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Economic hardship, worsening poverty, eroding workers’ wages -ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised the alarm over the worsening economic condition of Nigerians, saying rising inflation, fuel subsidy removal and currency devaluation have severely eroded workers’ purchasing power and pushed more citizens into poverty.

The union said Nigerians were experiencing what it described as ‘growth without development’, arguing that improvements being reported in macroeconomic indicators had failed to translate into better living conditions for ordinary citizens.

ASUU consequently backed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the demand for a review of the national minimum wage and advocated the indexing of wages to inflation to protect workers from continually rising living costs.

President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, disclosed the union’s position in a statement issued after its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on September 5, 2026, and made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

According to the union, the removal of fuel subsidy, currency devaluation and other economic policies of the Federal Government had compounded the hardship faced by workers and other Nigerians, with access to basic necessities becoming increasingly difficult.

ASUU criticised what it described as the government’s emphasis on macroeconomic growth without corresponding improvement in the welfare and living conditions of Nigerians.

The union said the economic situation had been worsened by Nigeria’s adherence to prescriptions from international financial institutions, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Against the backdrop of the economic hardship, ASUU also threatened to reactivate its suspended nationwide strike over what it described as the poor implementation of the December 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)-ASUU Agreement.

The union demanded the immediate payment of the outstanding three-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld from its members during the 2022 industrial dispute, as well as the remittance of pension contributions, cooperative deductions and union check-off dues deducted from lecturers’ salaries.

Piwuna said the continued failure of the Federal and state governments to fully implement the agreement, alongside the withholding of salaries and third-party deductions, had created serious uncertainty over the welfare and working conditions of university lecturers.

He warned that ASUU could no longer guarantee uninterrupted academic activities if the issues were not urgently resolved.

According to him, the Federal Government had paid four months out of the seven-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld from members during the 2022 strike, leaving a balance of three-and-a-half months unpaid.

He said the value of the outstanding salaries had been significantly eroded by inflation and currency devaluation since 2022, despite lecturers continuing to discharge their responsibilities.

‘Nigerians should not blame ASUU if we are forced to resume the suspended action on account of no satisfactory response from government,’ Piwuna said.

He warned that the incomplete or haphazard implementation of the 2025 agreement, non-payment of withheld salaries and non-remittance of third-party deductions constituted a ‘recipe for industrial crisis’ in Nigeria’s public universities.

The union said that, except for recent attempts by the Federal Ministry of Education to defray outstanding salaries for federal universities of agriculture, there had been no sustained effort to resolve the issue.

Piwuna lamented that lecturers were forced to contend with uncertainty every month over when and how much of their salaries would be paid.

According to him, unless immediate and concrete steps were taken to address issues bordering on the welfare and well-being of academics, ASUU NEC would not accept responsibility for calling out its members on a nationwide strike within the shortest possible time.

The union also raised concern over billions of naira in unremitted third-party deductions, including pension contributions, staff cooperative deductions and check-off dues.

According to ASUU, the failure to remit the deductions amounted to a double financial loss for lecturers, as members were denied access to funds that could have been used for other purposes while also losing potential returns on the money.

The union alleged that the withholding of such deductions could be connected to its opposition to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

On the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, the union acknowledged efforts by some state governments and commended the governors of Abia, Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno states for commencing implementation.

It also noted commitments by the governments of Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states to begin implementation in September or October.

The union, however, warned governors yet to implement the agreement to urgently do so to avert industrial crises in their state-owned universities.

ASUU also expressed concern over the reported extension of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adegbooye, by Governor Ademola Adeleke, alleging that the extension was contrary to the law establishing the university, which it said provided for a single five-year tenure for the vice-chancellor.

The union further alleged that the law was hurriedly amended to accommodate the extension, warning that such a development could undermine university autonomy and standards of governance.

ASUU urged the university’s Governing Council to be allowed to discharge its statutory responsibilities without political interference.

