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The Federal Government has begun talks with electricity distribution companies on plans to provide 24-hour power supply in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and other major demand centres across the country.

The proposed Energy Zones will cover the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, met with the management of selected electricity distribution companies to discuss the plan, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Adeola Adelabu.

The statement said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to provide more reliable electricity to homes, businesses and industries in areas with high demand.

It said the Energy Zones were also aimed at addressing problems at the distribution end of the electricity supply chain, ensuring that power generated and transmitted to the national grid could reach consumers.

Tegbe said the challenges in the power sector were not limited to generation and transmission.

‘The constraint on the sector is not limited to generation and transmission but includes how much power is taken up and delivered at the distribution end,’ the minister said.

According to him, the proposed Energy Zones would help improve the amount of electricity distributed to consumers while increasing commercial and industrial demand.

The minister also said the plan could improve the revenue and collection performance of electricity distribution companies.

Tegbe reaffirmed the Federal Government’s plan to expand electricity infrastructure in areas with high demand, stressing that power supply must increase as the economy grows.

The proposed zones will focus on areas where stable electricity is needed by businesses, manufacturers and other productive sectors.

However, the statement did not give a timeline for the implementation of the Energy Zones. It also did not state the expected capacity of the zones or the infrastructure investments required to provide 24-hour power.

The meeting was part of Tegbe’s plan to address challenges in the power sector through a phased approach, the statement said.

The initiative is also linked to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies reliable electricity as important to economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.

Representatives of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Sahara Energy Group attended the meeting.

As the world marks the International Day of Peace, a stage play titled ‘NEMESIS: A Tale of Two Soldiers’ was performed at Wole Soyinka Theatre, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, to examine the trauma of war, the consequences of violence, and the need for individuals to find peace within themselves.

The production, a collaboration between Afemoju Creations and Phoenix Tribe Africa, brings to the fore the psychological and physical consequences of conflict through the story of two soldiers who find themselves on opposite sides of a war.

Speaking on the message behind the play, the producer, Dr Olanike Onimisi said the story became particularly relevant because September 21 is observed globally as the International Day of Peace.

According to her, the play demonstrates how people who are regarded as enemies can discover their shared humanity when they look beyond hatred, trauma, and the circumstances that place them on opposing sides.

She said the two soldiers carry the trauma of war and the losses they have suffered, but eventually find the courage to reconcile and embrace one another.

However, their attempt at reconciliation ends tragically when another soldier, unable to understand how supposed enemies could become friends, opens fire on one of them.

She said the tragic ending reflects the danger of refusing to let go of hatred and grievances.

‘The message is not only about the battles that happen on the battlefield. It also starts with the words we say, the things we say to people and how we relate with our fellow human beings.

‘The question is, where is our humanity? Terrorism, conflicts, and kidnapping, not only in Nigeria but across the globe, often begin when one heart does not find peace within itself and refuses to extend peace to another person,’ she said.

The producer also explained that the production was designed to take the message of peace to young people. She disclosed that secondary school students from different schools were invited to a matinee performance, with tickets provided for them by American Open University to attend free of charge.

According to her, the initiative was aimed at exposing young people to the power of theatre as a platform for reflection and social change; and that the students’ comments during the post-performance reflection showed that they deeply understood the message of the play.

‘Their comments featured love, compassion, understanding, trust, and unity as determinants of peaceful co-existence,’ she said.

She recalled that her production of Bode Sowande’s ‘Mammy Water’s Wedding’ to commemorate 2024 World Environment Day, in collaboration with Cinema Road Media, brought the young and elderly together into the theatre to reflect on their responsibility towards the environment.

She said NEMESIS similarly provided an opportunity for students, academics, civic leaders, military and paramilitary officers, peace advocates, and the general public to reflect on their responsibility towards humanity.

She added that the play explored both physical and psychological wars through poetry, music, and dramatic dialogue and actions, urging Nigerians and people across the world to become agents of peace.

