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FG Sounds Alarm As Nigeria Emerges Epicentre Of Noma Crisis.
The Federal Government has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s growing vulnerability to Noma, warning that the country now ranks among the worst affected within the Sub-Saharan African region. According to Nivo News, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, issued the warning during the 2025 National Oral Health Week, Noma Awareness Day and Scientific Conference held in Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Dr Salako described the state of oral health in the country as a “silent epidemic” that continues to erode productivity and diminish the quality of life for millions of citizens. He noted that oral diseases remain the most widespread non-communicable diseases globally, affecting almost half of the world’s population and causing severe social, economic and health consequences, including disfigurement, isolation and death.
The minister stressed that Noma—a rapidly progressing gangrenous infection that primarily targets severely malnourished children in impoverished communities—remains a significant threat, especially in the North-West where poverty, malnutrition and inadequate hygiene accelerate its spread. He added that Nigeria’s position within the Sub-Saharan Noma belt places it among countries with the heaviest disease burden.
Dr Salako warned that delayed detection and poor surveillance allow many cases to go unnoticed, leading to preventable fatalities. He revealed that the government is intensifying efforts to fully integrate oral health services into Primary Health Care centres across the country, with PHCs set to provide oral hygiene education, diagnostic services, fluoride treatments, restorative care and necessary referrals.
He further disclosed that additional funding from the expanded Basic Health Care Provision Fund will be channelled into oral health services for vulnerable populations. Plans are also underway to upgrade dental facilities, recruit more dental professionals and train primary health workers and traditional birth attendants to identify early signs of oral diseases, including Noma.
According to Nivo News, the minister emphasised that early detection is vital, noting that improved awareness and community engagement are helping reduce stigma and enhance timely identification of Noma, cleft lip and cleft palate cases. He insisted that no child in Nigeria should suffer irreversible deformity or lose their life to a disease that is both preventable and treatable, reiterating the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening PHC systems for early intervention.
The Country Representative of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Ahmed Aldikhari, highlighted the organisation’s decade-long contribution to comprehensive Noma care in Nigeria. He stated that MSF has provided reconstructive surgeries, physiotherapy, nutritional support and mental health services since 2014, conducting more than 1,600 major surgeries for 1,074 patients across 33 surgical missions. In 2025 alone, 99 surgeries were performed for 89 patients. He added that MSF has also trained 28 surgeons and 14 anaesthetists locally, significantly boosting national capacity for long-term Noma management.
Aldikhari described the inclusion of Noma in the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases as a landmark achievement made possible through collaborative advocacy between MSF and Nigeria.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Noma Aid Nigeria Initiative (NANI), Mathis Winkler, said Nigeria bears the heaviest Noma burden in Africa, largely due to its population size. The organisation’s Country Director, Dr Charles Ononiwu, revealed that 237 free surgeries have been carried out since 2023, stressing that every aspect of patient care—from transportation to surgery, medication and feeding—is provided at no cost.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Amos Magaji, described Noma as both a public health crisis and a social justice issue. He insisted that eliminating Noma within this generation is achievable and emphasised the need to tackle the root causes—poverty, malnutrition and water scarcity—while strengthening PHC capacities, community education and sustainable financing.
The Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) has expressed strong dissatisfaction over what it described as the continued marginalisation of Muslims in political appointments and governance, warning that it will withhold support from any party that fields a non-Muslim governorship candidate in the 2027 elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
In a firm resolution, the group declared that Muslims would withdraw electoral backing from any party failing to present a Muslim candidate for the state’s governorship. “We cannot continue to be sidelined in our own state. The Muslim community will only support a candidate who represents our values and interests,” the communiqué stated.
The position was adopted during the maiden General Assembly of the MCLS, held last Saturday at the Lagos State Secretariat Mosque Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, and attended by over 1,000 Muslims from various divisions and local government areas across the state.
Participants lamented what they described as the exclusion of Muslims from key sectors of governance, particularly education. They urged the Lagos State Government to recruit more Arabic and Islamic Studies teachers in public schools and to ensure religious balance in appointing Tutors-General and Permanent Secretaries across the six education districts.
