Author: user user

Kano Has No Speech Physiotherapist – Health Commissioner

The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, says the state has no speech physiotherapist, forcing patients in need of specialised rehabilitation services to travel to other locations for treatment.

Labaran said the state government is taking steps to address the shortage by sponsoring physiotherapists for specialised training to ensure that residents could access the services locally.

The commissioner spoke at the 66th Annual Scientific Conference and 67th Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy held in Kano.

The conference featured sub-themes on strategic advocacy and policy engagement for integrating physiotherapy into Nigeria’s public health system, as well as rehabilitation across the lifespan, focusing on disabilities arising from non-communicable diseases, trauma and infectious diseases.

According to Labaran, the state government has expanded physiotherapy units across four of its hospitals in recognition of the vital role the profession plays in healthcare delivery.

He added that plans were underway to establish a centre of excellence in physiotherapy at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano.

‘We realised that we don’t have a single speech physiotherapist in Kano and perhaps in the entire North. We either have to bring a specialist from Ibadan or travel there.

‘We have therefore decided to sponsor physiotherapists to specialise in this area so that the services will be available in Kano,’ he said.

The Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria, Professor Rufai Ahmed, who represented the Minister of State for Health, Dr Isaac Salako, emphasised the importance of training physiotherapists in specialised fields where services were unavailable.

Ahmed said the board would send a team to assist state-owned hospitals in securing the necessary accreditation for physiotherapy services.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to the profession, stressing the need to strengthen training institutions to improve service delivery despite existing challenges.

The President of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, Dr Felix Oyinlola Odusanya, said the conference theme reflected a renewed commitment to advancing the profession and expanding its contribution to healthcare delivery.

He said the association was looking forward to the approval of a national rehabilitation policy and the release of the Doctor of Physiotherapy scheme of service in the health sector.

According to him, Nigeria has 60 physiotherapy training institutions, while the National Universities Commission has recently approved a five-year Doctor of Physiotherapy degree programme.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Faruk, said the conference provided an important platform for discussions on reducing disability and pain while highlighting the role of physiotherapy in public health.

The governor stressed that physiotherapy should be recognised as an integral component of comprehensive healthcare services for injured persons, older people and persons with disabilities.

Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, who attended the event in a wheelchair, shared his rehabilitation experience following surgery in Germany, which he said had enabled him to stand and move without support.

In his presentation, the guest speaker, Dr Felix Abraham Obi, lamented that although Nigeria trains physiotherapists, the healthcare system does not adequately deploy them to leadership positions where they could contribute to policy formulation and decision-making.

He noted that there was no physiotherapist serving as a director in the Federal Ministry of Health or at the state level.

’Why OPay suspended New York exchange listing, trading’

OPay Limited has provided an update regarding its New York Stock Exchange (‘NYSE’) initial public offering (the ‘Offering’), saying the listing slated for Friday was suspended due to a regulatory inquiry relating to a jurisdiction which it said ‘is immaterial to the Company’s core business operations.’

In a statement, the company stated that it is confident that the inquiry will be concluded satisfactorily in the near future.

According to the statement, ‘after careful consideration and discussions with the underwriters, the Company determined that not proceeding with the Offering at this time would be the most prudent course of action.

‘As such, the Company and the underwriters mutually agreed to terminate the underwriting agreement dated October 29, 2026, relating to the Offering. As a result, the Offering will not be completed, and the Company’s ADSs will not commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange as previously scheduled.

‘OPay wishes to emphasise that this development should not be misconstrued as a reflection on the Company’s business performance, financial condition, operational integrity, or regulatory standing. The matter relates to an inquiry in a foreign jurisdiction, which is being addressed through the appropriate channels. The Company remains confident that the inquiry will be resolved satisfactorily in the near future and is actively engaging the relevant stakeholders to facilitate an early resolution.

‘This development has no impact on OPay’s business operations, regulatory standing, or service delivery in Nigeria or any other market in which the Company operates. OPay continues to operate normally and remains fully committed to its customers, merchants, agents, business partners, employees, and the broader digital financial ecosystem across Nigeria, Indonesia, Egypt, and Pakistan.

