Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

May 31, 2013

FCT

The Census Tribunal on Tuesday in Abuja validated the 2006 enumeration figure of Charanchi Local Government Area of Katsina State as declared by the National Population Commission (NPC).

The council had earlier dragged the commission before the Census Tribunal ‘A’ alleging that some of its localities were not captured by the enumeration officials during the 2006 National Population and Household Census.

It also alleged that the population figure of 136,989 declared for the area was grossly inaccurate and urged the tribunal to void the figure.

The council further submitted that the commission’s witness, Mr Simon Gonley, was not competent and that his testimonies were based on ‘hearsay’, adding that he was not physically present in Katsina State during the census.

The tribunal validated the figure in its judgment based on the failure of the council to tender evidence with regards to the localities it alleged were not enumerated.

Gombe

The Gombe State Government last Tuesday said it would upgrade facilities at the Gombe airport to international standard.

Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure Alhaji Shehu Ahmed, said in Gombe that the government would key into the current efforts of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to access funds for the project.

He said that the funds would be utilised to remodel the airport’s terminal building, provide an operational cargo terminal and cold stores for preservation of perishable goods for export.

“We want what will give Gombe the status of being truly an international airport, not a mixture of arrival and departure but things you see in an international airports in terms of character and design.

“Our aim is to make the state a real commercial and tourist destination, considering its central location in the North East sub region. “ he said.

Ahmed said the focus on air transport was because of its safety and reliability, as well as timely movement of people and goods for enhanced economic services.

Jigawa

Chairman, Nigeria Association of Pensioners, Jigawa chapter, Alhaji Abdullahi Tsoho, on Tuesday commended the state government for its support to the pension fund scheme.

Tsoho said in Dutse that the gesture had facilitated effective implementation of the pension fund in the state.

He said that government had demonstrated commitment to ensuring prompt payment of its contribution to the scheme.

“In the last six years; the state government has been paying its contribution as at when due with more than N16 billion in its coffers.

“It also adopted proactive measures to improve the wellbeing of pensioners in the state,” he said.

The chairman said that the association was working in collaboration with the state government to sensitise its members to enhance effective pension administration.

Tsoho urged workers to ensure proper documentation in line with the civil service rules to avoid encountering problems in the payment of their benefits after retirement.

Kaduna

A legal practitioner, Mr Christopher Danjuma, on Tuesday said children who were abused by their parents, government, individuals or institutions have a right to sue for compensation.

Danjuma, of Noble Crest Solicitors, Kaduna said in an interview that the rights of children were clearly enshrined in the Child Rights Act and were enforceable.

He noted that a lot of children were being trafficked, abused and denied certain basic rights, saying that such children have the legal mandate to seek for compensation.

Danjuma commended the activities of some non governmental organisations championing the cause of children and advised children being abused to seek the assistance of such organisations. He urged parents to believe in their children and guide them to attain their full potentials in life, adding that excessive control and denial of rights would only affect the children negatively.

Katsina

Faskari Local Government of Katsina State has distributed hand washing facilities to primary school pupils to encourage personal hygiene among residents.

The Chairman of the council’s Transition Committee, Alhaji Isiyaku Ahmad, handed over the items on Tuesday in Faskari as part of the ongoing Maternal and Child Health Week.

He said personal hygiene was necessary to the promotion of community health and urged parents and teachers to inculcate the habit in children.

In a related development, wife of the Chairman, Musawa Local Government of the state, Hajia Rabi Kira, has embarked on a tour of the area to sensitise rural women on nutrition and hygiene.

She said that the tour, followed the success of a similar one on immunisation. According to her, rural women deserve to be educated, especially on diet and nutrition as well as environmental sanitation.

Kebbi

The National Association of Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Owners in Kebbi, has secured a N15.7 million loan for disbursement to its members, the state Chairman, Alhaji Bagudu Mohammed, has said.

Mohammed said in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that the loan was obtained from a commercial bank and was meant to assist the association members to boost their business.

The chairman said no fewer than 100 registered members who fulfilled the bank’s conditions would benefit from the loan.

“The association obtained the money from a commercial bank, so we must ensure that the bank’s conditions are all met so that we will not be seen as defaulters in case we seek for more assistance,” he said.

The chairman disclosed that the association had in the last two years provided financial assistance amounting to N650,000 to the families of some of their deceased members.

Kogi

Kogi State Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi, has said that the state would exploit the opportunities offered by the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Project in Niger State.

In statement issued in Lokoja on Tuesday by his Press Secretary, Mr Michael Abu, the deputy governor said, power supply in the state will be boosted when the project is eventually inaugurated.

He said that the 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Project was good for the transformation of the power sector.

Awoniyi said that the state was in partnership with the Federal Government and Niger State Government to ensure that Kogi benefitted immensely from the project.

“The completion of work on the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant will help boost power generation in Kogi.

Lagos

British Council Nigeria on Monday restated its commitment to protection of Nigeria’s children from abuse, exploitation and negligence. The council said in statement to mark 2013 Children Day that it was important to create “child-safe environment” in Nigeria communities.

According to the statement, child protection involves taking steps to safeguard children from all forms of abuse. It also expressed the council’s preparedness to safeguard and promote children’s welfare in Nigerian communities

“Many children experience abuse every day from people they know and trust. The situation threatens their survival, development and participation in society. “We at British Council Nigeria are therefore, campaigning for lasting change to ensure that children are safe and protected.

Ondo

Five men on Monday died in a motor accident along Akure- Ogbese road. Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Sunday Ajayi who, confirmed the accident on Tuesday in Akure, said that the accident was caused by dangerous over-taking .

Ajayi said that the accident involved a trailer with the registration number Abuja XA 397 GWL and a Volkswagen Jetta marked Lagos AV 800 KSF.

He said that the corpses of the victims had been deposited at the state Specialist Hospital, Akure while the two occupants of the trailer survived the accident.

Ajayi advised motorists to exercise patience on the road, adding that over-taking was not a quick and safe way of driving.

Plateau

The President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Monday urged the Federal Government to increase the level of attention given to the Nigerian child.

Kaigama said in Jos at the Children’s Day Anniversary that the level of attention given to the welfare of the Nigerian child left much room for improvement.

He said that he had always insisted that the family, school and places of worship were strategic areas for the formation of children.

Kaigama said the institutions were better-placed for moulding the character of children while government should provide the environment by meeting the needs of schools.

Zamfara

A Gusau Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded one Rabo Muhammad, 36 of Daki Takwas area of Anka Local Government in Zamfara, for alleged conspiracy and culpable homicide.

The prosecutor, Mr Tiokulus Danjuma told the court that on May 12, this year, one Muhammad Kirwa of the same address reported the case at Jangebe police outstation.

Danjuma said that about two months ago, the accused person with two others now at large, entered the complainant’s apartment and shot his younger brother, Manu Kirwa, to death.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

4 hours 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

4 hours 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

4 hours 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.