Chris Anyanya, the playwright and actor, described NEMESIS as a global play conceived against the backdrop of conflicts, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violence in Nigeria, as well as wars and unrest in other parts of the world. He explained that the title NEMESIS reflects the consequences that eventually caught up with one of the characters.

‘The play is about the trauma that comes with war and how we can engage and improve peace talks around the world. That was what inspired the idea of writing NEMESIS.

‘At the end of the day, there is only so much we can do about some of these events, but the world is supposed to unite,’ he said.

The director, King James Dandy, described NEMESIS as a reflection of real-world situations and a warning about the evils and repercussions of war. He said the play examines how people can become enemies by proxy, even when they were not born enemies.

Dandy also called on leaders and people in positions of authority to understand the responsibility to be conscious of their actions, stressing that the kind of leadership provided would ultimately influence the nature of society.

‘First, be human. We cannot close our eyes to the evils in society. As leaders, you need to represent the people. You cannot just be passive about the things happening around you,’ he said.

He also called on individuals who are not in positions of authority to contribute to peace building by promoting love, tolerance, and respect for human life.

Following the performance was a peace dialogue moderated by Dr Olusola Isola, the Acting Head of the Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies, University of Ibadan.

Colonel Michael Williams, Acting Director, 2 Division Education Services, drew on lessons passed down from Nigeria’s Civil War, stressing that the responsibility for preventing conflict, including the hate speech that often precedes it, is on individuals.

‘Relating to the play, I think there is a need for young people to understand what it is to be peaceful. War is never the best solution. Peace is always the way forward,’ he urged the audience.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP David Apapa, from the Oyo State Police Command, emphasised that to have peace in the nation, everyone has to be involved in building and keeping it. He cleared the air about misconceptions on the operations of security personnel, noting that they all work together to secure peace in society.

‘We work together and that’s why we’re able to achieve success. It is never the case of it’s the soldiers, it’s the amotekun, or it’s the police. We all work like brothers.’

He admonished the audience to always embrace peace: ‘Peace is always the best. So wherever we can preach peace, let’s have peace’, he concluded.

UI’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Lasisi Oyekanmi, stated that the university’s approach to security always favours dialogue over confrontation. He also cited the sacrifices of people who, in his words, ‘lay down their lives’ to secure the peace the country now enjoys – making it possible for even the audience to be gathered in the theatre that evening.

‘We cannot achieve everything with violence, and we should not be selfish,’ he told the audience.

The moderator, Dr Olusola Ishola, answering a student’s question whether peace solves everything, said: ‘Peace is what you work for continuously; the moment you stop working for peace, then you have a resurgence of violence.’

He concluded the session with a call to the youth: ‘like the drama says, love is all it takes to create peace and to sustain peace. With that, I encourage, especially our young ones, to please get prepared to work for peace. That is the future of the world.’

The Acting Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, Dr ‘Tunde Awosanmi, thanked everyone present and noted that the 140th anniversary of the Kiriji Peace Treaty was celebrated with a symposium at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan earlier in the day.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced the 100 percent completion of the Divisional Police Headquarters and staff quarters in Ushafa and Saburi, in Bwari and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Area Councils, respectively, as part of efforts to take security to the doorsteps of residents.

Director, Security Services Department, FCTA, Mr. Adamu Gwary, disclosed this on Wednesday while inspecting the project in Saburi and Ushafa.

‘As you can see, this very particular one at Ushafa, we can adjudge it to be 100% completed,’ Gwary said.

‘As you heard the contractor saying that he is handing over, and the schedule of handing over is already with him. And the technical team from FCDA Public Building will come along and ensure that every detail that has been indicated in the Bill of Quantity and the drawing has been fully completed.’

He explained that while the Ushafa and Saburi facilities were fully completed, other ongoing divisional headquarters across the territory are at various stages of completion, with only one below 90 percent.

‘Yesterday we were directed by the Honourable Minister that we should charge them that they should complete it before the end of November. Many of them are upbeat about completing it on or before the end of November,’ he added.

Gwary said the projects are a fulfillment of the promise made by the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, during town hall meetings held in the six area councils at the peak of insecurity in 2023.

