Nation

THE STATES

Published

16 years ago

March 3, 2010

Adamawa

Dr Mohammed Barau, the Rector of Federal Polytech

nic, Mubi in Adamawa, has been commended for his compliance with federal character principles in the recruitment of staff.

A community leader in Mubi, Alhaji Babangida Jibrilla, who gave the commendation in Mubi yesterday also lauded the rector for the rapid transformation recorded in areas of infrastructure and academic activities in the school.

Jibrilla said besides the compliance with federal character requirements in employment, the rector had in the last two years introduced various courses in the polytechnic that raised the school students population from 2,000 to 19,000.

“More than 20 courses run by the polytechnic were accredited within the last two years while series of physical development in terms of lecture theatres and office blocks were executed to make learning conducive.

Bauchi

No fewer than 100 youths have benefited from a skill

and vocational training programme initiated by the Bauchi State Furniture Company since 2009, as part of efforts to eradicate poverty in the state.

Alhaji Bakoji Badara, the Managing Director of the company, gave the information in an interview with The Tide’s source on Monday in Bauchi.

Badara said the youths were trained in carpentry, upholstery and metal works, under the skill acquisition scheme designed to enhance employment generation and encourage the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME).

He said the trainees were paid between N8,000 and N25,000, as monthly allowances, depending on the nature of their work.

FCT

The National Council on Education (NCE) has prom

ised to map out innovative strategies on policy options and best practices for the development of education through Public Private Partnership.

Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said this at the opening ceremony of the technical session of the 56th Meeting of the Council in Abuja on Monday.

He assured stakeholders that at the meeting “we shall consider memoranda for council’s approval with a view to mapping out innovative strategies on policy options and best practices”.

The permanent secretary expressed the commitment of the ministry for total restoration of the country’s education system to its former glory.

Gombe

The Gombe State Government has pledged more sup

port to the National Youth Service scheme.

Governor Mohammed Goje stated this on Monday while inspecting the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Malamsidi Kwami in Gombe State.

He commended the contributions of corp members to education, health and other sectors in the state.

Goje, who described the scheme as the best platform for national unity and integration, said government would ensure that the scheme continued.

The first phase of the permanent orientation camp project includes, hostels, offices and a parade ground, which is to cost N600 million and is expected to be completed by the end of March this year.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government plans to establish small

hydro power projects to complement the proposed 30 megawatts generation station being built at Gurara Dam, an official said.

The Commissioner for Rural Development, Alhaji Abubakar Musa Abubakar, made the information known in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.

He said 11 spots had been identified for the projects but added that only three had been found to be viable, while others were still being studied.

Abubakar said the government and the Energy Commission of Nigeria were working on renewable energy sources.

Kebbi

The Kebbi State Government has uncovered 6,000

“ghost workers” and saved about N200 million since the introduction of e-payment in October 2009.

The Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Bello Tugga, told newsmen on Monday in Birnin Kebbi that government had achieved 95 per cent success in the bio-metrix system of e-payment of salary to its workers.

He said a committee, with members from all segments of the civil service, had been set up to verify any anomalies in the payment of workers salary.

Tugga said government had no intention of punishing anybody for the discovery of the ghost workers, stressing that the measure was purely aimed at sanitising its accounting system.

Kwara

Kwara Deputy Governor, Joel Ogundeji, yesterday in

Ilorin called on the private sector to assist the government in financing education as part of its social responsibility.

Ogundeji made the call when he inaugurated a building donated to ECWA Girls Secondary School, Omu-Aran, by the Deputy Governor of Anambra, Dame Virgy Etiaba, an old student.

He said that government alone could not fund education in the country.

The deputy governor called on other stakeholders and corporate organisations to contribute their quota in ensuring quality education.

“All of us are duty bound to contribute to the physical and academic development of our alma mater,” he said.

Lagos

An Ikeja High Court on Monday admitted in evidence

video tapes containing recordings of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) proceedings on the alleged attempted murder of Chief Alex Ibru.

Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer to late Gen. Sani Abacha, and three others are standing trial for the 1996 alleged attempted murder of Ibru in Lagos.

The others are: former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, James Danbaba; a former Military Administrator of Zamfara, Jubril Yakubu and a Chief Superintendent of Police, Rabo Lawal.

The tapes, tendered in evidence, contained the proceedings of interrogation by the SIP of several suspects including Al-Mustapha and other accused in 1999.

Niger

Alhaji Hassan Nuhu, the Director-General, Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) in Niger, has announced the award of N1.8 billion contracts that would impact positively on the lives of the citizenry.

Nuhu announced the contract awards in Minna recently, during the presentation of the contract documents to some contractors handling the various projects.

He said the contracts included the construction of 12 comprehensive health care centres, each capable of catering for 20 admitted patients, at the cost of N600 million.

The DG said four health centres would be built in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.

According to him, the centres would be equipped and provided with medical consumables and drugs to increase the access of pregnant women and children to medical services.

Plateau

Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau has said that the state

would no longer allow unauthorised buildings in the greater Jos master plan.

Receiving the report of the plan in Jos on Friday, Jang said the government intended to pursue its actualisation very soon.

“Let me warn those who are fund of erecting buildings just anywhere that they will be bulldozed without any apology.

‘’We have told the task force on illegal structures to remove all illegal structures in the city.

“We are not joking about the matter. People will want to carry it into religion, they will term it tribal and all kinds of things but I am determined to do it, no matter what happens,” he said.

Sokoto

Sokoto State is to build a 30-megawatts Independent Power Project (IPP) at the cost of N3.8 billion.

Mr Ford Graham, Managing Director of the U.S.-based Vulcan Capital Energy Management, which won the contract for the project, disclosed this recently at a stakeholders’ forum organised by the state government in Sokoto.

Graham said that the state government had already paid 30 per cent of the total contract sum to his firm for the execution of the project, which was awarded in November 2008.

He said that his firm had commenced work on the project following the arrival in December 2009 of some of the equipment it ordered.

Graham blamed the delay in commencing work on the project to the delay in the acquisition of the site and in opening letters of credit.

Nation

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

Published

4 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.