Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

February 10, 2012

Adamawa

Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that participated as ad-hoc staff in the just concluded Adamawa governorship election have been commended for their good conduct.

The Adamawa Coordinator of NYSC, Alhaji Shittu Suleiman, made the commendation in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Yola.

Shittu said apart from returning safely to their places of primary assignment after participating in the exercise no corps member was caught wanting in his or her conduct during the exercise.

“This is a good development and we have to commend them for a job well done,’’ Shittu said.

The state coordinator said that the outstanding allowance of all those that participated was with his office and would be paid to them on Wednesday.

He lauded all stakeholders particularly security and the people of Adamawa for their active support and cooperation in ensuring the safety of all corps members and other ad-hoc staff that participated in the election which was generally peaceful.

Benue

A 36-year-old man, Christopher Emmanuel, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court charged with murder.

Emmanuel was arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.

Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Michael Iwoh, told the court that one Anthony Odoh reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Oblegi in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue.

He said that Odoh alleged that the accused conspired with a group of men and killed one Inalegwu Abah.

Iwoh said that the accused along with one Emmanuel Sunday, Micheal Okpe and others now at large, stabbed the deceased with a knife while they were drinking at John Brown Beer Parlour in Obu Branch, Otukpa.

He said that during Police investigation, the accused was arrested at Nsukka in Enugu while trying to escape to Port-Harcourt.

FCT

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina, says 28 states of the federation have so far benefitted from the Federal Government’s Women Fund for Economic Empowerment (WOFEE) scheme.

WOFEE is a micro-credit scheme aimed at strengthening women’s operational bases in the rural areas through the formation of women cooperatives.

Zainab, who was speaking at the ongoing Annual Microfinance Conference organised by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja on Tuesday, said the scheme was being implemented by the ministry in partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

She said the ministry in collaboration with the bank also initiated the establishment of “Business Development Fund foe Women” (BUDFOW), following the successful take off of the WOFEE programme.

“Following the successful take off of WOFEE, a gap was also observed regarding the need for a higher level of financial and technical assistance for women who will be graduating from the WOFEE programme to establish a small and medium scale businesses of their own.

Kaduna

Retired Maj.-Gen. Bala Usara has commended the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, Kaduna State, for graduating “sound and vibrant” young soldiers.

He gave the commendation during the school’s 2012 West African Social Activities, held in Zaria on Saturday.

Usara observed that the young soldiers were not only given professional training but also sound academic education helped them to score excellent grades in both WAEC and NECO.

He appealed to the commandant of the school, Col. Abdullahi Lawal-Faskari, not to relent in his efforts aimed at maintaining excellent standard.

Earlier, Lawal-Faskari said the school had stepped up efforts to molding the students to enable them cope with global technological challenges.

Kano

The Kura Local Government Council of Kano State has set up a 14-man committee to oversee the disbursement of scholarship funds to students of the local government in tertiary institutions.

Inaugurating the committee on Saturday in Kura, the council Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Halilu, said that setting up the committee was in line with the state government’s effort to enhance the students’ welfare.

Halilu said the council found it necessary to constitute the committee to ensure transparency and fairness in the payment of scholarship allowances to students from the area.

Kebbi

A stakeholders parley on security in Birnin Kebbi has recommended regular meetings between Christians and Muslims to promote cordial relationship among the faithful of the two major religions.

The meeting also urged security agencies in the state to enforce the laws guiding the conduct of Muslim and Christian preachers.

A statement by Alhaji Abubakar Mua’azu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday said the meeting, which was chaired by Gov. Saidu Dakingri, urged the public to be security conscious by reporting on criminal activities in their neighbourhood to security agencies.

The meeting urged the state and local governments to urgently facilitate the demarcation of grazing lands to prevent frequent clashes between farmers and cattle breeders.

Kwara

The Kwara State Government and the National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) have approved the release of N500 million to assist Small Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives, Alhaji Saka Omimago, said this on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin.

According to him, Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed has provided the sum of N250 million while NERFUND will provide the balance.

He explained that the fund would be disbursed in two phases of N250million each through 10 micro finance banks already identified by government.

Lagos

The Police in Lagos have paraded two suspected armed robbers, who allegedly robbed two bankers of $12, 800 (about N1.92m) on January 30.

Parading two of the three suspects, the Police spokesman, SP Jaiyeoba Joseph, said that the suspects were arrested a day after the incident.

Joseph, however, confirmed that $8, 320 dollars was recovered from the two suspects, while the third member of the gang was on the run.

Of the two suspects, Joseph said one was a 200 level law student of the University of Uyo, while the second, who allegedly masterminded the robbery, was a driver with the victims’ bank.

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa Commissioner for Planning, Hajiya Maryam Buba, has re-affirmed the state government’s readiness to partner with civil society groups and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for the rapid development of the state.

She gave the assurance recently in Lafia when officials of the state chapter of the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) paid her a courtesy visit.

Buba said the administration would continue to partner with unions, associations and NGOs to proffer solutions for the development of the state.

She said government would do everything humanly possible to facilitate good working relations between it and the various organisations.

Oyo

The Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) is to establish 10 forestry villages in different parts of the country.

FRIN’s Executive Director, Prof. Solomon Badejo, made this known on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen on phone in Ibadan.

He said the villages would help create awareness about FRIN’s activities.

“We want to establish 10 adopted villages in different ecological zones of the country whereby we can demonstrate most of the technologies developed and perfected here at FRIN,’’ Badejo said.

Plateau

Eventolicks, a world class tour packaging in Spain, has indicated interest in exploring the abundant tourism opportunities in Nigeria.

Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, told newsmen in Jos recently that the outfit was interested in “packaging tours to Nigeria for different categories of its clients’’.

Runsewe, who just returned from this year’s World Fair held in Madrid, Spain, quoted Mr Javier Arambarri, the company’s representative at the fair, as describing Nigeria’s tourism potential as “great and attractive’’.

The Madrid fair, which was attended by 72 countries, brought together countries and private industry practitioners from all over the world.

Sokoto

Former Sokoto Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, says he would execute projects worth over N2 billion for three Local Government Area (LGAs) that give PDP the highest number of votes at the governorship poll.

Wamakko, the PDP candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, made the offer at Binji on Tuesday while addressing PDP supporters during a campaign rally in the area .

The Independent Electoral Commission ( INEC) had fixed February 18 , 2012 for the gubernatorial poll in the state sequel to the judgment of the Supreme Court, which sacked five state governors, including Wamakko.

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.