Category: Nigerian Tribune

Recent advances in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) now make it possible for couples to select the sex of their baby before pregnancy. While the procedure is medically reliable, it comes with financial, ethical, and legal considerations.

In this article, Tribune Online examines key facts you should know:

1. The process is nearly 100% accurate

Through Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), embryos are tested after about five days of development. Doctors can then determine sex chromosomes (XX for female, XY for male) before implantation.

2. First designed for medical reasons

Sex selection began as a way to prevent passing on sex-linked disorders, such as hemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

3. Parents also choose for personal reasons

Some couples opt for gender selection for ‘family balancing’ or when they only want one child of a specific sex.

4. The cost is significant

According to Nevada Fertility Center, choosing an embryo’s sex adds $1,000 to $4,000 to the cost of IVF, which is already expensive.

5. Ethical debates remain strong

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has urged caution, noting that non-medical gender selection raises concerns about bias and the commercialization of reproduction.

6. Not all countries allow it

While the United States permits elective sex selection, many countries ban it unless it is for medical reasons. Policies also vary between clinics.

7. More male embryos are chosen

Reports show that IVF transfers often result in more male embryos than female, with ratios as high as 164 males for every 100 females.

THE Oyo State government, in partnership with the Society for Family Health, the Planned Parenthood Federation, and other organizations, has urged women to make family planning a norm, emphasizing that contraception provides families with the freedom to plan, the power to choose, and options for all.

During a speech at the 2025 World Contraception Day in Ibadan, organized by the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, the Society for Family Health, the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria, and other partners, Mrs. Folashade Olatunde, the State Family Planning Coordinator from the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, emphasized that women should space their children for the benefit of both their own health and that of their children.

‘We are not advising them against having more children in the future. We want there to be a gap between each child to improve the woman’s health. Additionally, the health of the children will also benefit. We don’t want them to give birth every year, she stated.

According to her, family planning services are free and serve as a means to reduce maternal mortality rates.

Mercy Okeyode, State Programme Officer for the DISC 2.0 project in Oyo State at the Society for Family Health, explained that the celebration aimed to ensure women have access to all family planning options, enabling them to make informed decisions for their lives and families, prevent high-risk pregnancies, and reduce maternal mortality.

She declared, ‘The goal is to reduce the rate of abortions and unplanned pregnancies in the states. Contraception offers multiple benefits at various levels-for the individual, the family unit, and the nation as a whole.

‘We want to increase awareness and visibility of family planning throughout the state. Representatives from all 11 LGAs in Ibadan Metropolis are present at the celebration. We hope they will take these messages back to their respective local governments, intensify efforts to raise awareness, empower women to take charge of their health, and encourage men to support their wives in making informed choices for their families.’

In a statement, Mrs. Ajibola Adesope, the PPFN state clinic officer, reassured the public that family planning is about helping people decide when and how to have children, not about preventing them from having children.

‘Many people, due to the misconception that family planning is intended only for married couples, begin to restrict young people’s access to family planning services.

Unless you want to shy away from it, many unmarried couples also have unprotected sex. They, too, need protection from unintended pregnancy,’ Mrs. Adesope added.

Dr. Aderonke Atoyebi, the Medical Officer of Health for Ibadan Northwest Local Government in Onirike, told women during her health talks that a woman can recover from the stress of pregnancy and childbirth before choosing to become pregnant again if she allows sufficient time between pregnancies.

She urged increased support from husbands to enable women to space their children, enhanced training for healthcare workers on family planning, and greater government investment in health education for both women and men.

Dr. Atoyebi stated that health education is essential for dispelling myths and misconceptions about family planning, which will increase the utilization of family planning services.

A rally to raise awareness about the benefits of family planning and the availability of free family planning services was held as part of the 2025 World Contraception Day celebrations in marketplaces and communities.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services has advised Niger riverine communities the River Niger and Kaduna to relocate.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah and made available to journalists in Minna on Thursday.

The statement added that the Agency’s warning is coming as a result of the discharge of water from Kainji, Shiroro, Zungeru and Jeba hydro dams located in Niger state.

The NSEMA boss said, ‘The dams are releasing thousands of gallons of water per minute that could lead to the overflow of these rivers.

‘The state government hereby advise our communities to limit activities around River banks during this peak rainy season to avoid being flooded.

