Connect with us

Headlines

 Mass exodus of Doctors hobbles operations at Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital, patients stranded

Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital

By Obiagulu Agu

The National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi Lagos (NOHIL) is barely limping along, as it contends with the exodus of a large volume of its personnel for better working conditions outside Nigeria.In recent years, Nigeria’s health sector has suffered and continues to suffer, from huge depletion of critical manpower fleeing abroad for more attractive conditions of service. The trend has been labelled japa syndrome in local Nigerian parlance.

Checks revealed that NOHIL is particularly hit by japa syndrome; its operations are greatly hobbled by an acute shortage of personnel across many of the departments and units. At the premier orthopaedic institution, which serves as a centre of the World Health Organisation (WHO), patients, who do not make the cut for the day’s booking to be registered as fresh patients or for such procedures as X-ray or physiotherapy or be attended to by doctors, routinely resort to passing nights within complex at the mercy of the elements.

Patients and their relatives or other caregivers, according to findings, opt for such arduous nights in the open as an effective strategy for minimising logistical expenditures and other costs of booking the names of patients early enough for their various appointments.

It was learnt that the worst-hit by acute personnel shortages is the Radiology Unit, which, as early as 7:00 AM attains its daily count of 20 patients booking for X-ray, as any or all other persons reporting after that figure are firmly ordered to try out another day and subsequently dismissed.
It was observed, however, that staff of the hospital also indiscriminately smuggled in names of persons favoured based on familial or pecuniary relationships for X-ray services at the Radiology Unit.

There is also an X-ray centre operated beside that of the hospital’s by a private sector service provider, Crestview Radiology Limited, which was recently overwhelmed by huge demand when NOHIL’s X-ray machine broke down.
Notably, patients can only be attended to at the Crestview X-ray centre strictly based on request forms referrals endorsed by NOHIL doctors.

It was gathered that, in order to ensure that each of their patients get adequate care, physiotherapists at the Physiotherapy Unit have resorted to keeping the maximum number of patients they attend to daily at below 10.

Speaking under anonymity, a female outpatient, who is a resident of Ijoko in neighbouring Ogun State,  lamented that she had suffered several misses while seeking to have her initial X-ray session. She confessed with a hint of a victorious smile that she was only able to have that initial x-ray, having risen and reported at the Radiology Unit at 4:30 AM after she joined many others  who did same in passing the night along the hospital’s corridors.

She disclosed that she had adopted the same strategy of sleeping over at the hospital in order to successfully keep up with the appointments for other X-rays and her physiotherapy sessions.
Explaining that bills for the various hospital services were high and already draining her purse, she noted that her finances, in the prevailing harsh economic conditions in Nigeria, had been dealt additional blows  because she, until she settled for sleepovers at the hospital, been expending so much on transportation to cover all what turned out to be fruitless trips between her Ijoko, Ogun State residence and NOHIL.

Affirming to have eased so much of the stress on her purse by passing nights at the hospital in order to meet appointments next mornings the woman said that she was actively passing on the very beneficial advise that someone offered her for others to follow to access services at the hospital more promptly while keeping their costs in check.

Several other outpatients, all under anonymity, had spoken in a similar vein of resorting to passing nights at NOHIL in order to cut costs in accessing services promptly.
Located along the arterial Ikorodu Road, NOHIL, which is projected to accommodate 450 patients, reportedly had started as a Military Rehabilitation Camp for prisoners of war returning from the Second World War.

Following the recognition by the Colonial Medical Services in 1945, the institution had become a medical establishment known as Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital.
NOHIL had undergone a number of name changes, including from Igbobi Hospital to Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and onto its current name.
At various times between 1945 and 1977, the institution had come under the administration of the Federal Government and Lagos State Government. Since 1977 to date, however, the hospital has remained a Federal Government health institution.

In its “early days,” according to website of NOHIL, “the sphere of influence of the hospital extended to other parts of the West African sub-region, Central Africa and Angola.”
The hospital further stated that the facility was a repository of materials and resources for students during the same period.

In the present times, except the Federal Government takes urgent remediation steps to arrest the exodus of NOHIL’s personnel for greener pastures abroad, the hospital may very soon be rendered comatose.

Checks confirmed that the japa syndrome does not only cast a pallor on the bragging rights of NOHIL to the tag of “premier health institution”, but also poses an existential threat to the hospital.

Mr Agu is a maritime journalist and an out- patient at National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Headlines

Marine Platforms hails impact of Cabotage regime on indigenous shipping 

—as NIMASA reiterates its commitment to its implementation

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to using Nigeria’s Cabotage regime to deepen indigenous participation in the maritime sector, with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) declaring the development of local shipping capacity a priority.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, stated this during an inspection tour of the African Pioneer Lagos, a specialised offshore Diving Support Vessel (DSV) operated by Marine Platforms Limited.