‘OPay’s long-term commitment to Nigeria remains unwavering. The Company will continue to deepen its investments in the country’s digital financial services sector, promote financial inclusion, support economic growth, and contribute to the development of Nigeria’s digital economy. The Company appreciates the continued confidence and support of its stakeholders and will provide further updates as material developments occur.’

7 types of malaria you should know

Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases in tropical regions, including Nigeria. It is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium group and is mainly transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.

Although many people simply refer to every infection as malaria, there are different types of malaria. The type depends largely on the Plasmodium parasite responsible for the infection, while malaria can also be described according to how severe the illness becomes.

The distinction matters because some forms are more likely to cause severe disease, while others can remain in the body and cause repeated episodes if not properly treated.

In this article, Tribune Online highlights seven types and forms of malaria everyone should know.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous malaria parasite and the dominant cause of malaria in Africa. It can multiply rapidly in the blood and cause severe illness if treatment is delayed. In some patients, the infection can progress to complications affecting the brain, kidneys, lungs and other organs.

Severe P. falciparum malaria can cause impaired consciousness, seizures, severe anaemia, breathing difficulties, jaundice and other life-threatening complications. This is why fever and other symptoms suggestive of malaria should not simply be treated casually at home, particularly in young children and pregnant women. P. falciparum is recognised as the deadliest malaria parasite and says it is the most prevalent malaria parasite on the African continent.

Plasmodium vivax malaria

Plasmodium vivax is another major cause of malaria, particularly in regions outside sub-Saharan Africa. One important feature of P. vivax is its ability to form dormant stages in the liver. These parasites can become active again later, causing another episode of malaria.

This means treating the initial symptoms alone may not always be enough. Where P. vivax is confirmed, treatment may need to address both the parasites in the blood and the dormant liver stages to prevent relapse. Repeated infections can also contribute to anemia and other health problems, particularly in vulnerable patients.

Plasmodium malariae malaria

Plasmodium malariae is less common than P. falciparum but can infect people in several parts of the world, including Africa. The infection can sometimes persist in the body for a long period without causing dramatic symptoms.

Although it is generally less likely than P. falciparum to cause severe disease, it should not be dismissed. Chronic infection has been associated with complications such as kidney-related problems. Proper testing is therefore important rather than assuming that all malaria infections behave in exactly the same way.

Plasmodium ovale malaria

Plasmodium ovale is another malaria parasite that can infect humans and is found particularly in parts of Africa and some other tropical regions. Like P. vivax, P. ovale can form dormant stages in the liver. These can reactivate later and cause relapse.

There are actually two recognised P. ovale species, P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri, although they are commonly discussed together as P. ovale malaria. Because the parasite can remain dormant, identifying the type of malaria is important when deciding on appropriate treatment.

Plasmodium knowlesi malaria

Plasmodium knowlesi is different from the other malaria parasites commonly discussed because it normally infects certain monkeys. However, it can also infect humans, particularly in parts of Southeast Asia.

It can multiply rapidly and may cause severe illness. Because of this, P. knowlesi infection can sometimes be mistaken for other forms of malaria, making accurate diagnosis important. It is not a major cause of malaria in Nigeria, but it is important to know about because of its potential severity and its role as a zoonotic malaria parasite.

Uncomplicated malaria

Uncomplicated malaria refers to malaria that has not developed into severe disease. A person may have symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle aches, nausea or vomiting.

The symptoms can initially appear similar to other common infections, which is why testing is important. Uncomplicated malaria can become severe if it is not treated appropriately, particularly when caused by parasites capable of rapidly progressing to serious disease.

It’s recommended to confirm suspected malaria with parasite-based testing, such as microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test, where testing is available. The appropriate medicine depends on factors including the parasite species, local drug resistance patterns, the patient’s age and weight, and whether the person is pregnant.

Severe malaria

Severe malaria is the most dangerous form of the disease. It occurs when malaria causes serious complications involving vital organs or other major problems in the body. It can include impaired consciousness, repeated seizures, severe breathing difficulties, severe anaemia, jaundice, abnormal bleeding and other complications.

Severe malaria requires urgent hospital treatment. Children under five, pregnant women, travellers who have not developed immunity and people with certain health conditions are among those at increased risk of severe malaria.

