Health
COVID-19 variant: Calabar Carnival canceled as Nigeria risks travel ban
Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has cancelled this year’s Carnival Calabar due to the Omicron variant.
He made the announcement on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting in the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s office initially held to unveil the theme of the carnival.
Announcing the cancellation of the carnival at the meeting attended by carnival band leaders, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Eteng Jones Williams, members of the state Executive Council, local government chairmen from the 18 Council areas of the state, Ayade cited the health concerns caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 variant, Omicron and the prevailing security situation as reasons for the cancellation.
Medical experts on Monday warned that Nigeria risked travel bans with Canada’s detection of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in two travellers from Nigeria.
Virologists, including the Chairman of the Expert Review Committee on COVID-19, Professor Oyewale Tomori, who stated this in separate interviews lamented that the variant of the virus in Nigeria was detected in Canada.
Tomori berated the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control for its failure to coordinate genomic sequencing of samples of coronavirus obtained from laboratories across the country.
He said although there were laboratories, which could do the genomic sequencing of coronavirus in Nigeria, the NCDC had been bypassing them and taking samples to South Africa.
Canadian government announced that it detected cases of the omicron variant from two travellers from Nigeria.
Our correspondents learnt that it was through the genomics sequencing of the virus that the variant of the disease could be detected.
Genomic sequencing is a laboratory method that is used to determine the entire genetic makeup of a specific organism or cell type and changes in areas of the genome.
The Omicron variant, a newly discovered strain of the coronavirus disease, was first reported by the government of South Africa and later by other Southern African countries including Zimbabwe, Botswana and Malawi.
The variant has also been reported in the United Kingdom, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Hong Kong.
On Monday, Canada said the variant had been detected in two travellers, who recently visited Nigeria.
Commenting on the development, Tomori in an interview with one of our correspondents took a swipe at the NCDC.
He stated, “In Nigeria, we have more than one laboratory available for genomic sequencing. The problem we are facing is poor leadership from the NCDC. They have failed to coordinate and collaborate and also organise a national network for effective sequencing in Nigeria. Recall that I mentioned that a foreign laboratory will intimate us of the presence of the Omicron variant.
“Some of our laboratories now send test samples outside Nigeria for genomic sequencing when the best thing to do is to coordinate and collaborate.
“Six months ago, our committee sent a proposal to the government on the issue of genomics sequencing. We told them to organise a national network of genomics sequencing, and put NCDC as the coordinator. But what happened ? They refused. The NCDC said they were the only ones who are charged with sequencing so because the NCDC has control of the laboratories.
“ They stopped sending samples to the other five genomic laboratories, but they will send to South Africa. This takes a lot of time but it is not just about the time, but the disgrace and absence of national pride, especially when you have similar facilities in your country.”
When asked if the country might risk a travel ban, he said, “Why not? if it does not come with the cases identified from Nigeria, I will be shocked.
A professor of medical virology, University of Maiduguri, Marycelin Baba in a separate interview with our correspondent agreed with Tomori.
She said, “Nigeria definitely risks travel bans . The government of Indonesia banned us even before the announcement of the variant by the Canadian government. The announcement could only mean one thing and that is the fact that the variant is already in our midst.
“It is however a thing of shame that we were notified of the presence of the virus by a foreign government and the NCDC is still saying we do not have the variant yet. At this point all we can advocate is speedy vaccination. We do not know if the variant is deadly or not but at least let people get vaccinated”.
Also, a professor of Community Medicine and Public Health, Adesegun Fatusi, stressed the importance of increased testing, saying this would help in curbing the spread of the virus.
Adesegun, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, told one of our correspondents on Monday that it was evident that the Omicron virus was circulating in Nigeria.
He said, “It is not just about Omicron variant, but any variant, and all variants. We should improve access to testing. More importantly, we should step up preventive actions.
“With two cases detected among Nigerian passengers, it implies that the variant is already circulating in Nigeria.”
On his part, a Medical Virologist at the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Dr. Oladipo Kolawole, said it was time for the country to wake up and test more people to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
“The government should wake up from their sleep in terms of testing; we need to test more and more efforts should be intensified on the molecular epidemiology with more sequencing capability. Then the government should establish more sequencing and genomics analysis hub across the country, this will help a lot.”
But the Chairman Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, vowed that the Federal Government would decisively deal with anyone found with fake COVID-19 test result, travel certificates among others at the nations point of entering.
