Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

January 16, 2013

Adamawa

Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, has called

on PDP members in the state to support the Presidential Committee set up to reconcile factions of the party.

Nyako made the call while addressing party supporters at a solidarity rally in Yola, saying there was hope that things would be better for the party following recent positive changes.

He commended PDP stakeholders within and outside the state for their concern over the crisis and congratulated members of the new executive committee of the party, led by Alhaji Umaru Kugama.

The governor promised to support the party leadership.

Borno

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima says his

government has taken measures to eradicate polio from the state by September this year.

He said this during the inauguration of the 2013 Special Round of Polio Immunisation in Maiduguri.

Shettima said that the existence of the wild polio virus in Nigeria was a serious embarrassment.

“The year 2013 is a year for serious action against polio virus in Nigeria.

“It is an embarrassment that Nigeria is grouped among the only three countries still harbouring the virus in the world,” he said.

FCT

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has

banned commercial vehicles from operating in the Wuse Market area to discourage street traders and hawkers from operating along the road side.

The Head Information and Outreach Programme, Mr Joe Ukairo,who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, said that the development would help to sanitise the market.

“Wuse Market is like a no-go area because of street traders and hawkers.

Commrcial vehicles drop passengers anywhere, anyhow they like and pick passengers in the middle of the road which ought not to be.

Gombe

The wife of Gombe State Governor, Hajiya Adama

Dankwambo, has urged orphans, vulnerable and the physically challenged children to be hopeful in life in spite of their conditions.

In a message to a party organised for the children, Dankwambo also enjoined them to be committed to whatever they did to excel.

Represented by Mrs Sintiki Rubainu, the wife of the Deputy Governor, Dankwambo said that the party was organised for the children to have a sense of belonging.

She called on the children to study hard in schools and achieve their goals, adding that their condition should not discourage them.

Kano

Motorists plying Kano-Gworzo-Dayi road have

commended Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for the ongoing rehabilitation of the road.

Some of the motorists, who spoke to newsmen in Kano, commended the agency for the ongoing rehabilitation being carried out on the dilapidated portions of the road.

They said that the rehabilitation had reduced the rate of accidents being recorded on the highway.

“Before now the road was a death trap as hardly a day passed without people being killed due to accidents,’’ a motorists, Ibrahim Slow said.

Kwara

Head of Department, Business Law, Univeristy of Ilorin,

Prof. Mohammed Akanbi, said in Ilorin that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was not doing enough to fight corruption in Nigeria.

Akanbi told newsmen that the association was a major stakeholder in the fight against corruption and must champion the cause diligently.

“The Nigerian Bar Association is being ceremonial in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

“The NBA is not proactive and that is not good enough,’’ he said.

Lagos

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency

(LASEMA) has opened a relief camp for victims of the recent fire incident in Ebute Meta area of Lagos, an official said.

The General Manager of LASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, told newsmen that 1,005 persons had entered the camp in compliance with the directive of Gov Babatunde Fashola.

Fashola had on Thursday given the directive after visiting Oko Oba in Ebute Meta, where fire gutted some sawmills and residential buildings.

Oke-Osanyintolu said that shortly after the governor declared the camp open officials of LASEMA began to move in people displaced by the fire.

Nasarawa

The Chairman, Nasarawa House of Assembly Committee

on Education, Hon. Raphael Saka, has urged the government to revive the role of education inspectors, to save the sector from “imminent collapse’’.

Saka who gave the advice in an interview last Friday in Abuja said the education sector had continued to experience setbacks due to lack of monitoring and implementation of many polices made by the government.

He urged government to employ and train more inspectors as well as provide tools, including vehicles, for them to work.

Saka said although government was trying its best in terms of budget allocation to the sector, no visible results were recorded to transform education.

Ogun

Ogun Command of National Security and Civil Defense

Corps (NSCDC) on Saturday said that NNPC Pipeline located at Arepo village of Ogun was set on fire by suspected vandals.

A statement issued by the command spokesman, Mr Kareem Olanrawaju, said the fire was first noticed late on Friday by the command’s surveillance team.

“We received an earlier call by the same surveillance team of suspicious movement around the water ways.

“Our combat team was on their way at about 22.15 hours when the outbreak occurred.

Osun

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State said the state

government would spend N16 billion to rehabilitate 218 kilometre roads in parts of the state.

The governor who announced this last Friday in Osogbo, while presenting 30 per cent mobilisation fees to contractors handling the projects, said the rehabilitation included some ongoing projects which were at different stages of completion.

Aregbesola said the contractors were selected on merit from the list of those that scaled through pre-qualification test earlier carried out by the government.

Earlier, Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Kolapo Alimi, said efforts must be made to ensure a good job by the contractors.

Oyo

Oyo State Government has promised to ensure rapid

infrastructure development and empowerment of displaced traders in the state who had been “obedient”.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi made the pledge at the Oyo South Senatorial District meeting of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Ajimobi said the standard of living of the people would only improve with better infrastructure, adding the state government was committed to that through its programmes

He said the state would soon be a model in infrastructure development, adding that protection of lives and property was government’s utmost concern.

. He called for unity within the ACN, adding it was the only way the ruling party in the state would remain in government and provide better governance

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Adeyemi Adepoju, and Deputy Majority Leader, Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Kehinde Subair, assured the people of better representation at both houses.

Plateau

The Plateau Government said it earmarked N6 billion

for the renovation and construction of new facilities in 15 secondary schools in the state.

The state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Nanle Dashe said, recently in Jos that five schools were picked from each of the three senatorial districts for the project.

Dashe said three schools would be upgraded to science schools to serve each of the districts. He said the schools included GSS Kuru (North), GGSS Shendam (South) and former GSS Mangun (Central).

Dashe said government’s goal was to equip the schools with the desired facilities, adding that furnishing would begin immediately after the renovation and reconstruction of the schools.

He called on wealthy individuals, Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) and corporate firms to support the effort at lifting the standard of education.

Taraba

The Taraba Ministry for Poverty Alleviation and

Cooperatives has said that 300 youths will be trained in various skills before the end of 2013.

The commissioner, Alhaji Isa Musa, disclosed this in Jalingo at the ministry’s 2013 budget defence at the state House of Assembly.

Musa said that the measure was aimed at checking unemployment.

He explained that a team from the ministry would go round all the 16 local government areas of the state to conduct the training.

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.