Nasiru Yusuf

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Umar Garba Danbatta has called for ingenious ways of collecting antiquities relevant to operations of various organizations in the country in order to preserve the relics that can bridge the knowledge gap needed for sustainable development of Nigeria.

KANO FOCUS reports that Danbatta, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management (ECSM), NCC, Adewolu Adeleke, made the call recently in Abuja when the Commission joined in the celebration of the 2021 international museum day with the theme, “the future of museums: recover and reimagine”.

While speaking on the theme, Danbatta said it appropriately captures the reason the commission established a special museum for the telecommunications industry in the country, as it is intended to bridge the historical knowledge gap in the evolution of communication as well as   meeting the need for information by future generations.

”The NCC communications museum was established in November, 2006 for documentation of historical collections on the evolution of communications in Nigeria. Communication artifacts were identified in various locations across the Country where postal and telecommunication offices were established in order to retrieve relics for exhibition”.

Danbatta explained further that the museum should be seen as an important resourceful centre that can stimulate critical thinking and creative ideas for expanding the frontiers of knowledge and advancement of development in relevant sectors of the economy.

“Our museum is designed and reinvented to conserve the history of the Nigerian telecommunications industry and we see it as very important to collect, exhibit and preserve telecommunications items to enlighten and educate stakeholders on the evolution of communications with a view to nudging our minds towards critical thinking that will bring about new innovations to assist in building a better future for our industry and the nation.

“The NCC Museum plays valuable roles in supporting the Commission’s agenda by providing unique information resources to cater for historical needs of the future generations, while building capacity and stimulating innovations to assist in fashioning out a better future for the Nigerian communications industry,” Danbatta added.

Speaking further at the event, Danbatta said the NCC Museum Day is a demonstration of the Commission’s commitment to facilitating learning and collaboration with relevant Museum professional bodies, in order to conserve antiquities used to develop the industry, in the best possible manner for socio-economic impact of the nation.”

The Museum generally plays important roles in the society by conserving the past and helping to shape the future through providing needed insight into history, while educating future generations and equipping them with the requisite information and knowledge for sustainable development.

The Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Abba Isa Tijani was represented at the event by the Assistant Director, Museums, Kilba Zainab Uche, who presented a brief on the ‘Role of Museum in the Digital Era’.

Nasiru Yusuf

Kano state has the highest sickle cell patients in Nigeria, a consultant haematologist at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital said.

KANO FOCUS reports that Dalha Halliru Gwarzo disclosed this in an interview with Hospital’s newsletter as part of the 2021 World Sickle Cell day.

He added that Lagos is the second state with highest number of sickle cell cases in the country.

Mr Gwarzo said India, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria constituted 90% of the sickle cell patients worldwide.

On the causes of sickle cell disease, Mr Gwarzo said it is a genetic inherited disease from parents who are either SS, or AS genotype as a result of genetic condition or mutation of abnormal form of red blood cell.

He advocated for compulsory screening of infants after birth and school children, pre-marital counseling/tests, subsidising cost of medication/treatment and mass sensitisation campaign on dangers of the disease.

Mr Gwarzo noted that, although there is no known cure for sickle cell disease, but developed countries are using a high technology for manipulation of the genetic cells by bone marrow and stem cells transplant, which cost about fifteen million Naira in countries like United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada.