Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

February 3, 2017

Adamawa

The Federal Government said last Tuesday that it is addressing the challenges against poverty eradication in the country.
The National Coordinator, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Mr Peter Paka, said this in Yola.
Paka spoke while flagging-off a three-day training of community based targeting team of the federal government cash transfer programme to the poor and vulnerable in Adamawa.
He described lack of proper coordination and weak synergy between tiers of government as some of the major factors affecting the smooth implementation of poverty eradication programmes in the country.
He regretted that several poverty eradication programmes were set up by previous administrations, but the interventions were not translated into reality because of poor targets and performances.

Bauchi

The Bauchi State House of Assembly has placed embargo on sales of lands in some local government areas that were identified with petroleum resources.
The chairman,House Committee on Information,Hon.Ibrahim Hassan stated this last Tuesday during a meeting with stakeholders and the Presidential Sub-committee on Economic Development in Bauchi.
He said that the measure was to prevent the sales of such lands to people that were not indigines of the state.
“We learnt that in Alkaleri and Kirfi local government areas, some people are selling off their lands to people that are not indigines of the state.
“The state House of Assembly has stop Red that action because the areas are endowed with petroleum resources.
“We do not want incidences where we sell out lands and when it is time to start drilling the available natural resources, it becomes something else,” he said.

Benue

The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, Benue State Command, Mr Chidiebere Nkwonta, has advised commercial drivers and other stakeholders to install the speed limiting device to avoid arrest and prosecution.
The Sector Commander gave the advice on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi.
According to him, the FRSC held meeting with stakeholders such as commercial drivers and some private vehicle owners.
“We have met with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
He said that the meeting was to remind the drivers to make sure they install the speed limiting device on or before the enforcement date of February 1.
The commander urged them to comply with the directive, saying the enforcement was nationwide.

Ekiti

The police have arrested two persons in Ayede Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State, following a violent protest which trailed the alleged killing of one person by a traditional ruler in the area.
The protest, which lasted for hours, was said to have been ignited when the victim identified as Seyi Oladipo was allegedly shot dead by the traditional ruler over a land dispute.
Sources told The Tide that the land in dispute was at Orisunmibare located between Ayede Ekiti and the neighbouring town of Itaji Ekiti.
The 40-year-old father of three was allegedly shot on the hand by the traditional ruler who then fled , resulting in the protest by youths in the aggrieved community.
The swift deployment of policemen from the Oye Police Division prevented a breakdown of law and order.

Gombe

The Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Gombe State chapter, has appealed to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to review the prices of speed limit device to make it affordable.
Publicity Secretary of the associationMalam Abdullahi Muhammad, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Gombe on Tuesday.
The Tide reports that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has declared February 1 as the official date for the enforcement of the use of the speed limiting device in the country.
Muhammad said, “N48, 000 is too much for the limiting device, going by the current economic situation in the country.

Kaduna

Ahead of the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week which started on February 1, a Muslim woman has donated chairs to a Church and a pastor decorated a Mosque both in Kaduna to boost inter-religious tolerance and harmony.
Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, a Peace Ambassador, told newsmen in Kaduna last Tuesday that the donation was also to promote mutual respect and better understanding between Muslims and Christians in the state and the country in general.
She said the World Interfaith Harmony Week was to promote peaceful religious co-existance and dialogue on peace, share love, unity and encourage togetherness, irrespective of faith.
The week, beginning from February 1 to February 7 every year extends the Two Commandments by adding “Love of the Good” and “Love of the Neighbour”, she said.

Katsina

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has allocated 4,722 hajj seats to Katsina State for the 2017 hajj exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the state hajj board, Alhaji Muhammed Rimi, told newsmen last Tuesday in Katsina State.
“The commission has directed us to start collecting hajj deposit from intending pilgrims and we have begun collecting the deposit in the 34 Local Government Areas of the state.
“The board has directed each pilgrim to deposit the sum of one million naira, pending the final announcement of the actual hajj fare by the commission.
“We have begun preparation for the 2017 hajj exercise, as the board had already secured accommodation at Mecca and Medina at strategic places near the Holy Mosque.

Lagos

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, last Tuesday reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the growth and development of the transportation sector.
Sirika gave the assurance in Lagos while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the listing by introduction of Medview Airline on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).
The minister commended Medview for taking the bold step of going public, saying it was an indication that Nigerian airlines were getting healthier.
“I think this is very good, and it is a plus for us, because it shows the confidence that Nigerians are beginning to have once more on our industry,” he said.
Sirika charged other entrepreneurs within the sector to emulate Medview Airline by running their businesses in such a way that would be beneficial to the country at large in the long run.

Nasarawa

Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), says it plans to spend N900 million on the conduct of local government elections in the state.
Chairman of the commission Dr Abdullahi Modibbo, disclosed this in Lafia recently while defending the commission’s budget before the State Assembly Committee on NASIEC, Multilateral Cooperation and Community Development.
He said that the commission plans to use card reader machines for the polls.
Modibbo told the committee that the card reader had been successfully used in three states of the federation and Nasarawa would not be an exception.

Ogun

The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a bill upgrading Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) to a University of Science and Technology.
The Majority Leader, Mr Adeyinka Mafe, moved the motion for the third reading of the bill during plenary in Abeokuta and was seconded by the Minority Leader, Mr Olawale Alausa.
The bill was originally entitled ” A bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of Moshood Abiola University of Technology and for Matters of Administration and Discipline of Students Connected Therewith.’’
The bill is now entitled : “ A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology and for Matters of Administration and Discipline of Students Connected Therewith.’’

Oyo

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, says the dispute on the creation of 35 Local Council Development Areas(LCDAs) by the state government will be settled out of court.
The monarch said this last Tuesday after a closed door meeting with Governor Abiola Ajimobi at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan.
The Tide reports that 15 village heads had approached the court on issues bordering on the newly created Local Council Development Areas(LCDAs) in the state.
One Chief Oladokun Abiola and 14 others from Oyo- East Local Government Area had approached the court claiming that the LCDAs would ostracise them from their ancestral land.
Justice John Tsoho of an Abuja Federal High Court had on January 20 granted an interim injunction stopping the local government election scheduled for February 11 in the original 33 Local Government Councils and the newly created 35 LCDAs in the state.

Sokoto

Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State, has advised residents of the state to endeavour to pay their taxes regularly to enhance service delivery.
The governor gave the advice on Tuesday in Sokoto while declaring open the 2017 Stakeholders’ Budget Summit.
The summit was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, in collaboration with the state chapter of the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations.
Tambuwal said: “as it is now, only civil servants pay their taxes and revenues as at when due.
“Other categories of the citizens do not pay while those who pay are not paying as at when due.

Yobe

A cross-section of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Yobe State say the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) humanitarian support programmes have facilitated their resettlement. The IDPs made the commendation on Tuesday in separate interviews with The Tide correspondent while reacting to NEMA’s donation of food items to them.
Musa Manu, an IDP resident at Nayi Nawa in Damaturu, said that the Federal Government, through NEMA and other agencies, had gave displaced persons a new lease of life.

Nation

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

Published

1 week ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

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

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 months 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

2 months 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.