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JUST IN: VP Shettima Launches Grand Challenges Nigeria to promote Indigenous Healthcare Solutions
Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched ‘Grand Challenges Nigeria’ (GCNg), a national innovation programme aimed at revolutionising Nigeria’s healthcare landscape through locally-developed solutions.
The initiative, which is part of the global Grand Challenges network, will focus on maternal and child health challenges in the first phase.
GCNg was launched today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where Vice President Shettima told the audience that the initiative became necessary following an urgency occasioned by the rapid pace at which the world “is evolving in the realms of science and technology.
He stressed the importance of contextualizing solutions to national challenges, citing this as “a cardinal message” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, just as he said the initiative will promote groundbreaking research and build local expertise, among others.
“This initiative is more than a response to problems; it is an avenue to promote groundbreaking research, build local expertise, form strategic partnerships, and engage communities in co-creating culturally relevant solutions,” VP Shettima said.
He explained that the programme will integrate with existing government healthcare initiatives, including the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and the Nutrition 774 programme.
“What Grand Challenges Nigeria promises is transformative: a Nigeria where every child has access to proper nutrition, where every family can rely on the quality of our healthcare system, and where our public health metrics continue to improve year after year,” the VP noted.
The Vice President also announced an immediate call for proposals on “Advancing Innovative Solutions for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, while explaining that the initiative will address various challenges, from infectious diseases to food security and climate resilience.
“Our gateway to innovation is rooted in recognising our place within the global community,” he stated, adding that “we must believe that our progress is intertwined with the progress of the rest of the world.
” VP Shettima emphasised that the Tinubu administration is “steadfast in its resolve to provide the support needed to turn our aspirations into lifelines for our people.
” The Vice President expressed anticipation for witnessing the ingenuity of Nigeria’s best minds, “whose innovations will receive the funding and support they deserve through this initiative.”
In his keynote remarks, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, said the Grand Challenges Nigeria is aimed at developing local solutions to critical issues confronting Nigerians.
The Minister noted that the model aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 8-point agenda using innovation to drive prosperity and growth, and in the process, empowering researchers and innovators.
Chief Nnaji said the ministry remains committed to fostering growth, using innovation, even as he assured that the Grand Challenges Nigeria will prioritise key goals investment in education and environmentally sustainable projects, among others.
On his part, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, commended the commitment of the Vice President and the dedication of the Federal Government to the launch of the initiative, noting that the programme would go a long way in complementing existing efforts in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in Nigeria.
He pledged the support of the House of Representatives for the Grand Challenges Nigeria framework, especially as it impacts food security and nutrition across the country, noting that he was looking forward to a rewarding collaboration with stakeholders to deliver on its vision.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, His Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II, said the responsibility of addressing the issues of malnutrition and food insecurity requires focused efforts and collective actions, which, according to him, the Grand Challenges Nigeria initiative is designed to contain.
He expressed hope that by adopting the framework of the Grand Challenges Nigeria, Nigerians would be at the forefront of finding solutions to problems in the country, thanking the Federal Government for believing in the efficacy of the initiative.
The chairman commended the leadership of the Vice President as chairman of the Nutrition Council of Nigeria and a key promoter of advancing nutrition and related agenda across the country.
In the same vein, the President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Salisu Abubakar, commended the leadership demonstrated by the Vice President in the launch of the initiative, noting that it would help address health challenges by leveraging locally resourced and researched solutions/approaches.
He pledged the support of the society in ensuring that solutions adopted through the programme are inclusive and adaptable to Nigerians, especially in improving their health and wellbeing.
On her part, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwulah, said the launch of the Grand Challenges Nigeria reflects the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to reforming the economy and ensuring food security by leveraging solutions that are homegrown and rooted in the values of communities across the country.
She noted that resources and the framework for solving local problems would be harnessed from the grassroots, adopting an inclusive approach where the expertise and experience of stakeholders at all levels would be taken into cognizance.
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CBN And Bank of Industry Partner With CEAN To Stabilise Nigeria’s Creative Sector Post-COVID
For more than a decade, CEAN has played a vital role in connecting Nigeria’s informal creative workforce to structured policy, funding, and formal economic opportunities.
September 12, 2022, Lagos, Nigeria –
In a bold and strategic move to rescue Nigeria’s creative industries from the lingering economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) partnered with the Creative Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (CEAN) to design and implement a nationwide intervention targeting vulnerable creative businesses.