Mustapha who frowned on the increasing number of those involved said those engaged in this act were endangering the lives of others.
He spoke during the national briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.
Mustapha said, “The PSC is aware of some travellers who have resolved to circumvent the travel protocols by providing fake COVID-19 Test Results, Permit to Travel Certificates or declaring fake vaccination status at our Points of Entry. The weight of the law is heavy and will come hard on these people. You would be amazed at the availability and procurement of these certificates. The danger to which we are all put is unquantifiable.”
Despite opposition, he insisted that the vaccine mandate for civil servants would be enforced from December 1.
On the new variant, he said the PSC was reviewing the situation around the world and putting in place measures to curtail the impact of the variant on the country, urging Nigerians to be vigilant in practice and enforcement of preventive measures.
Mustapha also said the impasse between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates flights had been resolved in the interest of both parties, adding that a date for the commencement of flights between the two countries would be announced in due course.
Also speaking, the Executive Director Of National Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Faisal Shuaib said as of Monday 6,504,043 eligible persons have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 3,586,812 persons have been fully vaccinated.
He added that so far over 30million doses of the vaccines are at hand, while another 60 million has been committed before the first quarter of 2022.
Shuaib also disclosed that the committee commenced office-to-office vaccination in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, adding that civil servants would be tested at random to ascertain their true vaccination status.
“To further ease access to COVID-19 vaccines by Government employees, we have also commenced office-to-office vaccination in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“What this simply means is that employees who are yet to be vaccinated will find a vaccination site around their offices to register and get vaccinated. This will help in preventing the excuse of having to leave their place of employment to a distant vaccination site.
From time to time, civil servants will be picked at random to check or assess their COVID-19 antibody in order to detect persons who fraudulently acquired the vaccination cards without vaccination. Anyone found culpable be handed over to the law enforcement authorities. “
Shuaib listed Ogun, Nasarawa, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti as the states with the highest vaccination rate.
The Head of Technical Secretariat, Mukhtar Muhammad said the PSC is reviewing risks and taking necessary steps to prevent the variant of concern from being imported into the country, he added that a new travel guideline would be issued today.
He said the Federal Government was still waiting for the Canadian government to send the names of the two Nigerians that tested positive to the Omicron COVID-19 strain.
Muhammad noted that there are no direct flights from Nigeria to Canada and therefore wondered how the two Nigerians tested positive.
“We are waiting for the Canadian authorities to give us full details. There are no direct flights from Nigeria to Canada. We do not know which other countries these passengers transited in. It is likely if their journey emanated from here, they would have had a negative PCR test,” he said.
The incident manager, however, argued that a Nigerian testing positive abroad after testing negative at home, was not an indictment on the authorities.
He argued that when a person is tested too early in the course of an infection, the result could be inaccurate.
“This is not a one way phenomenon when you look at the data of people arriving from other countries to Nigeria. The UK has the highest number of positive tests that are detected here on arrival after departure from the UK with a negative test. We have people testing positive from the US and a whole lot of destinations. Every test has performance characteristics.
“If you test anyone too early in the course of their infection, you may get a negative result and it might be that two or three days after a person has arrived and there has been multiplication of this virus, then you detect it. So, this is a well established phenomenon across the world. It is not a failure of Nigerian testing.”
He also admitted that Nigeria’s capacity for genome sequencing was still not as strong as that of South Africa.
Muhammed stated, “Yes, we do not have the capacity for Genome sequencing as the South Africans do. But I think what I need to remind you of is that before COVID-19, we were at basically zero. And now with a few of the labs in the Genomic Surveillance Network, we have almost 10 labs that are sequencing and depositing sequences in the public database.
“Our challenge at the moment is not how to sequence because there is excess capacity in the network. Our problem is that if we do not test and we do not identify enough positive samples meeting the criteria for selection for sequencing, then you have no samples to sequence. So that is the issue.”
U.S, Rwanda, Netherlands, others list of countries with travel ban on S’Africa, Ramaphosa arrives Nigeria today
The United States of America, Rwanda, the Netherlands among others have joined the list of countries that have imposed a travel ban on South Africa following the discovery of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus disease.
Following the announcement of the new strain on Friday, the United Kingdom placed a travel bans on South Africa and five other African countries as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the virus.
Similarly, the European Union which comprises of 27 countries slammed a travel ban on the region, this was followed by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, United States of America, Japan, Seychelles, France, Germany, Rwanda, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Philippines.
