Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says the country’s high tuberculosis (TB) death rate is largely due to poor access to modern diagnostic tools, despite the disease being both preventable and curable.
Speaking at the commissioning of newly acquired molecular TB diagnostic machines at the Dutsen Makaranta Primary Health Centre in Bwari, Abuja, Mrs. Tinubu, represented by the First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, lamented that many lives have been lost because the disease is detected too late.
The equipment was purchased through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) with funds from the First Lady’s N1 billion donation to support the fight against TB.
She said the machines will be deployed nationwide, especially in underserved communities, to enable faster and more accurate TB detection.
“These machines will help break the chain of transmission by ensuring quick diagnosis and treatment,” she stated, adding that ending TB in Nigeria will require sustained funding, political will, and technical expertise.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, praised the First Lady’s “promise kept,” noting her donations in 2024 and 2025 have significantly boosted the national TB response.
Acting Board Chair of the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, explained that the machines, such as the GeneXpert, can produce results in under two hours and detect drug-resistant strains of TB, enabling doctors to act promptly.
World Health Organisation (WHO) FCT Coordinator, Dr. Kumshida Yakubu Balami, described early diagnosis as key to reducing transmission and deaths, reaffirming WHO’s commitment to making TB services accessible to all Nigerians.
The commissioning forms part of Nigeria’s plan to end tuberculosis by 2030, in line with global health goals.