Shetty targets 500000 professional women for Tinubu Yusuf re-election

The Director of the Kano Professional Women Directorate for Presidential and Governorship Elections Dr Maryam Shetty has unveiled plans to mobilise 500000 professional women in Kano State to support President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Yusuf ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Shetty disclosed this during an engagement with journalists in Kano where she called on eligible professional women across the state to register with the APC Kano Professional Women platform.

She said the directorate was established to bring together women from different professional backgrounds including medical doctors pharmacists physiotherapists entrepreneurs and other skilled professionals to promote collaboration and participation in governance and community development.

According to her the platform will identify the needs and challenges of professional women and develop programmes to address them before and after the elections.

Shetty said Governor Yusuf’s leadership had encouraged professional women and other groups seeking greater participation in governance adding that purposeful leadership was essential to sustainable development.

She urged interested women to register through the organisation’s website www.apckanoprofessionalwomen.org to enable the directorate to identify their interests understand their challenges and design programmes to address their needs.

She also expressed support for Tinubu and Yusuf saying collective commitment and cooperation would advance the interests of professional women and contribute to Kano State’s development.

Gov Bala pledges support for specialist eye hospital in Bauchi

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has pledged continued support for the establishment of a specialist eye hospital in the state to provide advanced treatment and serve patients across Nigeria and West Africa.

The governor gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from the Al-Basar International Foundation, Christian Blind Mission (CBM) and other partners on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Bauchi.

He commended their partnership with the Al-Muhibbah Foundation, describing it as a demonstration of unity and service to humanity.

Bala Mohammed also praised the First Lady, Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed, for her humanitarian efforts through the Al-Muhibbah Foundation. He said he had personally inspected the ongoing hospital project and was satisfied with its progress.

He expressed hope that construction would be completed in December, ahead of the proposed opening in January, and assured the partners of the state government’s support.

Earlier, the Regional Manager of Kano Eye Hospital, Bello Abdullahi Yuguda, disclosed that Al-Basar and CBM planned to conduct 2,500 free cataract surgeries in Bauchi this year, including 100 for children.

He added that another 600 free treatments had been allocated to the Al-Muhibbah Foundation for beneficiaries from less privileged backgrounds.

Yuguda said the SightQuest Programme was also supporting renovations at selected hospitals in Azare, Misau and Ningi, alongside the provision of eye-care equipment to selected primary healthcare centres.

He added that plans were underway to establish an eye-care training institution in Bauchi.

Also speaking, CBM representative, Mr Tobias Pflanz, appreciated the state government and its partners for their support.

He highlighted the case of a nine-year-old girl who recently regained her sight through surgery, expressing hope that the partnership would help more children and disadvantaged people.

Managing chronic pain in cold weather

Every year as the amihan sets in and the cooler breeze rolls across the country, senior citizens complain of joints that ache more than they did a few weeks ago during the humid months.

In the West, every autumn, the same thing happens: elderly patients arrive in clinics describing joints that ache more than they did a month ago. Their hands are stiffer in the morning. Their knees complain on the stairs. They are not imagining it, and they are not being dramatic.

Dr. Christopher Murawski, an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University, said: ‘Warm weather, cold weather, changes in humidity, changes in pressure- they can all contribute to joint and muscle pain.’

Here’s a look at the mechanisms behind cold-weather flare-ups, the movement and warmth strategies that genuinely help, and the signals that mean it’s time to call a doctor.

Why stiffness climbs as the temperature falls

The best-supported explanation involves barometric pressure-the weight of the air pressing on the body, roughly 15 pounds per square inch. When cold wind approaches, that pressure falls, and the tissues around joints respond.

‘While the science isn’t perfect, physiologically it makes some sense,’ Murawski says. ‘Changes in pressure can cause muscles and ligaments to expand. Fluid shifts can happen. That can lead to swelling and pain.’ He adds that the reports line up with what patients describe, ‘even anecdotally.’

Dr. Andrew Bang, a chiropractor at Cleveland Clinic, puts the same idea in blunter terms. ‘If you have arthritis, the space in your joint is already reduced. Add in an expansion of tissues because of the pressure change and you can see why people might hurt more.’ A large UK study of 13,000 people with arthritis found aches rose on days with high humidity, low barometric pressure and strong wind-though other studies find only a mild link, which is why researchers still describe the relationship as real but incompletely explained.

