Niger Delta
Bayelsa Partners Chinese Firm On Road, Agric, Other Projects
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has secured a boost to driving growth in the economy of the State through foreign investment with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), at the firm’s headquarters in Beiginj.
The MoU, The Tide learnt, covers infrastructure, agricultural and aquaculture projects, as well as mass housing for civil servants and low-income earners in the state.
A statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, stated that the the Governor signed on behalf of the government, while President of the CCECC, Mr. Chen Sichang, signed for the firm.
Alabrah added that the new deal comes on the heels of a similar agreement signed on October 14, 2025, in Abuja with Dubai-based Jampur Group for the construction of solar panels and smart electricity meters in the state.
Mr. Sichang, according to the governor’s image maker, described the deal as a landmark agreement, saying that CCECC started its first project in Bayelsa in 2012.
Alabrah also quoted the firm’s boss as saying: “We have successfully completed a number of projects over the past 13 years, including the Tombia Road, Niger Delta University Road, Airport Access Road, Glory Drive Phase 2, and the Yenagoa-Angiama section of the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road.
“Notably, the ongoing construction of the 630-meter bridge (between Angiama and Oporoma) is the longest stand-alone bridge ever constructed by CCECC in Nigeria.
“The fact that such a significant project was awarded to our company is a clear reflection of Your Excellency’s strong confidence in our capabilities. For this, I again express our sincere gratitude and assure that we are fully committed to delivering the project on schedule and to the highest standards.”
The company’s helmsman said the state was one of its most important strategic partners and proposed collaboration on projects that include more community access roads, power, water supply, mechanised agriculture and aquaculture as well as production of fertiliser to boost agriculture.
“Regarding financing of some of the projects, we will invest in them while for others we will seek government or credit support. We sincerely look forward to signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government to explore cooperation in these areas, and we hope to engage in concrete project partnerships in the near future.
“We are dedicated to delivering more exemplary China-Africa cooperation projects that support the state’s long-term growth”, Mr Sichang said.
In his remarks, Governor Diri described CCECC as a development partner, recalling that there were issues bordering on indebtedness to CCECC and some other companies when he assumed office in 2020 but that his administration had cleared the backlog.
“When I assumed office and saw the quality of work done by your company from the time of my predecessor, I decided to continue with you. For us, we see you not only as a construction company, but more as a development partner. Today, you have confirmed this.
“Since we overcame the initial challenges, your company has been doing wonderfully well in our state. In fact, it is one of the first top companies that partnered with us on infrastructure development of the state.
“I’m impressed that you already mentioned some of the areas I wanted to talk about like roads, agriculture, aquaculture and housing development. I believe we are all thinking positively together”, Diri said.
The Bayelsa Governor stated that the President of Nigeria would be invited to inaugurate the Angiama-Oporoma bridge in February next year during the sixth anniversary of his administration.
He also expressed the determination to provide mass housing within the remaining two years of his tenure.
“This is one area of cooperation we seriously desire. We want to see private sector-driven housing projects in Bayelsa, particularly in a place we call the New Yenagoa City. Same for power and water supply.
“From the day I came into office, two things I told myself we must do were the provision of electricity and pipe-borne water for our people. These are basic necessities”, he added.
Diri accepted the proposal for a fertiliser production plant and that the government was interested in mechanised agriculture and aquaculture.
“As you stated, you are ready to go into financing of these projects. When you become development partners, it means government alone is not the party bringing all the money.
“So, we will agree on the financing model and the investment model. That way, you are seen more as financiers and investors and no longer as contractors”, the Governor restated.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Nigeria has recorded its strongest-ever outing in global university rankings, with 24 institutions earning places in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
However, only four universities from the South-South geopolitical zone made the prestigious list.
The South-South institutions that secured places in the rankings are Delta State University, Abraka (12th), University of Benin (22nd), University of Calabar (23rd), and University of Port Harcourt (24th).
The rankings, which represent Nigeria’s highest-ever participation, reinforces the country’s growing influence in higher education across Sub-Saharan Africa, with 24 universities listed, up from 21 in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
The University of Ibadan retained its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution, followed by the University of Lagos, while Bayero University, Kano, emerged as the third-best performing university in the country.
Of the 24 institutions, 17 are federal universities, four are state-owned, and three are private universities, reflecting broad improvements in teaching, research, and institutional performance across the country’s tertiary education sector.
The rankings also underscore the growing global recognition of Nigeria’s specialised universities of technology and agriculture, while state-owned institutions continue to improve their academic profiles through enhanced research output and governance reforms.
The full list of Nigeria’s universities in the 2026 THE rankings are: University of Ibadan; University of Lagos; Bayero University, Kano; Covenant University; Landmark University; Ahmadu Bello University; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Ilorin; University of Jos; University of Nigeria; Babcock University; and Delta State University, Abraka.
Others are: Ekiti State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Lagos State University; Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Benin; University of Calabar; and University of Port Harcourt.
