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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the Hausa people as important pillars of Nigeria’s unity and progress.

The President stated this in a message commemorating Hausa Day, which is being celebrated at the historic Daura Palace.

In a statement on X on Wednesday, Tinubu said the Hausa community had continued to make significant contributions to the country’s development.

He added that the Hausa language had grown into an important means of communication, unity, and commerce beyond Nigeria.

He congratulated the Hausa community on the occasion, acknowledging the cultural and linguistic significance of the Hausa people to Nigeria and the wider world.

The statement reads, ‘The Hausa people are great pillars that play a vital role in the unity and progress of Nigeria.

‘The Hausa language, without doubt, has flourished and has become a major language of unity and commerce across the world.

‘I congratulate the vast Hausa community on the occasion of Hausa Day, which is being celebrated at the historic Daura Palace today.’

Veteran Nollywood actor Yinka Quadri has recalled the final words his longtime friend and colleague, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, said to him when he visited him in the hospital before his death.

Yinka Quadri wrote in a tribute to Ogogo’s death on his Instagram page, recalled the final words the late actor said to him during his last visit to the hospital.

Quadri said he could not hold back his tears when he saw Ogogo lying on his sick bed, but the late actor reassured him that nothing bad would happen to him.

According to Quadri, Ogogo looked at him and said, ‘Yinka, don’t cry. Nothing bad will happen to me.’

Quadri said he responded, ‘Yes, Amen.’

Reflecting on the moment in a tribute to his late friend, Quadri said he was grateful to God for the life Ogogo lived and that he did not have to go through a prolonged struggle that would have left his loved ones constantly seeking financial assistance for his care.

‘I thank God for the beautiful life you lived, my bosom friend, Taiwo Hassan Ogogo. I thank God that you did not have to go through a prolonged struggle that would have left us constantly seeking financial assistance to care for you. May the Almighty forgive your shortcomings,’ he said.

Quadri said he would never forget the last time he saw Ogogo at the hospital, adding that although the actor reassured him, he knew deep down that his friend did not want to leave them so soon.

‘I will never forget the last time I saw you at the hospital. You were lying on your sick bed, and when I saw you, I could not hold back my tears. You looked at me and said, ‘Yinka, don’t cry. Nothing bad will happen to me.’ I responded, ‘Yes, Amen.’ Deep down, I know this was not your wish to leave us so soon,’ he said.

The veteran actor also recalled how his friendship with Ogogo began in 1984 and grew over the years despite attempts by others to create a distance between them.

Quadri said neither of them ever went public to speak against the other whenever rumours surfaced that they were having problems.

‘We have known each other since 1984 and with time, our friendship grew beyond ordinary. Many people tried to create a distance between us but God never allowed it. Neither of us ever went to the public to speak against the other. Whenever people heard rumours that we were fighting, they were only guessing. They never heard it from us,’ he said.

Quadri said Ogogo’s death had left a space that could not be filled, but he would continue to remember the years they spent together.

‘Your departure has left a space that words cannot fill but I will forever cherish the memories we shared, the laughter, the journeys, the movie locations, the disagreements we overcame and the countless moments that made our friendship special. You may have left this world but you will never leave my heart,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Ogogo died at about 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the age of 66 after battling stage-four cancer. His death was announced by fellow veteran actor Jide Kosoko.

The actor was buried in his hometown, Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday, August 24, in accordance with Islamic rites. Tribune Online reported that Quadri broke down in tears during the burial as family members, friends and colleagues gathered to pay their final respects to the late actor.

Presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 general election, Donald Duke, has defended his leadership credentials, saying his record as governor of Cross River State (1999-2007) demonstrates a commitment to building strong institutions, promoting merit and leaving public office better than he met it.

Duke said if elected president in 2027, his administration would break with the culture of political patronage by appointing competent and capable Nigerians to key positions in government.

