Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

March 23, 2012

Bauchi

The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has employed 14 desk officers to assist in monitoring unwholesome drugs in some Local Government Areas of Bauchi state.

Mr Michael Attah, Bauchi state Unit Head of the agency, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi on Tuesday.

Attah said the action was to boost NAFDAC activities at the grassroots level in view of the inadequate staff of the agency.

The unit head said the desk officers had been deployed to 14 out of the 20 local government areas of the state.

Attah said that the officers had been mandated to enlighten members of their communities on the dangers of unregistered, adulterated and fake drugs.

He said that the local councils had agreed to provide office and residential accommodation to the desk officers.

“The hawkers conduct their activities at odd times; sometimes we apprehend them whenever we visit the rural communities, sometime we don’t.

“When these drugs are exposed to the sun, some of its active ingredient will be affected, so instead of curing one’s ailment, one ends up with complications. ’’

Ekiti

The new Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Mr Ibrahim Maishanu, assumed office and promised to make the state better in terms of security and peaceful co-existence among the people.

Maishanualso pledged to implement the reform agenda of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, in the command.

The commissioner made the pledge at the Police headquarters in Ado- Ekiti at a handing over ceremony marking his official assumption of office.

Maishanu is the immediate past Commissioner of Police of Niger.

He succeeds Mr Olayinka Balogun, who has been posted to Edo as Commissioner of Police .

Maishanu promised to work harmoniously with the state government, members of the Police Community Relations Committee and the public to sustain the peace existing in the state.

He promised to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor and promised to unveil his policies and programmes in due course.

Maishanu’s predecessor, Balogun, had urged him to tackle corruption within the Police and ensure that all road blocks that had been dismantled did not resurrect anywhere in the state.

FCT

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) plans to introduce a Ministerial Open House platform to unite policy makers and stakeholders and enrich public policy in the country.

The Agency’s Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri, announced this when the Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust, Mr. Peter Bradley, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) plans to introduce a Ministerial Open House platform to unite policy makers and stakeholders and enrich public policy in the country.

The Agency’s Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri, announced this on Tuesday when the Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust, Mr. Peter Bradley, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

The NOA boss said it was high time that groups that had been denied access to government policy making process were considered in policy formulation.

“We intend to give policy makers and those who will be affected by such policies a platform for discussions so that stakeholders can make inputs into existing and intended policies.

Gombe

Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Mohammed,has commended Gombe State for having the lowest maternal and child mortality rate in the North East zone of the federation.

Mohammed gave the commendation at the launching of the free polio programme in Gombe last Saturday.

He also applauded the state for ensuring that there was no recorded case of polio since 2009.

Mohammed said that Gombe State was surrounded by states with cases of polio, charging the state to maintain the tempo.

He said the success achieved in Gombe State was a result of the government’s commitment as well as the effort put in by other development partners like WHO, UNICEF and other non-governmental bodies.

Mohammed said the agency would introduce community health inspectors in states and rural areas to enlighten the public on issues of hygiene and primary health.

According to him, health teams from Abuja will soon visit Gombe State to concretise the arrangement.

He commended traditional rulers and religious leader for mobilising their subjects to take advantage of health programmes.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State House of Assembly has passed the state’s 2012 appropriation bill of N104.4 billion.

Presenting the appropriation committee report before the passage of the bill, the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Babangida Mohammed, said the estimate now had an increment of N60 million from the initial budget proposal presented by Gov. SuleLamido.

Mohammed explained that the increase of N60 million which was not captured in the initial appropriation bill presented to the house would be used by Gunduma Health System to pay the salaries and allowances of medical personnel who would be recruited.

He said that several adjustments had been made in the capital expenditure, overhead, personnel cost and stabilisation fund.

Katsina

Katsina State House of Assembly has approved a total budget of N66.4 billion for the 34 local governments in the state for 2012.

The Speaker, Alhaji Ya’u Gwajo-gwajo, announced the approval in Katsina shortly after the House Committee on Appropriation presented its report on the local government budget proposals to the House.

He said that N48 billion was for their recurrent expenditure, while about N18 billion was for their capital projects during the year.

He directed the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the approved budget to the executive arm for assent.

The speaker also commended the house committee on appropriation for completing the budget screening on time.

Earlier, Alhaji Aliyu Iliyasu, the Appropriation Committee Chairman, said the Assembly had mandated the committee to work on the budget proposal based on the submission made by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Lagos

Some Lagos residents have called on the National Assembly to involve the nation’s anti-corruption bodies in NASS probe panels to achieve desired results.

They spoke in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos on Saturday on the revelations in the ongoing probes in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

They said that theEconomic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should have representatives each in the probe panels.

The Executive Director, Social Justice Advocacy Initiative (SJAI), Mr Damian Ugwu,decried what he called “corruption in the oversight functions of the National Assembly committees”.

Niger

More than N27.7 billion pension has been paid by the Niger government under the Pay-As-You-Go and the Contributory Pension schemes in the state from May 2007 to December 2011, an official said.

Director General of of the state’s Pension Board Mr Benu Yahaya , told newsmen in Minna that N15.3 billion went into the Pay-As-You-Go pension scheme, while N12.4 billion was for the Contributory Pension Scheme.

He said the board had also settled the outstanding pension liability of N1.4 billion inherited from the previous administration in the state.

Ogun

The Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun, Prof. Kayode Makinde, has urged government at all level to overhaul Nigeria‘s health sector for better delivery.

Makinde made the call in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun.

The vice chancellor said it was time government and health practitioners adhered to the mission of medicine, “which is saving lives and not money-making venture”.

The don observed that the medicine profession has lost its compassion component in Nigeria.

“There is no secret; Nigeria medicine, largely has lost its compassion component. But then, those who are in healthcare should either have that compassion or get out of it.

“Money and materialism has replaced love; has replaced respect; has replaced anything that used to be of value when we are growing up. Nigerian medicine is just a little microcosm of the Nigeria society.

Osun

As this year’s rainy season draws near, the Osun Government has begun preparation to plough 1,000 acres of land for rice production at Osuntedo, Ejigbo Local Government Area.

The Coordinator, Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP) Mr Dele Ogundipe, disclosed this on Tuesday when he received Mr Wale Adedoyin, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Production, who visited the site.

He said government was looking forward to a production target of 2,000 tonnes of rice in 2012 from the site alone.

Ogundipe said no fewer than 20 farmers cooperative societies drawn from the community and other parts of the state would benefit from the project.

Each cooperative society, he said, would get a minimum of 50 acres, adding that tractors would also be provided for them to till the soil.

Plateau

The Plateau Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has commenced the collection of deposits from intending pilgrims, Alhaji Salisu Musa, the Executive Secretary of the Board, has said.

A pilgrim is expected to contribute N500,000 in the meantime, pending the announcement of the final figure for this year’s exercise by the National Hajj Commission (NAHCO).

Musa told newsmen in Jos that the Board would not receive “anything less than the N500,000 to scare away people that see the exercise as a business venture.

He said that some persons usually paid the deposits only to later sell their slots in the event of a shortage of the slots.

Taraba

The Taraba Government has approved N23 million for the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to organise the first Taraba Festival for Arts and Culture (TARAFEST 2012).

The Commissioner in-charge of the ministry, Mr Emmanuel Bello, disclosed the approval in Jalingo on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen.

He said that the event, which is going to be the first ever cultural fiesta in the state, would take place between April 11, and April 15, in Jalingo.

The commissioner explained that the festival was aimed at showcasing the arts and cultural heritage of the people of the state.

Nation

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

Published

3 days 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.