
Nigeria has launched the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 to enhance oversight and regulate its growing digital pharmaceutical market. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollum, represented by the Director of Hospital Services of the ministry, Dr Abisola Adegoke, described this as a major milestone in healthcare regulation. Kachollum stated the framework balances accessibility, security, and accountability, aiming to protect Nigerians as healthcare shifts online. The regulation is expected to improve medicine traceability, strengthen prescription regimes, and expand safe pharmaceutical access. The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharmacist Ibrahim Ahmed, noted the pandemic highlighted the need for regulating online pharmacy operations, stating the new regulation establishes a comprehensive structure for digital pharmaceutical services and aligns Nigeria with global standards. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, said the regulation is part of broader reforms to organize Nigeria’s healthcare market and attract investment, emphasizing patient safety, data protection, and accountability. Pate warned all operators must comply with the new regulations or face sanctions, and signaled Nigeria’s readiness to attract investment in digital health.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.

Australia-based structural engineer, Dr Benedict Olalusi, attributes Nigeria's recurring building collapses to weak regulations, lack of enforcement, and poor compliance with structural standards. He also cites limited research capacity and poor property management practices. Dr Olalusi, an Adjunct Professor of Structural Engineering at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa, stated that building failures persist because regulations and professional standards are not consistently enforced across all stages of building development. He noted that the problem affects both new and existing structures due to poor maintenance, inadequate drainage, flooding, changing soil conditions, and lack of preventive structural assessment. Dr Olalusi, a chartered structural integrity and forensic engineer with Sedgwick, Australia, stressed the need for urgent reforms, highlighting that many property owners do not understand the necessity of routine maintenance and periodic structural reviews. He called for a coordinated national strategy based on enforcement, modernisation, research, and preventive asset management, emphasizing that building safety must be a whole-life responsibility.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Kemi Nandap, has temporarily relieved commanding officers along the Lagos-Seme Border corridor of their duties. This action follows online reports alleging extortion by personnel of the service. Mrs Nandap has also ordered an immediate investigation into these incidents. In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, the service stated that Mrs Nandap "unequivocally condemns the actions depicted in these reports as such conduct is unacceptable and stands in direct violation of the core values, ethics, and operational standards of the service." The investigation aims to identify "all officers involved" to ensure "appropriate disciplinary measures are applied with immediate effect." The Lagos-Seme corridor, a significant entry and exit point in West Africa, has a history of complaints regarding harassment and extortion by border officials. Mrs Nandap, who became Comptroller-General in January 2024, has previously emphasized discipline and public accountability. The service affirmed its commitment to "professional, transparent, and efficient services at all points of entry and exit," and stated it "will not condone any act that undermines public trust or tarnishes the integrity of the Service."

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has urged the Senate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi to suspend its planned honorary doctorate award to Tanzania’s President, Samia Hassan. Falana cited alleged human rights violations under President Hassan’s administration. NSUK had announced that President Hassan would be a guest of honour at its 25th anniversary ceremony scheduled for April 11, 2026, where she is to receive a Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa. Falana stated that President Hassan’s administration is committing egregious human rights violations including unlawful killings, torture, excessive use of force and enforced disappearances against the Tanzanian people. He alleged that her government has been linked to unlawful killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and excessive use of force against citizens, including protesters challenging the credibility of the country’s 2025 elections. The senior lawyer emphasized that universities, as centers of knowledge and ethical leadership, must not appear indifferent to violations of fundamental rights. He added that honorary degrees are symbolic endorsements of integrity and public service, and granting such recognition under the circumstances would undermine the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations. Falana also called on the National Universities Commission to investigate whether NSUK’s decision aligned with its February 2026 guidelines on honorary degrees,

A new Primary Health Centre in Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos, built by chairman Samiat Bada, is generating discussion for its affordable delivery services. Mr Lawal Arishekola reported paying N5,000 for his wife's delivery, stating the facility charges this amount for maintenance, not delivery itself. Another mother, Olajumoke Adeeko, shared that she spent under N20,000 for both her daughters' deliveries at the facility. While many Nigerians on social media praised chairman Bada for the initiative, some noted it was part of her constitutional duties. A senior nursing officer confirmed the N5,000 basic delivery fee but clarified that additional charges apply for complications like tears or special medications. Antenatal registration costs N12,000, covering tests and routine drugs. The facility, a rebuilt two-storey modern center, was commissioned on July 9, 2025, by Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Chairman Bada stated the facility is named after Senator Oluremi Tinubu, her role model, and expressed her commitment to community development.