The union called on students, parents, labour leaders, media practitioners and other Nigerians to intervene before the brewing crisis in the university system escalated, while maintaining that it remained open to dialogue with the Federal and state governments.

‘ASUU-NEC resolved to notify all concerned that the union may activate its suspended strike action without any further notice if the critical issues raised in this release are not speedily addressed,’ it said.

Mindanao first to host 2 LegisHear legs as House brings consultations to Cotabato

Mindanao became the first major island group to host two LegisHear consultations as Senior Deputy Speaker and South Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Ferdinand ‘Dinand’ Hernandez on Saturday welcomed the House of Representatives’ public consultation program to the province and thanked Speaker Faustino G. Dy III for bringing the legislative process closer to the people.

Dy said LegisHear brings Congress directly to communities because residents themselves best understand what their localities need to achieve greater progress.

‘Anumang sanga o anumang katayuan natin sa ating lipunan, kailangang naririnig natin ang tinig at lalong-lalo na, pinag-uusapan natin kung ano ang makakabuti sa atin pong mga lugar,’ Dy said.

‘Sapagkat kayo lamang po ang nakakaalam kung ano ang mga kailangan at kung ano po ang dapat nating gawin para lalo pong umunlad at maging progresibo ang inyo pong sinasakupang lugar,’ he added.

Hernandez underscored that the consultations are a serious congressional undertaking aimed at ensuring that legislation reflects the concerns and aspirations of ordinary Filipinos.

‘Ang LegisHear ay seryosong programa ng Kongreso. Ang batas ay hindi nabubuo kung hindi kami makikinig sa mga taumbayan-kung ano ang daing nila, ano ang gusto nila. Kailangang mag-umpisa sa inyo iyong batas na ipinapasa namin sa Kongreso,’ Hernandez said at the South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center.

‘This is a brilliant project na ang Kongreso ay bumaba na mismo sa ground para makinig kung ano pa ang gusto ninyo, ano pa ang kulang, para kami na mga mambabatas ang gagawa ng batas na base sa sentimyento ng mga tao, lalong-lalo na ang mga masa, mga farmers natin, at ang marginalized sectors,’ he added.

The Koronadal City event followed the first Mindanao LegisHear held in Butuan City in August. The program was also previously conducted in Isabela for Luzon and Dumaguete City for the Visayas.

Hernandez, the main host of the South Cotabato leg, welcomed the House delegation and recognized the regional directors of national government agencies, local officials, Tulong Dunong beneficiaries, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority scholars who joined the consultation.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. likewise thanked the House for choosing the province as the latest LegisHear venue, describing it as one of the most important programs initiated by Dy.

‘Napakaswerte natin na dito gaganapin ang isa sa pinakaimportanteng programa ng ating Speaker,’ Tamayo said in his welcome remarks.

‘Gaganapin ngayon ang isang town hall meeting kung saan papakinggan ang boses ng ating mga kababayan,’ he added.

Tamayo said the consultation embodies the principles of direct democracy and participatory governance being advanced under Dy by allowing citizens to take an active role in shaping measures that affect their communities.

During the program, Dy updated participants on two Hernandez-authored measures of particular importance to South Cotabato that have already been approved by the House on third and final reading and are now awaiting action in the Senate.

House Bill No. 8342 seeks to rename the SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital as the SOCCSKSARGEN Regional and Medical Center and increase its authorized bed capacity from 75 to 1,500 beds.

The proposed expansion is intended to improve access to hospital and specialty services for patients across South Cotabato and neighboring communities.

House Bill No. 8627, on the other hand, seeks to convert the South Cotabato State College in Surallah into the South Cotabato State University. The proposal aims to widen access to higher education and strengthen the institution’s capacity to serve students in the province.

The South Cotabato LegisHear featured an orientation on how a bill becomes a law, followed by discussions on the two local measures and proposals addressing electricity costs.

