News
Flooding Threatens Education In Nigeria, UNICEF Laments

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICE) has said that the current flooding in about 31 states in Nigeria was taking a toll on education as schools and learning facilities have been submerged in many communities across the country.
According to UNICEF, some 1.3million people have been displaced, over 600 are believed to have lost their lives, and about 200,000 houses damaged.
It estimated that over 1.5million children’s education and health were being jeopardised by the flooding.
A senior lecturer at the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State, Oyintonyo Michael-Olomu, described the situation as unbearable, with almost the entire state submerged by the flood.
“It is not a funny experience, most communities in Bayelsa State have been submerged and lives lost in their numbers. Children can’t go to school because educational institutions are underwater,” Michael-Olomu said.
According to her, the floods have resulted in inequality in learning across the country.
“The affected tertiary institutions can longer continue with their mapped curriculum and scheme of works because they are shut out by the flood.
“The inequality is heightened by the fact that most of these universities are just coming out of the eight-month strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), while those in private universities were having their lectures, and now the public universities are forced to shut down again. Without any iota of doubt, this amounts to learning inequality. The flood has jeopardised learning.”
The Ahoada West Zonal Coordinator of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Rivers State, Kalu Nnachi, said the flood was a big blow to education in both private and public schools.
“We are out of business now, and even after the waters have gone down, the damage cannot be overcome immediately. Academic activities are put on hold for now, and this is very disturbing considering the well-being of the children and the learning disruptions this will cause them,” he said.
Similarly, the Ahoada East Zonal Coordinator of NAPPS in Rivers State, Esor Faith, explained that the situation was horrible, with the floods disrupting the normal daily activities and property, including schools in more than 15 villages in Ahoada East.
“Over 22 schools, both public and private in Ahoada East have been submerged, and educational activities are adversely affected, putting access to education in the state and other parts of the country in a mess,” she said.
A senior lecturer in the Department of Education Management at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Shola Thomas, lamented that the affected students, especially at the primary and secondary school levels would miss a term.
He said, however, that this could be harmonised when the floods would have been over.
“It is for the time being, and the children would be made to cover up the missed schemes of work. It does not really have anything to do with out-of-school or access to education as both are two different issues,” she noted.
The moderator at African Thinkers’ College of Education, Oyigbo in Rivers State, Ijeoma Ireh, said the floods have grounded education, and jeopardised the future of many youth as there were little or no education activities going on in the affected states across the federation.
“All the schools are flooded, and the students are now in what is called ‘flood break’, even as the governments have taken some of them to settlement centres such as internally displaced centres (IDPs) for camping when situations normalise.
“No education is happening in those ad-hoc IDP centres; hence the children are missing out on their academic scheme of work. They might not even write their first-term examinations due to this development, and when they resume for the second term, it will lead to drawing back in the scheme of work. In fact, there is little or no access to education in those states, especially in the northern region,” she said.
By: John Bibor
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
-
Sports2 days ago
Eagles B Players Admit Pressure For CHAN Qualification
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
NDLEA Intercepts 584.171kg Hard Drugs In Bayelsa … Arrests 559 Suspects
-
Rivers2 days ago
Four Internet Fraudstars Get Different Jail Terms In PH
-
Business2 days ago
Food Security: NDDC Pays Counterpart Fund For LIFE-ND Project
-
Business2 days ago
PH Women Plan Alternative Stew, Shun Tomato High Prices
-
Foods/Drinks2 days ago
What To Know About Your Menu
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
Ex-IYC President Lampoons Atiku’s Presidential Ambition … Declares It Negative Impact On N’Delta
-
News2 days ago
Tinubu Never Stopped 5-year Visa For U S. Citizens – Presidency ?