Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

January 29, 2014

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government last Thursday, said it spon
sored 2,308 Christian Pilgrims to Israel between 2007 and 2013.
The Chairman of the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Shuibu Byel, said in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, that 257 Christians were sponsored in 2007; 306 in 2008; 224 in 2009; 299 in 2010; 385 in 2011; 418 in 2012 and 419 in 2013.
The chairman commended Gov. Isa Yuguda for the gesture and urged the state government to continue to carry everybody along in spite of religious, cultural and political differences.
“His emphasis was that we should go there and have quality time with God and pray for the country for peace and tranquility. “Generally, I will tell you that the governor has been generous, kind and supportive of the Christians Pilgrims Welfare Board”, he said.

Borno

The new Emir of Shani in Borno, Alhaji Nasiru Mailafiya,
has promised to be fair and just to his subjects by following the legacies of his late father.
Mailafiya made the pledge Sunday shortly after he was installed at the Emir’s Palace in Shani, headquarters of Shani Local Government Area of Borno as the Emir of Shani.
He suceeded his late father, Alhaji Muhammadu Mailafiya, who died on December 31, 2013 in an Indian hospital.
The new emir said “I promise to carry everyone along in the emirate as the emir of Shani.
“I also promise to follow the footsteps of my late father in the discharge of my responsibilities as the father of the people.’’
FCT

The Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro last Sunday in
Abuja, said there were internal mechanisms for resolving issues within a ministry and other paramilitary agencies under it.
Moro made the disclosure while reacting to questions by newsmen about a suit filed against him and Dr Ade Abolurin, the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the termination of their appointments as unlawful, null and void and that the defendants should be ordered to reinstate them and to pay all their entitlements from the date of termination.
Moro said the ministry and the corps had carried out a verification exercise and found that many officers were improperly employed into the corps.

Gombe

President, Al-Mustapha Peace, Unity, Development Ini
tiative (APUDI), Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, says his organisation will empower majority of the 22 million unemployed Nigerian youths with skills.
Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, who made this known while speaking with journalists in Gombe on Sunday said the organisation was compiling the list of youth organisations across the country with a view to assisting the unemployed youths with skill acquisition and other entrepreneurship development schemes.
According to him, after the data of the unemployed youths is compiled, he will make a comprehensive report on which group of youths would be assisted by local, state or the Federal Government.
Al-Mustapha added that some of the unemployed youth would be assisted by national and international donor agencies noting that no country or society would develop if its youths were jobless.
Kaduna

Frontline politician, Alhaji Balarabe Musa says the time
table released for the 2015 general elections has given reasonable time for the conclusion of litigations before the inauguration of elected officials.
He said the time given was “reasonably enough” to dispose of all cases that would arise from the election “provided the judiciary would do its work dispassionately”.
According to him, before now some of the politicians have been campaigning discreetly with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not calling them to order.
The former Kaduna State Governor and leader of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) was however pessimistic of a free, fair and credible election.
“The impunity with which the laws are ignored and consistency of election rigging in the country will make it very difficult to have a free, fair and credible election.”

Kebbi

Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State has provided
financial assistance to families of 12 members of the Islamic group, Jama’atu Izalatul Bidi’a Wa’iquamatu Sunnah (JIBWIS), who died in a ghastly motor accident on the Abuja-Suleija Road, on January 19.
A statement issued by Alhaji Abubakar Mua’zu, the chief press secretary to the governor, in Birnin Kebbi last Sunday did not, however, indicate the amount provided to the beneficiaries.
The victims, who were from the Zuru Local Government Area of the state, were returning from Abuja, after attending a function when they died in the crash.
The release said the governor had since condoled with the families of the deceased noting that the governor had commended the group for its peaceful propagation of Islam, as well as the existing peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in Zuru.
Kwara

Some religious leaders in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, have
commended President Goodluck Jonathan, for signing into law the same-sex marriage prohibition bill recently passed by the National Assembly.
The Bishop of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s, Omu-Aran, Rt. Rev. Phillip Adeyemo, said the president had the right to protect the sovereignty of the country and also sustain the values of its cultural heritage and practises.
Prophetess Bosede Adimabua, the President of the Women’s Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Kwara Chapter, said President Jonathan’s action deserved praises from Nigerians.
Pastor Alex Adefikayo of the 2nd ECWA Church, Agamo, Omu-Aran, said the passage of the same sex marriage prohibition bill was a move in the right direction.
Ondo

Chief Medical Director, Mother and Child Hospital,
Akure, Dr Adesina Akintan, said last Sunday that the hospital recorded 7,962 safe deliveries and 1,231 caesarean operations in the last one year.
Akintan, who made this known in an interview in Akure, said that the hospital was specifically established to reduce infant and maternal mortality in the state.
He noted that the hospital always witnessed an average of 20 safe deliveries per day, which amounted to 600 child deliveries per month.
The chief medical director noted that the hospital had impacted positively on infant and maternal care services in the state and beyond.

Plateau

A PDP Woman Leader and its ex-officio member in the
North-West Zone, Mrs. Naomi Waziri, has applauded the nomination of Mrs. Lawrencia Malam as minister, saying that it was “very encouraging’’.
“The appointment of Mrs Malam is a huge encouragement to women ready to serve their local communities and Nigeria; the nominee has been a great role model for the womenfolk, especially in the rural areas,’’ Waziri said in Jos on Sunday.
Mrs. Malam, a ministerial nominee from Kaduna, is among the 12 persons awaiting confirmation by the Senate.
Waziri said that the appointment of a woman from Kaduna State was a testimony to the growing belief that women were indeed capable of contributing effectively to national development.
She promised that the entire women in the North-West of the country would rally round the nominee toward a successful tenure as minister, and advised her to pay special attention to the plight of Nigerian rural women.

Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, last Satur
day, urged leaders at all levels to seek for knowledge on leadership.
Abubakar, who was represented by Alhaji Isma’il Abubakar, District head of Gumbi, said “it is very necessary for the leaders to seek for knowledge for that will give them the right way of leading the society.
The Sultan commended the author for the sacrifice he made to remind the people of the importance of knowledge in leadership.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, commended the author for the gesture saying “the book touches the lives of the people in the society.”
The author said that he wrote the book as his contribution towards entrenching good leadership in Nigeria.

Families of 2002 victims of Ikeja Bomb blast in a peaceful protest in Lagos last Monday. Photo: NAN

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.