Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has officially received prominent members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) who have defected to the APC. The announcement was made through a statement shared by Aminu Dahiru, Special Assistant to Dr. Ganduje, on his Facebook page.

Among the notable figures welcomed into the APC fold are Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South; Rt. Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, a member of the House of Representatives for Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure constituencies; and Dr. Baffa Bichi, the former Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG). Also joining the APC are Hon. Badamasi Ayuba, a former member of the House of Representatives for Danbatta/Makoda constituencies.

Other defectors include Hon. Abdullahi Sani Rogo, Rt. Hon. Zubairu Hamza Masu, Hon. Muhammad Diggol, Hon. Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada, and Hon. Abbas Sani Abbas, further strengthening the APC’s political base in Kano State.

Dr. Ganduje expressed his enthusiasm for the new members, emphasizing the importance of unity and collaboration within the party. The defection of these influential politicians is seen as a strategic move to bolster the APC’s presence and influence in Kano State ahead of upcoming political engagements.

The statement highlighted the APC’s commitment to inclusivity and its readiness to welcome individuals dedicated to the party’s vision and goals. With the addition of these prominent figures, the APC aims to consolidate its position as a leading political force in the region.

This development marks a shift in Kano’s political landscape, as the APC continues to attract key players from rival parties, further solidifying its dominance in the state.

A medical expert from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu, has said that more than 11 million people are currently living with diabetes in Nigeria, with many more remaining undiagnosed.

Iliyasu cited recent statistics during his keynote address at the 14th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists of Nigeria (ACEN), on Thursday in Kano.

The conference, themed “Endocrinology and Public Health”, brought together medical experts from across Nigeria to discuss the increasing prevalence of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases in Nigeria and Africa.

Iliyasu emphasised the urgent need for widespread public sensitisation on adopting healthier lifestyles to combat the growing threats of diabetes and obesity.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Emeritus, Musa Borodo, lamented the high cost of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

He underscored the importance of strategies aimed at reducing the burden of illnesses such as diabetes and obesity.

According to him, the conference will help fine-tune efforts toward public enlightenment and disease prevention.

In his address, the President of ACEN, Dr Williams Balogun, called on the government and stakeholders to invest more resources in combating non-communicable diseases.

He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to developing effective strategies to tackle the growing health challenge.

This meeting will unveil a variety of ideas and research aimed at ensuring that the challenges of diabetes and obesity are thoroughly addressed,” he said.

Declaring the conference open, the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, described the gathering as timely.

He pledged the state government’s willingness to partner with medical associations like ACEN in the fight against diabetes, obesity, and other public health challenges.

He urged participants to develop actionable resolutions to curb the alarming rise in diabetes and obesity nationwide.

The conference, which attracted participants from across the federation, aimed to present innovative ideas and research findings toward addressing the twin challenges of diabetes and obesity in Nigeria.

The World Bank on Thursday projected that poverty in Nigeria will increase by 3.6 percentage points over the next five years, rising through 2027.

This was contained in the Bank’s Africa’s Pulse report released during the ongoing Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Bank in Washington, DC.

The report paints a troubling outlook for poverty reduction in Nigeria, stressing that despite some recent gains in economic activity, especially in the non-oil sector during the last quarter of 2024, structural issues related to resource dependence and national fragility are likely to hinder progress.

The World Bank said Nigeria and other resource-rich and fragile countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, will experience an exacerbating poverty situation, unlike non-resource-rich countries, which are expected to see faster poverty reduction.

“Poverty in resource-rich, fragile countries—including large economies like Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo—is projected to increase by 3.6 percentage points between 2022 and 2027,” the report stated.

The report underscores that Sub-Saharan Africa continues to have the highest extreme poverty rate globally, with a disproportionate concentration of the poor: In 2024, 80% of the world’s 695 million extreme poor lived in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report further said that within the region, half of the 560 million extreme poor were located in just four countries.

In comparison, South Asia accounted for 8%, East Asia and the Pacific 2%, the Middle East and North Africa 5%, and Latin America and the Caribbean 3%.

Resource-rich countries are expected to lag in poverty reduction due to slowing oil prices and weak fiscal structures. Conversely, non-resource-rich countries are benefiting from high agricultural commodity prices, which are fueling stronger growth despite fiscal pressures.

This follows a well-established pattern whereby resource wealth combined with fragility or conflict is associated with the highest poverty rates—averaging 46% in 2024, which is 13 percentage points higher than in non-fragile, resource-rich countries,” the report added.

The World Bank, in light of these projections, recommends that Nigeria and similar economies focus on improving fiscal management and building a stronger fiscal contract with citizens to promote inclusive economic development and long-term poverty alleviation.