NEWS
Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence: SYNLAB Nigeria’s Journey in Diagnostics Care
“From the onset, there was a clear vision that this was going to be run not with the level of mediocrity that existed at the time, but it was going to be run as an international organization with the best practices.
So, there was excellence on-site from the get-go, and that was how the business was birthed,” said Kenneth Okolie, CEO of SYNLAB Nigeria.
These words encapsulate the bold aspirations that shaped the organization 20 years ago and continue to drive it today.
As SYNLAB celebrates its 20th anniversary, it reflects on two decades of reshaping healthcare diagnostics in Nigeria and the West African region.
From its early days as PathCare to its evolution into SYNLAB, the organization has consistently raised the bar in diagnostics care. PathCare, now SYNLAB, was the first ISO-accredited laboratory in West Africa, setting a new standard for healthcare quality and ethical practice.
This commitment to excellence has resulted in numerous firsts over the years, positioning SYNLAB as a leader in driving accessible and reliable healthcare services.
“We’ve been at the forefront of driving quality and accessible healthcare in this part of the world.
In Nigeria specifically, we have modelled what ethical practice in healthcare should be, collaborating with the government and public sector at different levels—federal, state, and local—to bring quality healthcare closer to the people,” Okolie remarked.
SYNLAB’s contributions to healthcare extend beyond Nigeria. By driving partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and the clinical research industry, SYNLAB has leveraged its expertise to advance science and localize tests that previously had to be sent abroad.
“We’ve done millions of tests and localized tons of diagnostics services that might not have been possible a couple of years ago,” Okolie noted, emphasizing SYNLAB’s impact on improving healthcare accessibility and affordability.
SYNLAB’s role in Nigeria’s healthcare ecosystem goes beyond diagnostics. Through collaborations with government and private institutions, the organization has been instrumental in advancing policies, infrastructure, and public health initiatives.
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SYNLAB’s contributions to health education and advocacy have also been groundbreaking. It organizes quarterly webinars that educate the public on critical health issues and maintains a popular SYNLAB Podcast series, which features medical experts addressing pressing health topics.
These initiatives reflect SYNLAB’s commitment to empowering communities with knowledge and encouraging preventive healthcare.
Looking Ahead
“What would the next 20 years hold for SYNLAB? Well, 20 years is a lot to look out for, but I can say for a fact what we can look out for in the next 3–5 years,” said Okolie.
SYNLAB’s vision for the future includes:
• Becoming a more ambitious organization with increased investments in Nigeria.
• Driving quality healthcare even further and expanding partnerships with the government to improve access to care.
• Advocating universal basic healthcare and working closely with stakeholders to achieve this goal.
• Localizing even more tests to reduce dependency on external laboratories.
“SYNLAB looks forward to keeping pushing the envelope with regards to advancements in healthcare.
We are looking to become not just a household name in Nigeria but a leader in diagnostics within the West African space and, by extension, the sub-Saharan African region,” Okolie concluded.
A Celebration of Milestones
To mark this momentous occasion, SYNLAB Nigeria has lined up a series of activities, including free health screenings, and community outreach programs, discount sales and an anniversary dinner with relevant stakeholders.
These initiatives are a testament to SYNLAB’s gratitude to its patients, partners, and staff, who have made its 20-year journey a success.
As SYNLAB Nigeria celebrates this milestone, it reaffirms its commitment to delivering world-class diagnostics services, advancing healthcare innovation, and empowering Nigerians to live healthier lives.
About SYNLAB
• SYNLAB Nigeria is a member of the SYNLAB group, with presence in 35 countries in four continents. The organization has over 30 active locations across Nigeria and has been ISO 15189 certified since 2006.
• SYNLAB Group is the leader in medical diagnostic services and specialty testing in Europe. The Group offers a full range of innovative and reliable medical diagnostics to patients, practicing doctors, hospitals and clinics, governments and corporates.
• Providing the leading level of service within the industry, SYNLAB is the partner of choice for routine and specialty diagnostics in human and veterinary medicine. The Group continuously innovates medical diagnostic services for the benefit of patients and customers.