‘People living in riverine areas should relocate to safer grounds already identified. NiMeT’s latest prediction indicated that the end of the rainy season will be accompanied by a violent windstorm; as such, people should avoid standing under trees during rainfall and also avoid substandard structures.

‘The state is already experiencing the negative impact of the flooding with houses, farm lands, bridges, and linked roads washed away in some LGAs located upstream and downstream of the 4 dams, rendering many homeless and affecting the socio-economic activities of the communities.

‘The affected LGAs include Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro and Wushishi.

‘Loss of lives has also been recorded, stressing that the assessments of the flood impacts are still ongoing and periodic updates will be provided.

‘NSEMA, hereby, calls on all the stakeholders, the traditional institutions, well-meaning Nigerlites and the media to help in propagating this information to the general public.’

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again restated its concern over the delay in the National Assembly’s review of the existing Electoral Act.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, expressed the electoral umpire’s apprehension on Thursday when he received the Head of the European Union Follow-up Mission, led by Mr. Barry Andrews.

Professor Yakubu maintained that uncertainty over the legal framework for next general elections is a big encumbrance for INEC.

He also told the EU team that some of its recommendations towards improvement on the electoral process in the country rest heavily on legislative intervention by the National Assembly.

He said: ‘As you are aware, an election is a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require the review of our electoral laws. For this reason, the Commission had interfaced with our National Assembly, including a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters (Senate and House of Representatives).

‘We appeal to the National Assembly for an expeditious consideration of the electoral reform proposal. An early passage of law is critical to our planning for the elections. Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the Commission as election draws nearer.’

The INEC Chairman, who commended the EU for its engagement with his Commission aimed at promoting the integrity of the electoral process, declared that his Commission would be willing to sustain the collaboration.

‘We look forward to the next EU EOM for the 2027 General Election. As you are aware, International Election Observation Missions are deployed on the invitation of the Commission. I want to reassure you that we will continue to engage with you.

‘Very soon, the Commission will send out invitations to the EU as well as the Commonwealth, the African Union, and ECOWAS for the 2027 General Election. We believe that the recommendations arising from your observation of our election and electoral process help to improve the quality of our elections and electoral activities.’

In his remarks, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, who incidentally is a member of the European Parliament, said the focus of his team is to verify the response to the recommendations of the EU team that monitored the last general elections.

Andrews, who revealed that his team has been around in the last three weeks, applauded INEC’s genuine commitment to recommendations that would add value to the electoral process in Nigeria.

He said: ‘What we are here to do is to look at the recommendations that flowed from the overall mission, which were contained in the final report of the mission back in 2023, and we are very happy to see that there has been very significant progress against these recommendations. We recognise that there are certain time constraints, both in terms of judicial reform as well as administrative reform and, of course, constitutional reform.

‘INEC has obviously carried out its own review of the 2023 elections, and we’ll be looking forward to hearing what you have to report on the recommendations and the follow-up and implementation of those recommendations since 2023.

‘There are specific areas that require legislative action that I’ve referred to in my opening comments, and we would be delighted as a team to hear from you about what progress has been made and what concerns you have about obstacles in the future, and particularly around constitutional change, which is obviously a little bit more difficult.’

Other members of the visiting delegation were Mr. Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS; Mr. Ralph-Michael Peters, Election Expert and Team Lead; Ms. Eirini-Maria Gounari, Election Legal Expert.

Others were Mr. Maros Gabriel, Election Administration Expert, and Ms. Laolu Olawumi, Programme Manager, Democracy and Rule of Law, EU Delegation.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has expressed grave concern over the ongoing action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), warning that the action amounts to self-help and tantamount to economic sabotage capable of derailing the country’s fragile economic recovery.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the Director-General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, emphasised that: ‘conflict is an inevitable feature of the labour ecosystem, and Nigeria has statutory and institutional frameworks designed to address any disputes, including the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN). Any action capable of discouraging investment, undermining enterprises sustainability, or harming the workers that the unions claim to protect will be counter productive. While trade unions have the legitimate right to embark on industrial action, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the bounds of the law.

‘It is unacceptable for any union to conscript or coerce those not interested in its action or disrupt the operations of legitimate businesses not party to the dispute. Treating Institutions of labour administration with disdain and resorting to self-help is not only absurd but also against all known Conventions and Recommendations. When employers or workers are aggrieved, there are Institutions created to adjudicate or arbitrate in such matters. Nigeria’s recovering economy cannot be sacrificed on the altar of actions and pronouncements that are alien to global and local industrial relations practice’, he added.

