Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of governor of Lagos State, has raised alarm over the rising cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in the state insisting that the disease remains a pressing public health concern.

Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed during a media briefing in Lagos, said that Nigeria reported over 479,000 cases in 2023, with Lagos accounting for 18,541 cases.

“These figures are alarming,” she stated, “but we have the resources, knowledge, and partnerships to change this trajectory. TB is preventable and curable, and with focused efforts, we can eradicate it from our communities.”

To combat the spread of TB, the First Lady announced a major grassroots initiative aimed at strengthening advocacy and prevention.

The initiative will include the investiture of female chairpersons and wives of Local Government Area (LGA) and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairmen. It will also feature the official launch of the Stop TB Partnership, Lagos, and the inauguration of the Lagos State TB Steering Committee.

These measures, according to the First Lady, represent critical steps in Lagos’ aggressive campaign to eradicate TB. The initiative will leverage local leadership to drive TB awareness and prevention efforts, particularly in high-risk communities.

“The 10 female chairpersons and 47 wives of LGA and LCDA chairmen will be instrumental in spreading TB awareness and promoting early detection and prevention strategies within their communities,” she explained.

“These local leaders are closest to the people, making them uniquely suited to challenge misconceptions, encourage health-seeking behavior, and ensure that TB is taken seriously. Tomorrow’s investiture is a step toward empowering them to lead this charge,” she added.

Sanwo-Olu further highlighted the critical role of the STOP TB Partnership and the TB Steering Committee, which will bring together public and private stakeholders, including international partners, to combat the disease.

The Steering Committee will oversee the implementation of strategies aimed at reducing TB transmission and improving health outcomes across the state.

During the briefing, the First Lady also praised the ongoing efforts to improve living conditions in slums and overcrowded areas such as military barracks, where TB thrives due to poor sanitation.

“Improving sanitation, clearing gutters, and ensuring better housing conditions are part of our broader strategy to fight TB,” she noted.

Collaboration across sectors will be key to the success of these initiatives, Sanwo-Olu stressed, calling on stakeholders from healthcare, education, infrastructure, finance, and law enforcement to contribute to the fight against TB.

She also called on religious bodies, community leaders, and private organizations to raise awareness and combat the stigma surrounding the disease.

Sanwo-Olu reiterated that TB diagnosis and treatment are free in Lagos, with services available at 301 Primary Healthcare Centres, 30 General Hospitals, and selected private hospitals offering Directly Observed Therapy Shortcourse (DOTS).

She urged anyone experiencing TB symptoms, such as a persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, to seek medical attention promptly.

Expressing her gratitude to the TB Steering Committee and the Stop TB Partnership for their dedication, Sanwo-Olu called for regular meetings with state TB champions to ensure continuous progress.

“Tomorrow’s event is not just a ceremony. It is a call to action. Together, we will make a lasting impact in the fight against TB, not just in Lagos, but across Nigeria,” she said.

Five Nigerian researchers made a significant impact at the 17^th International Conference on the Theory and Practice of E-Government (ICEGOV2024), held in Pretoria, South Africa. The event, organized by the United Nations University and UNESCO, attracted over 336 participants from 49 countries, underscoring the global importance of digital governance.

Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director-General, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, emphasized that the researchers’ participation aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to leverage technology for economic diversification and enhanced governance.

Abdullahi highlighted the significance of Nigeria’s representation at the conference, noting that out of 157 submitted papers, only 85 were accepted, reflecting the competitive nature of the event. He stated that the insights gained from the research could catalyse technological innovations crucial for Nigeria’s economic diversification and governance improvement, furthering President Tinubu’s vision.

The Director-General confirmed NITDA’s commitment to supporting research initiatives, ensuring that Nigeria remains at the forefront of advancements in digital governance.

