By Doris Obinna
Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN) has called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to urgently address pressing deficiencies in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
It made the call at its 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, with emphasis on critical areas in need of immediate intervention; most notably, the absence of liver transplant services, the rising burden of viral hepatitis and liver cancer, worsening medical brain drain, and growing national insecurity.
The communiqué, signed by the President, Prof. Abdulfatai Olokoba and General Secretary, Dr. Abubakar Maiyaki, urged the Federal Government to fast-track the establishment of Nigeria’s first liver transplant programme. It further recommended collaboration with key stakeholders including the Nigerian Cancer Society, the African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC), and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) to ensure the programme’s success.
In addition, the Society called for subsidies on the treatment of viral hepatitis and liver cancer and endorsed the adoption of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 strategy to eradicate hepatitis in Nigeria.
It further disclosed that delegates at the AGM demanded urgent measures to eliminate quackery in the management of gastrointestinal diseases and requested government funding support for the Nigerian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology through TETFUND. Medical professionals and researchers were encouraged to submit articles to enhance the visibility and relevance of local research output.
They expressed alarm over the increasing emigration of healthcare workers, especially specialists in gastroenterology and hepatology, warning that the country is facing a deepening skills gap.
The Society called for improved remuneration, better job creation, and enhanced working conditions to help retain medical talent. It also stressed the urgent need for reform in Nigeria’s security architecture to combat worsening insecurity, insurgency, and kidnappings that continue to endanger lives and obstruct healthcare delivery.
At the AGM, new leadership were elected, with Prof Abdulfatai Olokoba chosen as President, Prof. Casmir Omuemu emerged as Vice President and President-Elect. Other elected officers include Dr. Abubakar Maiyaki, Secretary General; Dr. Morenike Osundina, Assistant Secretary General; Dr. Sarah Abere, Treasurer; Dr. Abosede Adeyeye, Public Relations Officer and Prof. Emeka Ray-Offor, Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
The Society flagged climate change as a rising threat to gastrointestinal health in Nigeria, noting its role in exacerbating existing pressures on health infrastructure. According to the communiqué, climate-related factors are contributing to an increase in GI-related illnesses and driving up the cost of care. The AGM highlighted that liver transplants remain unavailable within the country, forcing patients to seek costly treatments abroad an option out of reach for most Nigerians. SOGHIN decried the low priority and poor funding given to research and treatment of hepatitis and liver cancer, despite their significant disease burden.
The AGM also emphasized the need for a permanent national secretariat in Abuja to improve the coordination and national visibility of SOGHIN’s activities. The Society raised serious concern about the continuing exodus of trained gastroenterologists, endoscopy nurses, and trainees, which it said is dangerously depleting the already limited healthcare workforce. It warned that the ongoing security crisis across the country continues to obstruct both access to care and the effective delivery of medical services.
Despite the myriad challenges discussed, SOGHIN acknowledged the invaluable contributions of its corporate sponsors and partners, whose support helped ensure the successful hosting of the conference. “These sponsors included Megalife Sciences, Philips Pharmaceuticals, Fidson, JNCI, and Redus Hospital. The Local Organizing Committee, led by Dr. Seyi Akande, was also commended for its role in coordinating the event.
“Formed in 2007 through the merger of the West African Society of Gastroenterology (WASOG) and the Association for the Study of the Liver in Nigeria (ASLIN), SOGHIN is a multidisciplinary body of gastroenterologists, hepatologists, surgeons, pediatricians, radiologists, and allied professionals working to advance digestive and liver health in Nigeria.
This year’s conference carried the theme, “Climate Change and Gastrointestinal Health,” with sub-themes covering nuclear medicine in gastroenterology, HIV/HBV co-infections, esophageal motility disorders, and innovations in colorectal cancer diagnosis. A pre-conference training session was held at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, offering hands-on training in gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound, fibroscan, and endoscopy nursing.
The opening was chaired by wife of the governor, Mrs Tamunominini Makinde, and declared open by Governor Seyi Makinde. The society concluded by reaffirming its commitment to advancing digestive and liver health and expressed appreciation to all individuals and organizations that contributed to the resounding success of the 17th SOGHIN AGM and Scientific Conference.
Dignitaries in attendance included Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, Commissioner for Health and Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA). The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Desmond Leddin of Dalhousie University, Canada. Other speakers included Prof. Amrita Sethi, Claudia A. Hawkins, Olufemi Ogunbiyi, and Doctors Olumayowa Kolade, Naveen Polavarapu, and Kenechukwu Chudy-Owugaje, who shared insights on the latest developments in the field.