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IRCSL insurance awareness in Kurunegala and Kuliyapitiya today and tomorrow

The Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL), in collaboration with the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL), will hold two major public awareness programmes in Kurunegala and Kuliyapitiya on 23 and 24 July 2026.

Conducted under the national theme “Insurance for All: For a Secure Future,” the initiative aims to improve public awareness of insurance, strengthen financial literacy, and encourage greater insurance inclusion among communities across Sri Lanka.

It will bring together a broad spectrum of participants, including public sector officials, business representatives, bankers, university students, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) representatives, and members of the general public. The sessions will provide practical knowledge on the importance of insurance, policyholder rights and responsibilities, available insurance products, and the role of insurance in protecting individuals, families, and businesses against unforeseen financial risks.

The programs are scheduled as follows:

23 July 2026 – Provincial Council Auditorium, Kurunegala

Session 1 – 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

Session 2 – 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

24 July 2026 – Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya (9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.)

A special feature of the Kurunegala program will be the Insurance Industry Roadshow, which will be held throughout the day alongside the awareness sessions. All 29 licensed insurance companies in Sri Lanka will participate, giving the public a valuable opportunity to meet insurance advisors from both life and general insurance companies.

Public can learn about different insurance products and services, clarify their insurance-related questions, and receive guidance from industry professionals. Other key insurance industry stakeholders will also participate, allowing the public to better understand the insurance sector and the services it offers.

The roadshow will also include a Career Guidance Desk, where students, graduates, and job seekers can learn about career opportunities in the insurance industry, receive career advice, and submit their Curriculum Vitae (CVs) directly to participating insurance companies.

These sessions will focus on ethical conduct, professional standards, regulatory requirements, and good practices to help improve the quality of service provided to policyholders.

This awareness campaign forms part of IRCSL’s broader national strategy to increase insurance penetration and promote a culture of financial preparedness throughout the country. It also supports the Commission’s ongoing efforts to enhance consumer confidence and improve financial resilience through education and awareness.

The initiative is being organised with the active support of the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL) and other industry stakeholders such as Sri Lanka Insurance Brokers Association, Sri Lanka Insurance Institute etc. reflecting the industry’s collective commitment to expanding public access to insurance knowledge and services.

These programs build on the success of previous awareness campaigns conducted across the country, which have reached thousands of participants through workshops, educational sessions, and community engagement activities. IRCSL intends to continue expanding these district-level programmes to ensure that insurance education reaches every region of Sri Lanka.

The Commission warmly invites the public and all interested stakeholders to participate in these awareness programmes and gain valuable insights into how insurance can contribute to financial security and long-term well-being.

Ibadan: Higher Ground Mega Schools honours outstanding learners with scholarships

The Proprietress of Higher Ground Mega Schools, Ibadan, Oyo State, Mrs W.A. Owolabi, has urged graduating pupils and students of the school to uphold integrity, discipline and good character as they advance to the next stage of their academic journey, stressing that true success extends beyond academic excellence.

Mrs Owolabi gave the charge on Thursday during the school’s 2025/2026 End-of-Session Graduation Ceremony, Valedictory Service and Award/Prize-Giving Day, where outstanding pupils and students were honoured for their academic performance, exemplary conduct and outstanding achievements.

A total of 50 learners graduated during the ceremony, comprising 30 primary school pupils and 20 secondary school students.

Addressing the graduands, the proprietress described the ceremony as the end of one phase and the beginning of another, encouraging them to remain focused on their goals and contribute positively to society.

‘To our graduating pupils and students, congratulations. This graduation marks the end of one phase and the beginning of another. As you move forward, remember that success is measured not only by academic achievement but also by good character, discipline, respect, integrity and a desire to make positive contributions to society. Continue to dream big, work hard and believe in yourselves. It is not yet over-you have simply completed one step in the journey of making your parents, the nation and yourselves proud. Do not rest on your oars; the best is yet to come.’

Mrs Owolabi also commended parents and guardians for their trust and partnership with the school, saying their commitment had contributed significantly to the successes recorded during the academic session. She equally praised the teaching and non-teaching staff for their dedication, patience and professionalism in nurturing the learners.

The proprietress reaffirmed the school’s commitment to providing quality education in a safe learning environment, adding that management would continue to invest in academic excellence, moral values, creativity and innovation.

Mrs Owolabi also appealed to parents who are professionals in various fields to sponsor scholarships for deserving pupils, saying the initiative would encourage excellence and inspire more learners to strive for greater achievements.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the proprietress said the school recorded remarkable achievements during the 2025/2026 academic session, including outstanding performances by its candidates in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Mrs Owolabi said another major milestone recorded during the session was the conduct of the Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Higher Ground Mega Schools.

