Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

August 26, 2016

Bauchi

Four female intending pilgrims from Bauchi State were barred from performing the 2016 Hajj Pilgrimage, the state’s Deputy Amirul Hajji, Alhaji Kawuwa Damuna, said.

Damuna, who is also the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, said that three of the intending pilgrims were discovered to be pregnant, while the fourth was disqualified on health grounds.

He said that officials of the state medical team discovered the pregnant women during their final screening.

Damuna said that the other pilgrim barred on health grounds was seriously sick.

“She was seriously sick and was also barred from boarding the aircraft conveying third and fourth batches of the state pilgrims on health ground,’’ he said.

FCT

The Federal Government has stepped up vigilance within

the drug supply chains in the country on the circulation of two confirmed falsified versions of Quinine Sulphate.

A statement said the Federal Ministry of Health received a medical alert that the two falsified drugs contain zero active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The statement signed by Mrs Boade Akinola, Director, Media and Public Relations of the ministry, said the drugs were circulating in West and Central Africa.

Akinola said the two version of the drug were circulating in Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo.

She said the Quinine Sulphate was used in the treatment of malaria.

According to her, the implication of using the falsified one is that it will not be effective and may also lead to other health challenges.

Jigawa

Flood has destroyed 120 houses and washed away farms

and other valuables worth million of naira in Jahun Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Rep. Sai’du Yusif (APC-Jahun/Miga) made the figure known to newsmen after visiting the victims to sympathise with them.

Yusuf said the report received from the victims, indicated that about 120 houses, foodstuffs and other valuables were destroyed by flood.

The lawmaker, accompanied by Chief Whip, Rep. Alasan Doguwa and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) official, said he came to sympathise with the victims.

Yusuf said he came in company of Alasan, who represented the Speaker, Rep Yakubu Dogara, to assess the level of damages caused by the flood for appropriate action.

Kaduna

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has urged

officers and men of the Nigerian Army to ensure they update themselves in terms of knowledge apart from military basic training.

Buratai spoke with newsmen at Kachia after he fired some shots in a mock war as one of the concluding exercises for graduating cadets.

“They must be up to date, not necessarily getting the basic military training only, they must be up to date in terms of current affairs and in terms of global trend.

“They must be current in Information Communication Technology and I am sure they will go places,’’ Buratai said.

Kano

Malam Abba Bala, a community leader in Warawa Lo

cal Government Area, Kano State, has expressed concern over the deplorable condition of Makole-Warawa-Laraba road.

The road linked the local government headquarters (Warawa), Laraba and other villages with Kano-Maiduguri highway.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Warawa, Bala said people living in the area found it difficult to reach Kano due to the terrible condition of the road.

“People in this area find it difficult to reach Kano-Maiduguri Highway to get a vehicle to Kano because of the condition of the road.

Katsina

Small holder farmers in Katsina State have appealed to

Federal Government and Agro-allied companies to ensure transparency in seed multiplication and other outgrowing business in the country.

The small holder farmers are from in Funtua, Faskari and Dandume Local Government Areas.

Outgrowing business is directing a collection of farmers to cultivate specific crop with inputs support from government or companies. It may be for special need such as multiplying breeder seeds to foundation seeds or expanding the cultivation of crops for maximum harvest.

Kogi

Nigerian women have been advised to inculcate at

tributes of good behaviour and fear of God in their children to be good citizens of the country.

Mrs Rosemary Adefarati, the Founder and Chairperson of Prosperous Women Organisation (PWO), gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lokoja.

She also charged women to be agents of peace and harmony in their homes, adding that they should also lay a good example for their children.

The chairperson advised mothers to be very watchful of their children, especially their daughters in this age where immoral behaviours were on the high side.

Kwara

A 65 year old woman, who was in charge of ensuring

proper sanitary condition of a mosque in llorin, Kwara was found dead inside a well at the mosque premises recently.

Our correspondent reports that the incident occurred at AnsarulDeen Mosque, Osere area, Sawmill in llorin West Local Government Area of the state.

Eye witnesses’ account revealed that the dead woman popularly known as “lya Majeobaje” fell into the well while fetching water to clean the mosque. They said that there was nobody within the vicinity of the mosque to rescue her when she fell inside the well at about 5p.m. None of the worshipers with the mosque took notice of any human being inside the well during the evening and early morning prayers.

Lagos

The Federal Government has opened the Apapa Bridge

to light traffic as the emergency repair works being carried out on it reached “milestone”.

A statement signed by Mr Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser, Communications, to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said that the bridge had been re-opened. Fashola said that the bridge was opened after repairs on it “attained a milestone’’.

“Also completed is the placement of height restriction gantry in order to ensure that only light traffic can access the bridge.

Nasarawa

The 10th session of the National Council of Environ

ment has approved a nationwide monthly environmental sanitation and will also reward the cleanest council all year round.

Hajiya Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment stated this in Lafia when she briefed newsmen about the decisions reached at the end of the meeting.

The 10th National Council on Environment was tagged “Environment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria: Empowering People, Taking Climate Action and Protecting the Environment’’.

Chaired by Mohammed, the meeting was attended by all Commissioners of Environment from all states of the federation, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), amongst other stakeholders.

Mohammed said the decision to reintroduce the monthly exercise was approved by the council following observation on the menace of poor solid waste management and sanitation issues.

Niger

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State

has called on commercial vehicle operators to commence installation of the speed limiting device on their vehicles to beat the October 1 deadline when enforcement will begin.

Suzan Ajenge, the Sector Commander told newsmen in Minna that the FRSC would start taking action against erring commercial vehicles.

She said that the measure would commence with articulated and commercial vehicles and subsequently private vehicles.

“ The previous deadline was not successful because we discovered that motorists needed more time to adjust to the policy.

Zamfara

An NGO, Seeds Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria

(SEEDAN) has donated 30 tonnes of 10kg bags of rice to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Dansadau emirate of Maru Local Government Area in Zamfara.

Our correspondent reports that over 3,000 IDPs were displaced from their various communities as a result of cattle rustling and bandit attacks.

Speaking while presenting the items to the victims, the Chairman of the association, Prof. Johnson Onyebe said that the gesture by the association was to assist the victims.

“We are very concerned about what has been happening here and we have decided to come and offer this assistance as our contribution to you as brothers and sisters.

“It is one of our programmes in SEEDAN, that whenever there are incidences like this, we contribute out of the little profit we are getting from our businesses to provide succour to humanity.

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.