The visit, according to the NIMASA DG, underscored the growing capacity of Nigerian-owned and Nigerian-flagged vessels to undertake highly specialised offshore operations that were traditionally dominated by foreign operators.

The African Pioneer Lagos, with IMO Number 9808613, is a Nigerian-flagged DSV measuring approximately 143 metres in length, with a deadweight of about 8,000 metric tonnes.

The vessel is equipped for specialised deep-water subsea construction, diving, inspection and offshore oil and gas operations.

Mobereola said he was impressed by the vessel’s capabilities, stressing that Nigerian-flagged vessels with such capacity should enjoy priority in the nation’s maritime space.

“I’m quite happy at what I have seen today after the tour of this 8,000 metric tonnes African Pioneer Specialised Vessel.

“A vessel such as this flying the Nigerian flag should have priority over any foreign vessel.

“We are automating the Nigerian Ship Registry to make it more attractive and to ensure that more vessels like this fly the Nigerian flag.”

The NIMASA boss said improving the attractiveness and efficiency of the Nigerian Ship Registry was critical to encouraging more shipowners to register their vessels under the Nigerian flag.

He added that strengthening the Cabotage regime remained central to the Federal Government’s efforts to build indigenous shipping capacity and ensure that Nigerian companies and professionals occupy a greater share of opportunities in the country’s maritime and offshore sectors.

For the Chief Executive Officer of Marine Platforms Limited, Mr. Taofeek Adegbite, the company’s experience demonstrates the impact that the Cabotage regime and Nigerian Content legislation can have on indigenous shipping companies.

Adegbite said Marine Platforms had benefited significantly from the policy since acquiring its first vessel, Mt. African Vision, in 2012.

He said the company was proud to operate its vessels under the Nigerian flag and encouraged other Nigerian shipowners to embrace the Nigerian Ship Registry.

“Since 2012, when we got our very first vessel, ‘Mt. African Vision’, we are happy and proud to say NIMASA’s Cabotage Regime and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Act has played a major role in ensuring that our vessels have contracts on a regular basis.

“We have no regret flying the Nigerian flag and I will invite more ship owners to register their flags in the Nigerian Ship Registry.”

Adegbite, however, called for greater attention to the classification and certification of crews operating large and highly specialised vessels.

“At the moment, we would appreciate a classification in such a way that the crew who are operating very big vessels are given special attention so that more very large vessels can fly the Nigerian flag,” he said.

He commended NIMASA for its support, stressing that the African Pioneer Lagos demonstrated that Nigerian companies and maritime professionals possess the technical capacity to operate sophisticated vessels to international standards.

According to him, the continued development of Nigerian-flagged vessels would also create greater opportunities for indigenous maritime manpower and professional development.

Adegbite said Nigeria could learn from countries that had successfully developed specialised niches within the global maritime industry.

He cited the Philippines, which has established a strong global reputation in seafaring, and Norway, renowned for shipbuilding, arguing that Nigeria could equally develop a globally recognised area of maritime specialisation.

He stressed that sustained government policies, effective implementation of the Cabotage regime, access to finance, appropriate regulation and development of maritime manpower would be essential to achieving that objective.

Continue Reading

Headlines

MAMAL 2026: Anishere, Ani demand stronger maritime media, more women in leadership

Gloria Odion, Maritme reporter 

President of the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Chief Jean Chiazor Anishere, SAN, and President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, Dr. Odunayo Ani, have called for a stronger and more professional maritime media and greater representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions across Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy sectors.

The two industry leaders made the call at the 4th Annual Maritime Lecture of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), where they stressed that credible journalism and inclusive leadership were critical to ensuring accountability, transparency and sustainable growth in the maritime industry.

Represented at the event by Mrs Oyeyemi Jimi-Salami, Anishere said an informed, independent and professionally grounded maritime press was indispensable to the development of the sector, particularly as Nigeria intensifies efforts to unlock the economic opportunities inherent in the Blue Economy.

She commended MARAN for its sustained engagement with critical maritime issues and what she described as its commitment to responsible reportage.

According to her, the association’s annual lecture had become an important platform for industry stakeholders to interrogate emerging challenges, exchange ideas and seek practical solutions to the problems confronting the maritime sector.

Anishere noted that although sound policies, effective regulation and infrastructure investment were essential to maritime development, these could not deliver the desired results without a knowledgeable media capable of educating the public, scrutinising government policies, promoting transparency and demanding accountability from industry players.

