NEWS
STRIKE: There are enough doctors in Nigeria, says Health Minister, Ehanire
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said that there are enough medical doctors in the country even as the Federal Government is working to replace any medical doctor who resigns and leaves the country.
Ehanire made the assertion on Tuesday in Abuja during a media conference.
He also said there was no embargo on the employment of doctors and other health personnel in the country.
“There is no embargo on employing doctors; where there is a need, we do. But, because there is a Civil Service regulation, there are processes before doctors are employed.
“We have heard complaints of doctors who are now leaving the system but there are actually enough doctors in the system because we are producing up to 2,000 or 3,000 doctors every year in the country, and the number leaving is less than 1,000. It is just that the employment process needs to be smoothened,” he said.
The minister, explained that the ministry was working with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to use the ‘One-for-One’ employment strategy so that if one doctor or nurse resigns to go abroad another one is employed.
“So, if we have one replacement then you are not likely to have shortage. But that has been worked out because the Head of Service had the experience that in the past when one person goes, they use the opportunity to take three and those others may not even be people who are required. We want to use this policy so that we can reduce shortages and have our personnel back in our hospitals,” he said.
READ ALSO: Kidney failure: Doctors postpone Eedris Abdulkareem’s transplant
Dr Deborah Bitrus-Oghoghorie of the Department of Hospital services, said that the issue of the two weeks ultimatum given by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) for the Federal Government to meet the demands of the association or risk an industrial action was being looked into.
According to her, they are mainly financial issues which the ministry could not solve on its own.
“The issue we have with the resident doctors are mainly financial issues and because of that we at the ministry of health cannot handle it alone.
“So, what we are doing now is to facilitate resolving the issue with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
“We want to assure you that the ministry of health, especially the department of hospital services is working very hard to ensure that industrial action is averted,” she added.
Recall that on August 20, the resident doctors had given the Federal Government another two weeks’ notice within which to implement the payment of the new hazard allowance and arrears stipulated as at Dec. 22, 2021.
The two weeks which took effect on Monday will elapse on Sept. 4.
The said hazard allowance is contained in the circular issued by NSIWC dated Dec. 22, 2021 with reference number SWC/S/04/S.218/11/406.
Some of the other demands of the association include the urgent implementation and commencement of payment of the 2022 Medical Residency Training Funds (MRTF) in full to its members using the old template.
Also, that the shortfalls using the newly reviewed template be computed and incorporated /factored into the 2023 budget and paid in arrears.
NEWS
Shettima, Wife Depart Abuja for Jos as Tinubu–Shettima Campaign Takes Rally to Plateau
Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Jos, Plateau State, alongside his wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in the state.
The visit is part of the Tinubu–Shettima campaign’s engagements as the ruling party seeks to secure support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The campaign’s visit to Plateau is expected to highlight the Federal Government’s infrastructure and economic development projects in the state, particularly those aimed at improving road connectivity, boosting commerce and supporting agricultural activities.
SEE ALSO: Tinubu, Shettima Head to Jos for APC Presidential Campaign Rally
Among the projects highlighted by the administration is the ongoing 125-kilometre Akwanga–Jos highway, which forms part of the Akwanga–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri Superhighway.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of the Sharram–Garram–Babban Lamba Road in Kanke and the approved Mararaban Jama’a–Kanke–Langtang–Shendam–Ibi Road, which is expected to improve connectivity between Plateau and Taraba states.
The administration says the projects are part of its broader development agenda to connect communities, facilitate access to markets and provide farmers and businesses with improved infrastructure.
The APC campaign is expected to use the rally to present the administration’s achievements and future plans while seeking the confidence of Plateau residents to continue its development agenda beyond 2027.
NEWS
Ogun Police Disburse ₦10.6m to Families of Fallen Officers Under IGP Welfare Scheme
The Ogun State Police Command has presented cheques totalling ₦10.65 million to families and next-of-kin of deceased police officers who served under the command, as part of efforts to support dependants of personnel who died in active service.