‘My record speaks of my intention to leave a place better than I met it,’ the former Cross River governor said during an interview. ‘Politics ends after the election. Governance begins with assembling the best hands to move the country forward.’

According to him, governance should be driven by competence rather than political loyalty, stressing that appointments into public office should be based on merit, integrity and the capacity to deliver results.

‘It’s not those who rallied around you during the campaign that should determine the quality of governance. Politics is over; governance is about getting the best team. Every appointee must have one creed: leave the country better than you met it,’ he said.

Duke argued that Nigeria’s current challenges require visionary leadership capable of putting national interest above partisan considerations. He maintained that rebuilding public institutions remains critical to restoring citizens’ confidence in government and repositioning the country for sustainable development.

The PRP presidential candidate also renewed his call for comprehensive economic reforms, including a redesign of Nigeria’s financial system to encourage productivity, lower the cost of borrowing and stimulate private sector growth.

He criticised high interest rates, rising public debt and what he described as misplaced government spending, insisting that greater investments should be channelled to electricity, agriculture, healthcare, education and the judiciary to drive economic growth and improve citizens’ welfare.

Duke further advocated reforms in revenue generation, energy policy and the justice system, arguing that Nigeria possesses the human and natural resources needed for rapid transformation if managed with discipline, competence and accountability.

Power outages are a familiar problem for many Nigerian households, but a prolonged blackout can create a less obvious problem, which is basically how to keep medicines safe when the refrigerator stops working.

This matters because not every medicine can simply be left on a shelf. Some medicines require refrigeration, while others need to be protected from excessive heat, sunlight or moisture. Insulin is a well-known example, while certain liquid medicines may also have specific storage requirements.

The most important rule is to check the storage instructions for each medicine rather than assuming that every medicine needs to be refrigerated or that every medicine can safely remain at room temperature.

In this article, Tribune Online highlights how to preserve vital medications safely during prolonged power outages.

Know which medicines need special storage

Before a power outage occurs, identify medicines in the household that have specific temperature requirements. Check the medicine’s packaging, patient information leaflet or instructions from the pharmacist. Some products may state that they should be stored in a refrigerator, while others may require storage below a particular room temperature.

Insulin, for example, is generally stored in a refrigerator before use, although the permitted temperature and length of time outside the refrigerator vary between products. Do not automatically put ordinary tablets and capsules into the refrigerator simply because the electricity is out. Excessive moisture or unsuitable temperatures can also damage medicines.

Keep the refrigerator closed

If the power goes off, resist the temptation to keep opening the refrigerator to check whether the medicine is still cold. Every time the door is opened, cold airescapes and warmer air enters. Keeping the door closed for as long as possible helps the refrigerator to retain its temperature.

If the refrigerator contains medicines that require refrigeration, avoid opening it unnecessarily until electricity returns or another suitable cooling arrangement is available. For medicines that must remain refrigerated, having a backup plan involving an appropriate cooler and ice or cold packs can be useful during an extended outage.

Do not put medicine directly on ice

Trying to keep medicine cold does not mean allowing it to freeze. This is particularly important with insulin. Freezing can damage insulin and make it less effective. Insulin should therefore never be placed directly against frozen ice packs or inside the freezer compartment.

If a cooler is being used, place the medicine in a suitable sealed container and separate it from frozen packs so that the medicine does not freeze. The goal is to maintain the temperature specified by the manufacturer, not simply to make the medicine as cold as possible.

A cooler can provide temporary protection

For medicines that genuinely require refrigeration, a properly prepared insulated cooler can provide a temporary alternative when the refrigerator is unavailable. Use cold packs or ice to maintain the required temperature, but prevent direct contact between the medicine and the frozen material.

A thermometer placed inside the cooler can provide useful information about the temperature rather than relying on touch.

Remember that a cooler is a temporary solution. If the outage lasts for an extended period, contact a pharmacist, healthcare provider or the medicine’s manufacturer for advice about whether the product remains usable.

