Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

September 16, 2016

Adamawa

Governor Muhammadu Bindow of Adamawa
State along with members of his Cabinet,
celebrated Eid el-Kabir with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Malkohi Camp.
Bindow said at the occasion that he would continue to support the cause of humanity, especially the disadvantaged people.
He assured the IDPs of his administration’s resolve to facilitate their prompt integration.
“We will continue to support you and give you a sense of belonging.
“My administration will continue to identify with the disadvantaged in the society.

Borno

Borno State Government has no plans to force
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), whose communities have been liberated by the military to return home, Governor Kashim Shettima, has said.
The governor made the statement while speaking with newsmen shortly after performing the two rakaat Eid prayers in Konduga, headquarters of Konduga Local Government Area.
“I want to say without any fear of contradiction that government has no plan to force any persons back home to his or her community.
“We will not compel individuals to go back to their place,’’ Shettima, who was accompanied by the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari and other top government officials said.
FCT

As schools resume amid economic recession,
parents have canvassed for home-made food for wards.
A cross section of parents who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja said this became necessary due to the inflation in food prices and transportation fares.
Mrs Helen Solomon, a trader, said it was necessary “during this period to find alternative means of surviving in order to cut cost.’’
Solomon said that she had decided to start making meals for her children to take to school, saying home-made food was cheaper and healthier.

Gombe

The Emir of Akko,Alhaji Umar Atiku, has appealed
to Nigerians to pray to God to bring to an end the hardiship in the country.
Atiku said this when he spoke with newsmen in Kumo, headquarters of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
“Instead of criticising leaders,we need to seek for God’s intervention through prayer,to bring an end to the current hardship being experienced in the country.
“We should also intensify prayers for our leaders at all levels for wisdom,” he said. He said in this hard time, a lot of people could not afford one square meal, talkless of the three.
Kaduna

The Kaduna State command of the Federal Road
Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has secured 45 convictions of motorists for various traffic offences in Kaduna. The Command’s Legal Officer, Mr Ibrahim Tanko, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen. He said the motorists were convicted via a mobile court during Sallah and ember months’ operations, which commenced on September 7.
Kogi

Five top civil servants in Kogi State have been
arrested for allegedly diverting N230 million pension fund to their private uses.
The Accountant-General of the state, Alhaji Yusuf Okala, confirmed the development to newsmen in Lokoja.
Okala, who is also the Chairman of the Staff Screening and Verification Committee, said the alleged fraud was discovered in the course of the committee’s work.
“Yes, it is true. We have been able to recover N20 million from them through the efforts of the police command in the state,” Okala said.

Niger

A former Head of State, Retired Gen. Abdulsalami
Abubakar, has advised Nigerians to stop vandalising infrastructure provided by governments for the development of the nation.
Abubakar gave the advice at the Minna Central Mosque after the two Rakaat prayers for the Eid-el-Kabir.
“The ongoing destruction of our infrastructure in the country is capable of hampering our development if it is not checked,’’ he said.
He appealed to individuals and groups engaged in such act to make their grievances known to government by reporting to the appropriate authorities to address their issues, instead of taking the law into their hands.
The former Head of State said that meaningful development could only take place in a conducive environment.

Osun

The Chairman of the Association of Local
Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State, Mr Soji Ajayi, has called for social reorientation for the youths.
Ajayi,who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo, stressed the need to make youths more responsible and productive.
He said that the level of social consciousness of the youths was low considering the enormous responsibility of nation-building before them, hence, the need for social reorientation.
The ALGON chairman added that many of the youths were not ready to take up responsibility but rather preferred easy route to success and wealth.

Plateau

Mr Obadiah Samuel of the Centre for Peace and
Conflict Management, University of Jos, says corruption and mismanagement of public funds have posed a serious threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
Samuel said this in Jos while delivering a lecture entitled, “The Right to Peace and Security” at a seminar on security. The seminar was organised by the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos.
Samuel said that the diversion of public funds into private pockets had led to the high level of insecurity in the country.
“Corruption, mismanagement and absence of political will have really stagnated a lot of things in this country; they have contributed immensely to our present insecurity situation”.

Yobe

Residents of Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State,
have expressed satisfaction with the tight security in the state during the Eid el-Kabir festival.
They told our correspondent that they felt secure with the presence of the security operatives.
Alhaji Musa Buba said: “it is better to trek and be secured than to allow free movement of vehicles and live in fear.’’
Dr Mohammed Fari, Commandant Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state, said a special surveillance square was deployed to check movements of persons.

Zamfara

The Acting Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji
Ibrahim Wakkala, has charged the people of the state to be security conscious.
Wakkala stated this when he paid Sallah homage to the Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello at his palace.
He said relative peace had been restored in the state which had suffered in the hands of armed bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers in the last three years.
Wakkala advised the people not take chances of the situation by being so free with strangers that might come their way.
He said the state government would remain grateful to the Federal Government for the bold steps it took to address the security issues in the North West particularly in Zamfara.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

1 week 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

1 week 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.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

1 week ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.