The Federal Government has launched an initiative to provide free cesarean sections and emergency obstetric care for women facing pregnancy complications, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Pate emphasized that President Bola Tinubu is deeply committed to improving Nigerians’ health and well-being, making maternal care a priority. To combat maternal mortality, the government has approved free emergency treatment for pregnancy-related complications in designated health facilities.
This includes cesarean sections, excessive bleeding, obstructed labor, and other critical conditions. The minister explained that certified facilities treating such cases will be reimbursed by the government. “The president is very clear that the health and well-being of Nigerians are central to his vision for the country,” Pate stated.
The initiative is part of broader healthcare sector reforms, with the government mobilizing resources alongside the Health Insurance Authority to ensure its sustainability.
Additionally, the Federal Government is offering free treatment for vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a severe childbirth-related condition affecting at least 10,000 women annually.
“VVF is a complication of pregnancy and delivery, and at least 10,000 women suffer from it every year,” Pate noted. This initiative marks a significant step in improving maternal healthcare access across Nigeria.
A commercial driver, Tayo Arowolo, has been arrested in Akowonjo, Lagos, for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend’s six-year-old sister, Maria, while assisting her with homework.
The incident occurred while Arowolo was left alone with the child as his girlfriend briefly stepped out. Frustrated by Maria’s difficulty in understanding her schoolwork, he resorted to beating her with a belt and slippers, inflicting severe injuries.
Following his arrest, Arowolo admitted to the assault, claiming he did not realize the extent of the injuries at the time. He reportedly attempted to treat the wounds himself but has since expressed regret over his actions. However, he did not confirm whether he would have treated his own child in a similar manner.
Authorities in Lagos State have charged Arowolo under laws prohibiting child abuse, emphasizing the government’s stance against violence towards minors. The case is currently being prosecuted, and legal proceedings are underway.
Child rights advocates have condemned the incident, calling for stricter enforcement of laws protecting children from domestic violence.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, on Friday, commenced a 21-day traditional rites popularly known as “Oro Opebi.”
A statement by the Chief of Staff to the monarch, Rotimi Osuntola, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, confirmed this on Friday.
Osuntola said the traditional rites would end on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
The statement read, “The Aláàfin of Oyo Kingdom hereby announces the commencement of ÒRÒ ÌPĘBÍ, the mandatory rites for His Imperial Majesty before his ascension to the revered throne of The Aláàfin.
“The rites commence from Friday, March 7, to Saturday, March 29, 2025. Throughout the period, a curfew shall be imposed as it is customary from 8 pm to 6 am daily throughout the Oyo township.
“This means movements are not allowed during the period of the curfew, and anyone who contravenes this order shall be arrested and detained till 7 am of the following day after his or her arrest.
‘It is pertinent to state that ORO IPĘBI which makes the incoming Aláàfin to go into absolute seclusion while it lasts is sacrosanct for the ascending Ikú-Bàbá-Yèyé and must be respected by all and sundry.”
The coronation ceremony will hold on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Oyo town.
Ogun State Government has shut two industries, Quantum Steel Industry in Ogijo in Sagamu Local Government and Xinfeng Plastics Limited along the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway for Industrial accidents that resulted in fatalities.
Quantum Steels was shut down for Industrial explosion which resulted in fatalities with some victims still hospitalized while Xinfeng Plastics was equally closed down after a machine operator, Ishaku Monday lost his life due to electrocution .
In closing down the two companies ,the Special Adviser to the Governor on Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA who doubled as the Chairman of the State Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Alhaji Farook Akintunde said the Government took decision to shut down the companies in order to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the unfortunate incidents and proffer solutions to avert future occurrence.
“As a Government, we are determined to conduct credible and diligent investigations including inviting external safety experts to get to the root cause of these incidents in the overriding public interest and safety”
“What is even painful is that despite State Government’s regular visits to these companies just like other statewide to educate them on the need to adhere strictly to safety procedures, such incidents still occurred within their production lines that resulted in fatalities, hence the need to close them down”
Akintunde added that the two companies will remain shut until investigations are concluded and new safety protocols entrenched.
