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Sanwo-Olu, Elumelu Harp On Accessible, Affordable Healthcare To Nigerians

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Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Chairperson of Avon Medical Practice, Dr Awele Elumelu, yesterday stressed the urgent need to provide accessible and affordable healthcare services to Nigerians.

In his address during the official launch of the Avon Medical Ultramodern Facility in Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu said Avon Medical has put its name in the sand of time in the medical sector, not only in Lagos but also in Nigeria.

He urged others in the industry to collaborate with the government rather than pass the buck to the government.

He said, “Health practitioners, health institutions, and health facilities worldwide are not done by one arm of a society alone. Governments can certainly not provide everything for everyone. However, the government must create an environment that enables private equity, private partners, and private investors to make that decision and invest in the health profession.

“It’s not the easiest sector to put money into. It is not the easiest sector you think will make a turnaround in 12 or 24 months. You must have what we call patient investment.

“You must have patient investors that will know that they are solving humankind’s problems. And so, it’s not an investment where you hope to make a return in 6 months or 18 months, and you are wondering what has happened. No.

“If you’re in the health sector, you must be in it long. However, more importantly, you must have the conscience and the sense of purpose to say that you want to help your citizens, help your people, and help our society have a better health outcome at the end of the day.

“So, I am genuinely proud of what Avon Medical has done in the past 16 years. You started as a small clinic and entered the health insurance scheme. But now you have become a complete diagnostic, O&G, and paediatric health facility.

“For you in one location to build a 50-bed, full diagnostics, obstetrics and gyne, full paediatrics, neonatal, and the rest of it means that several levels of specialities have been brought together. And I can see that speciality is also being reflected here by one of our competitors, a medical practitioner who stands here also to be able to deliver.”

Dwelling on the state government’s stride in the sector, the governor said, “We’ve completed and handed over a maternal and paediatric hospital in Badagry. We’ve handed one in Eti Osa by Ajah. We’ve handed over one in Epe and another one in Alimosho. We’re doing extensive construction and development. We’re building one of the largest—and I’m sure LUTH will want to compete with us—one of the most comprehensive facilities in Ojo, rivalling any tertiary institution in Ojo.

“We’re building the largest paediatric hospital in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Suppose you want to climb—and I want people to see the development happening in that facility—if you want to climb Third Mainland Bridge, you’ve got ten floors by the left. That is a hospital. It’s going to be the new Mercy Children’s Hospital.’’

Earlier, Dr. Awele Elumelu, the Chairperson of Avon Medical Practice, declared, “We are building a healthcare system that leaves no one behind.”

Flanked by dignitaries, including the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu, and the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, Dr Elumelu described the launch as “a moment of pride and a deep sense of fulfilment.”

“This is a particularly emotional moment for us at Avon Medical,” she said, adding that, “Because when you understand where we started, you will better appreciate what this moment means—not just for us, but for many families across this country.”

Recalling the genesis of the Avon Medical journey in 2009, Dr Elumelu recounted how the initiative sprang from a desire to make world-class healthcare accessible and affordable—not just for the wealthy or privileged few, but for everyone.

“We saw the problems all around us—overburdened public hospitals, lack of modern equipment, and medical professionals stretched to their limits. Too many people were unable to get the help they needed in time. We could not look away,” she said.

 

-Leadership

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Entertainment

Davido breaks silence after Grammy Award loss

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Five-time Grammy nominee, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted after losing the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States.

 

The Afrobeats star shared a message of faith and resilience following the outcome of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in California.

In a post on his Instagram page, Davido shared photos with his wife, Chioma, from the event and wrote, “Oluwa Dey my side,” alongside prayer and music emojis.
Hours later, he posted another set of pictures of himself and Chioma at the Grammys, reflecting on the loss in a longer caption.

“I said baby listen we lost again let’s not go ! she said ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat’ we outside,” he wrote.
Chioma also reacted via her Instagram page, praising the singer, “You already know that you’re the perfect one, @davido,” she wrote, while sharing photos from the awards night.
Davido was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards but lost to South African singer Tyla, who won with her song Push 2 Start.

Other nominees in the category included Burna Boy (Love), Ayra Starr and Wizkid (Gimme Dat), Davido (With You featuring Omah Lay), and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin (Hope & Love).