Cold adds its own layer. Synovial fluid, the lubricant inside every joint, thickens. ‘When the weather gets cooler, the synovial fluid that acts like motor oil in our joints becomes more like sludge,’ says Dr. Mariko Ishimori, a rheumatologist at Cedars-Sinai. Muscles guard and tighten, restricting blood flow and shortening the tissues that cross the joint. Cartilage, which has no blood supply of its own, tolerates temperature swings poorly.

Then there’s behavior. Cold days mean fewer walks, longer sits, and a house that suddenly feels worth hibernating in. Joints that don’t move get stiffer, and the Arthritis Foundation notes that people may also fixate more on pain when outdoor distractions disappear.

Gentle stretching that earns its keep

Motion is the single most reliable antidote to stiffness, and it costs nothing. ‘Motion is lotion,’ Bang says. ‘If you keep moving, you’re less likely to get some of these aches.’

The rules are simple: warm the tissue first, move slowly, never bounce, and stop at the edge of discomfort rather than pushing through it. Ishimori recommends prioritizing stretching before exercise, when muscles are cold and most vulnerable.

Start in bed, before your feet hit the floor. The Arthritis Foundation’s ‘Good Morning Moves’ routine is a safe template: lie on your back and reach arms and legs wide (Morning Star), hug your knees to your chest, then perform a gentle supine spinal twist-each held for three to five slow breaths. If hip or back arthritis makes double knee hugs hard, do one leg at a time.

For a guided follow-along, Arthritis UK’s physiotherapist-led series is excellent and free. The morning routine, daytime routine and evening routine each run 20 minutes and are built specifically for people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. Many movements can be done seated. The Arthritis Foundation also offers a short 16-move morning bed stretch video for days when 20 minutes is too much.

Aim for range of motion rather than a deep stretch: slow circles at the shoulders, wrist and ankle pumps, gentle knee extensions, seated torso rotations. Ten minutes daily beats an ambitious hour once a week.

Warmth, used deliberately

Heat raises blood flow and relaxes the guarding that makes joints feel locked. ‘If you can get heat to penetrate areas where you have pain, you increase blood flow and can loosen up tight ligaments, tendons and connective tissue,’ Bang says.

Practical version during the amihan season: layer up even when staying indoors, because a chilly, drafty room stiffens muscles just as effectively as the cool morning air outside. Keep a cozy blanket or kumot close by, or use a heating pad before getting out of bed so your joints are already loosened when you wake.

For targeted relief, use moist heat-a warm damp towel or a microwave-heated wet washcloth inside a sealed bag-for 15 to 20 minutes per session, with a cloth barrier between heat and skin. Don’t fall asleep on a pad, and check the skin periodically for excessive redness. If you have reduced sensation from diabetes or neuropathy, lower the setting.

Protect the extremities. Dr. Linda Russell, a rheumatologist at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, recommends long underwear-particularly important because cold can trigger blood vessel spasms in the roughly 12 percent of the elderly with rheumatoid arthritis who also have Raynaud’s phenomenon. Warm water is also the friendliest environment for exercise: a heated pool lets you move through full range with almost no load on the joints.

Two supporting habits matter more than most people expect. Drink water-dehydration thickens everything, including joint fluid.

When to stop self-managing and call someone

Weather-related aches follow a pattern: worse in the cold, better with warmth and movement, and no worse than usual once you’re going. Pain that breaks the pattern deserves attention.

Mayo Clinic advises booking an appointment for joint pain accompanied by swelling, redness, tenderness and warmth around the joint, or fever. Get seen promptly if an injury leaves the joint misshapen, unusable, severely painful or suddenly swollen. Morning stiffness lasting longer than 30 to 60 minutes is a recognized flag for inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, as is pain that wakes you at night, pain in several joints at once, or unexplained weight loss and fatigue.

Ishimori’s advice: discuss symptoms with a physician, ‘especially if the symptoms are new or haven’t been evaluated.’ Cold weather aggravates existing disease; it doesn’t create it.

The season is not something you can negotiate with. But the stiffness is-partly. Warm the joint, move it gently, and keep moving it. And when the pattern changes, let someone with a stethoscope look at it.

