Health
Niger establishes agency to regulate private healthcare facilities
The Niger State Ministry of Health has established the Niger State Private Health Facilities Agency (NISPHFA) to promote quality, safety and regulatory excellence in private healthcare delivery.
The Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Abdullahi Suleiman, disclosed this on Saturday in Minna, saying the new institution would protect patients, improve standards and promote accountability in private healthcare delivery.
Mr Suleiman said the agency’s vision was to become Nigeria’s foremost health regulatory institution, driving a well-regulated, equitable and internationally benchmarked private healthcare sector.
He explained that the agency is mandated to register, regulate, monitor and evaluate all private health facilities in the state to ensure compliance with established standards.
According to him, NISPHFA will license private healthcare facilities, set standards for staffing, infrastructure, equipment and service delivery, conduct inspections, accredit facilities and enforce compliance.
He disclosed that the agency had developed registration guidelines covering 20 categories of private health facilities, launched a digital registration portal and engaged more than 1,000 facilities across the state’s 25 local government areas.
He added that the agency had also established strategic partnerships with security agencies and peer regulators to strengthen enforcement and compliance mechanisms.
Mr Suleiman assured private healthcare providers that the agency would operate as a partner in improving standards rather than as an adversary.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Health, Murtala Bagana, described the agency as a major milestone in the ongoing transformation of the state’s health sector.
Mr Bagana said the agency reflected the ministry’s commitment to building strong institutions capable of safeguarding standards, protecting patients, and ensuring access to safe, properly regulated healthcare services.
He said the establishment of NISPHFA was in line with Governor Umaru Bago’s New Niger Agenda and the Ministry of Health’s THRIVE reform framework, which are designed to strengthen governance, improve infrastructure, enhance accountability, and expand access to quality healthcare services.
The commissioner noted that sustainable healthcare transformation required effective regulatory institutions capable of assuring quality, enforcing standards and generating reliable data for informed decision-making.
He explained that NISPHFA was established to address long-standing challenges in the private healthcare sector, including fragmented regulation, inadequate data, and inconsistent enforcement of standards and weak integration of private healthcare providers into the broader health system.
Mr Bagana said the agency would play a strategic role in advancing Universal Health Coverage and strengthening the state’s overall health system.
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Mr Bago, represented at the event by the Head of Service, Abubakar Sadiq, said the establishment of the agency demonstrated the administration’s commitment to building strong institutions that deliver measurable benefits to citizens.
He described NISPHFA as a practical expression of the New Niger Agenda and commended the Ministry of Health for driving reforms to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.
He noted that the agency’s enabling law, enacted in 2025, positioned Niger among the states pursuing dedicated regulation of private healthcare facilities.
The governor also lauded the agency’s deployment of a technology-driven registration platform and its engagement with private healthcare providers across the state.
He urged the agency’s management and staff to uphold professionalism, transparency and accountability in carrying out their mandate.
(NAN)
A Consultant Gynaecologist and Chief Executive Officer of Nordica Fertility Centre, Victor Ajayi, has said only one in four men currently has optimal semen quality, citing research that points to a steady decline in male fertility over recent decades.
Mr Ajayi made the remark during a webinar organised by the fertility centre on Saturday. The webinar was themed “The Forgotten Men: Conversation on Infertility.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fertility specialist cited a 2012 study which found that only about 25 per cent of men had semen quality considered optimal for natural conception.
He said periodic studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) have also shown a global decline in male reproductive potential, with sperm counts falling by more than 50 per cent over the past five decades.
According to him, only a small proportion of men now produce the minimum sperm concentration considered adequate for natural conception, compared to the much higher sperm counts commonly recorded decades ago.
Mr Ajayi warned that if the trend continues, it could have serious implications for human reproduction.
Causes of declining sperm quality
He attributed the decline to obesity, unhealthy lifestyles, sperm DNA fragmentation, prolonged exposure of the testes to heat, psychological factors and other underlying medical conditions.
The fertility specialist also challenged the widespread belief that infertility is primarily a woman’s problem.
He said that infertility had been culturally and socially framed as a female problem, leaving women to bear stigma, undergo investigations and shoulder emotional burdens.
He noted that male infertility remained largely overlooked in spite of evidence showing that men contributed significantly to infertility cases.
“It is time to bring men into the conversation about reproductive health, not as bystanders, but as equal participants whose fertility matters,” he said.
The fertility specialist said many of the factors affecting sperm quality were preventable and could be addressed through sustained lifestyle changes.
He called for increased public awareness, early intervention and proper counselling to address male infertility and encourage shared responsibility in reproductive health.
Also speaking, Pilot Gbolahan, Clinical Psychologist at Nordica Fertility Centre, said men rarely displayed their emotional problems.
Mr Gbolahan noted that many men were emotionally distant while suffering from depression caused by infertility and equally avoided therapy.