She explained that while the school’s students were already familiar with computer-based testing through internal examinations, this was the first time they sat the external WASSCE within the school using the CBT format.

Founded on August 1, 2009, the school is optimistic about achieving greater milestones in the coming years.

‘In the next five years, we will not be at this level. We will be at the higher ground that God has prepared for us, ‘ Mrs Owolabi said.

Delivering the keynote address, the guest speaker, Rev. Dr Sulola Wale, described the graduation ceremony as a proud milestone and reminded the graduands that they were beginning another phase of life rather than reaching the end of their educational journey.

He urged them to remain resilient in pursuing higher education and future aspirations.

‘You need to be strong and courageous. To get to university, to earn a master’s degree or a PhD is not a joke. It takes a strong and courageous heart to attain such heights,’ he said.

The cleric also charged the graduands to keep God at the centre of their lives.

‘Without God, you can’t make it. It takes God to take a man higher.’

He prayed that the graduands would excel above their peers and encouraged them to see the occasion as a stepping stone to greater accomplishments.

Among the academic award recipients were Salami Moyosola, who emerged as the overall best student in the Junior Secondary School, and Ojehonmon Ramsey, who was named the overall best Senior Secondary School student for the 2025/2026 academic session. Salami also finished first in JSS1, while Ramsey emerged first in SS1.

Other award recipients included Onunkwo Gabriel, who came first in JSS2, and Oke Joy Ezekiel, who finished first in SS2.

In the behavioural awards category, Adeleke Fathia was recognised as the most well-behaved nursery pupil, while Oyesunle Lanre received the award for the most well-behaved primary pupil. Olagunju Timothy was named the neatest nursery pupil, while Popoola Aaro emerged as the neatest primary pupil.

While presenting the awards, Mrs Owolabi announced full tuition scholarships for the 2026/2027 academic session for the two overall best students-Salami Moyosola and Ojehonmon Ramsey. She said their tuition fees for all three terms of the next academic session had been fully waived in recognition of their outstanding academic performance.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Ramsey described emerging as the overall best senior student as a dream come true.

‘It feels really good. I’m very happy. It feels like a dream come true. It makes me very happy to make my parents proud.’

He attributed his success to reading every day, saying consistent study habits played a major role in his academic achievement. He advised students to cultivate the habit of revising regularly rather than waiting until examinations were around the corner.

Ramsey also urged students to minimise their use of social media and pay close attention during classroom lessons.

According to him, many examination questions are drawn from what teachers teach in class rather than solely from textbooks.

Also speaking, Salami attributed her emergence as the overall best junior student to consistent reading and the quality of teaching she received from members of staff.

She said she hopes to become a medical doctor in the future and make her parents proud.

The event featured choir ministration, ballet performances, band displays, poetry recitation, drama and cultural performances by pupils from the nursery, primary and college sections. Graduating pupils were also presented with gifts amid applause from parents and guests.

Among dignitaries at the ceremony were the Chairman of the event, Mr David Olagunju, represented by his wife, Mrs Wuraola Olagunju; the Chairperson, Mrs Omoyeme Segun; the guest speaker, Rev. Dr Sulola Wale; executives of the Parents-Teachers Forum (PTF); parents; guardians; and other guests.

Rising private sector governance can elevate SL’s investment appeal

Stronger corporate governance across Sri Lankan companies can help rebuild the country’s credibility with global investors, speakers told the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) Corporate Director Summit yesterday, arguing that boardroom standards have become a determinant of national investment competitiveness as much as corporate

performance.

Opening the Summit under the theme ‘Future-Ready Sri Lankan Directors: From Compliance to Sustainable Growth,’ speakers said future boards would be judged less by compliance with governance codes than by their ability to respond quickly to disruption, challenge management, and earn the confidence of long-term investors.

Minor International Group CEO Dillip Rajakarier said every company that strengthens governance standards contributes to rebuilding Sri Lanka’s investment case, arguing that boardroom quality has become a competitive advantage rather than merely a compliance requirement.

‘Every board in this room that raises its governance standards is not just protecting your own shareholders, but you are collectively rebuilding Sri Lanka’s investment case,’ he said.

Rajakarier said investors now look beyond whether companies have governance codes and instead assess how boards perform when organisations face crises. They examine whether independent directors exercise genuine oversight, whether risk committees have the authority to challenge management, and whether board discussions encourage constructive debate rather than reinforce consensus.