President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa would arrive Nigeria today amidst threat of a new strain of COVID-19.
Ramaphosa according to Presidency sources, Ramaphosa would be treated to a presidency dinner at the Presidential villa.
He has also been scheduled to hold talks with Buhari on Wednesday. This is as experts warn that the visit could portray danger if the delegates do not follow proper COVID-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian army has urged residents in the Federal Capital Territory not to panic at the sound of gunshot between today and Wednesday.
According to a statement released by the assistant director of public relations,
ENUGU — The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, and the party’s Enugu State Governorship Candidate, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, on Thursday, August 13, 2026, visited Parklane Specialist Hospital, Enugu, to show solidarity with patients battling kidney disease and other related illnesses.
They arrived at about 5:00 p.m. in the company of other party leaders, including the NDC Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East, Ada Ogbu; Hon. Kentus Eze; Hon. Ike Ezugwu; Architect Everastus Odo; Comrade Obi Mamah, H(JP); Hon. Odo Joel; and other party faithful who turned out to receive Peter Obi.
The visit followed a humanitarian gathering convened by Okwuluora to draw attention to the plight of more than 500 kidney patients and their families struggling to afford treatment.
Over 500 Kidney Patients Cry for Help as Families Battle for Survival
It was an emotional scene as men, women and children living with kidney-related illnesses converged at Parklane, hoping to receive urgent assistance.
Many of the patients showed visible signs of prolonged illness and hardship. Some were due for dialysis but could not afford the treatment, leaving them and their families trapped in a painful struggle for survival.
The severity of their condition was evident, with some displaying swollen hands, arms and legs, while others had bloated abdomens and anxiety-filled faces as they awaited assistance.
Among those present was a 13-year-old boy from Akure, Ondo State. His mother said she had sold virtually everything she owned to sustain his dialysis treatment for the past five years. Despite the sacrifices, the boy was at Parklane hoping to benefit from the intervention.
The large turnout has renewed concerns over the growing burden of kidney disease and the rising cost of dialysis and transplant care in the South-East and other parts of the country.
Speaking at the event, Okwuluora commended the stakeholders who supported the initiative and called for sustained assistance for kidney patients and their families.
The national and state leadership of the NDC also commended Okwuluora for his consistent commitment to Nigerians in need, particularly those battling critical health challenges.
In his remarks, Peter Obi expressed concern after listening to the testimonies of the patients. He called on well-meaning Nigerians, corporate organisations and governments at all levels to support kidney patients in dire need of assistance.
The organisers and families of the patients expressed gratitude to Obi for honouring the invitation and using his platform to draw attention to the plight of sick and vulnerable Nigerians.
They also thanked Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa for standing with the people of Enugu during the difficult moment and for demonstrating what they described as leadership that places human lives first.
Appreciation was equally extended to NDC supporters who attended the gathering, with attendees saying their presence offered hope and reassurance to the patients and their families.
The NDC leadership reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for improved healthcare funding, greater access to dialysis and policies aimed at reducing the burden of catastrophic healthcare expenses on families in Enugu State and across Nigeria.
Gov. Peter Mbah says Enugu State remains fully ready to support Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on health security facilities and projects within the state.
Mbah said this on Wednesday in Enugu when the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, paid him a courtesy call during a working visit to the state.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ossai, the governor said that the government had prioritised all issues concerning security especially those dealing on health security and invested heavily on health and related concerns.
According to him, we are fully ready and committed to work with you by providing land, logistics and other necessary requirements to make all health security projects/initiatives a reality.
He said, “We are fully aware of the need to focus and give priority to health security projects and issues.
“As a state, the high volume of travellers coming in their thousands to the state each day have increased our socioeconomic activities, made more investment possible and increased all forms of tourism.
“However, we recognise that only two weeks of a confirmed outbreak of any dreaded disease will scare away these large inflow of people coming into the state.
“This alone will affect and wipe away the striving tourism industry, our people’s vibrant trade and commerce, striving transport ecosystem, investors influx and the huge investment we have put to make Enugu the most attractive city in Africa.”
Mbah said that every effort or investment in health security “is in the right direction to secure our selves, investments, hopes and future.”
The governor commended the NCDC on their recent fight against COVID-19 and all initiatives to ensure prevention of Ebola virus as well as containing other outbreaks in the country.