Residents and sectoral representatives were given opportunities to raise questions, share their experiences, and submit recommendations directly to lawmakers and government officials.

Yu Zidi: fearless swimming prodigy, 13, with Olympics in her sights

Yu Zidi made history last year at age 12 when she became the youngest-ever medalist at the swimming world championships. Now a teenager, she headlines China’s bid for Asian Games domination and has Olympic glory in her sights.

The 13-year-old schoolgirl with a pixie haircut stunned the sporting world last year with a series of eye-popping times.

At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, she helped China reach the 4x200m women’s freestyle relay final.

She did not swim in the final but China came third, earning Yu a historic bronze for swimming in the heats.

Yu just missed out on medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley events and the 200m butterfly, coming fourth in all three races.

In November at China’s National Games, having just turned 13, she clocked a blistering 2:07.41 in the women’s 200m medley for what was then an Asian record.

While training with the China team in Beijing, she told local media this month she was ‘excited’ for her Asian Games debut.

‘Train well, don’t slack off. Demonstrate the level of your training and work hard to break past yourself,’ she said, according to state news agency Xinhua

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, open on September 19.

Pressure ‘like a stone’

A coach, Ha Sinan, once described Yu with a Chinese saying that translates as ‘a newborn calf fearless of tigers’.

But the teenager has spoken of struggling to deal with the heavy load placed on her.

Yu grew up in the city of Baoding, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Beijing.

She started swimming at age six and since then has juggled schoolwork with training.

‘Being in class all day and still having to train was really tiring,’ she said in January.

‘Sometimes I was so tired I could fall asleep even while eating,’ she said at an event celebrating Hebei province’s National Games wins.

Yu said she ‘never considered quitting’ and always dreamed of being a national champion.

But during the tune-up to last year’s National Games, she said the pressure of wanting to win the 400m medley nearly became too much.

‘It was like a big stone that weighed on me and made it hard to breathe,’ she said.

Yu eventually told her coach she wanted to do anything other than train.

Her coach told her to persevere and ‘believe in yourself’, she said.

Yu went on to win four medals at the National Games.

Some in the swimming world have questioned the mental and physical impact of high-level training and competing on Yu at such a young age.

Under World Aquatics rules, the minimum age for international championships is 14 but exceptions can be made for younger swimmers if – like Yu – they are fast enough.

Olympic dreams

It seems certain that Yu will compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, when she will be 15, and on her current trajectory will be a major medal threat.

She is aware that her success for someone so young has made international headlines.

But she knows hard work outweighs innate talent.

In June she won the women’s 400m medley in 4:30.79 at China’s national championships, a time which would easily have earned her silver at the Paris Games in 2024.

‘Although talent determines where you start, going further and standing taller is dependent on perseverance and effort day after day,’ Yu said at the January event.

‘There is still a long road ahead,’ she added.

Remulla bats for integrated Region 4 to boost delivery of services

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla is proposing the abolition of the Mimaropa region and its reintegration with Calabarzon to streamline government operations and improve service delivery.

Remulla made the proposal during a Senate Finance Subcommittee J hearing on Thursday (Sept.10) in response to a question from Sen. Erwin Tulfo about providing sea transport for the Mimaropa regional police director.

According to Remulla, the current regional setup makes it difficult for regional directors and agency heads to effectively serve the area, particularly because many regional offices are not based in Calapan City, the designated regional center.

‘As of now, sir, it’s almost impossible to be regional director of any agency in Region 4B,’ Remulla said, noting that most agencies do not have their regional offices in Calapan.

He cited the DILG Region 4B office, which is based in Quezon City, as an example.

Mimaropa, or Region 4B, is made up of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.

It was separated from the former Region IV in 2002 under Executive Order No. 103 issued by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The reorganization also created Calabarzon, or Region 4A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

Command centers

Remulla proposed returning the provinces to a single Region 4 but organizing them into separate command centers based on geography and accessibility.

