Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

November 1, 2010

Bauchi

Hajiya Habiba Ali, the Co-ordinator of Rahma Women Development Programme, a Bauchi-based NGO, said on Wednesday that the organization had trained religious leaders on preventive measures against HIV/AIDS.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Ali said the trained religious leaders were to enlighten their followers in various Mosques and Churches on how to avoid the virus.

The co-ordinator said the religious leaders were also tutored on why the people should not stigmatise those living with HIV/AIDS, as prevalent in some communities.

Ali named other professional groups, youth peer-educators and some care givers as others sensitized by the NGO to carry the message to various segments of the society.

Borno

University of Maiduguri graduated 48,401 students between 1978 and 2006, the Vice-chancellor, Prof. Mala Daura, said in Maiduguri on Thursday.

Daura, who made the fact known at a news conference, explained that 6,842 of the graduates received diplomas and certificates, 36,848 received first degrees and 1,711 were awarded postgraduate diplomas.

He also said the university awarded 2,893 masters’ degrees and 107 doctorates over the period.

Daura said the university would graduate 15, 881 students at its 21st convocation, “the students are those who passed out during the 2006/2007, 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 academic sessions.

Ekiti

The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Felix Ajakaiye, on Thursday, ordered the compulsory recitation of the National Anthem in all Catholic schools in the state.

Ajakaiye also directed that all social events organised by the Catholic Church’s establishments must start and end with the singing of the anthem from now.

He gave the directives when he visited the Holy Child Secondary School, Ado-Ekiti, for its 15th Founders’ Day celebration during which he discovered that there was no provision for the anthem on the programme of events.

The school is one of the nearly 60 institutions owned by the Catholic Mission in the state.

FCT

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has expressed readiness to assist Nigeria in the implementation of the Global Jobs Pact aimed at wealth creation.

Mr David Lamotte, ILO’s Special Adviser and Co-ordinator of the Global Jobs Pact, disclosed this on Thursday, in Abuja, when he met with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu.

Lamotte said his visit to Nigeria was to enlighten stakeholders in the labour sub-sector on the implementation strategy for the Global Jobs Pact which would help in reducing unemployment in the country.

Jigawa

No fewer than 75 per cent youth corpers constitute the teaching staff in Jigawa, Mr Nurudeen Baba, the state’s NYSC Coordinator has said.

Baba said this in Gumel during the swearing-in ceremony of Batch ‘C’ corps members posted to the state.

He explained that due to the dearth of teachers in the state, the NYSC posted 80 per cent of the corps members to schools in the rural areas to teach.

“From our statistics, more than 75 per cent of teachers in Jigawa are corps members. In some schools, some corps members are even made vice principals,” he said.

Katsina

A total of 5, 505 out of the 6,100 intending pilgrims from Katsina State have so far been airlifted to Saudi Arabia for the 2010 Hajj.

The Secretary of the Katsina State Hajj Committee and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Alhaji Nasiru Abdul, disclosed this in Katsina on Thursday.

He said the pilgrims were transported to the holy land by Max Airlines on 11 flights, stressing that the 11th flight of 502 pilgrims took-off from the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Airport, Katsina at 12:17 a.m.

Kaduna

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has inaugurated a 30-member Governorship Campaign Council with his former boss, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi as a member.

Other people on the council are the Adviser to the Vice- President, Sen. Isaiah Balat, the Chairman of Peugeot Automobile Ltd, Alhaji Sani Dauda, and Alhaji Yusuf Hamisu, a PDP senatorial aspirant.

The team is to be chaired by the governor while Alhaji Muktar Yero, the Deputy Governor, will serve as the Deputy Chairman.

Inaugurating the council, Yakowa warned PDP supporters against campaigns of calumny and the use of indecent language, adding that they must be peaceful in their conduct.

Kogi

The Management of Obajana Cement Company in Kogi has finally agreed to send 1,200 truck drivers in the company to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) for safety driving training.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC in Kogi, Mr Sunday Maku, confirmed the development in Lokoja, on Thursday, in an interview with newsmen.

He said the training would be handled by the commission’s headquarters and that it would last for three days.

The management of the cement company had been under pressure from the FRSC which has consistently requested it to send its truck drivers for safety training.

Lagos

Workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on Thursday cautioned the Federal Government against sacking 50, 000 workers in the company to avoid industrial crisis.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the workers said that the sack of the workers could also lead to a national blackout.

The statement was signed by Mr Mansur Musa, President, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), and the General Secretary, Mr Joe Ajaero.

The statement said that the workers were also planning a campaign for the removal of Prof. Bath Nnaji, the President’s Adviser on Energy, for allegedly misrepresenting the government.

Nasarawa

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar, says regular training and exercises by officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force will boost their combat readiness.

Umar said this on Thursday, in Keffi in Nasrawa State, at the “Small Arm Range Classification Exercise,” organised by the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters (NAF) for its personnel.

He was represented by Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh, Air Officer Policy and Plans at NAF Headquarters, Abuja.

“In protecting the nation you need the riffle, so the training that is being carried out is to give our air men and women proficiency on their jobs”.

Niger

The Niger state Government has promised to complete all projects conceived under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in the state.

