The National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has formally unveiled Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

The National chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed the this via X when he stated that “the party formally received the presidential nomination forms of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, ahead of the 2027 general election” on Friday .

Yilwatda described the development as a defining moment that reaffirmed the party’s collective resolve to sustain the Renewed Hope Agenda and deepen the progress already being recorded across the country.

The development comes amid months of speculation that President Tinubu might replace Shettima with a northern Christian as his vice-presidential candidate ahead of the election.

“Today marked another significant milestone in the journey of our great party as I formally received the presidential nomination forms of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, ahead of the 2027 general election. It was a defining moment that reaffirmed our collective resolve to sustain the Renewed Hope Agenda and deepen the progress already being recorded across the country.

“The nomination forms were presented on behalf of President Tinubu by his Special Adviser on Political and Other Matters, Hon. Ibrahim Masari, during a well-attended ceremony at the Continental Hotel, Abuja. The presentation underscored the confidence of our party in the leadership of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima as they prepare to seek a renewed mandate from the Nigerian people.

“The event brought together an impressive array of leaders of our great party, including the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, alongside Governors Mai Mala Buni, Nasir Idris, Abba Kabir Yusuf, Uba Sani, Babagana Umara Zulum, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, as well as other governors, party executives and critical stakeholders from across the federation.

“The atmosphere was one of unity, confidence and shared purpose. As we move towards 2027, the All Progressives Congress remains focused on strengthening its grassroots support, consolidating the achievements of the Renewed Hope Agenda and working together to build a more prosperous, secure and inclusive Nigeria for all,” the APC chairman wrote.

The federal government has announced plans to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency healthcare system by expanding the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) and developing a digital emergency dispatch platform to improve responses to critical illnesses.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Thursday while declaring open the 11th Annual Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Intensive and Critical Care Society of Nigeria (I-CCSN) in Abuja.

The conference, themed “Sustainable Financing for Intensive Care in Public Hospitals in Nigeria,” focused on improving access to critical care and addressing financing challenges in the country’s health sector.

Mr Salako said NEMSAS, which began as a pilot project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has now expanded to 34 states, bringing Nigeria closer to nationwide emergency medical coverage.

He also announced that the government is developing a digital emergency dispatch platform that will connect emergency callers, ambulance services and treatment centres through a single system.

According to him, the platform will facilitate real-time emergency response, patient tracking, referrals and claims management.

Strengthening emergency care

Mr Salako said improving critical care requires more than equipping intensive care units (ICUs), stressing the need for an integrated emergency care system.

He said such a system should link ambulance services, high-dependency units, medical oxygen systems, diagnostic services, health insurance, trained health workers, and rehabilitation services to provide timely, life-saving care.

“Critical illness does not discriminate. No Nigerian family should be forced to choose between financial ruin and access to life-saving healthcare,” he said.

The minister said the government is also expanding access to medical oxygen by installing Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants in health facilities across the country to ensure a reliable supply of the life-saving commodity.

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Workforce and financing

Mr Salako said sustainable financing remains essential to improving critical care services in public hospitals.

He called for greater investment in specialist education, fellowship programmes and continuous professional development for physicians, critical care nurses, biomedical engineers and other healthcare professionals involved in emergency and intensive care.

He also urged stronger collaboration among the federal government, state governments, healthcare institutions, professional associations, development partners, and the private sector to translate conference discussions into evidence-based policies that improve financing and expand equitable access to quality intensive care services across Nigeria.