Niger Delta
Edo, Delta, Bayelsa Govts Outline Palliative Distribution Strategies
Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa State Governments have expressed their different palliative distribution strategies to lessen the impacts of the current harsh economy on their citizens.
The state governments disclosed their plans while responding to the citizens’ call for intervention in a survey across the three states by The Tide’s source on Wednesday.
The source reports that the distribution of palliatives had recently become the focus of state governments and organisations, following the hard times occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of exchange rates.
It recalls that on March 22, the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, had confirmed the death of two students while rushing to get bags of rice distributed by the Nasarawa State Government.
Besides the death of the two students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, the hospital also confirmed it received 14 others with different degrees of injuries from the incident.
The Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof. Suleiman Bala-Mohammed, while attributing the stampede to impatience on the part of the students, promised further investigation into the matter.
In a similar incident on March 24, the police in Bauchi State confirmed the death of four persons in a stampede during the distribution of alms by a philanthropist in Bauchi metropolis.
Spokesperson of the police command, SP Ahmed Wakil, said the incident occurred when hundreds of people gathered to collect alms from the said philanthropist.
The police, thereafter, said the death toll from the stampede had risen to seven as at March 25.
Against this backdrop, the Edo State Government says it is doing things differently to ensure lives meant to benefit from the palliatives do not end up dead during the process of distribution.
The State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr Chris Nehikhare, told the source that the state operates its “Operation Feed the Hungry Initiative” via places of worship.
Nehikhare said the distribution of palliatives to the people through places of worship was to avoid stampedes as recorded in Nasarawa and Bauchi states.
“This method of palliative distribution, using churches and mosques, is the best.
“It’s just like the Edobest Education System that so many states have come to understudy and adopt”, he said.
According to him, the model does not encourage stampedes because it takes into consideration the closeness between the poor and the vulnerable and their various churches and mosques.
“When people are poor and hungry, they feel more comfortable to go to their places of worship, either the church or the mosque.
“You will also agree that these places of worship do not discriminate. It does not matter the political party one belongs to; everyone is treated equally.
“So, this is what this model is based on”, he said.
The Commissioner disclosed that the model supported the buying of the food within the locality where it would be distributed without involving contractors.
He said: “The only role the government plays in the model is to provide funds and monitor the process”.
According to him, some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) usually donate food to widows, the poor, and the vulnerable, going through churches and mosques.
“It is a model where, even though government is funding it, it (government) has removed its hands completely from the distribution process.
“Government will only carry out a routine monitoring to access the outcome and its impact.
“So, I recommend this model to other states. I’m sure that with time, when people begin to see the effectiveness and the impact of this model, other states will adopt it”, he added.
Meanwhile in Delta State, as residents lament not receiving palliatives from the government, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Dennis Guwor, said the legislators were not mandated to give such to their constituents.
The Speaker made the disclosure when members of the Western Chapter of the Ijaw National Congress visited him in his office.
Though Guwor noted he was not against giving palliatives, he explained that members of the Assembly had, in their different ways, empowered their constituents.
According to him, members of the assembly can reach out to their constituents during Easter and Christmas celebrations as well as any other time as the need arises.
Corroborating the people’s cry in Delta, Director of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Karo Ovemeso, confirmed that the State Government had yet to embark on any distribution of palliatives to residents.
He, however, said: “That we are not giving palliatives for now does not mean we have not been giving relief materials to victims and communities that are challenged”.
The residents of Bayelsa State have a similar story to share, as they said they too had yet to receive any form of palliatives from their State Government.
A resident, Mr Moses Edefe, lamenting how he and his family could barely feed, alleged that the State Government had not shown concern for the people’s sufferings.
According to him, the State Government has never been proactive in terms of the welfare of the people.
“They shared rice during the 2023 November governorship election but only to their party members, a Federal Government palliative for that matter.
“It was a very wrong thing to do, not considering the poor people in the society.
“I don’t know why the Bayelsa Government keeps neglecting the people.
“Even the N35,000 wage palliative has not been paid, not even for a month, to any Bayelsa worker, it’s very bad.
“I call on the Bayelsa Government to do the needful, as the people are suffering. Let them have a rethink”, he said.
Another resident, Mr Solomon Edums, who recalled the loss of lives in the past few days while struggling to secure palliatives, called for caution.
However, in a subtle reaction to the people’s allegations, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, at Easter, said the provision of palliatives was not a lasting solution to the economic hardship in the country.
He said his administration was initiating policies and programmes that would bring about long-term empowerment to people of the state rather than short-term palliatives.
The Governor, who explained that the government could not alone provide for everyone, called on the people to get involved.
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Nigeria has recorded its strongest-ever outing in global university rankings, with 24 institutions earning places in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
However, only four universities from the South-South geopolitical zone made the prestigious list.
The South-South institutions that secured places in the rankings are Delta State University, Abraka (12th), University of Benin (22nd), University of Calabar (23rd), and University of Port Harcourt (24th).
The rankings, which represent Nigeria’s highest-ever participation, reinforces the country’s growing influence in higher education across Sub-Saharan Africa, with 24 universities listed, up from 21 in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
The University of Ibadan retained its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution, followed by the University of Lagos, while Bayero University, Kano, emerged as the third-best performing university in the country.
Of the 24 institutions, 17 are federal universities, four are state-owned, and three are private universities, reflecting broad improvements in teaching, research, and institutional performance across the country’s tertiary education sector.
The rankings also underscore the growing global recognition of Nigeria’s specialised universities of technology and agriculture, while state-owned institutions continue to improve their academic profiles through enhanced research output and governance reforms.
