Environment
FG Flags Off Clean Nigeria Campaign In Rivers …Vows To End Open Defecation By 2025
The Federal Government has flagged off the clean Nigeria use the toilet campaign/youth empowerment programme in Rivers State.
National Coordinator of the programme, Mrs Opara Chizoba, who performed the ceremony in Port Harcourt said the campaign was aimed at mobilising Nigerians towards ending open defecation by 2025.
“The campaign is geared towards ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025.
“We have about 46 million Nigerians still defecating in the open. Our number by population has almost number one among countries that defecate in the open” she said.
Chizoba said if india can mobilise over 550 million people to stop defecating in the open, Nigeria can do it by mobilising her 46 million away from open defecation.
“If the likes of India had actually been able to move 550 million people and its entire rural areas away from open defecation Nigeria can also do it”.
Chizoba also described the campaign as behavioural and transformational and regretted that the exercise was coming to Rivers State at a time when some states in the country had gone far, as far as ending open defecation was concerned.
She also said that one hundred youths will be recruited per local government area for the programme.
Also speaking the General Manager of the Rivers State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Mr Napoleon Adah, described the flag-off as historic, adding that the state is prepared for every challenge that will be encountered in the implementation process.
Adah said that Opobo/Nkoro and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas were almost open defecation free, but for the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic last year.
He also said a technique to ensure that local government areas of the state were open defecation free has been developed.
Also speaking the Executive Director of Lifespan Development Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, Dr Chukwuma Ovy, said the group will work with focal persons in the 23 local government areas to ensure the success of the programme.
Ovy also charged them to mobilise people in the various communities for the programme.
It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council had on the 8th of May, 2019 endorsed the clean Nigeria: use the toilet campaign.
President Muhammadu Buhari also signed on executive order 009, mandating the country to end open defecation by 2025.
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Environment
WDC: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Odu Call Inclusion Of Woman And Girls Decision Making
The Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for greater inclusion of women and girls in decision-making processes across all sectors, stressing that amplifying their voices is critical to national development.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. (Mrs.) Ngozi Nma Odu (Right), Launching the CIFAL Nigeria’s Voices of Experiences during the Mentoring the Next Generation and Joint Commemoration of UN International Women’s Day and World Water Day at the Rivers State University Complex,
She made the call during the launch of the “Voices of Experience” mentorship programme and the joint commemoration of the International Women’s Day and World Water Day at Rivers State University on Tuesday.
Odu underscored the burdens borne by women, particularly in rural communities, where they play central roles in water sourcing and food production. She reaffirmed support for initiatives that promote gender advocacy, noting that women’s lived realities must inform policies.
She also stressed the need to sustain the 30 per cent affirmative action for women’s inclusion, urging women to emulate pioneers such as Margaret Ekpo and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who championed women’s rights in Nigeria’s past.
Drawing from local experience, Odu recounted how women in Egi community mobilised to demand change by peacefully protesting at an oil facility, demonstrating the power of collective action.
She further advocated partnerships with CIFAL Nigeria and UNITAR to deepen mentorship for young people, noting that such collaborations are essential for building inclusive governance and transferring values to future generations.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Isaac Zeb-Obipi, emphasised the need to recognise women’s contributions globally, particularly in water management. He called for increased investment in women’s education and empowerment to ensure access to clean water.
Zeb-Obipi also pledged to align the institution’s academic and research activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, while commending CIFAL Nigeria for its innovative programmes.
In her keynote address titled Inclusive Leadership: Building Institutions that Reflect All Voices, former Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari, lamented declining female political representation. She noted that women’s participation, which rose from 1.8 per cent in 1999 to about 8 per cent in 2007, has dropped to roughly 4 per cent.
According to her, the issue is not participation but systemic exclusion, describing it as “a justice problem.” She also decried barriers facing youths and persons with disabilities, including limited access to leadership opportunities and inclusive education systems.
Director of CIFAL Nigeria, Ihuoma Njemanze, said the centre aims to bridge generational gaps by engaging young people—particularly digital natives—in conversations on women’s empowerment and sustainable development.
She disclosed plans to create platforms for dialogue, global exchanges and capacity-building initiatives aligned with UN goals.
Also speaking, Herritta Ogan identified cultural and institutional barriers as persistent obstacles to women’s advancement, while highlighting weak mentorship among women as a critical gap.
The event featured mentorship sessions, panel discussions and award presentations, reinforcing calls for inclusive leadership and sustained advocacy for gender equality.
The Federal Government has called for stronger collaborations and increased participation of women in water governance to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation nationwide.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made the call at a news conference to commemorate the 2026 World Water Day.
He said the day, instituted by the United Nations, highlights the importance of freshwater and promotes sustainable management of water resources globally.
Utsev noted that the theme, “Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows,” underscores the link between water access, sanitation and gender equality, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 and 6.
The minister stressed that inclusive governance and women’s participation are essential for sustainable development and national growth.
