Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Deputy Clerk (Administration) of the Senate, Dr. Vivien Njemanze, has urged public servants to prioritise their health, warning that the pressures of public office demand deliberate attention to preventive care and healthy living.
Njemanze spoke in Abuja on Friday after her investiture as Nigeria Country Director of the Center for African American Research Studies (CAARS), where she also called for science-backed safeguards in Nigeria’s adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
She advised lawmakers and civil servants, particularly staff of the National Assembly, to embrace routine medical checks, balanced nutrition and regular exercise.
“We should take our health very seriously. Routine checks, exercise and community involvement are critical,” she said.
She stressed that what Nigerians eat directly affects longevity and quality of life.
Linking the GMO debate to wellness and ageing, Njemanze insisted that innovation in food production must not outpace public health protections.
She called for rigorous scientific evaluation and effective regulatory oversight to guide biotechnology policies.
“Science is still doing its part, and I hope we harness the best of it and mitigate the dangers associated with it,” she said.
She maintained that discussions about GMOs should align with broader conversations on nutrition, food safety and healthy ageing.
She noted that individuals must adjust their lifestyles, diets and physical activity as they grow older.
Earlier, CAARS Founding Director, Professor Nnamdi Nwandu, said the institute, established 16 years ago by five professors, now operates in 16 countries with 279 fellows.
He said Nigeria had operated without a Country Director until Njemanze’s appointment.
He added that her investiture marked both her formal admission into the fellowship and her installation to lead the organisation’s activities in Nigeria.
