Business

Ekiti Water, Sanitation Policy Will Ease Access To Clean Water – Official

Published

12 years ago

August 7, 2013

The impending Water Supply and Sanitation Policy of Ekiti State will boost clean water supply for the needs of the people, an official of the state’s water corporation, Mr. Olatunji Femi, said in Abuja last Wednesday.
Mr Femi, a senior hydrologist at the corporation, who is also a monitoring and evaluation officer in the Urban Water Sector Reform Programme of the state, told newsmen that Ekiti State had undertaken a review of the sector to upgrade its facilities.
“The state government, led by Dr Kayode Fayemi, at the inception went straight into carrying out a diagnostic review of the water sector.
“Water sector is a priority and he discovered that the essential framework were not even on ground, the legal framework and the institutional framework- this probably accounted for why there was poor service delivery before then.
“So he decided that there was need for a policy. They were able to put heads together and gave the state a water and sanitation implementation guideline.
“The draft law has undergone public hearing; first reading, second reading and public hearing so it’s going to be passed into law.
“They may be pushing other states to get a law but we, without being pushed, believed this is for development.
“In fact when you look at the budgetary allocation for 2013 on water, it’s about 128 per cent increase over that of 2012, this is telling you the seriousness of the state government.
“So with this everybody knows that this government is quite different and then we discovered that even the revenue being generated before now was not much so the state government went into metering.
“We have started doing that now, we are trying to meter our network in strategic places now and we will begin to see money being generated from this although we intend to improve on it over the years.
“What we need is sustainability to be able to sustain even the operating and maintenance cost, we should be able to generate it it’s not that the government will be doing everything for us.”
Femi added that for sustainability of operations of the water board in the state, autonomy of the agency was required to ensure effectiveness.
“The area of giving the state agency complete autonomy in the sense that whatever we generate for now we spend on operating cost and maintenance.
“But I think that we need full autonomy whereby you can hire people that you really want, technically-skilled people.
“We want to see that it is strictly adhered to so that there will not be political interference, let there be technically-skilled people, let us have the autonomy to even fire if you cannot perform.
“The government does not intend to sack anybody but at least if people are told that if they don’t perform they will be fired, they want to put in more efforts, so I think autonomy is the key.”
The Tide reports that the objective of the Ekiti Water Supply and Sanitation Policy is to improve water supply service coverage from the present 40 per cent to 60 per cent by 2014.
It also aims at extending water supply service coverage to 80 per cent of the population by 2016 and100 per cent by 2020.
For sanitation, it covers the improvement of services from the present 32 per cent to 50 per cent by 2014 and further extends it to 60 per cent by 2016; 80 per cent by 2018 and 100 per cent by 2020.
The policy goals were developed based on the state’s Development Strategy Plan 2011-2014 for Water and Sanitation.
It is done in line with the current realities in social service delivery and coherent with the National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy.

Business

Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations

Published

1 week ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Director, South South Zone National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacist Chujwuma P.Oligbu has said its thorough implementation of its core mandate of monitoring has no link with witch-hunting or fault finding as perceived at some quarters.

Oligbu, made this known when he spoke as as guest at the maiden Rivers state Supermarkets stakeholders’ Seminar/Workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Rather, he said they were mere opportunities for education, correction and continuous improvement.

The Agency’s South South Boss, noted that Supermarket operators who maintain transparent records, cooperate during inspections, and promptly address identified gaps demonstrate professionalism and commitment to public health standard.

He listed the deserving essence of supermarket operation to include the key aspects of supermarket operation that deserves emphasis is product sourcing.

“Supermarkets must ensure that all regulated products stocked on their shelves are duly registered with NAFDAC and sourced from legitimate manufacturers or distributors”, he said .

According to him, the presence of unregistered, expired, counterfeit, or improper labelled products undermines consumer confidence and poses serious health risks.

He pointed out that such has the likelihood of exposeing supermarket operators to legal sanctions that could damage their reputation and financial stability.

The NAFDAC Operator, further enlightened the participants that mere registration of a particular product with the Federal agency do not guarantee absolute consumption safety.

“Temperature control, cleanliness, pest control, stock rotation, and proper shelving are not optional practice; they are essential components of compliance”, he said.

The South South zonal director also told the operators of supermarket that their employees rotine training on the basis of the product they display for sale is of utmost importance.

In her presentation a Breast Milk Nutrition Expert , Professor Alice Nte of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), was against the body’s prime attention to breast milk substitute or baby milk in supermarkets as well as its advertisement or promotion.

Nye jerked up the importance of mothers breast milk to the newborn baby and added that it help in fighting against childhood diseases, infections and combating cancer in breastfeeding mothers.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC Deputy Director, South – South Zone , Mrs. Riter Chujwuma educated the participants on the guidelines for global listing, and the need to adhere strictly to rules guiding global listing to avoid confiscation of their imported products.

By: King Onunwor

Business

BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS

Published

1 week ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.

According to the data, more than 4.3 million new BVNs were issued within the one-year period, underscoring the growing adoption of biometric identification as a prerequisite for accessing financial services in Nigeria.

NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.

Analysts linked the growth largely to regulatory measures by the CBN, particularly the directive to restrict or freeze bank accounts without both a BVN and National Identification Number (NIN), which took effect from April 2024.

The policy compelled many customers to regularise their biometric records to retain access to banking services.

Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.

The programme has been widely regarded as a milestone in integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s formal financial system.

A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.

However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.

The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi