governance - Housing TV Africa

Tinubu Moves to Establish State Police as Constitution Amendment Bill Reaches Senate

housingtv — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:31:33 +0000

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police, marking a significant step toward restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture.

The proposed legislation aims to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for state-controlled policing across the federation.

The move follows repeated calls by the President for constitutional reforms that would allow states to play a greater role in securing their territories amid rising security challenges.

Earlier in February, Tinubu urged the National Assembly to consider constitutional amendments to enable state police, describing the reform as necessary to address terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes across the country.

During his Democracy Day address, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to defeating insecurity, declaring that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law.

He also stated that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the last year, while noting a decline in terrorism-related deaths compared to previous years.

However, he acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in parts of Oyo and Borno States remains a painful reminder of Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.

The state police proposal has gained momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes aimed at decentralising policing powers.

The Senate is expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers move to deliberate on the bill, which is regarded as one of the most far-reaching security reform proposals in the country’s democratic history.

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Anambra to Partner Private Investors on Mass Housing to Tackle Rising Rents

housingtv — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:34:22 +0000

The Anambra State Government has unveiled plans to develop a mass housing policy through partnerships with private-sector investors as part of efforts to address the state’s growing housing deficit and rising rental costs.

The decision was among key resolutions reached at the second meeting of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) during the second term of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, held at the Government House, Awka.

In a statement, the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, said the council expressed concern over increasing housing shortages and escalating rents across the state.

According to him, the government resolved to address the supply side of the housing market by increasing housing stock through public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements.

“The Council decried the housing deficit in Anambra State and resolved to address the supply side of the market to tackle the twin challenges of rising house rents and inadequate housing availability,” Mefor stated.

As part of broader governance reforms, the council also approved a policy requiring companies seeking government contracts to provide evidence of tax compliance as a prequalification condition for future bidding processes.

The government said the measure is aimed at ensuring businesses benefiting from public contracts contribute fairly to the state’s revenue generation efforts.

In another policy decision, the council directed greater involvement of academics and professionals from state-owned universities in the planning, implementation and evaluation of government projects.

Officials said the initiative would strengthen collaboration between government institutions and academia while promoting the application of research-based solutions to public sector challenges.

The council also approved plans to introduce legislation regulating the scrap metal industry and protecting public infrastructure from vandalism.

Under the proposed law, scrap dealers, including operators handling end-of-life vehicles, will be required to obtain licences before conducting business in the state.

The government said the move was necessitated by increasing cases of vandalism and theft of public assets.

Meanwhile, the council approved several infrastructure and public service projects across the state.

Among them is the award of an N801.7 million contract to Lebtech Construction Limited for the construction of a floodwater diversion channel at Ezioko in Oko-Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area.

The council also approved N279.5 million for the supply and installation of medical equipment and accessories at General Hospital, Oroma Etiti, with the contract awarded to Calyzid Ventures.

In addition, N92.7 million was approved for landscaping and external works at Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe, with the project awarded to Ozoh United Ventures Nigeria Limited.

During the meeting, council members observed a minute of silence in honour of the late Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, a retired Lieutenant General and former United Nations Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations.

The government said the latest decisions form part of ongoing efforts by the Soludo administration to strengthen governance, expand infrastructure development and address socio-economic challenges facing residents of the state.

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We Will Not Reverse Reforms, Tinubu Assures World Bank

housingtv — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:38:21 +0000

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms, assuring the World Bank that there will be no reversal despite the initial hardship faced by citizens.

Tinubu gave the assurance on Tuesday while receiving a World Bank delegation led by the Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde, at the State House in Abuja. He described the reform agenda as a necessary pathway to stabilising the economy and unlocking opportunities for Nigeria’s growing population.

According to the President, although the reforms were difficult at the onset, abandoning them would undermine long-term national development. He stressed that his government has chosen a firm path and remains focused on delivering sustainable economic growth.

Tinubu said Nigeria, as Africa’s largest economy, must take bold steps to reposition itself, particularly through reforms in agriculture, infrastructure, and fiscal management. He called on the World Bank to support efforts aimed at expanding mechanised farming, improving access to quality seedlings, and strengthening the availability of locally produced fertilisers.

