The United States of America Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC), in partnership with the Nigerian government, have trained 2,400 community volunteers across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sokoto, Ebonyi, and Ondo State.

Dr Muhammad Saleh, U.S. CDC Senior Emergency Management Specialist, made this known in an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja

Saleh said the training was part of a broader health security initiative aimed at improving Nigeria’s ability to detect, investigate, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

He said that the volunteers were also required to raise awareness on safe hygiene practices, and link patients with health facilities for rapid treatment.

He said that the initiative leverages community trust to improve outbreak surveillance and prevention.

According to him, because they were trusted members of their communities, people are more willing to listen to them.

“They can spot unusual cases quickly and raise the alarm. That early detection saves lives,” he said.

Saleh said that the volunteers go door-to-door teaching people proper hand-washing; discouraging open defecation; and warning against unsafe self-medication from roadside chemists.

He said they also plaid a crucial role in dispelling myths and misinformation about cholera and other infectious diseases.

He said: “trust is everything; when a volunteer tells a neighbour that vomiting and passing stool could be cholera, people listen.

“They know this person, they see them daily; so, the message is credible,”.

He said that the volunteers were part of a broader strategy to strengthen health system resilience.

Saleh said that Nigeria adopted new tools such as disease hotspot mapping and fully operational Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in all the 36 states and the federal capital territory.

He acknowledged challenges such as limited resources, attrition of trained personnel, and the persistence of misinformation but said the collaborative approach between government, partners, and communities was already yielding results.

“Everybody has a role to play, communities, families, partners, and government.

“The more we sustain these collaborative efforts at the grassroots level, the more resilient Nigeria becomes against cholera and other infectious diseases,” he said.

Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by contaminated food or water containg the ‘Vibrio cholerae bacterium” , leading to rapid dehydration and potentially death within hours if untreated.

Experts say symptoms, which can take 12 hours to five days to appear, include profuse watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and muscle cramps.

Treatment focuses on rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and may involve antibiotics, while prevention relies on access to clean water, sanitation, and good hygiene.

Air Peace has attributed its approval to operate scheduled flights from Nigeria into both London Gatwick and Heathrow Airports to backing of the UK Government.

The Chairman of Air Peace, Dr Allen Onyema, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

Onyema said the achievement was remarkable because it had taken seven years for any Nigerian airline to secure such access.

He underscored the airline’s resilience and the support it has enjoyed from the United Kingdom.

He applauded the British Deputy High Commissioner for Lagos, Jonny Baxter, describing him as “a diplomat par excellence”.

Onyema said Baxter’s unwavering commitment and fairness ensured that Air Peace received everything necessary to begin its operations into the United Kingdom.

“Jonny Baxter embodies the principle of live and let live. He gave us every support needed to commence our UK operations.

“It was due to his efforts and open-mindedness of the UK authorities that we can proudly say today that Air Peace’s problem is no longer the UK. The UK loves Air Peace, and Air Peace loves the UK in return,” Onyema stated.

Onyema noted that the invitation from the UK government for Air Peace to commence London Heathrow flights and Heathrow Airport’s plan to host a welcome party for the airline, came as a pleasant surprise.

According to him, the UK government even requested that we forward names of those attending so they could make the necessary arrangements.

“This shows the extent to which they have welcomed us, and we are profoundly grateful to the UK government, the Civil Aviation Authorities, and the people of the UK for the remarkable hospitality they have extended to Air Peace.”

On the reason for the commencement of Abuja to Gatwick and Heathrow, Onyema, said it was to ease traveling from Northern Nigeria to London and urged Abuja travellers to patronise Air Peace to London Heathrow.

He also called on government officials to demonstrate patriotism by flying Air Peace and other Nigerian carriers operating internationally

“Our airlines offer competitive fares and seamless service. Supporting them means strengthening Nigeria’s economy and projecting our national pride,” he concluded.

The Women In Mining In Nigeria (WIMIN) said the recent revocation of mineral licences by the Federal Government will sanitise the sector and unlock the potential of Nigeria’s lithium.

The National President, Mrs Janet Adeyemi on Wednesday in Abuja said the move was critical in checking the `all comers syndrome rush` in the mining sector especially with the global demand for lithium.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, recently approved the revocation of 1,263 mineral licences over default in payment of annual fees.

The minister said that the licences would be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Mining Cadastre Office which would create more opportunities for serious investors.

Adeyemi said that if Nigeria must leverage on the global demand for Lithium as one of the critical minerals needed for energy transition to develop its economy, it must sanitise mining operations in the country.

According to her, mining is technologically timed and Nigeria must take advantage of this season by ensuring that only serious and responsible operators control our concessions.

She described every dormant or defaulting licence as a missed opportunity for the nation.

