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Over 90,000 people infected with Cholera across Nigeria – MSF

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MSF Calls for Agent Scale-Up of Humanitarian Intervention to Avert Severe Malnutrition in Borno

Over 90,000 people infected with Cholera across Nigeria – MSF

By: James Bwala, Maiduguri

About 400km northeast of the Nigerian capital Abuja, a two-year-old Mohammad Sheriff is on the road to recovery from cholera. The child sits with his father in MSF’s cholera treatment centre (CTC) in Bauchi, the capital of one of the states hit hardest by Nigeria’s worst cholera outbreak in a decade.


“He vomited twice and later started having diarrhoea,” says Mohammad’s father, who immediately recognised the symptoms as cholera. “I told his mother that I’d take him to the hospital as we are constantly being informed through the radio that one should immediately go to the hospital when vomiting and diarrhoea starts.”


A statement from Abdulkareem Yakubu, MSF Field Communications Officer on Monday said Cholera is simple to treat in most cases, and people with mild to moderate forms of the disease usually recover through treatment with fluids and oral rehydration solution. Severely dehydrated patients may need to be admitted to a CTC and be given fluids intravenously.

Mohammed’s case was serious, but after two days of receiving medical care in the CTC, he is now in the recovery ward – the last step before being discharged and returning home. “If we had not come when we did, the situation might have been very bad,” his father says.

Over 90,000 people infected with Cholera across Nigeria – MSF


Cholera is endemic in Nigeria, but the outbreak this year has been especially severe, with more than 90,000 people infected so far. While nearly all of Nigeria’s 36 states have reported cholera cases in 2021, the vast majority have been concentrated in the six northern states of Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina.


The population of this region is already extremely vulnerable; hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes by conflict and violence, and most live in conditions with poor sanitation and no safe drinking water.

But the MSF emergency teams working alongside the Nigerian Ministry of Health are trying to bring the spiralling outbreak under control, opening six cholera treatment centres across the region and treating more than 20,000 patients so far.  


In many areas, security poses an additional challenge. In Zamfara state, many patients arrive in a serious or critical condition, having delayed seeking treatment for fear of encountering violence or danger on the roads.


“Vulnerable populations in Nigeria were already in a dire situation,” says Dr Simba Tirima, MSF country representative in Nigeria. “Cholera has added to a complex web of medical and humanitarian vulnerabilities, coming on top of heightened insecurity, a chronic state of acute humanitarian and medical needs, and the direct and secondary impacts of COVID-19.”

Also Read: THE NEED TO LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY FOR A CHANGE  


At the peak of the outbreak in July, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control reported more than 7,500 new cases per week and many medical facilities were at risk of being overwhelmed.


“We had to admit 80 or 90 patients during a single work shift,” says Anas Al-Hassan, a nurse at MSF’s CTC in Kano, where the outbreak spread quickly throughout the community. “There was no time for rest because of the number of patients. The work at that time was overwhelming.”


“The patients would come devastated, their caregivers worried they might not make it,” says Philip Esenwa, MSF medical activity manager for the Nigeria Emergency Response Unit. “Some were so weak that they couldn’t speak.”

“We used to have patients who were brought in dead,” says MSF nurse supervisor Mustapha Mahmud, who also works at Kano CTC.

Over 90,000 people infected with Cholera across Nigeria – MSF


The challenges were immense in cities such as Kano and Bauchi, where many people live in overcrowded conditions, with dilapidated or non-existent sewage systems and no access to clean drinking water. Water sources can easily become contaminated with sewage, especially in the rainy season, causing waterborne diseases such as cholera to spread quickly.


“The areas with high numbers of cholera cases are congested, with no adequate ventilation or proper drainage,” says Mustapha Mahmud. “The sources of water are usually from shallow wells and boreholes; with rainfall, they become contaminated, and that is the water people here drink.”


Many medical facilities in these areas are also poorly equipped and were unable to deal with the surge in patients. Some medical facilities charge for their services, which put treatment out of reach of those who could not afford to pay.

In some states, a one-dose oral vaccine is available to help reduce the spread of the disease. However, global supply is limited and the vaccine is not available in all states. 

Over 90,000 people infected with Cholera across Nigeria – MSF

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President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

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President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

By: Bodunrin Kayode

President Bola Tinubu will today visit the Plateau state capital Jos to commiserate with residents who lost loved ones during the Palm Sunday shooting spree by criminals that took place at Angwa rukuba area of the city.