The President explained that his administration’s reform choices included ending the fuel subsidy regime and unifying the foreign exchange market, decisions he acknowledged caused inflationary pressure in the short term. However, he maintained that the measures were essential to address longstanding structural distortions.

He noted that inflation has begun to ease and that the naira has shown increased stability, attributing the progress to consistent policy direction and improved transparency. Tinubu added that reforms would continue to prioritise accountability, reduced waste, and better use of public resources.

The President urged the World Bank to explore innovative financing models that would accelerate growth, reduce excessive intermediaries, manage investment risks, and build the skills of Nigerians, especially the youth population.

In her response, Bjerde commended Tinubu’s consistency and resolve in implementing reforms over the past two years, describing the outcomes as remarkable. She said Nigeria has become a reference point in global discussions with policymakers and investors due to the administration’s steady approach.

Bjerde noted that many countries often slow down or reverse reforms when challenges arise, but Nigeria’s leadership has remained firm, sending a strong signal to the international community. She added that the clarity of direction has boosted investor confidence.

She disclosed that the World Bank’s engagement with Nigeria is anchored on the country’s long-term development vision, including its ambition to grow the economy to $1 trillion and achieve a seven per cent growth rate.

Job creation, according to the World Bank official, remains central to the partnership, especially as Africa’s youthful population continues to expand. She highlighted that infrastructure development, agricultural modernisation, digital innovation, and access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises are key areas of focus.

Bjerde revealed that the World Bank’s public sector portfolio in Nigeria currently stands at about $17 billion, making the country one of its largest clients. She added that private sector operations through the International Finance Corporation have grown significantly, while risk guarantees provided by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency are expected to expand further.

She also disclosed plans for a new Development Policy Operation designed to support Nigeria’s budget and reform agenda, noting that the instrument aligns directly with the government’s policy direction.

The World Bank official praised Nigeria’s efforts in digital development and human capital investment, describing them as critical drivers of youth employment and long-term productivity. She said the institution remains committed to supporting reforms that promote inclusive growth and poverty reduction.

Tinubu, in closing, reiterated that his administration would continue to engage international partners while maintaining ownership of its reform agenda, stressing that Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on discipline, courage, and consistency.

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Women Engineers Urged to Harness Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership

housingtv — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 07:46:46 +0000

The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has called on women engineers and professionals across sectors to harness emotional intelligence as a vital tool for effective leadership, conflict resolution, and empathetic governance.

APWEN President, Dr. Adebisi Osim, made the remarks during a webinar titled “Harnessing Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership and Governance”, organized in collaboration with the Zambia Women in Engineering (ZWES) Section.

Dr. Osim emphasized that engineering extends beyond designing structures to connecting societies through knowledge-sharing and empowerment. While technical expertise is essential, she said, emotional intelligence is what transforms skilled engineers into exceptional leaders.

“In a world where technical prowess is essential, emotional intelligence turns good professionals into great leaders. It’s the secret sauce that helps practitioners navigate teams, resolve conflicts, and govern with empathy,” Osim stated.

She noted that women in engineering often balance high-stakes professional demands with personal responsibilities, and emotional intelligence provides stability in managing both. Highlighting the example of former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Osim noted how emotionally intelligent leadership helped stabilize a post-war nation and earned Sirleaf global recognition, including the Nobel Peace Prize.

Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, she said women engineers’ innovation in producing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) went beyond technical creativity. Emotional intelligence enabled leaders to motivate anxious teams and navigate supply-chain challenges, ensuring successful delivery to frontline workers.

“Closer to home in Zambia, female leaders in engineering have used emotional intelligence to advocate gender-inclusive policies and transform male-dominated boards into collaborative spaces,” she added.

Guest speaker Dr. Patricia Nekpen Opene-Odili, founder of the Osaide Foundation, described emotional intelligence as a cornerstone of transformational leadership. She explained that leaders who understand and manage emotions constructively are better equipped to communicate with empathy, build trust, navigate conflict, and influence responsibly.

Dr. Opene-Odili stressed that integrating emotional intelligence strengthens self-awareness, enhances self-management, and enables leaders to understand community sentiment, anticipate reactions, and govern sensitively.

