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Bauchi
Bauchi State Government says it has discovered an aircraft belonging to the state which is hidden in Morocco.
Governor  Mohammed Abubakar of the state made
this known in Bauchi in a broadcast marking 100 days of his administration.
He said that the recovered aircraft would be received by the state government in few days at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi.
The governor said that the aircraft was recovered by a committee set up by the government and headed by Air commandore Ahmed Tijjani-Baba (Rtd).
“The committee will now beam its satellite on the Ministry for Local Affairs and the State Basic Education Board to see how billions of naira allocated to them were spent.

Borno
Senate Leader Ali Ndume has advised the Federal Gov
ernment to introduce preventive measures against corruption instead of waiting for individuals to steal before prosecuting them.
Ndume, who gave the advice when he addressed a news conference in Maiduguri, explained that the measure would help in curbing corruption from its roots.
“The fight against corruption in Nigeria is a big war; It is going to be tougher than that of the Boko Haram insurgency war.
“Government must begin to initiate preventive measures against corruption, instead of waiting for people to steal public wealth before taking action,’’ Ndume, who represents Borno South, said.
He suggested that part of the measures should include mechanism for questioning individuals or public officers with sudden massive wealth.

FCT
The Nigerian Army has reiterated its stand on ending
terrorism in three months as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, stated this while giving an update on the counter-insurgency operation, at a news conference in Abuja, recently.
Usman said the recent offensive operations carried out by combined forces, had decimated the central command and leadership base of the insurgents.
He said the military offensive had left the terrorists with no formidable force.
Usman said the objective of ending the reign of terror in the region in the shortest possible time, was not only feasible, but a reality that Nigerians would soon come to live with.
Jigawa
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administra
tion and Control (NAFDAC) in Jigawa State has confiscated fake and unregistered drugs worth four million naira in the last two years.
The NAFDAC State Coordinator, Mr Olaniran Olakunle, disclosed this in Dutse while presenting to newsmen some suspects allegedly arested with fake drugs in Gwaram and Malammadori Local Government areas.
Olakunle said that most of the suspects arrested with fake and counterfeit drugs during the period were in rural communities across the state.
He said that fake drugs such as mixacrip tablet, herogra, busaka, polycid and tramadol capsule were seized from some patent medicine vendors in Gwaram and Malammadori last week.
Kaduna
A Kaduna-based human rights organisation, the Cen
trum Initiative For Development and Fundamental Rights Initiative, yesterday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, to sack his Special Adviser on Investment Promotion,, Jimmy Lawal.
The group alleged that the governor’s aide was on wanted list of the United State Government.
Executive Chairman and Director of Strategy of the CEDRA, Dr. John Danfulani, while addressing a press conference in Kaduna, said the governor should expect mass protest from civil society organisations after 48 hours if the special was not removed.

Kano
Kano residents on Sunday called on the State Gov
ernment to evacuate the mounting refuse in some strategic places in the metropolis.
The residents expressed concern over the inability of the State Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB) to clear the heaps of filth from dump sites.
A cross section of the residents told  our correspondent in Kano that the mountains of refuse were gradually taking over some of the roads in the city and its environs.
They lamented that the obnoxious situation was capable of putting the lives of the citizens in danger, especially of people living around the affected areas, if not cleared urgently.

Katsina
The Managing Director of Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial
Foundation, Alhaji Shettima Ali,  said the foundation had spent N275 million on training of 1,800 women and youths in 15 states in the north.
Ali made this known in Katsina during the graduation ceremony of 120 women and youths that were trained on different skills.
He said the foundation selected 120 women and youths from 15 states for training in cosmetics making, vegetable oil procession, poultry and fish farming, ICT skills and fashion designing.
Ali said that the foundation would soon conduct the training in Borno, Yobe , Jigawa and Plateau.
The managing director disclosed that the foundation had introduced the training to improve the well being of beneficiaries.
Ali said that the foundation would also assist the trainees to secure loans from different financial institutions to start their businesses.

Kebbi
The North -West Zonal Office of the Independent Pe
troleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has enjoined its members to engage unemployed youths in their activities, to reduce unemployment nationwide.
Alhaji Muhammadu Jega, the Zonal Chairman of the association, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.
He said engaging the unemployed youths would provide job opportunities for them and enable them to diversify their business to other ventures.
Jega also advised members to desist from indiscriminate erection of filling stations and urged them to build small and medium scale industries.
“This would generate thousands of jobs for the teaming unemployed youths.

Lagos
A 50-year-old man, Raymond Ayoka, was yesterday
charged with defrauding a businesswoman of N540,000 at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
The accused, a trader, who lives at 22 Bako St., Shibiri, Ojo, a suburb of Lagos, is facing charges of conspiracy and stealing.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Lugard Ahonle told the court that the offences were committed on Jan.10 at Gatankowa Market, Super Bus Stop, Abule Egba, Lagos.
According to Ahonle, the wife of the accused collected five bales of used clothes valued at N540,000 from one Francis Orodi, under false pretences.
The prosecutor said that the husband of the woman was also in the second-hand cloth business and knew of the N540,000 deal.
Ondo
A 48-year-old man, Gabriel Toluwase, was yesterday
docked at an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State over alleged unlawful assault and malicious damage to property.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ayodeji Omoyeigha, told the court that the accused, on Aug. 1, at about 11:00 a.m. at No. 6, Akinfolarin St., Okitipupa, unlawfully assaulted one Adeoye Akinnusi.
Omoyeigha said that the accused had a mild misunderstanding with Akinnusi and went ahead to use a saw blade to inflict various degrees of injuries on him.
He added that the accused also maliciously damaged Akinnusi’s wooden door, valued at N10, 000 and window glasses, valued at N40, 000.
The offences were contrary to Sections 355 and 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
Sokoto
The Commissioner representing Sokoto State on the
Federal Character Commission, Alhaji Nasiru Zarumai, says Nigeria has been put on the right track in the last one hundred days.
‘’The various tiers of government, all the agencies, both public and private, have also been striving to be more responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians,’’ he added.
Our correspondent reports that Zarumai spoke in Sokoto at a news conference to mark the first one days in office of President Muhammadu Buhari and the various state governors.
“The governments have also been employing various cost saving measures and globally-accepted style of governance.
“Although one hundred days are not a realistic target within which developmental activities can be judged, they have begun to resurface the kind of change Nigerians had yearned for,’’ he said.

Governor Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State (left), ordering road-side welders to decongest Abuja-Keffi Highway for free flow of traffic, during his tour of Mararaba recently. With him is the Project Consultant, Mr Shehu Tukur (right) and others.

Governor Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State (left), ordering road-side welders to decongest Abuja-Keffi Highway for free flow of traffic, during his tour of Mararaba recently. With him is the Project Consultant, Mr Shehu Tukur (right) and others.

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HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

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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

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REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

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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.
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Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

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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.
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