Rent can be paid in advance or arrears. Where the lease agreement is silent, rent is paid in arrears.

Key Facts about the Lagos State Tenancy Law

• NEW TENANTS WHETHER MONTHLY OR YEARLY MUST NOT PAY MORE THAN ONE YEAR RENT

• HOWEVER, SITTING MONTHLY TENANTS MUST NOT PAY MORE THAN 6 MONTHS RENT WHILE SITTING YEARLY TENANTS MUST NOT PAY IN EXCESS OF 1 YEAR.

• The punishment is imprisonment for three months, or fine of N100 thousand.

Areas not covered by the Tenancy Law of Lagos State:1(3)

• Victoria Island

• Ikoyi

• Ikeja GRA (Alausa)

• Apapa

What is Rent
Rent is the consideration paid by the lessee to the lessor for the use of the demised property. Payment of rent is not compulsory thus the validity of a lease agreement is not hinged on payment of rent by the lessee or tenant . FURTHERMORE, THIS IS BECAUSE RENT IS NOT ONE OF THE ESSENTIALS OF A VALID LEASE. Also rent need not be in monetary consideration. It must not be in cash. There are instances where rent is not paid. They are:

• When lump sum or capital sum is paid

• When there is a condition which is enshrined in one of the covenants and the lessee has agreed to perform the covenant, that can serve as consideration

• When there is acknowledgment of relationship of landlord and tenant (mere acceptance of the lease by the lessee)

Rent are meant to be paid in arrears thus where the landlord/lessor desire it to be paid in advance, it should be stated in the rent clause.

Types of rent

• Ground Rent

• Rack Rent

• Premium (fine) rent

Ground rent: is the rent paid on the bare parcel of land without putting into consideration any development on the land. SECTION 5 LUA This is paid to the Governor in recognition of the right of the state Government as trustee of all land within the territory. It is payable by the landlord but the deed may state otherwise that it is the tenant to pay the
ground rent.

Rack rent: this is also called ‘Economic rent’. It is the economic rent payable for the land and the improvements and developments on the land. Thus it is the rent paid or payable while putting into consideration the development on the land. Rack rent is the best type of rent but landlord should avoid collecting so many years of rent in advance due to its prohibition, taxation and inflation. It is dependent on the area of the property. It is payable to the landlord or the lessor.
In fixing rack rent the following factors are taken into consideration:

• the location of the property. It is important because it helps you fix your rack rent.

• quality of the property and extent of the building would be put into consideration

• Investment on the property

• The use to which the property will be put

The above are all economic factors.

Premium: this is a lump payment paid in addition to periodic rent in consideration of a reduced rent. In several states, it is prohibited. It is also known as a fine. Landlords attempt to circumvent the prohibition of the premium, by charging rent in advance for many years. Lagos prohibits PAYMENT OF RENT IN ADVANCE. SECTION 4 OF Tenancy Law of Lagos state.

Disadvantages of Premium Rent
• Inflation
• Statutory Prohibitions. It is not universal
• Payment of Tax. Rent collected in advance for more than five years is subject to tax action as income. Section 3(3) PITA. Section 4(2)© of income tax Management Act.

Rent Review Clause:
It allows for the rent of the property to be reviewed periodically. It is important to insert a rent review clause in a lease especially if the term of years granted is a long one.

UNILIFE DEV CO v ADESHIGBIN(2001). It is inserted in a lease to cushion inflation and recoup economic value of investment.”

DRAFT

• YIELDING(PAYING) during the said term granted the rent of….1 million subject to review annually in accordance with the provisions contained in the schedule attached to this lease.

Contents of a Rent Review Clause

• Mode OF INITIATING THE REVIEW. Example issuance of notice and the duration of such notice

• The time to initiate the review

• The method of calculating the new rent

• Procedure for dispute resolution concerning the new rent.

Rent can be paid in advance subject to the agreement between the parties and the law regulating leases or tenancy in a particular state.

It is pertinent to note that in the absence of a rent review clause, the lessor cannot unilaterally change the agreed rent. YAHAYA V CHUKWURA

The Appeal court in Abuja has reserved judgment in a three-legged appeal filed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola, his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission over the nullification of his election by the election tribunal.

After listening for eight hours to the submissions of three senior lawyers for Oyetola and the lawyers for Senator Ademola Adeleke, Justice Jummai Sankey, said judgment would be reserved till a later date.

She told the parties that the date of the judgment would be communicated to them by the courts Registry.

