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Govt eyes changes in PPP terms of NSCR and MCIA

THE administration is reworking the terms of two major transport public-private partnerships (PPPs) as it seeks to make the projects more attractive to private investors and bring in fresh capital.

The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) confirmed on Thursday that the Economy and Development (ED) Council approved amendments to the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Operations and Maintenance (OandM) and Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) during its 11th meeting last Wednesday.

For the NSCR, DepDev said the ED Council approved changes to the project’s parameters, terms, and conditions (PTCs) specifically to ‘attract more bidders and encourage competitive proposals’ for the flagship railway project.

The NSCR will link Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Luzon, with partial operations targeted to start in December 2027.

Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said improved rail connectivity in Luzon would help support broader economic activity by making it easier for people and businesses to move across regions.

‘The NSCR is an investment in opportunity. Improved mobility will expand access to jobs, markets, education, and services across regions, reflecting our commitment to a more productive, resilient, and inclusive economy,’ Balisacan said.

For Mcia, meanwhile, the ED Council approved an extension of the airport concession period, giving the concessionaire a longer period to recover its investments.

Under the contract variation, the DepDev said the concessionaire will commit almost P15 billion in capacity augmentation and capital investments.

The investments are expected to support the restoration and expansion of domestic and international routes, as well as improve airport transfers, the agency added.

The longer concession period is also intended to minimize pressure to increase passenger service charges, it also said.

The two transport projects were among the major items approved by the ED Council as the government seeks to advance infrastructure investments through partnerships with the private sector.

Data from the PPP Center showed that 383 of the 576 PPP projects are national government projects, with 203 currently under implementation and another 180 in the pipeline.

By value, projects under implementation amount to P2.53 trillion, while those in the pipeline are worth another P3.02 trillion.

Class suspension rules

SEPARATELY, the ED Council ordered a further review of the proposed guidelines on the suspension and resumption of classes.

DepDev said the review will cover protocols for disruptions caused by tropical cyclones, earthquakes, storm surges, poor air quality, volcanic hazards and extreme heat.

‘Refining this policy is a matter of urgency. We must protect our learners and teachers while ensuring the continuity of education in the face of evolving risks,’ Balisacan said.

Last week, the chief economist warned that repeated weather disruptions could erode the Philippines’ improved results in the 2025 Program for International Student Assessment.

The ED Council also approved changes in the scope, cost and implementation timelines of three development projects.

These include the Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training System (SIPTVETS) project of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP-CAAM) of the Department of Public Works and Highways; and the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

DepDev, however, has yet to disclose the reasons behind the changes to the three projects.

Prophet I.O. Samuel: Celebrating a Life at the Intersection of Faith, Enterprise and Service

Today, attention is on Prophet Ikechukwu Samuel, popularly known as Prophet I.O. Samuel, the Abuja-based cleric, entrepreneur, author and philanthropist whose work extends beyond the pulpit into business, media and humanitarian intervention.

Samuel is the Founder and General Overseer of Shiloh Word Chapel, a ministry headquartered in Abuja and built around prayer, the Word, prophecy, healing and deliverance. The ministry describes its mission as raising an empowered generation through apostolic teaching and prophetic encounters.

Beyond his pastoral responsibilities, Samuel has developed a public profile that combines Christian ministry with entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

BusinessDay, in a 2024 profile, described him as a figure whose activities span faith, entrepreneurship, music and humanitarian work, noting his involvement in sectors including agriculture, media and logistics, as well as training and mentorship initiatives.

His humanitarian work is particularly associated with the Samaritan Foundation, through which he has been involved in providing assistance to vulnerable communities, including support for internally displaced persons and educational initiatives. A 2025 Vanguard report also identified him as the President of the foundation and highlighted its plans to establish vocational training centres for widows.

Samuel’s journey in ministry has also been publicly linked to the late Prophet T.B. Joshua, whom he has described as a mentor. In interviews published by Vanguard and P.M. News, Samuel recounted his relationship with Joshua and the influence of that mentorship on his ministry.

