Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

January 11, 2013

Adamawa

The Adamawa Local Government Election Petitions

Tribunal has received 38 petitions from the November 24, 2012 council election conducted in the state. The Secretary of the Tribunal, Mr Hashimu Suleiman, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yola. Suleiman said the National Conscience Party (NCP) filed 12 petitions while the rest were filed by Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

He said further that the petitions comprised 23 for chairmanship and 15 for councillorship.

Bauchi

Bauchi State Government said it spent more than

N30 million on the vaccination of 1.7 million cows in 2012.

Dr Bala Musa, the Director of Veterinary in the state Ministry for Animal Health and Nomadic Settlement, said this in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Bauchi.

“In the 2011/2012 vaccination period, we spent a little more than N30 million on vaccines, equipment, and personnel allowances; and we actually covered the 20 local government areas of the state. “We vaccinated more than 1.7 million cattle; this year, we are targeting the same figure and even more.

Benue

A 27-year old politician, Terfa Ankyo of Gboko Lo

cal Government Area of Benue, has been remanded at the Federal Prisons, Makurdi, for alleged terrorism.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Gabriel Ebonyi, told the court that one Yandev Amaabai, also of Gboko, reported the case at the Gboko Police Station.

Ebonyi said Amaabai told the police that the accused, on Nov. 24, 2012, while driving in two Hilux vans with six unidentified armed men in army uniform, shot at his Jeep on sighting him.

The prosecutor said the complainant sped off, but the suspects pursued him (Amaabai) for more than two kilometres before he managed to escape.

FCT

The FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil

Defence Corps, has sealed up three illegal private guard companies in the territory.

They are Vault Security Company Ltd, Bright Star Security Ltd and E-Control Security Ltd.

Mr Abdullahi Kofaroro, the FCT Commandant of the Corps, said the defaulting companies failed to honour several invitations requiring them to make amend.

Kofaroro, who was represented by the command’s Officer-in-Charge of private guard companies, Mrs Florence Akalawu, said the companies had been operating without meeting the requirements for setting up security companies.

Gombe

No fewer than 430 people are undergoing training

on various skills organised by the National Directorate of Employee (NDE) in Gombe state .

Alhaji Abdulkadir Mabudi, the state Coordinator of NDE, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Gombe on Monday.

He said out of the 430 trainees, 100 youths were undergoing vocational training in Basic National Open Apprentices (BNOA) in each of the three senatorial zones of the state. “We sent 300 unemployed youths to various fields across the state to be trained in welding, metal fabrication, GSM repairs and maintenances, computer operation and maintenance, food processing and tailoring.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Government said it has concluded ar

rangement to recruit 3,044 workers in 2013.

The state Head of Service, Alhaji Mustapha Aminu, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Dutse on Tuesday. Aminu said that 1,670 workers were also approved for promotion, saying that the recruitment and promotion would be spread across all sectors as captured in 2013 appropriation bill.

He explained that 1,200 teachers would be recruited under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to teach in primary and junior secondary schools.

Kano

The Kano State Government has budgetted N200 million

for the establishment of two Information Technology (IT) secondary schools in 2013.

The Commissioner for Science and Technology, Alhaji Bala Gwagwarwa, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Kano.

According to him, the schools are meant to boost the study of computer science in the state.

Gwagwarwa said the decision was borne out of the government’s effort to encourage more students to go into the study of computer science and other IT programmes.

Kwara

The Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Isa Aremu,

has urged the Federal Government to revive the nation’s textile industry.

Aremu told newsmen in Ilorin that reviving the industry would reduce unemployment rate in the country.

He said if such industries were in full production, Nigeria would have no business in importing textile materials.

Aremu said Nigeria was the third largest producer of textile in frica, adding that the sector employed close to 1.5 million persons in the past, with about 250 industries across the country.

Lagos

An Ojokoro Senior Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has sen

tenced two commercial motorcycle operators to 80 hours of community service each, for violating traffic laws.

The duo, in separate cases, had pleaded guilty to four-count charges bordering on violation of the laws.

Magistrate A.F. Adeeyo sentenced the accused, Ismaila Oyelowo, who resides at No. 11, Oyeyemi St. Igando and Solomon Rafiu, of 48, Adelakun Close, Igando, to 20 hours on each of the four counts of their charges. She ordered that the community service should be carried out within Ijaye/Ojokoro Local Council Development Area.

Nasarawa

Edward Collins, 24, of Behind City Rock Hotel, Mararaba

has been arraigned before a Senior Magistrates’ Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, for allegedly receiving stolen property.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr. Joseph Ahwo, told the court that Anayo Chukwu of Building materials market, Mararaba, reported the matter at the ‘A’ Division Police Station on December 18.

Ahwo said Emmanuel Madu of Aliada Road, Gboko, Benue burgled the shop of one Chibuike at the building material market, Mararaba, on November 13, and stole some electrical materials valued at N22,000.

He sold the electrical materials to the accused person.

Niger

The Niger government has received the N400 million do

nated by the Federal Government to flood victims in the state.

Ahaji Mohammed Shaba, the Director general, Niger State Disaster management Agency, announced this at a news conference in Minna.

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had also fulfilled its pledge of N25 million to victims of the Madalla bomb blast.

Shaba said the donations, which were recently posted into the account of the agency, would soon be disbursed to the affected persons.

Ogun

An Abeokuta High Court has dismissed an application

filed by the former governor of Ogun, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, seeking its leave to reduce and quash some of the charges leveled against him by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency had on April 2, 2012 instituted a 38-count charge against the former governor bordering on fraudulent conversion of land and diversion of public funds.

Daniel, through his counsel, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, had last October filed an application to strike out counts 1-13 of the 38 charges which related to fraudulent conversion of various plots of land belonging to the state.

Oyo

A property developer, Mr. Richard Adeogun has criticized

successive administrations in Oyo State for lacking foresight in mapping out a comprehensive master plan for Ibadan, the capital city.

Adeogun, the Business Development manager at Zilt Consulting Firm, said this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.

He said that such neglect was reflective of the poor housing layout and difficulties encountered in acquiring land by prospective buyers.

Adeogun said that proper planning was needed if the state was to compete favourably with Lagos State as a real estate giant.

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.