Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

September 26, 2016

Adamawa

Commissioner for Health in Adamawa State, Dr Fatima
Atiku, said Isa Hamman, the patient who lost his kidney in an operation at a private clinic in Yola, was responding to treatment.
Atiku, in a statement made available to newsmen in Yola, said that the patient was referred to Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
According to her, Governor Muhammadu Bindow personally intervened in the matter.
She said that Hamman was taken to Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital personally by the governor in good faith and that his kidney transplant will be conducted soon.
“Available reports show that Isa Hamman condition is stable, and he is responding to treatment, while clinical examinations are still ongoing,” Atiku said.

Borno

The Borno State Police Command says that it has placed
the former spokesman of the Boko Haram sect, Ali Konduga, under psychiatric investigation.
This, the police said, followed Konduga’s display of abnormal behaviour since his arrest last week.
Mr Victor Isuku, the spokesman of the command, said this in a statement he issued in Maiduguri.
Isuku said that Konduga was arrested after a complaint by one Muhammadu Kala.
“On September 14, one Muhammadu Kala lodged a complaint at the GRA Police Station, Maiduguri, that Mallam Ali konduga of Gwange ward had trespassed into the premises of the house of Senator Muhammed Ndume.
“The DPO led a team of policemen to arrest the trespasser where he had gone to receive treatment for injuries he sustained as a result of a mob action,” Isuku said.

Ekiti

Ikole local government council in Ekiti State, has implored
traders and people patronising Ikole Main Market and other markets in the council area to make use of facilities provided in the markets.
Head of the Department of Environment in the council area, Mr Tunde Famuyisan, made this call while addressing some traders at the Ikole Main market recently.
He urged the market men and women to maximize use of latrine, dustbins and clinic provided in the market.
Famuyisan said the council made provision of these facilities to those visiting the market for one activity or the other; so that buying and selling would be carried out under good hygienic environment”.

FCT

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Mr Fillipo Grandi, said at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), that the commission was committed to working with world leaders in addressing refugees and migrants crises.
This is contained in a statement released in Abuja to newsmen by Mr HansonTamfu, the External Relations officer, UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nigeria.
Grandi, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Assembly said that the declaration marked a political commitment of unprecedented force and resonance.
He said that the UNHCR welcomed the adoption of the declaration by 193 governments at the UNGA first ever summit addressing the large movement of refugees and migrants.
“It fills what has been a perennial gap in the international protection system of truly sharing responsibility for refugees in the spirit of the UN Charter”.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA) says flood has killed 18 persons and destroyed 6,637 houses in about 19 local government areas in the state.
SEMA Executive Secretary, Alhaji Yusif Sani, said this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the agency in Dutse.
Sani said that the incidents occurred during the current rainy season.
He explained that the persons died in Gwaram, Dutse, Jahun, Gumel and Ringim local government areas of the state.
The executive secretary said that the flood destroyed 141 houses in Dutse; 419 in Jahun; 525 in Hadejia, 417 in Babura; 525 in Ringim; 822 in Gumel; 529 in Malammadori and 126 in Birninkudu local government areas.
Kaduna

Prof. Nasiru Shua’ibu of Biochemical Parasitology De
partment, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria has developed a new malaria vaccine to prevent high rate of death arising from malaria fever.
Speaking with newsmen in Zaria, Kaduna State, Shu’aibu said the new malaria vaccine was different from others currently in use.
Shu’aibu, who is currently working with the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Japan, said the result of the research on the new vaccine would soon be out for Nigerians to use.
“In a simple term that a layman can understand, the content of this malaria vaccine research is difficult, but let me try if I could simplify it, it is called DNA Vaccine.
“It is a new technology for discovery and delivery of vaccine against any infectious disease that was developed in the early to mid 1990s”.

Kwara

Head of Service (H0S), Kwara State, Mrs Zahra Omar,
said the recent discovery of polio outbreak in Nigeria was a disappointing development, despite all efforts to eradicate the disease.
She made the remarks during a courtesy visit to her office in Ilorin by the Rotary Club of Ilorin.
Omar, however, expressed optimism in the eradication of polio in the country.
She also commended the efforts of Rotary Club for assisting the state government in the areas of provision of water and eradication of polio.
Lagos

The Managing Director, Accion Microfinance Bank
(MFB), Mrs Olubunmi Lawson says the bank has partnered with a non-governmental group, JAKIN, to assist 500 vulnerable pupils in Lagos public schools.
Lawson told newsmen in Lagos that the gesture was to give hope and ensure brighter future to those at the bottom rung of the society.
According to her, the partnership tagged: “Dress a Child for School Project’’ is also to support UNESCO International Literacy Day marked on every September 8.
She said that it was also to check the increasing number of school dropouts.
Lawson assured that the gesture would be extended to vulnerable children in other parts of the country.
She said that the beneficiaries would get uniforms, sandals, bags, books and writing materials for 2016/17 academic session.

Niger

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, has ap
pealed to Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to help sustain peace at the grassroots in the state.
Bello made the appeal when he visited the Commandant-General of NSCDC, Mr Abdullahi Gana.
He said that the state, with the largest land mass in the country, needed deployment of more NSCDC personnel in certain local government areas.
Osun

A member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr
Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has advised government to invest in tourism in its effort to diversify the economy.
Oyintiloye, who is the House Committee Chairman on Information and Strategy, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo.
The lawmaker said it was important for government to invest in tourism as it grappled with putting the economy back on track.
According to him, the tourism sector is a money spinning industry and can be used to stablise Nigeria’s economy.
Oyintiloye, who said that the country was blessed with many tourist sites, said that such sites could help boost the economy if government paid serious attention them.
He argued that apart from the fact that tourism could boost the national economy, it could also provide jobs for people.

Oyo

A Consultant Pathologist at the University College Hos
pital, (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Femi Ogunbiyi, said on Tuesday that early health screening would reduce adult mortality in the country.
Ogunbiyi made the remark in an interview with newsmen, Ibadan.
He defined screening as “an examination or testing of a group of individuals to separate those who are well from those who have an undiagnosed disease or defect”.
The consultant pathologist said that screening included individuals with presymptomatic or unrecognised symptomatic disease.
“The objective of medical screening is to identify a disease in its pre-clinical stage and, therefore, hopefully still curable phase.
“Screening tests are somewhat unique in that they are performed on persons apparently in good health”.
Plateau

Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance
Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, has called on governors of the 36 States to adopt the scheme in order to achieve universal health coverage in Nigeria.
He made the call in Jos during the Progressive Governance Lecture Series held in Plateau State capital.
He said that the aim of the partnership between the NHIS and state governors was to extend healthcare to most Nigerians and also create strategies to improve health care financing across the states.
Yusuf said that the scheme had recorded low level of health coverage.
He said that most countries such as Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda had achieved over 50 per cent coverage of its citizens.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

3 weeks 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

3 weeks 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

3 weeks 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.