Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

October 5, 2012

FCT

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, has
called on ECOWAS to support efforts at improving education in Africa.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Aliyu Othman,
the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement said that Rufa’I made this known at the
opening of the conference of ECOWAS Ministers of Education.

She noted that it was the desire of the Conference of Ministers
of Education of the African Union that education should receive a boost in line
with the AU Second Decade of Education Action Plan 2006-2015.

The minister called on the ECOWAS Ministers of Education to
popularise the tertiary education subsector as a means of developing the skills
required for the improvement in technological, health and research.

Gombe

The Gombe State Government has distributed 60 tonns of
improved seeds free to farmers to boost agricultural production in the state.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Dahiru
Buba-Biri, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) in Gombe on Tuesday.

“Apart from the support the Federal government gave to the
Growth Enhancement Scheme, the governor purchased 60 tonnes of improved seeds
which we distributed at highly subsidised rate,’’ he said.

Buba-Biri said the open pollinated maize was purchased from
Sebore Farms in Adamawa and distributed to farmers, adding that it collaborated
with the federal Government to provide improved seeds for cotton farmers.

“Collaboration is also being brokered by the State, Federal
Government and the private sector to give support to textiles as well as
exporters so that overall market for cotton will be open.

Jigawa

No fewer than seven persons were killed, while 12 others
were injured in floods that ravaged some communities in Kafin-Hausa Local
Government Area of Jigawa.

Alhaji Ahmad Zango, the Deputy Chairman of the local
government, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kafin-Hausa
that 700 houses and many hectares of farmland were also destroyed by the flood.

Zango said that the casualties were recorded at various
collapsed buildings in the communities.

“Dozens of residential homes were destroyed by flood which
killed seven persons and injured 12 others.

“Farm produce, such as rice, maize, millet, sesame seeds and
beans, were also destroyed,” Zango added.

Jos

Governor Jonah Jang
of Plateau has charged political appointees in the state to deliver their wards
in the October 6 bye-election to the People Democratic Party (PDP) candidates
or resign.

The governor said this at a campaign rally for the Plateau
North senatorial as well as the house of assembly seats in Barkin Ladi on
Tuesday.

Our correspondent recalled that the seat became vacant
following the demise of Sen. Gyang Dantong and Mr Gyang Fulani, the majority
leader of the assembly.

“My commissioners, Special Advisers and Council Caretaker
Chairmen in the Plateau North senatorial district must ensure that they deliver
their wards in this bye-election or tender their resignation letters.

The governor said that the bye-election was so crucial to
PDP and would not tolerate any laxity on the part of the appointees.

Kano

The Federal Government has started the training of farmers
in Kano State to minimise the amount of dioxin emission into the atmosphere
from open burning sources.

Alhaji Mohamed Maleh, the project manager of Less Burnt for
Clean Earth, a project of the Federal Ministry of Environment, announced this
on Tuesday at a training workshop for farmers in the state.

Our correspondent reports that dioxins are by-products of
various industrial processes and are commonly regarded as highly toxic
compounds that are environmental pollutants.

Our source reports that the three-day training workshop on
alternative approach to open burning of agricultural residue/waste was
organised by the ministry in collaboration with UNDP and Global Environment
Facility.

Kebbi

The International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD)-supported Community Based Agricultural and Rural Development programme
(CBARDP) has reached 1.3 million rural dwellers in Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara
States, an official said.

Ms Atsuko Toda, the IFAD country representative, made the
statement on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi while addressing the wrap-up programme of
the FGN/IFAD supervision mission to the states.

She said 550,580 women, representing 41.5 per cent,
benefitted from the programme in the states.

She said 1,815 rural community groups also benefitted from
the programme while 543 community infrastructure were provided.

Toda said there was 200 per cent increase in rice
production, sorghum, recorded 94 per cent, while millet rose by 279 per cent.

Kogi

Kogi Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi says the State Government
will acquire and distribute mobile toilets for the use of the 12,000 displaced
persons in the state.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Michael Abu, his
Press Secretary in Lokoja on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the state is worried about the
possibilities of an outbreak of epidemics in the flood victims’ camps.

The statement stated that the state Ministry of Health had
been empowered to prevent the outbreak of epidemics in the state, added that
the mobile toilets was part of measures to keep the camp clean from diseases.

It expressed the commitment of the State Government toward
tackling the effects of devastation caused by the floods in the state.