Keep medicines away from heat and sunlight

A blackout can make homes considerably hotter, particularly during Nigeria’s hot weather.

Do not leave medicines on windowsills, inside vehicles, near cooking areas, beside generators or in other places exposed to direct sunlight or heat. Choose the coolest suitable area of the home, away from sunlight and moisture.

Some medicines are intended to be stored at room temperature, but ‘room temperature’ does not mean any temperature that happens to exist inside a hot Nigerian house. If the manufacturer’s instructions specify a maximum temperature, that limit matters.

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has provided a total of ?29.8 million in financial assistance to 1,490 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to the state for the 2026 Batch ‘B’, Stream II service year.

Each corps member received ?20,000 to help cushion transportation costs and other immediate expenses as they proceed to their various places of primary assignment across the state.

Governor Ododo announced the gesture on Wednesday during the closing ceremony of the three-week 2026 Batch ‘B’, Stream II NYSC Orientation Course held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Asaya, Kabba.

Represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Aridaojo Monday Anyebe, the governor said the intervention was part of his administration’s commitment to supporting young people and creating an enabling environment for them to contribute to the development of the state.

He urged the corps members to approach their service year with dedication, discipline and a strong sense of responsibility while making meaningful contributions to the communities where they would be posted.

Ododo encouraged them to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired during the orientation programme towards solving problems and supporting development initiatives in their host communities.

The governor further charged the corps members to serve as ambassadors of positive change by sharing useful knowledge, promoting unity and contributing to programmes capable of improving the welfare of residents.

He assured them that the state government remained committed to their safety and welfare throughout their service year, while appealing to host communities to provide a friendly, secure and supportive environment for the corps members.

Governor Ododo also congratulated the corps members on successfully completing their tertiary education and urged them to uphold the core values of the NYSC, including patriotism, integrity, discipline and selfless service.

Earlier, the Kogi State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Chris Moneke Chika Tochi, disclosed that the corps members had undergone three weeks of intensive physical, mental and moral re-orientation.

She said the training was designed to equip them with relevant knowledge, information and skills needed to make their service year productive and impactful.

The NYSC coordinator commended Governor Ododo for his continued support for corps members serving in Kogi State, noting that his interventions had included the provision of food items and financial assistance.

She described the latest ?29.8 million gesture as timely and said it demonstrated the governor’s concern for the welfare of corps members.

A total of 1,490 corps members were deployed to Kogi State for the 2026 Batch ‘B’, Stream II orientation exercise at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Asaya, Kabba.

Eating tomatoes every day may help reduce the amount of fat stored in the liver among people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), according to a small exploratory study.

Researchers found that adults with MASLD who ate raw tomatoes and tomato sauce daily for six weeks experienced a greater reduction in liver fat than those who followed a tomato-free diet.

MASLD is a common liver condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver in association with metabolic risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal blood sugar levels or other signs of metabolic dysfunction. The condition can range from relatively mild fatty liver to more serious disease involving inflammation, scarring and, in some cases, cirrhosis.

The study, published in Nutrients, involved 79 adults with MASLD. Participants were divided into two groups. One followed a diet that excluded tomatoes, while the other consumed 200 grammes of raw tomatoes and 50 grammes of tomato sauce each day for six weeks.

Researchers assessed a range of health measures, including liver fat, liver stiffness, body composition and blood markers.

They found that liver fat decreased in both groups during the study, but the reduction was greater among those who consumed tomatoes and tomato sauce.

The researchers suggested that tomato consumption may reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver without requiring major changes in body weight or abdominal fat.

However, the study did not find significant differences between the groups in several other measures of liver and metabolic health, including liver stiffness, liver enzymes, blood lipids and body mass index.

Tomatoes contain compounds including lycopene and carotenoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These substances could potentially play a role in liver health.

However, the study did not measure blood levels of lycopene or carotenoids, so researchers cannot determine whether these compounds were responsible for the observed change. It is also difficult to establish whether raw tomatoes, tomato sauce or the combination of both produced the effect.

