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Gov AbdulRazaq lays foundation for cancer treatment centre

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* Commends Abdul Samad Rabiu’s Initiative

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has laid the foundation for the state’s Cancer and Diagnostic Facility, a legacy health project which the Governor said comes with huge socioeconomic impacts for the state and the well-being of its people.

The facility is being funded with the N2.5 billion donation by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa) which is owned by the BUA Group.

The Governor commended Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu for the choice of Kwara to host the facility, announcing that the project will be named Abdul Samad Rabiu Medical Centre.

He said: “I commend the ASR Africa for the choice of Kwara to host this unique facility, which clearly bolsters our standing in the comity of states in Nigeria. By the time the facility is completed, it will become a first of its kind in north central and a major referral centre that would attract tens of thousands of people from across Nigeria and beyond every year.

“Added to some of our major facilities like the modern intensive care unit, the dental and eye facilities, and the soon-to-commence teaching hospital, among others, Kwara is poised to become a go-to place for high-end medical treatment and research and training centre in Nigeria.”

The Governor promised to give ASR Africa and BUA Group every support required to ensure the project is completed on time.

“Cancer has become a major health issue in the 21st century. Globally, cancer is a major leading health problem with an estimated 10 million incidents and 6 million cancer deaths annually. According to the National Institute of Health, Nigeria records an estimated 72,000 cancer deaths annually, and 102,000 new cases are diagnosed from its population of 200 million people,” he added.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, in her remarks, said about 1 in 4 deaths in Nigeria is due to non-communicable diseases like cancers, commending AbdulRazaq for his foresight and how he succeeded in attracting the facility to the state.

El-Imam said the siting of the oncology centre in the state will save Nigeria from its annual loss of multimillion dollars to medical tourism that is chiefly in search for cancer-related treatments abroad.

“It is equally a commendable gesture that our Governor motivated the health workforce handsomely by implementing 100% CONMESS for doctors (elevating their salaries to the same scale a federal doctors and CONHESS for nurses),” she added.

She said government is similarly working out better welfare for other categories of health workers in the state.

Dr. Malik, in his welcome address, said the administration has invested huge funds in the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare delivery system, which he said is already manifesting good results in terms of creating access to quality healthcare services in the state.

“To neutralise the effect of the nationwide ‘Japa’ syndrome, His Excellency recently approved the now popular phrase “One-for-one” which means for every doctor, nurse or pharmacist that leaves our service we have a standing approval to replace,” he added.

Jetawo-Winter, for her part, said the healthcare project will place Kwara on the map as one of the few states that have the capacity to provide specialised care for cancers.

Elelu said it was commendable that the ASR foundation is partnering with Kwara State in “undertaking this giant stride to ameliorate the suffering of people living with cancer”.

CEO ASR Africa, Dr. Udoh, in his address, said Kwara scored the highest marks among the four states that were eligible for the Foundation’s tertiary health system support grant — ratings he said were based on quality access to healthcare.

“I must say, Your Excellency, that the selection process to get the first state that will benefit from this Tertiary Health System Grants was a very tedious one, and I am very proud to say that Kwara state came number one in the assessments out of the four states,” Udoh said.

“One of the criteria we used to get the beneficiaries was to look at the vision and drive of the Chief Executives of the states, and see what kind of project they are implementing, and people-centric visions of supporting people and helping them to improve the quality of their lives through quality healthcare. I must congratulate you sir for being an example of that.”

The medical centre will provide services such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, supportive imaging, and medical laboratory services in the management of cancer cases, according to a joint document on the project by the Kwara State Government and the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa).

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Tinubu Assures Investors Nigeria Is Open for Business, Welcomes Coca-Cola’s $1bn Plan

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By Francis Wilfred 

President Bola Tinubu has assured local and international investors that Nigeria remains open for business, saying his administration is implementing reforms aimed at creating a more predictable, competitive and investment-friendly environment.

Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Abuja on Monday, the President said the government is addressing key challenges facing businesses under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Our message to investors, both Nigerian and international, is clear: Nigeria is open for business,” Tinubu said,

He noted that reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics, access to foreign exchange, stable regulations and a supportive tax system are critical to attracting investment and expanding production.

According to Yomi Odunuga, the President said ongoing economic reforms are designed to build a more productive and competitive economy, reduce dependence on imports, strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs for Nigerians.

Tinubu welcomed the Coca-Cola System’s proposed $1 billion investment in Nigeria over five years, announced in 2024, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the country’s economy. 

He said the administration is focused not only on the volume of investment attracted but also on its impact on employment, skills development, technology transfer and local sourcing.

“We are interested not only in the amount of capital that comes into Nigeria, but in what that capital does here,” he said.

The President also praised NBC’s continued expansion of production capacity, including new production lines in Oyo and Kano states, describing such investments as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving policies, infrastructure and regulations to support businesses, while urging the private sector to complement government efforts through investment, innovation and job creation.

Tinubu further highlighted the importance of human capital development, commending NBC’s Supply Chain Academy for training over 1,400 young Nigerians and supporting women’s empowerment and community development initiatives.

He urged investors to take advantage of opportunities across Nigeria, expressing confidence that the country can build a stronger economy driven by local production, exports and globally competitive industries.

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Kano  Governorship: Accord Party Governorship Candidate Gashash Getting More Endorsement From Kano Electorates.

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By Jabiru Hassan.


The movement for Democratic Protection and good governance (MDSG) declared it's full support to the Accord Party Governorship Candidate Ambassador Dr. Mukhtar Gashash in the forthcoming general elections.

In a chat with our correspondent in kano, the national president of the movement, Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali,  stated that it is time for the people of kano state to bring new steward who is seriously planning to transform the state with highest regard.

He expressed his confidence that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash will do his best to ensure that kano state becomes more examplary at both sector without bias which is the task previous administrators failed to achieve.

Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali reiterated that " this time around, our movement is working day and night to make sure that Kano people mostly youths remained Committed to actualize real change in the state's politics, leadership and transformation under the Accord Party government".

He called on the people of kano state especially the eligible voters to vote Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash due to his Transformation plans for the progress of kano state and it's citizens at both Urban and rural settlements.

Responding to a question about Accord party's strength in kano state, Dauda Mohammed Ali disclosed that in today's democracy, competent candidates should be tipped for an elective positions not the popularity of the political parties stressing that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash has been found to be the best option for kano state due to his track record on competency, transparency as a real democrat.
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Caught in the middle: Ortom’s silent dance between two camps.

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There are growing questions about where Mr. Samuel Ortom, a former Governor of Benue State and a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), truly stands politically ahead of 2027.

Ortom was a key figure in the divisions within the PDP before the 2023 general elections and was widely associated with support for Mr. Peter Obi, who finished third in that contest. More recently, however, he has publicly expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The latest discussion began after a visit by Mr. Peter Obi to Benue State. Reports indicate that a vehicle said to belong to Ortom was used to receive Obi at the Air Force Base airport in Makurdi. It is not clear who authorized the use of the vehicle, and Ortom has not commented publicly on the matter.

During the same visit, Obi was reportedly prevented from travelling to Yelewata, where he had intended to condole with families affected by violence. Obi’s team attributed the blockage to supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The Governor’s spokesman, Sir Tersoo Kula, denied any involvement by the Governor. He suggested the incident may have been staged to damage the Governor’s reputation, or that it could have resulted from disagreements within Obi’s own support base.

Ortom has not issued a statement clarifying his position on the 2027 elections or on the vehicle in question. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

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