“Leaders grounded in emotional intelligence build institutions on transparency, fairness, and human dignity. Emotional intelligence enhances public trust, improves policy communication, and strengthens crisis leadership,” she said.

She urged leaders across governance, education, and corporate sectors to make emotional intelligence a daily practice, emphasizing that understanding people and oneself is key to leading effectively.

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Bwaje — The FCT Community That Has Waited Over 100 Years for a School, Road, Water, and Electricity

housingtv — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:46:26 +0000

Bwaje, an agrarian settlement tucked inside Gurdi Ward of Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sits quietly on the edge of modern Abuja, yet lives as though untouched by the city’s development.

For more than a century, the community has existed without basic amenities many Nigerians consider foundational.

According to the traditional ruler, HRH Aliyu Isah, Bwaje has never benefited from government intervention at either the FCT or area council level.

No school, no health centre, no access road, no borehole, and not even a polling unit. To access any public facility, residents must travel to neighbouring villages.

With a population of over 2,300 people — including Fulani, Hausa dry-season farmers, and other indigenous groups — the community grapples daily with challenges that mirror the hardship of rural life in pre-independence Nigeria.

When Abuja Metro visited, women were seen drawing water from the only well in the village, a structure residents dug themselves last year.

Before then, residents relied solely on the Gurara River—nearly two kilometres away.

The chief said water scarcity is only one layer of the crisis. Without a school building, children take lessons inside the village mosque.

He noted that parents have been forced to enroll their children in a primary school in Gurdi, a difficult two-kilometre journey made worse during the rainy season when flooding makes the river impassable.

Health emergencies, he said, often turn tragic. With no health facility in Bwaje, patients rely on motorcycles to reach Gurdi for treatment.

The community recently lost two pregnant women who died before they could reach the health centre across the river.

Road access into Bwaje paints an equally grim picture. There are no culverts or bridges across the streams leading into the village, making transport nearly impossible for farmers who move produce to markets in Yaba and Abaji.

During the visit, the poor condition of the narrow paths and the absence of any engineered road were clearly visible.

Over the years, the community has also been denied a polling unit. On election days, residents travel to Gurdi to cast their votes — a journey HRH Isah said reinforces feelings of abandonment.

He added that politicians often visit during campaign seasons to make promises that disappear after ballots are counted.

He appealed to the Abaji Area Council chairman to provide Bwaje with essential amenities, including a borehole, a health centre, a primary school, proper road access, and a bridge linking the community to its neighbours.

Responding, the Chief of Staff to the council chairman, Mohammed Kandi, said the council had directed its Works Department to assess the community’s needs for inclusion in next year’s budget.

He added that the chairman had recently visited Bwaje during campaign rounds and promised to address the issues raised.

Despite these assurances, residents remain cautiously hopeful. For a community that has waited over 100 years, visible government presence — not promises — is what they long for.

Source: Daily Trust

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Protest Erupts in Akure as Residents Decry Abandoned Ijoka Road Project

housingtv — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:23:10 +0000

Residents of Ijoka in the Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday took to the streets to protest the deplorable state of the Ijoka/Ijo Mimo road, accusing the government of neglecting the area for years.

The protesters, who gathered in the early hours, blocked access to the road, lamenting that it had become impassable and a source of daily hardship for motorists and pedestrians.

Chanting anti-government songs, the demonstrators described the road’s condition as a sign of abandonment by the state government, claiming it had caused multiple accidents and hindered local businesses.

One of the residents, Ayanfe Adeyemi, said the road had been left unattended for nearly four years under the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

“For the past three to four years, this has been our worst experience. Whether during the rainy or dry season, this road remains terrible,” Adeyemi said. “We are giving the government one week to return tractors to the site; otherwise, we’ll be back on the streets.”

Another resident, Oni Alade, appealed to Governor Aiyedatiwa to intervene, saying traders were struggling to move goods to and from the market.

“I trekked almost five miles to vote for Aiyedatiwa. We just want him to fix this road and ease our suffering,” she said.

Responding to the protest, Chairman of Akure South Local Government, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, assured the crowd that the state government had not abandoned the project.