The state’s Head of Service (HOS), Alhaji Ahmed Matane, disclosed this in Minna on Wednesday, while reacting to recent media reports calling on. The media reports indicated that some Niger State indigenes had criticized the manner of implementation of the PPP projects.

They alleged that most of projects had been abandoned after expending huge sums of money on them.

The head of service, however, said that the government had pursued the partnership to achieve physical development against limited resources with “all honesty and due process”.

Osun

Physically challenged persons in Osogbo, the Osun capital, have appealed to governments at all levels to assist them financially to promote their vocational businesses.

Our correspondent reports that majority of those interviewed earn a living from hat, shoe and soap making.

Blessing Babatunde, a fashion designer, said: “Being

crippled is not the end of life. I am able to cater for myself and assist my younger ones.

“Despite all efforts to be independent, there is no help from government; the government should assist the physically challenged people so that beggars would reduce on the streets.“

Plateau

The FRSC in Plateau has started to clamp down on unregistered motorcycles and other vehicles in Plateau.

The Sector Commander, Mr Samuel Odukoya newsmen in Jos on Thursday, that owners of impounded vehicles were liable to a fine of N10,000 each.

“We are aware of the influx of motorcycle operators from neighbouring states and we want to ensure that they register their motorcycles before they operate here,” he said.

Odukoya called on motorists to ensure that their motorcycles and vehicles were “duly registered” to avoid being impounded or arrested.

Sokoto

Council has approved the electrification of 28 communities in 14 of the 23 local government areas of the state.

Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the state’s Executive Council meeting in Sokoto on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Faruk Yabo, said that the project would gulp N839 million.

He explained that the project work would include the upgrading, extension and improvement of some of the electricity installations in the communities.

He said that the council had also approved the divestment of the state government’s 766 million shares in Unity Bank of Nigeria Plc at N1 per share.

Nation

UNIZIK Honours Business Mogul, Ezekwe, For Philanthropism

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has conferred the Award of Digital Academic Promoter on the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Arrowconn Group, High Chief (Dr.) Emeka Ezekwe, for his philanthropic gestures.

Chief Ezekwe received the philanthropist award during a landmark technical workshop organised by the Department of Business Education, Faculty of Technology and Vocational Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, recently.

Making the presentation, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ugochukwu Stanley Anyaehie, said the award was in recognition of Ezekwe’s philanthropic contributions, academic support, and dedication to human capital development, hailing his commitment to bridging industry and academia.

Ezekwe who is also the Chairman of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Professional Services and Consultancy Trade Group, delivered a keynote address at the event with a theme: “Technicalities and Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Business and Education.”

In his address, Ezekwe described the current AI surge as a civilizational shift rather than a mere technological upgrade.

He compared AI’s rapid trajectory to past innovations like electricity, computers, the Internet, and mobile phones, which he said, progressed from luxuries to necessities.

“AI is reshaping value creation, knowledge sharing, and decision-making at unprecedented speed. It has moved from experimentation to execution, powering business forecasting, academic research, digital learning, and strategic decisions,” he said.

The business mogul, however, warned that in business, delays lead to losses, while in education, irrelevance spells failure.

“AI is no longer optional, it is a necessity,” he declared.

Ezekwe highlighted the critical AI skill gap, driven by curriculum lags, limited training, and fear of the unknown, but stressed the bigger danger which is exclusion.

“Those who master AI will shape markets, education, and policy; those who lag will be shaped by others,” he said.

The Arrowconn Group boss also outlined AI’s practical advantages for businesses —including data-driven strategies, smarter investments, scalable customer insights, and competitive edges for SMEs.

In education, he clarified that AI empowers rather than replaces teachers, enabling personalized learning, efficient lesson planning, assessment support, and accelerated research.

He advocated a shift from rote memorization to critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, while preserving human strengths in engagement, judgment, and collaboration.

Ezekwe urged ethical AI development, warning that “technology without values is dangerous,” and called on institutions like UNIZIK to update curricula, train educators, promote interdisciplinary work, forge industry partnerships, and produce graduates who are solution providers in an AI-driven world.

The workshop also marked the unveiling of the maiden edition of the UNIZIK Journal of Business Education and Entrepreneurship, reinforcing the department’s push for scholarly innovation in AI applications.

Nation

Don Calls For National Forensic Data Bank To Combat Rising Crime

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt’s College of Health Sciences, Prof Gabriel Sunday Oladipo, has underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive forensic science infrastructure, warning that the nation’s ability to investigate and solve crime is being hampered by lack of scientific data and systems.

In his inaugural lecture titled, “Man: Fearfully Different, Wonderfully Made,” delivered as part of the 207th Inaugural Lecture Series of the university, Prof Oladipo highlighted that while no two individuals are exactly the same, the country currently lacks the robust systems needed to collect and manage biological and anthropometric data that could support criminal investigations.

He explained that the natural variations among humans — from fingerprints to physical measurements — form the foundation of personal identification in forensic work. These biological differences, he said, are essential for distinguishing one person from another, especially in the context of criminal investigations where clarity of identity can mean the difference between justice and impunity. Without this scientific foundation, he argued, law enforcement agencies lack a critical tool in the fight against crime.