“I must commend NCDC team for inspecting the ongoing South-East High Definition Molecular Laboratory and other health projects meant to serve our people, South-East and every Nigerian,” he said.
He assured that the government would undertake any responsibility to ensure that NCDC facilities continue running as well as protecting such facilities notwithstanding the premises they are domiciled in within the state.
On the issue of Ebola Virus, the govenor said that the state was taking the designation of Enugu State as a state with high importation risk “very serious”.
“From assessment, the scare of the disease coming to Enugu is real through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport. We are tightening all preventative measures and protocols, while ensuring robust synergy with relevant stakeholders on it.
“The state ministry of health and its partners are on alert over the issue and we are providing necessary support and access to our office on it,” he said.
Mbah called on the NCDC to give the state needed support in terms capacity building and training, close coordination and guidance as well as awareness materials and support in its preventive efforts.
Earlier, Idris said that visit was meant to access uncompleted South-East High Definition Molecular Laboratory, the level of Ebola Prevention and Preparedness at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport and other related projects.
He commended the state government on huge investment in Primary Healthcare Centres, general hospitals, tertiary hospitals and recently the Enugu International Hospital meant to attract medical tourism.
The director-general said that the NCDC wanted the state government to get involved in protecting And maintaining the South-East High Definition Molecular Laboratory and other facilities of the agency coming up in Enugu.
“We are here to strengthen the existing cordial relationship with the state and see how both NCDC and Enugu State Government can collaborate to strengthen issues of health security,” he said.
The Enugu State Government and key health sector partners have pledged a commitment to sustain the gains of the IntegratE Project.
The IntegratE Project is a five-year family planning initiative that expanded access to reproductive health services through Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) within the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, gave the commitment on Wednesday during the dissemination of the Enugu State Private Sector Family Planning performance under the IntegratE Project, which ran from Oct. 2021 to July 2026.
Ugwu said that the project had significantly improved reproductive health services and positive outcomes for women in the state over the past five years.
He described family planning as a sensitive but essential service, assuring that the government would continue expanding access while ensuring responsible use.
Ugwu said that Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration remained committed to strengthening primary healthcare outcomes in all ramifications
He revealed that more than 100 new primary healthcare centres would become operational before the end of the year.
The commissioner said that the state government’s commitment to innovation would continue to position the state as a leader in modern healthcare delivery.
Speaking, the representative of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Mrs Ifeyinwa Ohiaeri, described the project as a major intervention that strengthened family planning services through pharmacy practice.
Ohiaeri stressed that “family planning remains critical” to reproductive, maternal and adolescent health.
She said that the dissemination provided an opportunity to review achievements, challenges and strategies for sustaining the project’s impact, while reaffirming its commitment to professional ethics and quality service delivery.
The representative of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Maureen Nwankwo, said the agency would sustain the gains achieved.
Nwankwo noted that the programme had helped reduce unintended pregnancies, maternal and child deaths through improved access to family planning services.
Group Director of Donor-Funded Programmes at the Society for Family Health, Mr Emeka Okafor, said the national project tested the pharmacy-led delivery model for family planning in Enugu State.
Okafor noted that while about 70 per cent of residents patronise private health providers, much of the state’s routine health data comes only from the public sector, leaving a significant gap.
He said that according to the project’s implementation report, 29,262 women accessed family planning services through trained PPMVs in Enugu State, while 14,541 referrals were made to public health facilities.
He said that the project also exceeded training targets, introduced digital supportive supervision and contributed to the institutionalisation of the Tiered Accreditation System for PPMVs.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) also pledged continued support for the initiative/project at the grassroots.
No fewer than 20,966 Nigerian health workers relocated abroad within one year, according to official figures contained in the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025, obtained by Saturday PUNCH.
The mass exodus comprised 3,919 doctors, 7,487 nurses and midwives, 6,861 medical laboratory professionals, 702 pharmacists, 658 physiotherapists and hundreds of other healthcare specialists.
The growing migration came under the spotlight following the relocation of a Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr Salamat Aliu-Ibrahim, to the United States.
Aliu-Ibrahim, a renowned neurosurgeon, now serves as Medical Director, Paediatrics, at Freeman Children’s Clinic, a facility under Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri.
Data obtained from the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council showed that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026.
According to the GMC register, 15,896 Nigerian-trained doctors are currently licensed to practise in the UK, comprising 9,664 males and 6,232 females.
