Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Benue State Investment and Property Devel
opment Company (BIPC) says it is poised to break its jinx of a non-profit making organisation by declaring huge profits in the next six months.
The company’s new Managing Director, Mr Jack Mulya, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi.
Mulya who expressed regrets that the company failed to make any profit in the last 15 years, stated that the company was restructuring and repositioning for profit making.
“We need to run this place as a business venture and to do this, we need to build capacity for our workers and restructure our assets for profitability.”
Borno
The Nigerian Army has called on commercial banks
to deploy Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to the military barracks in Maiduguri for the use of front line soldiers involved in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation in Borno State.
Brig.Gen. Victor Ezugwu, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, made the call while speaking at a Civil-Military Forum organised by the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri.
Ezugwu was reacting to criticisms by residents that soldiers often refused to join queues at the ATM points in the town.
He said that the army had written several letters to the banks for the deployment of ATM machines to the barracks without much success.
FCT
A human rights activist, Mrs Esther Uzoma, says
the Nigerian legal system must create an enabling environment to encourage whistleblowers in the fight against corruption.
Uzoma made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently.
She said that the importance of whistleblowing would not be effective without providing enabling environment backed by legislation.
The activist said that Nigeria’s social environment as currently constituted was not yet ripe for whistleblowers due to weak institutions.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government has commenced
aerial spraying of pesticides to control quela birds that ravaged rice and millet farmlands in seven local government areas of the state.
The Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Community Development and Inclusion, Alhaji Hamza Muhammad, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Dutse.
Muhammad said the affected local governments were Auyo, Kirikasamma, Miga, Guri, Birniwa, Kaugama and Malammadori.
He said the exercise which commenced on September 15, would end on September 24.
Gombe
The Gombe State Government has urged the people
of the state to imbibe the culture of tree planting and desist from indiscriminate felling of trees.
The Commissioner of Environment, Hajiya Sa’adatu Sa’ad, made the call at a news conference in Gombe recently.
Sa’ad said that it was high time the people contributed their own quota towards environmental protection against desertification and other climatic challenges in the state.
“Desertification has been our main problem that is really disturbing us in Gombe State, so, such effort will help a lot in protecting our environment.
Kaduna
A member of the House of Representatives, Abbas
Tajudden, says the Federal Government would spend N1.6 billion on the rehabilitation of Zaria-Pambegua Road in Kaduna State.
Tajuddeen, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Zaria shortly after a meeting with his constituents.
He said the rehabilitation work would begin this year and would cover over 100 kilometres.
The lawmaker explained that the project was initiated to save lives due to frequent accidents because of the deplorable nature of the road.
Kano
Authorities of Garun Malam Local Government
Area of Kano State say no fewer than 40, 000 children below the age of five years would be immunized in the ongoing exercise in the state.
The Primary Healthcare Coordinator of the area, Alhaji Tijjani Jafaru, made this known to newsmen as immunisation commenced in the area.
The coordinator reaffirmed the commitment of the state and the local government to polio eradication.
According to him, parents must complete their responsibility of providing their children with quality health care.
Kwara
A pharmacist, Mr Lanre Alege, says registered phar
macists in Nigeria are grossly inadequate, considering the population of the country.
Alege of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), said this in Ilorin in a lecture delivered during the monthly “Keep Fit exercise” for members of staff of the institution at the Kwara Stadium Complex.
Quoting the records of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), he said Nigeria has 17,000 registered pharmacists,
“Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world with estimated 170 million people (2012 population) can only have a pharmacist to 10,000 Nigerians by that number,’’ he said.
Lagos
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has
urged commercial drivers to help reduce the incessant gridlock in the state by respecting traffic rules and regulations.
Ambode made the call at the inauguration of Ketu-Alapere Lay-By and Bus Stop Expansion at Kosofe, Lagos.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule, the governor said transport unions must educate their members to abide by the state traffic laws, adding that commercial drivers should not to use the expanded Alapere-Ketu Bus stop for union activities, as anyone caught would be sanctioned.
Osun
The Osun State Government has deployed an
Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to Ibokun community in the state to enable Wema Bank to reopen for commercial activities.
Our correspondent reports that WEMA bank, the only commercial bank in the town was shut for business activities in December 2015 due to a robbery attack.
A gang of armed robbers had on December 15, 2015 attacked the bank, during which two people were killed, many injured and a large sum of money carted away by the robbers.
One of the conditions listed by the bank’s management to resume operation was the provision of an armoured vehicle by the government to guarantee the security of its business.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government has redeemed the
N1.98 million it pledged to the three cleanest local governments during Hajj.
The Director-General of the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto recently.
Umar said that the competition was introduced by the state government during the 2015 hajj.
“It was conceived to encourage personal and environmental hygiene amongst the pilgrims in Mecca,Muna and Arafat.”
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Government, says it has re
corded increase in malaria-related deaths among children under five years and pregnant women.
The Project Manager of the State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), Alhaji Hamisu Dauran, made this known while speaking at the commencement of a one-day training of religious and traditional leaders on malaria eradication.
Our correspondent reports that the training was organised by the Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA) in collaboration with Health Community Capacity Collaboration (HC3), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Dauran said that within the first and second quarters of 2016, the state recorded 276 deaths and over 76,000 reported malaria cases of under-five children across in health centres across the state.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.
As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.
HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.
According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.
He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.
Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.
To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.
He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.
Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.
On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.
According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.
She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.
Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.
According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.
She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.
She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.
Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.
While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.
On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.
According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.
He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.
Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.
A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.