Other members of the courts five-man panel are: Justices Abubakar Datti Yahaya, Ita George Mbaba, Isaiah Olufemi Akeju and Bitrus Sanga.

Oyetola, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had asked the court to uphold the governors victory in the governorship election held on September 22 and 27, 2018.

Their request was contained in three separate appeals they filed against the majority judgment given by the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal on March 22, 2019.

The tribunal had, in the majority judgment, given by two of its three members upheld the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Senator Ademola Adeleke and voided Oyetola and APCs victory.

In their appeals, argued Wednesday, Oyetola, the APC and INEC prayed the five-man panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Jummai Sankey, to set aside the majority decision of the tribunal, uphold their appeals and dismiss the October 16, 2018 petition by Adeleke and the PDP.

They equally urged the court to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by Adeleke, on the grounds that it is unmeritorious.

Oyetolas lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), faulted the reasons given by the tribunal in reaching the judgment appealed against, arguing that the decision was not supported by the evidence led by the petitioners.

He urged the court to void the judgment because the judge, Justice Peter Obiorah, who wrote and delivered it, did not participate in all the proceedings of the tribunal.

Olanipekun noted that the judge, who did not sit, came to write the lead judgment and reviewed the evidence of February 6, 2019 proceedings, where he was absent.

Adjudication is like video watching. It cannot be done by proxy. The judge cannot analyse the evidence of a witness, whose demeanour he did not observe. The judgment should be declared a nullity on this ground alone, he said.

Olanipekun, who said he and some named senior lawyers were at the tribunal on February 6, 2019, faulted the argument by lawyer to Adeleke and the PDP that it was not clear from the record of proceedings, whether or not Justice Obiorah was absent on the particular day.

He argued that the judges failure to sign at the end of the proceedings on February 6, 2019, was enough evidence to justify the appellants claim that Justice Obiorah was absent on the day in question.

Olanipekun also faulted the tribunals cancellation of results in 17 polling units in the state, and noted that the petitioners did not tender any result of the election before the tribunal.

He argued that the tribunal went beyond its powers by annulling results in the 17 polling units to justify the judgment it gave in favour of the petitioners.

Lawyer to the APC, Akin Olujimi (SAN), while arguing the partys appeal, contended that the tribunal was wrong to have allowed the petition, which was incurably incompetent.

The 1st and 2nd respondents sought to be declared winner of the election, held on September 22, 2018, which was declared inconclusive. They also asked the tribunal to void the rerun election held on September 27, 2018, because they believed it was unlawful.

You cannot say you should be declared a winner on the election that you said was unlawful and void, the senior lawyer said.

Olujimi accused the tribunal of exceeding its jurisdiction when it engaged in amending the petitioners reliefs to make them grantable.

No tribunal has the jurisdiction to reframe, amend or formulate reliefs for the petitioners.

On realising that the reliefs could not be granted, they (members of the tribunal) amended the reliefs and granted it by themselves.

We are saying the tribunal has no power to amend a petitioners reliefs. The much they ought to do, on realising that the reliefs could not be granted, was to have dismissed the petition.

He faulted the tribunal for holding that the petitioners proved its case of non-compliance in respect of the polling units where it voided results.

Lawyer to INEC Yusuf Ali (SAN), who argued in a similar manner, contended that the tribunal erred in its majority judgment, particularly as regards the issue of non-compliance.

He noted that the tribunal, having found that accreditation was properly done and that all witnesses agreed that the votes scored were not affected by the omissions noted in some result sheets, ought not to have voided any results.

Citing Section 134 (b) of the Electoral Act, Ali argued that non-compliance means not compliance with the provision of the Act, not an act of omission on the part of INEC officials, which are not contrary to the provision of the Act.

Ali also argued that since the tribunal held that the petitioners did not prove over-voting and non-compliance, it ought not to have turned around to void votes in some polling units.

On the question of why INEC did not call it witnesses at the tribunal, Ali said it was unnecessary because the petitioners did not discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law to warrant INEC to call fresh witnesses.

Lawyer to Adeleke and the PDP, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), faulted the three appeals and the arguments proffered by Olanipekun, Olujinmi and Ali.

Ikpeazu argued that the tribunal was right in its decision to have declared Adeleke and his party as the winner of the election.

He faulted the argument that Justice Obiorah did not participate in all the proceedings of the tribunal, arguing that there was no sufficient evidence to that effect.

Ikpeazu urged the court to dismiss the three appeals and uphold the judgment of the tribunal.

Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), who argued Adelekes cross-appeal, urged the court to allow his clients appeal and reverse the portion of the judgment, where the tribunal rejected the evidence the petitioners lead in relation to six polling units.

Ogunwumiju argued that the tribunal wrongly excluded some of its evidence, because while it called 23 witnesses to prove its allegation of non-compliance in 23 polling units, the tribunal only upheld 17 where it voided elections.

Olanipekun, Olujimi and Ali argued that the cross-appeal was incompetent on several grounds and urged the tribunal to reject it.

Reported by The Nation

Source: NAN

A giant, ornery bird that killed its last owner will be auctioned Saturday, two weeks after slashing to death 75-year-old exotic animal lover and breeder Marvin Hajos.

Hajos was raising the flightless bird, which has a blue face and a ridge atop its head, and other exotic animals on his property in Alachua county in the north central part of Florida.

He died April 12 when he fell near the cassowary pen and was attacked by the bird.

The creature called a cassowary boasts long, dagger-like claws, stands as tall as a tallish person and sports a truly foul disposition.

A total of around 90 animals that Hajos owned will be auctioned off, said Scotty Wilson, the auctioneer at Gulf Coast Livestock Auction in Madison, Florida.

They include brightly coloured macaws and critters called marmosets, or pocket monkeys, primates which are only five to six inches (13 to 15 cm) long, said Wilson, who knew Hajos for years.

Marvin was a very beloved figure and the exotic animal community around here is small but close knit. So I imagine we will have a strong turnout for the auction, he told AFP.

There is no starting price set for the cassowary and Wilson declined to say how much it might fetch.

In the event no one wants it, several conservation groups have already told the auction house they will take care of the cassowary.

Proceeds will go to Hajos widow and other family, said Wilson.

Marvin left instructions to the effect that if anything ever happened to him, the animals were to be sold immediately because she did not have the means to take care of them, Wilson said.

Cassowaries are the worlds most dangerous bird, according to the San Diego Zoo website.

They are similar to emus, can grow to nearly six feet tall (1.8 m) and weigh up to 170 pounds (75 kilos) in the case of females and somewhat less for males, according to the website.

With powerful legs, they can jump seven feet straight up in the air. Only ostriches are heavier in the world of birds. Cassowaries can run up to 31 miles per hour.

The birds are native to Australia and New Guinea.

Source: NAN

No amount of political brinksmanship by Senate President Bukola Saraki can water down the damning verdict delivered by the people of Kwara State on his four-year stint as head of the legislative arm of government.

According to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), this is clearer than any skewed self-appraisal Saraki may want to do to present himsel as one of the best Senate Presidents in the nations political history and, in the process, paint the Executive in bad light.

BMO said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, that what Saraki got at the polls was instant judgement for his treachery to the All Progressives Congress (APC) throughout his tenure as Chairman of the National Assembly.

We agree with the APCs National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that the outgoing National Assembly leadership was antagonistic to President Muhammadu Buhari for the better part of its tenure.

His predecessor David Mark was in that office for eight years and hardly was there a time he was openly confrontational against the late President Umaru YarAdua or former President Goodluck Jonathan of the same political party, except when he accused the Jonathan administration of shielding the former Pension Reform Task Team leader Abdulrasheed Maina from prosecution and issued an ultimatum to the then President to break all links with the controversial civil servant.

Not surprising, Benue State people rewarded Mark with what looked like an indefinite Senate tenure in recognition of his contribution to an excellent Executive-Legislature relations, until he opted against a return to the upper chamber.

This cannot be compared to the blatant rejection of Saraki and every single one of his minions who stood for different elective positions only a few weeks ago in a state that he had an almost total control of for about 16 years.

If this is not a just reward delivered by his immediate constituents for his antagonistic and self-centred leadership of the Senate, we dont know what it is, especially as even a neophyte knows that all politics is local, it said.

The group noted that Sarakis response to Tinubus position showed that indeed the Senate under him was bent on imposing a noxious, reactionary and self-interested legislation on the nation.

BMO said: In an apparent bid to paint the Executive bad, Saraki, through his media aide, had argued that President Buhari sent only 11 bills to the National Assembly in four years.

But he also shot himself in the foot, nay,7 feet, by admitting that only two of the bills had been passed as at April 22! Two Executive bills passed in almost 4 years while more than 200 private members bills were passed within the same period!

At least 26 bills passed by the Senate were of course rejected by the President for several reasons. These include the Peace Corps Bill which several senators including the leadership were believed to have backed for selfish reasons.

