🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Kano procures 484 mini-ambulances for all wards
via Punch Nigeria8 min read
Kano State Governor, Yusuf Abba, has procured 484 mini-ambulances for distribution to all 484 political wards across the state's 44 local government areas. The state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, announced this during a news conference commemorating Democracy Day and the Governor's three-year administration. These mini-ambulances are intended to transport patients, particularly pregnant women in rural areas, to health facilities, aiming to reduce maternal and child mortality. The government has also increased funding for a special program for pregnant women from N30 million to N60 million monthly. Additionally, plans are underway to upgrade six hospitals to specialist hospital status in the state's six zones. Drug availability in hospitals operating Drugs Revolving Fund has reportedly increased from 30 percent to 96 percent since the current administration took office in 2023. Commissioner Labaran Yusuf stated that Governor Yusuf has fulfilled 95 percent of his healthcare campaign promises.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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Must ReadWomen Empowerment and Legal Aid WELA has requested a comprehensive audit of funds allocated to the Safe Schools Initiative, citing concerns about its effectiveness over a decade after its launch. Funmi Falana SAN, Chairperson of WELA, highlighted recurring attacks on schools and student abductions, stating that Nigerians deserve an account of how school security funds have been utilized. The Safe Schools Initiative, established in 2014 by the Federal Government, private sector, and international partners following the Chibok abductions, aimed to enhance school security and ensure access to education in conflict-prone areas. Despite initial funding of $20 million and a projected N144.86 billion for the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools 2023–2026, WELA noted that schoolchildren remain vulnerable. Public reports indicate over 1,680 schoolchildren kidnapped and about 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014. WELA urged the Federal Government to provide a public account of the initiative's total committed funds, disbursements, benefiting schools, and measurable reductions in attacks. Separately, Dr. Bisi Akin-Alabi, Lead Resource at Safe Schools Lagos, proposed deploying solar-powered panic alarm systems and a Unified National School Safety Code. Speaking at the Renewed Hope Global Town Hall Virtual Conference, Akin-Alabi, a former Special Adviser on Education, Science and Technology in Oyo State, emphasized a shift from fragmented responses to a unified national frame