However, President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, appealed to Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora to encourage more Nigerians abroad to return home and contribute to the country’s development, stressing that there is no place like home.
20,966 Nigerian Health Workers Migrated
An analysis of the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025 showed that only 60,551 of Nigeria’s 95,456 registered doctors currently hold active practising licences, representing 63 per cent. Only 51 per cent of licensed doctors are actively employed within Nigeria’s health system.
The nursing and midwifery workforce, Nigeria’s largest health profession, has also suffered substantial losses, recording the highest level of migration among health professionals.
Although Nigeria has 267,951 registered nurses and midwives, comprising 73,130 nurses, 21,031 midwives and 173,790 nurses with post-basic qualifications, only 113,123 currently hold active practising licences, representing an effective licensing ratio of 42 per cent.
Of those with active licences, 78 per cent remain employed in the country.
The report further showed that 658 physiotherapists have migrated, leaving only 852 of the country’s 8,642 registered physiotherapists with active practising licences.
Similarly, 21 occupational therapists have migrated, while only 11 of the 176 registered professionals currently hold active licences.
There are 257 registered occupational therapist assistants, but only 51 currently possess practising licences.
The report also showed that 431 optometrists have migrated abroad. Of the 6,975 registered optometrists, only 2,156 hold active practising licences, while 66 per cent remain employed locally.
Among opticians, only 307 of the 2,976 registered professionals currently hold practising licences, while 18 have migrated abroad.
UK, US, Canada, Saudi Arabia Top Destinations
The United Kingdom remains a leading destination for Nigerian health workers, particularly doctors and nurses, due to easier professional registration, better remuneration, structured specialist training and persistent workforce shortages within the National Health Service.
Although international recruitment has slowed since 2025, Nigeria remains one of the major source countries for overseas-trained nurses practising in the UK.
A breakdown of data obtained from the UK GMC register showed that 7,875 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise in the UK in 2020, rising to 9,976 in 2022.
In 2023, the number rose further to 12,198, making Nigeria the third-largest source of foreign-trained doctors in the UK, behind India, with 38,228 doctors, and Pakistan, with 27,739.
Figures from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council also showed a sharp rise in the number of internationally educated nurses and midwives on its register, driven largely by recruitment from countries including Nigeria, India, Ghana and the Philippines.
According to the council, the number of Nigerian nurses and midwives in the UK has risen above 16,000.
Beyond the UK, the United States and Canada have also become increasingly attractive destinations for Nigerian healthcare professionals.
As of 2020, a total of 3,895 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise medicine in the US.
Australia has also intensified recruitment of overseas-trained doctors and nurses to address shortages in regional and rural health services, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to attract Nigerian healthcare professionals with tax-free salaries, subsidised accommodation and other employment benefits.
The Enugu State Government, through the Ministry of Health, has sealed four private health facilities in Enugu North Local Government Area for operating without valid licences and failing to meet regulatory requirements.
The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Chidiogo Ugodu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu, noting that the enforcement action was carried out on July 8.
According to the statement, the ministry has intensified the monitoring and supervision of private health facilities across the state to ensure quality healthcare delivery and strict compliance with regulatory standards.
The renewed enforcement exercise was initiated by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu.
As part of the exercise, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Chinyere Ezeudu, led a team of senior ministry officials on an unscheduled inspection of private health facilities in Enugu North LGA.
The ministry explained that the exercise was aimed at ensuring that all private hospitals and healthcare providers operating in the state comply with statutory requirements, including the renewal of operating licences and the registration of facilities yet to be captured by regulatory authorities.
During the inspection, the team visited seven private health facilities, assessing their operational status, licensing documentation, and compliance with established healthcare standards. Four of the facilities were subsequently sealed for regulatory violations.
Speaking on the exercise, Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, reaffirmed the commitment of the state government, under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, to protecting residents by ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and quality healthcare services.
He stressed that the monitoring and enforcement exercise would continue across the state to ensure that only duly registered and licensed healthcare facilities operate.
Ugwu also urged operators of private health facilities to regularise their operations by renewing expired licences and registering facilities that are yet to be approved.
“The ongoing monitoring exercise is not only a regulatory measure but also a critical step towards strengthening the health system and safeguarding the lives of citizens,” he said.
The latest enforcement follows a similar operation carried out a few weeks ago, during which the Ministry of Health sealed three illegal health facilities in Enugu South Local Government Area for operating without valid licences.
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