Under his leadership, Shiloh Word Chapel has continued to expand its programmes and public ministry activities. The church recently marked its 15th anniversary in July 2026 with a three-day programme in Abuja themed ‘There Shall Be Showers of Blessings.’

Perhaps the most defining feature of Samuel’s public journey, however, is the combination of faith, enterprise and service.

His story reflects an increasingly visible model of religious leadership in which the work of the church intersects with entrepreneurship, media, mentorship and social intervention.

As Prophet I.O. Samuel marks another personal milestone today, the occasion provides an opportunity not only to celebrate the man behind the pulpit but also to reflect on a journey that has sought to connect spiritual leadership with enterprise and humanitarian responsibility.

For his congregation, business associates, beneficiaries and followers across Nigeria and beyond, today represents another opportunity to celebrate a life dedicated to what Samuel has consistently described as a calling to raise people, transform lives and make an impact beyond the walls of the church.

Health system urged to track patients after treatment

Saving a patient’s life should no longer be the final measure of healthcare, health leaders have said, calling for greater focus on what happens after treatment, including whether patients can return to school, work and independent living.

The call was made on Thursday, September 17, 2026, during the Fourth Rehabilitation Summit in Dar es Salaam, where stakeholders urged the integration of rehabilitation into healthcare, supported by better patient tracking, data, financing and public awareness.

Mwananchi Communications Ltd (MCL) managing director, Ms Rosalynn Mndolwa-Mworia, who led a panel discussion on leadership and advocacy for rehabilitation services, said the health system should consider patients’ lives after treatment. ‘When we talk about healthcare, much of the attention goes to preventing illnesses, treating diseases and saving lives. But another important question begins after that: What kind of life does a person live?’ she said.

Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) chief executive officer, Ms Brenda Msangi, said healthcare systems often measure diseases treated and lives saved without adequately measuring whether patients regain their ability to function.

‘If you look at how we measure healthcare indicators, we do not measure function. That is the first issue, and we also do not track the journey of these children after they receive interventions,’ she said.

Ms Msangi said better data was necessary for rehabilitation to receive attention in planning and budgeting.

‘Data gives us information. Even zero is data. If you are not tracking, then rehabilitation cannot be prioritised in terms of budgeting and financing,’ she said.

Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) executive director, Dr Delilah Kimambo, said her experience as a cardiologist had shown her that successful medical treatment did not necessarily mean a patient had returned to normal life.

Dr Kimambo said the experience changed how she viewed recovery and demonstrated the importance of rehabilitation after medical treatment.

She called for rehabilitation to be incorporated into Ministry of Health activities and health workers’ training.

‘For the Ministry of Health, rehabilitation should be included in all activities. We send our surgeons there, but rehabilitation is left aside,’ she said.

She also called for simple rehabilitation curricula in health workers’ training and urged cooperation between the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations to expand services.

Germany questions ‘associate member’ term for Canada

German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius urged a re-evaluation of the proposed “associate member” title on Wednesday, intended to signal closer EU-Canada relations.

“Canada is a particularly close partner for Europe, which is why we are open to discussing new partnership models that would reflect the special importance of this relationship,” Stefan Kornelius told reporters. “However, we should reconsider the terminology – the label – associated with it,” he added.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member” and called for relations to be brought “to the highest level possible.”

Azerbaijan warns of new global and regional security threats

A delegation led by Colonel General Ali Naghiyev, head of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has participated in the 28th meeting of the Conference of Special Services of Turkic States, held in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Speaking at the event, the head of the State Security Service drew attention to new global and regional threats arising from contemporary geopolitical processes, including the serious consequences of ongoing large scale military confrontations for the functioning of transport corridors.

The speech assessed the recruitment of citizens in various ways to participate in military operations as mercenaries, as well as the smuggling of weapons, ammunition and explosive substances illegally removed from conflict zones, as serious threats to the security environment that aggravate the criminogenic situation.

