Health
Two-Thirds Households In Nigeria Lack Money For Healthy Food — NBS Survey
A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the harsh realities faced by Nigerian households, with two-thirds struggling to afford healthy and nutritious meals due to financial constraints. The report, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), sheds light on the deepening multidimensional poverty and the impact of diminishing purchasing power caused by rising prices of goods and services.
Food Insecurity
The report reveals widespread food insecurity, with 66.7% of households unable to eat nutritious or preferred foods in the past month due to a lack of money. Other findings include:
- 63.8% of households consuming limited types of food.
- 62.4% expressing worry about insufficient food supplies.
- 60.5% eating less than they felt necessary.
The survey also notes a significant increase in food insecurity over time. Between Waves 4 and 5, the proportion of households worried about inadequate food rose from 36.9% to 62.4%.
Energy Access and Power Blackouts
Access to electricity varies significantly between urban and rural areas, with 82.2% of urban households connected to the power grid compared to just 40.4% in rural areas. However, households face an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week.
Traditional cooking methods dominate, with 65.0% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on wood as fuel. Despite this, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is steadily increasing.
Basic Infrastructure and Sanitation
The survey highlights significant gaps in basic infrastructure:
- Many households lack proper toilet facilities and rely on informal waste disposal methods, with 45.6% dumping waste in bushes or streets.
- Tube wells or boreholes are the primary sources of drinking water for many households.
Asset Ownership and Housing
Asset ownership has declined since 2018/19. Key findings include:
- 66.7% of households owning mobile phones, while 21.3% have internet access.
- 70.4% of households own their homes, with rural ownership higher at 80.1% compared to 49.1% in urban areas.
Implications
The survey underscores the urgent need for policy interventions to address poverty, food insecurity, and inadequate infrastructure in Nigeria. Rising inflation, coupled with inconsistent access to energy and basic amenities, continues to erode the quality of life for millions of Nigerians.
Health
UNIZIK nursing school to review fee hike after students protest
” As for the school fees, yes, there was an increment. We just had a new board and it decided to review the tuition to enable the institution provide the best for the students. They proposed N580,000 to us and we approved it, but there is still room to take another look at it and harmonise things.”
The management of the School of Nursing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, has pledged to engage the governing board and student leaders to address concerns over the recent increase in tuition fees.
The assurance followed a protest on Tuesday by students of the institution who decried what they described as an astronomical hike in their fees from N90,000 to N580,000.
The PUNCH, reported that the protesting students marched within the school premises carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, including, “We no go gree, reduce the school fees, we no go gree,” to express their displeasure over the increase.
The fee increment reportedly followed an internal memo issued on January 23 by O.I. Ezejiofor, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Advisory Committee of the NAUTH College of Nursing, announcing an upward review of tuition to facilitate improvements in the institution.
The Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Prof. Joseph Ugboaja, said that he had been informed about the protest and promised that the management would meet with the relevant stakeholders to resolve the issue.
“I will return to the institution and we will sit with members of the board who proposed the new tuition and also with the students union leadership to sort things out,” Ugboaja said.
“As for the school fees, yes, there was an increment. We just had a new board and it decided to review the tuition to enable the institution provide the best for the students. They proposed N580,000 to us and we approved it, but there is still room to take another look at it and harmonise things.”
Health
Tinubu approves employment of 50 doctors, 100 nurses across correctional centres
The minister said that the president’s approval followed the dearth of medical personnel in some correctional centres.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the employment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses across the nation’s correctional centres’ hospitals.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The minister said that the president’s approval followed the dearth of medical personnel in some correctional centres.
He said that the hospital in the correctional centre in River had no medical doctor to render service to the inmates.
Health
Nigerians Spend $550m annually on Foreign Medical Treatments – CBN report
In August 2023, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, pledged to prioritise health security and reduce outward medical travels.
•Prof Muhammad Pate
The amounts of money spent by Nigerians travelling abroad for medical treatments surged to $549.29 million in the first nine months of 2025, a 17.96 percent increase from $465.67 million in the same period of 2024.
This is despite repeated pledges by the federal government to improve local healthcare infrastructure and reduce dependence on treatments abroad.
The figure, stated in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) quarterly statistical bulletin for Q3 2025 , shows sustained growth in medical-related travel expenses.
In the breakdown, Nigerians spent $151.53 million in Q1 2025, $189.41million in Q2, and $208.35 million in Q3, bringing the nine-month total to $549.29 million. By comparison, the same period in 2024 recorded $142.95 million, $153.67 million, and $169.04 million, respectively.
The increase underscores persistent demand for healthcare abroad, particularly for critical treatments such as cardiovascular procedures and other specialised care.
In August 2023, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, pledged to prioritise health security and reduce outward medical travels.
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