He argued that boards must develop an adaptive capability that allows organisations to respond quickly to strategic shocks, saying speed has become a governance issue rather than solely a management responsibility. Drawing on Minor International’s acquisition of NH Hotels and its response during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said board structures should enable timely decisions while preserving rigour.

Echoing the investor perspective, LYNEAR Wealth Management Co-Founder and Managing Director Dr. Naveen Gunawardane said institutional investors first assess whether a company is investable before considering valuation.

He said investors scrutinise the composition of boards, directors’ industry expertise, their commitment of time and, above all, whether independent directors genuinely protect minority shareholder interests.

Dr. Gunawardane questioned the practice of directors serving on numerous boards, warning that excessive appointments could undermine effectiveness and raise doubts about directors’ ability to devote sufficient attention to each company. He also argued that independence should be judged by conduct rather than designation, particularly where boards oversee dominant shareholders and related-party transactions.

While acknowledging the importance of board diversity, Dr. Gunawardane said institutional investors ultimately place greater emphasis on competence, commitment, and genuine independence than on meeting numerical diversity targets.

Extending the discussion beyond shareholder oversight, Safesea Group Founder and Chairman Dr. S.V. Anchan said boards must incorporate geopolitical developments, technological disruption, and organisational resilience into their governance frameworks.

Drawing on the global shipping industry, he said geopolitical tensions can disrupt trade, supply chains, and financing long before their economic consequences appear in conventional data, making geopolitical risk a boardroom responsibility rather than an external concern.

Dr. Anchan said governance should facilitate timely decision-making instead of delaying action through excessive procedures and committee structures. While artificial intelligence (AI) can strengthen forecasting and operational efficiency, he said technology cannot replace human judgement, accountability, and leadership in times of crisis.

He added that future-ready boards should invest equally in people and technology while building resilient operating models capable of responding rapidly to unexpected disruptions.

Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said sustainability has become a governance and business imperative rather than a corporate responsibility exercise, arguing that investors increasingly allocate capital to companies that manage environmental and social risks effectively.

‘Sustainability improves long-term profitability, reduces business risk, and strengthens resilience,’ he said, adding that it also helps companies attract investment, talent, and customer confidence.

For Sri Lanka, Nasheed said embedding sustainability into business strategy presents an opportunity to build globally competitive enterprises capable of attracting responsible investment while supporting long-term economic prosperity.

Opening the summit, SLID Summit 2026 Chair Charaka Perera said directors must adapt to AI, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, and changing stakeholder expectations, while SLID Summit 2026 Technical Chair Sutheash Balasubramaniam said the discussions would be distilled into a boardroom insights handbook to help directors navigate emerging governance challenges.

Joining a subsequent panel discussion moderated by Janashakthi Group (JXG) CEO Ramesh Schaffter, Turkish Ambassador to Sri Lanka Dr. Semih Ltf Turgut said boards must prepare for an increasingly unpredictable global environment where geopolitical developments, technological disruption, climate change, and shifting political realities can rapidly reshape business conditions.

He said directors need a global outlook, strategic foresight, and the ability to interpret geopolitical developments and their implications for business, while remaining committed to ethical governance, sustainability, and long-term value creation.

Dr. Turgut added that these principles apply equally to corporate boards, public institutions, and policymakers as organisations navigate an era of heightened uncertainty.

FG urged to translate energy reforms, policies into concrete action

Stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to move beyond policy formulation and ensure the effective implementation of energy sector reforms to unlock Nigeria’s vast energy potential.

They identified poor policy execution, weak institutions and inadequate infrastructure as major barriers to sustainable energy development and investment in the country.

The call was made on Wednesday at the 4th Dr. Diran Fawibe Annual Lecture Series held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The event, organised by the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL), University of Ibadan, in collaboration with International Energy Services Limited (IESL), brought together energy experts, academics and industry stakeholders.

Delivering the keynote lecture titled ‘The Public-Private Energy Shift: Innovation, Investment, Implementation,’ Professor Yinka Omorogbe (SAN) said Nigeria possesses abundant natural resources capable of meeting its energy demands but has continued to underperform due to governance challenges and poor implementation of existing policies.

She stressed that government and the private sector should focus on their respective strengths instead of competing for the same responsibilities.

According to her, government should concentrate on strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks and creating an enabling environment for investment, while the private sector should drive financing, innovation and project execution.

Omorogbe noted that investors would be more willing to commit resources to Nigeria if they were assured of stable policies, transparent regulations, enforceable contracts and credible institutions.

