Rivers

NGO Strategises To Redefine Disability In Children

Published

4 years ago

December 8, 2021

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Lifeline Organisation For Children Empowerment (LOCE) has organised the first Nigerian Inclusive Play, PLAG Season 8.
PLAG is an acronym for Play, Learn And Grow.
Speaking with The Tide, the Founder/Executive Director of Lifeline, Ngozi Chukwuka, explained that LOCE exists, operates and functions mainly due to children with disabilities, in a world where all children (especially children with disabilities) have access to a good and quality life.
Mrs Chukwuka said Play Learn And Grow (PLAG) is one of its programmes that had run successfully in the last eight years.
Chukwuka explained that it was their own way of responding to the global agenda of ‘Leave no One Behind,’ as every child matters as well deserves to play.
She added that the success stories recorded from PLAG had been overwhelming and phenomenal as many kids had gotten a redefinition of what disability is all about as well exposing many parents to understand what a disadvantage child is all about too.
According to her, over the years, the organisation has made parents to look away kids look away from the seeming limitations on the outside of their kids and explore the limitless man on the inside; on the premise that the man that is really handicapped is the man that has refused to explore his inner strength.
She said such knowledge informed their different themes over the years.
She stated that this year, they considered the theme: Wired to lead” to drive home the truth, “Leadership is not answering a title but bridging the gaps. A leader is one that identifies a gap and closes it. He identifies a problem and mobilizes resources towards solving it.
“We are crafted by God to be the answer to the world’s problems. There is an exact problem we all are meant to solve. I encourage every child to activate the leader in him. No one should exclude himself or be excluded in leadership on the bases of physical disability, because disability is in the mind,” she charged.
According to her, “About 15% of the global populations live with some form of disability; of those, 2–4% experience significant difficulties in functioning.
“A World Health Organization source maintains that about 40% of Africa’s population consists of people with disabilities, including 10-15 percent of school-age children. Global disability is on the rise due to population ageing and the rapid spread of chronic diseases.
“According to 2016 population estimates, the population of Rivers State is 7,303,900, using the universal estimate of 10% of any population being made of children with disabilities, over 730,390 will be living with disabilities of various categories in Rivers State alone, although there are no accurate records in the state of people living with disabilities, people with disabilities continue to live with great physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers in their daily lives,” Chukwuka added.
The Tide reports that PLAG is held yearly to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities worldwide, through PLAG.
LOCE advocates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creates awareness of the role of these goals in building a more inclusive and equitable world for children with disabilities. It is an inclusive play that provides equal opportunity for all children to play.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

Rivers

UNIPORT Moves To Tackle Insecurity … Inducts Security Experts

Published

2 days ago

November 30, 2025

The Tide

The University of Port Harcourt, has taken a significant step towards addressing the issue of insecurity in Nigeria by producing security experts through its Institute of Niger Delta Studies (INDS), with the institute inducting its first graduating students into the Nigerian Institute For Industrial Security (NIIS), with the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General E E Emekah, delivering a quality lecture on the topic, “Promoting Blue Economy In The Niger Delta: The Place Of Security”.

In his lecture, Major General Emekah emphasised the importance of security in promoting the blue economy in the Niger Delta region.

He noted that the activities of the Joint Tasks Force (JTF) are geared towards maintaining peace on Nigerian waterways and promoting productivity, and also stressed the need for a non-kinetic approach to security operations, winning the hearts and minds of the communities, and collaborating with security personnel to fight insecurity.

The GOC charged the inductees to ensure that their study/training provides practical solutions to the pressing security challenges facing the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole.

He emphasised the significance of their studies in UNIPORT, given the prevailing security threat to lives and property, especially on Nigerian waterways.

The Acting Director of INDS, Dr. Chukwu-Okeah, expressed satisfaction that the occasion marks a new milestone in the history of the institute, noting that the Niger Delta has been besieged with environmental and security challenges, and it is time to rise up and build the region through the blue economy ideology.

The blue economy, he explained, emphasises the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem.

He described the blue economy as the new oil well, with the potential to drive economic diversification, job creation, food security, and climate resilience in the region.

One of the inductees, Ayuba Tanimu noted that security is dynamic, and continuous learning and research have equipped them to serve their communities and Nigeria well.

He described the Nigerian Institute For Industrial Security (NIIS) as a body of security professionals that meets annually to craft security policies for the country.

The programme, which attracted prominent individuals from the academia, security, and other sectors had the 7th Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Joseph Ajienka, as its chairman.

Rivers

MCDI Inducts 150 Professionals In PH

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Mentoring and Career Development Institute of Nigeria (MCDI) has inducted about 150 new members into various categories of membership during a special induction ceremony and dinner in Port Harcourt.

Aimed at expanding the institute’s membership base, the event offered new inductees an opportunity to engage with senior members and integrate fully into the organisation’s professional network.

The induction ceremony was part of the 2025 national conference of the institute.

National President of MCDI, Dr. Collins Edebiri, administered the oath, while the new members promised to carry out their duties faithfully, following the institute’s rules and constitution.

Dr. Edebiri emphasised the institute’s core mandate of instilling values that will shape individuals and institutions.

He emphasised the theme of the conference, “Mentoring for Individual and Corporate Leadership”, noting that last year’s focus centred on national development and value reorientation.

Edebiri explained that the induction ceremony is a key feature of the institute’s annual conference, though inductions also occur quarterly.

On the criteria for membership, he said the most important factor is the desire to be mentored or the readiness to mentor others, and urged the new inductees to become ambassadors of value-driven leadership in their respective workplaces.

Guest Speaker at the ceremony, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who was a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), shared her experiences from her early days in journalism, attributing much of her professional growth to strong mentorship.

She encouraged members to embrace mentorship as a catalyst for personal and societal advancement.

Seminitari was later presented an award.

New members, including Wisdom Egberi Woniepiriye, and Mrs. Grace Ajinwanyiekwu, expressed their excitement and hope to be mentored well so they can eventually mentor others.

There were a dinner and networking session, marking another success for MCDI in its efforts to build leadership values nationwide.

By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso

Rivers

Fisherman Gets Thumbs-Up Over Patent Creation

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has commended a renowned fisherman, Mr. Ricky Brown Owunari, for what it described as a remarkable stride in global engineering content creation.

In a congratulatory message signed by the Association, weekend, the SPE said the patented “Dewaxer Flow Enhancer and Downhole Tool” had secured official endorsement under U.S. Patent No. 12,448,868 B2.

They said the development has been highlighted as a significant indicator of Rivers State’s growing intellectual and technological capacity, with observers noting that such breakthroughs position the state as a rising hub for innovation.

According to those familiar with the innovation, the achievement serves as proof that Niger Deltans have moved beyond the era of militancy and are now producing world-class content, research outputs, and technical solutions.

The SPE officials described the patented technologies as timely tools designed to tackle wax deposition in crude oil wells, a major challenge that frequently disrupts production and increases maintenance costs.

They further stressed that the milestone underscores the need for Rivers State to invest more in supporting innovators whose works demonstrate global potential.

Industry experts revealed that the tool originated from years of field observation, experimentation, and rigorous research aimed at improving flow assurance in challenging well conditions.

They also urged the Federal Government to show greater appreciation for home-grown innovations, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally recognise and encourage technological breakthroughs emerging from the Niger Delta.

Stakeholders at the event warned against piracy, emphasising that unauthorised copying of patented technologies undermines national progress and discourages genuine innovators.

Analysts observed that the breakthrough strengthens the narrative of a new Rivers State built on creativity, content development, and technical excellence rather than conflict.

The session concluded with a call for stronger collaboration between government authorities and industry players to protect intellectual property and position Rivers State as a greenhouse for innovation-driven content.

The content, The Tide gathered, is expected to solve critical challenges in the oil and gas sector, as well as other relevant areas of the national economy.

By; King Onunwor