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THE STATES

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Adamawa

 

The member representing Mubi South
Constituency in Adamawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Usman Lamorde, has
executed seven projects in areas of health, education and water supply.

Briefing newsmen in Yola on the projects
executed in his constituency, Lamorde said the projects which included
maternity ward in Mujara, earth dam in Gella, classrooms in Gude and industrial
borehole in Lamorde were executed with savings from his salary and allowances.

“The projects were executed from the
savings from my salary and allowances and not money for constituency projects
as many people are thinking,’’ Lamorde said.

The lawmaker also said that he secured
government job for about 50 people in his constituency within the past 10
months.

Lamorde tasked individuals and groups in
his constituency to always forward their genuine complaints to his constituency
office at Mubi where he said there were officials employed to attend to them.

 

Bauchi

The Bauchi State chapter of the CPC has
obtained an interim order restraining the Bauchi State Government and two
others from spending the local councils’ funds apart from payments of salaries.

The order, signed by  Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Ibrahim
Zango, was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Bauchi.

The order listed the state government, the
Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and the Accountant-General as
respondents.

It restrained them from releasing,
approving or in any manner allowing the 20 caretaker chairmen and their
councillors from spending any fund belonging to the local councils.

It also restrained the respondents from
tampering with the funds whether in joint account with the first respondent or
any other account and in whatever manner pending the hearing and determination
of the original summons.

Similarly, the order restrained the
respondents from awarding any contract or executing any project or programme
using the funds of the councils in whatever manner possible.

 

Benue

The Benue State Government has placed an
order for 400 trucks of fertiliser to be distributed to farmers,  the Special Adviser to the Governor on
Agriculture, Mr Emmanuel Atser, said.

Atser said in Makurdi on Monday that the
consignment would arrive in the state before Friday for the distribution to
start next week.

He said the fertiliser distribution would
be devoid of corruption.

“A committee has been set up to ensure
that, only genuine farmers are given the product and any committee member who
violates the rule by selling to businessmen, will be sanctioned,” he said.

The adviser appealed to farmers that were
not selected as beneficiaries of the N1 billion agriculture loan that was
disbursed to some farmers on April 27 to be patient with the government.

He said the government was working out
strategies where all farmers in the state irrespective of their status would
benefit from agricultural loans in record time.

 

 

Borno

 

The Borno Commissioner for Women Affairs,
Hajiya Inna Galadima, has denied claims that the state government had neglected
the Fatima Ali Sheriff Motherless Babies Home, Maiduguri.

The motherless babies home is the brain
child of the wife of the immediate-past governor of the state, Mrs Fatima Ali
Modu Sheriff.

Galadima said that the ministry had devoted
much attention to the upkeep of the home since the inception of the
administration.

She said, “The ministry has always lived up
to expectations, especially in the area of taking proper care of the less
privileged in the society.

“We cannot abandon the home in anyway,
because of its benefits to the under privileged in the society.”

She urged Journalists to always verify
their facts before going to press.

 

Kaduna

The Chief Medical Director of Ahmadu Bello
University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Dr Lawal Khalid, has urged
Nigerians to imbibe the culture of hand washing to curtail spread of diseases.

Khalid made the call at the commemoration
of the “World Hygiene Day” in ABUTH in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Monday.

He said hand washing after every activity
would keep people fit and tidy and reduce the rate of infections.

Khalid pledged the readiness of the
hospital management to ensure the success of the hygiene programme and
commended the hospital committee for organising the enlightenment programme.

In her speech,  Chairman, Infection Control and Prevention of
the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Adibola Olayinka, said about 15, 000 health
centres had been inaugurated nationwide to support hand washing campaign.

 

Kebbi

The Executive Director of National Cereals
Research Institute, Baddegi, Niger, Dr Monday Ukungwu, has solicited
collaboration with the Kebbi Government to boost agricultural production.

