# The lawmaker representing Njikoka two Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Dr. Jude Akpua, has facilitated the enrolment of 400 constituents in the Anambra State health insurance scheme through the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA).
The exercise, held at the Njikoka Local Government Area Secretariat, Abagana, is aimed at improving access to affordable and quality healthcare for the beneficiaries and their families.
During the programme, Miss Efogwo Uche of ASHIA’s Business and Marketing Department sensitised participants on the importance of health insurance, explaining how the scheme helps enrollees access healthcare services while reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses.
She encouraged the beneficiaries to understand and utilise the benefits available under the scheme to safeguard their health and wellbeing.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Anthony Okoye, expressed appreciation to Hon. Akpua for facilitating their enrolment, describing the initiative as meaningful support for the beneficiaries and their families.
# The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) has called for stronger protection of the girl child against gender-based violence (GBV), sexual abuse and exploitation, warning that these threats undermine girls’ health, dignity and future while increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection.
The Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr. Nkem Okeke, made the call as the world commemorated the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, while commending the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo for its efforts to protect women and children through legal safeguards, free education, child protection initiatives and measures to combat sexual exploitation.
Dr. Okeke applauded the recent directive to investigate and prosecute gender-based inheritance discrimination under the Anambra State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017, describing it as an important step towards safeguarding the rights and dignity of women and girls.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the Wife of the Governor, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, through the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, particularly her advocacy against child abuse and support for justice, protection and rehabilitation of survivors.
# The Anambra State Government has commenced a capacity-building workshop for sports instructors, coaches, officers and administrators as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots sports development and professionalise the state’s sports sector.
The training, held at the Awka South Local Government Headquarters in Amawbia, brought together sports practitioners from Anambra Central Senatorial District, who were retrained and certified.
Addressing participants at the event, themed “Roles of Sports Practitioners in Building Champions on and Off the Field,” the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Mr. Patrick Agha Mba, described the workshop as another significant milestone in the state government’s efforts to reposition sports as a strategic instrument for youth empowerment, employment generation, talent discovery, grassroots development and wealth creation.
He said the initiative aligned with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s People’s Manifesto and Solution 2.0 Agenda.
The Commissioner noted that building a vibrant, competitive and sustainable sports ecosystem begins with the people driving sports development at the grassroots.
# The Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinyere Esther Onyekesi, has visited a girl child allegedly abused by her mother and currently receiving medical treatment at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka.
During the visit, the Commissioner received updates on the child’s condition and the medical care being provided by the hospital.
She was informed that the Chief Medical Director of COOUTH, Dr. Mrs. Maureen Uche Umeakuewulu, had personally paid the child’s hospital bills and continued to provide food for her since her admission.
Mrs. Onyekesi commended Dr. Umeakuewulu for her compassion, generosity and commitment to the child’s welfare, describing her intervention as a demonstration of humanity and responsible leadership.
The Commissioner assured that the Ministry would collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure the child receives the necessary medical care, protection and support, while appropriate steps are taken to address the case in accordance with the law.
She also urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child abuse, neglect and other forms of violence against children to the Ministry or the nearest security agency.
# The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, has charged corps members in Anambra State to embrace entrepreneurship, build meaningful networks and prioritise their personal security throughout their service year.
Nafiu gave the charge during a visit to the Nnamdi Azikiwe NYSC Unity Permanent Orientation Camp, Umuawulu/Mbaukwu, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, where he addressed members of the 2026 Batch C, Stream one.
The NYSC Director-General described the skills acquired through the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme as essential for life after service, urging the corps members to take the initiative seriously.
He emphasised that “the skill you learn is your saving grace,” noting that entrepreneurial knowledge and practical skills could open up opportunities for self-employment and economic independence after their national service.
Nafiu also encouraged the corps members to cultivate purposeful friendships and expand their professional and personal networks, explaining that relationships established during the service year could develop into valuable connections in the future.
# FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited has confirmed the arrest of two additional suspects in connection with the alleged vandalisation of its DSS Annex B transformer at Enugwu-Agidi, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The suspects, identified as Chukwuebuka Charles Nwangwu and Chimezie Nwankwo, both males from Awkuzu community, were arrested on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, by operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achị attached to the Enugwu-Agidi unit.
According to a security report received by the company, the suspects were apprehended in connection with the incident, with exhibits reportedly recovered during the operation.