He explained that plans were ongoing to resume work on the Ijoka road soon, adding that the government was aware of residents’ hardship.

The Ijoka road dualisation project was initiated by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s administration and remains one of the major infrastructure works yet to be completed in the state.

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ICPC, Others Uncover Lack of Transparency in Local Government Allocations

housingtv — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 10:53:55 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other federal agencies have revealed that there is no clear evidence that local government allocations from the Federation Account get to the councils directly.

The agencies made this known during a workshop on the Local Government Accountability Framework (LGAF) held in Jos, Plateau State, for local government chairmen.

The event was organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

The ICPC Executive Secretary, Clifford Oparaodu, said that despite the Supreme Court ruling granting full autonomy to local governments, there is still no system to verify what each council receives.

He noted that most allocations are channelled through state joint accounts, making it difficult for councils to know or plan with their actual funds.

He added that this lack of transparency undermines development and accountability at the grassroots level.

Other speakers, including the RoLAC Programme Manager, Emmanuel Uche, and LGAF Coordinator, Umar Yakubu, also said that democracy cannot grow without openness and accountability in the use of public funds.

They called on citizens to demand transparency and for local governments to be given full control of their allocations to improve schools, healthcare, and infrastructure in rural communities.

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Katsina Governor Reshuffles Cabinet, Creates Livestock Ministry

housingtv — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 13:35:40 +0000

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has approved a cabinet reshuffle and established a new Ministry of Livestock Development.

His Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula-Mohammed, announced the changes on Saturday in Katsina.

Prof. Ahmad Muhammad-Bakori will head the new ministry, while Alhaji Adnan Nahabu moves to Higher, Vocational and Technical Education. Alhaji Aliyu Lawal-Zakari takes charge of Agriculture, and Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa moves to Special Duties.

New commissioners include Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman-Jibia for Basic Education, Alhaji Surajo Yazid-Abukur for Youths and Sports, and Hajiya Aisha Aminu for Women Affairs.

Governor Radda said the reshuffle, effective immediately, aims to improve service delivery and strengthen governance under his “Building Your Future Agenda.”

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Corruption Is More Than Stealing Money- ICPC Chairman

housingtv — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:58:19 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), says corruption in Nigeria goes beyond stealing public funds, describing it as any act that deviates from due process or the rule of law.

Speaking in Abuja at the 2025 National Summit of the Association of Chairmen of Local Government Service Commissions, Aliyu represented by his aide, Zainab Nass said corruption exists in every part of society, not just government.

“Corruption is not just about stealing money; it is anything that deviates from the rule. It is corruption not to follow due process,” he stated.

He urged Nigerians to uphold integrity and accountability, warning that misconduct such as financial mismanagement, falsified records, and abuse of office now attracts serious legal consequences.

Aliyu recalled that earlier campaigns like the Ethical Revolution and MAMSER failed due to weak enforcement, but said the ICPC has since strengthened anti-corruption efforts through enforcement, prevention, and education.

He also praised the 2024 Supreme Court ruling restoring elected local councils, calling it “a new dawn for grassroots governance.”

“We are now in the era of asset recovery taking back what was taken,” he said, urging local officials to ensure public funds truly serve the people.

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Tinubu Mourns Raila Odinga, Hails His Pan-African Legacy

housingtv — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:03:50 +0000

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep condolences to the government and people of Kenya following the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, describing him as a towering statesman whose life was defined by the pursuit of democracy, justice, and unity.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu hailed Odinga’s resilience in the face of political adversity, particularly his role in championing electoral reforms and standing firm on the power of the people.

“Raila Odinga was not just a national icon but a Pan-African beacon, a freedom fighter and advocate of inclusive governance, whose legacy transcends borders,” Tinubu said.

The President noted that Odinga’s life work will remain a source of inspiration, not only to Kenyans but to all who aspire to build just and equitable societies across Africa. “His enduring influence is evident in the democratic institutions he helped shape and the values he upheld,” Tinubu added.

Offering support to Kenyan President William Ruto during this time of mourning, Tinubu affirmed Nigeria’s solidarity with Kenya, expressing hope that Odinga’s memory will continue to guide the country toward peace, unity, and sustained progress.

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