Niger Delta

Delta Govt Strategises On Renewal Energy Roadmap

Published

4 years ago

October 22, 2021

The Delta State Government says it is strategising to ensure the successful implementation of its renewable energy policy roadmap 2022- 2027, aimed at providing access to electricity to all residents of the state.
Mr Daramfon Bassey, the Project Manager, Clean Technology Hub (CTH) disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting on renewable energy policy roadmap for the state yesterday in Asaba.
Bassey said that the project was being sponsored by Heinrich Boll Stiftung; a German organisation.
He said that the meeting was aimed at exploring areas of collaboration between the private sector and the government towards successful implementation of the project.
According to him, this policy will serve as a blueprint to achieve the state government’s vision for universal access to electricity, climate resilience and economic growth beyond oil in the state.
“This policy will also help to complement the social and economic development aspirations of the state as part of the Delta Medium-Term Development Plan (DSMTDP) between 2022 and 2027.
“As the world moves cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy, and as the Federal Government implement its national renewable energy policy, it is important that Delta is not left out behind,” he said.
Bassey said that the policy and inputs from the meeting would be shaped, molded and championed by the state Ministry of Energy, adding that the policy would be adopted by the state government.
According to him, the policy resulting from the meeting is expected to reflect the sectoral needs and targets of the state, drive sustainable development and stable energy access as well as reduce carbon emissions.
In his presentation, a Consultant working with Clean Technology Hub, Mr Abel Gaiya, said that the meeting was meant to receive feedback from the stakeholders on the renewable energy policy roadmap.
Gaiya noted that the information from the National Bureau of Statistics ((NBS) showed that the present national grid capacity and power distribution system is inadequate to supply Delta state’s electricity needs.
According to NBS, 78 per cent of the households in Delta were electrified by 2014, and that the figure was higher than that of the South South zone household electrification percentage of 63.
He, however, said that due to the limitations of the national grid, more than half of the state’s population was either off-grid or highly underserved by the national grid.
Gaiya therefore stressed the need for transition from an oil-based economy to a more diversified one in which renewable and clean energy plays a more prominent role.
He explained that the goal of the renewable energy is to improve the electrification rate as well as replace existing sources of energy that are not climate change and health friendly in the state.
On his part, the representative of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr Mohammed Dukku, explained that in the South-South region, the agency currently has 63 new capital projects and that six of them are ongoing.
Dukku said that as part of the agency’s ‘Energizing Education Programme’, the project is being implemented by the REA in phases, adding that the first phase of the programme is fully funded by the Federal Government.
“Within this phase, nine beneficiary institutions to be powered by solar hybrids are benefiting from funding from the Green Bond issued by the FGN.
According to him, Delta is one of the benefiting institution as well as the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 125 persons from both public and private sectors attended the two-day programme.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.