••• Elects Pharm (Dr) Muhammad Audi Kongila as New National President
The Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) has called on governments at all levels and health administrators to urgently integrate faith-based counselling, ethical values, and specialized geriatric care into mainstream medical practice and national healthcare policies.
The demand was part of a comprehensive nine-point recommendation contained in an official communiqué issued at the conclusion of IMAN’s 27th National Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, held at the University of Ilorin Main Auditorium.
According to the communiqué read by National President Professor Ibrahim Adekunle Oreagba while addressing Journalists during a Press Conference in Ilorin on Saturday, the association advocated for the institutionalization of the “Ibaadah-Friendly Healthcare” model across health facilities in Nigeria, allowing patients to maintain their religious obligations during treatment while upholding clinical excellence.
IMAN also urged policymakers to give deliberate attention to geriatric healthcare to meet the needs of the country’s aging population, while recommending the active involvement of spouses in maternal and reproductive healthcare decisions.
Addressing broader societal challenges, the medical body called for a multidisciplinary public health approach to combat the health consequences of national insecurity, substance abuse, and psychotrauma, alongside strict ethical safeguards for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and telemedicine.
The conference, themed “Compassion, Competence and Conscience: Integrating Islamic Values in Modern Medical Practice,” brought together 1,200 physical and virtual delegates from across the nation and featured a keynote address by the Chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Senator (Dr) Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe.
Prior to the conference, IMAN executed medical and surgical outreaches that provided free treatment, ophthalmic services, and surgeries to 1,811 beneficiaries across Kwara State.
The formal opening ceremony was chaired by Emeritus Professor Is-haq Oloyede, CON, with Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam.
The event was attended by prominent figures, including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Emir of Ilorin, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
At the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting, the congress appointed a new national executive council for the 2026–2029 tenure, with Pharm (Dr) Muhammad Audi Kongila emerging as National President, supported by Prof. Abdulrasheed Nasir as National Vice President I, Dr. Ibrahim Salisu as National Secretary, and outgoing President Prof. Ibrahim Adekunle Oreagba as Ex-Officio.