The rankings highlight both Nigeria’s expanding presence on the global academic stage and the need for greater investment in higher education across regions, particularly in the South-South, where only four universities made the country’s top 24 list.
The Ogu Community in Otubo-Atissa, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has stated its commitment to preserving its culture, peace and community development through the celebration of the annual “Uge Adiafa” New Yam Festival, tagged “Ogbolo ’26.”
Held at St. John’s Primary School Field, Ogu, the colourful festival served not only as the traditional commencement of the yam harvest season, but also as a tribute to the community’s illustrious son and founder of the Uge Adiafa Festival, His Majesty, Late King Fedrick Aduku Simangi Ogbotom-Edede IV.
The celebration brought together sons and daughters of the community, traditional rulers, academics, youths and other guests in a display of thanksgiving, cultural performances and renewed communal solidarity.
Addressing the gathering, the traditional head of the community, HRH Bishop Akuegbe Paul, expressed delight at the massive turnout, describing the festival as a symbol of thanksgiving to God, cultural identity and unity among the people.
He noted that beyond celebrating a successful farming season, the festival honours the enduring legacy of the late monarch, whose vision established the Uge Adiafa Festival as a platform for preserving the community’s rich cultural heritage and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Guest of Honour, Professor Nedie Patience Akani, of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, commended the community for embracing reconciliation and unity.
Professor Akani, who is of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, of the university and a daughter of the soil, said, “This is my first time attending this New Yam Festival. I came because of the good things happening in this community.
“Before now, there were quarrels in the community, with court cases here and there, brother fighting against brother. But today, God has united us. It is a wonderful thing to be united because where there is no unity, there can be no progress in the home, family or community.
“I thank the head of Ogu Community, HRH, Bishop Akuege Paul, for making today’s celebration a reality”, she stated.
The event also featured inter-compound cultural competitions, with Yenikabu II Compound emerging overall winner, while Bongata Compound and Abrima Compound finished first d second runners-up respectively.
Also, eleven Compound Chiefs alongside their respective Head Compound Women Chiefs were coronated. The Woman Chief of Ogu Community, HH, Dare Tiebiri and her Deputy, Chief Stella Jordan Mark, were also coronated.
Dignitaries that graced the occasion included the Ebenanawei of Akamabubu Kingdom, Southern Ijaw LGA, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, HRM, King J. Olotu Erepamo; the Paramount Ruler, Ikibiri Community, Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa State, HRH, Barrister Morris Lagos; and the Ebeni-Isisibo of Atissa Kingdom, HRH, God’swill Arab Simeon.
Other are: the Ebeni-Otubo, Atissa Kingdom, HRH, Sir Anderson J. Olumo, and his wife, Mrs. Tarila Anderson Olumo; the Deputy Head of Ogu Community, HH, Mission Obugu, and wife of the Ebeni-Ibe of Atissa Kingdom, Mrs. Diemeze Victor Awala.
For the people of Ogu, the festival was more than a celebration of the first harvest, it underscored the importance of preserving cultural traditions, strengthening communal bonds, promoting reconciliation and passing cherished values from one generation to another, while also ensuring that the legacy of their forebears continue to inspire future generations.
Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) has partnered the Delta State Government, Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to promote voluntary blood donation as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s blood supply and save lives.
The initiative, which forms part of SEEPCO’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for its host communities, aligns with activities marking the 2026 World Blood Donor Day with the theme, “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Lives.”
The campaign was conducted across Delta State’s three senatorial districts — Asaba, Ughelli and Warri — where stakeholders sensitised residents on the importance of voluntary, regular and unpaid blood donation as the most sustainable means of ensuring adequate blood supply for healthcare facilities.
The exercise followed a similar campaign in Lagos State, where SEEPCO, in partnership with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, mobilised about 550 pints of blood within two days.
VCDF also highlighted the steady growth of its annual blood donation drive, with the number of donors increasing from 98 in 2022 to 147 in 2023, 268 in 2024 and 341 in 2025.
Before the Delta campaign, the foundation had recorded a cumulative total of 1,404 voluntary donors, a feat that earned it the Blood Donation Champion Award from the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service.
At the Central Hospital, Ughelli, the hospital’s management and Blood Transfusion Committee commended SEEPCO, VCDF, the Delta State Ministry of Health and other partners for supporting initiatives aimed at improving access to safe blood for patients.
Speaking during the campaign, Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, described voluntary blood donation as critical to responding to public health emergencies and saving lives during accidents, childbirth and other medical emergencies.
He said: “Voluntary blood donation is important for public health emergencies and to save lives during accidents and childbirth. We are deeply grateful to VCDF and its partners for their commitment to promoting voluntary blood donation and supporting life-saving healthcare initiatives.”
Participants said the awareness campaign had increased public understanding of the importance of blood donation, with many first-time donors expressing willingness to become regular donors after learning about the safety, benefits and life-saving impact of donating blood.
Stakeholders also stressed the need for sustained public enlightenment, noting that a single blood donation could save multiple lives, as the campaign recorded impressive community participation across the three senatorial districts.
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