• SYNLAB holds leading positions in most markets, regularly reinforcing the strength of its network through a proven acquisition strategy.
• More information can be found on www.synlab.com, www.synlab.com.ng
NEWS
Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban Law, App Faces Potential Shutdown In U.S.
The United States Supreme Court has upheld a contentious law that could see TikTok banned from U.S. app stores as early as this Sunday.
The decision hinges on TikTok’s ownership by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and has sparked significant debate regarding national security, data privacy, and the broader implications for social media platforms within the country.
The announcement was confirmed by DiscussingFilm, which reported, “The Supreme Court will uphold the TikTok ban. The app will likely be banned in the U.S. on Sunday.”
READ MORE: BREAKING: US Supreme Court Orders TikTok Ban
This development follows ongoing concerns from U.S. lawmakers over the potential risks posed by TikTok’s ties to China, including fears about data harvesting and its alleged influence on American users. For months, the Biden administration and members of Congress have pressured ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations to alleviate these concerns. However, no deal has been reached thus far.
The Supreme Court’s ruling has led to widespread discussions about the future of TikTok and other foreign-owned platforms in the United States. Some critics argue that the ban could set a dangerous precedent for limiting free expression, while others see it as a necessary step to protect national security.
As the deadline approaches, TikTok users and influencers in the U.S. are left scrambling to understand the implications of the ban and explore alternative platforms. Unless ByteDance complies with the government’s demand to sell the app, TikTok may disappear from U.S. app stores in the coming days.
NEWS
Power Outage Hits Presidential Villa, Maitama, Others As Vandals Strike
Power supply has been disrupted in several areas of Abuja, including parts of the Presidential Villa, Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako, and Mabushi, following an incident of cable vandalism.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed that vandals targeted a 132kV transmission line, stealing underground cables and a 40-meter stretch of 1x500mm XLPE conductor.
The affected cables supply bulk electricity to the Central Area transmission substation in Katampe.
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“Consequently, areas experiencing power outage include Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and parts of Presidential Villa,” TCN General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said in a statement on Friday.
Mbah confirmed that the incident has impacted eight distribution feeders, disrupting over 60 percent of the power supply to Abuja.
She further noted, “The vandalism of this critical infrastructure is suspected to have occurred near the Menillum Park axis of Abuja.”
In response to the disruption, the TCN has deployed engineers to repair the damaged cables. “We appeal to residents in the affected areas to remain patient while efforts to repair the damaged cables are underway,” Mbah added.
She also expressed concern about the recurring issue of cable vandalism, which continues to hinder power delivery nationwide.
Mbah called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and to help protect power infrastructure from further acts of vandalism.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) also issued a notice confirming the outage and its impact on customers.
“Dear Valued Customers, this is to inform residents around Federal Secretariat, Wuse Zone 1-7, Central Mosque, Energy Commission, Transcorp Hotel, Eagle Square, Yar’adua Centre, the entire Central Area, TCN HQ, CAC HQ, NYSC HQ, INEC, the entire Maitama, Kado Estate, parts of Jabi District, Area 7, 8 & 10 Garki, and its environs that the power outage being experienced is due to a fault on the 132kV lines 1&2 from Katampe to AT5 Central Area Transmission Station,” the notice read.
Efforts to repair the damaged cables are ongoing, with authorities working to restore power to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
NEWS
Appeal Court Upholds Julius Abure As Labour Party National Chairman
The Appeal Court has affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
The confirmation was announced through a post on the Labour Party’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
It read: “Barr Julius Abure remains the LP National Chairman, Appeal Court Rules.”
READ MORE: US Court Sentences Three Nigerians For Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Targeting Elderly
Further verification was provided by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, who confirmed the development in a phone call.
This ruling follows a previous judgement by a Federal High Court, which had also recognised Abure as the rightful leader of the Labour Party.
The latest decision by the Appeal Court solidifies Abure’s leadership and is expected to bring clarity to the party’s internal structure.
More details on the ruling are expected to be released soon.