The head of the State Security Service also noted the negative impact of ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the blockade of strategic straits, on world trade, energy security and the global economy.

Against the backdrop of the existing uncertainty, he stressed that no state can remain outside the processes taking place. He also emphasised the importance of further expanding the exchange of experience and information among partner states in order to reliably ensure national security and adopt a unified approach to the challenges ahead.

The meeting assessed the current situation in the world and discussed the necessary steps to ensure regional security amid contemporary challenges.

A final document covering the relevant issues was signed at the meeting.

NBI sees ‘red flags’ in 47 flood control projects in Paolo Duterte’s district

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has flagged 47 of 100 flood control projects in the district of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said Thursday.

The projects are part of the P1.9 billion worth of flood control projects in Duterte’s district, all of which Matibag said were awarded to Genesis88 Construction, Inc.

Matibag said the contractor is close to the Dutertes.

‘There are projects that were red-flagged… About 47 out of 100,’ Matibag told reporters in an interview, citing records from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

When asked about the nature of the ‘red flags,’ Matibag cited ‘ghost’ and ‘substandard’ projects.

‘There’s a project with one coordinate and five budgets, each with a different title,’ he added. ‘This isn’t gossip. I saw the document.’

However, he clarified that only about six projects had clear problems.

The NBI director said they would start issuing subpoenas on Friday to 51 individuals from Genesis88 Construction, as well as Gemma Construction, Agong Construction, the DPWH, and the Commission on Audit to shed light on the investigation.

Matibag later clarified that the bureau would first issue subpoenas to four individuals from the three construction companies and the DPWH.

He did not provide further details on the identities of the individuals, but he said Duterte was not included in the list.

Duterte: There must be no ‘selective’ probe

Following Matibag’s remark, Duterte said that while he welcomed the investigation into Davao City’s flood control projects, there must not be a ‘selective investigation.’

‘Taga Dabaw kami. May malasakit kami sa lungsod namin. Kaya gusto naming makita ang ebidensya, documents, videos, at mismong projects na sinasabing may problema… I hope may media coverage sa hearing niyo para makita ng buong bayan kung ano yang nakita mong substandard at ghost project,’ Duterte said.

(We are from Davao. We care about our city. That’s why we want to see the evidence, documents, videos, and the projects themselves that are said to have problems… I hope there is media coverage of your hearing so the entire nation can see what substandard and ghost projects you found.)

‘Pero sana lang kung seryoso tayo sa imbestigasyon, dapat pare-pareho ang standards sa lahat ng lugar… Kung may ghost o substandard projects, imbestigahan lahat-Davao man o saan mang bahagi ng bansa. Walang selective investigation,’ he added.

(But I hope if we are serious about the investigation, the standards should be the same in all areas… If there are ghost or substandard projects, investigate them all-whether in Davao or any part of the country. There is no selective investigation.)

He also questioned whether the NBI would investigate flood control projects in the district of Matibag’s wife, Laguna 1st District Rep. Ann Matibag.

‘Congresswoman Matibag, kumusta naman ang mga alegasyon at ebidensya tungkol sa mga proyekto sa inyong distrito? May videos at documents din ba?’ Duterte asked.

(Congresswoman Matibag, how are the allegations and evidence regarding the projects in your district? Are there videos and documents?)

‘Ipa-subpoena rin ba ang mga contractor na Discaya sa dalawang project na sila rin ang contractor? Kasi may hawak kami na videos sa projects sa distrito ni Ann Matibag at ng mga Discaya,’ he added.

(Will the contractors Discaya also be subpoenaed for the two projects that they are also the contractors for? Because we have videos on the projects in Ann Matibag’s district and the Discayas.)

Thailand warned of fiscal collapse

Thailand’s fiscal system could face a severe crisis within a decade if the government does not urgently undertake reforms, warns a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University.