The full list of Nigeria’s universities in the 2026 THE rankings are: University of Ibadan; University of Lagos; Bayero University, Kano; Covenant University; Landmark University; Ahmadu Bello University; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Ilorin; University of Jos; University of Nigeria; Babcock University; and Delta State University, Abraka.
Others are: Ekiti State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Lagos State University; Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Benin; University of Calabar; and University of Port Harcourt.
The rankings highlight both Nigeria’s expanding presence on the global academic stage and the need for greater investment in higher education across regions, particularly in the South-South, where only four universities made the country’s top 24 list.
The Ogu Community in Otubo-Atissa, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has stated its commitment to preserving its culture, peace and community development through the celebration of the annual “Uge Adiafa” New Yam Festival, tagged “Ogbolo ’26.”
Held at St. John’s Primary School Field, Ogu, the colourful festival served not only as the traditional commencement of the yam harvest season, but also as a tribute to the community’s illustrious son and founder of the Uge Adiafa Festival, His Majesty, Late King Fedrick Aduku Simangi Ogbotom-Edede IV.
The celebration brought together sons and daughters of the community, traditional rulers, academics, youths and other guests in a display of thanksgiving, cultural performances and renewed communal solidarity.
Addressing the gathering, the traditional head of the community, HRH Bishop Akuegbe Paul, expressed delight at the massive turnout, describing the festival as a symbol of thanksgiving to God, cultural identity and unity among the people.
He noted that beyond celebrating a successful farming season, the festival honours the enduring legacy of the late monarch, whose vision established the Uge Adiafa Festival as a platform for preserving the community’s rich cultural heritage and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Guest of Honour, Professor Nedie Patience Akani, of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, commended the community for embracing reconciliation and unity.
Professor Akani, who is of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, of the university and a daughter of the soil, said, “This is my first time attending this New Yam Festival. I came because of the good things happening in this community.
“Before now, there were quarrels in the community, with court cases here and there, brother fighting against brother. But today, God has united us. It is a wonderful thing to be united because where there is no unity, there can be no progress in the home, family or community.
“I thank the head of Ogu Community, HRH, Bishop Akuege Paul, for making today’s celebration a reality”, she stated.
The event also featured inter-compound cultural competitions, with Yenikabu II Compound emerging overall winner, while Bongata Compound and Abrima Compound finished first d second runners-up respectively.
Also, eleven Compound Chiefs alongside their respective Head Compound Women Chiefs were coronated. The Woman Chief of Ogu Community, HH, Dare Tiebiri and her Deputy, Chief Stella Jordan Mark, were also coronated.
Dignitaries that graced the occasion included the Ebenanawei of Akamabubu Kingdom, Southern Ijaw LGA, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, HRM, King J. Olotu Erepamo; the Paramount Ruler, Ikibiri Community, Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa State, HRH, Barrister Morris Lagos; and the Ebeni-Isisibo of Atissa Kingdom, HRH, God’swill Arab Simeon.
Other are: the Ebeni-Otubo, Atissa Kingdom, HRH, Sir Anderson J. Olumo, and his wife, Mrs. Tarila Anderson Olumo; the Deputy Head of Ogu Community, HH, Mission Obugu, and wife of the Ebeni-Ibe of Atissa Kingdom, Mrs. Diemeze Victor Awala.
For the people of Ogu, the festival was more than a celebration of the first harvest, it underscored the importance of preserving cultural traditions, strengthening communal bonds, promoting reconciliation and passing cherished values from one generation to another, while also ensuring that the legacy of their forebears continue to inspire future generations.
Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) has partnered the Delta State Government, Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to promote voluntary blood donation as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s blood supply and save lives.
The initiative, which forms part of SEEPCO’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for its host communities, aligns with activities marking the 2026 World Blood Donor Day with the theme, “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Lives.”
The campaign was conducted across Delta State’s three senatorial districts — Asaba, Ughelli and Warri — where stakeholders sensitised residents on the importance of voluntary, regular and unpaid blood donation as the most sustainable means of ensuring adequate blood supply for healthcare facilities.
The exercise followed a similar campaign in Lagos State, where SEEPCO, in partnership with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, mobilised about 550 pints of blood within two days.
VCDF also highlighted the steady growth of its annual blood donation drive, with the number of donors increasing from 98 in 2022 to 147 in 2023, 268 in 2024 and 341 in 2025.
Before the Delta campaign, the foundation had recorded a cumulative total of 1,404 voluntary donors, a feat that earned it the Blood Donation Champion Award from the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service.
At the Central Hospital, Ughelli, the hospital’s management and Blood Transfusion Committee commended SEEPCO, VCDF, the Delta State Ministry of Health and other partners for supporting initiatives aimed at improving access to safe blood for patients.
Speaking during the campaign, Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, described voluntary blood donation as critical to responding to public health emergencies and saving lives during accidents, childbirth and other medical emergencies.
He said: “Voluntary blood donation is important for public health emergencies and to save lives during accidents and childbirth. We are deeply grateful to VCDF and its partners for their commitment to promoting voluntary blood donation and supporting life-saving healthcare initiatives.”
Participants said the awareness campaign had increased public understanding of the importance of blood donation, with many first-time donors expressing willingness to become regular donors after learning about the safety, benefits and life-saving impact of donating blood.
Stakeholders also stressed the need for sustained public enlightenment, noting that a single blood donation could save multiple lives, as the campaign recorded impressive community participation across the three senatorial districts.
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