The Oyo State Primary Health Care Board has released the list of successful health care professionals.
Recall, the Board had earlier conducted CBT exam and interview for Nurses, Doctors and others who applied in the last recruitment exercise.
The statement on the release of list of successful candidates was signed and made available to Oduduwa News by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. M.B. Olatunji as read in part:
“Dear Applicants,
“Congratulations on the success of your application for the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board Recruitment.
“Please note that while we celebrate this achievement, it is essential to address the next steps and expectations moving forward.
“You are advised to regularly follow up on the State’s Jobportal and our various media channels for further information. We are looking forward to you joining the Oyo State Health Workforce.
Two persons were feared dead while six were rescued as a three-storey building collapsed in the Lekki area of Lagos. This was contained in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, on Wednesday in Lagos.
Oke-Osanyintolu stated that the immediate cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, adding that further investigations will be conducted. “So far, two adult males have been extricated from the rubbles of the collapsed building.
Six seriously injured adult males were rescued and were administered immediate medical care by the LRU Pre-Hospital Care Unit, before being transported to Marina General Hospital for further treatment,” the statement said.
According to LASEMA, its Response Teams have begun Search and Rescue Operation, stating that Lagos Rail Transport was coordinating other common stakeholders for effective response at the incident scene.
It added that the Agency’s heavy-duty equipment (Excavator) was deployed to the incident scene and is still in operation and light and heavy-duty equipment has been deployed for the Search and Rescue Operation.
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have vehemently denied that a peace or reconciliation meeting took place with Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, as many await his eventual resignation. Despite reports circulating on Tuesday that Obasa had engaged in a conciliatory session with lawmakers, attendees dismissed such claims, citing procedural delays and a lack of genuine dialogue.
According to eyewitnesses, a meeting that was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. did not commence until 2:30 p.m., with lawmakers forced to wait for nearly an hour. “There was no apology or acknowledgment of the delay,” one lawmaker revealed. “He went straight to the agenda without addressing our concerns, and none of us contributed to the discussion.”
Another member clarified that the brief session was solely convened to address a legal matter involving the suspended Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko. “The meeting was nothing more than a rushed discussion about a civil case, during which even the Department of State Services (DSS) was unnecessarily involved, leading to the arrest of some colleagues,” he stated.
These developments come in the wake of Speaker Obasa’s controversial reinstatement on March 3, 2025, following the resignation of Mojisola Meranda under pressure from party leaders and stakeholders. Obasa’s return has not quelled dissent; rather, many lawmakers remain discontented and are now calling for his resignation. “We respect leaders like Baba Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, but in our hearts, we are still waiting for him to step down and honor the agreement reached with the Baba Akande-led committee,” another lawmaker asserted.
The lawmakers’ refusal to acknowledge any genuine reconciliation underscores the deep divisions within the Assembly. The incident not only highlights procedural shortcomings but also reflects broader dissatisfaction with Obasa’s leadership and the overall direction of the legislature.
The Oyo State House of Assembly has directed the House Committee on Education to interface with the Ministry of Education, TESCOM, SUBEB and all other stakeholders in education sector to marshall out plans on the adoption of digital lesson notes in both primary and secondary schools in Oyo State.
The motion titled: “NEED TO DIGITALIZE EDUCATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN PUBLIC PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE STATE THROUGH INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF E-LESSON NOTES FOR TEACHERS FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY” was moved by the Honourable representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju at the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Dele Adeola during the Plenary held yesterday.
Dele Adeola while discussing the motion at the Plenary, hinted on the need to phase out the traditional way of writing lesson notes by teachers in public schools as it has become obsolete and not in conformity with global standards and the increasing demand for usage of technology in education sector.
He said teachers in Oyo State have always been compelled to be duplicating manual lesson notes for several decades when they supposed to be utilizing their time for research, updating themselves with e-learning materials as well as engaging on innovation and adjustment to tech-driven world.
