Lexy Blog

interest group protesting recently at Abuja to protest the non passage of the National Health Bill Over the years, the nation’s healthcare has been plagued with lots of challenges stemming from worrying health indices on infant and maternal mortality to poor infrastructures at the various healthcare levels and lack of confidence to administer quality of healthcare to Nigerians, to name but a few. These issues have in the sector has not only positioned the nation in bad light, it has also impeded the achievement of the MDG goals. Hence in a bid to reform the sector, the National Health Bill was passed by both arms of the National Assembly. The National Health bill, first introduced to the National Assembly in 2005, was designed to provide a framework to regulate health services as well as clarify roles and responsibilities for various stakeholders in the health system in a country certainly in need of helth system strengthening. Aside removing bottlenecks for emergency medical

A cross section of a facility at Delta Steel Company,  Ovwian-Aladja, Warri, Delta State. In view of the economic contributions of the steel sector  to the growth of industrialized countries, Alexander Chiejina writes that the revamping of the Delta Steel Company (DSC) will no doubt reposition Nigeria's quest towards becoming one of the 20 leading companies in 2020  The history of industrialized  nations of the world is the history of steel development. However, a nation that overlooks steel development does so at her own industrialization peril. Such nations are perpetually condemned to remain a consumer nation and a dumping ground for products from the developed economies. With iron and steel being used widely in the construction of roads, railways, and other large modern structures, such as stadia and skyscrapers, bridges, and airports, which are supported by a steel skeleton, there is no gain saying that its economic relevance is of

Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja recently bombed by Boko Haram, an Islamic sect  In the wake of increased bombing and kidnapping in the country, Alexander Chiejina writes that the government needs to be decisive in dealing with the scourge to safeguard lives and secure people’s investments The climate of uncertainty in Nigeria recently took a wider dimension. The mounting spate of bombings and violence turned a corner two weeks ago with the introduction of suicide bombing; a dangerous trend that had before now remained alien in the nation’s index of social crimes. The incidence of June 16, 2011 where the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters was bombed, has been seen by many as a daring assault not only on the nation’s intelligence but a spointer to the fact that no one is safe. The action, it is believed, is one attack that has jolted even the security network revealing its lapses despite official warning. The terrorist it was reported, tore through the police

No doubt, maternal and child morbidity contribute significantly to the low life expectancy in Nigeria. With the visit of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to Nigeria, Alexander Chiejina writes that addressing this health challenge requires concerted efforts from government and stakeholders. The statistics are damning and thought provoking, especially when one considers the over used cliché “Nigeria is the giant of Africa”. Whereas, events have shown that perhaps we may not merit that tag. The latest United Nations inter-agency estimates place the 2005 average national maternal mortality ratio at 1,100 deaths per 100,000 live births, and the lifetime risk of maternal death at 1 in 18.  When viewed in global terms, the burden of maternal death is brought into stark reality: Approximately 1 in every 9 maternal deaths occurs in Nigeria alone. The women who survive pregnancy and childbirth may face compromised health even as studies suggest that between 100,000 and 1 mil

Blood is one priced gift an individual can give to another. However, the decision to voluntarily donate one’s blood to health institutions for patients with specific conditions in the country is one challenge the nation’s healthcare systems is confronted with. However, within the week, Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate “World Blood Donor day” to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. This year's slogan, ‘More blood, more life’ reinforced t he urgent need for more people all across the globe to become life-savers by volunteering to donate blood regularly. The period was also set aside to demonstrate how health systems and policy-makers can work to make blood transfusions safe and accessible to people globally. In spite of how invaluable this priced gift is towards saving human life, myths, cultural and traditional beliefs has made it impossible for the countr