“Infertility is a medical condition not a reflection of masculinity or strength.
“Male factors contribute to 50 per cent of infertility cases, yet many men delay in seeking fertility evaluation.
“Breaking the silence is the first step towards finding a solution”, he said.
ALSO READ: Nigeria’s fertility rate drops to 4.8 children per woman — NDHS
The psychologist said early assessment could make a significant difference. He advocated for routine psychological services within fertility clinics and reproductive healthcare settings across Nigeria.
Jesse Atongo, Consultant Gynecologist, Nordica Fertility Centre, added that many men equated sexual function to reproductive capacity.
Mr Atongo stated that infertility could be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination and semen analysis.
The gynaecologist noted that male infertility treatment was individualised based on the identified etiology, severity of sperm impairment and the couple’s overall fertility profile.
According to him, infertility could be managed through medications, surgery and assisted reproduction. He encouraged men to eschew illicit substances, excessive heat, alongside alcohol, and maintain a healthy weight and safe sex.
(NAN)
The thyroid gland, a small butterfly-shaped organ located at the front of the neck, plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, heart rate and body temperature.
Yet thyroid disorders often go undetected, especially among women, whose symptoms are frequently mistaken for stress, ageing or normal hormonal changes.
Speaking with PT Health Watch, reproductive endocrinologist Oladapo Ashiru said women are far more likely than men to develop thyroid disorders, citing Nigerian studies that reported female-to-male ratios ranging from 6.3:1 to as high as 98:1.
According to Mr Ashiru, recognising the warning signs early is important because untreated thyroid disorders can affect fertility, pregnancy and overall quality of life.
Symptoms often overlooked
Mr Ashiru explained that thyroid disorders generally occur in two forms: hypothyroidism, where the gland is underactive, and hyperthyroidism, where it is overactive.
An underactive thyroid commonly causes unexplained weight gain, sensitivity to cold and hair thinning, while an overactive thyroid may lead to unexplained weight loss, heat intolerance and a faster metabolism.
“If the thyroid is underactive, there will be increased weight or unexplained weight gain. If it is overactive, there will be unexplained weight loss. The person may feel too cold in a normal environment if it is underactive, or too hot in a cool environment if it is overactive,” he said.
Beyond these symptoms, women may experience irregular menstrual cycles, mood changes, anxiety, depression, constipation or frequent bowel movements.
Mr Ashiru, who is the Chairman and Chief Medical Director of Medical Art Centre, said women are also more likely to experience neck tightness caused by an enlarged thyroid gland, excessive tearing and persistent symptoms even after treatment.
By contrast, men more commonly present with heart palpitations.
He explained that because many thyroid symptoms resemble those associated with stress, menopause and other everyday conditions, thyroid disorders in women are often overlooked or diagnosed late.
Effects on fertility and pregnancy
Mr Ashiru said women between the ages of 30 and 49 face the highest risk of thyroid disorders, although younger women can also be affected.
He warned that untreated thyroid disease can interfere with ovulation, increase menstrual bleeding, raise the risk of miscarriage and contribute to complications after childbirth.
Women planning pregnancy, he advised, should consider thyroid screening to detect and treat any underlying condition before conception.
The endocrinologist also highlighted postpartum thyroiditis, an inflammation of the thyroid gland that can occur after childbirth.
According to him, new mothers should not dismiss persistent exhaustion as simply part of caring for a newborn, as it may signal an underlying thyroid disorder.
Screening and healthy habits
Mr Ashiru said thyroid disorders can be diagnosed through simple hormone tests available in many Nigerian hospitals and laboratories.
He recommended routine screening, particularly for women aged 35 years and above, pregnant women and people with a family history of thyroid disease.
Although some thyroid conditions are hereditary, he said healthy lifestyle habits may help support thyroid function.
These include getting adequate sleep, managing stress, eating a balanced diet with appropriate amounts of iodine and selenium-rich foods such as eggs, fish and beans, and engaging in regular physical activity.
He also encouraged stress management through family support, prayer and relaxation techniques, including deep-breathing exercises.
Some of his recommendations, including limiting processed foods, genetically modified foods and environmental toxins, reflect his clinical opinion on factors that may influence thyroid health.
READ ALSO: PT Health Watch: Persistent fatigue, weight changes may signal thyroid disorder Expert
Early diagnosis improves outcomes
Mr Ashiru said treatment depends on the type of thyroid disorder, with many patients responding well to thyroid hormone replacement therapy or other appropriate medications.
He stressed that early diagnosis remains the most effective way to prevent complications and improve quality of life.
Describing the thyroid as a vital organ, he said it regulates reproductive hormones and supports the proper functioning of the heart, skin and other body systems.
He also warned that exposure to environmental toxins may affect thyroid function and urged people to minimise avoidable environmental risks.