Under his proposal, Cavite would be grouped with Palawan; Batangas with Mindoro; Laguna with Rizal; Quezon with Marinduque; while Romblon would remain a separate unit.

Remulla said the restructuring would rationalize government functions and make services more responsive by taking into account geography, travel time and accessibility.

‘That is what we want to do – return it to Region 4, into one region, but divide it into different command centers,’ he said.

Tulfo had raised the difficulty faced by the Mimaropa regional police director in visiting the island provinces, noting that travel from Mindoro to Palawan often requires passing through Manila.

He asked whether the Philippine National Police could acquire vessels to allow direct travel between the provinces.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the acquisition of vehicles and watercraft, including maintenance costs, was already being considered under the police procurement program.

But Remulla said additional transport would not fully address the problem, arguing that a fundamental restructuring of the region was needed.

He said the DILG would submit the proposed reorganization of Region 4 to the Senate within the year.

Why I returned over N400,000 forgotten in my vehicle – Bus driver

A commercial bus driver in Abia, Mr Onyekachi Ikpendu has explained why he returned more than N400,000 forgotten in his vehicle by a passenger identified as Mrs Nkechi John.

Ikpendu, on Friday, exhibited a rare act of honesty when he returned more than N400,000 to Mrs John.

John had boarded the bus at Uzuakoli, heading for Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal, Umuahia but alighted at Ubani Market.

But the petty trader had left her bag containing the cash and other personal belongings in the vehicle.

Upon realising what happened, she immediately proceeded to the terminal, where Ikpendu had secured the bag and its contents.

On the reason for his action, Ikpendu told journalists that he had no intention of holding back the money because he was content with earning a living through honest labour.

‘I am grateful and content with what I have, therefore, no amount of money I see now will move me to take what does not belong to me,’ he said.

According to him, returning the money to the owner was important to him because he believes that God rewards honesty and good deeds.

On her own, John expressed gratitude to the driver for his honesty and thanked Gov. Alex Otti for constructing the terminal.

She said that the terminal made it easier for her to trace the vehicle and recover her belongings, adding that the money was meant for her business.

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner for Transport, Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, commended Ikpendu for displaying integrity and sincerity.

Ukaegbu described the driver’s action as a positive example worthy of emulation by other residents.

He said that the incident demonstrated a positive change in the mindset of Abia citizens.

‘Our people are showing gratitude to His Excellency, Dr Alex Otti, for his good work and exemplary leadership in the state.

‘Honestly, the mindset of the people is changing towards doing the right thing even without being compelled,’ the commissioner said.

He urged residents to continue to demonstrate honesty and integrity in their daily life, describing Ikpendu’s action as an example of responsible citizenship.(NAN)

Charred bodies found on fire-hit ferry off Palawan

The death toll in the fire that hit a passenger vessel off Coron, Palawan, on Wednesday night is expected to breach the initial five reported fatalities after charred bodies were found inside the economy section of MV June Aster on Friday morning.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) earlier reported that 43 passengers were rescued while more than 80 were still missing.

The vessel, which left Manila on Tuesday night, had initially been reported to be carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members. The PCG, however, said two persons listed in the passenger manifest did not board the vessel.

In an advisory, Commodore Noemi Cayabyab, PCG spokesperson, said the remains were discovered after authorities declared the fire out at 10:15 a.m. Friday. Search and rescue teams were able to board the vessel two hours later.

‘The PCG, [the Philippine National Police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives] and other concerned agencies are currently undertaking the proper recovery and identification of the remains in accordance with established procedures,’ Cayabyab said.

‘We recognize the grief of the families affected by this tragic incident. Rest assured that operations are carried out with utmost respect for the deceased and their bereaved families,’ she added.

Authorities had yet to announce an updated casualty or missing person count as of Friday night. The Coast Guard said responders would continue assessing the vessel as part of the search, recovery and investigation.

