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,
In 2024, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, revealed that Nigeria had about 55,000 licensed doctors.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Pate disclosed that no fewer than 16,000 doctors had left the country in the past five years, while about 17,000 others had been transferred out of active service.
Worrisomely, a new revelation by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, indicates that the number of practising doctors in Nigeria has declined from 55,000 to 40,000 within just one year.
In his presentation at a one-day leadership dialogue in Lagos themed “Strengthening PHC Systems: A Joint Leadership Dialogue,” Abayomi identified manpower shortage as one of the most critical challenges facing the health sector.
The dialogue, organised by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board with support from development partners, addressed barriers hindering PHCs from meeting expectations and proposed practical solutions for building sustainable PHCs with lasting impact.
Abayomi stated that Lagos currently has only 7,000 doctors serving an estimated 30 million residents, far below the number needed for optimal care delivery.
The commissioner raised concerns over the acute shortage of health workers in the state, disclosing that the state requires an additional 33,000 doctors to meet the healthcare demands of its growing population.
“Nigeria currently has about 40,000 doctors against an estimated need of 300,000, while Lagos alone requires about 33,000 doctors but has only about 7,000,” he said.
According to him, Lagos’ doctor-to-population ratio remains far below what is required for optimal healthcare delivery, noting that the state’s doctors are serving an estimated population of nearly 30 million people.
To address the shortfall, Abayomi said the state government is investing in its newly established University of Medicine and Health.
“Within five years, UMH will produce about 2,500 healthcare workers annually, including laboratory scientists and other essential cadres,” he stated.
The mass exodus of healthcare professionals popularly known as japa syndrome, especially doctors, nurses, and pharmacists has remained a major concern in Nigeria.
A 2017 survey conducted by a Nigerian polling organisation in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch revealed that about 88 per cent of Nigerian doctors were seeking job opportunities abroad at the time.
The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Bala Audu, recently warned that Nigeria has moved beyond passive brain drain and has become a direct recruitment hub for foreign governments seeking skilled medical professionals.
In an interview, Audu revealed that international recruiters now visit Nigeria to directly hire doctors—particularly specialists such as obstetricians, gynaecologists, and paediatricians—offering them superior working conditions, remuneration, and infrastructure.
He lamented that while Nigeria’s population continues to grow and mortality rates remain high, the country is losing specialists at an alarming rate.
“Many of our doctors are not even going abroad to look for jobs. Foreign governments now come into Nigeria to pick doctors and take them away,” Audu said.
“We are still having more births, yet maternal deaths remain high because the skilled birth attendants who should care for these women are reducing every day.”
Audu added that in some specialties, the number of Nigerian doctors practising abroad may already exceed those still working within the country, a situation worsened by the government’s failure to significantly improve doctors’ welfare despite existing policy frameworks.
Experts have warned that with the current pace of emigration, it would be impossible for Nigeria to produce enough health workers to meet its growing healthcare demands. They estimate that it would take at least 20 years to train the over 400,000 health workers required to close the gap.
A former President of the NMA, Prof. Mike Ogirima, described Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio as “horrible,” noting that the country currently has about one doctor to 8,000 patients—far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients.
Nigerian health communication researcher, Ifesinachi Ayogu, has attributed the rising number of cancer-related deaths in the country to the neglect of routine self-breast examination among women and routine Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing among men.
Ayogu told journalists on Monday that the failure to prioritise regular screening had contributed significantly to late detection of breast and prostate cancers, which are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria.
He said many cancer cases were only discovered when the disease had reached advanced stages, making treatment more complex and survival chances lower.
According to him, the increasing burden of cancer deaths calls for a more intentional and sustained approach to cancer awareness, early detection, and preventive health behaviour.
“Early detection saves lives, but many people are not practising simple, routine screening that could help detect cancer early,” Ayogu said.
He noted that breast cancer and prostate cancer were often manageable when detected early, but ignorance, fear, stigma, and limited awareness continued to discourage people from carrying out regular checks.