The win marked Tyla’s second Grammy Award, following her first victory in 2024 for her hit single Water.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, the singer revealed that With You, featuring Omah Lay, almost did not make the final tracklist of his album 5IVE.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five.
“And now look at it go. Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he told OkayAfrica.

Davido also recounted how he learned about the Grammy nomination, saying the news came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai, days before his birthday.

“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.

“With You” was released in April 2025 as the 17th track on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5IVE, and has since become one of his most successful recent records, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify.

Despite the song’s success, Nigeria did not record a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Davido said he is now focused on touring and releasing new music.

He is also billed to perform at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the festival lineup, performing on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California.

-Guardian

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Kunle Afolayan gives reasons to marry many women

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Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has stirred reactions after advising men to “marry many women” while reflecting on his upbringing in a polygamous home.

 

The actor and producer made the remarks at the watch party of Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, with a clip from the event going viral on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Afolayan linked his existence and achievements to his late father’s decision to marry several wives.

“Without my father, there wouldn’t have been a KAP Village or even Kunle Afolayan. I am the seventh born of my father because my father had ten wives. For the men, marry many women, or rather be involved with many women. You know why? If my father didn’t, he would not have born me, and that is the honest truth. But today, a few of us are lifting his legacy. Life is short, death is constant. Nobody has life forever. Everybody has a period. Use your period,” he said.

While his daughter, Eyiyemi Afolayan, joined him on stage, the filmmaker compared his childhood experience with his relationship with his children.

“They are lucky. For her, staying by my side is luck. Do you know why? I couldn’t stand it with my father. My father didn’t know my school. My father didn’t know my date of birth. He did not know anything about me other than, ‘He is the son of that person.’ But today, I’m so proud of my father,” he added.

Afolayan also spoke about fatherhood.

“Sometimes when people say ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I’m always saying whether he pays child support or not, he’s still a father. I have been going to court because I want to get a divorce. I don’t mind being in the witness box, and I experienced the shit, so that I can marry many wives,” he said.

He thereafter prayed for his daughter, praising her role in the series.

“Hephzibah, her mother is the one who gave her the name. I don’t care, but I am proud of you. You started with the film, you did the first season, and now with the second season, you did amazingly well. My good Lord will continue to increase you in wisdom, in knowledge, and in understanding. If this is your path, the good Lord will see you through.”
However, this is not the first time the filmmaker has spoken about his late father’s polygamous lifestyle.

In March 2021, Afolayan told BBC Pidgin that his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who died in 1996, married 10 wives and had 25 children, a decision he said took a toll on the family.

“I would not want to marry many wives because my father had 10 wives and I knew what happened throughout that period. I knew that really distracted my father. In this age, nobody needs to tell you before you know what’s right,” he said at the time.

He also disclosed that growing up in a polygamous home affected bonding among the children due to language and other barriers.

Afolayan further narrated how he battled poverty in his early years, revealing that he once lived in a one-room apartment in Ebute-Metta and sometimes had to deal with flooding.

“I was born in Ebute-Metta and have lived in one-room apartment before that we even have to grapple with flood sometimes. It’s not shame to say have been poor before. But if you see how l made it, it’s a matter of consistency. My father was a very popular filmmaker and ordinarily, people would expect me to life the kind of live akin to Hollywood stars,” he said.

“But that wasn’t the case. How would one live such life when you’re living in a room with ten women. That doesn’t mean there was no love among us.”

He had advised young filmmakers to start with the little resources available to them while working towards their dreams.

 

-Guardian

 

 

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Court adjourns Ganduje’s corruption trial to April 15

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A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to billions of naira.

 

The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds. The remaining accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution told the court it was ready to proceed and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence.

However, defence lawyers raised objections, informing the court that multiple applications were pending and must be resolved before the trial could continue.

Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel to some of the defendants, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the third and seventh defendants, also referred to a separate motion dated May 23, 2025.
In addition, Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, told the court that an affidavit had been filed notifying it of a pending application for stay of proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, urging the court to fix a date for hearing.

Only Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, indicated readiness to proceed with the trial.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the matter to April 15 for the hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.

The trial has suffered repeated delays due to legal challenges. The high court had earlier dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defence as “incompetent” and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
That ruling was appealed by the defendants, who argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. However, in October 2025, the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal, citing failure to properly transmit the record of appeal.

-Guardian

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