“The country’s fiscal system can still carry the burden at the moment, and the government can still keep the money circulating. But if no reforms are undertaken, the system will collapse within 10 years, similar to Greece. This is my concern,” said Weerasak Krueathep, a lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at Chulalongkorn University.

Thailand’s fiscal system could face a severe crisis within a decade if the government does not urgently undertake reforms, warns a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University.

“The country’s fiscal system can still carry the burden at the moment, and the government can still keep the money circulating. But if no reforms are undertaken, the system will collapse within 10 years, similar to Greece. This is my concern,” said Weerasak Krueathep, a lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at Chulalongkorn University.

A collapse of the fiscal system would affect welfare mechanisms and other government services that rely on budgetary funding. The government could potentially lack the budget to pay for fuel for garbage trucks, said Mr Weerasak at the university seminar.

The country’s increasingly strained fiscal position has been building for a long time, but the government only became concerned about it around two years ago, as it reached a point where authorities could no longer sustain the burden, he noted.

“Public debt is expected to rise over the next two years, with the government likely to raise the public debt ceiling to 80% of GDP, up from 70%. The ceiling is expected to eventually be moved to 100% of GDP within 5-6 years,” said Mr Weerasak.

“If we delay reforming the country’s fiscal system, we may have to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund again, and Thailand could repeat Greece’s experience.”

Once Thailand reaches that point, it could take a decade to restore its economy, he said.

As of July, the government’s public debt was 67.5% of GDP, with the statutory ceiling at 70%. The projected debt levels do not include the possibility of an economic crisis, noted Mr Weerasak.

Another concern is debt within state-owned financial institutions is not included in the government’s calculation of its public debt burden, he said, which conceals government borrowing from these institutions under Section 28 of the State Fiscal and Financial Discipline Act.

URGENT REFORM NEEDED

The government needs to reform the public sector to reduce government expenditure, as some government agencies have overlapping functions, said Mr Weerasak. For example, Vietnam has undertaken public sector reforms that reduced the number of civil servants by 30-40%.

Governments elsewhere have sought to streamline bureaucracy by determining which functions the state should perform. In terms of national security, Thailand has numerous agencies with overlapping responsibilities, including the Internal Security Operations Command, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, he noted.

Another necessary reform is strengthening checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches, said Mr Weerasak. The executive has considerable authority over public spending, as tax relief measures can be proposed and approved simply through the cabinet. Similarly, the executive can independently use off-budget funds, such as with the TH-AI Passport project, which utilises off-budget funding from the Digital Economy and Society Ministry.

Meanwhile, tax exemptions granted to investment projects promoted by the Board of Investment amount to more than 200 billion baht a year. Yet analyses suggest the economic returns generated by these tax incentives may not be commensurate with the revenue lost by the government, he noted.

TAX BASE EXPANSION

Thailand’s tax base is relatively narrow and outdated. The country has more than 40 million workers, but only around 5 million people pay personal income tax.

The value-added tax (VAT) system also leaves many people and businesses outside the system, while some businesses maintain multiple sets of accounts to evade taxes. Online businesses have mushroomed, yet the tax system has struggled to keep pace with collecting revenue from them, said Mr Weerasak.

Thailand needs to restructure its tax base, he noted. For example, around 20 million people work in agriculture, a sector widely regarded as the backbone of the country, and agricultural income is exempt from personal income tax.

The government should reconsider which types of farmers should qualify for tax exemptions, said Mr Weerasak. For instance, should farmers who own large plots of land be exempt from income tax?

Meanwhile, technology could be used to improve tax monitoring and collection, he said.

Populist policies could also use a rethink. The Prayut Chan-o-cha government distributed state welfare cards to roughly 14 million people, while the National Economic and Social Development Council estimated there were 4.8 million poor people in the country, about one-third the number of people receiving welfare assistance.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas recently sought to reduce the number of state welfare card recipients to 9 million, but the move faced opposition. The government needs to be firm and target state assistance for specific groups of beneficiaries rather than distributing it universally, said Mr Weerasak.

