Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator, Dass Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, said 351 communities will soon introduce group monetary contribution to construct modern laterines.
Ibrahim disclosed this on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Dass.
According to him, 90 people have been trained so far by UNICEF on the monetary contribution for the project.
The measure would go a long way to allow each household to have access to modern laterine within a short time frame, Ibrahim said.
He said that the programme, which was aimed at improving on hygiene and sanitation, would reduce diseases and bad odours emanating from toilets and drains, especially during rainy season.
Borno
The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has donated fortified foods and baby kits to 600 nursing mothers in Borno.
Mrs Buhari, who was represented by the Director of Borno Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, said the gesture was in line with the International Women’s Day celebration.
She said “I am happy to join other global leaders to call attention and recognize the importance of this very wonderful day.
“International Women’s Day events are held worldwide on March 8, to recognize the great roles and contributions of women in economic development.
“Here in Borno, we want to use the special day to identify with our nursing mothers who are victims of violence”.
FCT
The Nigerian Army has warned that it is a grievous criminal offence for any individual or community to continue to shield or harbour any known Boko Haram terrorist in their midsts.
The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, gave the warning in a statement last Thursday, in Abuja, after troops thwarted attempt by the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists to invade and attack Magumeri town.
Usman said the terrorists made the attempt on Wednesday evening to attack the town in Magumeri local government area of Borno, but that the timely invention of troops thwarted the attempt.
Operation Lafiya Dole on clearance operations in the North-East has been raiding suspected hideouts of terrorists, destroying their camps and neutralising them.
“Consequently, we are constrained to state that it is high time for the people to take up the fight and help the Nigerian military and other security agencies to protect them.
Kaduna
Save the Children, an International NGO, has advised mothers to adopt exclusive breast feeding to improve the nutritional needs of under-five children.
The Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator of the organization, Mr Ekene Ifedilichukwu, gave the advice at media training on nutrition reporting and budgeting on Wednesday in Kaduna.
He attributed the rejection of breastfeeding by children at birth on lack of proper positioning of the child by some mothers to the nipples of the breast.
Ifedilichukwu explained that some children immediately after birth are very eager to suck breast, adding that some mothers out of ignorance do not know how exactly to position such children to gain access to the nipple of the breast.
According to him, when the child realised that in spite of all his struggles he could not access the breast on several occasions he had tried, the brain signals him that the breast was not meant for him, hence the rejection.
Katsina
The National Association of Cassava Growers has appointed the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk, as its grand patron.
The President of the association, Pastor Segun Adewunmi, who presented the letter of appointment to the Emir in Daura last Thursday, said the appointment took immediate effect.
He said the association appointed the emir to such office because of his contributions to agriculture and wise counsel to the association.
According to Adewunmi, cassava production is one of the lucrative ventures capable of generating revenue for the nation, especially if the crop is promoted the same way as other cash crops.
Kogi State House of Assembly was again forced to adjourn sitting last Wednesday due to the excessive heat and faulty generating set to power the air conditioners at the chamber.
Our correspondent who covered that the proceedings at the Assembly reports that the problem was compounded by lack of regular powered supply in the area.
The Assembly could not sit on Tuesday due to the same challenges.
The Majority Leader of the House, Matthew Kolawole (PDP-Kabba-Bunu), moved a motion for the adjournment of sitting.
He urged that the three items on the Order Paper for the day be stepped down for deliberation another day.
Lagos
The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army last Wednesday, said it had set up a Board of Inquiry (BOI), and detained six soldiers over the brutality of a woman in Lagos state.
The incident on 12 March, according to the Division’s spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Olaolu Daudu, happened in Odoguyan, Ikorodu area of Lagos.
It involved soldiers of 174 Battalion and the woman attacked has been identified in various reports as Ruth Orji.
According to reports, the Joint Legal Action Aids, which is representing her has already sued the military authorities, asking for N250million in damages.
In their reaction to the incident, the military authorities failed to disclose the names of the victim and her attackers.
Nasarawa
The Education Secretary, Lafia Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa, Mr Mohammed Haliru, has threatened to sanction teachers abandoning their duty posts without official permissions.
Haliru, who gave the warning on Thursday in Lafia at a meeting with head teachers of public primary schools, said that such an action amounted to dereliction of duty.
He said that the decision was to enhance the performance of teachers in the area and be fully committed to what they were employed and being paid to do.
Haliru said that truancy, lack of punctuality, among other negative attitudes demonstrated by some teachers, were factors responsible for the fallen standard of education in the area.
Niger
The Niger State Government said it has made provisions in the 2017 budget to provide free learning materials to pupils in public schools to encourage more enrolments.
The State Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Minna, recently.
Madugu said children in public schools would be provided free school uniforms and other instructional materials to attract more enrolments.
She noted that the state free education programme had increased girl-child enrolment in schools drastically unlike in the past.
She noted that the provision of free learning materials would totally take children off the streets and reduce child labour.