‘During the press briefing yesterday, I recounted the assumption of duty of the Honourable Minister, where he held town hall meetings in all six area councils at the peak of security challenges, where he promised FCT residents that he is taking security to their doorsteps.

‘Providing this kind of facilities, two in each of the area councils, is the manifestation of such promise by the Honourable Minister to ensure that every nook and cranny of the Territory has been provided with security infrastructure where they will make the environment safe and secure for the residents.’

He said a total of 12 divisional headquarters – two in each area council – are being constructed, including one in Igbu, Bwari Area Council, located about 30-40 kilometres from Ushafa at the fringes of the FCT-Nasarawa border to provide border security.

Gwary recalled that at the town hall meetings, the minister read the Riot Act to traditional institutions and residents on the activities of informants aiding kidnappers, warning that informants would be treated as kidnappers, while urging residents to provide timely and accurate information.

‘This actually paid off. We reel out statistics as regards to cases of reported kidnapping and other heinous crimes from 2023 to date, and you will see the manifestation of that town hall meeting where he read the Riot Act, provided the security agencies with crime-fighting equipment, and equally now infrastructure,’ he said.

He noted that beyond physical infrastructure, the minister provides continuous monthly logistics support to all security agencies and is investing in technology, including surveillance coverage of the presidential route from the airport to the Villa, and deployment of drones.

‘Presently, in conjunction with the Inspector General of Police, the presidential route from the airport to the Villa is being covered by technology. Last week, we visited the control room at the Force Headquarters… Also, the deployment of drones and other facilities are on the way,’ he said.

Earlier, the site engineer for the Ushafa project, Engr. Kabir Owoyebo Muhammed, thanked the FCT Minister for entrusting his company with the project.

‘I want to thank the Honourable Minister for FCT for entrusting the project to my company to handle the project designed to address the big security challenges in Ushafa, Bwari Area Council. We are able to deliver the project within the time frame with the support of the Director of Security, Director of Public Building, and Directors in Project Monitoring and Evaluation,’ he said.

Gwary assured residents that with the new facilities, adequate police personnel will be deployed to cover all communities, enabling residents to go about their lawful businesses without fear.

Manchester City’s long-running financial case has reached a crucial stage following reports that an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against it by the Premier League.

No punishment has been announced, and City are expected to appeal and maintain that the process is still ongoing.

Man City’s 114-charge case dates back to allegations that emerged from the Football Leaks revelations, when Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower behind the leaks, obtained a large collection of confidential football documents, some of which related to Manchester City.

Documents published by Der Spiegel in 2018 brought renewed attention to City’s sponsorship arrangements and compliance with financial regulations and became part of the wider scrutiny surrounding the club.

Pinto has followed the case closely. After the reported findings on 25 September 2026, he described the decision as a ‘historic decision for English football’ and said it vindicated documents released through Football Leaks.

Pinto also described the alleged conduct at City as ‘structural manipulation and financial manoeuvring’. Those are his descriptions and should not be presented as findings of the commission.

Man City’s 114 charges and denial

Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing since the Premier League brought the charges in February 2023.

Following reports of the commission’s findings, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told supporters that the club remained confident of proving its innocence and stressed that the Premier League process was not over.

‘The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,’ Al Mubarak said.

He said the club could not disclose more about its position because of the confidentiality surrounding the case, adding that City had continued to respect the legal process.

The Federal Government has urged charcoal merchants and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector of the economy to adopt sustainable practices and support efforts to reverse deforestation and restore Nigeria’s degraded forests.

Speaking at the flag-off of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees programme, organised by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan, on Wednesday, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal, said deforestation posed a serious threat not only to the environment but also to the economic growth of the country.

The Minister, who spoke through Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, stressed the need for precautionary steps, including tree planting, to avert impending danger.

He said tree planting remained critical to combating climate change, restoring biodiversity, checking desertification and strengthening the resilience of Nigeria’s ecosystems.

Lawal said the Federal Ministry of Environment was implementing various afforestation and forest restoration initiatives, including the 2026 National Afforestation Programme, Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme and the National Greening of Cities and Urban Areas initiative.