The researcher explained that self-breast examination allows women to notice unusual lumps or changes early, while routine PSA testing helps detect prostate abnormalities before symptoms become severe.
Ayogu said deaths resulting from breast and prostate cancers were often preventable, stressing that delayed diagnosis was a major factor contributing to high mortality rates.
He added that many Nigerians still lacked basic information on how to conduct self-breast examinations, when to go for PSA tests, and where to seek appropriate medical care.
The health communication researcher emphasised the need for community-based education, especially in rural areas, using trusted platforms such as churches, markets, women’s groups, and radio programmes to promote routine screening practices.
He also urged healthcare providers and public health institutions to intensify public education on cancer prevention and ensure that screening information was simple, accurate, and accessible.
Ayogu advised individuals with a family history of breast or prostate cancer to be particularly vigilant about routine screening and healthy lifestyle practices.
He stressed that promoting routine self-breast examination and PSA testing would play a critical role in reducing late presentation and improving cancer survival outcomes in Nigeria.
Ifeshinachi Ayogu is a PhD graduate student, at the University of Oklahoma United States of America, his core interest is cancer communication, according to him, he believes that the next breakthroughs in cancer care for Nigerian women and men will not come from medicine alone.
The Federal Government said it had intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all points of entry in response to the ongoing outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Akpan Nse, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
Nse also noted that additional staff had been employed to strengthen border surveillance in the country.
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers, had been reported as of September 5, 2025.
The outbreak comes at a time when much of Central and West Africa is grappling with overlapping health and humanitarian crises, including cholera, malnutrition, and population displacement.
The DRC’s last outbreak of Ebola virus disease occurred in the north-western Equateur Province in April 2022.
It was brought under control within three months.
In Kasai Province, previous Ebola outbreaks were reported in 2007 and 2008. Overall, the country has experienced 15 outbreaks since the disease was first identified in 1976.
Ebola virus disease is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
It is transmitted to people through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats (believed to be the natural hosts). Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person, contaminated objects, or the body of someone who died from the disease.
In the ongoing outbreak, samples tested on September 3 at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital, Kinshasa, confirmed that the cause was Ebola Zaire, a strain of the Ebola virus.
Dr Nse noted that although Nigeria was at risk of importing the virus due to high levels of international travel with the DRC, Port Health Services was on alert and had strengthened surveillance to prevent this.
He said, “We have intensified surveillance at all points of entry across the country—airports, land borders, and seaports. Every inbound traveller coming from Congo to Nigeria is thoroughly screened, and we collect their medical history through mandatory forms.
“We have also reactivated our portals. Every passenger on every flight coming to Nigeria from Congo is screened upon arrival. This applies to airports, seaports, and land borders. Even if passengers transit through Congo on their way to Nigeria, they must undergo screening.
“In addition, with support from WHO, we have recruited more staff to enhance surveillance. Increasing the workforce allows us to effectively prevent the importation of the virus and ensure thorough screening at all borders.”
He added that some private organisations had partnered the Federal Government to ensure that thermal scanners at airports remained fully functional.
Meanwhile, the WHO has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the response to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the DR Congo.
Announcing this at a media briefing on global health issues on Friday, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed that 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths had been reported so far, including four health workers.
He highlighted that the UN body already had staff on the ground in Kasai, with more on the way.
“We’re joining rapid response teams to trace contacts and find cases; we’re collecting and testing samples, and we’re providing technical expertise in surveillance, infection prevention and control, treatment, risk communication, and more. WHO has also delivered personal protective equipment, laboratory equipment, medical supplies, and a mobile laboratory.
“We had previously prepositioned 2000 doses of Ebola vaccine in Kinshasa, which we are releasing to vaccinate contacts and health workers. This is the 16th outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, and the government has rich experience from those previous outbreaks,” the WHO boss stated.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says the country has recorded a total of 807 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis, and 74 deaths from 22 states as of March 26, 2025
The NCDC stated that the Case Fatality Rate is at 9.2 per cent as of March 26, 2025.3.27
The centre disclosed this in a statement titled: “CSM outbreak: NCDC rapid response teams in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Katsina states,” signed by its Head of Corporate Communication, Sani Datti, on Thursday.