She also emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration between research institutions and investors to ensure innovative ideas are adequately funded and commercialised.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Layi Fatona, said Nigeria could harness its enormous energy resources to drive economic growth if government agencies, universities and private sector operators worked more closely.

He observed that policies alone would not transform the sector without adequate investment, innovation and effective implementation.

Fatona added that consistent execution of reforms would determine the long-term success of Nigeria’s energy industry.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, said the country must urgently bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation.

He reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting national development through research, capacity building and evidence-based policy recommendations, particularly through the activities of CPEEL.

Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IESL, Mr. Bayo Ige, said the annual lecture series was established to deepen collaboration between academia and the energy industry.

He disclosed that the partnership between IESL and CPEEL has produced several innovative projects, including artificial intelligence-powered solar irrigation systems, smart electricity meters, hybrid biodigesters, solar-powered generators and agricultural robotics.

Ige also announced that construction of the Dr. Diran Fawibe CPEEL Research Centre is progressing steadily.

He called on indigenous energy companies and corporate organisations to invest more in research and development, noting that government alone cannot deliver Nigeria’s energy ambitions.

In his remarks, the honouree, Dr. Diran Fawibe, urged stakeholders to ensure that discussions at policy forums translate into measurable actions.

He said Nigeria requires consistent policies, stronger public-private collaboration, practical research and sustained industry commitment to achieve energy security and stimulate industrial and economic growth.

Forget SEO in 2026: Why Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is new goldmine

For more than two decades, digital marketing across Africa followed a familiar formula: publish a 1,500-word article, sprinkle target keywords at roughly 2.5% density, build backlinks, and wait for Google’s ten blue links to drive organic traffic to your website.

More than 65% of global informational searches now end without a single click. Instead of directing users to websites, Google AI Overviews and AI-powered platforms such as Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude generate complete answers within the search experience. Search engines are no longer just index libraries, they have evolved into generative engines.

Google itself acknowledges this shift. In its official AI optimisation guidance, the company notes that strong technical indexing remains the foundation for content to be discovered and selected by AI-powered search experiences.

For digital marketing agencies, brand managers, and technology startups in Nigeria, adapting to this new reality means moving beyond traditional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) toward Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO).

The paradigm shift: Ranking vs. citation

Traditional SEO was designed to convince an algorithm to rank a webpage in the number one position.

GEO has a different objective: persuading Large Language Models (LLMs) to extract, cite, and attribute your content as the authoritative source within AI-generated answers.

Imagine a user in Lagos asking an AI assistant, ‘Which payment gateway offers the lowest cross-border API latency for SMBs in West Africa?’

Rather than displaying ten search results, the AI performs a process known as query fan-out. It breaks the prompt into multiple sub-questions, retrieves relevant information from indexed sources, evaluates credibility, and synthesises a single response.

If your content relies on keyword stuffing, lengthy introductions, or generic commentary, it is unlikely to be surfaced. Modern AI systems prioritise information density, structured content, factual accuracy, and verifiable sources.

From legacy SEO to modern GEO

To remain visible in AI-powered search, marketers must replace outdated ranking tactics with machine-readable optimisation strategies.

Prioritise information gain over keyword density

Traditional SEO rewarded content creators for rewriting high-ranking articles while targeting the same keywords.

In the GEO era, that approach offers little value.

AI models summarise widely available information but are more likely to cite content that contributes new, original insights rather than repeating existing knowledge.

Add proprietary data and expert perspectives

Research from Princeton University on Generative Engine Optimisation found that incorporating original statistics, expert quotations, and clearly attributed sources can significantly improve a page’s likelihood of appearing in AI-generated responses.

Original research, customer data, case studies, and exclusive industry insights have become valuable competitive advantages.

Lead with direct answers

Place the key takeaway at the beginning of every section.

Keep paragraphs short, ideally two or three sentences and answer the user’s question immediately before expanding with supporting context.

Most AI systems use Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), which favors concise, self-contained passages that can be accurately retrieved and cited.

How to structure content for generative crawlers: Speaking the LLM’s language

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is about more than what you publish. It also depends on how AI systems interpret your content.

Unlike traditional search crawlers that mainly index web pages, Large Language Models (LLMs) retrieve information through structured tokenisation, entity recognition, and passage-level extraction. Your content must therefore be easy for AI systems to parse, understand, and cite.

Use structured data extensively

One of the easiest ways to improve machine readability is through comprehensive JSON-LD schema markup.

