The Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development (IHSD) will on August 22, 2026, present a new book titled Materialism and Humanitarianism, authored by the institute’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Amb. Prince Francis Origa.

The book presentation, scheduled for 10am at Haris Hotel, Plot 313, Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye, Abuja, is expected to bring together scholars, humanitarian practitioners, policymakers, diplomats and other stakeholders interested in the relationship between material wealth and humanitarian values.

The event is being held under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency, Amb. Adamu Babangida Ibrahim, former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea and Syria, who is also the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of IHSD.

Origa, a United Nations scholar and Professor of Humanitarianism, uses the publication to examine the complex intersection between materialism and humanitarianism, with emphasis on the values, responsibilities and ethical considerations that should guide human society.

According to the organisers, the publication is a timely contribution to ongoing conversations on the place of material wealth in a world confronted by humanitarian crises, inequality and social challenges.

The institute described the presentation as an opportunity for participants to engage with the ideas contained in the book and reflect on how humanitarian principles can be strengthened in contemporary society.

Members of the public, academics, humanitarian organisations, diplomats, government officials and other interested persons have been invited to attend the event.

Further information and registration are available through the institute’s registration platform.

For enquiries and reservations, participants may contact 08023686143, 08032828786 or 08108399571.

The Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development (IHSD), in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and CIFAL Nigeria, will on August 22 host its 16th Annual Humanitarian Public Lecture, graduation and induction ceremony in Abuja.

The event, which is expected to bring together humanitarian practitioners, scholars, policymakers, diplomats, development experts and graduating students, will focus on the need to strengthen ethical leadership, inclusivity and humanitarian values in Nigeria.

Themed, “Resilience in Action: Strengthening Ethical Leadership, Inclusivity and Humanitarian Values in Nigeria,” the programme is scheduled for 10am at Haris Hotel, Plot 313, Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye, Abuja.

The ceremony will be held under the distinguished chairmanship of former Kaduna State Governor, Dr Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, FIHSD, Dallatun Zazzau.

According to the organisers, the annual lecture is designed to provide a platform for critical discussions on humanitarian challenges and the leadership values required to build a more inclusive and resilient society.

The organisers said the programme would also celebrate the commitment and dedication of graduates preparing to contribute to the humanitarian and development sector.

The graduation and induction ceremony is expected to formally usher the graduating students into the humanitarian field, while exposing participants to discussions on ethical leadership and the promotion of humanitarian principles.

The partnership between IHSD, UNITAR and CIFAL Nigeria, according to the organisers, underscores the importance of strengthening capacity development and professional training in humanitarian studies and social development.

The public, stakeholders, humanitarian organisations, academics, government officials, development practitioners and other interested persons have been invited to participate in the event.

For registration and further information, prospective participants may visit the registration platform or contact the organisers on 08023686143, 08032828786 or 08108399571.

Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, has called for stronger environmental regulation, sustained monitoring and urgent action to protect the Niger Delta aquatic ecosystem from the growing threats posed by oil pollution, industrial effluents, illegal refining, overfishing and other human activities.

The call was made by Professor Adaobi Patricia Ugbomeh of the Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, RSU, while delivering the university’s 137th Inaugural Lecture titled, “Samples Tell a Story: Challenges and Impact of Pollution on the Niger Delta Aquatic Environment.”

The lecture, held at the university premises last Wednesday, drew attention to the alarming ecological evidence contained in water, soil, sediment and biological samples collected from different parts of the Niger Delta over more than three decades of research.

Ugbomeh, a Professor of Aquatic Ecology, said environmental samples provide an accurate account of the condition of an ecosystem, stressing that “samples do not lie.”

According to her, a bottle of water could serve as a “well of information”, revealing the health of the environment from which it was collected.

She explained that pollution from dumped waste, oil spills, industrial effluents, urban run-off, plastics and emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals often finds its way into aquatic ecosystems, with consequences for biodiversity, fisheries and public health.

“Samples could be in the form of water, soil, sediment or biota. The importance of sampling is to detect the absence or presence of something which tells the story about that environment,” she said.

Drawing from her research across the Niger Delta, Ugbomeh warned that the region’s aquatic environment was under increasing pressure and required urgent, science-driven intervention.

She particularly raised concern over overfishing in parts of the region, including Igolo and Ngbe, saying the ecosystem needed time to recover.
“There is need to allow nature to rest so that it can come back,” she said.

The professor cited findings from the Opobo River in Rivers State, which she said could appear normal to the naked eye despite significant ecological stress revealed through scientific sampling.

According to her, samples collected from the river in 2020 consistently showed an ecosystem under pressure, characterised by sustained biomass but declining zooplankton diversity.
She explained that the river’s dependence on copepod-dominated zooplankton productivity made it ecologically vulnerable because any disruption to the dominant group could directly affect the availability of food for fish.