He said the Operation One Million Trees programme complemented the government’s environmental agenda, urging participants to comply with existing forestry laws and regulations.

He stressed that the success of afforestation should be measured not by the number of seedlings planted but by their survival and growth into healthy trees.

‘Tree planting is not just about putting seedlings into the soil. The real measure of success is their survival and growth into healthy forests,’ he said.

Chairman of the association, Adeshola Adebowale Idowu, urged charcoal merchants and Nigerians generally to replace trees removed from the environment, advocating the planting of several trees for every tree cut down.

Idowu also called for greater use of technology, including drones, to accelerate tree planting in difficult-to-reach locations.

In his presentation, the Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon Ademola Aderinto, described climate change as a global phenomenon affecting everyone, warning that projections indicated the world could face a waste-management crisis within the next 15 years and an even more serious climate crisis within 20 years if current practices persisted.

‘Climate change is dealing with every one of us globally. No one is exempted. In the next 15 years, it is projected we will be having a global waste-management crisis. Within the next 20 years, we will be having a serious global climate change crisis if nothing is done,’ Aderinto warned.

He identified indiscriminate tree felling for land development, housing and business activities as a major threat to biodiversity and food security, stressing that tree planting remained a major part of the solution.

Aderinto urged residents and developers to replace trees removed for legitimate purposes with more trees, rather than merely replacing them on a one-for-one basis.

‘If you cut down one tree for any legitimate purpose, plant back more. It is no longer one for one. You cut down one, plant two, three, four back.

‘Why take down a tree if there is no need? Why not design your building with the tree in the layout?’ he queried.

He also urged residents to cultivate the habit of planting trees in their immediate environments.

‘Plant at least one tree where you live, where you walk and where you work,’ he appealed.

Earlier, the Dean, Faculty of Renewable and Natural Resources, Prof Joke Akinyeleru, said the second year of the one-million-tree commitment demonstrated the faculty’s determination to take practical steps towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to climate action.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Idowu Adeshola, alongside other partners, including Mrs Florence Omolola of FOJ Multidynamic and Mr Azeez Rasaq of Rasbat International Resources Limited, said the initiative was designed to promote sustainable charcoal production and ensure that the charcoal business was conducted in compliance with Federal Ministry of Environment regulations.

They also disclosed that technology, including drone seeding, would be deployed as part of efforts to expand tree planting and improve forest protection.

The Chief Strategy Officer of FOJ Multidynamic Interchange Nigeria Limited, Florence Omolola, said the three-day programme was designed to promote sustainable charcoal production through sensitisation, youth engagement, tree planting and independent verification.

She said the verification phase would involve environmentalists, journalists, regulators, NGOs and other stakeholders to provide evidence of trees planted and enhance transparency.

Omolola said the initiative marked the beginning of a broader effort to make the charcoal business more environmentally responsible, expressing hope that the programme would grow beyond its one-million-tree target in subsequent years.

Architect Uloma Rochas Nwosu, head of The Walsh Blanc, has redesigned the new Ohanaeze Ndigbo facility to serve as a cultural monument and physical archive for the Igbo nation. Combining royal heritage aesthetics with modern functionality, the complex bridges the past and future by blending modern spaces for youth with symbolic features, such as an Isi Agu-themed amphitheater, seven structural pillars, and preserved historical artifacts. In an interview with ROTIMI IGE Nwosu discusses balancing respect for the old structure with the growth needed to create a unifying space built to last 150 years.

What inspired the design of this space?

When His Excellency contacted The Walsh Blanc and asked us to create this for the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the inspiration came from the idea that the Igbo people needed a place to unite. So, the inspiration came from His Excellency’s brief, His Excellency, Senator Rochas Okorocha. He asked us to create something that would tell the story of the Igbo nation. The Igbos are known to be very royal and proud in a good way, and so that’s what inspired this. We wanted to create something that gave the Igbo people a sense of pride, a sense of belonging, and beauty. So, if you see it, you will notice we played with a lot of lights, a lot of crystals. Most Igbo homes carry a bit of a royal theme, so we decided to incorporate that in our design.