We also know that the President initially rejected the Electoral Act (amendment bill) because the lawmakers left out the Smart Card Reader, aside from the very many errors and the landmines, including electronic transmission of results so close to election date.

BMO added that all these happened because the National Assembly in general and the Senate in particular did not have the benefit of a self-less leadership.

Aside from indulging in subterfuge, the Senate had the misfortune of having a President who would readily abandon his duty post or shut down the upper chamber at his whims and caprices.

At other times, he would prefer to play the role of a bagman to a failed Presidential candidate as they gallivant around the world cooking up what is now famously known as the Dubai strategy which ultimately collapsed and cost him his only claim to fame.
So there was really no time for the Senate President to concentrate on the job, to the extent that under his watch, National Assembly staff shut down the Legislative complex on more than one occasion, and also threatened to prevent the presentation of the 2019 budget in December last year if their demands were not met.

And when it was time for what turned out to be a referendum on the tenure of Saraki and his co-travellers in the Senate, the ever-discerning Nigerian voting public ensured that only one out of the multitude of senators who joined him to move to the PDP was re-elected.

Source: NAN

Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger has called on non-governmental organisations to complement governments effort at developing healthcare delivery and education at the grassroots.

The governor made call on Wednesday when a delegation from Mainstream Foundation, an NGO, paid him a courtesy visit in Minna.

Sani-Bello said government prioritised the peoples need to access education and health through the provision of Primary Healthcare facilities in each of the 274 wards in the state.

As a government we are doing all we can especially in the areas of education and health in the rural areas where mortality rate is high. Its with the intervention of non-governmental organisations and foundations like the Mainstream Foundation that we can make meaningful progress.

Niger State is the largest and we need to do more. Alot of communities have been cut off. We have alot of school children that dont go to school and alot of women that dont go to hospitals to deliver, all because Niger State is wide.

We have not been able to cover every corner. We need to take healthcare facilities and schools closer to communities.

He commended the foundation for their contributions so far towards the growth and development of the state.

The governor also called on other investors to come to the state to invest their resources as Niger State is an investment friendly state.

He assured investors that government was doing its best to address security challenges in the state.

Sani-Bello also called on the foundation to work with the state to address the needs of citizens especially at the grassroots level so as to improve their living condition.

Earlier, the Chairman, Mainstream Foundation, Alhaji Umaru-Farouq Bako said the foundation was in Minna for its Annual General Meeting.

He explained that the foundation was an undertaking of the Mainstream Energy Solutions which executes the companys corporate social responsibility.

Bako disclosed that out of the 97 projects embarked upon by the foundation in 2018, Niger state benefited 50 per cent from them, adding that education, health and environment are its main areas of concern.

Source: NAN

By Naomi Sharang

Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says the commission would support the Buhari administration in ridding the country of corruption.

He said this while declaring open the Consultative Meeting of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) to Develop Faculties for Training on Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) held in Abuja on Thursday.

The training was organised by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Commission.

Owasanoye said that the adverse effects of corruption on Africa and the sub-region eroded our values and destroyed humanity.

It undermines the rule of law, breaches due process of governance, it produces poor infrastructure and services, and it dispenses justices to the rich, creates unemployment and discourages foreign investment.

In another vein, corruption in law enforcement creates criminal cells, and sense of impunity by criminal groups.

Corruption diverts public resources into private hands, it increases the cost of business; it instigates civil strife and unrest due to inequality in the distribution of resources and opportunities; it promotes poverty among other vices.

The ICPC appreciates these threats and particularly the broken processes and procedures which are exploited by corrupt and criminally-minded individuals, and we are committed to riding the country of them, he said.

The chairman said that the commission believed that prevention was vital to controlling and eradicating corruption.

He said that ICPCs prevention tool included Systems Study and Review and Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA).

Corruption Risk Assessment is an extended version of system studies and reviews but with some proactivity which like all compliance programmes are fundamental to law enforcement.

He said that constant training and capacity building for anti-corruption officials to appreciate, understand and cope with the changing and emerging trends of corruption and corrupt practices was truly laudable.

Owasanoye said that if the fighters of corruption were to have an edge over criminals, then they must improve their capacities in all areas.

Director, Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Remi Ajibewa expressed the Commissions appreciation to the leadership and member institutions of NACIWA, for honoring the invitation.

Ajibewa was represented by Mr Eyesan Okorodudu Head, Democracy and Good Governance Division of the commission.

He said that there was need to make transparency and accountability grow side-by-side with democracy which were essential to reinforce democratic process.

