Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

February 15, 2012

Adamawa

Nomads in Adamawa, who lost their cattle and property in the recent sectarian violence in Numan, Lamurde and Guyuk Local Government Areas of the state, have urged the government for compensation.

Spokesman of the affected nomads, Alhaji Maikano Ahmadu, who is also the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Nomads Association in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa, said that about six nomadic settlements were attacked in the three Local Governments during which six lives were lost.

“Apart from razing down our houses, livestock made up of 400 cattle and 100 sheep and goats were missing,” Maikano told newsmen.

Conducting newsmen round Pwafuke, one of the worst affected settlements, Maikano said that since the incident occurred on January 13, no assistance had come their way except for the sum of N70,000 from a Numan community leader.

Bauchi

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has said that a 32-bed cardiac centre will be constructed in the state at the cost 10 million dollars (about N1.5 billion).

The governor made this known on Saturday when he met with Prof. Jaffar Sabbagh, Head of Sabbagh Engineering Consultants, Saudi Arabia, the firm handling the project.

He said that the project was being funded by Euroson, a Germany-based Non-Governmental Organisation.

Yuguda stressed that his government had been working assiduously to ensure that the project was completed within the stipulated one-year period.

He, however, noted that medical equipment for the centre had already been procured by Euroson, adding that “all that is left is to construct a befitting centre.

Borno

The Borno State Government has concluded plans to introduce the Teacher Volunteer Scheme to address the decay in the education sector, says Gov. Kashim Shettima.

Shettima disclosed this in Maiduguri on Saturday while launching the distribution of science and instructional materials to some secondary schools in the state.

He said that members of the State Executive Council would be involved in teaching in schools under the scheme.

Shettima decried the deplorable condition of education in the state, saying that the state government would partner with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to revamp the sector.

FCT

The Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Mrs Sarah Jibril, has called on Christians to continue to pray for the security of the nation.

Jibril said that it was unfortunate that some religious extremists had declared war against security forces and Christians in a plot to cause disunity in the country.

She, however, stressed that God would never overlook the prayers of the people, adding that He would bring judgment upon perpetrators of the numerous attacks on places of worship and security agencies.

Jibril advised the victims of religious intolerance to always strive to abide by the teachings of the Scriptures, while calling on Christians to remain vigilant in their various places of worship.

Gombe

A cleric, Rev. Abare Kallah has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Gombe State Chapter.

Our correspondent reports that in an election conducted on Saturday in Gombe, Kallah polled 65 votes to beat Rev. Kawuwa JP, who scored 12 votes out of the 78 votes while one vote was invalidated.

Other elected officials of the association included Mr Iliya Bako, Vice Chairman; and Rev. Samuel Bulus, Secretary.

Rev. Adams Boyi, Mr Iliya Victory, Mr. Solomon Ayewale, Rev. Alfred Shilong and Pastor Thomas Ejiniyi were elected Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Auditor, respectively.

Kaduna

Gunmen on Saturday night killed two people at Unguan Musa in Zonkwa, Zango Kataf Local Government Area, spokesman of the Kaduna Police Command, DSP Aminu Lawal, has said. Lawal told newsmen on Sunday that the victims, 20- year-old man and an 18-year- old woman were attacked by the gunmen in their residence at 11 p.m.

Lawal said the gunmen, who were yet to be identified, fled the area shortly after the attack that left some others injured.

He said the police had commenced investigation but no one had been arrested.

It will be recalled that gunmen had on Saturday, January 28, killed a policeman, one Cpl. Farouk Abdullahi, at Rigasa quarters in Kaduna metropolis under similar circumstance.

Kebbi

Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State has reinstated the suspended district head of Kangiwa in Arewa Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Suleiman Zango.

Our sources said that Zango was suspended two years ago by the local government authorities.

A statement issued by the Press Secretary Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu, to Dakingari in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday, indicated that the announcement for the reinstatement was made during a visit to the governor by the district head.

The statement said that Dakingari had declined to endorse the suspension by the local government authorities to pave way for amicable resolution of the dispute.

It said that the governor who received a delegation of the people from Arewa local government area, led by the reinstated district head, advised them to ensure that disputes were settled amicably.

The statement said that the governor advised the traditional rulers to always involve elders in making decisions to achieve the desired objectives.

Kwara

The National Secretariat of the NUJ has approved the indefinite suspension of five members of the union in the Kwara chapter.

The members were alleged to have engaged in forgery of official document, anti-union activities and outright disregard to constituted authority.

This information was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman and Assistant Secretary of the Kwara council of the union, Elder Stephen Oni and Evangelist Albert Asonibare, in Ilorin on Saturday.

The suspended members are Abdullahi Olesin (Leadership newspaper), Hammed Shittu (Thisday), Mustapha Abubakar, (Daily Trust), Demola Akinyemi (Vanguard), Mohammed Rabiu, (New Nigeria Newspaper), all from the correspondents’ Chapter.

Lagos

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force) says it has arrested 47 miscreants at some motor parks in the state.

Mr Bayo Sulaiman, the Chairman of the task force disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.

Sulaiman said that the unit had begun a new onslaught on miscreants and motor park touts, adding that those arrested were between 14 years and 43 years.

“The offensive was borne out of the need to protect law abiding citizens of the state who were being harassed, terrorised and dispossessed of their possessions by unscrupulous elements on a daily basis.”

Nasarawa

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Musa Baba of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) winner of the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency election, following a re-run polls in the area on Saturday.

Declaring the results on Sunday, INEC returning officer, Mr Merijani Peters, announced that Baba of the CPC polled 48,769 votes to defeat four other candidates, while Mr Samuel Egya of the PDP polled 46,810 to place second in the election.

The Appeal Tribunal sitting in Makurdi had in December, 2011, ordered a re-run election in 27 polling units in Odu and Akum wards in Nasarawa Local Government Area as well as two units in Toto Local Government Area.

Sokoto

Stakeholders from the 23 local governments in Sokoto State have expressed their support to fast track the formulation of a draft policy on water and sanitation for the state .

The state government and a USAID- assisted non governmental organisation , ‘’ Research Triangle Institute / Leadership . Empowerment , Advocacy and Development –RTI/ LEAD ‘’ are championing the formulation of the policy.

Our correspondent also reports that a public hearing on the draft policy was conducted on January 28 by the state Ministry of Water Resources and the organisation .

Taraba

Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State says the privatisation of agriculture will enhance productivity and attract investment to the sector.

He made the remark in an interaction with newsmen on Friday in Jalingo.

Suntai, who stressed the need for agriculture to be privatised, said commercial agriculture must replace the traditional method of subsistence farming if the country must attain economic development.

Nation

HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

Published

5 days 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.