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FG Backs National Measles-Rubella Vaccine Rollout

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FG Backs National Measles-Rubella Vaccine Rollout

The Federal Government has pledged robust communication and advocacy support for the upcoming nationwide Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign scheduled for October 2025.

This assurance was given by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during a courtesy visit to his office by the Centre for Well-Being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS) on Tuesday.

Idris praised the team’s commitment to public health and child wellbeing. He affirmed the Ministry’s readiness to champion public sensitization efforts that will ensure the campaign’s success.

“You have come to the right place,” the Minister said. “The Ministry of Information and National Orientation exists to support and amplify initiatives like this. We will work with you and relevant agencies under our Ministry—including the National Orientation Agency and public media institutions—to ensure Nigerians are well-informed about the dangers of rubella and the need for vaccination.”

The Minister described the C-WINS presentation as both emotional and enlightening. “Today, I have learned a lot,” he said. “Many Nigerians, like myself, may be familiar with measles but are unaware of rubella and its devastating effects. That children can be born blind, deaf, or with heart defects due to maternal rubella infection is a tragedy we must work together to prevent.”

He emphasized the Ministry’s readiness to co-develop strategic messaging and support public education efforts nationwide. The Minister also encouraged the team to engage the National Assembly for broader legislative support. “We don’t want this to be a one-off meeting,” he said. “Let’s make this partnership continuous, impactful, and far-reaching.

“Prevention is better than cure—and this is one area where information truly saves lives.”

Earlier, the delegation from C-WINS, led by Project Lead Dr. Nihinlola Mabogunje, briefed the Minister on the urgent need to raise public awareness ahead of the October campaign and also delivered a comprehensive presentation on the life-saving importance of the Measles-Rubella vaccine.

She highlighted the highly infectious nature of measles, which continues to cause severe illness, complications, and death, particularly among malnourished or immunocompromised children, stating that Nigeria currently accounts for nearly 20% of global measles cases, with the Northeast region bearing over 60% of the national burden.

On rubella, she explained that it’s an often-overlooked threat, especially to pregnant women. Contracting rubella in the first trimester can result in Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), leading to babies born blind, deaf, or with severe heart abnormalities.

Dr. Mabogunje assured the Minister of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, noting that the Measles-Rubella vaccine has been used worldwide for over 50 years and it is credited with saving more than 94 million lives. She also praised NAFDAC’s stringent regulatory review and endorsement of the vaccine for safe use in Nigeria.

Calling for unified action, she urged the Ministry to lead a national communication effort to combat misinformation and build public trust. “To reach the target of 95% vaccination coverage, we need accurate, trusted, and consistent messaging delivered through the channels that everyday Nigerians rely on,” she said.

In response, the Honourable Minister directed that the Ministry’s communication team collaborate closely with C-WINS to co-create culturally sensitive campaign materials that will be disseminated through both public and private media channels nationwide.

Newsdiaryonline.com

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Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties

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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has cautioned members of opposition parties under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation to stop blackmailing President Bola Tinubu and focus on proving their innocence.

Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.

He said that the investigations being carried out by the anti-graft agency on some members of the opposition parties, based on petitions against them, were purely a constitutional matter and in line with international best practices.

Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker said that being a member of the opposition parties should not be seen as immunity against investigation into any alleged financial infractions whenever there were genuine reasons for it.

According to him, members of the ruling party are also being investigated by the EFCC whenever petitions alleging financial infractions are raised against them.

Oyintiloye said that the EFCC has a statutory mandate to investigate financial infractions involving public office holders across party lines without bias or favouritism.

The APC chieftain said that neither Tinubu nor the anti-graft agency would be swayed by unfounded allegations of witch-hunting but would rather continue to do what is right and just for the country.

“The EFCC has a mandate to investigate financial infractions against anyone, irrespective of political affiliations.

“Linking the President to the investigation of alleged financial infractions by opposition members in the name of politics is totally wrong.

“Whether you are a member of the ruling party or opposition, you are not immune to financial investigation.

“I want to caution members of the opposition parties to stop politicising what the EFCC is doing and prove their innocence, if any.

“President Tinubu is a man of honour and integrity, and he will not compromise his ideals in the name of politics. So, it is no longer business as usual,” he said.

According to him, there is no room for graft under the Tinubu administration

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BREAKING: Winner Emerges In Kano Bye-Election As APC, NNPP Lock Horns

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state

The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes

Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.

Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.

He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.

The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.

Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.

Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.

Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.

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Tinubu’s Government Lacks Effective Communication Strategy  - Babangida

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Nigeria, Benin Sign Integration Pact

Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.

Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.

Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.

The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.

“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.

“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.

 

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