General News
New Platform Offers Nigerians Free Access to Health Info
Chibuike Alagboso, the co-founder of HealthNewsNG.com, Africa’s leading online platform for health news, has revealed that the media platform is bridging the gap between health professionals and individuals without any form of medical training.
In an exclusive chat, he said the platform was set up to provide visitors with sufficient information that would enable them to take informed and correct medical decisions.
“The goal is to help bridge the enormous gap that exists between health professionals and individuals without any form of medical training. HealthNewsNG.com enables them to take informed and correct medical decisions whenever the need arises,” Alagboso said.
Already, he said the platform has helped in raising the level of health consciousness and awareness among its thousands of daily visitors from across the world.
He said: “We have been able to raise the level of awareness among our diverse readers who are not restricted to Nigeria or Africa; in fact, we get thousands of visitors daily in USA, United Kingdom, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Australia and several other foreign lands.”
For the health professionals, he said the platform is offering them access to the latest medical researches as well as helping them with professional development through partnerships with various local and international conference organizers.
“Various health professionals have been able to get continuing professional development (CPD) through our platform; also, many of them have attended international conferences and symposia as a result of our working partnership with organizers of highly revered conferences and exhibitions such as Medic West Africa, Africa Health Conference & Exhibition holding in South Africa, Africa Healthcare Summit holding in London, and the International Conference and Exhibition on Pathology holding in San Antonio, USA,” he said.
On the choice of internet as the medium of choice for disseminating confidential health information, he said the reach and potentials of the internet are immense and limitless.
He said: “The internet is no doubt the best place because of its limitless reach and potential as people tend to turn to the internet daily to find answers to their everyday questions.
“The internet is a good platform because people can easily obtain information without having to contend with the challenge of confidentiality.”
On why the platform is also attracting visitors from countries where citizens don’t speak English language, he said technology allows translation into their native language.
“English has always been a universally accepted language and that is the language of choice on our website. But with increasing sophistication in technology, and introduction of translators, language is no longer a barrier as our readers can translate our pages and the entire website to their desire language,” Alagboso said.
Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc has released its audited consolidated and separate financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, delivering a robust performance marked by double-digit growth in revenue and profitability.
Total revenue surged by 37 percent to N26.1 billion in 2024, up from N19 billion the previous year. Profit before tax also rose significantly, climbing 24 percent to N13.8 billion, compared to N11.2 billion in 2023.
The impressive results were largely driven by a 62 percent year-on-year increase in fee-based income, which rose to N11.9 billion from N7.3 billion, fuelled by heightened capital market activity. Ancillary services also contributed strongly, growing 27 percent from N8.1 billion in 2023 to N10.3 billion, buoyed by optimised service delivery and increased customer engagement.
CSCS maintained a strong balance sheet, with total assets rising 22 percent to N64.4 billion from N52.8 billion in the previous year. Key financial ratios also improved, with return on average equity at 30 percent, return on average assets at 20 percent, and earnings per share increasing to 239 kobo from 202 kobo in 2023.
Temi Popoola, chairman of the Board of CSCS, praised the performance amid a challenging economic climate.
“Despite the macroeconomic headwinds of 2024, we delivered strong results across key financial and operational indicators. Our strategy of consolidating our core offerings while expanding into new business areas enabled us to grow gross earnings by 37 percent, reaching N26.1 billion”.
Popoola added, “In light of this strong performance and our commitment to delivering long-term value to shareholders, the Board has proposed a dividend of N1.76 per share, amounting to a total payout of N8.8 billion.”
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CSCS, emphasised the resilience and adaptability of CSCS’s business model. “Our 2024 performance highlights the sustainability of our revenue streams across both traditional and emerging segments.
“We continue to diversify into new areas and leverage technology to enhance scale and capacity in line with our strategic objectives. Amidst economic challenges, we grew operating income by 44 percent to N22.2 billion, while maintaining a cost-to-income ratio of 47 percent, reflecting our focus on operational efficiency.”
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SecDojo, SAS, a France-based cybersecurity training company, during the GITEX Africa 2025 event in Marrakech, Morocco.