She urged MARAN to continue using its platform to promote professionalism, innovation, accountability and sustainable development in the maritime industry.

“Journalism remains a key pillar of a vibrant maritime sector because it strengthens public confidence, supports informed decision-making and ensures that critical industry issues receive the attention they deserve,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ani called for a fundamental shift in the approach to women’s participation in the maritime industry, arguing that it was no longer sufficient merely to promote inclusion without creating clear pathways for women to attain leadership and decision-making positions.

She said WISTA Nigeria would continue to expand its mentorship, networking, advocacy and leadership development programmes to equip women with the skills, experience and opportunities required to advance in the sector.

Ani challenged government agencies, private-sector operators and other maritime stakeholders to go beyond rhetoric by recruiting, retaining, promoting and sponsoring qualified women, while adopting inclusive workplace policies and setting measurable targets for gender diversity.

She also called for concerted action against discrimination, unequal access to opportunities and unsafe workplace practices which, she said, continued to impede the advancement of women in the maritime industry.

The WISTA Nigeria president further urged male professionals and industry leaders to become active allies in promoting gender equality by mentoring, sponsoring and advocating for women in their organisations.

Ani stressed that women should not be regarded as mere participants in Nigeria’s maritime development but as critical drivers of innovation, leadership and sustainable economic growth.

She argued that providing women with equal opportunities to lead and contribute would not only advance fairness but also strengthen Nigeria’s ability to fully harness the enormous economic potential of its maritime and blue economy.

The speakers’ interventions at the MARAN lecture underscored the growing recognition that Nigeria’s maritime transformation requires not only infrastructure, policy and investment, but also a credible media that can hold the industry to account and a leadership structure that draws fully on the talents of both men and women.

Continue Reading

Commentaries

Blue Economy Engine: Decoding unstoppable rise of Nigeria’s maritime gateways

Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru

The latest operational data from Nigeria’s maritime sector shows a significant shift in trade capacity that deserves close attention.

In a period where national economic discourse is heavily focused on foreign exchange stability and trade balance, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) recently released its operational performance report for the second quarter of 2026.

The figures indicate clear, measurable progress across our major shipping channels.

Under the current management led by Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, total cargo throughput at the nation’s seaports grew by 12.3% year-on-year, moving from 31.83 million metric tonnes in the second quarter of 2025 to 35.74 million metric tonnes in Q2 2026.

This growth was closely supported by a 14.4% increase in ocean-going vessel traffic, which recorded 1,201 vessel calls during the three months under review.

These statistics are notable because they reflect actual operational changes rather than mere administrative adjustments.

For decades, Nigerian Ports were held back by slow container clearing times, heavy bureaucratic red tape, and severe traffic congestion around the Lagos Ports.

The current upward trend shows that the ongoing efforts toward Port modernization, including the digital integration of the National Single Window system, are beginning to show results on the ground.

By reducing physical bottlenecks and shortening the time cargo spends at the berths, terminal operations are becoming more reliable for international shipping lines and domestic businesses alike.

A highly encouraging aspect of the Q2 2026 data is the 22% increase recorded in export-related outward cargo.

For an economy that urgently needs to diversify away from absolute reliance on crude oil revenues, this rise in export volumes shows that the policy of establishing dedicated export terminals is functioning as intended.

Local manufacturing concerns, agricultural aggregators, and non-oil exporters are finding it relatively easier to move their goods out to global markets.

Additionally, the emergence of transshipment container traffic—which grew to 29,038 TEUs this quarter from zero in the same period last year—proves that Nigeria is regaining its position as a major logistics transit hub for the West African sub-region.

However, the report also highlights a persistent structural reality that economic planners must continue to address.

Out of the 35.74 million metric tonnes of cargo handled, inward cargo or imports still accounted for the larger share at 56.8%, while outward cargo stood at 41.9%.

While the gap is closing due to the 22% export growth, it reminds us that maritime efficiency must be backed by a strong domestic production base.

The Ports can only serve as efficient gateways; the real value lies in ensuring that what leaves our shores consists of processed, value-added Nigerian goods rather than just raw agricultural products or unrefined solid minerals.

The second-quarter performance numbers show that the maritime sector is currently serving as a stable and productive engine for the nation’s broader economic goals.

It demonstrates that clear policy direction and disciplined institutional management can stabilize critical national infrastructure even during periods of global trade volatility.

As the NPA works to sustain this momentum through the rest of the year, the priority must remain on full automation, eliminating unreceipted costs at the Ports, and strengthening rail connectivity to the hinterland.

By locking in these operational gains, Nigeria is steadily turning its maritime gateways into solid pillars of long-term commercial prosperity.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja 

Continue Reading

Trending