Nation

THE STATES

Published

9 years ago

October 4, 2017

Adamawa
The Commanast of Royal Jordnian Air Force (RIAF), Maj.-Gen. Yousef Al-Hnaity last Tuesday said he was impressed with Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to contain the Boko Haram insurgents in North East.
He gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Yola where he accompanied the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar to inspect facilities at Yola Base of NAF which also housed the headquarters of the Air Component of “Operation Lafiya Dole”.
The RJAF chief said “NAF has what it takes both in manpower and facility to check the activities of insurgents.
“I am very happy to be here. What I saw here today actually impressed me and I am delighted”.

Borno
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) says it have trained 7,169 teachers in Borno State to instigate the shortages of teachers caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
The Special Adviser to Governor Kashim Shettima on Communication and Media Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau made this known as a statement last Saturday in Maiduguri.
Gusau said that the figure was disclosed when the Director of the USAID’s Educaiton Crisis Response Project (ECR), Mr Ayo Oladini, paid a courtesy visit to the governor in Maiduguri.
He said that the training was provided sequel to the advocacy by Shettima to encourage support toward rebuilding and rehabilitation of the education sector ravaged by the insurgency.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested three suspected armed robbers who had been terrorising the residents of Kazaure Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesman, SP. Abdu Jinjiri who paraded the suspects before newsmen in Dutse last Wednesday said the suspects were arrested along Kazaure-Daura road.
Jinjiri said that they were apprehended after they had blocked the road and robbed motorists of their money and other valuables.
He explained that the suspects hailed from Kusada, Kankiya and Malumfashi Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
“On September 22, our officers in Kazaure Local Government area received a distress call that there were some armed robbers who blocked the Kazaure-Daura road and were robbing motorists”, he said.

Kaduna
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar says discipline is the bedrock of a fighting force without which there can be no cohesion and team spirit.
Abubakar made this assertion at the graduation of Young Officers Course 10 held at the Military Training Centre in Kaduna.
Represented by AVM Muhammad Abdul-Wahab, NAF Secretary, Abubakar charged the 25 young officers to uphold high standard of discipline and loyalty that the service was known for.
“To whom much is given, much more is expected. You have been equipped both in character and skills for the duties ahead of you.
“You must, therefore, justify the resources that have been invested in you by doing your duties diligently and professionally at all times”, he said.

Kano
The Kano State Police Command says it has nabbed 10 suspected armed robbers who have been terrorising Kano residents.
The command’s spokesman, DSP. Magaji Majiya made this known in a statement in Kano last Wednesday.
Majiya said the suspects were arrested in different parts of the metropolis by the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) within the last one month.
He said two of the suspects were arrested on August 19 for conspiring with two others now at large to rape a female resident of Hotoro Quarters and robbed the victim of some items.
Majiya listed the areas where the suspects were arrested to include Hotoro Quarters, Dorayi Babba, Emir’s Palace Road around central prison and Rijiyar Zaki, among other.

Kogi
The organised labour in Kogi State has appealed to the Federal Government to direct relevant humanitarian agencies to send relief materials to the state to assuage the plight of the state government workers on strike.
Olakunle Faniyi, Kolawole James and Isah Abubakar, all Secretaries of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) respectively made the appeal in a statement.
They made the statement available to journalists in Lokoja.
They said the appeal became necessary because the situation of workers in the state had become worse, compared to the condition of Internally Displaced Persons (idps) in various camps.

Lagos
Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate for Saturday’s Eti-Osa Constituency I bye-election in Lagos State, Mr Arobiewe Abogun has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Abogun told newsmen at the conclusion of voting in his Igbo-Efon Community that the election was ‘reasonably peaceful’.
He said that although he heard of some disturbances in some areas, such cases were isolated.
Abogun said that an election should not be a do-or -die affair, promising to accept the outcome of the election.
“In my domain here, the conduct of the exercise was peaceful and credible, and it is fair. I commend INEC and everybody for that”, Abegun said.

Nasarawa
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Beautiful Gate Handicap Centre has donated tricycles to 45 persons living with disabilities in Nasarawa State.
The founder of the organisaiton, Mr. Reim Rise presented the tricycles to the beneficiaries last Friday in Obi, Obi Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Rise said the gesture was part of the organisation’s contributions toward the alleviation of the suffering of the physically challenged in the state.
He said that the tricycles would assist the beneficiaries to move from one place to another.

Niger
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command last Friday said it had deployed 2,500 security personnel to provide security during the nation’s 57th Independence celebrations in the state.
The commandant of the corps, Mr Philip Ayuba disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Minna.
Ayuba said that already plain cloth security personnel had been deployed to Minna, Suleja, Kontagora and Bida to beef up security ahead of the celebrations.
He said that the command was collaborating with sister security agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the festivities.

Oyo
Justice Joyce Abumaleek of the Federal High Court, Ibadan has dismissed the application asking the court to decline jurisdiction filed by one Festus Adeyemi in the N8 billion CBN currency scam suit.
Citing various aspects of the law, Abdumaleek said that the court had been fully empowered by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), the EFCC Act and the Nigerian constitution to entertain cases like this.
“ It is not an abuse of court process for the EFCC to go ahead with this case and this court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
“The application asking this court to decline jurisdiction is hereby dismissed,” the judge ruled.
Abdulmaleek adjourned the case till October 25 for further trial.
our correspondent reports that Adeyemi, the fifth accused person, had through his counsel, Mr Babatunde Akinola, asked the court to decline jurisdiction on the matter.

Plateua
The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung has called for radical reform in the Nigerian criminal justice system.
Dalung made the call last Saturday in Jos when he celebrated his 54th birthday with inmates of the Prison Command in Jos.
The minister said the call became necessary to strengthen criminal justice and ensure justice to all accused.
“There is need for radical reforms in our criminal justice delivery system.
“You cannot keep somebody in prison for years without trial and at the end of the day, do justice to the person.
“There is urgent need for speedy dispensation of cases in our courts, for justice to be done,” he said.
Dalung, a former prison officer, advised prison inmates to be of good behaviour when they eventually gain their freedom.

Taraba
The Chairman, Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI), Retired Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, has urged the people of Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State to eschew violence and build peace to foster development.
Danjuma made the call at a Peace Building Town Hall meeting organised by Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in partnership with UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) in collaboration with PCNI in Gembu, Taraba State.
The PCNI chairman cautioned that the resuscitation of the Mambilla Hydro-Power project by President Muhammadu Buhari would be stalled if the people failed to build peace.
Represented by Brig.-Gen Habila Vintenaba, the Chairman, Security sub-committee of PCNI, Danjuma appealed to the various ethnic groups on the plateau to give peace a chance to enable government to execute the hydro power project for economic development of the country.

Nation

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

Published

1 week ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

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

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 months 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

2 months 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.