Ugbomeh also highlighted the ecological importance of insects inhabiting Niger Delta mangrove forests, describing mangrove canopy insect diversity as a “mirror of integrity” of the ecosystem.

She said mangroves across the region had been subjected to oil spills, canal construction, deforestation and urban encroachment.

Findings from samples collected at the Bundu Ama mangroves along the Bonny River in Port Harcourt, she disclosed, pointed to a functionally rich but stressed ecological community.

According to her, the insects play important roles as pollinators, decomposers, predators and bioindicators, while their survival depends heavily on the continued integrity of the mangrove trees.

Of particular concern, she said, were findings from a 2022 study in Elechi Creek, a tributary of the upper reaches of the Bonny River flowing through Port Harcourt City.

The study, according to the lecturer, provided the first documentation of bone abnormalities in wild adult teleost fish from brackish water in Nigeria.

She disclosed that fish specimens obtained from artisanal fishermen using cast and gill nets were examined, with between 40 and 50 per cent of three species showing distinct skeletal abnormalities.

Ugbomeh linked the findings to the environmental conditions around Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s major petroleum export hub, saying oil pollution, combined with high water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen associated with illegal refining activities, was the most probable cause of the skeletal deformities.

She warned that such evidence demonstrated that pollution was not merely an environmental issue but one capable of affecting aquatic organisms, fisheries and, ultimately, human wellbeing.

Based on the body of ecotoxicological, ecological, parasitological and toxicological evidence generated across the Niger Delta, Ugbomeh called for the establishment of integrated, long-term environmental monitoring programmes across major rivers in the region.

She said monitoring should cover water, sediment, soil and aquatic organisms and combine chemical analysis with biological indicators such as fish condition, parasite burden, zooplankton diversity and macro-invertebrate communities.
She also urged government to strengthen environmental regulation and enforcement by requiring independent verification of oil spill remediation and enforcing industrial effluent standards.

The lecturer called for restrictions on the use of hazardous chemicals, including oil dispersants and paraquat, around aquatic ecosystems.

She further advocated routine seafood safety assessments, stronger aquaculture biosecurity and integrated environmental and public health surveillance to identify ecological and health risks before they escalate.

On fisheries, Ugbomeh recommended sustainable management practices, including the use of biological health indicators such as fish condition factors and haematological biomarkers in routine stock assessments.

She also called for seasonal fishing closures and other sustainable fishing measures where scientific evidence indicates that they are necessary.

The professor urged increased funding for universities and research institutions to establish continuous aquatic monitoring programmes and generate long-term environmental datasets required for effective policy, remediation and ecosystem restoration.

She also stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies, research institutions and local communities, arguing that scientific evidence must inform environmental policies while communities should have a meaningful role in decision-making.

“Protecting the Niger Delta requires sustained monitoring, stronger regulatory enforcement, science-driven management, and active community participation,” she said.

“These measures are essential for restoring ecosystem integrity, safeguarding fisheries, and protecting public health across the region.”

She added: “The Niger Delta’s waters have sustained its communities for millennia. They deserve governance, science, and stewardship equal to the weight of that responsibility. The evidence is in every sample. The obligation to act is in every decision.”
‘Government must listen and act’.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of RSU, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Blessing Jaja, described the lecture as insightful, thought-provoking and timely.

Jaja said the lecturer had spent more than 35 years collecting samples and documenting the stories they revealed about the Niger Delta aquatic environment.

“Our Inaugural Lecturer collected samples and collated the stories behind the samples which spoke different languages,” he said.

He noted that the evidence presented during the lecture showed clearly that the Niger Delta environment was contaminated and that the contamination was affecting biodiversity.

Jaja said the presentation further demonstrated that increasing pollutant loads translated into increasing environmental problems.

He stressed that the research reflected RSU’s commitment to its vision of contributing to the protection of the Niger Delta environment through scholarship and scientific inquiry.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor congratulated Ugbomeh on delivering the university’s 137th Inaugural Lecture and urged government and other relevant authorities to take the scientific evidence seriously.
“Government must listen to these stories and act accordingly,” he said.

The lecture ultimately placed a stark responsibility before policymakers: that the deteriorating condition of the Niger Delta cannot be adequately addressed through sporadic interventions alone, but requires sustained scientific monitoring, credible enforcement, responsible resource management and the active participation of communities whose livelihoods depend directly on the region’s waters.

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Rivers State University (RSU), has commenced the construction of a $6.2 million Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering (RICCEE) at the university.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the RSU main campus, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, marked a major step towards strengthening advanced engineering research, innovation and industry-oriented training in the country.

