By Tosin Kolade

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has urged State Governments to prioritise water safety plans at all times, so as to reduce contamination from point of production to consumption.

Mrs Abosede Orimoloye, Assistant Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Collaborations, made the call at a Workshop for the Development of Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan in Asaba, Delta.

She said people who use alternative water sources apart from public water points should treat their water sources four times in a year, saying new innovation had been recorded in treating water in the country.

She said the importance of water safety plan was to minimise contamination of drinking water sources, prevent contamination during storage, distribution and handling.

She said Nigerians ought to be aware of the risks posed along the water chain and how to manage those risks, saying this would reduce the prevalence of water borne diseases.

“We must all do what we can to prevent contamination, don’t wait for it to happen, multiple barriers can be used so that if one barrier fails, the water stays safe.

“We must use management systems that are improved and worth it, this helps to improve public health especially in reducing water borne diseases.”

The assistant director however stressed the need for more research on water treatments, adding that this would modify systems that would suit different settings.

Orimoloye said safe water chain could be achieved from water source, transport and consumption, saying communities to benefit from Water safety plans must be open defecation-free, safe from insurgence and communal conflicts.

A staff of the ministry, Mr Charles Ebofin, said states must develop Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan, so as to forestall possible illnesses and deaths.

He said the plan would help in cholera forecasting and preparedness so as to know areas of interventions.

“The 2022 floods came with a lot of problems, many states delayed in giving accurate information that would help us in managing emergency interventions, so we want a change”. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza 

By Fabian Ekeruche

The Wild Africa Fund, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has stressed the need for partnerships to wage the war against illegal wildlife trade and trafficking in the country.

Mr Kelechukwu Iruoma, Nigeria Representative for Wild Africa Fund, stated this in a statement to mark the World Wildlife Day (WWD) on Friday in Lagos.

The WWD is an annual event dedicated to raise awareness on the importance of wildlife.

Iruoma urged the government and conservation organisations to partner to tackle forest and wildlife crime to protect the country’s biodiversity.

According to him, Nigeria is home to some of the world’s most iconic wildlife such as elephants, lions and gorillas.

Iruoma, however, said that illegal activities such as poaching, deforestation and illegal wildlife trade had put these animals in danger, thereby threatening their existence.

He added that Nigeria had also become the transit hub for the illegal trade in ivory and pangolin scales.

Iruoma said that the 2023 WWD with the theme, “Partnerships for Wildlife,” underscored the crucial role partnerships play in protecting and preserving wildlife for biodiversity conservation.

He said that protecting these species and their habitats were essential not only for their survival but for the health and well-being of the ecosystem and the livelihoods of the host communities that depend on them.

He said that the Wild Africa Fund would remain committed to protecting Nigeria’s wildlife stressing that this cannot be achieved independently.

“Everyone has a part to play,” Iruoma said.

Iruoma quoted Mr Peter Knights, Founder Wild Africa Fund, as saying that all hands must be on deck to fight illegal wildlife trade in Nigeria.

“By partnering with the government, international and local NGOs, media, and local communities, we can achieve greater impact and ensure a brighter future for wildlife in Africa and beyond.”

“Collaboration is the best hope that we have of ensuring that Nigeria’s natural resources are protected for future generations,

“Through our work with local communities, governments, and other conservation organisations, we are making strides toward a future where humans and wildlife can thrive together.

“We applaud the progress being made in Nigeria and urge everyone to join us in the fight to protect and preserve Nigeria’s natural heritage,” Knights said.

Iruoma said that the Wild Africa Fund was also collaborating with the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Africa Nature Investors Foundation (ANI) with support from the UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

He said the fund was also in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to support the Nigerian government to update its wildlife laws and combat illegal wildlife trade.

“There has been progress with this as the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill passed its first reading in the Federal House of Representatives in February 2023.

“This is a demonstration that the organisations and government are commitment to wildlife conservation,” Iruoma said.

Iruoma quoted the EIA as saying that it was proud of its long-standing partnerships with government agencies, Civil Society Organisations, and public institutions such as the financial and banking sectors that have a vital role to play in tackling wildlife trafficking.

Justin Gosling, the EIA’s Senior Project Coordinator – Securing Criminal Justice, commended Nigeria for taking decisive steps to improve its law enforcement and criminal justice.

“Nigeria is taking decisive steps to improve its law enforcement and criminal justice response to wildlife crime which, if sustained, will have a lasting impact across the continent, ensuring a future for all species affected by wildlife and forest crime,” Gosling said.

Iruoma also quoted Tunde Morakinyo, ANI’s Executive Director, as saying that the ANI was working to protect Nigeria’s national parks and forest reserves.

Morakinyo, however, noted that protection in the field was not enough without addressing the wider legislative context of the country.