The cheques, amounting to ₦10,658,391.36, were presented on Saturday, November 14, 2026, by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, anipr, and dated November 14, 2026.
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The presentation took place at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, under the Nigeria Police Force Group Life Assurance and the IGP Family Welfare Schemes.
The initiatives are designed to provide financial assistance to families of police officers who lost their lives while serving the country.
Accompanied by members of the Command Management Team, Ojajuni personally handed over the cheques to the beneficiaries.
Addressing the recipients, the police commissioner reaffirmed the Inspector-General’s commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.
He described the widows and families of the deceased officers as the “true superheroes”, acknowledging their resilience in coping with the loss of their loved ones who died in service to the nation.
Ojajuni noted that the financial intervention was a demonstration of the Force’s appreciation and institutional responsibility to support the families of fallen officers.
He said the initiative represented the Nigeria Police Force’s enduring commitment to standing by the dependants of personnel who paid the ultimate price in active service.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ejembi Ada Veronica thanked the Inspector-General of Police and the Ogun State Police Command for remembering their families and providing financial assistance.
She assured the authorities that the money would be channelled towards the education, upkeep and general welfare of the children and dependants left behind by the deceased officers.
According to her, the intervention would provide timely relief and help improve the stability of the affected families.
The Ogun State Police Command reiterated its commitment to supporting the families of fallen officers, assuring them of its continued solidarity.
NEWS
NUPRC Screens 28 Wells Over Rivers Gas Seepage, Identifies Three as High-Risk
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has screened 28 oil and gas wells around reported gas seepage locations in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, identifying three as high-risk, as investigations continue to establish the source of the bubbling gas.
The Commission disclosed that its investigation team physically visited 14 of the 28 wells screened but could not access three others because they were submerged. During the visits, the team observed gas hissing from some wells, while some facilities were found to be corroded and others vandalised.
ALSO READ: Rig Count Hits 100, as NUPRC Approves 740 Drilling Jobs
The update was made on Thursday during a special technical paper presentation at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).
The paper, titled “Unravelling Gas Seepage and Bubbling in Nigeria: The Integrated Study Approach Towards Source Attribution,” was hosted by the NUPRC.
In his presentation, the Director of Subsurface Development at the NUPRC, Engr. Joseph Ogunsola, FNSE, described gas seepage as a new phenomenon in the Nigerian petroleum industry, prompting the Commission to constitute a team to investigate what lies beneath the bubbles.
Ogunsola was represented by the Senior Manager, Onshore Frontier Development Drilling, Mr. Azibamikiomam John-Adumo, a geologist.
He disclosed that studies conducted in one of the affected areas had helped unravel the structural threat associated with the phenomenon.
According to him, one of the wells was originally drilled in search of oil but was shut down following the discovery of gas instead.
He explained that the well is approximately 2.5 kilometres from the seepage location, adding that investigations are ongoing to establish whether the seepage originates from that particular well or other nearby wells.
He further disclosed that the distance between the seepage location and other wells ranges from 2.5 to three kilometres, noting that the area is highly explored and hydrocarbon-charged, as demonstrated by the number of wells in the vicinity.
Providing an update on the wells workstream, which falls under the facility and infrastructure component of the investigation, John-Adumo said the 28 wells were screened based on their proximity to the seepage locations and the reservoirs traversed during drilling.
He also explained that the investigation had progressed from the first reported bubble to an independent fingerprinting campaign within 12 months.
Recalling that the first seepage was observed in October 2025, he said the results of the independent investigation, using Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and compositional field analysis, were expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
While investigations continue, John-Adumo said the Commission and operators had mobilised relief materials and other support for affected communities.
The interventions include food supplies, medical outreach, efforts to provide potable water, fire vans and safety kits, among other assistance.
He, however, warned that if the seepage is established to be a natural geological phenomenon, residents may need to be evacuated because tracing the migration pathways and designing subsurface interventions could be much more challenging.
He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to a speedy, coordinated and integrated investigation to establish the source of the gas seepage.





