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OSSAP-SDGs Inaugurates Sickle Cell Care Centre In LASUTH To Mitigate Infant Mortality
With Sickle Cell Disease contributing to approximately 376,000 under-5 deaths annually, compared to 34,400 deaths from other causes, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) has taken a significant step to reverse this trend by delivering a fully equipped, state-of-the-art Sickle Cell Care Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
The Centre, commissioned by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday, is designed to cater to the needs of the numerous Sickle Cell patients who visit the hospital daily.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu stated that the centre would provide comprehensive care, including early diagnosis, advanced treatment, and continued management for children suffering from the debilitating condition. He emphasized that the centre will serve as a hub for research and education, fostering greater awareness and understanding of sickle cell disease.
“This will not only transform our total healthcare landscape but will also add to the number of childcare facilities that already exist in our state health institutions. It will raise the capacity of the state’s medical services and, very importantly, contribute to improving the state’s infant and maternal mortality index,” he said.
The governor commended OSSAP-SDGs, noting that the centre would provide an environment where children could receive holistic care tailored to their needs, from medical treatment to psychological support.
“We believe that this will ensure that every child that has an opportunity to come to this facility will come out healthier, better, and be able to fulfill their life,” he added.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, described the project as part of the efforts to deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. She stated that the centre would enhance the quality of care for children with Sickle Cell Disease, aiming to reduce under-5 mortality and support the attainment of the SDGs in Nigeria. She highlighted the World Health Organization’s declaration of sickle cell disease as a global public health concern and encouraged countries with high disease burdens to establish newborn screening programs for early detection and evidence-based interventions.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire noted, “In August 2023, a Lancet Haematology publication revealed that globally, between 2000 and 2021, the rate of children born with sickle cell disease increased by 13.7 percent, reaching an average of up to 515,000 babies per annum. The study also found that sickle cell-specific under-5 mortality was 11 times higher than deaths due to other causes, amounting to approximately 376,000 deaths from sickle cell disease annually compared to 34,400 deaths from other causes.”
“In Nigeria, approximately one in four, or 25 percent of Nigerians, carries a sickle cell gene, meaning about 50 million people can transmit the gene to their children. We must act now to reverse this trend,” she stated.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire expressed confidence that the Sickle Cell Centre and other related interventions will contribute to achieving SDG-3.2 on “reducing under-five mortality to 25 per 1,000 live births or less by 2030” as well as other cross-cutting SDGs. This aligns with the cardinal pillars on healthcare and empowerment in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to combating non-communicable diseases and improving healthcare outcomes for Nigerians. He noted that sickle cell disease, alongside malaria, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases, represents a substantial health burden for the country, worsening morbidity and mortality rates.
“At the federal level, we recognize the urgent need to address these challenges and are committed to building robust infrastructure to manage and mitigate the impact in collaboration with our subnational government. The establishment of this state-of-the-art Sickle Cell Centre is a testament to the dedication of the SDG office to provide quality healthcare and infrastructure to our people. This centre is not merely a building, it is a beacon of hope for many and a cornerstone of our strategy to enhance healthcare services nationwide,” he said.
In the same vein, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Adetokunbo Fabamwo, noted that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of sickle cell disease globally, with up to three million people living with the condition. He emphasized that the condition contributes significantly to childhood morbidity and mortality.
“It is, therefore, apt to have a centre like this to offer preventive and therapeutic care to child sufferers. The establishment of this centre takes a huge chunk of load off the usually crowded therapeutic clinics and wards,” he said.
In response to the recent security alerts, the Osun State Government has approved the establishment of a Joint Security Taskforce to strengthen security response and alert to threats to lives and properties in the state.
According to a government house statement on Thursday, to ensure smooth take off of the JTF, the state government declared its readiness to provide all necessary logistics that will strengthen the protection of lives and property of the people throughout Osun State .
The decision was adopted at the State Security Council (SSC) meeting convened yesterday by Governor Ademola Adeleke and presided over by the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi with the new Commissioner of Police personally in attendance alongside other security top brass.
