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Chloroquine Kills Coronavirus In Early Stage —- NAFDAC

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Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye on Tuesday stated that pieces of evidence from reliable researches and reports showed that Chloroquine can kill COVID-19 virus at the early stage.

She stated that Remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences Inc, has also been shown to kill the virus at late stages.

The NAFDAC boss, however, noted that the cost for treating people with chloroquine was way cheaper than with Remdesivir. Remdesivir cost $2,500 to treat an average patient and Chloroquine is $10.

She also noted that countries in West Africa like Ghana, Togo, and Senegal have also embraced the clinical use of Chloroquine for treatment.

Prof. Adeyeye spoke on Tuesday during a virtual news conference in Abuja.

She said: “In March 20, this year, just before the lockdown, I had a press briefing. At that time, people did not understand what clinical trial treatment meant. Once they hear treatment, they think you can use it anyhow. But clinical trial treatment is a research study to see whether the drug will work or not.

“In the press briefing, I said I was going through literature to see what others have done and I saw in a particular literature a reliable publication of an article about Chloroquine and Remdesivir (that time nobody was even talking of Remdesivir). This was February of this year.

“They said in the cell culture, Remdesivir and Chloroquine killed COVID-19 viruses, that is, invitro – in the laboratory. But you cannot translate that to humans unless a clinical trial is done.

“I kept looking. About two weeks or so later in early March (this was at a time when COVID-19 was at its peak in China); there was a publication where 100 patients were treated with Chloroquine across ten hospitals in six cities, including Wuhan. It said that all of them recovered from the symptoms. They called it that time pneumonia symptom.

“In the cells, in the lab, Remdesivir and Chloroquine killed COVID-19. At what stage would they be more effective? We didn’t know at that point. Now, we are realizing that Chloroquine is effective at the early stage.”

She said she was watching CNN about four or five days ago and for the first time, Sanjay Gupta, an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer, mentioned that Chloroquine can be used prophylactically.

The NAFDAC D-G noted: “Remember, Remdesivir and Chloroquine work in the cells. Chloroquine was proven to work in 100 patients. We did not know at that time that the disease has about four phases – pre-exposure stage, early stage, mild stage, and the severe stage.”

Prof. Adeyeye added: “Now we are talking of Remdesivir. We met with Gilead – the maker of Remdesivir about two months ago and they came. They said they have licensed their drug to five Indian companies and one Pakistani company. To treat an average patient will cost about $10 with Chloroquine and cost about $2,500 with Remdesivir.

“When we now got the profile of Remdesivir, what was recorded in literature and from the manufacturer was that Remdesivir doesn’t work at the early stage. It works at the late stage. But when viruses are in the tube in the laboratory, you won’t know which is late or which is early. Both killed them. We now understand that it is not only one drug that can be effective for COVID-19, but it depends on the stage and the phases of the disease.”

BIG STORY

Lagos State Government To Concession Red And Blue Line Rails For Sustainability, Loan Repayment

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The Lagos State Government has announced plans to concession the operations of the Red and Blue Line rail systems to the private sector in order to ensure their sustainability and repay loans taken for the rail projects.

This announcement was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a recent TVC News interview, where he discussed the measures being implemented to ensure the continued viability of the state’s rail systems.

Osiyemi explained that the concessioning process would involve transferring the operations of the rail systems to private sector players for a defined period. This approach is intended to ensure the continued operation and effective management of the rail projects.

“The ultimate game is for all our rail systems we’ve done—that is, the Red Line and Blue Line—there is going to be some concessionairing with the private sector for a period of time to ensure sustainability and continuity,” he stated.

He added, “The concessioning would help pay back the loans taken for the rail projects.”

The commissioner emphasized that the concessioning strategy aims to ensure efficient operations and long-term financial sustainability, in line with the state’s vision for a world-class transportation network.

  • More Insight

Osiyemi further highlighted the substantial financial and technical challenges involved in operating rail systems, describing them as capital-intensive projects that require significant resources and specialized expertise.

To tackle these challenges and build local capacity, he noted that the Lagos State Government has enlisted foreign partners to temporarily manage the operations of the trains.

These partners are expected to not only ensure smooth operations during their tenure but also transfer critical skills to Nigerian personnel. The plan includes a structured training program lasting one to two years, after which the management of the rail systems will be fully handed over to local operators.

“What we have done is we have consulted foreign partners who, of course, would run these trains for a particular period of time and train our people—that is, transfer of skills.”

“They will train our people for one to two years, then hand over for our own management,” Osiyemi explained.

  • Things You Should Know

The Lagos State Government, under its Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan, has set out an ambitious vision to develop a network of rail systems across the state.

Currently, only the first phases of the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems have been completed, with passenger services already in operation.

The Blue Line is a 27km electric rail line designed for sustainable operations. Its first phase, covering 13km from Lagos Marina to Mile 2, was completed in 2023 and began commercial operations in September, carrying over 2 million passengers to date.

The Red Line, spanning 37km from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, operates on diesel. Its first phase, a 27km stretch, includes eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

The construction of the second phases of both the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems is being managed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also oversees the operation of the trains.

Beyond the Red and Blue Lines, the state has plans for additional rail systems, including the 68km Green Line (Lekki Free Trade Zone to Marina), the 85.7km Purple Line (Redemption Camp to Ojo), the 48km Orange Line (Ikeja CBD to Agbowa), and the Yellow Line, all aimed at enhancing the state’s transportation network.

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BIG STORY

Lagos Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab Condoles With Families Of Epe Accident Victims

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Condolence Message from the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred in our community, Epe, claiming the lives of two promising young adults, a dedicated tricycle driver, and leaving several other people injured. This heartbreaking accident has left our hearts heavy, as we mourn the loss of these young souls who were full of hope and dreams, and an industrious individual who worked tirelessly for his livelihood.

As a member of this community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends affected by this terrible loss. I can only imagine the pain you must feel, and I want you to know that you are not alone in this moment of grief.

Let us honor the memories of these individuals by advocating for safety and awareness on our roads. As we move forward, may we find comfort in community and strength in one another. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families find solace and healing in the days to come.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Monday Okpebholo Sworn In As Edo State Governor

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Monday Okpebholo, a serving senator, has been sworn in as the governor of Edo State.

Okpebholo took his oath of office at about 1pm on Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony in Benin, the state capital.

As the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo won the September 21 off-cycle governorship election in the state.

He polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came third with 22,763 votes.

Dennis Idahosa was also sworn in as the deputy governor of Edo.

Dignitaries, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, chair of the governors’ forum; Philip Shaibu, reinstated deputy governor of Edo; and other governors from the party, were present as Okpebholo took the oath of office.

The new governor later rode in an open-top van around the stadium, acknowledging cheers from supporters.

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