Experts have noted that Nigeria’s forensic science capacity has historically lagged behind needs, with only a few forensic facilities available and many law enforcement agencies struggling to access or use scientific evidence effectively. One review of the state of forensic investigation in Nigeria found that outdated facilities and limited adoption of modern forensic methods have left many cases unsolved or poorly investigated, even as crime rates rise across the country.

In Lagos, efforts to improve forensic capabilities have focused on DNA analysis, with the Lagos State DNA Forensic Centre — the first of its kind in West Africa — providing critical support for criminal investigations and helping to identify human remains, link related cases, and assist with paternity testing. However, such initiatives are yet to be replicated at a national scale, leaving many regions without access to these vital scientific tools.

Prof Oladipo’s lecture went beyond academic theory to propose concrete actions. He called for the establishment of a National Institute of Forensic Science responsible for creating and managing a nationwide anthropometric and forensic data bank. This repository, he stressed, would significantly enhance Nigeria’s capacity to track crime, assist law enforcement agencies, and improve the administration of justice by providing reliable scientific evidence for investigative and legal processes.

He also highlighted the importance of strengthening research and training in forensic science. Many Nigerian universities currently lack the funding and infrastructure to offer complete undergraduate or postgraduate programs in areas such as forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, and crime scene investigation, a gap that forces aspiring experts to rely on collaborations with institutions abroad. By fostering a research-friendly environment and securing greater support from both government and private sectors, Nigerian institutions could produce homegrown experts capable of advancing forensic science in the country.

Awareness of forensic science’s role in criminal justice remains low among the general public and even among some security professionals. Studies have shown that a significant portion of Nigerians are unfamiliar with basic forensic concepts or the existence of tools such as DNA profiling and national forensic databases — tools that are common features of criminal justice systems in countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Prof Oladipo also urged regular training and retraining programs to keep forensic practitioners updated with evolving scientific methods. According to him, continuous professional development is critical in a field where technological advances — from biometric databases to digital forensic tools — are transforming how crimes are investigated and solved.

The lecture was attended by academics, students, and professionals drawn to the intersection of science, identity, and justice, all of whom heard the professor make a compelling case for scientific innovation and institutional reform as central to Nigeria’s effort to contain crime and strengthen its justice system.

The event not only showcased Prof Oladipo’s expertise in human anatomy and forensic psychology but also positioned forensic science as a strategic national priority — one that could bring clarity to investigations, support victims and their families, and ultimately enhance public safety across Nigeria.

Nation

UPWA Hosts Colourful Inter-House Sports Fiesta

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The University of Port Harcourt Women Association (UPWA) on Thursday staged a vibrant and memorable edition of its Annual Inter-House Sports Competition at the University of Port Harcourt Sports Village, drawing an impressive turnout of pupils, parents, staff and invited guests.

The event, organised by the UPWA International Group of Schools, brought together children from the pre-nursery, nursery and secondary sections in a colourful celebration of youth athleticism, discipline and teamwork. The arena came alive with cheers and excitement as pupils, clad in their various house colours, marched in a ceremonial parade before proceeding to compete in a wide range of track and field events, relays, novelty races and other team-based activities designed to promote physical fitness and healthy competition.

Declaring the competition open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, commended UPWA for sustaining a tradition that continues to nurture young talents beyond the classroom. He noted that sports remain a critical component of holistic education, helping to build resilience, confidence, leadership skills and social interaction among children.

In her remarks, the President of UPWA, Professor Udeme Georgewill, expressed appreciation to parents, teachers and members of the organising committee for their dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the success of the programme despite prevailing economic challenges. She described the event as a reflection of unity and collective effort within the school community.

“This is the first time White House is emerging overall winner, and that shows remarkable improvement and great sportsmanship,” she said. “We all had fun. It is not easy putting an event like this together considering the economic situation, but we are grateful to the parents for being part of this journey. The excitement everywhere is truly heartwarming.”

The competition featured spirited participation from the various houses, including Purple House, San Chicago Red House and White House, with pupils demonstrating strength, speed, coordination and teamwork. Parents and supporters filled the stands, cheering enthusiastically and adding colour to the spectacle, while teachers ensured orderliness and safety throughout the proceedings.

Professor Georgewill emphasized that the true essence of sports lies not merely in winning trophies but in participation and personal growth. “Sports is not just about winning. It is an avenue for growth, discipline and opportunity. The fact that a child is able to participate is already a win. Losing this year does not mean you cannot win next year. Keep trying,” she encouraged, urging pupils to see both victory and defeat as stepping stones to greater achievements.

She further observed that while there are many competing interests in the Nigerian sports sector, consistent grassroots investment remains essential for discovering and nurturing future champions.

The colourful ceremony culminated in medal presentations, trophy awards and group photographs, with UPWA executives, including Vice President I, Professor Adedamola Onyeaso, joining the participating teams to celebrate the day’s achievements.

The annual inter-house sports competition continues to stand as one of UPWA’s flagship events, reinforcing its commitment to balanced education, character formation and the promotion of healthy lifestyles among its pupils.