Experts said the results were encouraging but should be interpreted cautiously, as the trial lasted only six weeks and involved a relatively small, highly selected group of participants. People older than 65 were excluded, as were those with a body mass index above 30, while most participants were men.

Randa Abdelmasih, an endocrinologist and obesity specialist at the University of Texas Medical Branch who was not involved in the study, said the research demonstrated a modest reduction in liver fat over a short period but involved a population that may differ considerably from patients commonly seen in clinical practice.

Jonathan Jennings, an internist at Medical Offices of Manhattan who was also not involved in the study, pointed out that participants qualified for the study based on having at least one cardiometabolic risk factor, even though different risk factors may not carry the same level of risk for MASLD.

Abdelmasih noted that although the study found an improvement in liver fat, there were no significant changes in liver stiffness, fibrosis scores, liver enzymes, insulin resistance, inflammatory markers, lipid profiles or body composition.

As a result, she said, the findings cannot establish that tomato consumption changes disease progression or improves clinically important outcomes.

The researchers, however, described their findings as exploratory and hypothesis-generating and called for larger and longer-term studies to determine whether tomatoes have a lasting effect on liver fat and, more importantly, whether that reduction translates into better clinical outcomes.

The Chairmanship Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Ikere West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Adeniyi Ogunrinde, has called on the Ekiti State Government to ensure a credible, transparent, free and fair election ahead of the December 12, 2026, local government polls.

Ogunrinde urged Governor Biodun Oyebanji to emulate President Bola Tinubu’s conduct during the just-concluded Osun State governorship election by allowing the electorate to freely choose their preferred candidates without interference.

He said the December election should provide an opportunity for the state government to demonstrate its commitment to democratic principles by ensuring that every vote cast by the people of Ikere West and other councils across the state counts.

According to him, the outcome of the August 15 Osun governorship election, in which the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, was returned to office, offered an important lesson on the need for political leaders to respect the will of the electorate.

Ogunrinde, in a statement on Wednesday, said President Tinubu deserved commendation for publicly urging the electoral authorities and security agencies to ensure that the Osun election was transparent, free and fair, and for accepting the outcome after the poll. Tinubu also congratulated Adeleke on his victory while praising the peaceful and transparent conduct of the election.

He said, ‘Governor Oyebanji should emulate President Bola Tinubu by allowing the people to freely choose their leaders at the grassroots during the December 12 election. The Osun election has shown that democracy is strengthened when the government does not seek to impose candidates on the people.

‘What we are asking for in Ekiti is very simple: let the people vote for the candidates of their choice during the local government election. Let the votes count and let the candidate who genuinely enjoys the confidence of the people emerge victorious.’

The ADC candidate, while congratulating Oyebanji on his victory in the June 20 governorship election, appealed to the governor to provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates participating in the local government election.

He stressed that the credibility of the process would enhance public confidence in the state’s democratic institutions.

Ogunrinde further called on the relevant electoral and security authorities to remain neutral, professional and impartial throughout the election, saying no individual or political party should be allowed to undermine the democratic rights of the people.

He expressed confidence in his chances at the poll, considering his antecedents, saying his campaign would continue to focus on the needs of the people of Ikere West and the development of the LCDA rather than intimidation, inducement or political manipulation.

The ADC candidate urged the electorate to come out en masse on December 12 and exercise their franchise peacefully, assuring them that the party would respect the outcome of a genuinely free, fair and credible election.

Ogunrinde noted that a credible local government election would further strengthen the state’s democratic credentials and leave a lasting legacy for the administration.

The Presidency has accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of simply playing politics with the temporary discomfort Nigerians face over the removal of the subsidy regime by the present administration.

The Presidency’s declaration is on the heels of contradictory remarks by media aides of the ADC Presidential candidate.