Ajibewa further said that the welfare of the ordinary Community citizen had continued to dwindle largely due to the prevalence of corruption which had stalled ample delivery of basic needs and services in most of the Member States.

Corruption, although is a global phenomenon, continues to be at the epicenter of governance deficit in the ECOWAS region.

He said that in order to address this challenge, ECOWAS had adopted a citizen-based approach, particularly after the coming into force of the Protocol on the Fight Against Corruption.

Our approach in this direction places responsibility on citizen to act as watchdog for promoting transparency and accountability in governance processes, both in the private and public sectors.

To this end, the ECOWAS Whistleblower Protection Policy was adopted as a guide for member states to develop their own whistleblower protection legislation.

Executive Director, MacArthur Foundation, Dr Kole Shettima, said that in the last three years, Nigeria had witnessed renewed interest to combat corruption.

Shettima, who was represented by his deputy, Dayo Olaide said that conducting corruption risk assessment was necessary to the fight against corruption.

He said that corruption risk assessment had been conducted in various sectors of the economy including port, health and water.

In 2013, an assessment of the port was led by ICPC but there is the need to conduct CRA in that sector as there were still challenges as the sector has remained opaque and with a lot opportunities for corruption to take place.

Source: NAN

President Donald Trump has welcomed former Vice President Joe Biden to the 2020 White House race with his trademark acerbic Twitter commentary.

Trump tweeted Thursday: Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe, one of his nicknames for Biden, a fellow septuagenarian. He adds: I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign.

Trump predicted that the race to face him in the general election will be nasty but said if Biden wins the nomination, I will see you at the Starting Gate!

Biden formally announced his candidacy on Thursday, entering the crowded 2020 Democratic field as a front-runner.

His declaration has excited his fellow Democrats and has attracted support from many quarters, especially with the endorsement of senators from Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Although former President Barack Obama did not endorse Biden, he said through a spokeswoman that selecting Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made.

Obama is not expected to endorse any candidate early in the Democratic primary. But the fact that he released a statement something he hasnt done after any other candidate announcements underscores his close personal bond with Biden.

Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said Obama relied on Bidens knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency.

The former president has met with multiple Democratic presidential contenders and is said to welcome the large 2020 field and believe it will make the eventual Democratic nominee a stronger White House contender.

Senate Democrats from Joe Bidens twin home states of Delaware and Pennsylvania are endorsing him for president.

Delaware Sen. Chris Coons and Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey quickly issued written statements supporting the former vice president after Biden posted a video declaring his 2020 candidacy.

Coons, who holds Bidens old Senate seat, says in the statement, Joe Biden doesnt just talk about making our county more just, he delivers results.

Casey says, At this make-or-break moment for the middle class, our children and our workers, America needs Vice President Joe Biden to be its next President.

Biden was raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but has lived most of his life in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden represented Delaware in the Senate from 1973 to 2009.

Joe Biden will hit the road campaigning first thing next week.

(Also Read:

Biden is scheduled to begin in Pittsburgh, the working class heart of his childhood home state of Pennsylvania. Hell receive the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters and speak about rebuilding the middle class.

Then its off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses. That will be followed by a trip to South Carolina, where Biden is seen as having to do well among the states sizeable blocs of African American voters and military veterans.

Biden is scheduled to visit other early-voting states Nevada and New Hampshire in early May, before holding a national event in Philadelphia on May 18.

Biden joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, declaring the soul of this nation at stake if President Donald Trump wins re-election.

His declaration for the nations top job did not excite Democrats from the partys left wing.

A group aligned with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Justice Democrats said in a lengthy statement that Biden is a centrist Democrat who could divide the party. It says Biden could squelch progressive enthusiasm for policies like single-payer health care and a Green New Deal.

The group said the old guard already failed to defeat President Donald Trump in 2016 and cannot be counted on to excite the base in 2020. But the statement still notes that Justice Democrats will support whoever wins the Democratic nomination next year.

Reported by AP

Source: NAN

(dpa/NAN) A man and a woman have been fined $8,400for having sex in the middle of the day on a Berlin train, a court spokesman said on Thursday.

The incident took place on a Sunday in April, 2018.

Police at the time said the man and woman were performing oral sex in full view of passengers, including children, on a train heading into the city centre.

Witnesses reportedly intervened, leading to a physical altercation that eventually prompted one passenger to pull the emergency brake.

The man and woman were arrested at the scene.

