Niger Delta
Denmark Partners NGO On Climate Change Project In N’Delta
The Embassy of Denmark in Nigeria, partnering with the Academic Associate PeaceWorks (AAPW), is set to fund a two-year project towards moderating climate change impacts in the Niger Delta.
The embassy’s Senior Programme Manager in Nigeria, Nosakhare Ayejimiwo, disclosed this in a two-day Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum in Yenagoa on yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the forum is titled “Policy Dialogue and Exhibition on Green and Blue Economy in the Niger Delta”.
Ayejimiwo said the policy dialogue and exhibition were not only to share ideas but living demonstrations of how partnership and cooperation could lead to real and impactful change.
“One of Denmark’s strategic priorities for engagement with Africa is to increase efforts for climate adaptation, with particular focus on water, forests, and biodiversity, and support for green transition in the continent.
“We are living in a time where climate change is undeniably one of the greatest global concerns of our era.
“Yet, while its effects are felt worldwide, it is communities at the frontline like yours and others in the Niger Delta that bear the brunt of its impacts most acutely.
“The Niger Delta faces unique challenges that demand urgent, thoughtful, and locally relevant responses.
“Denmark’s partnership in this region reflects our strong commitment to supporting solutions that are inclusive, locally-led, and sustainable.
“This project is a shining example of those values in action; it embodies collaboration across sectors and stakeholders”, she said.
In her remarks, AAPW Executive Director, Judith Asuni, explained that the two-year project, implemented by AAPW, would be in four communities.
According to her, the communities are those highly affected by climate change, environmental degradation and piracy in Bayelsa and Delta States.
She added that the communities could potentially develop green and blue economies in their areas.
Asuni said, “The project aims to promote sustainable practices in both marine and terrestrial environments, emphasising conservation and resource management in the Niger Delta region.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Agricultural and Natural Resources, Prof. Beke Sese, reiterated the mandate of his ministry to produce food for Bayelsa, Nigerians and the world.
He noted that the administration of Governor Douye Diri had concluded that the state was too blessed to be poor or associated with poverty.
However, while attributing the state’s blessedness to its rich vegetation and soil fertility, he regretted that a large amount of food consumed in the state was being brought from outside.
“Our primary focus has been on rice production because Bayelsa State is a natural habitat for rice. So, we are supporting our rice farmers by providing inputs, seedlings and rice mills.
“Our goal is to reduce the cost of rice, and we cannot do that without collaboration with our rice farmers.
“We want to create the enabling environment for farmers to be productive”, he said.
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The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.
He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.
The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.
He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.
“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.
“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.
He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.
According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.
Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.
He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.
The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.
“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.
“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said
In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.
He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.
The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.
He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.
According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.
The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.
She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.
She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.
The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.
The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.
AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.
“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.
“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.
According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.
Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.
“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.
He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.
“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.
Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.
CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.
The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.
Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.