Environment
NOA Lists Dangers Of Unclean Environment
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) said last Thursday that an unclean environment could pollute the atmosphere, impoverish the people, and cause disease among the people.
The Director of the Agency in Plateau, Mr Musa Chantu, stated this in Jos at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop organised by the Agency.
He said it was regrettablee that most people had to be forced to clean their environment.
”It is sad therefore that as a people, we have to be told and ordered to clean our environment. A dirty environment pollutes, causes sickness and impoverishes us as a people.
“We are calling on all citizens to come out and clean their surroundings on sanitation days as well as other days of the month, as a habit.
”The Sanitation exercise should not be seen as a day of forced labour. People should stop defecating in the open to avoid contaminating our sources of water.“
Chantu urged the people of the state to imbibe the habit of proper disposal of waste, adding that a clean environment was necessary for healthy living.
He applauded the Plateau government for the reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise, saying that the city would soon regain its past glory of being the cleanest city in West Africa.
“The reintroduced sanitation exercise is a welcome development, considering the health risks associated with the habit of indiscriminate and improper disposal of waste in spite of the efforts of government to keep our cities clean, through engagement of street cleaners and the provision of waste bins in strategic location.
”Dumping of waste on water ways is a very bad habit that obstructs the free flow of water and can cause floods.
“People should form the habit of properly dumping waste in the waste bins provided by the ministry of environment,“ he added.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Mr Sunday Akpa, described environmental pollution as a big problem in Nigeria, since it had defied all efforts aimed at tackling it.
He said nature was designed in such a way that it would cope with itself, but that with the habitation of the humans, the environment became affected by human activities.
He appealed to the people to be committed to making the environment clean for the good of all.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Yiljap Abraham, reiterated the government’s commitment to creating awareness on critical environmental issues affecting the public.
The commissioner, who was represented by the ministry’s Director, Public Relations and Enlightenment, Mr Harris Dawurang, said that government was working hard to ensure that the environment was kept clean.
He gave the assurance that the government would partner with NOA to sensitise the public to the need to keep the environment clean at all times.
On his part, Mr Mohammed Abdulsalam, the North Central Director, National Emergency Relief Agency (NEMA), said that NEMA would collaborate with NOA to limit the devastation of flooding in the state.
He said that NEMA would build capacity of the people through trainings and sensitisation efforts to improve and check the level of preparedness of the public in case of emergencies.
In the same vein, Mr Williams Arabs, North Central Zonal Director of National Environmental Standard Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA), called on the people to imbibe the habit of planting trees in their surroundings to reduce the effect of global warming.
The Federal Government has signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to remove tariffs on selected products.
Rep. Sam Onuigbo a member of the Governing Board of the North-East Development Commission, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.
Onuigbo said that the agreement signed in Abu Dhabi from Jan. 11 to 15, marked a major breakthrough for Nigeria-UAE economic relations.
NAN reports that Onuigbo, a member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency, served as Chairman, Committee of Climate Change during the 8th Assembly.
“Under the CEPA signed in January 2026, UAE will eliminate tariffs on 7,315 Nigerian products. This includes immediate duty-free access for 2,805 products (38.3 per cent).
” The rest will phase out over three to five years, covering agricultural and industrial goods.
“Similarly, under the Nigeria/UAE CEPA also signed in January 2026, Nigeria has eliminated tariffs on 6,243 products imported from UAE. That agreement creates these wonderful opportunities between Nigerians and the Emirates,” he said.
Onuigbo said that the agreement was massive as it would facilitate an environment for business owners in Nigeria.
He said the pact would enable verified Nigerian business owners to establish offices in UAE, operate for up to three months and return home with expanded commercial networks.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the agreement, saying it aimed at repositioning the country while also creating an enabling environment for employment opportunities.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness for business, noting that the country also unveiled its carbon market framework policy to attract climate-focused investments
”Nigeria is a nation of nearly 250 million people and has had, over the years, the challenge of enough energy or power to be able to attain its economic and industrialisation targets.
“And because of that, Nigeria has been engaging in different activities, for instance, the Energy Transition Plan, enactment of the Climate Change Act, and the Electricity Act which the President signed barely eight days after he assumed office in 2023.
“This shows the importance of addressing the energy gap having enough energy. Electricity is a fundamental point to developing industrially which Nigeria deems necessary,” he said.
Onuigbo lauded Nigeria’s participation at the Abu Dhabi summit saying that the summit would strengthen global economic opportunity for people.
He added that the President’s collaboration would address the challenges and devastating effects of climate change as well as boost economic growth in 2026
Environment
HYPREP Completes Phase One Mangrove Restoration In Ogoniland, Warns Against Re-Pollution
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, says it has achieved a major environmental milestone in Ogoniland with the full completion of Phase One of its mangrove restoration programme, even as it warned that renewed pollution could erase years of painstaking cleanup.
“We have completed Phase One planting and restoration at 100 per cent. We are now in the monitoring stage, with some sites already observed for up to nine months,” he said.
