Nation

CVR: INEC Urges CSOs To Sensitise Nigerians

Published

5 years ago

August 13, 2021

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed to civil society organisations (CSOs) to sensitise Nigerians on the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Sam Olumekun, made the plea yesterday at a workshop for CSOs organised in partnership with African Youths Initiative on Crime Prevention (AYICRIP) in Lagos.
The Tide source reports that the one-day workshop focused on Role of Civil Society Organisations and the Youth in the Mobilisation of Citizens for Electoral Participation and Education.
The workshop, themed, “The Fight Against Electoral Violence and Voter Apathy: The Role of Civil Society Organisations”, was organised in commemoration of the United Nations International Youth Day 2021.
Olumekun, who was represented by Mr James Popoola, INEC Administrative Secretary, urged the CSOs to be at the vanguard of voter education and sensitisation to curb voter apathy and deepen democracy.
The REC said that the workshop was held at an auspicious time when INEC had commenced the dual CVR online and physical registration exercise.
He commended AYICRIP for being a worthy partner with the commission in sensitisation of voters, adding that INEC also partnered the group for the door-to-door sensitisation of voters in preparation for the 2019 General Elections.
“As partners in progress, you assist through your various platforms to encourage more Nigerians who are able to use the online portal for their pre-registration to do so in order to reduce congestion at the state and local government offices of the commission.
“As representatives of various Civil Society Organisations, you will no doubt play a crucial role in sensitising the people, not only on how to register, but on how to imbibe voter education and electoral information.
“INEC cannot do it alone, we therefore enjoin other relevant stakeholders in their own way to be vanguard of voter education.
“They should help to spread the electoral knowledge to others,” he said.
According to him, CVR exercise is only for those who are 18 years and above and have not registered previously.
He added that the exercise was also for registered voters who had had any problem during accreditation in any past election with either the Permanent Voters Cards or their fingerprints not being read by the Smart Card Reader.
He added that registered voters who wanted to transfer their voting location from one place to another could also used the CVR window.
The INEC boss said that registered voters who wanted to correct issues with their data, such as misspelt names, dates of birth and others, and those whose PVCs had been lost or damaged could use the window.
Speaking, Mr Waheed Ishola, Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Lagos State, said that INEC had been doing its own bit on voter education in collaboration with NOA and other critical stakeholders.
Ishola said: “It behoves on our youths who have always been complaining of being left out of the decision making process to now take it upon themselves to get registered and take part in electoral process.”
Commenting, Mr Nelson Ekujumi, from the Committee for the Protection of People’s Mandate, said that the event was to enlighten Nigerians as well as to educate other CSOs on their roles to the society in engendering active citizens participation in elections.
Ekujumi added that the workshop was aimed at mitigating electoral violence, urging CSOs to swing into action towards addressing “the issues of voter apathy that has bedeviled elections in recent past”.
Earlier, Amb. Christogonus Ibe, Founder/Executive Director, AYICRIP, said that citizens had roles in the fight against electoral violence and voter apathy as well as other forms of challenges and vices in the electoral system.
Ibe, who noted that though the world was marking the International Youth Day, the CSOs considered electoral system the nation’s greatest problem because had thrown up bad leaders.
According to him, when the nation has a reformed electoral system and informed citizens, leaders that understand the plights of the citizens will emerge to tackle all other issues facing the masses.
He said that the group had monitored the ongoing CVR and discovered the lackadaisical attitude of most Nigerian youths, thereby disenfranchising themselves.
Ibe said: “It is incumbent on all of us if we claim we are representatives of the people and voices of the people. Most of us are resting on our oars.
“It is time we came out of our comfort zones and start talking to the people, the need for them to register in the ongoing CVR, be equipped and be armed with their voter card because that is their strength.
“World over, the process of registration actually determines the outcomes of elections, not the votes itself. If citizens don’t register to vote, they will not have the right of opportunity to cast their votes.”
He urged CSOs to go back to churches, mosques, markets, streets, community, religious and professional organisations with economy-friendly programmes of sensitisation, saying that most Nigerians were no longer interested in the electoral system.
Mrs Briana Olson, Political/ Economic Officer at U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, commended the CSOs’ role in electoral process, particularly in preventing electoral violence, voter apathy and engaging citizens.
She said that US shared a common interest with Nigeria in conducting peaceful, transparent and fair elections, which made Nigeria stronger and a more reliable partner of U.S.
She said that CSOs had a lot of roles to play including keeping voters engaged, increasing the participation of voters, monitoring election results as well as electoral malpractices.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

1 month 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

1 month 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

1 month 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.