Implement structured data such as Article, FAQPage, and Organisation schema wherever appropriate. By presenting information as clearly defined entities and question-and-answer pairs, you reduce ambiguity and make it easier for generative engines to retrieve verified facts instead of interpreting long blocks of text.

Prioritise server-side rendering

Many AI crawlers, including GPTBot and Google-Other, perform limited or no client-side JavaScript rendering to reduce computational costs.

If your key insights are hidden behind JavaScript components, accordions, or dynamically loaded content, they may never be seen by AI systems.

Keep important information accessible in clean, server-rendered HTML whenever possible.

Three pillars of GEO execution for Nigerian brands

Winning visibility in AI-powered search requires more than technical optimisation. It demands a complete rethink of how content is created, structured, and maintained.

1. Write for passage-level retrieval

Most modern AI systems rely on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), retrieving individual passages, not entire pages to answer user questions.

To increase your chances of being cited:

Answer the primary question immediately beneath each H2 heading.

Support every major claim with credible statistics and proper attribution.

Keep each paragraph focused on a single idea, ideally below 60 words.

Use tables, bullet points, and concise summaries where appropriate.

Think in terms of atomic claims, small, self-contained pieces of information that can stand alone when quoted by an AI model.

2. Strengthen E-E-A-T signals

Because generative AI systems aim to minimise factual errors and hallucinations, they favour sources demonstrating strong Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

If your brand has little presence across reputable news publications, industry reports, academic research, or structured knowledge bases, AI systems have fewer signals that establish your credibility.

Authority is no longer measured solely through backlinks. Increasingly, it comes from consistent expert attribution, verified citations, and trustworthy digital footprints.

As Tunde Arise, Managing Director of ApexPoint Digital Lagos, explains, ‘AI search models do not care about your domain authority if your page content is unextractable. In 2026, the brands winning market share in Africa aren’t those spending millions on backlink packages. They are the ones structuring their domain data so clearly that an AI model has no choice but to quote them as the primary truth.’

3. Build AI-friendly technical infrastructure

Many African enterprise websites unintentionally reduce their AI visibility through technical misconfigurations.

Review your infrastructure to ensure:

AI crawlers are not blocked in your robots.txt file.

CDN services such as Cloudflare are not restricting AI user agents.

Critical content is accessible without JavaScript execution.

Important information is not buried behind tabs, accordions, or unnecessary interactive elements.

Even high-quality content cannot be cited if AI systems cannot access it.

Navigating the transition

As businesses redesign their digital presence for the AI era, visibility increasingly depends on how well content integrates with broader digital strategy.

Content quality, technical SEO, structured data, digital PR, and brand authority now work together to determine whether an AI assistant recommends your business-or ignores it altogether.

New GEO metrics replacing traditional SEO KPIs

Traditional rank trackers and pageview dashboards provide only part of the picture.

In the era of zero-click search, success is increasingly measured by how often AI systems reference your brand.

Key GEO metrics include:

Share of Voice (SoV) in AI responses

Measure how frequently your brand appears across AI-generated answers for your industry’s most valuable prompts.

Citation frequency and prominence

Track how often your content is cited and whether it appears as a primary source or merely a supporting reference.

Sentiment and factual accuracy

Monitor how AI models describe your products, pricing, expertise, and brand positioning. Outdated or inaccurate information can spread quickly if not corrected.

GEO implementation checklist

As you transition from traditional SEO to GEO, use the following checklist:

Allow AI crawlers: Confirm that your robots.txt file and CDN settings do not block GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, PerplexityBot, Google-Other, or other AI crawlers.

Expand your knowledge graph: Earn mentions across reputable media outlets, industry publications, research reports, community forums, and structured knowledge sources that AI systems rely on for validation.

Refresh cornerstone content regularly: Review and update high-value pages every 90 days to maintain factual accuracy and demonstrate content freshness.

Strengthen structured data: Implement comprehensive schema markup across key pages.

Improve passage quality: Rewrite content into concise, standalone sections that AI systems can easily retrieve and cite.

Monitor AI visibility: Track citations, Share of Voice, sentiment, and retrieval performance not just rankings.

The future of search belongs to brands that communicate effectively with both humans and machines. In 2026 and beyond, digital visibility will be determined less by where you rank and more by whether AI systems consider your content credible enough to retrieve, cite, and recommend.

CSE breathes after CBSL keeps rates steady

The Colombo stock market ended a three-session losing streak to close yesterday in the green buoyed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s monetary policy decision to hold rates steady.

The ASPI ended up 0.02% or 3.83 points at 21,149.56 but the S and P SL20 ended down 0.21% or 12.39 points at 5,932.62.

