From Francis Sadhere, Delta

Delta State is on the verge of a major economic transformation as its renewable energy agenda gains momentum, with thousands of jobs projected to emerge across rural communities.The assurance came from the State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, who said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration is determined to use clean energy to empower small businesses, strengthen social services, and integrate rural dwellers into the state’s economic mainstream.

Aniagwu spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the 14th State-by-State Roundtable Engagement between the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Delta stakeholders. He explained that the state’s energy roadmap is designed to bridge the development gap between urban and rural areas.“Once rural communities are electrified through solar and other renewable energy sources, barbers, hairdressers, vulcanizers, dry cleaners, and other entrepreneurs will no longer be trapped in the cycle of buying and repairing generators. That savings goes directly into expanding their businesses and creating jobs. It’s a direct link between clean energy and prosperity,” Aniagwu said.He added that reliable power supply would also enhance education and healthcare delivery, as schools and hospitals currently operating in darkness would become functional. According to him, libraries, laboratories, operating theatres, and pharmacies would serve their communities effectively, while hospitals would be able to preserve drugs and vaccines.The commissioner further emphasized that off-grid solutions such as mini-grids remain smarter and cheaper options for rural communities, eliminating the cost of heavy transmission infrastructure and reducing vandalism of power facilities.Aniagwu disclosed that renewable energy has already been deployed in select hospitals in the state, with more projects underway as investors show interest in partnering with the government.“Renewable energy is not just about light, it’s about jobs, safety, and inclusiveness. With this initiative, our rural brothers and sisters will no longer be spectators in the economy but active participants in building a stronger Delta,” he said.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The State Working Comm weittee (SWC) of the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ratified the indefinite suspension of former governor Gbenga Daniel and Hon. Kunle Folarin.According to Nuberu Olufemi, Director of Publicity, APC Ogun State, the confirmation of the indefinite suspension of the two party chieftains is a fallout of their failure to appear before a disciplinary committee and failure to defend allegations leveled against them in writing.

Ogun APC added that Senator Daniel and Hon Folarin were given opportunities to defend themselves I line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.However, Ogun APC SWC did not make public details of the purported anti-party activities.Party of the Ogun State APC SWC statement read: “In exercise of its powers, the State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State hereby affirms the suspension of two members of our party in Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel and Hon. Kunle Folarin, by their respective wards for alleged anti-party activities.”The State Chairman of the party, Chief Yemi Sanusi, chaired the meeting held on August 19, with sixteen members present. “The meeting considered the reports of the following Disciplinary Committees investigating allegations of misconduct and anti-party activities against the two members in Ward 4 and Ward 6 of Sagamu Local Government, respectively.”Ward 4, Sagamu Local Government, set up a Disciplinary Committee on the alleged misconduct bordering on anti-party activities committed by Senator Gbenga Daniel. Similarly, Ward 6, Sagamu Local Government, set up a Disciplinary Committee on the allegations of gross misconduct and anti-party activities allegedly committed by Hon. Kunle Folarin.”They wrote to the members under investigation, inviting them to the disciplinary meetings at which they were to be heard and allowed to present evidence in their defense or request pardon from the party.”However, both members failed to respond to the invitations extended to them in writing, failed to provide a written defense, and failed to attend the disciplinary meetings at which they were to be given the opportunity to defend themselves.”In view of their deliberate and unexplained absences, the Committees deliberated as scheduled, heard from the available witnesses, considered the available documentary evidence, and deliberated on the allegations.”In addition to the above, the Committees received notice that the members under investigation had been harassing party members and warning members against cooperating with the Committees, and further that the members under investigation had been using their statuses within the party to pressure party members to withdraw the petitions against them.”In view of this development, the Committees resolved to protect the integrity of the disciplinary process and to eliminate interference by the members under investigation.”Upon due consideration, the Committees suspended the members indefinitely, pending further investigation and the outcome of the Committees’ inquiry. “Copies of the letters of indefinite suspension had been sent to the State Chairman for consideration and approval of the State Working Committee.”The suspensions were based on the members’ failure to cooperate with the investigation and their attempts to pressure party members to withdraw petitions against them.The SWC has ratified the suspensions. The meeting demonstrates the party’s commitment to maintaining discipline and upholding its constitution.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja 

As Nigeria accounts for over 30% of zero dose children worldwide, a group has  urged the Federal Government (FG), to release the N108 billion for 2024.

