General News
Sanwo-Olu, Others Grace Launch of 50-Bed Hospital in Surulere by Avon Medical
Avon Medical, a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings has officially launched an ultramodern hospital facility in Surulere, Lagos.
L-R: Emmanuel Nnorom – Group CEO, Heirs Holdings; Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser on Health to the Lagos State Governor; Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Group Chairman, Heirs Holdings; Dr. Awele Elumelu, Chairperson, Avon Medical Practice; H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor, Lagos State; Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, CMD, LUTH & Representative of the Minister for Health; Dr. Akinbiyi Oke, CEO, Avon Medical; Professor Emmanuel Akinola Abayomi, Honorable Commissioner for Health, Lagos State; Chidi Okpala, Group Executive Director, Heirs Holdings; at the launch of the Avon Medical ultramodern facility in Lagos on April 14, 2025.
At the historic event, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor, Lagos state, who inaugurated the 50-bed, fully equipped facility, said that Avon Medical has put its name in the sand of time in this industry.
The opening ceremony was attended by top government officials, healthcare professionals, and industry stakeholders.
Also present at the event were Group Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate represented by the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo.
The new hospital features comprehensive diagnostic services, obstetrics and gynecology (O&G), pediatrics, and neonatal care, and is designed to serve the growing healthcare needs of Lagos residents.
Speaking at the commissioning, Governor Sanwo-Olu praised Avon Medical for its long-standing commitment to improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu said: “This is more than just a hospital. It’s a bold statement of what private sector collaboration can do in transforming our healthcare landscape. For one facility to offer full diagnostics, O&G, pediatric, and neonatal care, it shows the level of intentional investment and vision behind Avon Medical.”
The Governor further commended Dr. Awele Elumelu, Chairperson, Avon Medical and co-founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, for her dedication to building sustainable healthcare institutions.
He said: “Dr. Awele Elumelu chose not to be comfortable in her success, but instead to invest in something meaningful something that impacts lives directly.”
“The health sector requires long-term commitment rather than short-term returns. Healthcare is not a sector where profits come quickly. It takes vision, compassion, and a strong sense of purpose.”
“We are building the largest pediatric hospital and the largest mental health facility in Sub-Saharan Africa. Health is wealth, and we’re backing that statement with action and funding. 8–10% of Lagos State’s annual budget is allocated to the health sector.”
Also speaking, Dr. Elumelu, AVON Medical Chairperson said they from the beginning resolved to focus on the problems which include overburdened public hospitals, lack of modern equipment, medical professionals being stretched to their limits, too many people frustrated as they simply couldn’t get medical help in time.
“We could not look away, so we decided to do something about it,” she said.
“That single decision to step in gave birth to Avon Medical and our health insurance company, Avon HMO.
“The first, to provide excellent healthcare services, and the other to ensure that people could actually afford them.
“That combination was deliberate. It was our way of ensuring we were not only building facilities, but we were also creating access to them.”
She said the initiative them from the humble beginnings of operating just a work-site clinic at a single location had grown into a 50-bed hospital network, including a Dialysis Centre, and several worksite clinics.
She said why the decision they took then matter could be seen from the staggering facts about our healthcare system on the Africa continent which has over 20% of the global disease burden yet has access to only 1% of healthcare resources; approximately 48% of Africans lack access to the quality healthcare they need; Only about 3% of global health workers serve our continent; In Nigeria alone, the gap in the number of available and qualified doctors, beds, and equipment reflects a system under pressure; The African healthcare system is the hardest hit by the migration crisis.
She said the challenges were not just mere numbers, but real people, real stories, real lives.
“And far too often, they represent women and children. Which is why this facility matters,” she said.
With the medical facility, she said more women will now receive the maternal care they need to safely bring life into the world.
“It means more children will get timely diagnoses, life-saving treatments, and a better shot at long, healthier lives,” she said.
“ It means more families will have access to quality and affordable healthcare services that they deserve.
“This is what we are building: a healthcare system that leaves no one behind.”
Describing the project as a reflection of “our philosophy—Africapitalism, she said, “The belief that the private sector has a major role to play in our continent’s development.
“The belief that we have a responsibility, not just to generate profit but most importantly, to create a lasting impact, to do well and do good.”
She also made it clear that to solve problems, to improve lives that will transform Africa would not end with the new project.
“ This achievement is not the end. It is only a springboard. Our vision has always been bold: to create a network of health solutions that are not only accessible and affordable, but also world-class,” she said.
General News
Afe Babalola University Partners with New Horizons to Integrate 4IR Skills into Academic Curriculum
The institution has been lauded for its rapid ascent in academic rankings and its dedication to producing socially relevant graduates since its establishments in 2009 by legal luminary Aare Afe Babalola. It has consistently demonstrated excellence in education and research, and has been recognized as Nigeria’s best university for three consecutive years.
Deputy Director, ICT, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado Ekiti, Muyiwa Oladimeji (left); Vice Chancellor,
Prof. Smaranda Olarinde; Managing Director, New Horizons Nigeria, Tim Akano and the University Bursar,
Pastor Dupe Babatola, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between New Horizons and the varsity for the integration of 4IR skill sets into ABUAD’s academic curriculum in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Afe Babalola University has entered into a strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria to integrate Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skill sets into its academic curriculum. This collaboration aims to empower ABUAD students with globally relevant competencies in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, 3D Technology, and the Metaverse, Web 3.0, Full Stack, Cyber Security among others. By embedding these cutting-edge technologies into its programs, ABUAD reinforces its commitment to producing graduates who are not only job-ready but also poised to be innovators and wealth creators in the global tech ecosystem.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, and Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons Nigeria. The University Bursar Pastor Dupe Babatola, and Mr. Muyiwa Oladimeji, the Deputy Director of ICT were also present at this meeting.