The report also indicated that the suspects had confessed to the alleged crime.
In a statement signed by its Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor, FirstPower said the latest arrests formed part of its sustained efforts to combat the vandalisation of electricity infrastructure across Anambra State.
The company noted that the menace disrupts electricity supply to communities and imposes significant financial burdens through the repair and replacement of damaged or stolen equipment.
# The Executive Director of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), Dr. Nkem Okeke, has congratulated the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, on her selection for the Public Health Innovation Award at the Africa Future Leadership Conference and Awards 11.0, scheduled for November. 20, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Dr. Okeke described the selection as recognition of Dr. Soludo’s advocacy for healthier living and community driven health initiatives, noting that sustained leadership and public engagement are essential to improving the well being of citizens.
He particularly commended her Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative for promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging community participation in interventions, including HIV awareness and prevention.
The ANSACA chief emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among government institutions, healthcare agencies, development partners and communities to expand access to essential services and improve health outcomes across Anambra State.
He reaffirmed ANSACA’s commitment to strengthening HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, while ensuring that people living with HIV receive the support they need in an environment free from stigma and discrimination.
# The World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Anambra State Government to improve primary healthcare delivery, expand immunisation coverage and enhance access to quality healthcare services across the state.
The WHO South-East Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, stated this during an advocacy visit to the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA) at its headquarters in Awka.
Dr. Igboekwu explained that the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing partnership between WHO and the state’s health sector, particularly through the revitalisation of the State Primary Healthcare and Immunisation Task Force.
He emphasised the need for the task force to be inaugurated and periodically reactivated to ensure continuity, effective coordination and the inclusion of new members as changes occur within the health system. He described the platform as essential for advocacy, strategic oversight and improved coordination of primary healthcare and immunisation programmes.
The WHO zonal coordinator commended the Anambra State Government, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for its investments in healthcare infrastructure and ongoing health sector reforms. He noted that the state’s achievements were reflected in its performance at the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Awards in 2024 and 2025.
Speaking during the visit, the WHO Anambra State Coordinator, Dr. Bonos Mohammed, highlighted the organisation’s major areas of intervention in the state, including polio eradication, routine immunisation, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and control, emergency preparedness, and the promotion of the health and well-being of Ndi Anambra.
# The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) has emphasised the need to integrate mental health support into HIV prevention, treatment and care services to improve the overall well-being of people living with HIV.
The Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr. Nkem Okeke, stated this in an interview in Awka to mark World Mental Health Day 2026, with a focus on strengthening mental health support for people living with HIV.
Dr. Okeke explained that mental health is an essential component of overall health, stressing that HIV care goes beyond testing and medication to include the emotional and psychological well-being of patients.
Speaking on the mental and emotional challenges associated with living with HIV, the Executive Director identified anxiety, depression, social isolation and fear of disclosing one’s status as some of the difficulties patients may experience.
# The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Nwachukwu has rendered his stewardship in one year of service in the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to his constituents with a special address titled “One Year Of Service, Responsibility and Representation”.
Senator Nwachukwu, who took the oath of office on October 8, 2025, following the by-election of August 2025 to fill the vacant seat created by the painful passing of his predecessor, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, said he entered the Senate mid-stream with a clear understanding that representation is not about occupying a seat or enjoying the privileges of office, but about carrying the collective voice, hopes, tears and aspirations of Ndi Anambra South.
The lawmaker noted that his journey into the Senate was accompanied by immediate legal challenges surrounding the mandate, but stated that he remained resolute, insisting that roads, erosion, power outages in Nnewi industrial cluster and youth unemployment did not stop because of tribunal proceedings.
Rendering an account of his stewardship, Senator Nwachukwu listed his key pillars of accomplishment to include:
Institutional Continuity and Stability, where he retained the administrative secretary of the late Senator Ubah to preserve institutional memory and ensure uninterrupted constituent services, power and industrial sector support.
The Senator said other key achievements included National Electoral Integrity and Reform, where he was among the Senators who voted against manual fallbacks and in favor of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results during the Electoral Act Amendment process, infrastructural advocacy, compassionate relief for disaster victims, ecological and environmental emergency engagement, to tackle gully erosion threatening homes and farmlands across Aguata, Orumba North and South, Ihiala and neighbouring communities, through engagement with the Ecological Fund Office and Federal Ministry of Environment among others.