Kwara

The Federal Government will engage 1,500 workers through the
Integrated Irrigation Dam Project in Eyekonrin-Araromi, Kwara, an official has
said.

Alhaji Abubakar Aduagba, the Managing Director of the Lower
Niger River Basin Authority, Ilorin, announced this in Eyekonrin, Asa Local
Government Area during the National Good Governance Tour to the project on
Tuesday.

Aduagba explained that the construction of the dam started
in 2009 as constituency project of Mr Ayo Adeseun, a member of House of
Representatives, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

According to him, the 1.3 cubic metre dam will also provide
5,000 gallons of water per day for the people living in the area.

He also said that the National Directorate of Employment
(NDE) took advantage of the project to build structure in the area to train
graduates in farming and fishing.

Lagos

The president of the National Association of Nigerian
Traders (NANTS), Mr Ken Ukaoha, on Tuesday commended the Federal Government for
banning the importation of poultry products.

Ukaoha told our correspondent in Lagos that the ban had encouraged
the production and consumption of local breeds.

He said that there was remarkable success in wealth creation
for poultry farmers and those of several other items on the prohibition list.

He said through that policy more farmers had been productively
engaged.

Ukaoha stressed that with the increasing population in the
country, government should popularise local products.

The president, however, noted that the ban was not the best
way to achieve sustainability.

Mina

The management of Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna says it will
recruit a new technical adviser following the suspension of its technical
adviser, Mr Justine Tenge.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Suleiman Isah,
the club’s Media Officer, in Minna on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the indefinite suspension of
Tenge is still effective while the club is following the due process in
recruiting a new adviser.

The statement stated that 12 applications had been received,
noting that a committee would scrutinise and shortlist the successful
applicants for interview.

He said the club took the step because the national league
would start on October 28 and the new adviser would be expected to recruit and
groom players.

Nassawa

The Living Faith Church of Nigeria has donated a modern police
station worth N50 million to the Police Command in Nasarawa State.

The station is at Auta-Baleifi community, Karu Local
Government Area, Nasarawa State.

During the inauguration of the station on Tuesday, the
President of the church, Bishop David Oyedepo, said the gesture would assist
the police in fighting crime.

Oyedepo said “considering the prevailing security situation
in the country, the church thought it wise to assist the police in providing an
enabling environment for them to tackle crime and criminality bedeviling our
society.”

Represented by the Vice President of the church, Bishop
David Abiyoye, Oyedepo said the church donated the facility as part of its
contribution to national development and enhancement of security.

Ondo

Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Tuesday that an ACN
government would cater more for the people of Ondo State if the party wins the
October 20 governorship election.

Tinubu made the promise in Ikare Akoko at the Mega Rally of
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for the poll.

He told the crowd that the wind of change blowing across the
South- West zone would come to the state “if ACN wins the governorship”
election.

Tinubu said the regional integration of the zone would not
be complete without Ondo State and called on the people to vote for the ACN
candidate, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, to be part of that development.

He promised that the tomato factory in Ikare would be
sustained and made to produce at optimum capacity.

Sokoto

Most Rev. Hassan Kukah, the Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto
State, says the military administrations are responsible for the lack of
meaningful development in Nigeria.

Kukah told our correspondent in Sokoto on Tuesday that the
military only succeeded in destroying the solid foundation of the nation’s
democracy.

He said that other countries that had similar military
incursions in leadership had a different experience.

“But in our own case the greed of the military led to their
intervention which destroyed the foundation laid by the nation’s founding
fathers,’’ he said.

He explained that the Nigeria military had no capacity to
provide basic infrastructure to the governed for all the years they were in
power.

He said, “the greed of the military that led to the myriad
of military coups destroyed even the foundation of the military itself and this
truncated democracy in Nigeria.’’

Yola

Agricultural inputs worth more than N7 million were on
Tuesday in Yola distributed to 27 farmers’ groups from nine local government
areas of Adamawa.

Mr Chris Maxwell, the Project Manager of the Agricultural
Development Project ADP in Adamawa, gave the figure during the distribution of
the items.

Maxwell said that the inputs distributed were under the
community-based agriculture and rural development project.

He said, “Last year under the programme assorted
agricultural inputs worth N15 million were distributed, and similarly this
year, items worth more than N7 million will be distributed to farmers.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

3 days 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

3 days 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

3 days 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.