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IFC, GE Healthcare Develop High Quality Health Diagnostics in Nigeria

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IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, announced a partnership with SRL Limited, GE Healthcare and Echo-Scan Services Limited for the development of a chain of health diagnostic centers across Nigeria.

As part of the consortium, IFC will invest $12 million for the development of the new advanced, comprehensive diagnostic centers, and SRL, the largest operator of diagnostic centers in India and current IFC client, will operate the centers and provide personnel training.

GE Healthcare will serve as the joint development partner and key technology solutions provider, bringing a range of diagnostic imaging equipment, training, and $5 million of investment.

The new company, which will build on the services currently offered by Echo-Scan, will for the first time provide access to more sophisticated health technology for Nigerians who cannot afford to leave the country for services.

Currently, Echo-Scan’s seven clinics serve about 250,000 patients a year, about one-third of which are expectant mothers, providing sonograms, basic x-rays, and lab tests for malaria, viral and bacterial infections.

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New investment will support the construction of two additional flagship centers and the refurbishment of existing centers to enable them to offer more advanced Lab Medicine (Histopathology, Cytogenetics, Genetic  disorders, Molecular Diagnostics) and Imaging Services (MRI, High resolution CT scans). The project, which will be implemented in phases, eventually aims to serve one million patients annually.

SRL Limited is a part of the well-known Fortis Group. It operates over 270 labs about 6500 collection points across India and beyond. 

SRL will operate and manage the centers in Nigeria, and be responsible for planning, organizing, staffing and equipping the centers, and also creating systems and Standard Operating Protocols.

SRL plans to install its proprietary IT solution – “Centralized Lab Information Management System (CLIMS)” to ensure seamless working of each and every segment of the network. GE will be the technology partner for radiology.

Dr. Ayodele Cole Benson, Echo-Scan co-Founder and Managing Director, said, “Working with partners to create Eagle-Eye Echo-Scan will help us fulfill our vision of delivering high quality health services in Nigeria. This new company will provide career development for current staff and greater professional opportunities for Nigerian medical professionals to remain in their home country and work in state-of-the-art facilities, which benefits the entire health system.”

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Eme Essien Lore, IFC Country Manager for Nigeria said, “Population growth, rising incomes, and greater incidence of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes are increasing demand for health care in Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa. Pathology and radiology play an important role in the prevention and care of these chronic conditions.”  

Sanjeev Vashishta, CEO of SRL Limited said, “We have to reach out to the masses. Diagnostics Services have to be provided to the citizens of the country closer to their homes and there is no reason for anybody to travel hundreds of miles to get quality health and diagnostics services, let alone leave Nigeria for the right tests and healthcare. Project Eagle Eye will endeavor to bring back the talented doctors, scientists, technologists who left the country by providing them with the opportunity to work on the high-end and contemporary technologies right here in Nigeria.”

Farid Fezoua, President and CEO of GE Healthcare Africa said: “At GE Healthcare, we believe that sustainable healthcare development requires a system-wide approach, combining technology, capacity-building, including training, service and maintenance, as well as long-term financing. To that end, this multi-disciplinary partnership between IFC, Echo Scan, SRL and GE aims to expand access to quality and affordable diagnostic imaging in the private sector and complements significant efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s growing health sector.

We look forward to working closely with our partners towards ensuring the long-term success of this venture to enable better outcomes for more Nigerian patients and in setting a new healthcare delivery model throughout Africa.”  Good health makes it possible for people to work, study and care for their families, and expanding access to health services is a priority for development. IFC is the world’s largest multilateral investor in private healthcare, with nearly $3 billion worth of health investments in more than 50 countries over the past 15 years. IFC investments in service providers, pharmaceuticals and medical technology are aimed at promoting greater access to affordable, high-quality healthcare in developing countries.

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Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

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Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.

As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.

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‎In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.

The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.

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NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.

The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.

The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.

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NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.

“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.

However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.

According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.

He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.

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The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.

NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.

The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.

The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.

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EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

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European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.

The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.

EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.

The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.

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The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.

Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.

The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.

The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.

Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.

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If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.

Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.

Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.

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