From a political perspective, distributing welfare cards to 14 million people during the Prayut government did not translate into more votes for the incumbents, as during the 2023 election Mr Prayut’s party received fewer than 14 million party-list votes.

As for raising the VAT rate, Mr Weerasak said there was no need to rush to hike it in the short term. Instead, the government should accelerate efforts to broaden the tax base.

After the tax base has been comprehensively expanded for 3-4 years, Thailand may have little choice but to raise VAT as it is a major source of government revenue, he noted.

Every increase of one percentage point in the VAT rate could generate as much as 100 billion baht in additional government revenue, said Mr Weerasak. The statutory VAT ceiling is 10%, which is lower than in many European nations, where VAT can reach 20%.

’Link development plans to budgets to turn priorities into results’

Development plans risk remaining aspirations unless national priorities are directly linked to budgets, financing strategies and clear institutional responsibilities, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary Claver Gatete has said.

Mr Gatete said effective implementation required a clear connection between a country’s long-term vision and its development plans, including four- or five-year plans, sector strategies and integrated development plans at different levels of Government.

He made the remarks virtually on September 17, 2026, while addressing participants of the National Planners’ Conference 2026 in Arusha. He said strengthening the link between planning and budgeting was central to turning national priorities into action and ensuring that development commitments were backed by resources.

‘The key element in that chain is a strong link between plans and budgets because if a priority is not reflected in the Government expenditure framework and financing strategies, it can remain an aspiration without implementation,’ he said.

Mr Gatete said priorities that were not supported by public expenditure frameworks, financing plans and clearly assigned institutional responsibilities could fail to translate into tangible results.

‘Priorities that are not reflected in public expenditure frameworks, financing strategies and institutional responsibilities can remain aspirations rather than becoming reality,’ he said.

He said effective implementation also required clearly defined responsibilities and sufficient institutional capacity to develop projects, manage programmes, monitor progress and assess results.

According to Mr Gatete, institutions should have a clear understanding of who was responsible for each task, what was expected to be achieved, when it should be delivered and how performance would be measured.

He said clearly linking these elements would help governments move from planning to implementation while strengthening accountability for results.

Mr Gatete said planning should therefore not be treated as a separate process from budgeting and implementation. Instead, national priorities should be translated into programmes with identified financing sources, responsible institutions, timelines and measurable indicators.

He said the approach would be particularly important in implementing long-term development priorities, including those outlined under Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050.

The Vision sets out the country’s long-term development ambitions, making effective coordination between national planning, sector priorities, financing and implementation important for translating those ambitions into measurable outcomes.

Mr Gatete’s remarks came as planners from different institutions gathered in Arusha for the National Planners’ Conference 2026, which focuses on strengthening the relationship between planning, execution and results.

The conference is being held under the theme, ‘Delivering Vision 2050: Strengthening Integrated Planning, Execution and Results’.

The discussions are expected to provide a platform for planners and other stakeholders to examine ways of improving coordination and implementation of development plans.

Mr Gatete’s message places financing and institutional accountability at the centre of that process, stressing that priorities can only deliver results when they are backed by resources, clear responsibilities and mechanisms for measuring progress.

For Tanzania, the emphasis on linking Vision 2050 with budgets and implementation frameworks highlights the need for long-term ambitions to be reflected in concrete programmes that can be financed, monitored and evaluated.

Constitution Amendment: 36 states get bill, 30-day response window

The National Assembly has forwarded the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration, giving them an expected 30 days to submit their resolutions.

However, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, stressed that the 30-day period is only an administrative timeframe and is not a deadline imposed by the Constitution.

The bill was transmitted to the state legislatures on Wednesday following a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly.

In a statement, Ogunlana said the move was in line with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires state legislative approval for constitutional alterations.

He said, ‘The National Assembly has commenced the next stage of the constitutional alteration process with the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation for their consideration and approval.’

Section 9 requires an alteration bill to receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.