“This new legislation will be critical to enabling Nigeria to decisively tackle the illegal trade in wildlife and will demonstrate to the world that the country can be a leader on the African continent for an issue that affects all Nigerians and indeed all of us as human beings,” he said

Iruoma said the fund was also collaborating with the Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Ltd. to supply Noiler chickens to hunters and bush meat sellers in Lagos to end the sale of pangolins and other wildlife in the markets as an alternative to illegal bush meat.

He said the fund had fostered robust partnership with the media to improve the coverage of wildlife conservation issues, to change the attitude of people toward protecting and promoting wildlife.

He added that the media had played a significant role in conservation awareness and education. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi/Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Yakubu Uba

The Maiduguri Central market popularly known as Monday market is on fire.

The early Sunday fire outbreak is still raging with men of fire service battling to contain it.

The state Director Fire Service, Umaru Kirawa who confirmed the incident to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the state, Federal and other fire units from various institutions have joined to contain the inferno.

“We have fully deployed to contain the situation,” Kirawa said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Mercy Omoike

The Ecology Project Office (EPO) has condemned the delayed dredging and channelisation of the Tejuosho/ Canal railway projects in Lagos State.

The Permanent Secretary of the EPO, Malam Shehu Ibrahim, expressed dissatisfaction over the delayed progress of the project on Wednesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EPO under the auspices of Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) was on a site inspection of project interventions.

The dredging of the Tejuosho/Canal Railway is part of the efforts of the EPO on flood control and soil erosion prevention during the rainy season.

“This is the essence of the physical on-the-site inspection to be engaged by the ecological project office.

“As you can observe, the progress of this project is slow; we have already summoned the contractor to the office to explain to us the reason for this delay.

“The quality of the work is poor and as you can observe, looking at the situation alone everything is unkempt nothing is even going on here.

“When the contractor comes to the office, we will sit down with him and have proper discussion on the way forward to keep this project going.

“This delay has definitely slowed down our intervention efforts to prevent flooding across the country because this project should have been completed by now.

“This project should have been done even before the rain starts, we are already in February and maybe before March the rains will begin and further slow down the project.

So, much time has been wasted,” Ibrahim said.

He, however, disclosed that appropriate sanctions would be meted out on the contractors for the delay in the execution of the project.

“This is a project that was awarded two years or three years ago and they were supposed to have completed it within a year.

“Now, it is more than three years and the level of completion is not even up to 25 per cent.

“This is an eye opener for us and we will intensify our efforts in inspecting and monitoring interventions being sponsored by the Ecology Project Office across the country.

“I think because they observed that we were coming for inspection, they were able to upscale some of the work but that is not what should have been done.

“This drainage channelling is meant to ameliorate flooding incidents across this area, especially in Tejuosho, Bode Thomas and the Surulere axis.

“There will definitely be sanctions on the contractors for the delay and the small slow progress of this project,” Ibrahim said. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Mercy Omoike

The Ecological Project Office (EPO) on Wednesday commended the progress recorded at the ongoing construction of a six-kilometre sewage pipeline system at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government sponsored project under the auspices of the Ecological Project Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) is almost near completion.

Speaking at the on site inspection of the project, Malam Shehu Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office, commended the project progress and expressed optimism that it would amelioration the sewage problems at the teaching hospital.

“Anybody that has gone round this facility will really appreciate what the Federal Government is doing in communities.

“This project is something we are very proud of, and you can also see the quality of job that is ongoing here. We are looking forward for the project to ameliorate the problems that exist here.

“So far, the progress of the project at LUTH is commendable and in the next two to three weeks, we look forward to its inauguration,” Ibrahim said.

He also promised that more ecological project interventions would be approved as the need arises with availability of funds.

“Well, as I always say, the Ecological Project Office is one office that the public has confidence in because it’s an office that anybody has an access to.

“You just make your request and we will come in to see what we can do. Presently, we have so many requests, over 3,000 in our data bank to take care of.

“However, our major challenge is fund, what we have and the level of intervention will depend on the fund available to us,” Ibrahim said.

In his response, the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, applauded the efforts of government in coming to the rescue of the hospital’s community with the sewage project intervention.

“As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, we want to thank the Federal Government for our sewage pipeline system for both the Lagos University Hospital and the College of Medicine.

“The sewage system in LUTH has been in existence for over 50 years. And inevitably, they became overworked.

“In fact, what we have here is the old sewage treatment plant, it broke down and we are barely coping by simply doing some chemical treatment of sewage.

“LUTH houses over 10,000 people, its a whole village on its own and we just chemically treat the sewage before we discharge it into the canal.

“When discharged it constitutes some environmental hazards. So, we had to approach the Ecological Fund at the Presidency. The reception we got there was amazing, we did not need to know anybody.

“You can see what they have done, over six kilometres of sewage pipeline have been replaced. And we are getting a brand new sewage treatment plant.

“As a community, we are very happy, it’s a happy day for us and for communities that live downstream to us, they will not be exposed to any hazards again.

“So, I must use this opportunity, therefore, to thank Mr President, the Secretary General of the Federation, the Permanent Secretary and everybody that made this possible,” Bode said.

