In commemoration of International Nurses Week 2025, PPC Limited, formerly Philips Projects Centre and Nigeria’s leading engineering and infrastructure development company with a strong presence in the healthcare sector, through its subsidiary BT Health & Diagnostics Centre (BTHDC), Ikeja, is recognising the vital contributions of nurses in Nigeria and worldwide. This year’s global theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. The Economic Power of Care.” highlights how investing in nurses not only improves healthcare delivery but also strengthens economies and community well-being.
As part of the week-long celebration, BTHDC offered free health check-ups to members of staff and selected patients, including screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI, and more. These activities are designed to promote preventive care and wellness while showcasing the essential role nurses play in public health.
In addition to free screenings, the center also hosted free health talks and wellness education sessions, focusing on important issues such as chronic disease management, maternal and child health, nutrition, and preventive healthcare practices.
Speaking on the importance of Nurses Week, Dr. Emmanuel Iyere, head of Diagnostics at BTHDC, stated, “Our nurses are at the heart of patient care and community health. Celebrating them is more than recognition. It’s a call to invest in their development, working conditions, and well-being. By caring for nurses, we are building a healthier population and a stronger economy.
Nurses are the backbone of healthcare delivery, especially in community-based care. This week, we not only celebrate their contribution but also extend our commitment to the community through free screenings and health education. It’s our way of giving back and promoting a culture of proactive health management.”
Dr. Iyere emphasised that beyond celebration, Nurses Week is a call to action, citing the need to invest in continuous training, mental health support, fair compensation, and safe working environments. He stated that supporting nurses is not just a healthcare strategy but an economic one. “When nurses thrive, communities thrive, and so does our nation’s development.” The federal government has announced a sweeping transformation agenda that redefines the notion of change not as a process of reduction, but as one of addition, refinement, and innovation.
According to a document shared by the Special Adviser on Communications and Advocacy, Collins Omokaro, the Service underscored the importance of viewing change as a dynamic force aimed at growth and capacity building.
This fresh perspective comes at a time when the agency is tasked with ambitious revenue targets of N19.4 trillion in 2024 and N25.2 trillion in 2025, up from N10 trillion in 2023.
“At FIRS, change includes expanding our human capital, improving service delivery through technology, and refining internal processes. This form of change is additive—it empowers and builds on our existing structure,” Omokaro stated.
The transformation, he explained, involves recruitment of skilled professionals, upskilling existing staff, and integrating automation and real-time intelligence to enhance tax assessment, collection, and monitoring.
While acknowledging that some outdated systems will be phased out, Omokaro clarified that this is not a downsizing exercise but a “strategic replacement done in pursuit of excellence.”
Led by executive chairman Dr. Zacch Adedeji, the reform agenda places FIRS at the center of Nigeria’s economic future, with its performance seen as pivotal to infrastructure development, social investment, and fiscal sustainability.
“With many tiers of government depending on revenue from FIRS, our transformation is not optional—it’s essential. We must shift from debt dependence to sustainable revenue generation,” Omokaro added.
He urged stakeholders to support the ongoing reforms, emphasising that change at FIRS is multidimensional, targeting people, processes, and platforms to ensure the institution remains agile and responsive in a rapidly evolving economic landscape.
“This is our journey. This is our commitment. Let us all be part of this change—for the greater good of Nigeria,” the statement concluded.