Chika Offor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO),

Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), stated this in a press briefing, in Abuja.

She advocated for the full release of the N231.

7 billion allocated for 2025.  

Among those who were present at the occasion included, Gerald Teleh, Chairman, State Ward Development Committee (WDC), Saratu Abomann, National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS), Hon. Mohammed Usman, former member House of Representatives,  Chairman Healthcare services and Hajiya Hallmark Saluhu, Federation of Women’s Associations of Nigeria (FOWAN).

She noted it is imperative for the Federal, State and Local Governments, to prioritize immunization fund because this would address mataenal mortality rate in Nigeria.

She added that Immunizing Nigeria’s children  is the most cost-effective public health interventions, preventing diseases, reducing mortality, and contributing to healthier communities and a stronger economy.

According to her, “We are here today because our future depends on it. We are here today to underscore a matter of utmost national and global importance: Prioritizing Immunization Financing for Child Survival, making a case for immunization.

“Immunization remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions, preventing diseases, reducing mortality, and contributing to healthier communities and a stronger economy.

“We acknowledge, with deep appreciation:

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his unwavering commitment to child health and survival, released all 2022 and 2023 outstanding domestic vaccine financing and also released 25% of the 2024 domestic vaccine financing”.  

She said even though Nigeria government have saved millions of lives through vaccines but more need to be done, “Vaccines have saved millions of lives and remain central to achieving Nigeria’s health and development goals. Nigeria has made concerted efforts to reduce child mortality through vaccination programs carried out in all Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in the country. 

 “Over the past few years, immunization efforts in Nigeria have, Expanded routine immunization coverage,;Introduced new, life-saving vaccines, including the HPV vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine, and malaria vaccine and  Eradicated the wild poliovirus, once a major public health threat”.

She lamented, “These are remarkable achievements. But the journey is far from over. Nigeria still has one of the highest numbers of zero-dose children—those who have never received a single routine vaccine. 

“As stated in the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), Nigeria alone accounts for approximately 30% of zero-dose children worldwide, causing high child mortality rates. Behind each of those numbers is a child at risk of disease, disability, or death.

 “These gaps in coverage threaten to reverse the progress we have made. Behind every statistic is a name, a face, a family, and a future hanging in the balance. This is not just data. This is a national emergency hidden in plain sight.

“Immunization is one of the greatest success stories in public health. It is affordable, accessible, and proven. It saves lives. It safeguards communities. It strengthens economies. Yet, in 2025, the basic right of every child to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases is still being negotiated in fiscal terms”.

She said, globally, World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), estimate that 3.5 to 5 million deaths are prevented each year, primarily among children under five. Yet, 1.5 million children still die annually from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines. That is why vaccination is not optional—it is essential to child survival.

She stressed, that delaying 

 funding for immunization programs puts millions of Nigerian children at risk—risk of diphtheria, meningitis, vaccine stockouts, and other preventable crises.

“Without consistent vaccine funding, over 1 million Nigerian children under five remain at risk of dying from diseases we already have the power to prevent.

“Additionally, Immunization saves an estimated ₦6,000–₦11,000 in treatment costs per child—money that poor families simply do not have. For every ₦1 invested in vaccines, ₦16 is returned in health and economic benefits.

“That is not just a smart investment—it is a life-saving one. Yet funding gaps and delays mean vaccines sometimes arrive after outbreaks begin. By then, it is often too late”, she said.

She said, strengthening domestic financing for immunization is essential to reducing dependence on donor funding and achieving sustainable, equitable health outcomes.