Can you just take us through some of the elements that would stand out eventually when this space is opened, especially for the future generation? What element do you think would merge the past, the present, and the future to make it something worthy of this investment?

One of the things is the memorabilia, which sits in the basement of this facility. The idea is to preserve history, so you’ll be seeing a lot of audio-visual setups and arts that will tell children stories where we play documentaries. We have a lot of screens there, so we’re learning about our historical fathers, what makes the Igbo race, and all of that. So, that’s one of my favorite spaces at the Ohanaeze building.

We also have used a lot of sevens, like the seven pillars and the seven lights in the second amphitheater. This represents the seven Igbo-speaking states, from Imo, Enugu, parts of Rivers, and so forth. We have about 11 offices: we have the ICT office, the President General’s office, Deputy President General’s office, and the conference rooms. These are all set up intentionally to preserve Igbo history.

The building sitting to my left was told to have been in existence for the past 150 years, and so we have designed this space in a way that it could hold the next 150 years and tell our children, generations unborn, what the Igbo race is all about.

What will happen to the old building?

The plan is to demolish it, but we intend to keep a part of this building to the corner for history’s sake. But the major building would be demolished.

What motivated you to take up this project?

That’s an interesting question because I put a lot of my heart and soul into it. It stemmed from the fact that the person who hired The Walsh Blanc is also very dear to me and told me the importance and significance of what we’re creating. It was supposed to be a place that would unify the Igbo nation. Once there’s a sense of pride, it brings a sense of unity, a unity of purpose. That got my attention, and I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be a part of history in the making, and I’m glad that we’re finally here.

Looking at what it looks like in here with the audio-visual spaces, the library, the conference areas for a lot of people, it might feel like a space for elite meetings and to direct the affairs of the organisation. But day to day, what are the things that will happen here that will make a difference for the younger people?

I did a bit of research, and I found that the former Ohanaeze building was a decision-making space where they would hold meetings, so you’re right. But what we did was create more room for experiences. So, it’s not just about history, but about preserving history and redirecting our young ones to understand their roots, where they’re from, and all that. We’ve created those spaces to intentionally guide that.

For instance, while we won’t be managing the Ohanaeze affairs, I imagine that with the facilities put in place, they would have excursions for young children and students to fly all the way to see the space. We also hope that this becomes a tourist destination that they would take advantage of, because it has been created to serve that purpose.

I like the fact that you mentioned it’s going to be like a tourist destination. When I came here and saw this building, I thought that was a way to preserve this as a museum of what this has grown into to measure growth. So I was quite sad when you said it would be demolished. Is there any way that it could be preserved as a reference point?

Like I said, we have two buildings. We have one sitting right in front of the multipurpose hall. It’s small, but we intend to move some of the old tables and old furniture so you still get a sense of what was there and what we’re doing now. So, we intend to keep that building and build something around it so it serves as a museum. The major building is closing out the beauty of what this holds and it is blocking the view, so we don’t want to lose our messaging. We’re still preserving something. The old tables and old floors will be artistically put together in the smaller building, so you still get a sense of what it was before. We’re also going to get the videos and pictures of how it used to be and play them at the memorabilia area so you get a sense of what it used to be like.

From an architectural point of view, what part of this project are you most proud of?

All of it, to be honest. It’s in the way that I’ve worked with the two amphitheaters. If you notice, the Isi agu-themed amphitheater, where we worked with the lion face, everyone who sees that will know that this is a space for the Igbos. That’s something that I’m really happy about, as well as how we infused red and white, the known Igbo heritage colours.

I’m proud of all of it, but there’s something that’s interesting, the lobby. We intentionally created seven pillars to depict the seven Igbo-speaking states. And this is just 85 per cent near completion, so there’s still a lot that’s coming in that would further drive the story of what this whole thing represents. I don’t want to let it all out because I want the surprise factor and people to get excited.

When did this project start, and how do you plan to appeal to those who have sentimental attachment to the old building.

