Niger Delta

Empowerment: Four N’Delta States Employ 10,000 Youth

Published

11 years ago

August 3, 2015

Facts have emerged that no
fewer than 10,000 youths had been employed in Niger-Delta States of Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers in the last two years under government empowerment scheme.
The Secretary to the NPC, Mr Bassey Akpanyung disclosed this at a National Level Stakeholders’ Validation Workshop on the Informal Sector Study of the four states.
Akpanyung said that the 10,000 youths were employed under the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) project implemented in the four states.
“I am pleased to inform you that barely two years into the implementation of SEEFOR Project, the socio-economic activities of the SEEFOR States have witnessed some improvement with the employment of over 10,000 youths under the small public works scheme of the project while over 121,000 people are accessing other growth enhancing services under numerous informal sector initiatives in the targeted communities of the project.“
The secretary said that the study on the four SEEFOR states would provide information on the characteristics and viability of the informal sector.
He said that the expectation was that the study would also help the government in taking sound and evidence-based policy decisions, particularly in the SEEFOR states.
In addition, Akpanyung said that the study would also provide the various governments of the SEEFOR states with the opportunity to explore other alternative sources of generating revenue internally.
The official said that the benefiting states would be able to generate internally through adequate tax legislations, thereby blocking all forms of financial leakages through the project.
According to him, the states will be able to boost their economy with the project, especially with the dwindling price of oil.
“A cursory look at the outcome of the study shows that the informal sector still remains a major contributor to the GDP and job creation in the four beneficiary states of the Niger Delta region.
“The sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) averaged 34.9 per cent. “This result is also consistent with the 37.7 per cent recorded outcome of the pilot study carried out by the NPC – NISER (Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research).
“With the support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on the informal sector in 2014, covering six states drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country.”

According to him, the implication of the report is that the informal sector remains very dominant.
He urged the respective states to introduce policies aimed at further formalising the sector, especially at a time when revenue receipts from oil were very low.
Akpanyung, however, said that the current administration was fully committed to rejuvenating and improving the operations of the informal sector at the national and sub-national levels.
He said that recent pronouncements made by President Muhammdu Buhari, indicated that the new administration had favourable disposition to invigorating the informal sector for job creation.
“It is hoped that the subnational governments, the private sector and indeed the development partners will join with government in undertaking this important task,“ the secretary said.
Earlier, Mr Tunde Lawal, the National Project Coordinator, SEEFOR Project, said that the objective of the workshop was to share the key findings of the revised draft report on the informal sector study.
Lawal said that the workshop was also aimed at deepening the knowledge about the characteristics and operations of the important sector in the SEEFOR project participating states.

Niger Delta

850-bed UCTH overstretched, services 5m patients – CMD

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.

He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.

The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.

He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.

According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.

“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.

“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.

He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.

According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.

Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.

He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.

The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.

“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.

“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said

In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.

He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.

The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.

He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.

According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.

The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.

The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.

Niger Delta

Police Burst Child Trafficking Syndicate In A’Ibom … Nab 3 Suspects

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.

The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.

She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.

“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.

“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.

The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.

AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.

“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.

“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.

According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.

Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.

“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.

He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.

“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.

Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.

CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.

The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.

Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.