The showcased research spans various aspects of digital transformation, collectively aiming to enhance e-governance and stimulate economic growth through technological innovation. Below are brief outlines of the pivotal works presented:

Hassana Asuku’s presentation, “Bridging the Broadband Gap,” Asuku addresses the digital divide in rural areas by proposing a comprehensive strategy to improve broadband access. Her multidimensional approach seeks to enhance economic inclusion and civic engagement, aligning with the government’s push for digital growth.

Adeyinka Patrick Adewumi’s research on “Digital Competency in the Public Sector” highlights the challenges posed by low digital skills among civil servants. He proposes a model for targeted training and infrastructure upgrades to accelerate digital transformation.

Dr. Agbali Mohammed’s work on Scalable Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) tackles institutional barriers to deploying effective DPI in Nigeria, aiming to enhance public-private partnerships and improve regulatory frameworks.

Dr. Tanimu Mukhtar Garba’s research on Tax Compliance for SMEs introduces the Taxpoynt platform, designed to simplify tax processes for small businesses. This advancement is crucial considering the significant role of SMEs in Nigeria’s economy.

Dr. Salihu Dasuki Ibrahim’s work on Citizens’ Freedoms in E-Governance explores how DPI can enhance citizen liberties, addressing obstacles such as inadequate ICT infrastructure and data privacy concerns.

The contributions of these researchers not only position Nigeria as a leading voice in the global conversation on digital governance but also reflect the nation’s commitment to leveraging technology for sustainable economic growth and improved governance.

Oracle has announced Oracle Financial Crime and Compliance (FCCM) Management Monitor Cloud Service. With the new solution banks, fintechs, and other financial services companies can gain a holistic, centralised view of their FCCM efforts, enabling them to identify potential issues faster and, proactively manage risk to thwart criminal activity and reduce compliance costs.

With its granular reporting capabilities, the system also helps banks demonstrate effective FCCM efforts to regulators and other stakeholders using customised, visually rich rolebased reports aligned with anti-money laundering (AML) and FCCM requirements.

The new solution is part of Oracle’s suite of FCCM and AML SaaS solutions that can easily be integrated into any financial institution’s workflow.

“Oracle Financial Crime and Compliance Management Monitor Cloud Service helps banks understand financial crime risk within their business so they can manage and report that risk more effectively,” said Jason Somrak, chief of product, Financial Crime and Compliance, Oracle Financial Services.

“With the solution, they will be able to surface critical information and access deeper insights with much more granularity and preciseness,” Jason said.

It is critical for banks, fintechs, and other financial services companies to continue to improve their FCCM capabilities amidst ever-increasing sophistication in financial crime tactics, ongoing regulatory scrutiny, and the rise in the overall volume of transactional data in digital banking.

To address this need, Oracle Financial Crime and Compliance Management Monitor Cloud Service offers a sophisticated and comprehensive business analytics reporting system with a dashboard approach designed to meet the unique needs of chief AML officers and their teams.

This role-based solution uses typologies based on various people, organizations, and their characteristics in the context of various types of financial crime, and provides those responsible for compliance programs with access to critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics.

This enables banks to address FCCM issues more effectively, assess financial crime risk across various business units, and make proactive decisions for financial crime risk management and strategic planning.

Key features include: Interactive Visualizations: choose from a variety of chart types, including bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, heat maps, and more, to convey data in the most compelling way for each unique audience.

Drill-Down Capabilities: obtain more detailed data by clicking on specific elements, which provide deeper insights. Data Filters: filter the data displayed on the dashboards to focus on specific time periods, categories, or other criteria.

Report Customisation: create reports based on their specific requirements. “ In today’s complex financial crime compliance landscape, institutions grapple with many operational challenges, risking inefficiency and overlooked threats,” said Chuck Subrt, Head of Fraud & AML, Datos Insights.

“Organizations need innovative strategies that can modernise operations while striking a delicate balance between operational efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency. Oracle’s new cloud service provides more real-time visibility into compliance activities, facilitating more precise and comprehensive reporting.