It said its Rapid Response Teams are already in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Katsina states in response to the ongoing outbreak of CSM.
It noted that the deployment follows a significant increase in suspected cases reported from these states.
“As of 26th March 2025, a total of 807 suspected cases and 74 deaths have been reported across 22 states, with a CFR of 9.2 per cent.
“Affected states include Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Ebonyi, Oyo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kaduna, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Ekiti, Niger, Plateau, FCT, and Sokoto.
Idris emphasised the importance of personal safety and instructed all team members to strictly observe infection prevention and control protocols throughout the response effort.
“The deployed teams, comprising multisectoral and interdisciplinary experts—including specialists in case management and lumbar puncture techniques—are already in the affected states and working closely with the state health authorities to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission.
“Key objectives of the response include rapid containment of the outbreak; strengthening case management and IPC measures; enhancing surveillance and sample collection; conducting risk communication and community engagement activities; and identifying the outbreak’s source and recommending appropriate public health actions.
“The NCDC remains committed to supporting state governments and partners to safeguard the health of Nigerians through timely and effective response to public health threats,” he stated.
Health
WHO Lauds Enugu’s Healthcare Innovations, Declares Engr. Beloved-Dan Anike Most Pro-Health Chair
The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended Enugu State for its outstanding leadership in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), recognizing the Executive Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, Engr. Pst. Beloved-Dan Obi Anike, as the most Pro-Health Mayor in Enugu State.
This recognition came during the official flag-off of the Enugu East Health Insurance Scheme at the Enugu Type Two Primary Health Care Center in Emene. The WHO South-East Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, highlighted the initiative as a groundbreaking model, marking the first time a Local Government Chairman in Nigeria has committed substantial resources toward community-wide healthcare access.
Dr. Igboekwu emphasized that Enugu East’s proactive approach aligns with global best practices, strengthening health security and enhancing economic growth through a healthier workforce. He applauded Enugu State’s strategic healthcare reforms, positioning it as a front-runner in the drive for Universal Health Coverage.
In his remarks, Engr. Pst. Beloved-Dan Obi Anike revealed that the newly launched scheme will enroll 5,000 elderly residents—both indigenes and non-indigenes aged 60 and above—into the State Universal Health Coverage program. The initiative, set to run from April 1, 2025, to April 1, 2026, guarantees free healthcare services for these beneficiaries.
The Mayor expressed gratitude to the Executive Governor of Enugu State for spearheading a wave of disruptive innovations across multiple sectors, particularly in healthcare. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to aligning with the state government’s vision, stating, “When you have a Governor delivering over a thousand projects concurrently, you must take steps to keep up with his momentum.”
As part of this commitment, Engr. Anike disclosed that his administration has also commenced the construction of Type One Primary Healthcare Centers in Neke-Uno and Obinagu Nike communities, with approval secured for three additional centers across Enugu East LGA.
Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, described the initiative as a monumental achievement, emphasizing its life-changing impact on the elderly population. Similarly, Dr. Edith Okolo, Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Health Insurance Scheme, hailed the project as a historic milestone, ensuring that 5,000 people in Enugu East LGA will receive free healthcare for an entire year.
The event also had in attendance notable dignitaries, including the Member Representing Enugu East Rural Constituency, Hon. Raymond Ugwu; the Honourable Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. Felix Nnamani; Member 4 of the Enugu State Local Government Service Commission, Amb. Mrs. Amaka Nweke; the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Rotarian Dr. Sunday; the PDP Chairman in Enugu East LGA, Hon. Okey Igbokwe, among others.
These stakeholders echoed WHO’s commendation, applauding the Enugu State Government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and improving access to quality medical services.
Enugu State’s healthcare innovations continue to set a precedent, reinforcing its reputation as a leader in Universal Health Coverage and community-centered healthcare policies.
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