L-R: Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, and Chief Executive Officer of SecDojo, Mr. Younes Benzagmout at the signing ceremony, which took place during GITEX Africa 2025 in Marrakech, Morocco.
This collaboration aims to bolster Nigeria’s cybersecurity framework through targeted capacity-building initiatives.
The partnership will focus on establishing a Cybersecurity Academy, delivering advanced training programs, developing customized curricula, and fostering research and professional exchange.
NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, emphasized the importance of investing in human capital to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation and address the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals.
He highlighted Nigeria’s youthful population as a key asset in filling this talent gap.
Inuwa also advocated for integrating digital literacy and cybersecurity training into Nigeria’s formal education system, calling for collaboration between technology stakeholders and the Federal Ministry of Education.
He stressed the need for systemic integration of digital skills into academic curricula to prepare for the future.
SecDojo’s CEO, Younes Benzagmout, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s cybersecurity professionals.
This collaboration marks a significant step toward securing Nigeria’s digital economy and enhancing its global competitiveness.
Recently, MBA Students of the Sloan Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) visited MTN Nigeria’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos, for an interactive session on digital innovation and transformation.
The visit, a part of an academic exploration, provided the students with an opportunity to engage with executives within the ecosystem of the leading tech company, such as its Chief Digital Officer, A’isha Mumuni, and Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Tobe Okigbo. who shared insights into the evolving digital landscape in Africa and beyond.
During her presentation, Mumuni emphasised: “The digital economy in Nigeria is evolving rapidly, but we must also acknowledge the hurdles, such as financial inclusion, language barriers in digital assistants, and internet penetration that we need to overcome to ensure that no one is left behind.”
One of the key topics discussed was financial inclusion, a critical issue in Nigeria where a significant portion of the population remains unbanked.
“We are still a largely cash-based economy. About 55% of Nigerians do not have access to financial services. The informal sector thrives on cash transactions, but as we’ve seen globally, access to different financial tools is key to economic growth,” Mumuni explained.
The students also engaged in discussions on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in bridging the digital divide. A major concern raised was the limitation of AI-powered virtual assistants in understanding and responding to indigenous African languages.
Mumuni encouraged the postgraduates to think critically about Africa’s digital future and to consider how technological innovation could drive social and economic progress on the continent.
The visit provided MIT students with first-hand exposure to Africa’s digital transformation and potential areas of collaboration in bridging the digital divide.
This was the second courtesy visit to MTN’s headquarters from an educational institution in the past week. On March 12, 2024, 65 postgraduate students of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), visited three of the company’s locations in Ikoyi.
Recently, MBA Students of the Sloan Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) visited MTN Nigeria’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos, for an interactive session on digital innovation and transformation.
The visit, a part of an academic exploration, provided the students with an opportunity to engage with executives within the ecosystem of the leading tech company, such as its Chief Digital Officer, A’isha Mumuni, and Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Tobe Okigbo. who shared insights into the evolving digital landscape in Africa and beyond.
During her presentation, Mumuni emphasised: “The digital economy in Nigeria is evolving rapidly, but we must also acknowledge the hurdles, such as financial inclusion, language barriers in digital assistants, and internet penetration that we need to overcome to ensure that no one is left behind.”
One of the key topics discussed was financial inclusion, a critical issue in Nigeria where a significant portion of the population remains unbanked.
“We are still a largely cash-based economy. About 55% of Nigerians do not have access to financial services. The informal sector thrives on cash transactions, but as we’ve seen globally, access to different financial tools is key to economic growth,” Mumuni explained.
The students also engaged in discussions on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in bridging the digital divide. A major concern raised was the limitation of AI-powered virtual assistants in understanding and responding to indigenous African languages.
Mumuni encouraged the postgraduates to think critically about Africa’s digital future and to consider how technological innovation could drive social and economic progress on the continent.
The visit provided MIT students with first-hand exposure to Africa’s digital transformation and potential areas of collaboration in bridging the digital divide.
This was the second courtesy visit to MTN’s headquarters from an educational institution in the past week. On March 12, 2024, 65 postgraduate students of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), visited three of the company’s locations in Ikoyi.
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