The United States Military has announced that it successfully conducted a rescue operation in Northern Nigeria, where an American citizen, Philip Walton, aged 27, was “recovered” from armed men in the region.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Pentagon and reported by American news sources on Saturday.

“U.S. forces have conducted a hostage rescue operation in northern Nigeria “to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men. This American citizen is safe” and “no U.S military personnel were injured during the operation,” NBC News said.

Big win for our very elite U.S. Special Forces today. Details to follow!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2020

Fox News reported that it was the US Navy Seal team 6 that conducted the raid and nobody was injured in the exercise.

“U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men,” Jonathan Hoffman,  Pentagon spokesman said.

“We delivered on that commitment late last night in Nigeria, where some of our bravest and most skilled warriors rescued a U.S. citizen after a group of armed men took him hostage across the border in Niger,” Pompeo, US Secretary of State said.

We thank the Government of Nigeria for its partnership and support of this mission. pic.twitter.com/qieeRcEax2

— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) October 31, 2020

There has been no official response from the Nigerian Army yet.

More details later…

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has announced that the Federal Government plans to make the migration of skilled Nigerian Healthcare workers unattractive by investing in Healthcare infrastructure.

The Minister disclosed this on Friday, during the inspection of a recently launched cancer centre in Abuja.

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Recall that Nairametrics reported in July that the FG resumed payments of improved Hazard Allowances to doctors, following threats by resident doctors to embark on strike if their hazard allowance needs were not met.

Other issues they wanted to address included the deplorable state of hospitals, and the lack of protective equipment for members of the union treating COVID-19 patients, which has led to the deaths of some doctors.

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In September, Nairametrics reported that Health workers, under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), went on a 7-day strike on Monday 14th. The union had earlier warned of impending strike action to protest the poor funding and infrastructural decay in the health sector. 

The Minister of Health, on Friday, said that the FG was aware of the challenges facing doctors and planned to provide better funding in the sector.

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“I have heard the challenge of doctors leaving the country. We have plans to provide better funding for our hospitals in Nigeria and make such migration unattractive,” he said.

He added that the Cancer Centre performed well during the pandemic and that the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Jaf Momoh, had indicated plans of the hospital to encourage doctors to remain in the country.

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Bottomline

Nigeria is facing an ever-increasing brain drain in the healthcare industry, due to the rising policies of skill-based immigration in Europe and North America, which give Nigerian healthcare workers access to much better standards of living and salary packages.

The brain drain, however, may not end anytime soon, as Nairametrics reported on Friday that the Canadian government plans to receive over 1.2 million immigrants in three years, from 2021 to 2023.

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Founder and Chairman, Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG), Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and former Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, have called for youth participation in the transformation of the public sector.

The duo, at the public lecture organised by AIG, emphasised on the importance of youth participation in transforming the sector.

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Speaking on “Transforming the Public Sector in Nigeria: Reflections from My Leadership of the FIRS,” Omoigui-Okauru said:

“Leading reform or, indeed, any other organisational activity is a team sport. The strength of the institution is in the strength of the team – past, present and future.”

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Aig-Imoukhuede agreed with the former FIRS boss, when he admitted that the strength of the FIRS team is apparent, even 10 years after her departure.

The AIG founder explained that the hope and future of the nation lies in the contributions of young people and those who are truly committed to Nigeria’s development.

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He said, “The situation is urgent, we will further expand our scholarships and fellowships and intensify our investments to build a critical mass of capable leaders who can move our nation forward.

“Nigeria’s transformation lies in the hands of its youth, who will go on to lead the public and private sectors, and no stone must be left unturned, as we invest in them and build their capacity to rebuild and lead a great nation.”

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According to him, the 2019/20 AIG Fellowship was awarded to Omoigui-Okauru in recognition of her outstanding contributions to public service, as the Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

“She spearheaded comprehensive tax reforms, culminating in the development of Nigeria’s first national tax policy, the modification of tax legislation and a remarkable improvement in the effectiveness of tax collection. Her achievements remain a reference point almost a decade after her tenure in office,” he added.

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He explained that AIG grieved with the nation over the loss of life and property, following recent days of social unrest.

“We must use this momentary period of darkness as impetus to usher in a new dawn of enlightenment and progress. This is the time to envision what we want our nation to be and to move forward by building and empowering Nigeria’s next generation of leaders,” he said.

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What you should know

The AIG scholarship programme awards five scholarships annually to promising future leaders to undertake a Master’s degree in Public Policy (MPP) at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.

This September, undeterred by COVID-19 challenges, it embarked on the national selection process to identify the 2021/22 AIG scholars for Nigeria and Ghana.

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The founder said, “Recent events in Nigeria have threatened completion of the scholar selection exercise. We however regard these scholarships as being more important now than ever and will marshal whatever resources are required to complete the exercise in time to meet the closure date for BSG’s MPP application window. Shortlisted candidates will be required to follow stringent health and safety protocols.”