The Assembly also called on the government to fully comply with the Supreme Court ruling permitting female Muslim students to wear hijabs in public schools and to address the marginalisation of Muslims in health institutions and political appointments.
Beyond political resolutions, members adopted provisional financial reports for 2024 and 2025 (subject to audit), ratified the nomination of trustees, and approved a new community constitution. The revised constitution introduces the Islamic principle of Shurah as the basis for electing officers and clearly defines eligibility, tenure, and electoral procedures.
Delivering a keynote address on behalf of Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Alhaji Tajudeen Afolabi attributed governance failures partly to weak civic responsibility, highlighting selfishness, unethical behavior, and indifference among citizens as contributors to poor leadership outcomes. “The followers must rise above laid-back attitudes and unwholesome acts if we are to achieve meaningful change,” he said.
Prof. Saheed Timehin of Lagos State University (LASU) emphasized the need for value reorientation, collective responsibility, and active civic engagement, while Prof. Nasir Onibon noted that leadership quality reflects the quality of followership: “Once the followers are good, the leaders will get it right.”
Prof. AbdulKabir Paramole also warned that dishonesty and corrupt practices among citizens undermine development, citing habits such as cost inflation and misrepresentation, and stressed that followers share the responsibility for nation-building alongside leaders.
The Assembly ratified the nomination of trustees, including Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi, Chief Bode Oyedele, Imam Yahyah Ishola, Dr. Abdulkareem Seriki, Alhaja Muhibat Wonu Folami, Ramlat Muri Okunola, and Alhaja Rasaqat Tobun.
Presenting the new constitution, Barr. Mubashir Ojelade, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, explained that it provides clear guidance on leadership structure and internal governance.
The four-hour General Assembly featured robust debates, motions, and contributions from members, all adopted through voice votes. It concluded by urging Muslims across Lagos to remain united, uphold Islamic values in their families, and take an active role in shaping the state’s political future.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has officially welcomed new defectors into the party in Katsina State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to a statement on the APC’s official X account, the newcomers are from the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other political parties. Prof. Yilwatda described the mass defection as a clear sign of growing confidence in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.
The statement added that, in a unanimous resolution during the event, the entire Katsina State chapter of the APC endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in 2027 and Governor Radda for re-election.
“Party leaders and members praised the President and Governor for their commitment to transparency, accountability, and people-centered governance. Many also highlighted Governor Radda’s open-door policy as key to restoring trust and encouraging citizen participation in governance,” the statement said.
In his remarks, Governor Radda expressed gratitude for the party’s endorsement of both himself and President Tinubu, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the APC’s leadership at both state and national levels.
The Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee, Abdulrahman Mohammed, has said the party faced significant internal challenges in 2025.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Mohammed described 2025 as a testing and refining year for the PDP, noting that some respected members deviated from established procedures and due process during that period.
He made the remarks while delivering his welcome address at the 105th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja.
“I warmly welcome you all to this important NEC meeting of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party. It is with deep gratitude and optimism that I welcome you not only to today’s meeting but also into the year 2026. I extend my heartfelt wishes for a happy new year, a year of renewed strength, unity, and progress for our party and our country,” Mohammed said.
He commended members for their resilience, patience, and commitment to the rule of law and due process. “In the face of severe trials and provocations, members of this Committee and leaders across our party stood firm. You chose the difficult but honorable path of legality, constitutionalism, and institutional discipline. History will record that when it mattered most, you prioritized the survival and integrity of the party above personal ambition and temporary convenience,” he added.
Mohammed explained that the party was exposed to enormous judicial and institutional challenges in 2025. “These actions subjected our party to intense legal and organizational pressures. However, as with all great institutions, the PDP did not collapse. Instead, it was refined, strengthened, and reoriented by the trials it faced,” he said.
He also noted that recent judicial outcomes have validated the NEC’s stance. “The Federal High Court in Ibadan declared the Ibadan Convention null and void, providing legal clarity and institutional certainty. More importantly, the judgement has conferred credibility on our party as presently constituted, led by myself as Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary. This outcome did not happen by chance,” he added.
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