The project is being implemented under NLNG’s Human Capacity Development Plan and forms part of the NCDMB’s Human Capital Development Institutional Strengthening Programme.

The centre, which is expected to provide specialised facilities for research, training and technological development, is designed to improve the capacity of RSU to develop practical solutions to challenges confronting Nigeria’s energy and industrial sectors.

It will be built on approximately 9,336 square metres of land and will feature a three-storey facility housing 18 specialised laboratories. Among them are laboratories for electronics and signal processing, robotics and embedded systems, software engineering, digital forensics and cybersecurity.

The facility will also contain offices, storage facilities and technical administration spaces, while sustainability features including solar energy provisions and energy-efficient lighting are expected to reduce operational costs.

As part of the initiative, a $1.2 million Professorial Chair will be established to support advanced research, academic leadership and stronger collaboration between the university and industry.

Speaking at the ceremony, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adeleye Falade, represented by the company’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall, described the centre as more than a physical structure.

According to her, the facility would provide students, lecturers and researchers with the tools required for practical learning, applied research and innovation in computer, electrical and electronics engineering.

Horsfall said the project would deepen the relationship between academia and industry by ensuring that research conducted at RSU responds to operational and societal challenges in Nigeria.

She noted that the initiative was also aimed at strengthening institutional capacity through modern infrastructure, research facilities, technical equipment and industry-aligned training.

“People remain our greatest investment,” Horsfall said, stressing that education delivers one of the highest returns by building confidence, competence and capacity for national development.

She further disclosed that NLNG’s Research and Development Implementation Consultancy would be domiciled at the centre when completed.

The consultancy, she explained, would help establish a robust research and development framework in line with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, while facilitating commercially viable and industry-relevant research in collaboration with selected tertiary institutions.

Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, described the groundbreaking as an important milestone in the Board’s human capital development agenda.

Bamidele said NCDMB was fully aligned with NLNG in implementing the project and would work with other stakeholders to ensure its successful completion.

He said the project was part of the Board’s Institutional Strengthening Programme, designed to establish sustainable partnerships with higher institutions through investments in infrastructure that improve teaching, research, innovation and practical skills.

He challenged the proposed centre to become a hub of discovery, creativity and technological advancement where students would be encouraged to innovate, researchers would develop solutions to real-world problems and industries would find dependable partners for research and development.

The Vice-Chancellor of RSU, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the project as a historic milestone for the university, saying it aligned with the institution’s 2026–2030 Strategic Development Plan.

According to him, the plan places emphasis on strengthening academic programmes, research collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Zeb-Obipi disclosed that the project originated from an appeal for corporate support made by Engr. Dr Hachimenum Nyebuchi Amadi, former Acting Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, with the support of the DE ’95 graduates.
He said he subsequently appointed Amadi as the pioneer Acting Director of RICCEE.

The Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to NLNG and NCDMB for the $6.2 million investment, the $1.2 million Professorial Chair and overseas training opportunities already provided for key personnel who would manage the centre.

He said the project represented more than the construction of a new building, describing it as the foundation for research excellence, technological solutions and the development of a new generation of engineers and innovators.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Hon. Ibinyefagha R. Alabere, commended NLNG, NCDMB and RSU for investing in education and technology.
She said the project would create opportunities for young people, stimulate innovation and contribute to sustainable development and economic growth in Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State and Nigeria.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Acting Director of Planning, Research and Statistics Directorate of NCDMB, Mr Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye; Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Tourism and Development Agency, Mr Yibo Koko; former Director of Capacity Building at NCDMB, Dr Ama Ikuru; and Dr Collins Iyoloma, who represented the alumni.
The speakers described the NLNG-NCDMB-RSU partnership as a model of collaboration among government, industry and academia.

The ceremony culminated in the handover of the project drawings and equipment to the Vice-Chancellor and contractors, followed by the symbolic laying of the foundation by Prof. Zeb-Obipi; Alabere; Engr. Bamidele and Dr Horsfall.
When completed, the RICCEE is expected to position Rivers State University as a major centre for engineering research, innovation and industry collaboration, while contributing to Nigeria’s drive for indigenous technological capacity and human capital development.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, will from Monday commence the inauguration of 10 major projects across the state as part of efforts to deepen development and extend the impact of government programmes to communities at the grassroots.

The 11-day exercise, which will run through August 31, will feature the commissioning of roads, bridges, healthcare facilities, educational infrastructure and other public projects across several local government areas.

The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, disclosed this on Friday during a media briefing in Port Harcourt, describing the projects as tangible evidence of the administration’s commitment to addressing the developmental needs of residents.

Wokoma said the inauguration would begin with the Buguma-Degema-Abonnema Road, a major road linking communities in Asari-Toru, Degema and Akuku-Toru local government areas.

