By Huldah Shado

Business mogul and philanthropist, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, has handed over the Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Medical Research and Training Hospital to Osun State University, Osogbo.

According to a statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, the ceremony took place at Famfa Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, with the institution’s Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Clement Adebooye, in attendance.

Representing the donor, Famfa Oil Managing Director, Mr. Dele Alakija, expressed the family’s gratitude to God and praised the university for its commitment to advancing medical education and healthcare in Nigeria.

He said the vision of Modupe and Folorunso Alakija was to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system through education, innovation, and community service, pledging continued support for similar initiatives.

Prof. Adebooye described the donation as a timeless legacy that would benefit generations to come, thanking Mrs. Alakija for her generosity and acknowledging former Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Ponnle, for facilitating the partnership that birthed the project.

By Huldah Shado

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), says the Lassa fever death toll in the country has risen to 176, with 955 confirmed cases recorded as of epidemiological Week 43, 2025.

According to the latest NCDC report, the Case Fatality Rate now stands at 18.4 per cent, up from 16.6 per cent during the same period in 2024.

The agency said 21 states across 102 Local Government Areas have reported at least one confirmed case, with Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba accounting for 88 per cent of infections.

Ondo reported 37 per cent of the total cases, Bauchi 21 per cent, Edo 17 per cent, and Taraba 13 per cent.

The NCDC noted that most cases occurred among people aged 21 to 30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8. No new healthcare worker infection was reported in Week 43.

Lassa fever, an acute viral haemorrhagic illness endemic in parts of West Africa, is transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats.

By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA), has vowed to continue its indefinite strike despite the partial payment of salary arrears and the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), by the FCT Administration.

In a statement signed by its President, Dr. George Ebong, the association confirmed that 28 doctors recently received arrears ranging from one month to one year, while 103 out of 150 doctors got their MRTF entitlements. However, 47 doctors remain unpaid.

The group appreciated FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for initiating the payments but maintained that “partial compliance will not end the strike.”

It demanded full settlement of all outstanding arrears, including unpaid MRTF, six to seven months’ salary backlog for external resident doctors, promotion and skipping arrears, 13 months’ hazard allowance since 2021, and implementation of the 25-35% CONMESS salary adjustment.

The ARD-FCTA, representing doctors in 14 FCT hospitals, began the strike on Saturday, joining the nationwide action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

“The indefinite strike continues until all our demands are met,” the statement said.