ECOWAS boosts Guinea-Bissau healthcare with new maternity, paediatric complex

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will take another significant step in its regional healthcare and development agenda on 6 August 2026 with the commissioning and handover of a new Maternity and Paediatric Complex at the Regional Hospital in Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau.

The project, funded through the ECOWAS Regional Fund for Stabilisation and Development (FRSD), is aimed at expanding access to quality maternal and child healthcare in one of Guinea-Bissau’s key regions while strengthening the country’s healthcare system.

The maternity and paediatric complex was constructed at a cost of $638,538.05 and forms part of a wider $1.8 million ECOWAS Direct Investment Programme in Guinea-Bissau. The programme, implemented with the support of the Government of Germany and national partners, focuses on improving access to essential social services, promoting stability and fostering sustainable development.

Beyond providing modern facilities for mothers and children, the project is expected to reduce pressure on existing healthcare infrastructure, improve the quality of maternal and neonatal care, and contribute to lower maternal and infant mortality rates.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of persistent healthcare challenges in Guinea-Bissau. Despite progress in recent years, the country continues to face one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in West Africa, driven by inadequate health infrastructure, shortages of skilled personnel and limited access to specialised maternal and paediatric services, particularly outside the capital, Bissau.

Healthcare experts have consistently identified investments in maternity wards, neonatal care and child health services as critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

For ECOWAS, the Bafatá project represents more than the delivery of a healthcare facility. It reflects the regional bloc’s growing emphasis on linking peace, stability and development through targeted investments in social infrastructure under the Regional Fund for Stabilisation and Development.

Established to support member states emerging from fragility and to build resilience in vulnerable communities, the FRSD finances projects that improve access to healthcare, education, livelihoods and other critical public services. The fund complements ECOWAS’ broader integration agenda by addressing the social and economic factors that often fuel instability across the region.

The choice of Bafatá, one of Guinea-Bissau’s major regions outside the capital, is expected to improve healthcare access for thousands of residents who previously had to travel long distances to obtain specialised maternal and paediatric care.

ECOWAS said the investment underscores its continued commitment to building resilient, inclusive and people-centred health systems across West Africa, while reinforcing partnerships with member states and international development partners.

The official handover ceremony on 6 August is expected to bring together ECOWAS officials, representatives of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, German development partners, health professionals and community leaders to mark the completion of a project that symbolises the regional body’s commitment to improving the lives of West African citizens through strategic investments in healthcare.

ECOWAS boosts Guinea-Bissau healthcare with new maternity, paediatric complex

VP Shettima Leads Govs To Benin Republic, Seeks New Investment Path For Nigeria’s Textile Industry

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima will depart Abuja on Thursday for a high-level working visit to the Republic of Benin, accompanied by some state governors and senior officials of the Federal Government.

The delegation will visit the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, GDIZ, near Cotonou, where it will engage representatives of the Beninese government, investors and private-sector operators involved in the development and management of the industrial hub.

The visit is aimed at strengthening the implementation of Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme and drawing practical lessons from Benin’s approach to agricultural value addition, industrial infrastructure, investment mobilisation, skills development and export-oriented production.

Particular attention will be given to the GDIZ textile park, which operates an integrated production system covering cotton spinning, weaving, fabric processing and garment manufacturing.

The industrial zone covers about 1,640 hectares and is designed to move agricultural commodities from the supply of raw materials through processing to the export of finished products.

The visit comes at a time when the federal government is seeking to rebuild a textile industry that remains economically significant despite years of factory closures, weak local processing and intense competition from imported fabrics and garments.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ figures, Nigeria’s textile, apparel, and footwear industry was valued at approximately ₦8.15 trillion at current prices in 2024.

The industry generated another ₦2.45 trillion in nominal output during the first quarter of 2025.

The visit will therefore provide an opportunity to examine how Nigeria can develop stronger linkages among cotton farmers, ginneries, spinning mills, textile manufacturers, fashion businesses and export markets.

Nigeria possesses a large domestic market for fabrics, ready-made garments, school uniforms, workwear, medical textiles, footwear, home furnishings and fashion products.

Developing local capacity across these segments could reduce dependence on imports, conserve foreign exchange and create employment across farming, manufacturing, logistics, design and retail.

The delegation is also expected to explore opportunities for technology and industrial training, modern machinery, reliable energy systems, common processing facilities and stronger public-private partnerships.

These interventions are considered necessary to improve the quality and competitiveness of Nigerian cotton, fabrics and finished garments.

The engagement will further examine how lessons from GDIZ can support Nigeria’s agro-industrial zones, including the development of garment-training facilities and dedicated infrastructure for processing agricultural raw materials close to production communities.

The African Development Bank is already supporting plans for a garment-training centre within Nigeria’s SAPZ programme in Ogun State.

The visit aligns with President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its priorities of industrial revival, economic diversification, agricultural transformation, import substitution, job creation and the expansion of Nigeria’s non-oil exports.

On the Vice President’s entourage are the governors of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang; Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Katsina State, Dikko Umar Radda; and Jigawa State, Umar Namadi.

VP Shettima Leads Govs To Benin Republic, Seeks New Investment Path For Nigeria’s Textile Industry

Troops Recover AK-47 Rifle During Follow-Up Raid on Suspected Militia Hideout in Taraba

By Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), in collaboration with operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), have recovered an AK-47 rifle during a follow-up operation linked to the recent arrest of two suspected militia members in Taraba State.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the recovery followed the arrest of the two suspects on July 14, which led security operatives to intensify investigations into the group’s activities.

Acting on intelligence obtained during the investigation, troops of the 93 Battalion deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wukari, alongside DIA operatives, raided the residence of one of the suspects at Chediya in Wukari Local Government Area.

During the search, the troops recovered one AK-47 rifle and one magazine concealed at the premises.

The recovered weapon has been taken into custody, while investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the suspected militia network and recover additional arms.

Military sources said the operation forms part of sustained efforts by Operation Whirl Stroke to dismantle armed militia groups and improve security across Taraba and adjoining states.

Troops Recover AK-47 Rifle During Follow-Up Raid on Suspected Militia Hideout in Taraba