The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority has concluded plans to build a world-class hospital in Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
Managing Director of NSIA, Mr Uche Orji, says NSIA is also developing 20 other health projects in the areas of cancer, radiology, and diagnostics nationwide to support Nigeria’s comatose health sector as part of its health intervention initiative.
He added that NSIA had already built one world-class cancer centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and two radiology and diagnostics centres in Kano and Umuahia.
He stated that NSIA’s health care investment company was managing the health sector initiatives.

The federal government says that it would require about $2.3 trillion cumulatively or $150 billion annually to upgrade the poor state of Nigeria’s infrastructure.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, noted that the private sector is expected to fund about 56 per cent of this sum.
He says even with dwindling resources, the federal government is committed to putting in its own 44 per cent to ensure that the nation’s infrastructure stock which he said the Muhammadu Buhari met at 35 per cent is upgraded.
Mustapha stated that this number was grossly inadequate for a country that was in dire need of inclusive growth and was far below the 70 per cent international benchmark already attained by some emerging markets.
He stated that in the light of limited resources worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, the government needed to explore other financing options, which necessitated a greater focus on public-private partnerships.

The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission has warned the Transmission Company of Nigeria against dealing with unlicensed individuals and business concerns on an eligible customer basis.
The Vice-Chairman, NERC, Dr Musiliu Oseni, explained that the TCN could not continue to deal directly with the so-called eligible customers when they had not met the requirements for eligibility.
TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, says in Abuja that power was fully restored at 4:59 pm on July 28, after the grid collapse triggered by a sudden drop in system frequency to 47.21Hz.
NERC says TCN should deal with only those who had fulfilled the eligibility conditions.

Human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has kicked against the breakup of Nigeria along ethnic lines.
Falana says he has a fundamental disagreement with secessionist groups in the country.
He explained that amid the agitations in some quarters that the nation should split, the Federal Government owes it a duty to convince the agitators by reposing confidence in the corporate existence of Nigeria.
Falana says the current administration should respect human rights in line with Article 20 of the African Charter on Human Rights.

The Department of State Services has defied a court order to produce the 12 detained aides of Yoruba-nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the DSS to produce in court on July 29, the 12 aides who have been in their custody since July 2, 2021.
Their case was expected to proceed regardless of the annual court vacation slated to begin on July 26.
He stressed that when a court of competent Jurisdiction, gives an order, such must be respected and obeyed.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered an internal review of the allegations against a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, by a United States Court.
The United States District Court for the Central District of California says alleged international fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi used Kyari to arrest and jail a co-conspirator, Chibuzo Vincent.
A communique from the court says the arrest was made after Vincent threatened to expose a $1m fraud committed against a Qatari businessman.
The IGP says further developments on the case will be communicated to members of the public accordingly.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the UK is available to assist Nigeria in its war against terrorism.
Johnson stated this while holding bilateral talks at the sidelines of the Global Education Summit in London on Thursday.
President Buhari had earlier reviewed the security situation in the country's different regions, while PM Johnson pledged Britain’s preparedness to lend a helping hand.
The two leaders equally discussed how to increase trade between the two countries, develop solar and wind power, the leadership of the Commonwealth going forward, and other matters of mutual interest.

German drugmaker BioNTech plans to develop its first malaria vaccine and begin clinical trials by next year.
The ambitious turnaround time is thanks to the mRNA technology used to develop the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines in under a year.
The only approved malaria vaccine, Mosquirix, took scientists at GlaxoSmithKline more than 30 years to develop.
Apart from vaccines and pills, countries - including Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya - use drones to find mosquito breeding grounds and kill the larvae before they hatch.

The African Union has joined the European Union and the US in calling for dialogue and calm in Tunisia after the president suspended parliament and sacked government officials.
The union urged Tunisia to respect its constitution and reject violence.
The AU in a statement says Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat had a phone conversation with Tunisia's foreign minister in which he reiterated the need for government to respond to the aspirations of its people.
A spokesperson of the EU Commission urged all actors to respect Tunisia's constitution and called for calm.
The US state department spokesperson Ned Price urged Tunisia not to squander its democratic gains and to avoid taking any actions that could stifle democratic discourse or lead to violence.

The International Monetary Fund has revised upward its growth forecast for the Nigerian economy in 2022 by 0.3 per cent to 2.6 per cent compared to its earlier projection in its April edition while it retained its growth forecast for 2021.
Division Chief, Research Department, IMF, Malhar Nabar, stated that the reemergence of fuel subsidy and rise in security was hindering growth.
Nabar says they have maintained an unchanged forecast of 2.5 per cent and we have upgraded slightly for 2022 to 2.6 per cent. The reason for the unchanged forecast for this year is because it is a product of opposing developments.