According to Prof. Olarinde, she stated that the partnership aligns with ABUAD’s vision of fostering innovation and excellence and by integrating 4IR skills into the academic curriculum, students are being prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce and to drive technological advancement.
Also, Mr. Akano asserted that “New Horizons is proud to collaborate with ABUAD, an institution that shares its commitment to technological empowerment. Together, we will provide students with the tools and certifications necessary to excel in today’s digital world. It could be recalled that in the first three global industrial revolutions, Africa was not present at the parties of Agric revolution of the 17th century, Industrial revolution of the 18th century, and Information Communication revolution of the 20th century, Africa got late to the party. This explains the large-scale hunger, poverty, and diseases that Africa is battling with today. We are in a new era, the age of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI will determine the trajectory of every profession, going forward. Regardless of whatever course or profession one chooses, there is a component of AGI in it that will decide who is a modern lawyer or obsolete lawyer, who is a modern Doctor or Obsolete Doctor, who is a modern Engineer or obsolete engineer, and who is a modern art student or obsolete art student. Any university today that produce graduates without relevant 4IR skills and certifications attached during their undergrad years is producing obsolete graduates. The four major global challenges confronting humanity are not permanent problems but rather TECHNICAL/Technological problems. A case in point was smallpox, which had killed over 400 million people worldwide. However, when Edward Jenner invented a vaccine, using technology, smallpox got killed itself. Therefore, all the key problems in the world today: hunger, poverty, disease, Climate Crisis, Youth Unemployment are all technological problems that need technological solutions. This is why ABUAD’s partnership with New Horizons is necessary, critical and urgent with a view to ensuring that going forward, the ABUAD graduates have what it takes to compete with the Chinese, Americans and Japanese when it comes to 4.0IR innovations”.
This strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria signifies a pivotal step in ABUAD’s mission to remain at the forefront of educational innovation, and to ensure that its students are well-equipped to navigate and lead in the evolving technological landscape.
New Horizons Nigeria is Africa’s largest ICT training organization with over 200 training centres in various universities, high schools, and retail locations across Nigeria, empowering over 100,000 students yearly. New Horizons Nigeria is a franchise of New Horizons International, the world’s largest ICT training institute with Head Office in California and offices in 90 countries worldwide. The institution pioneered the integration of International ICT certification into the Nigeria academic curricular twenty years ago and some of the students that passed through New Horizons training in their respective universities are managing global corporations today in Silicon valley and working with global IT giants like Microsoft, MasterCard, Oracle, Google and Amazon among others.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) celebrated its 75th anniversary during its 65th Annual General Meeting, highlighting decades of resilience, innovation, and commitment to service.
Mr. Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman, reflected on the bank’s journey, emphasizing its ability to adapt and transform over three-quarters of a century.
He announced UBA’s impressive financial performance for 2024, including a gross revenue of ₦3.2 trillion and profit after tax of ₦767 billion.
The bank’s total deposits grew by 42% to ₦24.6 trillion, while its loan book expanded by 35% to ₦7.5 trillion.
Mr. Elumelu also addressed UBA’s efforts to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive to increase the minimum capital requirement for international commercial banks.
Following a successful rights issue, UBA’s capital now stands at ₦355.2 billion, with plans to raise the remaining ₦144.8 billion later this year.
GMD/CEO, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, reiterated UBA’s commitment to enhancing customer experience through digital banking.
He highlighted the bank’s focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technology to serve its 45 million customers across 24 countries more effectively.
UBA’s dedication to environmental stewardship and social progress was evident in its 2024 initiatives, including planting 4,550 seedlings to offset carbon emissions and distributing over 13,000 books through the Read Africa Initiative.
The bank’s efforts were recognized with multiple awards, including “Bank of the Year” in five African countries.
As UBA continues its journey, Mr. Elumelu and Mr. Alawuba expressed gratitude to shareholders, customers, staff, and regulators for their unwavering support.
The bank remains committed to innovation, financial inclusion, and driving economic growth across Africa and the globe.
Sextortion scams have become so widespread that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is sending agents to Nigeria to help track down the perpetrators.
The agency’s “Operation Artemis” has led to the arrest of 22 Nigerians, half of whom are “directly linked” to sextortion incidents in which victims died by suicide.
Sextortion scams often begin on social media, where perpetrators pose as attractive young women to lure victims—typically unsuspecting teenage boys—into sending nude photos or explicit videos.
Once the images are obtained, the scammers turn to blackmail, threatening to leak the content unless the victim pays up.
In some cases, the sextortion results in teenage victims taking their own lives over fear of the nudes leaking.
In Thursday’s announcement, the FBI noted it’s been “observing a significant increase over the last three years in financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting young males ages 14-17, resulting in more than 20 minor victims dying by suicide.”
The agency is also facing a 30% year-over-year increase in sextortion-related tips.
“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3, there were over 54,000 [extortion-related] victims in 2024, up from 34,000 in 2023,” it said.
“Over the last two years there have been nearly $65 million dollars in financial losses due to this crime.”
In response, the FBI says 55 agency field offices came together to identify “nearly 3,000 victims of financially motivated sextortion,” which led investigators to track down the culprits in Nigeria.
The US has since extradited at least three suspects from Nigeria.
“These subjects will now be held accountable in the American justice system, with more subjects still awaiting extraditions in Nigeria,” the FBI added.
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