The President who was scheduled to visit Ogun state postponed his scheduled trip to Iperu, meant to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport.

From the Plateau, the President is expected to travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday public holiday which ushers the beginning of the Easter public holiday which rounds up the lent period.

A state house release signed yesterday by the Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga noted that President Tinubu will travel to Ogun State for the commissioning of the Cargo Airport and the inauguration of two commercial aircrafts for the export and import of goods, aimed at boosting the state’s economic growth on Saturday April 4th.

“He will also inaugurate the new edifice of the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles.

“He will return to Lagos to continue the Easter holiday, during which he is also expected to commission infrastructural projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“These projects include: the iconic Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge; the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building; the Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school Complex.

“Before returning to Abuja, President Tinubu will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission some of Governor Duoye Diri’s completed projects.” Said the release.

Sadly several residents lost their lives during the black Palm Sunday shooting spree which is suspected to have been carried out by auto bike riding bandits following after their patterns in the hinterlands of the state.

These bandits who had tormented, killed and destroyed homes of residences of the Jos north axis of the state for several years after September 7th 2001

This damnation let loose on innocent residents is resurfacing after hundreds of killings had occurred in the Jos North council area of the state from September 7th 2001 till date.

And because of the myriad of challenges creeping into the federal security system sub regionals have geared up to manage their on police and Intel services which would assist greatly because they are masters of their territories.

The Federal government is fast tracking the process of state police to ensure that each sub nationals take charge of their environment to ensure that they support the center in the maintenance of internal security.

President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

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NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

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NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said that in 2026, the length of the rainy season in Gombe State is expected to be between 107 and 138 days.

This is contained in the Agency’s 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) document, which Gayus Musa, the meteorological manager for Gombe State, made available to Our Correspondent in Gombe on Tuesday.

The total amount of rainfall across Gombe State in 2026 is predicted to be between 701 mm in the northern part of the state (Nafada) and 1089 mm in the South (Shongom).

The onset of the rainfall is expected to commence in the state on May 29 (Shongom) and cease by October 22 (Yamaltu/Deba).

Similarly, in the prediction, four local government areas of the state, namely: Nafada, Yamaltu/Deba, Dukku and Funakaye were likely to be impacted by a severe dry spell (21 days and above) between June and August.

Musa while speaking to Our Correspondent on the first rainfall experienced in some communities in Akko, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Areas of the state on Monday urged farmers to resist the temptation of early planting of crops.

He described the first rain as false onset, explaining that the rainfall was false because it would not support any germination as seeds planted with such rain would not survive.

“This (first rain) is a false onset because the precipitation cannot carry any germination and so any seed planted would not survive.

“So farmers should not engage themselves in planting but to prepare their farmlands while getting their seeds and other inputs ready,” he said.

Musa advised farmers in the state, to make use of the prediction in carrying out farming activities towards avoiding losses in view of the impact of climate change on agriculture.

He further urged relevant authorities in the state to take proactive measures towards tackling environmental issues associated with the rainy season.

NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

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Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

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Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

By: Michael Mike

The rumoured interest of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar in becoming the governor of Bauchi State come 2027 may have been confirmed he resigned on Monday to prepared ground for actualization of his political ambition.

The resignation was ahead of the deadline set for political appointees seeking elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

In a resignation letter submitted to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Tuggar expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country and contribute to the implementation of the administration’s Four-D foreign policy strategy.

The former minister also appreciated the management and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the diplomatic community for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.

During his time in office, Tuggar was credited with advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives through initiatives focused on people-centred diplomacy. These included humanitarian evacuations, facilitation of scholarships for Nigerians abroad, and sustained support for citizens in the diaspora.

His tenure also witnessed increased diaspora engagement, including efforts to develop a structured database of Nigerians living abroad aimed at strengthening their participation in national development.

In addition, Tuggar strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations through strategic engagements with traditional partners and regional alliances, particularly across the Global South. His leadership also promoted regional security cooperation and supported the formation of the Regional Partnership for Democracy initiative.

He also prioritised economic diplomacy, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign investment, especially in the energy sector, while facilitating diplomatic interventions that secured the release of detained Nigerians in foreign countries and improved bilateral relations.

The resignation letter was received on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by Dr. Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, ahead of the March thirty-first deadline directed by President Tinubu in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.

Tuggar’s resignation was conveyed in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.

Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

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