Ukungwu was represented by Mr Theo Isah
during a courtesy call by the management staff of the institute on the Deputy
Governor of Kebbi, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, in Birnin kebbi, on Monday.

He said the institute had played a vital
role in cereal production, especially in the area of research and capacity
building.

Ukungwu appealed to the state government to
support the institute with project vehicles, tractors and research grants.

Responding, the deputy governor said
modalities would be worked out for a closer relationship between the state and
the institute, especially considering that agriculture was a priority sector in
the state.

 

Kwara

Director of Labour and Management Relations,
Michael Imodu National Institute of Labour Studies, Ilorin, Mrs Omolara
Folorunsho, on Tuesday identified time management as crucial in the development
aspirations of any country.

Folorunsho spoke in Ilorin while declaring
open a three-day capacity building workshop organised by the Radio Kwara
chapter of Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU).

The Director said there may not be positive
progress in developing countries unless citizens were determined to respect as
well as be conscious of time.

Folorunsho, who spoke on “Work Ethics and
Attitudinal Change for Organisational Effectiveness, ’’ claimed that ethics and
work attitude were non-negotiable in organisational efficacy.

“Unarguably, the issue of ethics is
explicitly critical to every strategic decision maker and employee in
organisations in successfully addressing the issue of effectiveness,’’ she
said.

 

Ogun

The former Minister for Commerce and
Industry, Sen. Jubril Marthins-Kuye, said on Tuesday that every effort was
being made to resolve the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in
Ogun State.

Marthins-Kuye who made this known in an
interview in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun said the party had now realised that there was
need for all the members to be united.

It would be recalled that the National
Working Committee of the party had on April 18 dissolved the Ogun State PDP
Executive and directed the South-West National Vice Chairman of the Party, Mr
Segun On,i to take over the party structure.

Martins-Kuye said that though the crisis
has yet to be resolved, all hands were on deck to put the party together for a
strong electoral fight against the ACN.

“Every effort is being made to resolve the
crisis in the party in the state. I will not say that the crisis has been
resolved but I think all hands are on deck.

“Most of us now appreciate sincerely that
in unity we achieve success and in disunity we achieve failure.

We are trying our best to put PDP together
in the state so that we can give a good electoral fight to the ACN“.

Marthins-Kuye, a one-time Minister of State
for Finance and a Third Republic Senator, is one of the prominent leaders of
the party in the state.

 

Osun

The Osun Government has approved the
disbursement of relief materials worth N15 million to victims of a windstorm in
seven local government areas of the state.

The General Manager of Osun Emergency
Management Agency (OSEMA), Mr Segun Ajayi,
disclosed this in Osogbo on Tuesday.

He said no fewer  than 285 houses were affected by the
windstorm which blew off their roofs and destroyed other valuables between
February and April.

“The affected areas are Ogunwo town in Iwo,
Moro,Yakoyo and Ipetumodu in Ife North, Ede North and South, Ikeyinwa town in
Obokun, Ejigbo and Osogbo Local Government Areas.

“We have visited the affected areas and
evaluated the degree of damage which is put at N15 million worth of materials
and the governor graciously approved it.

“The items to be disbursed included bundles
of roofing sheets, pieces of mattresses and cartons of roofing nails,’’ he said.

He said the approval was a demonstration of
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola’s commitment toward ameliorating the plight of victims of
natural disasters in the state.

Ajayi also assured that the distribution of
the relief materials would be carried out equitably among the victims.

According to him, the victims of five cases
of fire incidents that occurred between January and April will also benefit
from the gesture.

Ajayi added that the agency would soon
embark on a public enlightenment campaign to sensitise Osun residents on ways
of preventing flooding and other natural disasters.

He called on landlords and shop owners
across the state to examine the roofs of their houses and carry out necessary
maintenance.

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HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

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The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.

In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.

The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.

According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.

Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.

In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.

The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.

Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3

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REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

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

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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.
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