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The Deputy Governor while opening the meeting conveyed the best wishes of the state Governor to the service commanders and lauded their steadfastness during recent security challenges and tasked them not to relent in the face of fresh security threats.
Accompanied by the Attorney General of the state, Hon Wole Jimi-Bada; the Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina; and the Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Mr Samuel Ojo, the Deputy Governor told the commanders that the governor is committed to further empowering the security agencies to secure the state while calling on the traditional rulers to sustain their local security oversight.
The Council during its deliberations also used the opportunity of the meeting which lasted several hours to further allay the fears of the residents on their security and protection, noting that Osun state remains safe and secured.
The Council further tasks residents to be extra vigilant particularly in churches, mosques and schools, tasking stakeholders to put extra security measures around their premises.
While assuring the public of their safety, the Council further requested timely intelligence sharing to security agencies by members of the public to forestall attacks by suspected terrorists and bandits.
The Nigeria Police in conjunction with other security agencies were also directed to be on a 24 hour red alert to curtail the threats of the said bandits and terrorists.
At the meeting, an agreement was also reached between the Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Police, and the DSS, to collaborate with a view to ensuring that all the suspects are properly investigated and prosecuted accordingly without delay.
The meeting ended with a commendation of the new Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Zungura for instituting policing reforms since his assumption of office and for attending the security meeting in person.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Yola, Adamawa State, to lead a Federal Government delegation on a condolence visit to the family of the late elder statesman, Alhaji Bamanga Muhammad Tukur.
Shettima’s visit is at the instance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the death of the former Governor of the old Gongola State and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Vice President was received in Yola by Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, alongside members of the state executive council.
Tukur, who died on September 12, 2026, was a prominent businessman, politician and elder statesman whose career in public service and business spanned several decades.
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He served as Governor of the defunct Gongola State and later became National Chairman of the PDP. He was also recognised for his contributions to Nigeria’s political development and Africa’s business community.
The presidential delegation accompanying Shettima includes the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori; former Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel.
Others on the delegation are Hon. Abdulrazaq Sa’ad Namdas; Sarkin Gabas Adamawa, Dr Mahmood Halilu Ahmed (Modi); and APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, among others.
The condolence visit comes as political leaders, government officials and other Nigerians continue to mourn the death of the former governor and PDP national chairman.
Peter Obi has condemned the reported killing of some Nigerians abducted in Borgu, Niger State, saying the country must never normalise the killing of its citizens.
Obi made this known in a statement released via X on Wednesday, where he described the reports emerging from Borgu as increasingly difficult to comprehend and deeply painful.
He recalled that on August 27, he had expressed his anguish over the reported abduction of about 600 Nigerians, including women, children and elderly people, alongside the killing of others.
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According to him, his anguish has deepened following continuing reports of the gruesome killing of some of those abducted, while many others remain unaccounted for.
Obi also referred to another disturbing incident in which a bandit group reportedly beheaded a Nigerian and sent his severed head to a community leader over a ₦50 million levy.
“If the reported killing was intended to increase pressure on the community and extract more money for those still being held, then we must recognise the terrible reality before us: human life is being deliberately turned into a bargaining instrument,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor said one person being killed to terrorise an entire community while others are kept alive as hostages for more ransom amounts to the systematic devaluation of human life.
“These are not statistics. They are Nigerians. They are mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters and elderly people,” Obi said.
He questioned how long the country would continue to accept the kidnapping of hundreds of citizens, killings, criminal levies, displacement and ransom payments as unavoidable features of Nigerian life.
Obi said insecurity also affects families, farms, businesses, education and public confidence in government.
He called for intelligence-led operations, stronger community security, rapid response, better coordination and equipment for security forces, effective border protection and sustained action against criminal networks.
“The primary responsibility of government is the security and welfare of its citizens,” he said.
“While politicians prepare for elections, Nigerians are asking for something more fundamental: the right to live.”
Obi urged the government to match prayers with action, insisting that no criminal group should determine who lives or dies anywhere in Nigeria.
“Every Nigerian life matters. Every victim deserves justice. Every community deserves protection. Nigeria must restore security, justice, and the dignity of human life,” he added
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