Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

September 23, 2016

Benue
The Benue State Investment and Property Devel
opment Company (BIPC) says it is poised to break its jinx of a non-profit making organisation by declaring huge profits in the next six months.
The company’s new Managing Director, Mr Jack Mulya, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi.
Mulya who expressed regrets that the company failed to make any profit in the last 15 years, stated that the company was restructuring and repositioning for profit making.
“We need to run this place as a business venture and to do this, we need to build capacity for our workers and restructure our assets for profitability.”

Borno

The Nigerian Army has called on commercial banks
to deploy Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to the military barracks in Maiduguri for the use of front line soldiers involved in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation in Borno State.
Brig.Gen. Victor Ezugwu, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, made the call while speaking at a Civil-Military Forum organised by the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri.
Ezugwu was reacting to criticisms by residents that soldiers often refused to join queues at the ATM points in the town.
He said that the army had written several letters to the banks for the deployment of ATM machines to the barracks without much success.

FCT
A human rights activist, Mrs Esther Uzoma, says
the Nigerian legal system must create an enabling environment to encourage whistleblowers in the fight against corruption.
Uzoma made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently.
She said that the importance of whistleblowing would not be effective without providing enabling environment backed by legislation.
The activist said that Nigeria’s social environment as currently constituted was not yet ripe for whistleblowers due to weak institutions.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Government has commenced
aerial spraying of pesticides to control quela birds that ravaged rice and millet farmlands in seven local government areas of the state.
The Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Community Development and Inclusion, Alhaji Hamza Muhammad, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Dutse.
Muhammad said the affected local governments were Auyo, Kirikasamma, Miga, Guri, Birniwa, Kaugama and Malammadori.
He said the exercise which commenced on September 15, would end on September 24.

Gombe
The Gombe State Government has urged the people
of the state to imbibe the culture of tree planting and desist from indiscriminate felling of trees.
The Commissioner of Environment, Hajiya Sa’adatu Sa’ad, made the call at a news conference in Gombe recently.
Sa’ad said that it was high time the people contributed their own quota towards environmental protection against desertification and other climatic challenges in the state.
“Desertification has been our main problem that is really disturbing us in Gombe State, so, such effort will help a lot in protecting our environment.

Kaduna

A member of the House of Representatives, Abbas
Tajudden, says the Federal Government would spend N1.6 billion on the rehabilitation of Zaria-Pambegua Road in Kaduna State.
Tajuddeen, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Zaria shortly after a meeting with his constituents.
He said the rehabilitation work would begin this year and would cover over 100 kilometres.
The lawmaker explained that the project was initiated to save lives due to frequent accidents because of the deplorable nature of the road.

Kano

Authorities of Garun Malam Local Government
Area of Kano State say no fewer than 40, 000 children below the age of five years would be immunized in the ongoing exercise in the state.
The Primary Healthcare Coordinator of the area, Alhaji Tijjani Jafaru, made this known to newsmen as immunisation commenced in the area.
The coordinator reaffirmed the commitment of the state and the local government to polio eradication.
According to him, parents must complete their responsibility of providing their children with quality health care.
Kwara

A pharmacist, Mr Lanre Alege, says registered phar
macists in Nigeria are grossly inadequate, considering the population of the country.
Alege of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), said this in Ilorin in a lecture delivered during the monthly “Keep Fit exercise” for members of staff of the institution at the Kwara Stadium Complex.
Quoting the records of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), he said Nigeria has 17,000 registered pharmacists,
“Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world with estimated 170 million people (2012 population) can only have a pharmacist to 10,000 Nigerians by that number,’’ he said.
Lagos

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has
urged commercial drivers to help reduce the incessant gridlock in the state by respecting traffic rules and regulations.
Ambode made the call at the inauguration of Ketu-Alapere Lay-By and Bus Stop Expansion at Kosofe, Lagos.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule, the governor said transport unions must educate their members to abide by the state traffic laws, adding that commercial drivers should not to use the expanded Alapere-Ketu Bus stop for union activities, as anyone caught would be sanctioned.
Osun

The Osun State Government has deployed an
Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to Ibokun community in the state to enable Wema Bank to reopen for commercial activities.
Our correspondent reports that WEMA bank, the only commercial bank in the town was shut for business activities in December 2015 due to a robbery attack.
A gang of armed robbers had on December 15, 2015 attacked the bank, during which two people were killed, many injured and a large sum of money carted away by the robbers.
One of the conditions listed by the bank’s management to resume operation was the provision of an armoured vehicle by the government to guarantee the security of its business.

Sokoto

The Sokoto State Government has redeemed the
N1.98 million it pledged to the three cleanest local governments during Hajj.
The Director-General of the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto recently.
Umar said that the competition was introduced by the state government during the 2015 hajj.
“It was conceived to encourage personal and environmental hygiene amongst the pilgrims in Mecca,Muna and Arafat.”

Zamfara

The Zamfara State Government, says it has re
corded increase in malaria-related deaths among children under five years and pregnant women.
The Project Manager of the State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), Alhaji Hamisu Dauran, made this known while speaking at the commencement of a one-day training of religious and traditional leaders on malaria eradication.
Our correspondent reports that the training was organised by the Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA) in collaboration with Health Community Capacity Collaboration (HC3), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Dauran said that within the first and second quarters of 2016, the state recorded 276 deaths and over 76,000 reported malaria cases of under-five children across in health centres across the state.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

1 day 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

1 day 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

1 day 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.