Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

November 28, 2011

Adamawa

An Upper Area Court in Jimeta, Yola, has sentenced two single mothers to six months imprisonment for attempting to sell their daughters.

The convicts, Sharon Julius and Helen Awoke, both of Ghana Street in Demsawo ward of Yola, were charged for abandoning and showing cruelty to their children, an offence contrary to sections 237 and 238 of the penal code.

They were arrested by the police when they approached the proprietor of a day care centre in Yola and proposed to sell their little daughters at N200,000 and N150,000.

The women pleaded guilty and begged for leniency, saying they were forced by poverty and neglect to engage in the act.

Delivering judgement, Justice Danladi Mohammed sentenced them to six months imprisonment each with an option of N20,000 fine each.

Borno

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has announced the appointment Chief Kester Ogualili, an Igbo man, as his special adviser on community relations.

Ogualili is the first southerner to have such a political appointment in the state.

A statement signed by the Director of press affairs in the Borno Government House, Alhaji Usman Chiroma said 24 other special advisers were also appointed.

They include the former NLC Chairman in the state, Comrade Garba Ngamdua.

Shettima described the appointees as credible persons that were carefully chosen to help in the development of the state.

“I quite believe that the calibre of personalities that I appointed as my special advisers will work hard to contribute to the development of the state,” the governor said.

FCT

The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, says it is working in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment to produce a “robust climate change policy” for the country.

Head Energy and Environment Group, National Centre for Technology Management, Dr Olalekan Aquila made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen.

“It is in view of this that the Ministry of Science and Technology in partnership with the Ministry of Environment plans to produce a robust climate change policy that will stand the test of time,” he said.

According to him, the partnership will involve joint development of technologies on renewable energy and that of fossil fuel exploitation.

Gombe

Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has been called upon to hasten the appointment of a deputy governor.

This followed the vacuum created by the death of the former Deputy Governor, Mr David Albashi on November 4 in Germany.

A PDP Stalwart Bature Cromwell made the call in Gombe on Thursday in an interview with newsmen in Gombe.

Cromwell, a former Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Kaltungo Local Government Council, said the appointment would eliminate the “hullaballoo” that is likely to arise as a result of the delay.

“The delay would heat up the polity and create bad blood among the people.

He urged the governor and the party to hasten the decision and make the right choice.

Jigawa

The first batch of Jigawa Pilgrims from Saudi Arabia returned home on Wednesday en-route Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The Executive Secretary of Jigawa Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Sani Muhammed told newsmen in Dutse on telephone that all necessary arrangements had been put in place to ensure the safe arrival of the pilgrims.

Muhammad explained that the delay in the arrival of the pilgrims before now, after the completion of their spiritual obligations in the holy land was due to long queue at the security check point of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah.

He explained that the first batch of pilgrims who returned on Wednesday were those from Kiri Kasamma, Gagarawa, Guri, Kaugama and Gwaram Local Government Areas of the state.

Kano

Seven foreign countries have indicate interest to participate in the forthcoming 32nd Kano International Trade Fair.

The seven countries are China, India, Egypt, Senegal, Niger Ghana and Cameroun.

The Director-General of Kano Chamber of Commerce Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Hajiya Fatima Mohammed disclosed this to the newsmen in Kano.

“So far we have registered about 80 participants at the event and we are expecting not less than 200 more,” she said..

The KACCIMA chief said that the theme of this year’s trade fair is “Policy stability: a Hope for Industrial and Economic Development”.

Lagos

Former Director with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Dr. Omolara Akanji has said uncertainty and imperfect knowledge of the economy by operators contributed to the nation’s monetary policy challenge.

Akanji, who was the director in charge of Trade and Exchange, said this at the bi-monthly forum organised by the Finance Correspondent Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos.

The former director spoke on the topic “An Overview of Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in Nigeria”.

She said that the underdeveloped financial market and cash-based payment system was another challenge affecting the monetary policy transmission.

Akanji said that the informal sector had a lot of influence in the monetary policy management and needed to be captured for the implementation of cashless economy initiative.

Niger

The Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) has called for the diversification of the nation’s economy to guarantee economic prosperity instead of over dependence on the oil and gas sector.

The call is contained in a communiqué issued after the North Central Zonal meeting of RMFAC on economic diversification and enhanced revenue generation in Minna.

It said that the previous studies on the diversification of the economy should be put to use by the various levels of government in line with the present administration transformation agenda.

Ondo

The Ondo State Government on Wednesday in Akure flagged off the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), aimed at reducing mortality among children under five years as well as ensure safe delivery among pregnant women.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko said at the occasion that tremendous success had been recorded in the past rounds of the exercise.

The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Ademujimi, said the week strategy was aimed at scaling up a package of key maternal, neo-natal and child survival interventions that had been proven to reduce high neo-natal and child mortality in the country.

He said the interventions that would be implemented during this month’s round of the MNCHW were immunisation.

Plateau

The Plateau State Chapter of the League of Veteran Journalists has appealed to Governor Jonah Jang to rehabilitate the Plateau State Publishing Corporation to end the untold hardship faced by workers in the company.

The league in a statement on Wednesday in Jos said that it was worried over the dwindling fortunes of the company, publishers of the Nigerian Standard Newspapers.

In the statement signed by the league’s protem Chairman, Mr Gideon Barde, the league urged the government to take urgent steps to fund the corporation.

It noted that the corporation had remained a legacy within the North Central Zone, employing a significant number of journalists in the country.

Stating its neutrality in political matters, the league said that its objective was to enhance the quality of the journalism profession.

It also lamented the prolonged closure of the Jos Campus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism which serves as a training ground for journalists in the northern part of the country.

Yobe

A vehicle tyre burst in Damaturu on Wednesday caused pandemonium as people scampered for safety thinking it was a bomb explosion.

Gun shots followed the tyre busts, as security operative tool positions to avoic the November 4 blasts which led to the death of scores of people in Yobe.

The commissioner of Police in the state, Alhaji Suleman Lawal confirmed the incident late on Wednesday, saying the tyre bursts had scared most people in the state.

Lawal said the police had been directe4d to avoid shooting inthe air in order not to cause further panic except when confronted by any physical threat.

Our Correspondent recalls that bombs explosions rocked the metropolis on November 4, destroying the Police Command Headquarters, Police Anti-Terrorists Squad, Federal Secretariat, First Bank of Nigeria branch and some churches.

Zamfara

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Musa Sada, says the ministry will provide extension services to artisanal miners in Zamfara to teach them best practices in mining business.

A statement by Mr Marshal Gundu, Deputy Director, Press, in the ministry quoted the minister as saying that the artisanal miners were being exposed to standard best practices in mining operations, “especially as it applies to gold mining and processing”.

The statement said that the ministry would also carry out sensitisation campaign in the state to enlighten the rural populace in the mining communities on the dangers of inappropriate mineral processing and illegal mining.

The statement said prospective miners should use safety gadgets as provided for in the mining regulations to enable them to carry out mining activities with minimum risk.

It urged the artisanal miners to formalise the process currently being undertaken by the ministry to form mining cooperatives for the purposes of securing small-scale mining lease and to benefit from the extension services.

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.