Speaking further, the DG noted that: ‘uninformed and disruptive actions that could jeopardise the nation’s economic survival are neither envisaged nor acceptable in global labour practice. NECA will not be a passive onlooker as the foundation of Nigeria’s labour ecosystem is trampled upon. While we acknowledge the right to strike, such rights cannot infringe on the rights of others or threaten the survival of enterprises.’

Citing international labour instruments, including ILO Conventions 87 and 98, Mr. Oyerinde reaffirmed NECA’s commitment to upholding global labour standards, decent work and responsible business conduct, while not negotiating employers’ rights to manage their enterprises and investments within the ambit of the law. He stressed that the protection afforded to union officials under international conventions does not extend to sabotage, coercion, or actions that undermine legitimate businesses or threaten national security.

Mr. Oyerinde called on the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment to act decisively by stopping the wanton and wilful denigration of Nigeria’s industrial relations system. He stated that ‘with Nigeria sending one of the highest delegations to the ILO Conference annually, it is curious that basic industrial relations principles, Conventions, and Recommendations remain poorly applied.’ He called for the dispute to be resolved through lawful and constructive channels, warning that failure to act decisively could have far-reaching consequences for economic sustainability, job creation and preservation, investment attraction and promotion and national development.

PDP is confused, members of the public should disregard the claim, says APC spokesperson

THE Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday raised an alarm over an alleged plan by the sacked APC chairmen in the state to illegally pay out almost N13 billion of the state’s local government funds as legal fees.

The party therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the matter, saying that in a leaked letter trending online, one of the sacked chairmen instructed UBA to pay a law firm (name withheld) 15 percent of the allocation paid into the council’s account last week as legal fees.

PDP chairman in the state, Hon Sunday Bisi, described the directive as illegal, saying that the party even gathered authoritatively that the APC ex-chairmen in all the 30 local government councils gave the same instructions to the bank.

‘The total balance in all LG accounts is about N85 billion. Fifteen percent of that amount translates to N12.75 billion which these APC men wanted to pay out as legal fees. Fortunately, the Oyo State High Court order of last Friday stopped them and their scheme,’ he disclosed.

He alleged that the ex-council chairmen used non-council staff members as treasurers and co-signatories of the letters.

‘There is no officer designated as treasurer in the local government scheme of service across the country. Yet these people used individuals who are not local government staff to fill the nonexistent position of treasurer.

‘One of those so used to sign the letter is a non-teaching staff (member) of a private polytechnic in Boluwaduro Local Government Area.

‘It is shocking,’ the PDP chairman said.

According to him, the letter was written a few days ago, instructing a 15% deduction from the accounts of local governments to be paid to a legal practitioner with a UBA account.

The PDP said the sacked chairmen signed ‘IR- REVOCABLE LETTERS OF DE- DUCTION in favour of the law firm, which were forwarded to a branch of UBA.’

The said deduction was to commence from February 2025 to September 2025.

‘The APC has descended to the lowest level with outright impunity and deliberate trampling on the law and the constitution.

‘Despite a court order and a subsisting case before the Supreme Court, the APC is violating all known laws and public finance rules and regulations,’ Hon Bisi said.

An Oyo State High Court on Friday granted an injunction restraining UBA from allowing any payment out of the accounts opened by the APC ex-chairmen, into which the CBN paid the local governments’ seized seven-month allocations.

‘We call on the Inspector General of Police to open criminal investigations into these letters and their authors. All perpetrators of this illegality must be brought to book,’ the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the APC spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, described the claim as falsehood, saying it is far from the truth. He charged members of the public to disregard it.

Olabisi said it is a plot to give APC a bad name in the face of members of the public, and that PDP is confused and does not know the right direction to take any longer.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unperturbed and completely not disturbed about the coalition, under the umbrella of African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing them as ‘food is ready politicians’.

This was just as he said that the former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) in 2023 election, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is free to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abdulaziz, who made this known during an interactive session with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Kano, added that most of these people now ganging up can best be described as food is ready politicians, frustrated because they thought the business is no longer as usual.

Dismissing political coalitions being championed by some opposition figures, he then described their promoters as ‘politically expired, bitter individuals driven by personal vendetta.

