Nation

THE STATES

Published

9 years ago

March 1, 2017

Adamawa
The Adamawa State trained over 700 youths and women in various skills under its Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) in 2016.
The state coordinator of the programme, Mr Ayuba Audu, told newsmen in Yola that the training was organised to tackle poverty and unemployment.
He said that the programme was organised in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and ‘Simba’ an Indian firm.
Audu said that the beneficiaries of the programme were selected from the 21 local government areas of the state.
“The aim of the training is to assist youths and women. We want to support them to become entrepreneurs in the hope that this will reduce the rate of poverty among them.
“It will surely bring about security and stability in the state,’’ Audu said.
He said that the beneficiaries were trained on tricycle repairs, jewelry and bead making, how to repair cell phones and electrical appliances.

Bauchi
Chairman, Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Hashimu Gital, says that the state government owed retirees N15 billion in accumulated gratuity.
Gital said this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi last Sunday.
“The problem here is the accumulated gratuity amounting to almost N15 billion.
“We have achieved that of normalising payment of salaries where government does not owe any salary arrears in Bauchi State but the issue of gratuity remains a problem.
“We are always knocking at the door of the state government and there is assurance that government is also making efforts to ensure that the outstanding gratuity is paid,’’ the NLC chairman said.
He refuted insinuations that retirees in the state were being owed pension arrears.
Gital said that the state government was also making efforts to actualise the contributory pension scheme in the state.

FCT
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Hon. Sani Zorro, has disclosed Nigeria’s government plan to issue United Nations passport to people at risk of being stateless.
Zorro made this known during an interview with newsmen, last weekend, in Abuja, marking the second anniversary of Nigeria ratifying the Abidjan Declaration to end statelessness.
He said that the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs (NCFRMI) and the National Immigration Department are engaged in a process called refugee status determination.
He explained that this process would help to ascertain stateless persons that are eligible for the UN passport, a document they can hold on to before their respective cases are resolved.

Gombe
Gombe State Coalition for Political Parties has rejected Saturday’s council polls in the state, threatening to take legal action if Chairmen or Councillors were inaugurated.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday in Gombe, Alhaji Idi Barde, Acting Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said in spite of the assurances given by the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC), it had failed to conduct the election.
He alleged that there was no election material taken to any polling unit in the state, and that no accreditation of voters took place for the conduct of the election.
Reacting to the allegation, Chairman of GOSIEC, Mr Caleb Maina, who spoke through Mr Kalagar Kudi, GOSIEC Commissioner in charge of Public Affairs, said election took place.

Kano
The Kano State Hisbah Board has advocated for a comprehensive blueprint to address lingering societal problems.
The Commander General of the board, Malam Aminu Daurawa made the suggestion when he received a delegation of the Association of Hausawan Africa led by Sardaunan Agadaz, Dr Abdulkadir Koguna, in Kano yesterday.
According to him, the blueprint will serve as official guide in addressing the myriads of socio-economic problems facing the society and encourage education, skills acquisition among others.
Daurawa urged the association to be cautious in selecting and training its members to avoid security implications.

Katsina
An NGO, Daura Progressive Youths Initiatives, has empowered 253 women in Daura with vocational skills to earn a living.
The Secretary of the group, Alhaji Sabiu Tazarce, told newsmen in Daura yesterday that the women acquired the skills over the last two years in tailoring, poultry farming, knitting, and jelly, perfume and soap making.
He said that the decision of the NGO to commence the training was informed by its desire to eradicate poverty and generate employment.

Lagos
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Saleh Dunoma, has instructed engineers to begin repair works on all facilities at the Murtala Muhmmed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with immediate effect.
Dunoma gave the directive after inspecting the facilities at the airport on Sunday in Lagos.
It would be recalled that the directive is coming after the unscheduled inspection visit made last Thursday to the airport by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has advised the chairman and members of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to be “very prudent” in the management of resources.
The law makers also tasked the board to strive towards boosting enrollment and quality of primary schools.
The legislators gave the advice yesterday in Lafia, shortly after confirming members of the board.
The Speaker, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, challenged the board members to use their experiences to add value to the educational sector.
“You will be handling the most crucial stage of education, the primary school; work very hard to improve on what is on ground,” he said.

Niger
The Children’s Government of Nigeria, a Non Governmental Organisation, has called on the federal and state governments to close Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the North-East.
Its National Coordinator, Mr Patrick Ikpeme, made the call in Minna, during a courtesy visit to the Niger State Development Company.
He said that the camps should be closed down “immediately” because they had a negative effect on women and children.
“Many of the women in the camps live irresponsible lives with nobody to check them; if they return to their various communities, they will be more careful.
“The children also live carefree lives due to the absence of parents or guardians. They are denied even basic means of livelihood. When they get desperate, they can jump into bad things,” he said.
He stressed the need for government to resettle the IDPs back to their various communities where they could restart their lives with communal support.

Taraba
The National Coordinator of ‘PDP Loyal Group 100 per cent’ ,Mr Denis Shima, yesterday advised Taraba youths not to see politics as a dirty game.
Shima gave the advice at a Thanksgiving Service organised in his honour by the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON) of St Peter’s Catholic Parish in Jalingo.
He said politics was rather one of the best ways to bring development to humanity if practised according to the rules.
Shima challenged the youth to join politics with a view to channelling their youthful energy into enhancing political reforms that would deepen the country’s democracy for rapid development.
“I advise all of you not to stay away from politics due to the belief by many that it is a dirty game.

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.