Explaining the constitutional requirement, Ogunlana said, ‘Section 9 of the Constitution provides, among other requirements, that either House of the National Assembly shall not pass a Bill for the purpose of altering the provisions of the Constitution unless it is approved by resolution of not less than two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation.’

The transmission followed the passage of the proposed amendments by both chambers of the National Assembly.

Under the constitutional process, an alteration bill must first secure the required majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Where the proposal originates from one chamber, the other must also concur before the agreed version can be transmitted to the state legislatures.

The 36 state Houses of Assembly must now consider the proposals under their respective legislative procedures. At least 24 of them must approve the bill for the constitutional amendment process to move forward.

Ogunlana said the state assemblies had been asked to communicate their decisions to the National Assembly after completing their consideration.

He said, ‘The Clerk to the National Assembly has requested the state Houses of Assembly to give the Bill the requisite consideration in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and to communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly upon conclusion of their consideration.

‘It is noted that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the state Houses of Assembly are required to communicate their resolutions on a constitutional alteration Bill.

‘Nevertheless, in the interest of an orderly, coordinated and timely conclusion of the constitutional alteration process, the state Houses of Assembly are expected to consider the Bill and communicate their respective resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receipt.

‘For clarity, the 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline,’ the statement added.

The National Assembly also said the transmission was not intended to dictate how the state legislatures should vote or consider the proposals.

‘The National Assembly recognises the constitutional responsibility vested in the state Houses of Assembly and respects their independence in the consideration of the Bill. The transmission is intended to facilitate the orderly discharge of their constitutional role in the process.’

Ogunlana said the National Assembly would continue to follow the constitutional provisions guiding the exercise.

He said, ‘The National Assembly remains committed to ensuring that the constitutional alteration process is conducted in strict compliance with the Constitution and in accordance with the principles of due process, institutional cooperation and respect for the legislative responsibilities of all tiers of the legislature.’

He added, ‘Upon receipt of the resolutions of the State Houses of Assembly, the National Assembly will proceed with the necessary steps in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.’

The latest development comes as the 10th National Assembly faces a June 2027 deadline to complete its tenure.

The Senate had recently assured Nigerians that the constitutional review would be concluded before the end of the current Assembly, amid concerns that preparations for the 2027 general elections could disrupt the process.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, said the legislature remained committed to completing the exercise.

Adaramodu said, ‘The proposed constitution amendments, already started by the 10th National Assembly, shall be passed in the life of this current Assembly.

‘However, January is not the terminal date of the 10th National Assembly, but June 2027.

‘The Electoral Act, recently passed, has taken care of the January 2027 general elections.’

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has also said

Hypertension: Why what you eat matters

For millions of Nigerians living with hypertension, managing the condition goes beyond taking prescribed medication.

What people eat, how active they are and other everyday lifestyle choices can influence their blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health.

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is one of the major risk factors for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says about one in three adults in Nigeria has hypertension, highlighting the scale of the country’s growing non-communicable disease burden.

Globally, the burden is also substantial, with an estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30 to 79 living with hypertension in 2024.

More importantly, hypertension often produces no obvious symptoms, meaning many people may not know they have it until complications develop.

According to WHO, the only reliable way to detect hypertension is to have blood pressure measured by a health professional or with an appropriate blood pressure device.

Against this background, health experts are urging Nigerians to pay greater attention to factors that can increase blood pressure, including excessive sodium intake, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use.

Associate Prof. Florence Uchendu, a public health nutrition and epidemiology expert at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, described hypertension as a major public health problem, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria.

She identified excessive sodium intake as an important dietary risk factor for high blood pressure and advised Nigerians to reduce the amount of salt used in cooking and avoid routinely adding extra salt to meals.

‘Every food has its natural taste. There are people who, with everything they cook, must dump salt there: yam, rice, corn, virtually everything.

‘Eat your food the way it has been cooked. It is not advisable to add any more salt,’ she said.