The 37-year-old woman was fined 3,900 euros and the 39-year-old man 3,600 euros, according to the decision, which was handed down on April 10.

Source: NAN

Jessica Onyegbula

The Federal Government has urged its partners to double efforts at resource mobilisation in support of malaria elimination.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, made the call on Thursday at an event to commemorate World Malaria Day for 2019 in Abuja.

Adewole stressed the need for private sector operators to commit more resources to support the fight against the disease.

The minister who acknowledged the theme of the years celebration Zero Malaria Starts with Me and the slogan Join Me, said both expressions reflected the Federal Governments commitment to ensuring a malaria-free country and the desire to have all Nigerians join the fight against malaria.

He said that the huge resources required to combat malaria could only come from the government, its partners, and the private sector.

Adewole added that every Nigerian had a role to play in the effort to eliminate the disease.

There are simple things that we can do like keeping our environments clean; like sleeping inside the insecticidal nets, and going for laboratory test when we become feverish.

And if the tests show that you have the malaria parasite, ensure that you are treated with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT).

Malaria is still a public health challenge. According to the World Malaria Report, Nigeria still accounts for 25 per cent of global malaria burden.

We also account for 19 per cent of deaths from malaria. Although funding for malaria control has remained relatively stable since 2010, we need to improve on the level of our investment to achieve at least 40 per cent reduction in malaria prevalence and mortality rates globally by 2020, the minister said.

Adewole noted that the commemoration of the Day provided the opportunity for a review of strategies being used and raise the tempo with a view to significantly reducing the burden of malaria in the country.

Let me inform you that we are fully committed to malaria elimination.

We have developed innovative programmes that will increase access to funds for malaria programme implementation, some of which include the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and the Save One Million Lives project.

We are also asking for additional funding support for malaria programme.

In 2018, President Mohammadu Buhari approved an incentive funding of $18.5 million for the procurement of Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLIN).

We carried carried out LLINs replacement campaigns in eight states.

In order to ensure availability of malaria commodities, a national quantification exercise was conducted in conjunction with state governments and other partners, he added.

According to the minister, the Federal Government is in the process of setting up an expert group comprising researchers in the field of malaria to provide guidance on country strategies for malaria elimination.

He further said that a Malaria Programme Review (MPR) effort was on-going in the country.

He added that the outcome of a comprehensive review of the malaria programme would inform changes in strategies and interventions where necessary.

Source: NAN

By Jessica Onyegbula

Some health sector experts on Thursday renewed call for stronger government and private sector collaboration to ensure effective and comprehensive routine immunisation in Nigeria.

Prof. Oyewale Tomori, the Chairman, Expert Review Committee on Polio and Routine Immunisation, made the call at Nigeria HealthWatch Forum, a 2-day event on Epidemics and Immunisation.

He said Nigerians should take advantage of available vaccines to immunise and protect themselves from ailments.

Tomori noted that the theme for the forum, Stronger Together: Community Engagement to Influence Behavioural Change, would help solve major immunisation problems in the country.

He described immunisation as the only defence against diseases, saying Nigerians should rise to imbibe this culture and stay healthy.

According to him, immunisation hugely reduces the risks of getting infected during disease outbreaks.

If there is a disease outbreak, only those not vaccinated will be at risk of getting infected, all those who have been vaccinated will be protected, he said.

The chairman called for effective use of already generated data to educate the public about health risk areas in the country.

For instance, the Lassa fever outbreak in 2018 did not mean that it has never been there, but we were able to monitor it because there is better surveillance system.

If we hadnt taken information and data the previous year, we wouldnt have known that it had been worse in the past, he said.

On her part, Mrs Elsie Ilori, a Deputy Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said that immunisation remained the key to a healthy nation.

Ilori stressed the need for parents to immunise their children at the right time to protect them from infections.

When parents immunise their children at the right time, the possibility of the children to come down with the disease becomes very minimal.

Even if they come down with the disease, it will not be fatal, she said.

Dr Ifeanyi Nsofor, the Chief Executive Officer, EpiAFRIC, an NGO, stated that government had made tremendous efforts towards making vaccines available to the citizenry.

Nsofor said that for 2019, the government has earmarked N21 billionfor vaccine procurement.

He said that more effort was still needed from the government to drive the course of achieving comprehensive immunisation forward.

Nsofor said that about N106 billion was needed annually for vaccine procurement, saying government needs to evolve more innovative ways of tackling vaccine procurement.

He urged the government to critically look into the issue of health insurance as a way of pilling resources together for effective service delivery.

Source: NAN