Nation

THE STATES

Published

16 years ago

November 15, 2010

Bauchi

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi State, Sen. Iliya Audu, says the commission requires more than 4,074 Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDCMs) for the forthcoming voter registration.

Audu stated this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, saying each of the polling units in the state would be allocated a machine for the exercise.

There are 4,074 polling units, 212 registration areas and 2,130,557 registered voters in the state.

The REC said that when the voter registration was conducted last in 2008, there was only one machine which led to omission of names, adding that the forthcoming exercise would be comprehensive.

He said that INEC was compiling names of corps members serving in the state to be engaged for the registration.

Ekiti

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has appealed to the Presidency to accord it preferential treatment when considering where to site the proposed federal university meant for the South West Zone.

The Assembly’s plea followed the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council at its last meeting to establish six federal universities in each of the six geo political zones of the country.

The Ekiti House of Assembly Speaker, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, in a statement issued on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, said: “Ekiti State is the most qualified to host a federal university in the zone.”

The statement signed on behalf of Odeyemi by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajisola described Ekiti State as the academic basket of the nation and reservoir of intellectuals for most tertiary institutions in the country, but added that the state had long been marginalised in the area of federal presence.

FCT

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on the media and the private sector to collaborate with it in managing disasters.

A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Yushau Shuaib, said the Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Sidi, made the call at the end of a consultative meeting of the executive held in Ibadan at the weekend.

The meeting, chaired by Sani-Sidi, noted the need for the private sector to participate fully in stakeholders’ meetings as well as the involvement of the media as major stakeholders instead of attending the meetings as reporters.

The statement said participants at the meeting urged NEMA to speed up the process for the establishment of National Council on Disaster Management.

It said the council would attract representations from stakeholders to provide policy guidelines for efficient and effective decision-making on disaster-related issues.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government will soon set up a committee to work out modalities for improved internal revenue generation, Governor Patrick Yakowa has said.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting projects in Zone III, Kaduna Southern Senatorial District, Yakowa said the committee would evolve ways of generating more funds to complement the revenue from the Federation Account.

He said the state government had done a lot in terms of projects implementation but noted that it required more money to undertake additional projects.

According to him, allocations from the Federation Account to the various states and local governments have dropped substantially, making it difficult for them to execute their projects.

Kano

As the Eid-el Kabir begins tomorrow, many Muslims in Kano have thronged to rural markets in search of cheaper rams, an investigation by The Tide reveals.

The rising cost of rams in Kano made it necessary for low income earners to go to rural markets where the cost of livestock is less.

Yesterday at Wudil, Gaya and Kachako markets, many customers said they came from Kano and Gusau to buy rams which they said were cheaper.

A civil servant, Malam Kabir Abubakar, said he travelled to Wudil ram and sheep market from Kano to buy his sallah ram as “the prices in Kano are prohibitive”.

“Only the super rich can afford a ram in cities because the ones I saw were from N50,000 and above,” he said.

Katsina

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Katsina State has warned parents against allowing their under-age children to drive during the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The Sector Commander, Mr Habu Dauda gave the warning in Katsina over the weekend at a joint meeting of the commission’s officials, traditional rulers and other security agencies.

The sector commander, who was represented by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Muntari Fago, warned that any under-age child caught driving or riding motorcycle during the sallah period and beyond would be arrested and the vehicle impounded.

He said the warning was necessary in view of the rampant accidents usually recorded in the state capital and other major towns during festivities.

Kebbi

Medical practitioners should encourage people to exercise themselves physically to avoid hypertension, a consultant neurologist at the Usmanu dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Salihu Balarabe, has advised.

Balarabe gave the advice in Birnin Kebbi during an interactive session on the topic “Hypertension, a killer disease”, organised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

He said regular physical exercise and medical check-up were remedies for hypertension, noting that a survey on the disease conducted by the WHO indicated that one billion people were diagnosed to be hypertensive globally.

The NMA Chairman, Dr Aliyu Illo, said the session was designed to sensitise the public to the dangers posed by hypertension and how to avoid it.

Kogi

As Muslims rush to buy food items in preparation for Eid el-Kabir, the prices of rams, chickens and catfish have increased in Lokoja.

Conversely in Onitsha, Anambra, traders are complaining that low patronage had forced down the prices of the animals.

A market survey conducted by our correspondent at the Felele Market in Lokoja on Friday, showed that a big ram sold for between N50,000 and N70,000 as against N55,000 and N60,000 last year.

A medium ram which sold for between N25,000 and N35,000 last year, is now being sold for between N40, 000 and N48,000.

Similarly, a small ram which sold for N11,000 last year, is now being sold for between N15,000 and N20,000.

Mallam Abubakar Sani, the Chairman of ram and goat sellers association in the market, attributed the hike in price to “greedy motorists’’ who he accused of arbitrarily increasing transportations cost whenever there were festivities.

Lagos

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Wole Diya, has attributed the delay in the passage of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill by the House to inadequate lobbying by the sponsors.

Diya told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a key sponsor of the private bill, had been unable to lobby the lawmakers well enough to pass the bill.

“It is not good enough to present a private bill before the House and expect it to sail through with ease.

“You have to lobby all the members, particularly the opposition.

“I am in strong support of the FoI Bill but what can I do alone in the House that has hundreds of members?” said Diya, who represents the Lagos East Constituency.

He urged Dabiri-Erewa to intensify effort in lobbying members of the House to accept and pass the bill.

Nasarawa

Pastor Jeremiah Kalejaiye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has attributed Nigeria’s low level of development to the lack of fear of God in political actors and government officials.

He said this on Friday in his sermon at the 9th annual Holy Ghost Service organised by the RCCG.

In the sermon entitled “King of Kings”, Kalejaiye declared that if government officials had the fear of God in them, the country would attain greater heights.

Quoting Psalm 111, verse 10, the pastor stressed that the fear of God was the beginning of wisdom, adding that anyone who did not fear God would always be deficient in wisdom.

“In our society today, it is unfortunate to note that the fear of man has replaced the fear of God and this is the beginning of the problems we have in Nigeria today.

Niger

The high cost of animals, especially rams, may prevent some Muslims from Bida and its environs in Niger from performing the sacrifice for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

Our correspondent in the area who visited some animal markets yesterday reports that the price of rams was exorbitant and many Muslims might not have the means to buy them.

An average ram which cost N10,000 last year now costs about N18,000, an increase of N8,000 or 80 per cent against last year’s price. A female goat, which was sold at about N6,000 last year now costs N10,000 this year, while a male goat that cost N8,000 last year costs between N13,000 and N15,000 this year.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.