Nation

THE STATES

Published

12 years ago

June 20, 2014

Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (2nd right), presenting relief materials to internally displaced persons, during her visit to the refugees camp in Maiduguri last Wednesday. With her are Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State (right) and Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Sidi (middle).

Adamawa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
in Adamawa State last Tuesday, inaugurated Inter-Agency Advisory Committee on voter education and publicity.
Inaugurating the committee, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Kasim Gaidam, said the main objective of the committee was to assist the commission on general elections awareness.
Gaidam said that members of the committee were drawn from various relevant government agencies and professional bodies.
He also urged the committee to make useful inputs to the commission that would guide it in achieving successful polls in 2015.

FCT
The Supervising Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Darius
Ishaku, says the ministry is being hampered by many problems ranging from natural to human factors
Ishaku , disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the 2014 National Technical Conference of the Nigeria Society of Engineers.
He said that the successes recorded so far by the ministry were as a result of management of physical infrastructure planning in the Niger Delta region.
The minister said that funding posed a major challenge to development of infrastructure in the region and was further compounded by high population growth.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State government said it had provided sun
cream worth N1.4 million to 150 albinos in the state in the last one year.
Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Rehabilitation Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Raba-Kaya, revealed this in an interview with newsmen in Dutse last Tuesday.
Raba-Kaya said that the cream was provided to protect them from the effects of sun rays and reduce risks of skin diseases.
According to him, the gesture is also meant to give albinos in the state, a sense of belonging adding that the board had been providing the cream to the albinos for seven years now.
Raba-Kaya said that the board had identified and registered all persons with albinism across the 27 local government areas of the state.

Kaduna
The Pentecostal Bishops’ Forum has called on religious
and traditional leaders to preach peace in the country.
The Chairman of the forum, Bishop Tinuoye Ademola made the call last Tuesday at a news conference, after their meeting held in Kaduna.
According to him, religion is a way of life and a personal relationship between the creature and the Creator.
The bishop condoled with the people of Kano State over the death of the late Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, and also congratulated the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, advising him to have a “large heart”.
Ademola called on Nigerians to change their attitude and return to God, and to support government to move the nation forward.
The bishop promised that the forum would not relent in offering prayers for “lasting and absolute peace to reign in our country”.
Kwara
An agriculturist, Mr Richard Adewoye, has called for
collaborative efforts among stakeholders to achieve the desired transformation in the agriculture sector of the nation’s economy.
Adewoye, who made the call in an interview in Omu-Aran, Kwara last Tuesday blamed the under development of the sector on the wrong mind-set about agriculture of most managers in government, bankers, entrepreneurs and investors.
He said there was an urgent need for the government and the private sector to re-order priorities with a view to boosting food production and ensuring self-reliance.
“Food crisis today is a global concern; most African nations are presently faced with serious food deficiency which needs collective responsibility of all stakeholders to resolve.
Lagos

The Lagos State Government last Tuesday, said
it had concluded plans to create database on all local emergency responders across the 57 local government and development areas in the state.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency(LASEMA), Mr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed this in Ikeja.
Osanyintolu said the database would assist LASEMA to ensure a better co-ordination of local emergency responders to enhance emergency response structure in the state.
He said that this would promote interactions and also facilitate information sharing for effective response to emergencies among responders.

Nasarawa

Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has
ap
proved more than N280 million for the payment of the 2013 bursary allowances to students of the state in higher institutions of learning across the country.
Executive Secretary of the state’s Scholarship Board, Alhaji Abdulwahab Sulaiman, disclosed this to newsmen in Lafia last Tuesday.
Sulaiman said the disbursement of the allowances would begin on June 30, at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
He explained that a total of 18, 762 of the 19, 678 students who applied for the bursary would benefit from the gesture.
Ogun
The Chairman, Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Mr
Rasak Daddah, has called on women to play active roles in politics at all levels in the coming 2015 general elections.
Daddah who made the call in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State last Tuesday said that the era of relegating women to the background was over and they needed to engage in healthy competition with their male counterparts.
According to him, women are great agents of change who have impacted positively on the history of the nation.
“Nothing should stop our women from participating actively in politics like the men, regardless of our perceived social norms”, he said.
Osun

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun
State has announced that it has displayed the list of candidates participating in the August 9 gubernatorial election in the state.
The announcement is contained in a statement issued by the Chief Public Affairs Officer of the electoral body Mrs Nike Tadese, in Osogbo.
The statement quoted Tadese as saying that the public display of the list was in compliance with Section 31, sub-sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
He said the list was now on display at the state office of INEC and all the 30 local government offices of the commission.

Oyo

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has approved the ap
pointment of five new judges for the State High Court.
This is contained in a statement signed by Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adebayo Ojo, in Ibadan last Tuesday.
The new judges are: Bolaji Sikeade, Deputy Chief Registrar: Ganiyu Adebayo, Director, Litigation and Advisory Services, Ministry of Justice; Mojisola Sule, Acting Director, Citizens Mediation Centre, Ministry of Justice.
The others are Kamorudeen Olawoyin and Adeyemi Sherifat, who are legal practitioners based in Kano and Ibadan, respectively.
The statement said that the appointment was sequel to the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC), adding that the newly-appointed judges will be sworn in today, Friday, June 20.
Plateau
The suspended Chairman of the Plateau State chapter of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Haruna Dabin, said last Tuesday that the crisis in the state chapter would soon be resolved by the party’s national secretariat.
Dabin was suspended at an extraordinary meeting of the State Executive Committee held in Jos, last Monday.
A communiqué issued at the meeting claimed that majority of the members of the State Working Committee of the party (SWC) were dissatisfied with the handling of the party by Dabin.
The communiqué accused Dabin of failure to call periodic meetings refusing to render financial accounts to the party and for instigating some members of party to institute a law suit against it.
The communiqué said that Dabin would remain suspended pending the outcome of investigations by the disciplinary committee, whose report was expected in two weeks.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

9 hours 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

9 hours 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.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

9 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.