Osun
To improve the quality of education in the country, government at all levels must invest in teachers’ education.
The Permanent Secretary, Osun Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Kolawole Fatai, said this in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo last Wednesday.
Fatai said it was imperative for government to ensure that teachers were trained to become better qualified in their profession.
“There is urgent need for government to invest more in teachers’ education, because it is not possible to teach what you don’t know.
“Our teachers need to be exposed to training from time to time for them to meet international standards”, he said.
The SUBEB boss also called on government to adequately motivate teachers, saying lack of motivation would surely kill teachers’ morale.
Oyo
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has urged journalists to place children’s well-being at the centre of child right abuses’ reportage in accordance with best global practices.
The UNICEF Communication Officer, Lagos Office, Mrs Blessing Ejiofor, made the call last Wednesday in Ibadan at the opening of a two-day media workshop on ethical reporting on children.
Ejiofor revealed that reportage given to incidents of child rights abuses in the country, if not in accordance with ethical journalism, often end up doing more harm than good.
“We all know that reporting on children and young people has its special challenges. In some instances, the act of reporting on children places them or other children at risk of retribution or stigmatisation.
“Hence, the aim of this workshop is to share with journalists some developed guidelines and principles that would assist them cover children in an age appropriate and sensitive manner,’’ she said.
Plateau
The Plateau Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it is poised to curb drug addiction among youths in the state through sensitisation.
The Commandant of the corps in the state, Mrs Ngozi Madubuike, said this in an interview with newsmen last Thursday in Jos.
Madubuike said that the command had embarked on intensive drug abuse awareness and sensitisation campaign targeted at different groups with emphasis on the youth population.
She said the command would achieve the goal by ensuring that the demand and supply of both psychotropic substances, cocaine and cannabis sativa were reduced to the barest minimum.
According to her, once people, especially the youths, are well informed about the dangers of drug abuse the demand will drastically reduce and this will affect the supply.
Strategic regulators and other stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the pace, quality and magnitude of work carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In their separate speeches at the 2025 4th quarter key regulators / asset owners meeting held in Port Harcourt, the strategic stakeholders commended HYPREP for the significant milestones achieved with excellent efficiency and transparency, demonstrating capacity and commitment to sustaining collaboration with development partners for the overall success of the Project.
The regulators particularly lauded HYPREP for the landmark success in the implementation of the land and shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of reticulated potable water, the various sustainable livelihood programmes, donation of ambulances to health facilities in Ogoni, the construction of Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, as well as the ongoing Ogoni Power Project, adding that their independent field reports have shown proofs of HYPREP driving even beyond its mandates.
The goodwill messages were made by representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Centre for Environment and Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA), Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), and Federal Ministry of Environment. Others are the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Power, the Rivers State University, the Rivers State Ministry of Water and Rural Development, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Following the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit’s presentation on the status of HYPREP projects, participants offered feedback on areas of concern. They reassured HYPREP and the people of Ogoni of their continued support for the Project’s success. They also suggested that the quarterly review meeting be sustained as it enables them to report, evaluate and proffer solutions to areas of concern.
Participants also commended HYPREP for improved community and stakeholder engagement and for adding to what they saw the previous time. “We commend HYPREP for the quality work done at sites. The progress is phenomenal, because HYPREP is scoring good grades, above average,” Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu from Rivers State University said.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who was represented by Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, Director of Technical Services, commended the regulators and asset owners for their cooperation with the Project, and for making themselves available for fieldwork and the regular review meetings.
Prof Zabbey reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to best practice in waste management, particularly waste generation and disposal, calling on the Regulators for adequate logistics support, saying HYPREP’s priority is to focus on the core recommendations by UNEP, especially, remediation(soil, shoreline) mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, interventions in public health care services and sustainable livelihood for the people.
The Project Coordinator further highlighted the status of the Project, the successes achieved across all thematic areas, and assured that HYPREP will soon complete most of the ongoing projects and roll out others. He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the Ogoni cleanup, ensure quality control, and foster effective collaboration.
Consequently, the quarterly key regulators/asset owners meeting is HYPREP’s strategic stakeholder management model, further underscoring the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership for development, and accountability, all of which are harbingers of effective project delivery.
Speaking to newsmen, HYPREP Project Support Lead and representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, described his involvement with HYPREPas an encouraging and insightful experience, saying, the Project is implementing a wide range of projects across Ogoniland, spanning immediate remediation works as well as livelihood support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of affected communities.
Engr Igbinomwanhia emphasised that Renaissance Africa Energy remains fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that the company has a long history of collaboration with HYPREP.
He added that the partnership has been characterised by continuous learning, adaptation and a willingness to respond to observations and recommendations aimed at improving outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of safety in all project operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and operating conditions in Ogoniland.
He noted that safety is treated as a critical priority and that contractors are continually reminded to maintain high safety standards, stressing that lessons learnt from previous operational challenges like the collapse of the water tank in Gwara Community are being applied to strengthen safety practices and overall performance.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