The advice is consistent with WHO recommendations, which call for adults to consume less than 2,000 milligrammes of sodium daily, equivalent to less than five grammes of salt or about one teaspoon.

In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has also said excessive sodium consumption is a significant contributor to high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.

The ministry recommends a maximum of five grammes of salt daily and says Nigeria is implementing a national sodium reduction strategy.

Uchendu, however, cautioned that reducing salt intake should not be interpreted as eliminating sodium completely because sodium is an essential nutrient required for normal body functions.

She also advised Nigerians to be cautious about processed and packaged foods, including biscuits, bread, noodles, soft drinks and other products that may contain substantial amounts of sodium or added sugar.

‘Read food labels carefully and avoid ‘fry-fry’ street foods,’ she advised.

Furthermore, she urged consumers to pay attention to information on sodium, added sugars and saturated fats when buying processed foods.

According to WHO, excessive sodium intake is a well-established cause of raised blood pressure and contributes to cardiovascular and kidney disease.

WHO estimates that excessive sodium consumption was associated with about 1.7 million deaths globally in 2023, underlining the importance of population-wide efforts to reduce intake.

Beyond salt, Uchendu identified frequent consumption of fried foods, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, excessive alcohol intake and diets high in unhealthy fats and refined sugars as other factors that could increase the risk of hypertension and related diseases.

She said vegetable oils generally did not contain cholesterol because cholesterol occurs naturally in animal-derived foods, but excessive consumption of cooking oil still increased overall dietary fat intake.

She therefore advised Nigerians to moderate their use of cooking oil, avoid repeatedly heating oil and reduce their consumption of heavily fried foods.

Rather than relying heavily on packaged seasonings and processed foods, she recommended greater use of fresh vegetables, fruits and locally available spices.

She also encouraged households to prepare meals at home, where the quantities of salt, sugar and oil could be better controlled.

Similarly, she advised people living with hypertension to consume fish and lean meats and choose lower-fat dairy products where appropriate.

However, Uchendu stressed the need for professional dietary counselling, especially for people already living with hypertension or other diet-related chronic conditions.

Meanwhile, Dr Omolade Falade, a public health physician at Bethel Specialist Hospital, Ibadan, urged Nigerians to challenge common health myths and adopt evidence-based approaches to preventing chronic diseases.

Falade said carbohydrates should not be eliminated completely from the diet, explaining that the type and quantity consumed were more important.

‘Carbohydrates are a major source of energy and fibre. The challenge is the type of carbohydrates we eat.

‘Unrefined or minimally refined carbohydrates obtained from oats, fruits, Ofada/Abakaliki rice, millet, guinea corn, yam, sweet potatoes, cassava and wheat are healthy. These should be taken in moderate amounts,’ she said.

She advised Nigerians to limit refined carbohydrates, including some white-flour products, cakes, pastries and sugar-sweetened drinks.

In addition, Falade cautioned against assuming that being thin automatically meant being healthy.

She stressed the importance of routine medical checks regardless of body size, including measurement of blood pressure, weight and height, as well as appropriate screening for conditions such as diabetes.

She recommended a gradual reduction in the consumption of highly processed foods, excessive salt and unhealthy fats, alongside increased intake of fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods.

Regular physical activity, she added, was also important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Falade recommended brisk walking for about 30 minutes a day on five days a week, alongside other moderate physical activities suited to an individual’s health status.

WHO similarly recommends physical activity, healthier diets and weight management as important measures for preventing and controlling hypertension.

Moreover, Falade said prolonged or poorly managed stress could contribute to hypertension and other health problems, including poor sleep.

She recommended meditation or prayer, deep breathing, social interaction, regular exercise and professional support when necessary.

She also stressed the importance of adequate sleep, recommending that adults aim for at least seven hours each night.

While lifestyle changes can significantly improve cardiovascular health, the experts stressed that they should not be viewed as substitutes for prescribed treatment in people diagnosed with hypertension.

WHO advises people with hypertension to take medicines as prescribed and not to stop treatment without consulting a health profess