Checks revealed that Paul Ibe, one of the spokespersons of Atiku Abubakar, had said petrol subsidy would be restored and later phased out if the ADC presidential candidate won the forthcoming general election, a position that was disclaimed by Phrank Shaibu, another media aide of the former vice-president, who said, ‘Atiku has never proposed restoring the import-subsidy regime and subsequently removing it on some predetermined date. That is not his policy and should not be attributed to him.’

Responding to the glaring contradictions, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, in a statement noted that the varied submissions on the subsidy regime by Atiku’s aides ‘are not merely a matter of semantics. It is a serious policy contradiction.’

The Presidency maintained that the ADC presidential candidate lacks understanding of the dynamics of the petroleum market.

The statement pointedly asked Atiku Abubakar to explain precisely what he means by ‘targeted subsidy’.

The statement read: ‘The latest comments by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on petrol subsidy raise a fundamental question: is he seriously proposing an economic policy, or is he simply playing politics with the temporary discomfort Nigerians face?

‘Within a week, Nigerians have heard three different explanations of what an Atiku administration would do about petrol subsidy. The confusion has now become impossible to ignore.

‘First, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, said Atiku would restore petrol subsidy if elected president and later phase it out. Ibe described it as a temporary intervention intended to give Nigerians and businesses room to recover.

‘Then came a clarification from another senior aide, Phrank Shaibu, who said Ibe’s statement was an

‘unauthorised and misleading characterisation’ of Atiku’s position. According to Shaibu, Atiku would not set a predetermined date for ending the subsidy. Instead, it would remain until domestic refining expands, supply stabilises, competition deepens, and the market can deliver affordable prices without government support.

‘But just hours later, Atiku himself intervened and effectively overruled that clarification.

‘He insisted that his position ‘has not changed’ and that he would restore what he called a ‘targeted subsidy’ if elected president. He also said, ‘I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.’ This is not merely a matter of semantics. It is a serious policy contradiction.

‘If Atiku’s position has not changed, why did one of his principal aides say the subsidy would be temporary and phased out? Why did another senior aide have to publicly disown that explanation and introduce a completely different framework based on market conditions? And why did Atiku then step in to reaffirm the original position?

‘Nigerians deserve clarity, not policy by trial and error. More fundamentally, Atiku’s argument appears to misunderstand the dynamics of the petroleum market.

‘Petrol does not become cheap simply because government orders a subsidy or because competition is expected to emerge. Several factors, including international crude oil prices, exchange rates, refining costs, transportation, distribution, and other market costs, influence pump prices.’

The Presidency further cautioned the former vice-president to ‘stop playing politics with a policy that has significantly restored fiscal health to the three tiers of government and stabilised the macroeconomic environment.

‘The economy is too serious for policy somersaults, incoherence, destructive populism and election gimmicks.

Atiku says his subsidy will follow the barrel of crude. Is he aware that refined petrol only constitutes 45 per cent of the by-products of a barrel of crude? A barrel yields other products, such as aviation fuel, kerosene, and diesel, which were deregulated many years ago.

‘Diesel, which the Obasanjo-Atiku administration deregulated in 2004, accounts for roughly 25% of the barrel. Jet Fuel and Kerosene make up about 9% of the barrel. Kerosene and jet fuel were deregulated in 2009, and subsidies were removed in 2016.

‘About 10% to 15% of the barrel creates base ingredients for synthetic rubber, nylon, polyester, and plastics used in everyday goods like toothbrushes, cups, and packaging.

‘Asphalt makes up about 2% to 4% of the barrel. Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids (HGL), like propane and butane, make up about 4%. Lubricants and Waxes constitute about 1% to 2%. Petroleum coke and sulfur form the solid residue left from refining.

‘Will Atiku subsidise all these by-products of the barrel as well, since kerosene is used by the underprivileged to cook, and many homes and factories use diesel to power generators and delivery trucks? And will he allow the refineries he will supply discounted crude oil to profit from 55 per cent of the by-products, while focusing subsidy only on petrol, his obsession?