Turnover was over Rs. 3.5 billion on over 91.1 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 241 million.

First Capital Research said investor sentiment remained positive following the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s decision to maintain policy interest rates, supporting buying interest despite the mixed performance of the benchmark indices.

Both HNW and retail investor participation remained high during the session, contributing to overall market activity. The main positive contributors to the ASPI were SEYB, LION, PKME, CARG, and SEMB.X.

The real estate management and development sector led the daily turnover with a share of 65%, amid higher number of crossings seen in ONAL, followed by the banking, and diversified financials sectors collectively contributing 15%.

Lagos begins free maternal, child health week, warns against quacks

THE Lagos State Government on Monday commenced the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week, urging residents to embrace preventive healthcare and avoid unqualified healthcare providers.

The exercise, which will run from July 20 to 24, will provide free healthcare services at all public primary healthcare centres and designated outreach sites across the state.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Secretariat, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at improving the health of mothers, children, adolescents and families.

She said residents would benefit from free services including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, nutrition counselling, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, growth monitoring and health education.

The First Lady also expressed concern over rising social vices, disclosing that more than 4,000 rape cases were reported in Lagos in 2025, while drug abuse among adolescents continued to increase.

She urged residents to report cases of domestic and sexual violence through the state’s toll-free line, 08000333333, assuring that the government remained committed to protecting vulnerable persons and prosecuting offenders.

Sanwo-Olu also warned pregnant women against seeking care from unqualified birth attendants, saying patronage of quacks had continued to result in avoidable complications and deaths.

‘Our pregnant women should stop seeking services from quacks. I call on the Traditional Medicine Board, law enforcement agencies and community leaders to strengthen monitoring efforts and bring these criminals to justice,’ she said.

Highlighting achievements recorded during the previous round of the programme, she disclosed that over 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements, 4.36 million children were dewormed, more than 17,500 pregnant women and nursing mothers accessed antenatal and postnatal services, while over 216,900 women and men benefited from family planning services.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, described the MNCAH+N Week as one of Lagos State’s flagship public health initiatives, noting that the programme was originally developed by Lagos before its adoption nationwide by the National Council on Health in 2010.

According to her, this year’s exercise targets children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescents, while preventive healthcare services will also be available for men.

She noted that maternal and child mortality remained a major public health concern despite progress recorded over the years and urged residents who had defaulted in routine healthcare to take advantage of the free outreach.

Ogunyemi also appreciated development partners including UNICEF, UNFPA, the Gates Foundation and Agrim Pharmaceuticals for supporting the programme.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, urged residents to become ambassadors of healthy living by encouraging neighbours and relatives to patronise government health facilities.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Kehinde Almaroof-Oluyede, said the council was strengthening primary healthcare through investments in infrastructure, emergency response and routine public health interventions.

UNICEF Lagos Chief of Office, Celine Lafoucriere, commended the Lagos State Government for sustaining investments in child nutrition and maternal health, noting that Lagos is home to about three million children under the age of five.

She said UNICEF supported the current campaign with Vitamin A capsules, micronutrient supplements and community mobilisation, while urging the state to ensure a successful second round of the programme before the end of November.

The first round of the 2026 MNCAH+N Week will run until July 24, with free services available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at public primary healthcare facilities and designated centres across the state.

New Anthoney’s takes on antimicrobial resistance to make Sri Lankan poultry safer

Sri Lanka consumes roughly 258,000 metric tonnes of chicken annually, according to the Department of Animal Production and Health, and that figure has been climbing steadily as protein awareness grows and fast-food culture deepens. Behind that volume lies a practice that most consumers never see: the routine use of antibiotics in commercial poultry farming, applied not to treat disease but to accelerate growth and compensate for poor biosecurity. New Anthoney’s Farms, one of Sri Lanka’s few antibiotic-free poultry producers, has spent years building a credible counter-argument to that norm, and the science increasingly backs its position.

Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, is the process by which bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to defeat the drugs designed to treat them. The World Health Organization has described AMR as one of the greatest threats to global public health, attributing 1.27 million deaths directly to resistant bacterial infections in 2019 alone, with the broader toll estimated at 4.95 million deaths when infections to which AMR contributed are included. The WHO now projects that without coordinated action, AMR could cause up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050, surpassing cancer as a leading cause of mortality.

The livestock sector is a significant driver. Antibiotics administered to animals pass through the food chain and into the environment, accelerating resistance in bacteria that affect both animals and humans. In the poultry industry specifically, the pattern is well established: farms under pressure to produce faster and at lower cost turn to antibiotics as a management crutch rather than a last resort.

