Nation

THE STATES

Published

16 years ago

July 5, 2010

Bauchi

Traditional rulers in Bauchi State have expressed displeasure over the inability of the Federal Government to accord the traditional institution a specific role in the country’s constitution.

The Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya, expressed the rulers’ displeasure when Vice President Namadi Sambo paid homage to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, on Saturday in Bauchi.

Our Correspondent reports that Danyaya received the Vice President on behalf of the Emir of Bauchi, who was on a medical trip abroad.

“It is necessary to provide a constitutional function for the country’s traditional rulers in view of their role as custodian of the culture and tradition of the people,’’ he said.

The emir reiterated the resolve of the country’s traditional rulers to continue to support the efforts of governments at all levels to transform the country and ensure sustainable peace and unity.

Ekiti

The Ekiti Government has described the death of Mr. Dipo Okunmuyide, the Correspondent of the national Life Newspaper as devastating and a great loss to the state.

Our Correspondent reports that Okunmuyide, 47, died on Monday at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) during treatment, following an auto crash in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday.

The deceased, who had an accident with his car, was initially treated at the Ado-Ekiti Teaching Hospital, where he was referred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan for further treatment.

On his way to Ibadan on Monday, the ambulance conveying him developed a fault. He was subsequently, taken to OAUTH where he died.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Taiwo olatunbosun, in Ado-Ekiti said the government received the death of Okunmuyide with great shock.

FCT

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Abuja on Saturday elected a new set of leaders, with Comrade Olawale Ajani emerging as the new President of the council.

Our Correspondent reports that members of the council converged in Abuja on Wednesday for its congress, culminating in Saturday’s elections.

In the polls which were a re-run of the council’s 2008 elections that were cancelled, Ajani polled 150 votes to beat nine other contestants with Balarabe Rufa’i the closest with 112 votes.

Twenty-two other posts were contested for, including deputy president, six zonal vice-presidents, secretary-general, assistant secretary-general, treasurer, internal auditor, seven zonal ex-officio and four others.

Esse Gerald beat Cosmos Akpan to the deputy president’s post after scoring 242 votes as against his rival’s 123, while Saleh Alhassan was elected Secretary-General after beating Salihu Abdullahi 305 – 88.

Gombe

No fewer than 11 persons were on Friday burnt beyond recognition in Jekadafari, Gombe State, when a petrol tanker went out of control and smashed into buildings and vehicles.

Our Correspondent reports that nine others were seriously injured, while 40 houses and business shops were destroyed and burnt in the resultant inferno.

Mr. Fidelis Osakwe, Sector Commander of the Federal Raods Safety Commission (FRSC) in Gombe, confirmed the accident in an interview with newsmen.

He said that when the driver lost control of the tanker, with registration number Taraba XB 157 TRR, it rammed into parked vehicles and buildings.

Dr. James Madi, Chief Medical Director of the Specialist Hospital, Gombe, gave the casualty figure as “more than 11 dead”.

Kano

The Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST) in Wudil, near Kano, has yet to hold its first convocation 10 years after its establishment.

According to the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, the institution has, however, graduated five sets of students totalling more than 500 within the period.

“But such products have not been ‘honoured’” Garba told newsmen yesterday in Wudil.

“Convocations are part of the stautory functions of the University meant not only to honour the graduating students but also to honour other members of the society who have distinguished themselves in their chosen field of endeavour”, he said.

“The convocation would have given the University the opportunity to showcase itself to the outside world because it will enable us to tell people what we are and what we do”, he said.

Garba noted that one of the consequencies was that most people in the country were not aware the existence of the KUST.

“This is not good for us,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Vice-Chancellor said the University’s authorities had put a machinery in motion for the institution to hold its maiden convocation for its past graduates.

He said the school had around 4,000 students studying various courses in science and technology, and added that the courses had been accredited by the National universities Commission.

Kaduna

Effective advocacy will enhance a successful implementation of the school health programme in the country, a public health expert, Dr Esiet Umem, has said.

Umem made the observation in a paper entitled “The Role of Stakeholders in School Health and Resource Mobilisation for School Health Programme”, which he presented in Kaduna on Friday.

Our Correspondent reports that the expert presented the paper at the National Coordination Meeting of School Health Stakeholders and Capacity Building of Officers on Monitoring and Evaluation of the programme.

He said effective advocacy would help the stakeholders to get all the input needed to implement a successful school health programme, noting that funding was the least of all the resources.

“You need to mobilise your resources and I have to be frank with you, money is the least of your resources because I hear some stakeholders complaining of lack of funds and budget allocation.

Umem further told the stakeholders to identify the key actors who would turn their advocacy work around, saying “you must be willing to be open.

Quoting Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, Umem said “to move the world, you must move yourselves”.

Reacting to the presentation, Mr Bisi Agberemi, a UNICEF water and sanitation specialist, told the stakeholders to develop an informal way of passing their messages to policy makers, saying money was not everything.

Lagos

A new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) has been appointed to take over from Mr Moses Ogbeh, the former Resident Electoral Commissioner, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Mr Femi Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), who announced this, did not, however, disclose the identity of the new commissioner but said that the name would be announced officially.

Our Correspondent reports that Ogbeh was recently disengaged following a directive from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters.

Meanwhile, addressing members of staff and well wishers at a get-together organised to send him off at the weekend, Ogbeh called on INEC and all Nigerians to make votes count in the 2011 election.

Ogbeh said that he had trust in the integrity and antecedents of the newly appointed INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to move the nation forward.

He advised Jega to study the handover notes of the outgoing INEC officials to enable him deal with difficult terrains in the country during the 2011 elections.

Commenting on his performance as REC in Lagos, Ogbeh said that the 2007 elections in the state was adjudged free and fair by the international community.

Niger

Governor David Jang of Plateau has said that his administration is collaborating with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to ensure the export of coffee produced in the state.

Jang made the disclosure on Friday in Minna at the ongoing 8th Niger National Trade Fair, which started on June 22, in the Niger capital.

After inspecting the stands of the 17 local government areas from Plateau at the fair, Jang said, “we grow apple and coffee and our coffee has proven to be one of the best in the world.

“We have up to nine local government areas in Plateau that grow coffee in large quanity.

Plateau

Alhaji Ahmed Maje, a member of the House of Representaitves, representing Wase in Plateau, has cautioned against violent reactions over the delay in swearing in Mohammed Zakari as Wase Council Chairman.

Zakari, a member of the AC, was on June 3, declared winner of the 2008 Council elections by the Plateau State Local Government Appeals Tribunal, following his appeal against the declaration of the PDP candidate, Abubakar Mohammed, as winner.

Zakari has, however, not been sworn in since then.

Angered by that delay, some youths in the area recently threatened to go on rampage to force the State Government to swear in Zakari.

Sokoto

Two persons in Faido village, Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, have lost their lives after eating a meal of beans treated with pesticides, the council’s Chairman, Alhaji Bala Musa, said yesterday.

Musa told newsmen in Yabo that the incident had also led to the hospitalisation of 17 others.

He said the dead persons and those hospitalised were from the same family, and that the incident occurred around 5.30 p.m. on Thursday.

“The deceased are males aged 21 and 22 years, and 16 of the 17 hospitalised persons have since been discharged, while the remaining one is not in a critical condition,” Musa explained.

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.