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Nigeria’s Maternal Mortality Rate Remains Unacceptably High – NSSF

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The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund has warned that Nigeria risks deepening its maternal health crisis if urgent reforms and stronger financial commitments are not made to expand access to health insurance for women, especially those in underserved communities.

Speaking after the 7th edition of the NSSF Fireside Chat Series held on Wednesday in Abuja, the Managing Director and CEO of NSSF, Dr. Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko, said the stakes could not be higher, with thousands of women dying every year from preventable causes.

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Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate remains unacceptably high, with over 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births. This cannot continue,” Chinye-Nwoko said, according to a press statement on Thursday.

“We are here to ask the hard questions: how can we ensure that when a woman needs care, she can access it without money in her pocket and without delay? That’s what health insurance is meant to do, and it must be inclusive and accessible.”

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The statement by NSSF’s Head of Marketing & Communications, Esther Anolu, noted that Chinye-Nwoko stressed that while tools, data, and partnerships exist to tackle the crisis, action has lagged behind the urgency of the situation.

“We know from our work in the field that women are not just uninformed — they’re unregistered, unempowered, and underserved. Awareness is low. Access is difficult. But we have the tools, the data, and the partnerships to change that. What we need now is policy implementation and financial commitment that match the urgency of this crisis,” she added.

The Fireside Chat, themed “Breaking Barriers to Maternal Health Equity: The Role of Health Insurance in Promoting Women’s Wellness,” brought together key players from government, development agencies, donors, and the healthcare sector to chart a path toward sustainable maternal health solutions.

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One of the most pressing concerns raised during the event was the question, “Who pays for the health of the poor?” which triggered robust dialogue around sustainable financing. Participants agreed that without strong government-subsidised health coverage, millions of Nigerian women would remain at risk, unable to afford life-saving care when needed.

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A Senior Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Mojisola Odeku, emphasised the importance of leveraging donor support in conjunction with government funding to increase women’s access to essential health services.

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Also speaking at the event, representing the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Professor Chima Onoka, highlighted efforts being made to digitise insurance enrollment and broaden coverage. He noted that innovative strategies are being deployed to remove barriers that prevent women from registering.

On her part, Director and Head of the Family Health Department at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Binyerem Ukaire, highlighted existing national interventions, such as free emergency cesarean sections and treatment for Vesico-Vaginal Fistula, which are available across over 20 states. However, she acknowledged that funding gaps remain a significant challenge.

The conversation also emphasised prevention as a critical and cost-saving strategy. Panellists agreed that scaling up preventive services, including health screenings, mental health support, and access to contraception, would not only save lives but also lower long-term healthcare costs for the country.

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NSSF also shared insights from its grassroots programmes, including the WeNaija Impact Cohort and field activities in Ekiti State, revealing persistent barriers such as misinformation, affordability issues, and distrust of health systems.

As a next step, NSSF said it would develop targeted policy briefs capturing key insights from the Fireside Chat to present actionable recommendations to government bodies, health institutions, and civil society.

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ITF Warns Organisations, Employers Against Rejection Of IT Students

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The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has warned organisations and employers nationwide against rejecting students seeking attachment for their Industrial Training (IT) exercises.

ITF Area Manager in Bauchi, Dr Ashore Paul, issued the warning on Thursday during the orientation exercise for prospective IT students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.

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Represented by Mrs Nanzem Yilshuut, Head of Training at the ITF Bauchi Area Office, Paul said that “the act establishing the Fund mandates every organisation to accept students for industrial attachment.”

He further stated that any employer or organisation found in breach of these provisions was liable to conviction and sanctions.

READ ALSO:ITF Trains 120 Youth In Plumbing, Solar Power Installation, Others In Bauchi State

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Paul also urged the prospective IT students to adhere to the rules and regulations of any organisation they joined and to be willing to learn and fulfill their responsibilities.

When these students come back, we expect that there is a difference.

“They should have learned something new because definitely, what they learned in school, would be expected to be put into practicals.

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“This will help them in their academics and also assist them in their future endeavours.

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They must participate 100 per cent, they must be disciplined and they must be willing to learn.

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“We go round to ensure that they are doing what they are expected to do at their places of attachment.

“When we go for supervision, we ensure that what they are learning is in line with their courses,” he said.

The Rector of the institution, Sani Usman, said that the industrial attachment was an activity that enabled polytechnics to fulfill their mandate as technology and skill-driven institutions.

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“Our students are given industrial experience during their first year so as to be registered in their minds that all of them are meant to be skilled class men and women and that is why the industrial attachment is very important.

“It enables them to build on what they have learned in their respective classrooms and practicals during the year,” he said.

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Usman emphasised the importance of proper supervision during industrial training.

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According to him, it will ensure students not only attend their placements but also carry out their assigned tasks effectively.

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“The supervision is also to see that the employers or the places they have been sent to do their Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) do not exploit them to the level that is not required by the institution”, he said.

He further revealed that 3,000 students across all departments in the institution were going for this year’s SIWES.

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Smokers Risk Cardiac Arrest, Expert Warns

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A Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in the department of surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Prof Eyo Ekpe has warned cigarettes smokers and patients with diabetes to take adequate of their chest in order not to fall a victim of cardiac arrest .

He said that these health conditions trigger certain types of abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias responsible for sudden cardiac arrest.

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Professor Ekpe gave the warning on Wednesday while delivering the 117th Inaugural Lecturer of the University of Uyo, titled “My Chest! My Chest!! My Chest!!!: Relieving Chest Pain, Preventing Death and Restoring Health”

He disclosed that many Nigerians have died for ignoring cardiac arrest triggers, preventing them, or seeking late medical attention to chest related ailments.

READ ALSO:Tobacco Kills 1.3 Million Non-smokers Yearly — WHO

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Chest pain should not be ignored. Symptom of chest pain that is reported early would afford the clinician the opportunity to obtain adequate medical history from the person, medically examine the person thoroughly, optimally conduct the necessary laboratory tests to unravel the cause, and apply an evidence based treatment modality to relieve the chest pain, prevent death and restore heath.

“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent heart attack. Cigarette should not be smoked, high blood pressure should be prevented or controlled, diabetes mellitus should be prevented or controlled, and high blood cholesterol and lipoprotein should be prevented or controlled. A culture of regular physical exercise must be intentionally domesticated.

“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent cardiac arrest. Causes and triggers of arrhythmias should be prevented by preventing stress, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, coronary artery disease and electrolyte disorders, and avoiding cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse,” he stated.

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Ekpe said medical consultation for chest problems should be with qualified medical doctors to avoid misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and complications, adding that regular medical checks and timely reports of symptoms of ailments must be prioritised.

Safe-driving habit and road safety must be taken as a serious business. Seat restrained-belt should be used by all occupants of moving vehicles.

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“Bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles should not ply traffic-congested roads. All victims of chest pain and chest injuries must be attended to by qualified medical doctors in a timely manner,” he advised.

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FirstBank’s Digital Banking Channels Suffers Downtime

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FirstBank has suffered a temporary disruption to its major digital banking channels, which will prevent some customers from completing transactions.

In a notice issued on Thursday, the bank said the downtime is affecting services on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and its *894# USSD platforms.

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“Please be informed that we are currently experiencing some downtime affecting transactions to other banks on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and USSD platforms. Customers may therefore experience delayed or declined transactions,” the circular read.

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The bank apologised for the inconvenience and assured customers that its technical team, working with partner service providers, is making every effort to restore full services as quickly as possible.

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The disruption occurred less than two months after FirstBank introduced facial biometric authentication on its FirstMobile app, designed to enhance the customer experience and security.

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