The present administration in Ogun State under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun will continue to partner with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and corporate bodies for the socio-economic development of the state.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, stated this during the commissioning of female and male hostels, donated to the College of Nursing Science, Ilaro and presentation of financial grants to Yewa students with disabilities in higher Institutions, Secondary and Primary schools by Oba Kehinde Olugbenle Foundation.

Dr. Coker said it was important to invest in the infrastructure of educational institutions, to ensure that students were exposed to an enabling environment where they would learn and grow, noting that the donation would have significant impacts on the lives of the students at the College of Nursing Sciences.

The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Oladehinde, commended Oba Kehinde Olugbenle Foundation for the donation, calling on other organisations to emulate the gesture.

Contributing, Ogun State Deputy Speaker, Honourable Lateefat Ajayi, said Oba Olugbenle’s generosity was a challenge to everyone to always give back to the society, appreciating the monarch’s efforts in supporting the agenda of the present administration.

Speaking, the Paramount Ruler of Yewa land, HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, who was the donor, said the Foundation aimed at complementing government’s efforts, emphasising that government should not be left to do it alone.

“I and my friends in Diaspora, who are members of the Foundation will always rally round the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, by providing more infrastructure because we cannot eat money but use the money wisely for the development of the State”, he said.

In her welcome address, the Provost of the beneficiary College, Dr. Omotade Sodimu, appreciated the generosity of the Foundation, promising to utilise the facilities to its full potential.

One of the students of the school, Oluwakemi Bankole, appreciated the Foundation and the state government for prioritising their welfare.

President Bola Tinubu has urged Gavi, the vaccine alliance, to partner with potential Nigerian vaccine manufacturers.

The President made this call during a meeting at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, with a delegation from Gavi led by its Chief Executive Officer, Sania Nishtar.

Highlighting the importance of this partnership, President Tinubu referenced the difficulties encountered by developing nations, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.

A statement released by the Special Adviser on Media to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, detailed Tinubu’s commitment to clearing Nigeria’s outstanding counterpart contributions for routine vaccines for the year 2023.

Emphasizing his administration’s health sector priorities, President Tinubu affirmed, “We are focused on ensuring that no child is left behind when it comes to vaccination against preventable childhood diseases.”

Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar lauded the Nigerian government for its progressive health-sector strategies, which include an increased health budget allocation to 4.6 percent and the initiative to provide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for adolescent girls.

She revealed Gavi’s promise of a $250 million grant to Nigeria to bolster the country’s vaccination efforts.

Nishtar highlighted Gavi’s commitment to combating vaccine inequity in Africa through the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator program.

This initiative, with an allocation of $1 billion, is designed to foster the sustainable development of Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity, ensuring that the continent can meet its vaccine needs independently.

This partnership is expected to pave the way for the development of a robust vaccine manufacturing sector in Nigeria, enhancing the country’s ability to respond effectively to current and future health challenges.

Ogun State Nursing and Midwifery Committee (SNMC), in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health, has sealed another unregistered nursing training institute in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kayode Oladehinde, during a routine monitoring exercise, disclosed that the institution, iFaat College of Nursing Sciences, located in Adigbe area of the state, was training nursing students without obtaining accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).

Dr. Oladehinde, who was represented by the Acting Director of Nursing Services and Chairman of SNMC, Mrs. Serifat Aminu, observed that the institute lacked adequate personnel and infrastructure required for standard nursing education, adding that it had neither received approval from the regulators.

“We have gone out as part of our routine monitoring exercise to inspect institutions that are offering nursing sciences courses and discovered that this particular school has no accreditation. For a facility to run a nursing programme, whether at college level or at the university, such a facility must reflect the basic requirements of the NMCN.

“That is why we closed down this place. We have advised the owner that once the infrastructure and personnel in his facility have been upgraded to the expected standards, the NMCN would visit the school for inspection and if they are satisfied, it would be accredited”, he said.

While advising the public to be circumspect about schools that claim to offer nursing sciences courses, the Permanent Secretary said certificates earned from such institutions would not earn them a license to practice from NMCN, saying such students would eventually become quacks.

Reacting, the proprietor of the institution, Mr. Stephen Fatula, said he had initiated the process of accreditation, pledging to abide by the terms of the regulators.