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FG to establish national cancer registry — NICRAT DG

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Dr Usman Aliyu, the Director-General, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), says efforts are underway to establish a centralised standard national cancer registry and data plan in the country.

Aliyu said this on Saturday in Abuja during  an interview with the newsmen.

According to him, the institute wants to make cancer a notifiable disease and the registry is a very important component in this and in the cancer prevention, treatment and care system.

He added that the registry had not been in existence due to many factors, which included lack of funding from both government and private health facilities.

He said that the absence of such national registry impeded national planning efforts in the fight against the disease.

To address this, Aliyu said, efforts were in place for NICRAT to partner the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to train frontline health workers at primary healthcare centres on basic cancer screening techniques.

This, he said, was aimed at promoting early detection which would enable patients to be referred appropriately when necessary, and to create a cancer registry right from the grassroots.

He also said that judging from the rising cases of cancer in the world, the disease seemed to be waging a war against the whole world, but most specifically on the Low-Middle-Income-Countries (LMICs) because they are battling with poor economies.

Making reference to statistics, he said a recent report by the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), indicated that there were 127,763 new cancer cases with about 79,542 deaths in Nigeria in 2022.

According to him, the report also indicated that prevalent cancer cases for both sexes in the country are breast cancer at 25.3 per cent, prostate 14.1 per cent, cervical 10.7 per cent, colorectal 6.4 per cent and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) 4.1 per cent.

He, however, said that the first step in cancer care is prevention.

“So, the best we can do is to ensure we start working on prevention and that is a collective responsibility for all Nigerians.

“The first level of prevention is to get the right information to the populace on the things that make people susceptible to cancer.

“If you can educate people on the causative agents and behaviour, then they have been empowered about cancer.

“Many have died of cancer in Nigeria but were unaware of what caused their death and this can be blamed on poor education and lack of adequate documentation.”

On the implementation of the Cancer Health Fund (CHF), Aliyu said that a cancer health committee had been set up to look into it right from the concept, the framework, the operational plan and then the challenges.

According to him, a stakeholder engagement took place in 2023 where most of the stakeholders of the CHF came together to brainstorm and raise issues.

“Then the institute finalised some of the issues and came up with a better model. Most of the issues border on enrollment, visibility, transparency, monitoring and evaluation.

“In the area of accessibility, the institute is working toward making it very accessible by employing the patient-navigation and referral system so that the patient can get on board easily and get on the platform.

“For visibility, there is a challenge because of the limitation of funds but we are working, there are lots of commitments and there is a network of legislators advocating alongside non-governmental organisations and government agencies for improvement in this funding.

“So, when that happens,  there will be inclusion of more centers and the operational funding will be different from what has been in the system before in terms of enrolment, evaluation, selection of patients because the fund is actually targeted at funding indigent patients.”

He, however, noted that presently, the Federal Government had in the 2024 budget appropriated N200 million to the fund.

He added that efforts were on to increase it in the coming years and for another amount to be set aside for childhood cancers because cases were also gaining momentum.

NAN recalls that the institute was established through the NICRAT establishment Act 2017 to provide national leadership in cancer research, treatment and control in Nigeria.

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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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Airport tolls: Nigeria lost billions under old rules — Keyamo

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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed that the Federal Government lost 82 percent which is equivalent to N10 billion in revenue that ought to accrue from airport tollgates under old rules.

Keyamo revealed this to State House correspondents during the week at the end of a two-day meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

The minister lamented that the ministry accumulated 82 percent in the negative from the complimentary e-tags printed by the ministry, noting that 82 percent of the e-tags are given free of charge to VIPs.

He stated, “Let me give you the shocking statistics. The negative figure that we get at the end of the day from the complimentary e-tags is 82 percent, in the negative.

“In other words, where we are supposed to have a 100 per cent contract on the e-costs from these e-tags that we print, it is only 18 per cent that we now end up selling. That is how bad it is. 18 per cent and 82 per cent of these e-tags are given out free of charge to VIPs. So, imagine the loss in my sector, and I ask myself,Which other sector will I go to that they give me anything free?’

“Is it because I’m a VIP that you say that in FCT, I should not pay land charges that you waive it for me? I pay for that sector. I pay for power. Yes, I pay for everything. So, why would anybody now come to my own sector and want to get free passage? Not possible. That is how bad it is.”

He added that free e-tags to the VIPs had in the past led to the loss of billions of naira

“So this has led in the past to loss of billions of naira, not millions, annually. Yet, our airport infrastructure, you know, is decaying. I am helpless. I’m looking for concessionaires. I’m looking for help with decaying infrastructure.

“They will be the first to cry out, these same VIPs – ‘why are the toilets like this? Why are your toilets smelling? Why can’t you do this?’ They are the same people, but they don’t pay for the services. So, if we want improved infrastructure at the airport, we must pay for services,” he said.

The minister lamented that due to the policy of exemption, the ministry makes only about N100 million instead of making about N260 million from a particular airport gate every month.

“I’ll give you another example. In one of the access gates, based on the count of the barrier going up and down, we are supposed to be making N250m or 260 million from that gate every month. That gate, because of exemptions, the return to us is less than N100 million every month,” he added.

To end the loss, the FEC decided that the president, vice president, and other top government functionaries would start paying access fees or the e-tag at all 24 federal airports across the country.

Prior to this development, the president, vice president, and some government officials were exempted from paying access fees at the airports’ gates.

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