She therefore urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, to choose immunization by releasing the outstanding ₦108 billion for 2024 and ensuring the full release of the ₦231.7 billion allocated for 2025.

She said, “In Nigeria, timely immunization is not just a calendar event—it is a lifeline.

Every day vaccines are delayed due to slow, fragmented, or incomplete funding, a child somewhere is left vulnerable—their tiny body wide open to diseases they should have been protected from before their first birthday”.

She urged, the State Governments to adopt and adapt frameworks that ensure routine and emergency immunization funding are embedded in state budgets, released timely and utilized efficiently and Legislators must ensure that policies environment supports the allocation and timely release of immunization funds. Because every naira released late could mean the difference between a child’s first birthday and their final breath.

She therefore urged all stakeholders to  recommit themselves to building a health system that leaves no child behind, and to ensure that immunization remains a top priority on the national health agenda—with sustainable financing at its core.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly (NASS), has called for the local production of vaccine in Nigeria. 

He said it would be an investment for the Federal Government (FG), to invest in production of vaccines in the country.

Accordimg to him, “As you are well aware, investment in vaccine, that’s why I call it an investment, health generally, spending on health is not expenditure, it is actually an investment. For many reasons, communicable, non-communicable diseases that you decided, or any nation that you decided not to prevent, protect people from, would later spend if not a hundred times that amount treating people. And of course, not just the issue of treatment, it may even get to a point whereby when life is lost.

“And if life is lost, there is no amount of money that can be spent to get the life back. And therefore, money spent, and especially the quality of a nation is determined by the quality of her children and the youth, because they are the future of the nation. So also, productivity of the nation is directly proportional to how healthy the citizens are.

“And then as a nation, if we, one of the pointers to our human capital development is to look at the health, and that’s why most times we say health is wealth. And where do we see this health? We look at it, the big man you see today was once a baby. And most of these health challenges start triggering from childhood”.

Narrating a story about his former classmate in the university who is a medical doctor, that had polio as a child 

he was lucky that it affected just one of his limbs. And he could still walk without using crutches or he’s not on wheelchair .

 He said, “But he needs support before he walks. I mean he supports that limb with his hand. But there are several children you see or adult in sometimes in our traffic light.

“I think recently we hardly see them in Abuja, but they are there sometimes in the marketplace. And so you see them in this makeshift scooter that they use to move around. Many of them we check it is polio.

“Now these are those that have survived even the killer diseases. But how many children have died due to preventable illnesses? And that’s why when we come to the issue of vaccines, we are not only speaking loud on vaccines. I mean the administration, the funding for vaccines”.

He noted, “We’re also speaking on domestic production of vaccines. This is what we are shouting on this period. Now with the dwindling funding that we are experiencing all over the world.

“We cannot afford to be using so much money to procure vaccines abroad. If we manufacture vaccines here, it’s also going to build local capacity. It’s going to be cheaper”.

He lamented that it is unacceptable that Nigeria’s maternal mortality is almost about 1,000 per 100,000 births. 

“While you are have countries in the world that are having one. One..

“In fact the next country to Nigeria is about 700. Followed by some 500. So Nigeria is almost doubling the world’s next country to eat on maternal mortality.

“So we cannot sit down like this and see a woman dies because of preventable complications arising from pregnancy or after birth. And then you now also look at the children that are dying. Do you know what it means to carry a baby for nine months?”.

Hon. Usman in his goodwill message lamented that, if immunization had been  prioritized then Nigeria won’t  be where, it is on in terms of zero dose. 

 He said, “It is lack of priotisation that is causing child motalitity. Lack of prioritizing is a major issue and it is imperative the government should change . Govenment shouldn’t take chances with people’s lives in Nigeria. We need to continue to urge the government to release the outstanding funds. 

“This type of outstanding discourages parliamentarian”.

He lamented that for 2024 N108billion is not released and already in August 2025 over N231 billion are yet to be released for 2025, government need to do more on immunization fund.

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