Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

May 16, 2016

L-R: United States Deputy Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, US Assistant Secretary of State, Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary, Erin Clancy, during the Media Round-Table on the 2nd Regional Security Summit in Abuja on Friday.

Benue
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has ordered the
management of Benue State University to stop the implementation of the new conditional charges introduced for students of the university.Ortom made the information known in Makurdi in an interview with newsmen.
He said the decision to order the stoppage of the conditional charges had become imperative following complaints by students and parents.Our correspondent reports that the new school administration under the leadership of Prof. Msugh Kembe, had introduced different charges across faculties, ranging from 45,000 to N55,000 per student.
The conditional charges included development levy, accreditation, utility, practical, consumables and certificate.

Bauchi

Bauchi State Police Command said it had arrested four
suspects for being in possession of stolen treated mosquitoes nets.
The Spokesman for the command, DSP Haruna Mohammed, made this known in a statement in Bauchi.
Mohammed named one Alhaji Modu, 32, of Lawan Bukar Ward and Ibrahim Ali, 30, of Shehuri North, all in Maiduguri town in Borno State as principal suspects arrested.
He said the suspects were arrested by a combined detachment of men from Bauchi State Police command and Military men from the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi.
Mohammed said that the suspects were arrested along Azare to Kano road in Bauchi State with 42 bags of treated mosquito nets donated by the United States Agency for International Development.

Ekiti

A 38-year-old hunter, Emmanuel Lamidi, has been re
manded in Prison Custody by an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court for allegedly shooting his friend in the farm.
The Magistrate, Mrs Doyin Akosile ordered that the accused be remanded in custody pending Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) legal advice. She adjourned the case till June 16, for further hearing. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ikebuilo Monica, had told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 23:00 hours on May 8, at Awelewa farm, Ilawe-Ekiti. She alleged that the accused, on the said day, time and place, unlawfully killed his friend, Benjamin Patrick by shooting him with a dane gun on the chest when they went hunting together. According to her, the offence contravened Section 325 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

FCT

Two applicants, Ikechukwu Emeoka, 30 and Enejo James,
20, have appeared in a Kado Grade 1 Area Court for allegedly mobbing a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Emeoka, and James, pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge of belonging to gang of thieves, resisting arrest, obstruction of police officer on duty, assault and causing grievous hurt.
The Prosecutor, Florence Avihioboh, said the defendants were caught during a police raid at criminal hideout in Berger, Wuse Zone 6 by a team of detectives lead by the Utako DPO on May 7.

Kwara

An agriculturalist, Mr Ogirinye Innocent, has called for
increase in the volume of inter trade relationship among African countries to boost development and unlock the continent’s agricultural potential.
Innocent made the call during a workshop on agricultural entrepreneurship organised by the Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigerian Universities, (ADAN) in Omu-Aran, Kwara. Our correspondent reports that the workshop was in conjunction with the College of Agricultural Sciences, Landmark University, Omu-Aran. He spoke on the topic: Agro-Preneurship: A Veritable Tool for Food Security and Economic Prosperity. Innocent, who is also the Coordinator of Youth Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture (YISA), an NGO, said that increased trade relationship would avail farmers improved access to global market advantages.
Nasarawa

Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State says he
will pursue a rapid rural and urban development pact for the people of the state with dynamism.
Al-Makura said this when he inspected the ongoing construction of Akwanga-Angwan-Zaria bridge in Akwanga local government area of the state.
“I will fulfill my covenant with the people of the state by embarking on projects that will be of benefit to the people in both rural and urban communities,” the governor said.
He promised that his administration would embark on provision of massive infrastructure to both rural and urban communities in the state.

Niger
The Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology
(FUT), Prof Musbau Akanji, Minna said the institution would establish solar energy to tackle inadequate power supply within the university community. Akanji stated this in Minna at a news conference where he outlined his achievements since assumption of office in December 2012. “As a university of technology we have problem of power supply.
“As I am speaking with you now, we pay average of N9 million monthly as electricity bill to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). “We purchase diesel of N16 million every month to get electricity for average of 12 hours,’’ he said. Akanji pointed out that universities all over the world must have power supply for 24 hours to be able to make progress.

Ondo
The Department of Petroleum Resources( DPR) in Ondo
State, is to sanction any filling station found diverting and hoarding petrol in the state.
The DPR Operations Controller in Ondo State, Mr Adewale Oseni, stated this while speaking with newsmen in Akure.
Oseni said that DPR had put machinery in place to ensure that any product coming to the state was not diverted or hoarded by retail outlets.
He decried the high level of diversion and hoarding of petroleum products by some retail outlets in the state, saying this had caused untold hardship on residents.

Ogun
Two men, Ayomide Amoo, 45, and Promise Isiramel, 23,
have appeared before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State charged with smoking weed suspected to be Indian hemp. The accused, whose addresses were not provided, are facing charges bordering on causing the breach of peace.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Chudu Gbesi, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 16 and April 18 at about 10.30 a.m. at Olurin Street around Power Line, Iyana-Iyesi, Ota.
Gbesi said that the accused conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by smoking weeds suspected to be India hemp in public.
Plateau
The Plateau State Government said it generated
N2.06 billion as revenue in the first quarter of the year.
The Acting Chairman, Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS), Mr Dashe Arlat, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Jos.
Arlat described the revenue collected within the period as “very encouraging’’ compared with the N1.84 billion realised in the corresponding period in 2015.
“From the amount so far realised this first quarter of the year, it is glaring that we have improved with our revenue generation having surpassed that of last year with N219, 506, 232.

Sokoto

The traditional leader of Igbo community in Sokoto
state, Eze Ozo Nweke, has advocated cross-cultural marriages among members of the NYSC in the country.
Nweke spoke on Tuesday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Wamakko, headquarters of Wamakko local government area in Sokoto State.
,Nweke spoke during the cultural fiesta and a skills acquisition exhibition by the 1,604 corps members deployed to the state, currently undergoing a three-week orientation.
According to the monarch, more of such marriages should be encouraged among the corps members nationwide.
“Such marriages also boost peace, unity and sustainable cohesion of Nigeria,” he added.

Taraba
Wife of Taraba State Governor, Mrs Anna Ishaku,
has launched a free medical treatment in Jalingo tagged: “Medical Rescue Outreach” which targets at least 80,000 patients across the state.
Ishaku said that her “Hope Afresh Foundation” was targeting 5000 people across each of the 16 local government areas of the state.
She explained that she was motivated by persistent calls to her office for assistance in settling medical bills.
Mrs Ishaku urged the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Innocent Vakkai, to look into the high bills charged by hospitals in the state to enable the less privileged people to access medical treatment.

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.