Explosion

Citing accounts from survivors, Cayabyab said an explosion occurred in the vessel’s cargo hold, after which thick smoke and fire quickly spread throughout the ship.

MV June Aster, owned and operated by Atienza Interisland Ferry Inc., caught fire around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday about 2.2 kilometers (1.2 nautical miles)northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron, its destination.

The PCG, the Coron local government through its disaster response office, and the vessel operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., immediately launched search and rescue operations.

The fire had continued to produce smoke earlier Friday, prompting responders to work toward gaining access to the vessel’s different sections.

Improved weather conditions allowed the PCG to deploy helicopters for aerial surveys after poor weather prevented the aircraft from being used the previous day, Cayabyab said.

The PCG also deployed oil spill booms as a precaution after an assessment found no oil sheen in the surrounding waters.

The search for the missing passengers has kept other families gathered at municipal coordination centers in Coron, where they continue to await updates from authorities.

Relatives of missing passengers John Rey Marin, 35, and Jonas Rivas, 28, both residents of Sibuyan, Romblon, sought information on their whereabouts.

Marin and Rivas, both employees of a Cavite-based company, reportedly traveled to Coron to visit a project site.

The PCG appealed to relatives of people initially reported missing to inform authorities if their family members were safe or had not boarded the vessel.

Such information, Cayabyab said, would help authorities properly account for those still missing.

Captain, crew liability

She said the vessel’s captain and crew could face liability over the incident, although investigators still have to determine the extent of their responsibility.

‘With the number of missing and the number of capacity, definitely there is liability here,’ Cayabyab said.

Investigators will examine whether the crew and captain properly carried out emergency procedures after receiving information about the fire and whether passengers were promptly told what they needed to do, she said.

Cayabyab said the PCG was also looking into accounts that some people found in the water during the search were not wearing life jackets.

She said survivors told investigators that the incident happened quickly after a reported explosion in the cargo hold, followed by smoke and then a sudden fire.

The wind may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, based on the survivors’ accounts, Cayabyab said.

Some passengers reportedly jumped into the water after seeing the fire and may not have had time to retrieve their life jackets.

Whether passengers had been provided with life jackets and whether proper emergency procedures were followed remain part of the investigation, she said.

In an earlier statement, the vessel owner had committed to ‘full transparency’ following the fire.

‘Our hearts are with the affected families, and we will not rest until all individuals are accounted for,’ it said. ‘We have deployed specialized care teams to assist the families of the injured and missing, providing lodging and transportation services,’ it added.

Solar firm probe vs Legarda, son a waste of prosecution resources – spox

Sen. Loren Legarda’s camp said on Saturday that the investigations against her and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, over the latter’s solar power companies, were a ‘waste of prosecution resources’.

‘Ako, I see it as a waste of prosecution resources,’ Lawyer Tony La Viña, Legarda’s spokesperson, said when asked in a DWIZ interview.

(‘Me, I see it as a waste of prosecution resources,’)

A plunder and graft complaint against the two are under preliminary investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with P10.44-billion alleged irregularities involving Solar Para sa Bayan (SPBC) and Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc., owned by Leviste while he was still a private citizen.

This also stems from the more than 30 service contracts in the government that Leviste won in 2013, which the Ombudsman said created a ‘monopoly’ of solar energy projects.

La Viña maintained that ‘no government money used, no government money was stolen,’ as he previously explained that service contracts and franchises acquired by Leviste are not allotted government funds and only used private funds.

He further said that the fines of failed service contracts were paid by Leviste.

‘Walang so-called 24 billion or 10 billion. Not a single document asking him to pay for that,’ he added.

(There is no so-called 24 billion or 10 billion. Not a single document asking him to pay for that.)

The spokesman argued that Legarda did not help her son secure a solar franchise when she was Senate Committee on Finance as the votes were unanimous.