The collaboration, launched in mid-2022, marks a milestone in the recognition of Nigeria’s creative economy as a critical pillar of national development—and affirms CEAN’s position as a trusted stakeholder in industry policy and infrastructure development.
Responding to a Sector in Crisis
The partnership was galvanized by CEAN’s early post-pandemic white paper, “Creating Through Crisis: The Future of Nigerian Creativity Post-COVID.
It presented compelling data and policy recommendations that influenced federal strategy.
While other sectors received initial support under the government’s economic recovery plans, it was CEAN’s persistent advocacy and detailed sector mapping that brought national attention to the creative industries’ urgent needs.
CEAN’s nationwide rollout had seen the training of over 2,000 creative entrepreneurs, advisory support to more than 500 micro-businesses, and the establishment of regional Creative Recovery Hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.
“From day one of the pandemic, we understood that Nigeria’s cultural workforce—millions strong—was at risk of collapse,” said Adebowale Ewedemi, CEAN founding executive and veteran media entrepreneur.
“We didn’t just lobby for change; we brought the tools, the structure, and the roadmap,” said Ewedemi.
From Blueprint to Implementation
The result was a landmark intervention program backed by BOI and regulated by CBN, with CEAN serving as the official implementation partner.
The program delivers targeted support to struggling sub-sectors including independent film, performance art, fashion, radio, music, design, and digital content production.
Highlights of the program include:
• Access to low-interest working capital for creative entrepreneurs
• Training grants and accelerator programs for skill development
• Support for studio and performance infrastructure
• Technical assistance for digital transformation and business retooling.
CEAN’s nationwide rollout had seen the training of over 2,000 creative entrepreneurs, advisory support to more than 500 micro-businesses, and the establishment of regional Creative Recovery Hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.
Sustained Leadership in Nigeria’s Creative Economy
This intervention is only the latest in CEAN’s long record of national impact. During the peak of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the association served as a frontline support system—offering emergency relief, transitioning training programs online, and shaping portions of the Federal Government’s Survival Fund.
For more than a decade, CEAN has played a vital role in connecting Nigeria’s informal creative workforce to structured policy, funding, and formal economic opportunities.
Through this work, the association—under Ewedemi’s leadership—has consistently introduced original models, innovative frameworks, and institutional partnerships that define sustainable creative sector governance in Africa.
Architects of a New Creative Economy
This partnership with CBN and BOI reflects a broader understanding that Nigeria’s future is tied to the creative ingenuity of its people—and that long-term development requires strategic institutions with deep insight, trust, and capacity.
“We’re proud to move beyond advocacy into implementation. This is not a moment—it’s a movement. We are helping to reshape the creative industry into a nationally recognized economic force, ”said Ewedemi.
As the creative sector continues to recover and rebuild, CEAN remains committed to ensuring that no artist, content creator, or cultural innovator is left behind.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court.
The Edo State governorship election took place in September 2024, and Governor Okpebholo was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Supreme Court, as the final arbiter, upheld the election of the governor today.
According to the press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), President Tinubu encourages Governor Okpebholo to be magnanimous in victory and rally the citizens of Edo across divides towards a singular vision of advancing the state’s development.
The President advises that now that the governor has cleared the legal hurdles, it is time for him to accelerate the delivery of exceptional services and good governance to the people of Edo State, which he has already begun to do.
President Tinubu also congratulates the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and calls for cohesion and dedication in effectively discharging the mandate given by the people.
The Senate has mandated a joint committee to investigate the alarming rise of Ponzi schemes across the country, following the collapse of the Crypto Bullion Exchange (CBEX), which has reportedly defrauded investors of over ₦1.3 trillion.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East).
In a motion, the lawmaker expressed deep concern over the unchecked spread of fraudulent investment schemes, including the infamous MMM Nigeria (2016), MBA Forex (2020), and most recently CBEX, which lured millions of Nigerians with promises of high returns on digital assets.
Lawmakers in a debate warned that CBEX’s collapse had devastating financial and psychological consequences, pushing victims into depression, family breakdowns, and in some tragic cases, suicide.
The Senate expressed shock that CBEX operated unchecked for months despite its large-scale activities and online visibility, with no timely intervention from regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The joint committee is expected to hold a public hearing in the coming weeks and submit its findings within one month.
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