Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

January 11, 2016

Deputy Governor of Plateau State/Commissioner overseeing Tertiary Education, Prof. Sonni Tyoden (2nd right) inspecting the Plateau State Polytechnic Rock FM Studio, during a visit to the institution in Jos, yesterday. With him are the Rector, Mr Dauda Gyemang (right) and other dignitaries.

Bauchi

The sum of N4.66 million was realised at the Bauchi State
chapter of the Armed Forces Remembrance and launching of Emblem Appeal Week for 2016.
Our correspondent reports that the Bauchi State Government and Governor Mohammed Abubakar gave the highest donation of N2 million and N1 million, respectively.
Mr Nuhu Gidado, the Deputy Governor of the state ranked third with the donation of N250,000, while the balance came from other government functionaries, military, para-military and other sister security agencies.
Addressing the gathering, Abubakar described the retired military men as heroes who have sacrificed their lives to protect the territorial integrity of the country.

Borno

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has approved
a N20 million bonus for members of the vigilantee group working with the military in the anti-insurgency operations in the North East.
Shettima announced the donation to the volunteers, popularly known as ‘the Civilian JTF’, at a meeting with members of the group in Government House in Maiduguri.
Our correspondent reports that the governor described his gesture as an appreciation for their efforts in the war against Boko Haram.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, gave the details of the gesture in a statement in Maiduguri.

Ekiti

No fewer than 39,765 farmers have registered with the
Ekiti State Government in its effort to ascertain genuine farmers who would benefit from its support programmes.
Mr Olumide Fatoba, the General Manager of the State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) said this at a public forum in Ado-Ekiti.
Our correspondent reports that the figure was generated from 15 out of the 16 local government areas of the state.
Fatoba, however, said that the figure was still low, compared to active farmers who constituted close to 70 per cent of the state’s population.
Fatoba who spoke through a senior official of the ADP, Mr Yomi Ogunrinde, said Ido-Osi Local Government had the highest figure of 4,815 farmers, while Ise/Orun Local Government came next with 3,866.

Kaduna

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna State
Sector Command said that the command recorded 463 road traffic accidents in the state in 2015.
Mr Francis Udoma, FRSC Sector Commander in the state, told newsmen in Kaduna that this was as against 610 recorded in 2014, indicating 7 per cent drop in crashes.
He also said that of the 3,226 people involved in the accidents last year, 329 died, as against 513 deaths recorded in 2014, representing a decrease of 16.9 per cent.
“The number of vehicles involved in road traffic crashes reduced by 7 per cent, from 610 vehicles in 2014, to 570 in 2015.
“There was also 15.4 per cent drop in the number of people involved in accidents, from 3,724 in 2014, to 3,226 last year.

Kano

A Sharia Court sitting at Sabon Gari, Kano, has, remanded
a businessman, Aliyu Abbas, 30, and a housewife, Zainab Adamu, 23, in prison custody for allegedly enticing each other.
The first accused, Abbas, was charged with enticing a married woman and intentional insult.
The Prosecutor, Cpl Ahmed Magawata, told the court that one Malam Saidu Musa of Tudun Yola Quarters in Kano reported the case at the Gwale Police Division on Dec. 29.
Magawata said Musa said that he saw his wife, Zainab, and Abbas of Gaida Quarters in his matrimonial room.
He said that on sighting the complainant, the accused even insulted Musa simply because he asked him what brought him to his house.

Kwara

The Kwara Governor, Mr Abdulfatah Ahmed, has called
on elders of Tsaragi in Edu Local Government Area and Share in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state to be advocates of peace rather than war.
Ahmed made the call in separate interactions with the elders of the two communities on how to ensure lasting peace in the communities.
He said that the elders, as opinion moulders in their respective communities, should pass the value of unity that could endure to the youth.
He advised the elders to take advantage of their closeness to each other to bring infrastructure development to their communities rather than resort to clashes and violence.
“As a people, we are bound to find those who will want to pursue very narrow, personal agenda that do not serve general interest.

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has passed the
state’s supplementary budget of N2.7 billion to Governor Tanko Al-Makura for assent.
Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe, the Speaker of the House, announced the passage of the bill during the House plenary in Lafia.
Mr Tanko Tunga (APC-Awe North), the Majority Leader of the House, had moved a motion for the speedy passage of the supplementary budget bill to enable the state government discharge its duties effectively.
He said: “My colleagues, I want to call on you to give speedy passage to this supplementary budget submitted to the House by Al-Makura for approval to enable him deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

Niger

Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, has presented
the 2016 Appropriation Bill of N74.74 billion to the state House of Assembly.
Our correspondent reports that the recurrent expenditure stood at N39. 5 billion representing 52.85 per cent while capital expenditure was N35.2 billion indicating 47.15 per cent.
Bello said that the budget would cater for the most pressing needs of the population through the creation of jobs.
“ We budgeted to spend N4.29 billion on Education, N3.59 billion on infrastructural development, N2.61 billion on health, N2.53 billion on agriculture and rural development and N2.38 billion on water resources,” he said.
Bello said that the budget would be financed through statutory allocation, Value-Added Tax (VAT), Internally Generated Revenue and capital receipts.

Lagos

The Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria
(WEAN), an NGO, has stressed the need for life skills to be instilled in Nigeria youths, for a better society.
The Executive Director of WEAN, Mrs Angela Daniels, said in Lagos that the acquisition of life skills would aid the youths to become responsible.
She said: “There is lack of life skills amongst majority of our young people, both boys and girls, for them to grow up right.
“Life skills are those skills that are required to enable us make the most out of life; they are usually associated with managing and living a better quality of life.
“With these skills, which include good manners, communication skills, writing skills, assertiveness, soft skills, critical thinking, creative thinking, study skills and independence, our youths will do better in the society.

Sokoto

The Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission
(SIEC) has announced the postponement of the local government councils election it had earlier planned for Jan. 9, 2016.
Our correspondent reports that the Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Usman Abubakar announced the postponement at a news briefing in Sokoto.
‘’ The postponement was due to the non receipt of the card readers we wanted to borrow from our sister agency, the Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC.
‘’ This was also due to bye-election which the commission would conduct in Bayelsa on January 9, 2016.

Yobe

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA) said it has concluded arrangements to get 50 internally displaced children circumcised at the Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu.
The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Alhaji Musa Idi, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Damaturu.
Idi said that the 50 children would be circumcised and celebrated with cultural fanfare.
He explained that a date would soon be fixed for the event, noting that some of the children were orphans who lost their parents to the Boko Haram insurgency, while some others were living with their parents at the camp.
He said “the children are at the Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu; the Agency organised the circumcision ceremony to uplift their physical and psychological spirits.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

7 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

7 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

7 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.