Anti-malarial, anti-biotics prices surge by 150%

Ahmed Yakasai PSN President

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has warned that the prices of essential medicines in the country, such as anti-malarial drugs and antibiotics have risen by over 150 per cent in less than two years.

According to the PSN, the implementation of a 20 per cent duty on imported medicines and the sourcing of drugs at a very high exchange rate of N500 to $1 have taken the average shelf price of an Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) medicine from N700 in 2015 to N1, 600 now with a propensity to hit N2, 000 before the end of March 2017. ACT is the drug of choice recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the treatment of malaria.

Teachers of FG colleges on PTA payroll

Hon. Minister for Education - Adamu Adamu

About 80 per cent of teaching staff in the 104 federal government colleges, otherwise known as unity schools, are on the payroll of Parents Teachers Association (PTA).

This was disclosed yesterday by principals of the unity schools during the budget defense of their respective schools before the House of Representatives committee on Tertiary Education in Abuja.

Britain posts female envoy as Head of Mission

Dep. High Cmmissioner Beaufils

The British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, on Monday announced the arrival of Laure Beaufils as the new Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Laure, who is the first female deputy high commissioner to be posted to Nigeria, arrived in the country on the same day, January 20, and will head the UK mission in Lagos, according to a statement signed by Wale Adebajo, communication manager at the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos.

Kerosene scarcity inflates price

Kerosene scarcity continued to worsen across major cities in the country as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports on energy prices for the month of January indicated that the average price per litre paid by consumers increased to N433.84 throughout the month, representing 93.19 percent.

The NBS report also explained that the commodity increased by 87.12 percent year-on-year and 93.19 percent month-on-month to N433.84 in January 2017 from N231.85 in December 2016.

CFAO/Kewalrams float Massilia for Mitsubishi

Two front-running auto companies – CFAO and KewalramChanrai Group. – have collaborated to establish Massilia Motors Limited, a vehicle importing and marketing firm that is now the sole representative of Mitsubishi Motors in Nigeria.

OGFZA - Free zones in Delta state

The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) is set to break new grounds with plans to license another Oil and Gas Free Zone in Delta State.

Revised Highway Code cares for children

National Road Safety Advisory Council 

The Revised Highway Code recommends that children should not sit in the front seat. It says that Children less than 12 months old must ride in a rear facing car seat fixed at the back seat of the vehicle. Children from age 1 to 7 should sit facing the front of the car in a child’s seat, strapped properly to the back seat.