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Nigeria lost $5.6bn to cancer in 2019 — Report

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The Lancet Oncology Commission report says Nigeria lost about 5.9 billion dollars to cancer deaths and other cancer-related factors in 2019.

The Chairman, Lancet Oncology Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa, Prof. Wil Ngwa, said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of the report titled: “Lancet Oncology Commission: Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

While presenting the highlights of the report, he said that cancer was greatly impacting economies in the region with Algeria losing 2.6 billion dollars, Angola 1.2 billion dollars, Benin 209.2 million dollars, Botswana 500.6 million dollars and Burkina Faso 270.6 million dollars to the disease.

Ngwa said that cancer killed more than COVID-19 in 2021 in Africa and had caused more than 28,000 children’s death in the region in 2020.

He added that as a result of COVID-19, it was estimated that there would be one million deaths per year by 2030 due to cancer in Africa.

Ngwa also said that the continent must address cancer with equal urgency, as it did with COVID-19.

He also said that the challenge of cancer now faced by Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was enormous and likely to worsen rapidly if adequate measures were not taken including international collaboration.

Ngwa, however, said that cancer in Africa was characterised by late stage at presentation, delayed diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and poor outcomes relative to other geographic regions

Former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that there were various interventions by the Federal Government to reduce the burden of the disease in Nigeria.

He, however, said that what was most important was political action and not just political will.

“The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) provides health insurance to all Nigerians and cancer screening is one of the key deliverables in that document.

“So, Nigeria is likely to become one of the first countries in Africa to have cancer screening covered by health insurance.

“What we now need to do moving forward is to go on with the idea of revitalising the eight cancer centres in Nigeria.

“Things are moving up but we need to scale them up because we have more than 200 million people, so we need to improve on access, care and funding.”

He added that the Cancer Health Fund was a unique innovation where people with cancer were now supported financially.

As for the region, he said that actionable plans that should be explored includes precision cancer control improving, improvement of data acquisition and cancer registration, designing health-care systems that promote equity of access and increase of cure and care improvement.

Others are effective palliation as an integral and key part of cancer care, building and maintains ace of workforce, innovation and research and identification of barriers to implement and test strategies.

This is for the adoption and scale-up of recommended approaches that can substantially increase access to cancer prevention and treatment and increase survival.

The Editor-In-Chief, Lancet Oncology Commission, Prof. David Collingridge, said that the constant long suffering and mortality driven by infectious diseases, malnutrition and poor maternal and child health in Africa was now being affected by the growing incidence of cancer and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Collingridge said that the double burden of disease was a consequence of lifestyle and behavioural changes and a shift in the patient population demographics to an ageing population.

“The health of the people in this part of the world where fragile health systems are under financed, under resourced and understaffed needs to be a global concern and needs to change,” he said.

He, however, said that the report advocates skin cancer research and increase in the use of telemedicine and other new technologies.

According to him, the report emphasises the importance of implementation research in clinical care pathways and enhanced service delivery.

Collingridge said, “In terms of financing, the commissioners suggests that financing should be initially prioritised for the most cost-effective measures.

“Cost-effective measures such as vaccines for prevention of preventable cancers, more affordable treatments that affect the greatest clinical cost benefit ratios.

“They recommend that transparent and dedicated revenue stream should be established with the input from international collaborators as needed to finance these specific measures.”

Collingridge said that each nation across Africa would need to adapt the recommendations to suit their specific situation, adding that with political determination and a coordinated approach across the region and the world, improved cancer care was achievable.

The commission was created to inquire into, describe and analyse the state of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa and recommend key actions to address the growing challenge.

It brought together experts on all aspects of cancer control from Africa and around the world.

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How Palmpay overcame trust deficit in 12 months- MD Nwosu

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Nigerians’ trust in Palmpay, a Central Bank of Nigeria’s fintech licensed bank, has grown tremendously in the last 12 months.

The Managing Director of Palmpay Nigeria, Chika Nwosu, disclosed this recently when he appeared on  Channels TV Business Roundtable.