“Minerals such as lithium, once seen as waste, are now in high global demand.

“Globally, critical minerals are reshaping supply chains and even foreign diplomacy. Nations are competing fiercely to secure relevance in this new era and Nigeria must not be left behind.

“By enforcing compliance, we attract credible indigenous and foreign investors, strengthen our reputation as a mining jurisdiction and ensure that Nigeria has a seat at the table in global critical mineral supply chains,” she said.

She said the revocation of the licences was not a punitive measure but corrective as well as strategic, to ensure only serious and responsible operators control Nigeria`s concessions for its sustainable development.

The WIMIN leader emphasised that Nigeria’s mineral resources were national assets that must be managed with discipline, accountability and foresight.

According to her, mining licences are not privileges to be hoarded but legal instruments tied to clear obligations, royalties, community development and environmental responsibility.

“Defaulters who ignore these obligations undermine our economy, our communities and our global reputation. They cannot be allowed to hold Nigeria back,” she said.

She commended the minister for taking bold steps toward repositioning the solid minerals sector through impactful reforms, citing the 15 years conviction of Ansaru`s commander for illegal mining as a deterrent to others.

She, however said, for the mining sector to contribute significantly to Nigeria`s sustainable development, its governance must be free of corruption and regulators need to uphold transparency and accountability in their operations.

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has released guidelines on Foreign Currency (FCY) pension contributions as part of the pension revolution 2.0 for stronger pension and stronger Nigeria.

The announcement was made by the Director General (D-G) of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, on her X (Twitter) handle in Abuja on Wednesday.

She said that PenCom was embarking on a wave of rolling out new initiatives daily to enable setting higher standards across critical pillars of the pension endeavour.

Oloworaran said that the FYC guidelines provide a pension arrangement under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for Nigerian living and working abroad.

Also, Nigerian/ foreign workers working in Nigeria, but earning all or part of their remuneration in foreign currencies and other eligible persons are to make their payment in dollars.

Oloworaran said that the contributors would also access their benefits in dollars, except they elect to do otherwise.

She said that the FCY pension contribution guidelines, which are being issued for the first time, mark a watershed moment for the CPS coverage expansion and financial inclusion drive.

The D-G said that the initiative is a bold reform that shows that PenCom cares about the retirement security of all working Nigerians irrespective of geographical borders.

Nigerian experts have urged the government to swiftly implement the newly amended International Health Regulations (IHR) to strengthen pandemic preparedness, equity and cross-border health security.

The revised IHR was adopted by consensus at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva in 2024.

It introduced a new alert system, the “pandemic emergency”, to mobilise stronger international collaboration when health risks escalate beyond a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The reforms also require the creation of National IHR Authorities in every country, including Nigeria, to coordinate implementation and ensure faster, more equitable access to vaccines, medicines, and financing during outbreaks.

For Nigeria, Dr Gabriel Adakole, a Public Health expert, said that the amendments were especially significant, given the country’s recent experiences with COVID-19, cholera, Lassa fever and mpox outbreaks.

Adakole said that the changes were expected to boost Nigeria’s ability to rapidly detect, report, and respond to health threats while ensuring better coordination with the global community.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the reforms as a historic commitment to protect future generations from the devastating impact of epidemics and pandemics.

Dr Ishaku Akyala, an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at Nasarawa State University, said the amendments provided Nigeria with a clearer framework for coordination and accountability, both within government and with global partners.

Akyala said that the country had already begun aligning its outbreak response systems with the new global standards.

He said that the revised IHR would strengthen Nigeria’s emergency preparedness architecture, especially in building a resilient workforce, surveillance system and financing mechanism to respond to future pandemics.

Dr Solomon Chollom, a Virlogist, said that the pandemic emergency alert was a game-changer.

“For a country like Nigeria, where outbreaks are recurrent, an early and globally coordinated alert system means more timely support and fewer delays in mobilising critical resources,” he said.

Chollom said that COVID-19 exposed the injustice in access to vaccines and treatments.

“The new IHR provisions on equity and solidarity, if implemented well, will give African countries like Nigeria a stronger voice and better leverage in global health negotiations,” he said.

The IHR, which dates back to the mid-20th century, has been revised several times to reflect evolving global health risks.

The last major overhaul was in 2005, following the SARS outbreak. The 2024 amendments marked the most substantial changes in nearly two decades.

While 11 out of the 196 IHR States Parties rejected the new reforms, Nigeria is among the vast majority supporting the changes.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the NCDC and other agencies, is expected to align national frameworks with the new obligations.

The adoption of the amendments comes alongside the endorsement of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which Nigeria also backed.

Negotiations are ongoing on its annexe concerning Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS), a system to ensure fairness in the use of disease samples and related benefits.