The contractors of the project, Emeka Udokporo of Flab Engineering Services Ltd., said that the project would be delivered as soon as possible.

“The project is almost 100 per cent completed, we are almost at the end of the project.

“Once the treatment plan comes, within the next two to three weeks we will be ready to set up and train those to operate it,” Udokporo said. (NAN) (www.nannewa.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Fabian Ekeruche

An environmental non-governmental organisation, Wild Africa Fund, says Nigeria needs new legislation to combat illegal trafficking of pangolins and their scales.

Mr Peter Knights, Founder of the fund, said this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos to mark the World Pangolin Day (WPD).

Knights said that the fund launched a weeklong campaign to raise awareness about the threats facing Nigeria’s pangolins and called on Nigerians to protect the endangered species.

He appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the ‘Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill’ before it.

Knights noted that pangolins in Nigeria were on the brink of extinction.

“The illegal trade in pangolins and their scales is driven by the elitist taste for their meat and the demand by the Asian markets,” he said.

He said that pangolins were the most trafficked mammals in the world and Nigeria happens to be the transit hub for the illegal trafficking.

Knights said that as keystone species, pangolins play a key role in the preservation of the ecosystem as they consume about 70 million insects in a year to regulate the insect population for crops to grow.

He said that the continued poaching and trafficking of pangolins would negatively impact Nigeria’s biodiversity.

He described Nigeria as fortunate to be one of the few places in the world where pangolins thrive.

The founder noted that it was one of the country’s cultural heritage.

Knights said that the population of pangolins was inhibited by the loss of habitat due to deforestation and farming activities.

He added that illegal hunting for their scales and meat was damaging for an animal that breeds so slowly and produces only one pup in about 18 months.

“Although pangolins have been on earth for over 80 million years, we may lose them in a single human lifetime.

“The keys to their survival lie in effective laws such as the ‘Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill’ which has just passed the first reading in the Federal House of Representatives.

“Better enforcement, education of buyers and hunters, and development of alternatives to illegal bushmeat, such as fish and organic chicken like Noiler is required to address the threats facing pangolins.

“Pangolins don’t breed well in captivity, so protecting them in the wild is our only option.

“It is not too late to protect Nigeria’s endangered pangolins and increase their population but we need to act now to protect them,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the third Saturday in the month of February is set aside by the global community to create awareness for the survival of pangolins.

The theme for the 2023 WPD is: “Celebrating the Wilderness of Pangolin.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Felicia Imohimi

The Federal Government has urged the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), to ensure proper maintenance and sustainability of the erosion control project by the Ecological Project Office (EPO).

ACAN is the anti-graft academy of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Shehu Ibrahim, gave the charge during the inspection of EPO’s project in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that other projects sites inspected by Ibrahim included Erosion Control and Road Improvement Work at Solutionist Estate, off Orozo-Karshi road, and the River Channelisation and Slope Protection Work within the Maitama District, both in Abuja.

The permanent secretary, who expressed satisfaction over the beneficiaries’ testimonies of government’s intervention projects, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to safeguarding lives and properties of Nigerians, and enhancing their wellbeing.

According to him, the interventions will mitigate the ecological challenges in ACAN and environs, the FCT and surrounding areas, as well as bring government’s presence and succour to the people.

“I advise you to maintain this project very well so that it can be able to last as long as possible.

“The government is always ready to assist within available finances, and one area of our concentration is the institution because it provides services to the general public, therefore such places need a lot of mileage.”

The Provost of the academy, Prof. Olatunde Babawale, commended EPO for its prompt response to ACAN’s request which will ameliorate the plight of the academy, as well as the host communities.

“The academy has always been been hit by incessant floods, and our fences have always been pulled down, especially when there is heavy rainfall.

“We have a structure which has been stalled, because anytime there is rainfall, the entire building is always flooded. So we got information that we can approach the ecological project office for assistance.

“Erosion which has been mitigated through this government intervention, not only in ACAN, but even in surrounding farms and resident communities, so it is a big relief for us and others faced with the challenge.

“Initially, the whole of the area was flooded, it was virtually like a wasted land in view of flooding and other related environmental issues, but with the intervention of the office, we have been relieved,” Babawale said.

Muhammad Babashehu, Chairman, Keffi Local Government Area, on behalf of the entire community, commended the Federal Government and EPO for the laudable project, adding that the project would attract development to the area.

Babashehu, who described the project as ultra modern, said it was the first gigantic erosion control project in Keffi.

“Myself and people of Keffi community are very grateful, happy and overwhelmed seeing this ultra modern project. We did not expect this project in Keffi.

“I commend the efforts of the Federal Government, EPO and the provost of the ICPC ACAN, for bringing this project to the community,” he said.

The chairman appealed to the government to extend same intervention to the entire Keffi communities bedeviled by flood.

NAN reports that the projects at the Solutionist Estate in Karshi, included the construction of Trapezoidal drain, culverts, concrete slabs, pavement and surfacing. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Nyisom Fiyigon Dore