‘You should also know that these are a group of bitter individuals. People driven by personal vendetta and a sense of personal loss.

‘Their concern is not the people, is not the ordinary Nigerians. Their concern is that they are not on the table. And Nigerians have sufficiently understood this. And that is why the coalition is not catching fire as they thought it would,’ he added.

While reacting to questions on whether the presidency was worried about the coalition moves ahead of 2027, he said President Tinubu remained ‘completely unperturbed.’

‘President Tinubu is not in any way jittery about whether it is coalition or any political formation. Because one, is that the people that are championing these things, most of them are politically expired,’ he said.

‘There are people with no political weight or relevance that would jitter the government or the president. We have had serial contesters who had, you know, thrown their hearts into the ring on many occasions. And they were fully lost. And nothing much has changed. In fact, their star is dimming.

‘The so-called coalition leaders were only concerned with their exclusion from power rather than the welfare of Nigerians.’

Abdulaziz maintained that Tinubu’s leadership style was focused on tough but necessary reforms rather than political expediency.

According to him, ‘There is a difference between leadership and politics. Politics is a game of popularity. Leadership is a game of nation building. And that is what President Tinubu is doing.

To really take hard-hitting decisions, even if they affect him personally. But those decisions that he feels are for the good of the country,’ he said, citing infrastructure projects, the student loan scheme, and subsidy reforms as examples.

While commenting on the notion that the administration was concentrating major projects in the South, Abdulaziz said such claims lack substance and political sentiment to court favour by disgruntled politicians.

‘These views were ‘largely political,’ he said, noting that the president has continued with multi-billion-naira projects in the North including the Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway and Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline.

Tinubu’s aide therefore stated that if Tinubu ‘is like other politicians and is wicked or doesn’t like the North, he could leave these projects to be abandoned.

‘He can withhold financing. If there is no financing, these projects will stagnate or will even naturally die. But none of these projects that he inherited, which are massive, are actually stopped,’ he added.

He however noted that the Tinubu-led administration was also embarking on new projects such as the Sokoto-Badagry highway, stressing that development under the president was ‘holistic and not fragmented.’

Also commenting on the move by the presidential candidate of the NNPP in 2023 election, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to rejoin the APC, he noted that everybody is free to come to the party.

‘Tinubu’ is a kind of man, who does not forget his friends, ‘ adding that both Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’, the immediate past National Chairman of the APC and Senator Kwankwaso were his good friends and there is no love lost between them.

‘Therefore, political party is about members adding that if today Senator Kwankwaso is ready to rejoin the APC and others also, the door is wide open for them, as numbers matter most in a political party,’ Abdulaziz added.

Veteran Nollywood actor, Kayode Olasehinde, popularly known as Ajirebi, has opened up on his relationship with filmmaker and producer Funke Akindele after the actress’ support during his trying times.

Speaking on Gbenga Olohunlana’s podcast show called ‘ Osupa’ on Osaga TV on YouTube, Ajirebi praised Akindele’s generosity, recalling how she provided him with financial assistance when he was struggling to secure accommodation.

However, Ajirebi expressed sadness that the relationship took a different turn afterwards, adding that while Akindele prefers to give quietly without drawing attention, her silence and withdrawal have left him feeling neglected.

Ajirebi also acknowledged other colleagues who have stood by him, including Kunle Afod, whom he described as consistently supportive.

According to him, Afod mobilised others to assist him during his difficult period, enabling him to build a house within three weeks.

He further appreciated comedian Woli Agba and Ambassador Muritala Adeyemo, CEO of Pelican Company, who made him an ambassador of the Company, gifted him a car and allocated land for another house project.

He said, ‘Funke Akindele is a very good person, I pray her parents live longer to enjoy the fruits of her labour.

‘I appreciate her so much. She saved me when I was struggling. She did not buy an apartment for me. What hurt me is that she does not pick my calls since she helped me, we did not have any misunderstanding.

‘What I notice about her is that she does not like to help and make it known. When it happened, she gave me money to rent an apartment and I did.

‘Kunle Afod also tried for me, he has been doing things, he has been assisting people for long but not known to everyone, people just found out lately.

‘When life happened to me then, he was the one who told Funke and some other people, the money I got then was enough to get a car but I used the money to build a house. I built that house for three weeks.