What the data shows in Sri Lanka

Local research confirms the scale of the problem. A study published in the Sri Lanka Veterinary Journal examining commercial poultry farms in the Kurunegala district found that 98% of farms surveyed were using at least one antimicrobial drug, with enrofloxacin, amoxicillin and tetracycline among the most common. Resistance profiles from faecal samples showed tetracycline resistance at 81.8% and resistance to fluoroquinolones including ciprofloxacin at 31.8%. These are not obscure compounds: ciprofloxacin is a critically important antibiotic in human medicine, classified by the WHO as essential for treating severe infections where few alternatives exist.

The implications are direct. When resistance builds up in poultry gut bacteria and those bacteria enter the food chain, soil, or water supply, they carry their resistance traits with them. Consumers who never take an antibiotic themselves can still be exposed to resistant organisms through the food they eat.

New Anthoney’s position in the market

New Anthoney’s established its antibiotic-free model not as a marketing angle but as a production philosophy tied to long-term commercial viability and public health responsibility. The company’s Harithahari range of chicken is certified antibiotic-free, produced under strict biosecurity protocols that eliminate the conditions that prompt conventional farmers to reach for antimicrobials in the first place. Harithahari, which means ‘green’ in Sinhala, is positioned as a premium product for health-conscious consumers who understand what antibiotic-free means and why it matters.

The company’s approach received formal academic recognition through a memorandum of understanding with the University of Peradeniya, one of Sri Lanka’s foremost agricultural research institutions. That partnership reflects a broader commitment to grounding its production standards in science rather than self-certification, and gives the Harithahari claim an independent layer of credibility that most competitors cannot match.

New Anthoney’s has also positioned itself as a future export business. Antibiotic-free certification is increasingly a non-negotiable requirement for entry into export markets, particularly in the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, where food safety regulations are tightening around antimicrobial use. Establishing the production standard now, before export ambitions mature, means the company will not face a costly retrofit of its operations when it is ready to compete internationally.

Building awareness at every level

The challenge with AMR is that its consequences are diffuse and delayed, which makes it difficult to communicate with urgency. New Anthoney’s has approached this through layered awareness work that reaches different audiences in different ways.

Internally, the company has run staff awareness programs at its Hanwella facilities, focusing specifically on the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and what antibiotic-free production actually requires from the people involved in it. These sessions covered the company’s own Harithahari protocols, the ethical basis for antibiotic-free farming, and the role each employee plays in maintaining standards that cannot be compromised at any point in the production chain.

Externally, New Anthoney’s has engaged industry peers, food sector stakeholders, and the wider public to make the case that responsible food production is not a niche concern. The company’s argument is straightforward: the same logic that governs responsible medicine use applies to food production. Antibiotics keep people alive. Overusing them, whether in hospitals or in chicken farms, erodes the very efficacy that makes them valuable.

Sri Lanka has a historically rich food culture, and New Anthoney’s frames its work within that tradition. Food that sustains people properly has always been a national value. What has changed is the industrial context in which food is now produced, and with it the responsibility that producers carry.

Why this matters now

The WHO’s Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance calls on all sectors, including agriculture and food production, to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use and preserve the effectiveness of existing drugs. Sri Lanka adopted a National Action Plan on AMR in 2017, but implementation across the food sector has been uneven. Industry leadership, rather than regulation alone, will drive the change that the plan envisions.

New Anthoney’s is one of the few Sri Lankan poultry producers putting that leadership into practice at scale. Its model demonstrates that antibiotic-free production is commercially viable, scientifically defensible, and responsive to where consumer demand and regulatory standards are heading. For a country working to build export-credible food industries, that matters considerably.

Troops rescue 11 kidnap victims, arrest 21 terrorist suspects, collaborators

Troops have rescued 11 kidnapped victims and arrested 21 suspected terrorists, collaborators, logistics suppliers and drug peddlers in coordinated operations across Borno, Zamfara and Kogi.

This is contained in operational reports made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.

According to the reports, the operations, conducted under Operation HADIN KAI, Operation Fansan Yamma and Operation MESA between July 21 and 22, also led to the discovery and destruction of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by terrorists.

The army said the troops of Operation HADIN KAI arrested three suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers around New Abbaram Resettlement Village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno.

It said the items recovered included 3.5 litres of groundnut oil, kola nuts, salt and 76 sachets of coconut flavouring believed to be destined for terrorists.

