Government Offers Health Insurance To 4,200 HIV-Positive Residents, 600 Orphans In Kano

Government offers health insurance to 4,200 HIV-positive residents, 600 orphans in Kano. Health commissioner Abubakar Labaran disclosed this at a media briefing on Monday to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day.

The Kano government says it has enrolled more than 600 orphans and vulnerable children and 4,200 people living with HIV into its health insurance scheme.

Health commissioner Abubakar Labaran disclosed this at a media briefing on Monday to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day.
Mr Labaran said the enrolment was implemented through the Kano State Health Trust Fund in collaboration with development partners. He described the commemoration as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with millions of people living with HIV globally.

“For Kano state, we currently have 37,825 people living with HIV, including 4,381 children, with 551 recorded deaths so far in 2025,” he said.

The commissioner said the theme underscored the need for increased domestic financing for HIV response, especially as donor organisations gradually withdraw support.
He said the government responded by expanding the budget line for the Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS from about N300 million to N2 billion for 2025 and beyond.

“We have released about N500 million this year alone to bridge gaps created by disruptions in external funding,” he said.
He added that Governor Abba Yusuf remained committed to equitable and non-discriminatory healthcare for all residents.
Mr Labaran listed priority areas for 2025, including reducing stigma, improving access to care, strengthening prevention, and protecting vulnerable groups.

He said the government had enacted an Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Law and expanded access to the Kano State Contributory Health Scheme for PLHIV.
According to him, other achievements recorded during the year include the provision of 24-hour solar power at the SACA office, the procurement of operational vehicles, the strengthening of data systems, and the launch of Nigeria’s first full-scale triple elimination programme for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis in six pilot facilities.

“This is the first initiative of its kind in the country, targeting pregnant women attending antenatal care,” he said.

He also announced the construction of a paediatric TB/HIV clinic at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, funded entirely by the state government. On service delivery, Labaran said the state conducted 607,720 HIV tests in 2025, identified 2,440 new cases and placed 2,388 people on treatment.
He said 37,825 people were currently receiving care in various health facilities.

The health commissioner also highlighted progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission, stating that 238,495 pregnant women were tested during their first antenatal visit, out of which only 34 tested positive. He said 31,277 children under 15 were tested, with 68 found positive and placed on treatment.

HIV

According to him, Kano conducted the highest number of early infant diagnosis tests in the country this year using the M-PIMA machine.
Mr Labaran reaffirmed the state’s commitment to achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030 and urged the residents to continue supporting people living with HIV and to help eliminate stigma.

The director-general of KSACA, Usman Bashir, said the event was organised to show solidarity with people living with HIV and remember those who had died.

“We are here to commemorate World AIDS Day and to show love to people living with HIV,” he said

Obi: Some Of Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Picks Shocking

Obi: Some of Tinubu’s ambassadorial picks shocking. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, says some of the names President Bola Tinubu has forwarded to the senate for confirmation as ambassadors are shocking.

On November 29, Tinubu sent the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the legislature after sending the names of three nominees last week.

Among the nominees are Reno Omokri, former presidential aide; Mahmood Yakubu, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-aviation minister; and Okezie Ikpeazu, former governor of Abia.

In a post on X on Monday, Obi said some of the names on the list leave much to be desired.

“Yes, some of the names being paraded to represent us as ambassadors globally are shocking. But with a leadership that has allowed mediocrity, corruption, and impunity to rise to the top, who else did you expect them to choose?” he asked.
He also dwelt on the economic hardship afflicting millions of homes.

“When our people are being killed, our leaders are busy hosting dinners. When children are being snatched from their schools, the political class is celebrating and dancing,” he added.

“When families cannot afford their next meal, those in power are welcoming defectors and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning.

“This is not governance. This is not leadership. And this is certainly not the Nigeria we deserve.”

Peter Obi

The ex-Anambra governor said the suffering in the country has become a “pain one carries silently”.
Obi shared the story of how a group of young Nigerians approached him at the Abuja airport on Monday and expressed concern that he had not commented on the recent challenges confronting the country.

“It is the kind of pain that makes you remember the humiliating remark from the American president who referred to Nigeria as a ‘now disgraced country’,” he said.
“Today, when you look around, you begin to understand why the world speaks of us that way.”

Main Reason Badaru Resigns As Defence Minister

Main reason Badaru resigns as defence minister. Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, has resigned his appointment, with immediate effect.

Badaru announced his resignation in a letter dated December 1, sent to President Bola Tinubu, citing health reasons.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Monday that Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked the former minister for his services to the nation.
“President Tinubu will likely inform the senate of Badaru’s successor later this week,” the statement reads.

Badaru, 63, was a two-term governor of Jigawa state from 2015 to 2023. He was appointed as a minister on August 21, 2023, by President Tinubu.

Minister Of Defence Badaru

His resignation comes amid President Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in due course.
The development also follows a meeting between Christopher Musa, the former chief of defence staff (CDS), and the president at the State House earlier on Monday evening.

TheCable understands that the meeting is a precursor to a major shake-up by Tinubu in the wake of growing insecurity in the country.