‘Parang it’s absurd, ‘di ba, na just because you’re a senator and you have a son, automatically, ‘di ba, ginamit mo yung power mo para makuha ng anak niya yung mga franchisees or mga contracts,’ he expressed.

(It seems absurd, doesn’t it? That just because you’re a senator and have a son, it’s automatically assumed you used your influence to secure franchises or contracts for him.)

But he noted that the ‘most successful renewable energy project’ of the administration was among the solon’s projects.

‘That’s the nature of the business, ang sinasabi ko. Si Leandro is only one of several players in the business. But again, what Senator Legarda has nothing to do with that,’ he maintained.

Is this epilepsy?

No, not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy. Up to 10% of people worldwide will experience at least one seizure during their lifetime, but the proportion living with active epilepsy at any given time is only 4 to 10 per 1,000.

The gap between those two numbers is enormous, and it reflects a core distinction in medicine: a seizure is a single event, while epilepsy is a pattern of recurring, unprovoked seizures. Epilepsy is generally diagnosed after a person has had two or more unprovoked seizures separated by at least 24 hours. The word ‘unprovoked’ is doing heavy lifting here. It means the seizure wasn’t triggered by an obvious, identifiable cause like a head injury, a drug reaction, or a dangerous drop in blood sugar.

The seizure happened on its own, without a clear external explanation. A large share of seizures fall into the ‘provoked’ or ‘acute symptomatic’ category. These are seizures triggered by a specific medical problem, and once that problem is resolved, the seizures typically stop.

Across all age groups, the most common causes are head trauma, stroke, drug or alcohol withdrawal, and infections affecting the brain. The treatment for provoked seizures focuses on fixing the underlying problem, not on long-term seizure medication.

Correcting the electrolyte imbalance, treating the infection, or managing the withdrawal is what stops the seizures. These events don’t count toward an epilepsy diagnosis because the brain isn’t generating seizures on its own.

When a child’s cough is more than ‘just catarrh’: Hidden danger of respiratory infections

For many Nigerian parents, a child with a cough, catarrh, or fever may not immediately trigger alarm. The first response is often familiar: reach for leftover antibiotic from a previous prescription, buy malaria medicine from a pharmacy, or wait for the symptoms to pass.

But health workers warn that what appears to be an ordinary childhood illness can sometimes signal a more serious respiratory infection and that treating every cough, fever, or sore throat the same way could do more harm than good.

‘Respiratory infections are not just mild infections. It is a leading cause of death in children under five,’ said Oluwasefunmi Oreoluwa Oladapo, brand manager, Pharma Symbiosis, on the sidelines of a training programme for health workers in Ibadan.

The training, organised in collaboration with the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, aimed to strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers to identify and manage respiratory infections.

Young children commonly experience respiratory illnesses, but symptoms that appear similar can have very different causes and require different treatment approaches.

Oladapo said that one of the key messages from the training was the need to distinguish between viral and bacterial respiratory infections.

The distinction is important because antibiotics work against bacteria, not viruses. Yet antibiotics are still commonly regarded as a quick solution for coughs, sore throats, and fever.

According to Oladapo, some viral respiratory infections may present with a runny nose, cough, low-grade fever, and body pains. Because these symptoms can overlap with other common illnesses, including malaria, individuals may be placed on several medicines without the underlying cause being properly established.

‘If a patient comes to you today with low-grade fever and all these other presentations, it is very easy to place the patient on malaria drugs and antibiotics because you have not clearly revealed and defined the symptoms,’ he said.

Bacterial infections, meanwhile, can present differently and may require antibiotic treatment. Health workers were trained to recognise clinical signs associated with bacterial tonsillopharyngitis and introduced to the Centor scoring tool, which can help clinicians assess patients presenting with acute sore throat.

In Nigeria, fever is often associated with malaria, while cough and catarrh are frequently treated as interchangeable signs of respiratory disease.

But assuming the cause without proper assessment can lead to inappropriate treatment and contribute to antimicrobial resistance, a condition in which bacteria become resistant to once-effective medicines.

