Nation

THE STATES

Published

11 years ago

July 10, 2015

L-R: Rep. Uzor Azubuike, former Speaker, House of Representatives/ Chairman, Sub Committee on PDP Post Election Review, Rep. Emeka Ihedioha and Alhaji Adamu Waziri, during the PDP Post Election Review Committee and PDP stakeholders meeting for the South West in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: NAN

Adamawa

The Medical Unit of the 28 Taskforce Brigade Com
mand of the Nigerian Army, Mubi, says that it has treated over 3,000 people of various ailments in Mubi area of Adamawa.
Brig Gen. Victor Ezugwu ,Commander of the Task Force, told newsmen in Mubi.that the gesture was part of activities marking the 2015 Nigerian Army Day celebration, slated for every July 6.
He said that the medical reach-out covered communities where soldiers were deployed to carry out counter insurgency operations.
” Under the programme we are targeting no less than 5000 people. “But so far , we have already attended to over 3,000 people, all in Mubi area.” Ezugwu said.
He listed pregnant women, elderly people and children of five years and below, as those that benefited from the gesture.
Bauchi

Bauchi State Police Command has advised people of the
state to be on the alert following Sunday’s twin blast in parts of neighbouring Jos metropolis in Plateau state.
The command gave the advice in a statement issued by DSP Haruna Mohammed, the command’s spokesperson, and made available to journalists.
“Against the backdrop of prevailing security challenges, the Bauchi State Police Command urges members of the general public to be security conscious of their physical and social environment .
“They should pay special attention to persons and objects, particularly at motor parks, shopping malls, markets, schools and places of worships etc.
“They should also report suspicious persons or objects within their neighborhood, especially on motorcycles and tricycles, to the nearest Police station, or through the emergency numbers 08151849417, for prompt response”, it advised.
Borno
The Nigerian Army has released 182 detainees recently
cleared of any association with the Boko Haram insurgents.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, presented the detainees to Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State at a ceremony in Maiduguri.
Minimah said the detainees were arrested few months back in Borno State and other parts of the country.
He said the military decided to release them after they had been cleared by an investigation panel.
Minimah said the detainees include 100 men, 24 women,18 teenagers and 40 children.
“We believe that the state government will work towards reintegrating them back to the society,” he said.

Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court has ordered that
one Kayode Oke, 32, be remanded in prison for allegedly attempting to kill his mother.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Bamikole Olasunkanmi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 29 in Igede-Ekiti.
Olasunkanmi told the court that the accused on the said date unlawfully attempted to commit murder by chasing his mother with a cutlass.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
He also said that the case file had been sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

FCT
The Senegalese Head of State and current ECOWAS
Chairman, Macky Sall, has condemned the terrorist attacks in Nigeria in the last few days.
A statement issued by the Chairman and made available to the newsmen in Abuja said the attacks had left more than 150 dead and many others injured.
“In these painful circumstances, the Chairman presents his heartfelt condolences to the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, the Government and brotherly people of Nigeria,” it stated.
It also quoted the Chairman as appealing for greater international mobilisation to end terrorism and violent extremism.
The statement also appealed for expeditious holding of the Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
It added that such summits were needed to map out a common strategy against the terrorist movements.

Gombe
The United Nations has commenced screening of 2,000
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for the first phase of providing means of livelihood and early recovery support scheme to victims of Boko Haram insurgency.
The UN Resident Co-ordinator/UNDP on Resident Representative, Dr Daouda Toure, said in Gombe Monday while addressing the IDPs that the screening was to ascertain if they were actually victims of insurgency.
Toure said 500 beneficiaries would be selected from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and the UN was partnering with the three state governments to ensure the success of the exercise.
Toure, who was represented by Mr Matthew Alao, UNDP’s Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Analyst, said the beneficiaries would be placed on a six-month or one-year skills acquisition programme.
According to him, all the beneficiaries would be accommodated and also paid allowances for the entire period.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has banned any form of
street begging and hawking in the state.
A statement signed by the media aide to the governor, Mr Samuel Aruwan in Kaduna, said the ban was with immediate effect.
The statement said that the order was to reinforce security in the state, following a suicide attack in Zaria, which claimed the lives of 25 people on Monday.
It emphasised that the ban on commercial motorcycle operation was still in force and government would deal decisively with offenders.
“All beggars and hawkers are to stay off the streets until further notice.
“Any beggar or hawker found on the streets will be arrested until these measures are relaxed,” it said.

Lagos

Some Nigerians in the Diaspora have urged the Federal
Government to be proactive in the global drug policy review and implementation.
The call by the group under the aegis of the United Nigerians in the Diaspora (UNID) is coming as the United Nations prepare for the periodic review of the global illicit drug policy in 2016.
UNID is a non-governmental organisation aimed at addressing youths’ challenges, providing succor to the downtrodden as well as collaborating with the governments in finding solutions to global and national social malaise.
UNID said in a statement by its President, Dr Paschal Okoli, that the unwholesome venture by Nigerians, especially youths in global drug trafficking had made it imperative for the Federal Government to maximise diplomatic overtures.
“The Federal Government must raise its voice in the global campaign against drug trafficking, production, use and against the killing of drug offenders, especially Nigerians in some Asian countries,” the statement said.
It said that the nonchalant attitude of government, especially Nigerian Embassies in the cases of alleged drug offenses, mostly in Asian countries had further embolden some countries to maltreat Nigerians.
Nasarawa

Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has dis
tributed relief materials to 20 communities affected by the recent political clash in the state.
Speaking while distributing the items, the governor said that his administration was deeply concerned about the plight of the affected communities.
The items distributed include rice, beans, cooking pots, agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, herbicides and knap-sack sprayers, clothing materials, mattresses, roofing sheets and blankets.
He said that he made the donation in cooperation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and National Emergency Management Agency.

Osun

A Senior Pastor at the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-
Itura, Oshogbo, Osun State, Pastor Israel Adubi, has called for fervent prayer to end insurgency in the country.
Adubi made the call in Osogbo last Tuesday in an interview with newsmen on the renewed onslaught by the Boko Haram in the North.
He also called on Nigerians, irrespective of religious affiliations and political leanings, to come together and pray for divine intervention.
The cleric explained that the trend in insurgency in which young females were used as suicide bombers was dangerous and worrisome.
Sokoto
Sokoto State Government has dolled out foodstuff and clothing materials worth N9.7 million to indigent women ahead of the Sallah festival.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Alhaji Suleiman Sarkin-Fulani disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto.
He said the ministry had set up committees to distribute the items which included rice, sugar, wrappers, cash, among others.
The permanent secretary said apart from the women, patients on admission in hospitals and physically challenged persons would also benefit.
“The gesture is aimed at assisting the women to observe the ongoing Ramadan fast with ease.
“The clothing materials will also enable them to dress perfectly during the forthcoming Sallah just like other advantaged women,” Sarkin-Fulani added.

Taraba

The management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC),
Jalingo, has appealed to the striking resident doctors to call off their strike in the interest of patients.
Dr Wiza Inusa, the Medical Director of the hospital, made the appeal at a news conference on Tuesday in Jalingo.
Inusa said that the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) had embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of skipping allowances for their members.
He, however, explained that skipping allowances was a nationwide matter and should not be localised by doctors in the hospital.
“The resident doctors are pressing for the implementation of skipping allowances by the Federal Government which is okay.
`

Nation

HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

Published

1 week ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.

In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.

The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.

According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.

Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.

In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.

The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.

Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 months 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

2 months 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.