There’s always beauty in growth and evolving. Like I said, we’re not bringing down the entire old building; we still have one that we’re preserving. We are careful and intentional about taking the wooden floors and stairs, and we’re going to artistically put them together. So, once you walk in there, those of you that have a sentimental attachment will still feel a sense of what it used to be, and the nostalgia will come back. You’re going to remember it for what it was, but there’s also beauty in growing and evolving, and we are very intentional about preserving history.

Let’s talk maintenance. We know that this project is still ongoing, but are you looking at a maintenance system? Because that is one thing that we lack a lot, so that all of the effort put in here doesn’t just go down after handover.

As far as maintenance culture, if you notice from our level of finishing, we tried to incorporate a lot of low-maintenance finishes. For instance, most of our walkways are cladded in boards, so you would hardly ever see hand stains, taking into cognisance that it’s a public building where people won’t manage it like their personal homes. We used a lot of surface coverings like boards, alcoves, glass, and stones. We adorned the entire facade with stones, which are timeless finishes, so there will be little or no need for excessive maintenance. But obviously, we’re still going to leave a maintenance instruction with the Ohanaeze team once we hand over, and hope that they do it justice.

What were the challenges you experienced in handling a project of this complexity?

As with any project of this magnitude, there are challenges, but they weren’t out of the ordinary or things that we couldn’t overcome and handle. By God’s grace, I’m just excited that we’re here. We’re not 100% done, but so far, I am glad, excited, and grateful to God at how it has been received by the late President General of Ohanaeze, His Excellency the Executive Governor of Enugu, and His Excellency Senator Rochas. They’re all smiles, and that’s fulfillment for us, that we’ve done something right.

Looking around, most of the things we see here look foreign. When we are talking about home and made in Nigeria, can you tell us what percentage of what you put up here is made in Nigeria?

The furniture and couches you see are all made locally. The art at the amphitheaters were done by our very own people; we didn’t import those, so locals put those in place. I would say that a huge percentage of what we’ve done here is foreign, because there are certain finishing materials that are not yet locally produced. Hopefully, this is supposed to inspire a lot of young people to go into manufacturing things that we could use to finish at this level. What’s most important is ensuring that this can stand the test of time for the next 150 years.

It’s 85 per cent near completion, and the remaining percentage will bring in a lot of soft finishings and art pieces that speak to people, like flooring that says ‘Igbo Kwenu!’ This is all created to tell the Igbo story. I like surprises, so I want people to come and be wowed.

Can you disclose how much it took to set up this facility?

To be honest, I think it’s way above my pay grade to say how much. But speaking from the standpoint of what I represent, I know that it took a lot of sacrifice, and it needed to be done. It’s interesting that for a race like the Igbo people, we didn’t have a central identity or a place to fall back to. You have this in the West and in the North, but the Igbos had nothing to be proud of, and that’s what is most important. It’s not in the cost, but in the fact that it is standing before us and what it represents for the Igbo people.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has inaugurated a new cohort of Youth Ambassadors to strengthen engagement with young Nigerians and promote informed, peaceful and responsible participation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Chairman of the Outreach and Partnership Committee, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, said the appointment was not merely a title but a mandate to strengthen electoral participation, promote peaceful conduct and ensure youths have access to accurate information.

Representing the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus said the large youth population could only be meaningful when matched by informed, organised and responsible participation.

She charged the ambassadors to listen to the reasons for disengagement, including lack of information, distrust and misunderstanding of electoral procedures, and to help address misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media, with the principle: ‘Verify before you amplify.’

Prof. Gumus warned against the manipulation of youths for electoral violence, saying: ‘Do not allow anyone to use your youth against your future,’ stressing that political competition should never require youths to fight or destroy one another.

She urged them to promote constructive engagement with parties and candidates on issues such as employment, education and security, and to serve as a two-way bridge between INEC and young Nigerians.

Earlier, Director of the Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs Lakunuya Dorothy, gave an overview of the initiative, its purpose and selection process, while Deputy Director of Inclusivity, Mrs Habiba Jatto, highlighted its objectives.