‘The former Vice President is definitely suffering from a lack of basic understanding of his newfound policy prescription.’

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has challenged its management and staff to move beyond routine administrative activities, meetings and reports and focus on delivering measurable results that directly advance Nigeria’s automotive industry.

The charge was made on Wednesday in Calabar, Cross River State, by the Director, Vehicle Electrification Department, Engr. Ayinde Abdullahi, who represented the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, at the opening of the council’s 2026 Strategic Management Retreat.

The three-day retreat, holding at the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, from August 26 to 28, has the theme, ‘Driving Institutional Excellence: Aligning Capacity, Culture, and Compliance with the NADDC Corporate Mandate.’

Abdullahi said the retreat was convened to enable the council’s management and staff to step away from their normal office environment, critically examine their operations and develop strategies to improve institutional performance.

According to him, NADDC must constantly ask whether its interventions are increasing local automotive production and local content, improving services to investors, creating jobs, building technical capacity and facilitating technology transfer.

‘Every department should be able to answer three questions: What is our mandate? What outcomes are we responsible for? How will we measure our success?’ he said.

Abdullahi identified capacity, culture and compliance as the three pillars on which institutional excellence must be built.

‘Capacity gives us the ability to deliver; culture gives us the willingness to deliver; and compliance ensures we deliver responsibly,’ he said.

He urged the council to build a workforce that is technically skilled, adaptable and capable of responding to emerging developments in the automotive industry, particularly electric mobility, alternative fuels, digitalisation and vehicle cybersecurity.

The director also called for a workplace culture anchored on integrity, accountability, professionalism, collaboration, innovation, service and results.

He said NADDC must replace ‘ownership in place of excuses, collaboration in place of competition, performance in place of routine, innovation in place of resistance, service in place of bureaucracy, and accountability in place of blame.’

Abdullahi further stressed the need to break down institutional silos, noting that major interventions such as electric mobility involve several areas, including policy, standards, infrastructure and skills development.

The NADDC director said management must lead the institutional transformation by example by rewarding performance, addressing underperformance, encouraging innovation, investing in staff, strengthening internal controls and clearly communicating the council’s objectives.

On the choice of Calabar as the venue, Abdullahi said the city provided an ideal environment for candid discussions, while its reputation for cleanliness, peace and hospitality made it suitable for the annual management gathering.

He also noted the presence of automotive-related projects in Cross River State, including an automobile assembly facility, saying the council’s investments across states were designed to promote even development and give different parts of the country a sense of belonging.

The retreat is coming at a time when NADDC is intensifying efforts to develop technical capacity for Nigeria’s evolving automotive industry. The council recently commenced a two-week specialised training programme for 300 technicians and youths across six states, including Cross River, focusing on vehicle mechatronics and CNG retrofitting.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor on Automobile Technicians Regulatory Department, Chief Ndem Effiong, commended NADDC for its interventions in the state.

Effiong said NADDC had established an Automotive Training Centre in Awi, Akamkpa Local Government Area, for the training of technicians and other operators in the automotive value chain.

He added that the council was also establishing a CNG and electric vehicle centre at the University of Calabar.

According to him, about 50 technicians, motor dealers and spare-parts dealers in Cross River are currently undergoing CNG-related training, including female automobile technicians and other operators across the value chain.

He said the state government had encouraged the council to hold the retreat in Cross River as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration and strategic engagement between the state and NADDC.

In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the House Committee on Industry, Hon. Dr Enitan Dolapo Badru, represented by Dr Usman Ibrahim, assured NADDC of the continued support of the National Assembly.

Badru said the automotive industry remained central to Nigeria’s industrialisation because of its potential to create jobs, promote technology transfer, save foreign exchange and build local technical capacity.

He said the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) could only succeed if NADDC itself remained strong, efficient and excellent.