As resistance increases, infections that were previously straightforward to treat can become more difficult, expensive, and potentially dangerous.

Oladapo said healthcare workers must recognise when antibiotics are indicated and, when necessary, select them appropriately.

He also warned mothers and other caregivers against treating children based on what worked during a previous illness.

‘A child who was prescribed an antibiotic during a previous infection may not need the same medicine the next time they develop a cough or fever. The new illness could have a different cause and therefore require a different treatment – or no antibiotic at all,’ he said.

Keeping and reusing leftover medicines without professional assessment can also contribute to inappropriate dosing and antimicrobial resistance.

‘The primary healthcare team is responsible for ensuring that your child is nursed back to health,’ Oladapo said.

Although not every cough requires a hospital visit, he urged parents to seek medical assessment when symptoms are persistent, severe, or unusual, instead of relying on previous prescriptions or advice from friends and relatives.

Treatment is only one part of protecting children from respiratory infections.

Oladapo urged parents to pay attention to hygiene and environmental conditions, particularly when children experience frequent infections.

Hand washing remains one practical measure that can help reduce the spread of infections. Children frequently touch surfaces, toys, and other objects before putting their hands near their mouths and faces.

Parents should therefore encourage regular hand washing, particularly before eating, after using the toilet, and after returning from outside environments.

Keeping living spaces clean and reducing exposure to conditions that may increase the spread of infection can also help protect vulnerable children.

However, when a child repeatedly becomes ill, parents should not simply assume that the problem is poor immunity and begin giving medicines or supplements without professional advice. Frequent or severe infections warrant proper medical assessment.

Oladapo said Pharma Symbiosis, an African multinational with a presence in more than 20 countries, sees primary healthcare as the closest point of contact between communities and the health system.

‘For a child with a cough, that early decision can make a difference. We believe that if you empower and strengthen the primary healthcare system, we can have healthier communities, healthier families and healthier Nigerians,’ he said.

That is why educating both health workers and caregivers matters.

Respiratory infections may begin with something as ordinary as a cough or runny nose. But the response should not be based on guesswork.

For Nigeria’s youngest children, the challenge is recognising when a seemingly simple illness may be something more serious – and ensuring that the right treatment reaches the child at the right time.

SEC pushes tougher safeguards on crowdfunding

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is looking to overhaul the Philippines’ crowdfunding rules, proposing higher fundraising limits alongside stronger safeguards for retail investors.

In a draft memorandum circular, the corporate regulator proposed the ‘Revised Rules and Regulations Governing Crowdfunding,’ which would cover both equity-based and debt-based crowdfunding conducted through online electronic platforms.

The amendments seek to update the regulatory framework introduced under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 14, series of 2019, amid developments in the crowdfunding market.

The regulator is accepting comments, suggestions and other inputs until Sept. 20.

Under the proposal, issuers may offer securities worth up to P25 million within a 12-month period.

Offerings to qualified investors may exceed P25 million but not more than P100 million over the same period.

Retail investors earning up to P2 million yearly, meanwhile, may invest a maximum of 5 percent of their annual income across crowdfunding offerings.

Those earning more than P2 million may invest up to 10 percent. Qualified investors would not be subject to these limits.

The SEC is also proposing stronger investor-protection measures as crowdfunding expands into both equity and debt instruments.

These include stricter due diligence, investor education, fund segregation, cybersecurity, disclosures and reporting requirements.

Before accepting an investment commitment from a retail investor, intermediaries would have to provide educational materials explaining risks such as potential illiquidity, total loss, dilution, issuer failure and the absence of guaranteed returns.

Retail investors would also get a cooling-off period of at least five business days before their funds could be released.

Investor funds would have to be kept in a trust or escrow account with a licensed bank or another authorized institution and segregated from an intermediary’s own funds.

Commingling with operational funds would be prohibited.