He said, it is imperative for all stakeholders in education sector to design a strategy for the adoption of e-lesson notes especially in this world where education is digitalized. He averred further that the manual way of writing lesson notes is an herculean task for teachers who are usually faced with several day to day activities especially in public schools where student-teacher ratio is still on the high side.
He mentioned some states in Southwest such as Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, as well as Edo, Kaduna and other States in Nigeria that have adopted e- lesson platform and has been proven effective.
Dele Adeola was quoted as saying:
“Teachers are nation builders who equip students with the knowledge and skill needed to drive innovation and development thereby encouraging analytical thinking and problem solving, which are essential for progress in science, technology and governance. However, as teaching profession is a noble and rewarding career globally, it can also be stressful and overwhelming depending on the educational system in operation. It is an acknowledged fact that, one of the significant challenges teacher face today is the daily and weekly task of writing lesson notes by hand (as traditional/manual way). This time consuming and labour – intensive process of writing lesson notes can take away from the time and energy teachers need to focus on what matters most – teaching and supporting their students. In addressing this challenge, I think it is high time for Government to take bull by the horn towards the adoption and implementation of e – lesson notes or printed lesson notes for teachers in public Primary and Secondary Schools in the State for improved efficiency. The printed lesson notes will be prepared in line with the education curriculum and scheme of work, ensuring that all teachers are teaching to the same standards and expectations, provided as PDF and printed or as softcopy for each teacher and making it easier for teachers to access via their Android phone and use the lesson notes. This can be updated annually to reflect changes or modifications in the Nigerian education curriculum with a view to ensuring that teachers have the most up to date resources and information.
“The e-lesson notes are digital version of traditional lesson plans, offering several advantages in modern education. The e- lesson notes digital platform affords the teachers easy accessibility to lesson notes anytime and anywhere making lesson preparation more flexible and efficient. Digital lesson notes are well – structured in such a way that it enables teachers to plan, modify and retrieve lessons thereby improving school/organization performance. With this new initiative if considered, teacher can share lesson notes with colleagues, administrators, and students, promoting teamwork and knowledge – sharing for enhanced collaboration. Unlike traditional notes, e- lesson notes allows the inclusion of videos, images, audio, and interactive elements, making lessons more engaging. E. Lesson notes saves time with the use of templates, automation, and cloud storage, reduce the time spent on manual documentation and lesson planning. Overall, e –lesson notes familiarizes teachers and students with digital tools, preparing them for tech-driven future thereby enhancing teaching efficiency, improving learning experiences and support the digital transformation of education.
While speaking, Hon. representing Gbenga Oyetola representing Atiba State Constituency supported the motion and commended Hon. Dele Adeola for the brilliant submission. He said Oyo State is a pacesetter and that it cannot lag behind in adopting innovation. He further stated that some of the newly recruited TESCOM teachers who are tech-savvy and have had a stint of career in private schools where there has been adoption of digital learning have found it difficult to cope with public school environment due to the strenuous and archaic lesson plan. He however urged the House to summon all education stakeholders to a meeting to marshal out plan on the best possible way to adopt the e-learning materials.
In his words, Hon. Dawood Akanni D- Alameen representing Ibadan NorthWest State Constituency said there have been reports where writing of traditional lesson notes has caused psychological imbalance to teachers especially when they get home and this has become worrisome, hence, the need to take drastic measure to relieve teachers from time-consuming, obsolete, archaic and manual lesson plan.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin commended the mover of the motion and resolved that the House Committee on Education should interface with Ministry of Education and all stakeholders to chart a way forward on the adoption of digital lesson plan.
Oduduwa News has gathered that a driver and one other person have been reportedly died in an accident involving a fuel-laden tanker which fell and exploded immediately.
The incident occurred at the early hour of Tuesday at New Garage, Oluyole Local Government of Oyo State.
Men of Oyo State Fire Fighting Service have been mobilized to the scene to contain the fire from spreading to other areas.