The army added that troops also received two teenage girls who escaped from the Grazah terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains and surrendered at Gwoza.

According to the report, troops discovered and safely detonated two primed IEDs planted by terrorists to target security forces and commuters along the Dambua-Bulabulin-Kumala road.

‘Similarly, troops encountered another booby-trap IED along the Cross Kauwa-Kekeno-Monguno road, while fragments were recovered for further forensic analysis.

‘In Monguno, troops arrested 12 suspected drug peddlers during raids on criminal hideouts, recovering quantities of cannabis, tramadol and other illicit substances,’ it said.

The reports further indicated that troops of Operation Fansan Yamma engaged terrorists along the Gambada-Gummi-Sokoto road in Zamfara, forcing them to flee and abandon 11 kidnapped victims and a motorcycle.

In Kogi, it said the troops arrested a suspected terrorist informant who confessed to working for a notorious terrorist kingpin identified as Kachallah Babangida.

The report added that security forces also apprehended three suspected terrorists during separate operations in Adavi and Lokoja Local Government Areas.

‘Additionally, troops arrested two suspected logistics couriers transporting food items, drinks and cigarettes allegedly meant for terrorists operating within the state,’ it added.

The army said search operations were ongoing to rescue two persons abducted by gunmen in Owo, Ondo State, while troops recovered a bicycle and bags of charcoal abandoned by a fleeing logistics supplier.

It added that the operations reflected sustained efforts by the Armed Forces to dismantle terrorist logistics networks, rescue kidnapped victims and deny criminal elements freedom of action across various theatres of operation.

Foreign travel by law enforcement officials becoming a trend

The latest news is that officers from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have left for Australia to investigate and trace suspects in the case relating to an alleged bribe of $2 million from a European Airline during the acquisition process of a 10-aircraft fleet for SriLankan Airlines in 2013.

They hope to record a statement from one of the suspects in the case who is said to be residing in Australia.

Prior to this, a team from the CID travelled to the UK to investigate whether the University of Wolverhampton issued an official invitation to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, or if his 2023 trip to his wife’s graduation was a personal visit in the guise of being an official one.

A team led by CID Director Shani Abeysekara also travelled to France recently to record a statement from a man named Asad Maulana, who the CID thinks will provide the smoking gun to help them prove a conspiracy behind the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. Moulana was entertained at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Paris by the CID officials who sat down with him for a few hours to record a statement. It didn’t cross their minds that Moulana is wanted in Sri Lanka in connection with two cases pending against him and is on the run seeking asylum in Switzerland.

Now the latest jaunt is to Australia where the CID/CIABOC officials think they can collect enough evidence relating to the SriLankan Airlines case.

The law enforcement authorities in Sri Lanka work with Interpol and other foreign law enforcement agencies including those in Australia and the UK and there is no need for local officials to travel at State cost to these countries, bag and baggage to record statements which, if necessary, can be done by video links. There are also serious questions if the statements they record will be admissible as evidence in court during a trial as they will be highly contested by the defence. All the while their overseas travel and accommodation bill will be incurred by State coffers.

The costs being incurred for such travel are being kept under wraps. Attempts to obtain how much was spent on the CID officers to travel to the UK for the Ranil Wickremesinghe case could not be obtained after the Police Department ignored a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by a journalist. An appeal is pending.

Certainly, there are many cases that warrant investigation and prosecution, especially where corruption and misappropriation of public funds are concerned but given that the CID and the CIABOC are turning a blind eye to corruption and wrongdoing within those in this Government makes it obvious that they are applying the law selectively to serve their agendas or those of their political masters.

Take the case of the $2.5 million (approx. Rs. 800 million) which went missing from the Treasury. Hackers had diverted a foreign bilateral debt repayment intended for Australia, transferring the funds into fraudulent US shell company accounts. Now that the CID and the CIAOBC officials are in Australia they should investigate this case as well and discuss with their Australian counterparts how the Sri Lanka Finance Ministry officials were so easily hoodwinked. While the CID is in a foreign travel mode, maybe a team should head to Japan too to see if they can trace the missing PhD of the former NPP speaker MP Asoka Ranwala.

There was a time whenever a high-profile crime took place in Sri Lanka, the governments in power would get down a team from Scotland Yard to assist in the investigation.

Since the NPP came to power, the trend is for CID officials to travel overseas, on business we are told.

While the CID and other Government intuitions should investigate criminal activity, travelling overseas to obtain evidence will not be of much help judging by some of the previous jaunts. What they should do is seek the assistance of the authorities in the countries concerned and use the connections with Interpol to assist them.