Between hard boiled and scramled eggs

How you prepare your eggs will influence the nutritional profile. If you prepare your eggs at high temperatures, it could lead to the oxidation of the cholesterol in the eggs, which is not very healthy.

To obtain the best nutritional benefit, you need to prepare your eggs using a low calorie technique and avoid cooking them extensively. The key point here is the fact that the more you cook your eggs, the more nutrition you will lose. It means that the boiled (hard/soft boiled) eggs are probably the healthiest option to consume your eggs.

Since no oil is used, no additional calories are consumed. All in all, it is really hard to overestimate the health benefits associated with eating eggs. Yes, but nevertheless, don’t forget about this information, do not cook your eggs extensively and in case you are using some oil, it should be stable at high temperatures. Like avocado oil, for instance.

Olam Agri gets Delta land for feed plant to ease supply gap

Olam Agri has secured 99.99 hectares in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, for an animal feed plant aimed at reducing the South-South and South-East’s dependence on supplies from the South-West.

The Delta State Government presented the Certificate of Occupancy at Government House, Asaba, on Wednesday.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori said the investment would create jobs and support agricultural development and reflected the administration’s commitment to attracting investors.

‘This occasion reflects our commitment to following due process in all our dealings,’ Oborevwori said. ‘We are determined to create an enabling environment for investors to thrive and for businesses to grow.’

Managing Director Amit Agarwal said the company chose the regions for its next facility because of the supply gap, having already operated plants in the South-West but wanting to bring production closer to customers.

Agarwal thanked the state government for supporting the investment and said the company looked forward to working with the government, the traditional institution and the host community.

Oborevwori commended the traditional institution and other stakeholders for helping to maintain peace needed for investments.

The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Obi Ifechukwudi Okonjo II, urged Olam Agri to ensure that residents of the host community benefited from the project through employment, internship placements, skills development and technology transfer opportunities.

The proposed facility is expected to strengthen the local poultry and livestock value chain by cutting logistics costs and improving feed availability for farmers in the two regions.

Delta State said the project aligns with its agenda to expand agricultural productivity and attract private-sector-led industrial investments.

Mining tragedy: Alake vows superlative enforcement drive to end mine disasters

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dr Dele Alake has declared a firm resolve to scale up law enforcement frameworks and security operations across all mining corridors in Nigeria warning that the Federal Government will no longer tolerate illegal mining operations that compromise national security and claim innocent lives.

Alake made this stance known on Friday in Abuja while receiving the probe report from the High-Level Investigation Committee set up to investigate the tragic gas poisoning incident at the Zurak lead-zinc mining site in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Responding to the findings of the 19-member committee-led by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo-the Minister stressed that while accidents can occur globally the government’s primary duty is to be aggressively proactive in enforcing preventive policies that insulate citizens from avoidable loss of life.

‘We need to gird our loins and improve our regulation frameworks increase enforcement of policies particularly preventive policies against such incidents. In my own estimation the most effective tool is enforcement-strengthening the capacity of relevant enforcement agencies to combat illegal mining.’

Reflecting on the findings Alake noted that all 37 victims of the February 18 2026 disaster were illegal operators who had trespassed into abandoned unventilated colonial-era shafts on Mine Lease ML111H10 during an operational holiday break.

He pointed out that the incident underscores the severe dangers posed by illegal mining which he described as a ‘hydra-headed monster’ that previously left the country’s solid minerals sector almost comatose.

To permanently stem the tide Alake announced plans to significantly boost the operational capacity armament technological gadgets and nationwide footprint of the Mining Marshals-a specialised elite security architecture created under his administration’s seven-point agenda in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.

‘The Mining Marshals have been extremely salutary to the efforts of the ministry in stemming the tide of illegal mining’ Alake stated revealing that the unit has already reclaimed over 100 illegal mining sites across Nigeria and handed them back to legitimate titleholders alongside prosecuting scores of perpetrators.

As part of the intensified enforcement drive Dr Alake fully endorsed the committee’s strategic recommendation to establish a Nigerian Army Battalion in the remote Zurak mining district of Plateau State.

