Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

February 5, 2014

Benue

The former Commissioner for Environment in Benue State,
Dr Eugene Aliegba, says for meaningful economic growth to be achieved, the state should invest in agro-allied industries.
Aliegba said this last Saturday in Makurdi, at a news conference to announce his disengagement from the services of Benue State to pursue his governorship ambition in 2015.
Aliegba said if given the opportunity to serve the state at higher level, he would attract foreign investments into agriculture especially in the fields of processing.
Aliegba, an associate Professor of Political Science, said he had acquired enough experience both as an academician and as a politician to proffer solution to issues confronting the state.
Borno

The Borno State government has commended the mili
tary for the professional manner it had handled the security challenges facing the state.
State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, made the commendation when he visited the newly established 81 battalion of the Nigerian Army in Gashigar town of Mobbar Local Government Area of the state.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the fight against terrorism, promising to support the military and presented a cash gift to the battalion in appreciation of the efforts of officers and men.
Responding, the commander of the battalion, Lt.-Col. Musa Mohammed, said that the unit was created after last month’s suspected terrorism attack, which claimed some lives and property in the area.

FCT

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said gov
ernment would fast track the process of connecting Nigerians in the rural areas to the national grid.
Nebo stated this while rounding off the 6th Power Summit/Civil Society Forum in Abuja last Saturday.
Nebo restated that the power sector reform was to ensure sustainable energy delivery to Nigerians through increased power generation, transmission and distribution.
The minister held that with the successful sale of government owned distribution and generation companies, the ministry was almost getting to the end of the power reform process.
According to him, Federal Government’s privatisation of the power sector has been globally adjudged as very transparent and pledged to continue to ensure that the new owners provided effective service to Nigerians.

Jigawa

Fire last Saturday burnt students’ hostel in the Federal
Government College (FGC), Kazaure, in Jigawa State.
Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa State, Mr Muhammad Gidado, told newsmen that the inferno razed down the hostel completely.
Although he did not adduce any reason for the fire outbreak, the commandant said it took fire men more than one hour to put it out so that it did not spread to other buildings.
“It took more than one hour for the NSCDC, police, fire fighters and staff of the college to put out the fire and rescue the students’’, he said.
Gidado advised people to be extra careful when using fire.

Kaduna

An Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Mai-Shawi, last Sunday
cautioned people against reprisal attack, following the assassination of Sheik Muhammad Albani, a popular Islamic scholar in Zaria.
Speaking in Zaria during late Albani’s funeral prayer, Mai-Shawi said the plea became necessary in view of the tension caused by the sudden death of the popular cleric.
Mai-Shawi, who is the chief Imam of “Darul Hadith”, a school established by the deceased, said that although the death of Albani was painful, everything should be left to God.

Kano

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Kano State chap
ter, last Saturday appointed a caretaker committee to oversee its affairs.
The committee was announced after a meeting of the party elders held at the Government House, Kano State, and presided over by Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso last Friday night.
Those appointed included a former Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Gwarzo, as Chairman, and Alhaji Adamu Sumaila as Secretary, Alhaji Abbas Sani, Assistant Secretary; Mr Bashir Karaye, Public Relations Officer (PRO); Alhaji Salisu Abba, Treasurer, and Alhaji Murtala Garo as Organising Secretary.
Others were Alhaji Rabi’u Bako, Youth Leader; Hajiya Maryam Kofar-mata; Woman Leader, and Alhaji Sa’adu Hassan, Ex-officio member.
Speaking after the meeting, Kwankwaso urged the party members to give the caretaker officials the necessary support and cooperation to enable the party succeed in the state and the country at large.

Kebbi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),
said on Saturday that it impounded 392.06 kilogrammes of cannabis and diazepam in 2013 in Kebbi State.
The agency’s Commandant in the state, Mr Okon Ulo, said in Birnin Kebbi State that 108 persons were convicted while 17 suspects were awaiting tial.
According to the statement, 25 per cent of hard drug abusers and traffickers were youths, stressing that the agency and stakeholders would reverse the trend.
It said NDLEA had established drug treatment and counseling centres in Birnin Kebbi and Zuru where patients were trained to acquire skills adding that the Zuru Treatment Centre had collapsed due to lack of facilities.

Kwara

Some members of Ifedawapo community in Ita-Alamu, a
suburb of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, last Saturday threatened to stop paying their monthly electricity bills until the power supply was improved in the area.
The placard-carrying protesters with different inscriptions, including “NEPA give us light regularly”, went to a divisional office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in the area where they registered their grievances over the state of power supply in the community.
The Chairman of the community, Alhaji Lateef Lawal,said that the community had been grappling with erratic power supply for the past four months adding that several complaints made on the issue had yet to bear fruit.
The chairman said the people were not in the organisation’s office to unleash violence but make their problems known to the authorities, urging the power company to adjust in its supply and distribution.
Lagos

The Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican
Communion, Rev. James Odedeji, last Sunday urged clerics to be humble and diligent in their service to God.
Odedeji gave the advice at the installation of a new Dean and six Canons of the church at the Archbishop Vinning Memorial Anglican Church, Ikeja, Lagos.
The cleric urged the ordained Dean and Cannons to work as evangelists adding as ministers of the gospel, you must beware and be watchful, anybody can afford to do anything but you are expected to make lots of differences.
There are so many distractions in the church; beware of derailment. A lot of priests have fallen because they were not watchful. “God rewards good and faithful servants,” he said.

Oyo

The Oyo State Government will on February 14 and
February 15 hold the second edition of “Samodun Festival’’ to showcase the diversity of Yoruba culture.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Adetutu Adeyemi, said yesterday in Ibadan that the festival was aimed at promoting unity across the South-West states.
The commissioner said that the festival, with the theme: “Asa Parapo’’ was geared toward utilising culture as platform to reawaken business, tourism development, entrepreneurship and youths development in the state.
Highlights of the event, she added, would include a cultural festival parade, youths talent in culture, cultural displays and food tourism by the governor’s wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi.

Sokoto

Former Secretary to the Zamfara State Government,
Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Tsaba, said the proposed National Conference would help Nigerians to understand and accommodate their differences.
Ibrahim said in Sokoto State last Saturday that it was necessary to discuss with each other so as to appreciate mutual differences and seek out ways to live with them.
“Nigerians come from diverse backgrounds – religion, culture and ethnicity. We should come together, understand these differences and accommodate them’’, he said.
He held that the unity of the nation should never be compromised during and after the conference.
The former SSG described the conference as a welcome development, and stressed that it would make Nigeria stronger and better.

L-R: Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and member, Senate Committee on Defence and Army, Senator Chris Anyanwu, after plenary in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN

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.