said he was happy to counter the belief of the white men who called Africa a black continent and think the black community cannot do anything for itself.

    He lamented the huge amount of money spent on servicing debts and medical trips by government officials while calling on them to look inwards in solving the challenges facing the nation.

    “If you want success, it must start from your home. I am proud that the NMA is taking note of what we are doing here, I am inspired and moved.

    “For someone who used to sleep on banana leaves to this point of stepping on marbles. I keep saying to myself why me? How did I do it? But God in his infinite mercy gave me good health,” he said.