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JUST IN: VP Shettima Launches Grand Challenges Nigeria to promote Indigenous Healthcare Solutions

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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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Peter Obi’s Comparison of Nigeria’s Educational System With Bangladesh, Turkiye

Bangladesh, which once lagged behind Nigeria in virtually every measurable development index, now surpasses us in all key areas of development and in the Human Development Index (HDI).

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Peter Obi wrote on his X( Twitter) : “I just came across the official results from JAMB showing the recent exam figures.

In the data shared by JAMB, a total of 1,955,069 candidates sat for the exam.

Shockingly, out of this number, only about 420,000 candidates scored above 200, while over 1.5 million scored below 200.

This means that over 78% of the total candidates failed to meet the 200-mark threshold — a reflection of the deep-rooted challenges in our educational system.

The latest JAMB results once again highlight the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education, a sector that should be central to our national development strategy.

Currently, Nigeria’s total university enrollment stands at approximately 2 million students.

By comparison, the National University of Bangladesh — a single university — has over 3.4 million students enrolled, despite the country having only about 75% of Nigeria’s population.

One university in Bangladesh surpasses the entire university enrollment in Nigeria.

Bangladesh, which once lagged behind Nigeria in virtually every measurable development index, now surpasses us in all key areas of development and in the Human Development Index (HDI).

Similarly, Turkey (now Turkiye), with a population of about 87.7 million people, has over 7 million university students — more than three times Nigeria’s total university enrollment.

I have consistently said it: education is not just a social service; it is a strategic investment.

It is the most critical driver of national development and the most powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty.

We must now invest aggressively in education — at all levels — if we are serious about building a prosperous, secure, and equitable Nigeria.”

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BREAKING: Cardinal Robert Prevost elected new Pope

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The Catholic Church has a new leader. Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American-born cleric and seasoned Vatican official, has been elected Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.

The announcement was made from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday following the traditional white smoke signaling the successful conclusion of the papal conclave.

Prevost, 69, becomes the first American-born Pope in the Church’s two-thousand-year history, marking a significant moment for Catholics in the United States and around the world.

He succeeds Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Order of St. Augustine and is widely respected for his quiet but firm leadership style, deep theological grounding and global pastoral experience.

In 2023, Prevost was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, overseeing the selection and supervision of bishops around the world.

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BREAKING: Catholic Church elects new Pope

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White smoke has been detected from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, signalling the election of a new Pope by the Catholice church.

The new Pope will replace the late Pope Francis who died last month at the age of 88.

However, the identity of the new pope was not immediately made known as the pontiff’s name has yet to be announced.

The white smoke flowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on the second day of the Conclave shortly after 1pm on Thursday.

The white smoke signalled that one of the candidates for the pontificate had obtained the necessary two-thirds majority for election.

Details soon….

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