A goodwill message on behalf of the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, was delivered by Mrs Lami Bature, who urged the ambassadors to inspire their peers, promote voter registration and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, encourage peaceful conduct, reject vote buying and promote tolerance.

Director of Civic Values and Democracy Education, Mrs Olufemi Afolayan, who represented the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), emphasised civic education and responsible citizenship.

INEC said the ambassadors are expected to use social media, community engagement, entertainment, sports and entrepreneurship platforms to make electoral information accessible. It reminded them that their responsibility extends beyond election day, as they could become potential election officials, observers and responsible citizens.

AS of the year1800, only about 8 per cent of the global population lived in cities. The figure rose to about 16 per cent by 1900. Prior to that time, the vast majority of people lived in rural areas. The narrative changed in the twentieth century. Industrialization, pull of job and economic opportunity in cities, access to services like healthcare and education drew people from the countryside into rapidly growing urban centres. Globalisation and the concentration of industry in urban hubs accelerate the trend even further in developing nations, such as Nigeria. Today, approximately 55 per cent of the world’s population, more than 4 billion people resides in the urban areas. And the trend is not abating at all. According to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, cities could add roughly 2.5 billion more residents by 2050, when around two out of every three people on earth are expected to live in urban settings. Urbanisation has reshaped how we live, work, and consume resources. But while cities drive economic growth and innovation, they also place enormous pressure on the natural environment. From polluted air to shrinking green spaces, loss of habitat, and resource depletion, the environmental costs of rapid urban expansion are significant. Urbanization also leads to deforestation, elimination of natural ecosystems, emissions of gaseous and liquid wastes, overuse of resources and finally poor disposal of wastes.

Nigeria with a population of about 250 million people occupies a total land area of 983, 213 km2 with the activities and the interaction of these millions of people with the environment leaving ineffaceable mark on the landscape. Urbanization in Nigeria is characterized by city slums with serious environmental consequences caused by failure of development measures to keep pace with the rate of population growth, and this is evident in disposal of savage and refuse problems, which of course is quite serious because of the rapid rate of generation of non-biodegradable materials. Due to the rapid growth of the cities and the attendant inability of social services and infrastructure to keep pace with the rate of growth, environmental conditions have and continue to deteriorate at an alarming and worrisome rate. Inadequate storm drains, dumping of refuse in drainage lines and construction of houses close to and even on the natural water channels have been shown to be responsible in that order for the rising cases of flood witnessed recently in Lagos and urban other centers across the country.

The environmental problems are associated with the increasing growth of urban slums, including overcrowding in squalid housing conditions, poor quality or unavailability of basic infrastructures and social services, such as water and sewage facilities, and even lack of access routes. There are evidences everywhere of rapid decline in environmental quality and human living conditions, occasioned by rapid increase in human numbers. In the quest of the people to acquire their seemingly endless need for food, shelter, recreation and infrastructural facilities, changes occur, and unwise use of the land and its resources produce negative impacts on the environment. One thing is certain, urbanization is not going to reverse. In the years ahead, more people will make cities home, but the decisions made today about how those cities grow and function will shape the environment for generations to come. The good news is that cities are also centres of innovation, and many are already coming up with sustainable solutions.

Understanding these impacts and the solutions available is essential for building a sustainable future. Looking ahead, the situation in our country requires more attention and effective coordination among the concerned institutions; federal, state and local governments, non-government organizations, organized private sector, critical stakeholders, professional organizations in the built sector and local communities in reducing, stemming or mitigating the consequences of environmental degradation is highly required. It was not until 1998 that the federal government passed the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) decree (Act) setting up FEPA to work out rules governing the handling of Nigeria’s environment. Effective urban governance requires investing in data collection and geographic information systems to enable the government and professional organizations involved in city planning make informed decisions. It means aligning building codes, land use regulations, and transportation policies with sustainability goals. And it means ensuring that the voices of vulnerable communities – those who bear the greatest environmental burden – are included in planning processes. Environmental protection techniques need to be cultured, home-grown and the framework should be community based.