‘Afeez Owo, Woli Agba and some others also assist. Someone from Abeokuta also stood up for me, Ambassador Muritala Adeyemo, the Pelican CEO.

‘He made me an ambassador of their company, he gave me a Car and gave me another land to build another house.’

The Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, witnessed a landmark moment recently as Gold Star Line’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership, the MV Sapphire, berthed at APM Terminals.

The vessel, built in 2024 and sailing under the Singapore flag, has a carrying capacity of 7,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Speaking at the event, Todd Rives, Managing Director of Lagos and Niger Shipping Agency Limited (LANSAL), which represents Gold Star Line in Nigeria, described the berthing as a historic milestone.

He recalled that Gold Star Line, incorporated in 1958, remains one of the oldest shipping agencies operating in Nigeria, with a longstanding commitment to customer service.

He stressed that the arrival of the MV Sapphire was more than just a routine docking, but rather a symbol of progress and partnership, designed to reduce voyage costs, promote operational efficiency, and reinforce environmental sustainability.

According to him, the vessel is the beginning of a new era in Nigerian maritime trade, and he expressed optimism that her sister ships would also call at the port in the near future.

Kayode Daniel, Commercial Manager of APM Terminals Apapa, described the moment as a significant achievement for the port and underlined the shared commitment to sustainable maritime practices.

He explained that shipping lines globally are working together to reduce emissions, in line with international sustainability targets.

He praised LANSAL for deploying LNG-powered vessels in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reaffirming that it was aligned with the global APM Terminals ESG goals, to move to cleaner sources of energy thereby reducing carbon emissions.

The Port Manager of the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Adebowale Lawal, represented by the Chief Port Security Officer, Bukar Kaumi, commended Gold Star Line and LANSAL for their foresight.

He noted that the maritime industry is evolving as larger vessels begin to berth at Nigerian ports and stressed the importance of creating an enabling environment for such developments.

Lawal explained that LNG vessels are critical in addressing the challenges of climate change, while at the same time reducing costs and driving economies of scale.

He assured stakeholders of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s commitment to ensuring a viable and competitive environment for trade.

In his remarks, the Controller of the Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Osoba, represented by Deputy Comptroller Musa Sama, congratulated both the shipping line and the terminal operator for what he described as the dawn of a new chapter in maritime transportation.

He applauded the adoption of LNG technology as a bold step towards a cleaner and more efficient logistics chain, reaffirming the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to support and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure seamless trade facilitation and to enable businesses in Apapa to thrive.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has applauded the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Managing Director/CEO of Ibom Airport Development Company, Mr Uwem Ekanem, and the airport board for the successful restoration of night flight operations at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the governor said the exercise, which culminated in the full calibration and overhaul of navigational aids as well as the reinstatement of airfield lighting, was completed within the 30 September deadline he had set.

With the successful execution of the task, the sunrise-to-sunset restriction earlier imposed on the facility has now been lifted, allowing flight operations to continue into the night with immediate effect.

Governor Eno expressed satisfaction that the airport management rose to the occasion, stressing that the achievement was a direct outcome of his administration’s insistence on meeting deliverables under the Arise Agenda within specified timelines.

‘I congratulate the MD/CEO, Mr Uwem Ekanem, the staff, and the board for getting the job done within the timeline. I am equally appreciative of the invaluable role played by NAMA in ensuring the smooth completion of this project,’ the governor stated.

He assured that the government would not relent in providing the necessary support for the state’s aviation infrastructure, pledging further investments in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, the international terminal, and other ongoing projects within the aviation ecosystem.

According to him, the improvements at Victor Attah International Airport are part of broader efforts to position Akwa Ibom as a key player in both aviation and tourism-sectors he described as central to the state’s economic diversification plans.

The governor linked the development to the state’s tourism agenda, pointing out that with night flight operations restored, the movement of tourists and business travellers would no longer be hindered. He noted that this would be particularly beneficial as the state prepares to commission the Arise Resorts in December, which he described as the nation’s premier family-themed resort.

‘Tourism remains a major plank of the Arise Agenda, and this milestone will ensure seamless operations by our flagship airline, Ibom Air, as we welcome tourists and investors into the state during the Yuletide season and beyond,’ he said.

Governor Eno reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making Akwa Ibom the tourism haven of Nigeria, adding that with the strides recorded in aviation and hospitality, the state was steadily building a sustainable future with or without oil.