Nation

THE STATES

Published

12 years ago

March 10, 2014

FCT
The President of Nigeria Union of Journalists
(NUJ), Mr Mohammed Garba, has called for improved funding of government owned media organisations.
Garba made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Mr Ima Niboro.
He said adequate funding was necessary for the media to discharge their functions effectively, especially as the country prepared for the 2015 general elections.
According to him, proper funding of the organisations is also needed for balanced reportage.

Jigawa

The Village Head of Chai-chai community in Dutse
Local Government Area, of Jigawa State has commended the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN), an NGO, for constructing borehole and classrooms in the area.
Muhammad made the commendation at the inauguration of the projects in the Community Primary school in Chai-Chai, Dutse.
He said that the provision of the borehole would enhance access to safe drinking water among people of the area.
He said that both the pupils and members of the community would benefit from the facility.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government, said it has awarded
contract valued at N100.9 million for the upgrade of electricity infrastructure at the Kaduna Dry Port.
The Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmad, stated this in Kaduna at a ceremony marking the commencement of the project.
The project involves the construction of a 300KVA-Transformer sub-station, procurement of a 250KVA generator and construction of a generator house.
Ahmad also said that the money would be used to upgrade street lights in the port located at the Inland Containers Terminal, Kaduna.

Kano

The Kano State policing outfit, Hisba Board, said it had arrested 52 young women and men for allegedly engaging in prostitution and other immoral acts in Kano metropolis.
The board’s Director-General, Dr Abba Sufi, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Kano.
He said those arrested were made up of 27 females and 25 males, adding that they were apprehended at the railway station and behind Magwan Water Restaurant in Kano metropolis.
The arrest was made following a raid by members of the board, he noted.

Kebbi

UNICEF has commended Kebbi State government for
paying its N158 million counterpart funding to curb malnutrition in the state in two years.
The UNICEF officer in-charge of malnutrition, Mr Stanley Okechukwu, made the commendation when he visited Gov. Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State in Birnin Kebbi recently.
He also commended the state government for ensuring the treatment of 100,000 malnourished children and enabling the treatment of 600,000 more children against child killer diseases within the period.
Okechukwu described the efforts to fight such diseases as highly commendable and assured that UNICEF would sustain its support to the state.

Kwara

A housewife, Yetunde Afolabi of Osere area of
Ilorin, has prayed an Ilorin Area Court to dissolve her five-year-old marriage with Kunle Afolabi, because he publicly humiliated her.
Yetunde, 30, told the court that her husband was fond of tearing her clothes, making her naked before beating her in public, just to humiliate her.
She told the court that her husband was also fond of calling her names like “prostitute, dirty pig, and shameless person” in public.
“My husband has ridiculed me and soiled my personality to the extent that I am ashamed of moving freely in my neighbourhood,” she said.

Nasarawa

Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State
has said that in spite of his Deputy, Mr Damishi Luka, defecting to PDP, he will accord him his right as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Al-Makura made the statement in Lafia when commissioners in his cabinet paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House.
“Damishi Luka remains my Deputy and I am duty bound by the constitution to accord his office all its dues and entitlements,” Al-Makura said.
He, however, described “the defection as a tip of the iceberg of an onslaught orchestrated against the present administration in the state.’’

Niger

The Northern States Governors’ Forum has en
joined Christian faithful to use the Lenten season to pray to God for solutions to the socioeconomic and security challenges confronting the nation.
The Chairman of the Forum, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger, made the call on behalf of the group in Minna, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo.
Aliyu urged Christian faithful to conduct themselves well during the season in order to maximise the spiritual and physical benefits inherent in the season.
He said that good intentions, prayers and firmness of purpose in the pursuit of good deeds were pre-requisites for reaping the benefits of the holy season.

Ondo

To achieve the 35 percent affirmative action on fe-
male representation in governance, the Ondo State Government has urged women to participate actively in politics.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Woman Affairs and Social Development, Yemi Mahmud-Fasanmi, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Akure.
“I urge the woman folk to come out; they should not fold their arms and be expecting good turnout in terms of their participation in politics.

Osun

The Osun State government said that it would spend
N2.6 billion on the ongoing rehabilitation of its water works at Ede town.
The General Manager of the Water Corporation, Mr Gbenga Owojuyigbe, disclosed the amount when the House of Assembly Committee on Water, Environment and Sanitation visited the corporation in Ede.
Owojuyigbe said the government had earlier spent N424 million during the first phase of the emergency rehabilitation of the water works.

Plateau

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has been charged
to create a curriculum that would help the youth think ‘outside the box’ instead of looking for paid jobs.
The charge was made in Jos by Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, Chairman of ITF Governing Council, and Minster of State for Defence, at the 2013 Merit Award ceremony of the Governing Council.
“What we need is creativity; we, in the ITF must create a Nigerian dream that everybody will latch onto,” he said.
He said that President Goodluck Jonathan had already provided the right platform for creativity, adding that the Fund needed to be known internationally.

Sokoto

Sokoto State Zakkat and Endowment Committee has
facilitated the treatment of 526 mentally-ill persons at the Federal Neuropsychiatry Hospital, Kware, in February.
The Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Lawal Maidoki, who disclosed this while disbursing N56.5 million as donations to physically challenged persons in Sokoto, said N914,000 was spent on their treatment.
He said only 16 of the patients were admitted at the psychiatric hospital while the rest were out-patients coming for drug administration and counselling.

L-R: Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, representative of the governor of Rivers State, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, representative of Chief of Army Staff, Brig.-Gen. Olajide Lalaye and Chairman, Board of Peoples Media Limited, Malam Wada Maida, at the Peoples Media Limited conference in Abuja, last Thursday. 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.