The lawmaker urged participants to use the retreat to critically examine their internal processes and develop an action plan that was ‘realistic, measurable and time-bound.’

‘Excellence is not an accident. It is built deliberately. It is built when leadership sets the tone, when staff take ownership, and when partners align,’ he said.

On behalf of the participants, the Director of Press and Protocol, Mrs Susan Taiwo, described the retreat as a valuable refresher course, particularly for directors and heads of departments.

Taiwo said the exercise would help leaders improve their relationship with subordinates and colleagues, sharpen their leadership skills and better understand how their individual responsibilities contribute to the council’s overall mandate.

A disturbing report filtered into the information highway recently. Ostensibly driven by greed and criminal intent, some fresh fish sellers busted in Nigerian markets were discovered to be involved in shady deals. Fish, a famous delicacy on people’s meal tables, is the victim. The strategy of these nefarious persons is to brush industrial red dye on decaying fish, with the aim of making them look fresh to buyers. Health experts, reacting to this practice, say that this noxious act poses serious health risks to hapless Nigerians.

Further investigations revealed that this practice, notorious among small-scale traders, involves the application of chemical dyes to the dull, grayish gills of day-old or bad fish in order to create the impression of vibrant, crimson gills – the original look of fresh fish from the rivers. The natural fact is that fish gills transform from bright red to dark brown or pale gray upon death because oxygen has exited the blood. The pattern becoming notorious among vendors is this: in a bid to exploit consumers’ appetite for fish and the age-old belief that ‘red gills equal fresh fish,’ they engage in painting fish to avoid losses and recoup investments in their stalls. When asked for their take on this frightening trend, health practitioners affirmed that it is objectionable. They also warned that the chemicals applied to the fish are industrial-grade dyes which contain heavy metals and toxic compounds that are hazardous to human health. Said Dr. Hassan Abdullahi, a health practitioner: ‘What we are witnessing is not just economic fraud; it is a calculated threat to human life. These sellers are prioritising profit over safety. Consuming fish tainted with these chemicals can lead to acute gastrointestinal damage, severe food poisoning, and potentially permanent kidney and liver damage.’

Traders and consumers blamed these criminal practices on Nigeria’s worsening economic pressures. The first catalyst they identified is the current regime of unfavourable electricity tariffs. According to them, the prohibitive cost of energy has made ice production and refrigeration difficult and exorbitant for vendors trying to preserve unsold fish stock overnight. Since discarding decaying fish would result in tremendous loss, some sellers resort to applying chemical substances as a cover-up in order to still sell them at premium prices. While health authorities have not yet come up with regulatory action on this deleterious practice, experts have unanimously called for increased surveillance and alertness by buyers. They have also canvassed affordable cold-storage solutions.

This danger threatening the health of Nigerians is easily attributable to weak or haphazard enforcement of safety standards in Nigeria. Gone are the days when government took food safety seriously and handed out severe punishment for violations. The absence of such enforcement has emboldened criminally minded vendors to prioritise their pockets and de-emphasize the health of their compatriots. This has ensured that Nigerians literally buy and eat their way into death and disease. Before now, the practice of applying bleach to the cassava used in making fufu, a staple on Nigerians’ tables, became rife and troubling. So also was the practice of applying chemicals to tenderise meat for sale in restaurants.

We urge more proactive action by governments at the federal, state and local levels against these frighteningly evil acts. They must rise up and save Nigerians from consuming foods that will result in a spike in diseases and deaths. Painting fish with chemicals is a terrible thing to do and must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. These acts demonstrate the desperately wicked nature of humanity and the prioritisation of the belly above the welfare of fellow citizens. Eating unsafe food will lead to health challenges and complicate the health of those already battling different ailments. Given the current situation, we ask that every Nigerian to be their own government and, as the traditional saying goes, be the crab that uses its own eyes to guard its head. It has become imperative to thoroughly scan the commodities purchased in markets. Nigerians must avoid consuming foods that will lead to health challenges or even the grave.