National
Forum seeks aid for Nigerians suffering diabetes
As part of activities commemorating the World Diabetes Day, the National Action on Sugar Reduction Coalition (NASR) organized a photo exhibition to showcase people living with diabetes in Nigeria.
Through patient stories and testimonials, the exhibition, which took place at Thought Pyramid Art Gallery Abuja, educated stakeholders on Nigeria’s diabetes burden and the need for action to reduce the difficulties of living with diabetes in Nigeria.
The Coalition spokesperson, Omei Bongos-Ikwue, noted that diabetes, a chronic disease that negatively impacts every organ in the body, affects over 11 million Nigerians.
“One of the significant contributors to the diabetes epidemic in Nigeria is the consumption of sugary drinks. The photography exhibition featured patients in different stages of diabetes, some with major complications like limb amputation and blindness.
“In a ‘compelling visual narrative’ photographers Maryam Turaki, Tim Yisa and Maruuf Saidu featured six patients living with diabetes in an effort to increase public concern for the millions of Nigerians suffering with diabetes,” Bongos-Ikwue said.
Secretary of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Comrade Bernard Enyia, urged the government to increase taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, staff state health ministries with diabetes desk officers and remove tariffs on diabetes treatment goods.
“This set of patient demands also emphasized that diabetes screening be free in public facilities and tax revenue be channeled towards subsidizing diabetes care,” Enyia said.
Another panelist, Don Ejiro, said accessing drugs has now become ‘a terrible experience’ with some diabetes medicines now costing four times as much as they used to at the beginning of the year.
The event included a panel session moderated by Prof Felicia Anumah, Director of the Centre for Diabetes Studies at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
Prof. Anumah said that given the Nigerian economy, prevention is the cheapest option.
In a chilling prediction, Prof. Anumah said that as a result of increased inaccessibility to medicines, “more diabetes complications are impending -more strokes, more kidney failures and more gangrenous limbs,” leading to more amputations.
President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Dr Mohammed Alkali, noted that the issue of diabetes is one in which everyone should be involved and that this year’s World Diabetes Day theme, “Know Your Risk, Know Your Response”, underscores the crucial need for action towards preventing the disease and ensuring quality healthcare access.
The list of patient demands by the Diabetes Association of Nigeria include tax sugary beverages at a rate that increases sugary drink prices by at least 20% of the retail price; the cost of insulin has more than doubled and demanding that taxes on insulin be removed and revenue from sugary drink taxes be used to subsidize insulin for diabetes patients, among others.
The Minister of State for Works, Honourable Muhammad Bello Goronyo, has called on Nigerians to actively support and understand the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He made this appeal while receiving the leadership of the Youth Partnership for African Development (YOUPAD) in Abuja, where he was honoured with the Icon of Selfless and Innovative Leadership award.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Goronyo emphasised the need for collective efforts in driving national development, particularly in infrastructure. He highlighted the administration’s commitment to improving road networks across the country, stressing that good roads are essential for security and economic growth.
“So far, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has embarked on a massive rehabilitation of dilapidated roads nationwide. Insecurity sometimes thrives when roads are in poor condition, as non-state actors take advantage of the situation to cause disruptions,” he stated.
The minister urged Nigerians, regardless of tribe or religion, to support the government’s initiatives, noting that inclusive participation is key to achieving the administration’s goals.
Earlier, the President of YOUPAD, Mr Henry Nkem Nwankwo, commended Hon. Goronyo for his dedication to bridging the gap between the government and the people. He described the minister as a true ambassador of the Tinubu administration, whose efforts in the Ministry of Works and Housing have been instrumental in advancing national development.
The award was presented to Hon. Goronyo by Mr Nwankwo, alongside other YOUPAD representatives, including delegates from Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire.
ENDS.
By Abubakar Yunusa
A leading civil society organisation, the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida over his role in the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
In a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, CHRICED’s Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, described Babangida’s recent self-incriminating remarks as a critical test for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He asserted that failure to hold the former leader accountable would undermine Tinubu’s moral and political legitimacy.
“We firmly assert that if President Tinubu fails to take decisive action against General Babangida and does not ensure that he faces the consequences of his actions—specifically, imprisonment, which is where he rightfully belongs—he will lack the moral and political legitimacy to govern effectively,” Zikirullahi stated.
The organisation argued that Babangida’s candid admission of his role in annulling the election paints him as a figure who has evaded justice for too long.
It warned that failure to prosecute him would further entrench a culture of impunity in Nigeria.
The statement also highlighted the tragic aftermath of the annulment, including the deaths of protesters and the imprisonment of pro-democracy activists.
Among those mentioned were Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the election, who was detained and later died under suspicious circumstances, as well as journalist Dele Giwa, whose unresolved murder remains a symbol of repression during Babangida’s regime.
“For decades, successive governments have claimed a lack of evidence to prosecute Babangida.
However, with his recent confessions and public statements, there is now compelling evidence for legal action,” CHRICED said.
The organisation also criticised the financial waste associated with the annulled election, arguing that resources used to conduct the poll could have been better utilised for national development.
The center blamed Babangida’s administration for fostering a political culture where power is acquired through manipulation rather than democratic means.
“The decisions made by Babangida and his associates have led to the infiltration of unqualified individuals into various positions of authority, undermining governance and eroding public trust,” the statement read.
CHRICED urged President Tinubu to take a stand for justice, insisting that addressing Babangida’s role in the June 12 annulment is crucial to restoring faith in Nigeria’s democratic process.
“This is not just about the past; it is about Nigeria’s future. If impunity is allowed to persist, the cycle of injustice and corruption will continue to plague our nation,” Zikirullahi warned.
Gunmen have abducted some female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi, Benue state.
The students, reportedly numbering up to four, were abducted on Tuesday evening at the university’s North Core campus.
The students were said to have been headed for “night class”, a practice of late-night studying in Nigerian campuses.
The gunmen were said to have invaded the hotel area of the campus before abducting the four students.
Some moments after the incident, operatives of the Nigerian army arrived at the school.
Sewuese Anene, Benue police spokesperson, told TheCable on Wednesday that a report received by the police indicated that only two students were kidnapped during the incident.
Anene added that the police have launched an investigation into the matter.
The Markurdi incident is the latest in a series of abductions targeted at Nigeria’s tertiary school students in recent years.
In August 2024, at least 20 medical and dental students were kidnapped in Benue State while travelling to a convention in Enugu.
In September 2023, gunmen abducted approximately 20 students from a university in Zamfara state.
At Greenfield University in Kaduna State, at least 20 students and two staff members were kidnapped in April 2021.
Tragically, five students were killed during captivity before the remaining hostages were released after a month.