Utsev said the ministry had constructed and rehabilitated over 6,700 water schemes, providing safe drinking water to more than 32 million Nigerians.
“Rural interventions have benefited over two million people, while about 500 additional projects were implemented across Benue, Jigawa, Gombe, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Ogun, and Niger states.
According to the minister, the ministry has completed two National Water Quality Reference Laboratories in Asaba and Umuahia to enhance monitoring and protect public health.
“The Dadin Kowa irrigation scheme delivered 2,000 hectares of land to farmers, including women, while micro-irrigation projects were completed in Jigawa, Oyo, and Kwara, with additional schemes underway in Kebbi,” Utsev said.
“Other dams recording progress include Mangu, Adada, and Ogbesse, while Alau Dam in Borno is being strengthened to improve flood control and water supply to Maiduguri,” he added.
The minister said the National Water Resources Institute had trained over 1,500 youths in plumbing, drilling, and water technology, while 24 water-use licences were issued to ensure equitable allocation of resources.
He noted that River Basin Development Authorities had developed over 154,000 hectares of irrigable land, benefiting more than 1.6 million farmers.
Utsev reaffirmed government’s commitment to inclusive water access and dignified sanitation, urging all stakeholders to collaborate to ensure no one is left behind.
“Water must become a force for equality, empowerment, and sustainable development,” he said, commending development partners, state governments, civil society organisations, and traditional institutions for their support.
He stressed that sustained investment, stronger coordination across federal, state, and local levels, and political will are key priorities, with women’s meaningful participation in planning and decision-making central to success.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said World Water Day highlights the critical link between water and gender, noting that access to safe water directly affects women’s health, education, and economic empowerment.
Umobong was represented by Dr Adebiyi Tajudeen, Director, Finance and Accounts Department in the ministry.
She said gender-responsive water systems are essential to equitable and inclusive societies, and thanked development partners, civil society, and the diplomatic community for their support.
Umobong added that advancing water and sanitation is a direct pathway to achieving SDG 6 and SDG 5, emphasising that gender-inclusive governance strengthens system sustainability and resilience.
She outlined strategies including gender-responsive planning, targeted financing for schools and health facilities, robust data systems, and partnerships promoting women’s leadership at all levels.
“World Water Day is not merely ceremonial; it is a global call to action,” she said, urging stakeholders to amplify the message: “When water flows, equality grows”.
She added that tangible projects demonstrate the impact of gender-responsive water governance, citing functioning schools, operational clinics, thriving markets, and resilient communities.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of the 2026 UN World Water Development Report, Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities, by Dr Enang Momah from UNESCO.
The report said gender inequalities undermine global water security, disproportionately affecting women and girls, who, in spite of managing household water, remain underrepresented in governance and technical roles.
“Unequal access also affects health, education, livelihoods, and safety, currently, 2.1 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, with women and girls spending 250 million hours daily collecting it”.
The report warned that climate change, water scarcity, and disasters worsen these inequalities, calling for stronger action to ensure equal rights, participation, and opportunities in water management.
The Tide source reports that a sensitisation and awareness campaign was held at the Lugbe axis to promote safe water use, especially among vulnerable populations.
The event also featured the distribution of sanitary products to women and girls, as well as the presentation of trophies to winners of the hygiene video skit competition.
Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, on Thursday raised concerns over accelerating global deforestation, revealing that an estimated 10 million hectares of forests are lost every year.
Ezemonye raised the concern during activities marking the International Day of Forests at the university in Edo.
According to him, the level of deforestation poses far-reaching environmental and socio-economic threats.
Ezemonye said that Nigeria was not insulated from the trend, citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation which ranked the country among those with the highest deforestation rates in Africa.
“The consequences of this loss are grave,” he said, pointing to rising cases of flooding, desertification, ecosystem collapse, displacement of communities and the worsening impacts of climate change.
Describing the annual observance as more than ceremonial, Ezemonye said it should serve as a rallying point for urgent action.
He added that universities must play a central role as “custodians of knowledge and incubators of solutions.”
The V-C reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to environmental sustainability, emphasising that it remained a core institutional value beyond academic discourse.
The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Victor Otamere, said “protecting the forests is protecting our lives.”
Adams said that the state government had taken steps to safeguard forest resources, including the establishment of the Edo Forestry Commission.
The Chairman of the Forestry Commission, Mr Valentine Asuen, represented by Area Forest Officer for Ovia North East, Mrs Joan Omosigho, acknowledged the mounting pressure on forest resources and urged Nigerians to take responsibility for its protection.
Nwangwu listed the activities to include agricultural expansion, urbanisation and illegal logging.
He urged participants to move beyond rhetoric and commit to practical actions that would reverse environmental degradation.
The Tide reports that event, themed “Forests and Economies”, drew attention to the critical role forests play in sustaining livelihoods and supporting global economic systems.