Beyond mangroves, Aguiyi reported significant progress in soil and groundwater remediation, describing the last quarter as one of HYPREP’s most productive periods since the Ogoni cleanup commenced.
He disclosed that shoreline cleanup has reached about 77 per cent completion, while access to safe drinking water has expanded across Ogoni communities.
“We have restored 100 per cent potable water supply to Ebubu, and reconstruction work has commenced at the Gwara Waterfall,” Aguiyi stated.
On infrastructure, he said key equipment for the long-awaited Ogoni Power Project has been procured and secured at the Wiyaakara substation, signalling movement toward energy support for the restoration effort.
Despite the progress, Aguiyi warned that re-pollution remains the single greatest threat to the success of the Ogoni cleanup.
“Our major concern is waking up one day to find areas cleaned with Ogoni people’s resources re-polluted by activities beyond our control,” he said, stressing that environmental recovery must be protected as much as it is delivered.
He attributed the sharp decline in illegal artisanal refining in Ogoniland over the past two to three years to sustained community engagement and alternative livelihood programmes, which he said have reduced economic dependence on destructive practices.
“We have not recorded incidents of artisanal refining in Ogoniland in the last two to three years, and that is the result of consistent sensitisation and viable livelihood options,” he added.
Aguiyi reaffirmed HYPREP’s willingness to collaborate with companies and partners operating in Ogoniland, noting that initiatives aligned with the project’s environmental and social objectives would be reviewed and adopted where appropriate.
He also said recommendations from recent independent and internal reports are already being implemented, underscoring HYPREP’s commitment to transparency, accountability, environmental recovery, and improved livelihoods for Ogoni communities.
Environment
Over Six Million Benue Residents Exposed To Neglected Tropical Diseases – State Government
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, disclosed this during a press conference to mark the 2026 World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, organised in collaboration with Sightsavers and themed “Unite, Act, Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).”
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Beatrice Tsavmbu, the commissioner announced the successful elimination of blinding trachoma in Gwer East, Gwer West and Ukum Local Government Areas, attributing the feat to years of targeted interventions, strong community participation and sustained implementation of the state’s NTDs Control and Elimination Programme.
“I am proud to announce the elimination of blinding trachoma in three of our most affected areas—Gwer East, Gwer West and Ukum. No longer will these communities face the blindness that trachoma has long inflicted,” she said.
However, Dr. Tsavmbu noted that Benue State remains highly endemic for several NTDs, with all 23 local government areas experiencing overlapping disease burdens. She listed the diseases to include onchocerciasis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), schistosomiasis (bilharziasis), soil-transmitted helminth infections (intestinal worms), leprosy, buruli ulcer and snakebite envenoming.
“These conditions collectively put over six million people in Benue State at risk,” she stated.
She revealed that the state had treated an average of more than five million people over the past five years through preventive chemotherapy, morbidity management and disability prevention, supported by Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives and integrated vector control.
Dr. Tsavmbu also announced a major breakthrough in the fight against river blindness, noting that onchocerciasis endemicity in the state had been reclassified from ongoing transmission to suspected interruption of transmission.
On lymphatic filariasis, she disclosed that 1,064 hydrocele cases had been successfully managed through free surgeries, while 442 lymphoedema patients received free management kits to prevent disease progression. She added that 44 trachoma trichiasis cases were also treated through free surgical interventions.
According to her, Ukum, Logo and Konshisha LGAs have passed Transmission Assessment Survey 1 for lymphatic filariasis, allowing for the cessation of mass drug administration in those areas. In addition, seven other LGAs—Ado, Apa, Kwande, Obi, Ohimini, Oju and Tarka—successfully passed epidemiological monitoring surveys in 2025.
She attributed the progress recorded to strong inter-sectoral collaboration involving agencies such as the Benue Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BERWASSA), the State Universal Basic Education Board, the Ministry of Education, civil society organisations and security agencies. She also cited the inauguration of the State NTDs Advisory Committee and improvements in supply chain and logistics management systems.
In a related remark, Prof. Edward Omudu of the Department of Biological Sciences, Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, revealed that the National Universities Commission had recently approved Nigerian universities to offer degree programmes in Water, Sanitation and Health, describing the move as a critical step toward strengthening disease prevention and public health capacity in the country.
-
Politics4 days agoPFN Rejects Call For INEC Chairman’s Removal Over Genocide Comments
-
Rivers4 days agoFasthire, PHCCIMA, CIPM Host CareerFest 2026 In PH
-
Sports4 days agoEnekwechi wins Orlen Cup in season opener
-
Politics4 days agoHoodlums Disrupt LP-ADC Defection Event In Lagos
-
Sports4 days agoSimba open Nwabali talks
-
Sports4 days agoFalconets, Senegalese Lionesses arrive Ibadan for qualifier
-
Politics4 days agoRemoval From INEC’s Portal, Abure-Led LP Faction Mulls Legal Action
-
Niger Delta4 days agoTinubu, Jonathan, Diri Pay Last Respect To Ewhrudjakpo