Recall that the CBN recently restricted Palmpay and four fintech banks from onboarding new customers.

However, Nwosu gave insights into regulatory concerns surrounding the FinTech ecosystem and said that Palmpay has come to stay within Nigeria’s banking sector.

“Whatever happens with regulation is for the good of the FinTech space in Nigeria. Initially, when we started, there was an issue of trust. However, I can tell you now that the last 1 year after the cashless policy has seen the trust start to grow”.

The Managing Director emphasized PalmPay’s unwavering support for regulators in regulating the FinTech ecosystem, underscoring that regulators want to improve the services of strong players in the FinTech space, such as PalmPay.

On the ease of doing business and how it affects PalmPay, he said:

“Doing business in Nigeria for us is difficult, but Nigerians are embracing our App and digital payment”.

When asked about the problem of failed transfers, he stressed,

“Every institution has its business strategy and infrastructure. For us and most fintechs, we have a structure that makes transactions seamless”.

Regarding the regulator’s recent onboarding policy, he stated that PalmPay agreed with the regulators on some grey areas that must be addressed.

Reassuring customers that there was no issue with using PalmPay, he emphasized, “If PalmPay completes their own today, we will start onboarding today”.

On the issue of trust and the security of the PalmPay app, he said,

“There is no day you won’t see on our app boldly written that we are licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and our deposits are insured by the Nigeria Deposits Insurance Corporation (NDIC). PalmPay is here to stay”.

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Mushin LG Chairman flags off construction of Yusuf Street road, promises solar lighting

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The Mushin Local Government Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Bamigboye on Wednesday flagged off the construction of Yusuf Street road in Papa Ajao.

The project is expected to bring relief to residents and traders in the area and is set to be completed within six months.

According to Bamigboye, the project is a fulfillment of his campaign promise to the people of Mushin, and he expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to execute the project.

He urged residents to cooperate with the contractor and the local government to ensure the successful completion of the project.

The councillor representing the ward, Ayomide Abioye, expressed his joy and appreciation for the project, stating that it is the longest street in Papa Ajao and will bring immense benefit to the community.

Also, the Baba Oloja of Ladipo International Market, Eze Monday, also commended the Executive Chairman for the project, stating that it will make a significant impact on the development of the area.

The project includes the construction of the road and the installation of solar lighting, which is expected to enhance security and facilitate economic activities in the area.

Residents and traders in the area have been warned not to disturb the contractor or disrupt the project in any way.

Meanwhile, the traders applauded Hon. Bamigboye for demonstrating its commitment to infrastructural development and the welfare of its citizens.

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Giving back to community — Prof Oyedokun speaks on motives

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Lead Facilitator Professor of Accounting & Financial Development Founder OGE, Prof. Godwin Emmanuel Oyedokun, has disclosed that giving back to society community is his motive for pursuing his career.

He made the disclosure in an article titled “My motive for running a free professional diploma course in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation is of several folds.”

He said, “Running a free professional diploma course in forensic accounting and fraud investigation is also motivated by my desire to give back to the community.

“By sharing my expertise and knowledge without any financial barriers, I am helping individuals from diverse backgrounds and financial situations to acquire valuable skills and advance their careers.”

The academic reiterated that the motive for running a free professional diploma course in forensic accounting and fraud investigation is centred around education, skill development, community service, and professional growth.

It is a way to contribute to the accounting profession, address a skill gap, and empower individuals in their pursuit of knowledge and career advancement.

According to him, “Promoting Education and Professional Development to contribute to the growth and development of the accounting profession by providing individuals with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills in the specialised field of forensic accounting and fraud investigation.

“By offering this free course, i am enabling aspiring professionals to access valuable education that might otherwise be costly or inaccessible.”

The Don addressing the need for expertise in Forensic Accounting said, “In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for professionals skilled in forensic accounting and fraud investigation due to the rise in financial crimes and fraudulent activities. By offering this free course, I am helping to address this skill gap and aiding in the fight against financial fraud.”

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