Category: Health & Environment

FMC Yola Successfully Separate Four-Month-Old Conjoined Female Twins [2018]

The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, Adamawa State capital, with a team of surgeons led by the Chief Medical Director of the Centre, Professor Auwal Abubakar, successfully separate four-month-old conjoined female twins.

Professor Auwal, a Professor of Paediatric Surgery, said that the team of professionals that were deployed for the surgery included surgeons, anaesthetics, radiologists, laboratory scientists, preoperative nurses, and cleaners.

He stated:

“We have a successful separation of conjoined female twins (Omphilopagus). This development was recorded following a team work by different medical units.

The surgery was conducted on May 14, and the chances of survival of the twins are excellent.”

Professor Auwal said it took his team four hours to perform the operation, which was the second of its kind in the hospital.

To this end, Auwal said Nigeria had medical personnel that could compete with their counterparts in developed countries.

Fola Tayo Appointed Into WHO Cancer Medicine Advisory Group [2018]

Professor Fola Tayo has been appointed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to serve on its Cancer Medicine Advisory Group for the availability and affordability of cancer medicines.

Professor Fola Tayo, who is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, is among the 14 eminent people and the only West African appointed across the globe to serve on the group.

Mr. Elvis Otobo, the Head, Media and Public Relations Officer, Caleb University, said in a statement that the advisory group was made up of core professionals.

He noted that other members were from Australia, Canada, South Africa, Egypt, South Korea, Malaysia, Suriname, Malawi, Thailand, UK, Austria, Jordan and India.

Professor Fola Tayo has also been appointed to serve as the Protem Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Private Universities in Nigeria.

Until his appointment, he has been a very active member of the committee and made many useful contributions to the growth and development of the body in particular, and Nigeria Universities in general.

WHO’s Cancer Medicine Advisory Group is set up to define the problems relating to availability and accessibility of cancer medicines and seek expert’s advice on the scope of the report, analytical feasibility and case studies.

It is also to seek expert advice on the benefits and consequences of various pricing approaches for cancer medicines, options for improving availability and affordability of cancer medicines.

The group will brainstorm on three key projects for three days when they meet in Switzerland according to an Agenda Review released by the WHO.

These include project inception, problem definition and scope of reports; Pricing and impacts of pricing approaches and Options to improve availability, affordability and transparency of cancer medicines.

Ayodeji Olarinoye Appointed FIFA Doping Control Officer [2018]

Ayodeji Olarinoye, a former medical doctor in the Nigerian U-17 football team, has been appointed as a FIFA Doping Control Officer (DCO) by the world soccer governing body, FIFA.

According to the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in its weekly bulletin, the institution from which Ayodeji Olarinoye, graduated from, with this appointment, Ayodeji Olarinoye is Nigeria’s first FIFA doping control officer.

According to the publication, the 38-year-old is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and British Association of Sports and Exercise Medicine.

The publication said the medical doctor would join the network of FIFA medical officers, responsible for ensuring safe and healthy participation in football after attending several anti-doping training.

According to the publication:

“The 38-year-old Ayodeji is the son of a retired civil servant and former Head of the International Department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in the 1990s, Dr. Steve Olarinoye.

Dr. Olarinoye was honoured in 2015 by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) for his dedication to duty and special interest in the field of Sports Medicine.

He is currently running a programme in Sports and Exercise Medicine in Cardiff, U.K.”

Nigeria Awarded 2018 Green Bonds Award In New Countries Taking Green Bonds Global Category

Nigeria has been awarded the 2018 Green Bonds Award under the category of New Countries Taking Green Bonds Global at the Annual Green Bonds Conference in London, UK.

The 2018 Green Bonds award was received by Ambassador Kabiru Bala, Deputy High Commissioner/Head of Mission, Nigeria High Commission, London.

According to the Ambassador on country’s award in the New Countries Taking Green Bonds Global category:

“The issuance of a green bond by Nigeria delivers on Programme 47 of its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), in addition to meeting the expectations of Article 2 of the Paris Agreement.”

Green Bonds are like regular bonds, but with a slight difference – they can only be used to fund projects that have been identified to have environmental benefits, with their contribution to emissions reduction clearly articulated.

In the words of the Environment Minister of State, Usman Jibril in Abuja:

“This further reinforces Nigeria’s re-emergence as a major player in the international climate regime and President Muhammadu Buhari’s strides in moving Nigeria to a low carbon economy.

Nigeria take pride in being the first African country to issue a Sovereign Green Bond and the fourth in the world. Today’s event marks a unique and historic day in the efforts of Nigeria in tackling climate change.”

Nigeria’s recent issuance of the Soveriegn Green Bond (or Climate Bond) apparently influenced its three-star rating in the monthly assessment of 20 countries (including the EU) with high emission levels.

In its Global Spotlight Project for March 2018, Climate Scorecard, a not-for-profit group, gave Nigeria a pass mark, saying that the West African nation was moving in the right direction towards the realisation of the Paris Agreement.

Juleit Chioma Wins The Inaugural Chefs Taste Challenge

Juleit Chioma, of Le Petit Square restaurant, located in Grand Square, Abuja, has emerged winner of the first Chefs Taste Challenge, an initiative of the Embassy of France, in Nigeria.

The initiative is run under the ‘Good France programme’ by the Embassy to further create cultural fusion between the two countries.

Juleit Chioma who spoke on her winning dish, “Out of the Pot Chicken”, said:

“It is very rewarding for a chef to win in a contest of this nature.

I felt since this was the era where people want to eat good cuisine and still look good, I decided to prepared the ‘Out of the Pot Chicken’.

This is a meal that I created with natural ingredients produce in Nigeria, which you can find around your neighbourhood and gives you a natural taste.”

Juleit Chioma commended the embassy of France for creating the awareness, which would enable Nigerian chefs’ showcase their expertise globally.

Mr. Denys Gauer, French Ambassador to Nigeria, said the initiative was created five years ago to celebrate gastronomy as an art of cooking. He said that four restaurants were participating in the programme to showcase different varieties of cuisine of Nigeria and France.

According to the Ambassador:

“This is the first year we are organising a contest of this nature and I hope it increases as time goes by.

The embassy’s aim was to create awareness in the culinary world for both Nigeria and Europe to come together to promote culture through gastronomy.”

Highlight of the Chefs Taste Challenge include the presentation of certificate of participation to the chefs, drawn from various food companies and restaurants in Nigeria.

Each chef was rewarded with a ‘Relais Café’ prepared duck, bread and mango dressing for their presentation which lasted 15 minutes.