The Minister noted that the deployment of military personnel will complement the Mining Marshals ensuring that once illegal miners are flushed out of difficult remote terrains like Zurak armed forces remain on the ground to maintain order and preserve access for licensed leaseholders.

In addition the Minister pledged to scale up the findings to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and direct regulatory bodies to execute a nationwide audit to seal up all hazardous abandoned colonial shafts-which hold over 50 million tons of legacy mineral deposits-to prevent unauthorized entry.

Earlier the Committee Chairman Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo formally submitted the report detailing how 37 artisanal miners died from toxic inhalation of accumulated carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide gases inside unventilated colonial workings dating back to German and British mining eras.

‘Every one of us on this committee carried the weight of the loss of lives through this assignment… behind each statistic is a family is a community that is mourning.’

Yabo confirmed that the licensed operator Solid Unit Nigeria Limited held a valid title running to November 2043 maintained 45 technical staff adhered to explosive regulations and paid ?157295 in royalties on 71130 tons of ore produced.

However the committee recommended that the leaseholder must take full responsibility for physically securing all legacy workings within its general lease area and sponsor community skill acquisition schemes.

Closing his address Alake urged Nigerians and academic institutions to embrace modern technological solutions-such as localised gas detection devices-to overcome environmental hazards rather than relying solely on spiritual interventions.

He assured the public that the report would not gather dust on government shelves pledging that the lessons from the 37 tragic deaths in Zurak will drive aggressive concrete enforcement reforms to safeguard lives and sanitize Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

Soroti headteacher appeals for parent support as three pregnant girls prepare for PLE

As thousands of candidates across Uganda prepare to sit their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), school heads and local officials in Soroti City are rallying support for vulnerable candidates, including three Primary Seven girls at Kichinjaji Primary School who are pregnant.

One of the affected pupils gave birth approximately a month ago. Speaking during a candidates’ briefing at the school premises, Headteacher Alfred Enyidu urged parents and guardians to show empathy and provide the necessary physical and emotional backing to ensure the girls sit their papers successfully. He confirmed that the school will allow the mother of the pupil who recently gave birth to remain at the premises throughout the examination period to assist with nursing and childcare, stressing that conceiving is not the end of a girl’s educational journey.

The case at Kichinjaji Primary School highlights the persistent national challenge of teenage pregnancy and its impact on basic education in Uganda. Data from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and the Ministry of Education and Sports demonstrates a recurring trend in recent years, where hundreds of pregnant candidates register and sit their national examinations annually. UNEB policy permits pregnant and nursing candidates to sit their final assessments, reflecting broader national measures aimed at preventing school dropouts due to early pregnancies.

Beyond candidates’ welfare, administrative and logistical preparations are underway across the city. Soroti City Inspector of Schools Simon Opolot reported that 3,440 candidates have been registered to sit the PLE across the city. Opolot reassured candidates against exam anxiety, emphasizing that the national assessment is a standard evaluation for which they have prepared throughout the year. He also directed private school proprietors to allow all registered candidates to sit their examinations regardless of unpaid tuition balances, advising administrators to resolve outstanding fee issues with parents without barring pupils.

To ensure candidates maintain focus and avoid health disruptions, Kichinjaji Primary School leadership, with the consent of parents, instituted a contribution of Shs 18,000 per pupil to provide school-prepared lunches during the two-day examination exercise. Enyidu explained that allowing outside or home-cooked food could introduce unfamiliar meals that cause stomach upsets and disrupt candidates during exam sessions. Salome Amero, the area councillor representing Kichinjaji Primary School, supported the meal arrangement, adding that child education and welfare during examinations remains a shared responsibility between school administrations and families.

Addressing candidates alongside Kichinjaji, headteacher Paul Esenu of St Paul’s Educational Centre advised pupils on examination presentation and personal conduct. He warned candidates against illegible handwriting and overconfidence, reminding them that external examiners require clear scripts. Esenu further cautioned female candidates to remain vigilant against sexual exploitation following the completion of their examinations as they transition out of primary school.

Kichinjaji Primary School will host candidates from five neighboring institutions, including St Paul Educational Centre, Soroti Independent Baptist Primary School, St Martha Primary School, St Ann Primary School, and Yusra Islamic Primary School, bringing the total candidate count at the center to 107 pupils.