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THE STATES

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Adamawa

The Adamawa State Government said it had gazetted 30
grazing reserves and registered more than 1.5 million herds of cattle in the state.
The state Commissioner for Livestock Development,  Dr Isa Salihu, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yola.
Salihu said that the development was in line with the Federal Government effort to establish grazing reserves in the interested states.
“We have 72 grazing reserves in the state, out of which 30 are already gazetted.
“5,000 hectares of land was allocated to the Federal Government for the establishment of national grazing reserves.

Bauchi

Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has
appointed 15 new permanent secretaries (PS) as part of his administration‘s ongoing civil service reform.
A statement signed by  Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Bauchi, Alhaji Bello Illelah, said the appointment would reinvigorate the civil service.
Illelah said the appointment, which takes immediate effect, was also aimed at better service delivery to the people of the state.
He named Sa’idu Maikobi, Garba Magaji, Sani Ahmed and Dr Bala Lukshi, as some of the newly appointed permanent secretaries.
The SSG also said that: Aliyu Jibo, Nasiru Yelwa, Musa Wadata, Ahmed Misau and Yahuza Adamu were among the newly appointed permanent secretaries.

FCT

The ECOWAS Court has expressed concern over non
implementation of its judgment by the members’ states.
The Vice President of the Court, Justice Micah Wright told newsmen in Abuja that only three out of 15 member states had put in place mechanism to execute the court’s decision.
“The court has experienced a couple of hardships or impediments as you say in the dispensation of its work, for example, notably in the execution of the judgment of the court.
“The court as you know does not have a police and the court does not execute or implement its own decisions, the court depends upon the goodwill of the member states.
“So, when the court renders a judgment, the court forwards the judgment to the member states and requests the member states to execute or implement that judgment – that is one of the impediments we have”.

Kebbi

The Coordinator, National Teachers Institute (NTI) in
Kebbi State, Alhaji Salman Maiwada,  has warned students of the institute against non payment of their first semester course fees.
Maiwada gave the warning in Birnin Kebbi during a sensitisation workshop on the need for the students to pay the course fees.
He said that records showed that only 44 per cent of the 3,000 students in the institute in Kebbi paid their registration, project and teaching practice fees.
He said that prompt payment of the fees would enable the institute print course modules and other academic documents and also pay tutors their course allowance.

Kogi

A medical practitioner, Ademola Adeola,  has advised
Nigerian youths to refrain from drug abuse and trafficking so that they could have healthy and promising future.
Adeola told newsmen in Lokoja that youths’ involvement in drug abuse and trafficking in drugs could lead to crime.
It could also cause untimely deaths; destruction of lives, families, societies and the nation in general, he said.
According to him, the lives of many youths are being destroyed by illicit drugs annually and this has constituted a serious threat to public health, security and the wellbeing of humanity.
Kwara

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics
(SSANIP), Federal Polytechnic, Offa chapter, has implored the Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu to name a substantive rector for the polytechnic.
The SSANIP chairman, Chief Bankole Ayodele, made this call on Tuesday in a release he issued in Ilorin, a copy of which was made available to newsmen.
According to the release, SSANIP expresses its confidence in the Minister of Education and the Federal Government to announce the most qualified person as the substantive rector of the institution.
“We also appeal that this announcement be made without any further delay so as to ease unnecessary tension on campus,” SSANIP chairman added.

Lagos

A teenage boy, Lateef Nurudeen, has been arraigned in
Lagos for allegedly snatching a woman’s handbag containing N30,000 and a phone.
Nurudeen, 18, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of theft at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ishola Samuel, said the accused had on June 22 snatched a handbag from a woman (names withheld) under the bridge at Iyana-Ipaja, a Lagos suburb.
Samuel said the bag contained an android phone valued at N22, 000 and N30,000 cash.
“The accused was apprehended by the police following an alarm raised by the complainant.’’

Nasarawa

A Child Rights Activist in Nasarawa State, Mrs Justina
Alu, has called for the establishment of child right advocacy clubs in secondary schools in the country.
The activist, who made the call in an interview with our correspondent in Lafia, said that the clubs would enable children to understand their rights.
She noted that the establishment of advocacy clubs in schools across the state and the country at large would enable children to speak out whenever their rights were violated.
According to Alu, series of laws have been promulgated by the national and various state assemblies across the country to protect the rights of the child.

Ondo

The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has arrested 66 drug offenders in six months in Ondo State.
The state Commander of the agency, Mr Mohammed Sokoto, disclosed this at a news conference to mark this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Akure.
The commander revealed that the agency seized 1348.62 kg of cannabis sativa and destroyed 367, 016kg (36. 7tons) of cannabis farms.
Sokoto said the agency would not relent in its effort to reduce the circulation of illicit drugs in the society.
Osun

Medical practitioners have called for more funding of
public healthcare, saying the state of the sector in Nigeria is worrisome.
The Managing Director of Alaafia Hospital, Dr Niyi Ogini, told newsmen in Osogbo that the present condition of the health sector in the country required urgent attention to meet contemporary needs.
He identified lack of modern equipment and adequate skilled human resources as some of the challenges facing the sector.
Ogini, who is the former Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Osun, advised government to pay more attention to the sector, especially the primary healthcare.
Also, a senior physician at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Dr Bolaji Ojo, said special university of medicine should be established to produce necessary manpower for the sector.

Oyo

The Institute of Agricultural Research and Training,
Ibadan, said it had trained farmers on control of armyworm which recently invaded maize farms in the South West.
Dr Oluwakemi Odeyemi, Entomologist at the institute, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.
Odeyemi said the pest, called Spodoptera Frugiperda, was the first of its kind in West Africa.
She said the insect, which ravaged maize fields at an alarming rate, also affected farms in other parts of the country.
The entomologist advised farmers to maintain good field hygiene, regular monitoring, burning of crop residues as well as allow ploughed fields for at least a week to expose the insects to heat and birds.

Plateau

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State  has promised
to equip the Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) to keep the state clean.
Speaking while monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation in Jos and environs, Lalong said that a clean environment was needed to stay healthy.
He assured the people that his administration was committed to providing equipment needed by PEPSA to do its work.
“This is the first time I am monitoring the exercise since I became governor. I have seen what is going on and what is needed to be done.
“The agency has made some requests that are before me and I will immediately address them to enable the agency to do its work better,’’ he said.
He appealed to the people to take sanitation seriously, pointing out that it would help them to stay healthy.

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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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