There is need for investment in awareness created programmes from the grassroots in terms of orientation. Environmental awareness education should be included in the primary and post-primary school curricula. Environmental protection agents at the local government level should be empowered to punish every offender. Also, an appropriate infrastructure investment in terms of construction of unblocked drainage patterns, flood defenses, improved health care and assistance shelters as part of community emergency preparedness programmes, changes in water and land use management policies, appropriate town planning, and provision of facilities to encourage the use of water ways for more higher values such as transportation.

The challenge lies in scaling these solutions fast enough and ensuring that the benefits of sustainable urbanization reach all communities – not just the wealthiest ones. Environmental sustainability and social equity must go hand in hand for cities to thrive in a climate-changed world.

Archbishop of the Church of God Mission International (CGMI), Most Reverend Margaret Benson-Idahosa, has donated a solar-powered borehole to the Oko Correctional Centre Service (CCS), in Benin City, Edo State.

The project, inaugurated as part of activities marking her 83rd birthday, is to provide a more dependable water supply to the facility, which accommodates more than 1,500 inmates and personnel.

Representing the Archbishop at the inauguration, Bishop Wale Ajayi said the intervention was conceived to support the correctional centre and improve the living conditions of inmates, as well as the working environment of correctional officers.

The Assistant Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Zonal Headquarters, Zone G, Controller Mosue Oizuajemen, described the project as timely, saying inadequate water supply had been a major challenge at the facility.

Oizuajemen explained that the high cost of diesel and fuel for pumping water, compounded by irregular electricity supply, had made it difficult to maintain consistent water availability, and noted that the solar-powered system would provide a more sustainable alternative.

She said the intervention would make a significant difference to the centre, given the large population dependent on its water infrastructure, while commending Benson-Idahosa for her continued support for the welfare of inmates and correctional personnel.

The assistant controller-general recalled that the archbishop had previously provided borehole water to the facility, describing the latest gesture as a meaningful contribution towards ensuring access to water and improving humane conditions at the centre.

The Minority Leader of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying the Federal Government has not delivered the level of development Nigerians expected in its three years in office.

Magaji, who represents Bodinga North Constituency under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks on Tuesday in Sokoto while speaking with journalists on the performance of the Federal Government, particularly in the northern region.

The lawmaker said that, despite the resources available to the Federal Government, he had yet to see sufficient progress to warrant celebration.

‘As far as I am concerned, as a serving legislator, if we are talking about progress in terms of leadership in our country, I can say without any fear of contradiction that I have not seen any progress under the Tinubu administration,’ he said.

Magaji also said he had not seen any significant development in the North that could be described as worthy of celebration under the present administration.

He called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to address the country’s infrastructure deficit and other development challenges.

According to him, the projects being cited by supporters of the administration should be considered against the huge resources available to the Federal Government.

He cited the proposed Trans-Sahara road linking Illela in Sokoto State to Badagry in Lagos as one of the major projects being highlighted by the administration.

‘The only thing people are talking about is the Trans-Sahara road from Illela to Badagry. We need more than that, considering the huge resources available to the present administration,’ Magaji said.

The lawmaker also expressed concern over the security situation in Sokoto State, claiming that insecurity had affected most of the state’s 23 local government areas.

He said only Sokoto North and Sokoto South remained relatively free from the security challenges affecting other parts of the state.

‘What is happening now in Sokoto State is terrible. Out of the 23 Local Government Areas, only two are not vulnerable to security threats.

‘Apart from Sokoto South and Sokoto North Local Government Areas, none of the remaining 21 LGAs is safe,’ he said.

Magaji said the security situation had forced residents of affected communities to abandon their homes and relocate to safer areas.

He disclosed that he was currently accommodating more than 20 displaced persons at his four-bedroom residence.

‘Even at my residence, a four-bedroom apartment, I have to host more than 20 people under my roof.

‘This has become an odd situation because during the tenure of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, only seven out of the 23 LGAs were vulnerable to security challenges,’ he added.