Other projects scheduled for inauguration include the Egwi-Afara-Mba Road in Etche Local Government Area; Omademe Internal Roads in Ikwerre; and the new Air Force Base Runway in Port Harcourt.

Also on the list is the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Dual Carriageway, which traverses Ikwerre, Emohua and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas.

The SSG listed the Capt. Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Entrepreneurship Centre and Engineering Faculty Building at Rumuola, Obio/Akpor; the Agba-Ndele Road and Bridge in Ndele, Emohua; and the New Zonal Hospital, Omoku, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni among the projects to be commissioned.

Two major health facilities — the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and the New General Hospital, Rumuigbo, both in Obio/Akpor — are also scheduled for inauguration.

The programme will culminate on August 31 with the commissioning of the Bonny National Grammar School in Bonny Local Government Area.

Wokoma said the projects demonstrated the administration’s determination to ensure that government policies and investments translated into visible improvements in the lives of Rivers residents.

“These projects scheduled for commissioning are tangible evidence of His Excellency’s unwavering dedication to transform our communities and address the developmental needs of our people,” he said.

He added that the projects reflected the administration’s resolve to ensure that governance delivered “meaningful and measurable benefits for every citizen across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.”

The SSG commended government officials, contractors, host communities and other stakeholders for their contributions to the completion of the projects.

He urged Rivers residents to participate in the commissioning activities and continue to support the administration’s pursuit of peace and development.

Wokoma said: “Together, we will continue to build a Rivers State where development reaches every community and every citizen has the opportunity to thrive.”

The Trade Union Congress (TUC), Rivers State Council, has called on the Rivers State Government to introduce a seamless health insurance arrangement that will ensure all civil servants and their dependants are enrolled in the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP).

The TUC made the demand when its leadership visited the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of RIVCHPP, Dr Vetty Agala, in Port Harcourt, amid renewed calls for wider coverage of residents under the state’s social health insurance scheme.

Speaking during the visit, TUC Chairman, Comrade Samuel Ogan, commended the management of RIVCHPP for its efforts to expand access to healthcare, stressing that health insurance remained the most sustainable way of protecting workers and their families from the financial burden of illness.

Ogan, however, said workers would be more willing to embrace the scheme if government could develop a system that eliminates visible deductions from their salaries.

He urged the state government to work out a seamless arrangement through which all workers and their dependants could be automatically captured in RIVCHPP plans.

According to him, enrolling the entire civil service into the programme would not only protect workers but also encourage other organisations and individuals to embrace health insurance.

The TUC chairman pledged that the union would engage relevant stakeholders to facilitate the enrolment of workers into RIVCHPP’s health insurance packages.
Earlier, Agala described RIVCHPP as a strategic initiative of Governor Siminalayi Fubara aimed at ensuring financial risk protection for everyone living and working in Rivers State.

She said the programme was designed to make universal health coverage a reality by enabling residents to access quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship or relying on out-of-pocket payments at the point of care.

Agala, who commended the state government for investing in healthcare infrastructure and manpower, lamented the low patronage of health facilities, noting that the challenge was not necessarily a lack of illness but, in many cases, the inability of residents to afford medical care.

She said RIVCHPP was established to bridge that gap and ensure that people, regardless of their social or economic status, could obtain medical attention whenever they needed it.

The RIVCHPP boss disclosed that the agency had developed packages for residents in the formal and informal sectors, vulnerable groups and people living with chronic illnesses.

She also highlighted the agency’s educational sector plans, under which pupils in primary and secondary schools would pay N9,000 annually, while tertiary institution students would pay N12,000 per academic year. She explained that registered students would remain covered during their holidays.

Agala called on labour unions, international oil companies, religious organisations, community and political leaders, as well as well-meaning individuals, to partner RIVCHPP by sponsoring health insurance for members of their communities.

She stressed that government funding alone could not sustain a viable health insurance system, adding that the number of vulnerable residents currently benefiting from the programme remained only a fraction of the population in need.
RIVCHPP Woos UNIPORT Students

In a related development, Agala assured the University of Port Harcourt Medical Students Association (PUMSA) of the agency’s readiness to collaborate with the university’s entire student community to expand access to healthcare.
She gave the assurance when the PUMSA leadership, led by its President, Nelson Fadeh Leteh, visited the agency.

Agala said students constituted a critical segment of the population that RIVCHPP was seeking to bring under its health insurance coverage, stressing that the agency’s objective was to ensure that no resident of Rivers State was excluded from access to quality healthcare.

She said RIVCHPP had begun engagements with relevant authorities to address existing institutional dynamics that could facilitate the enrolment of students, while advising the association to follow due process in presenting its demands.

Earlier, Leteh outlined some of the challenges and hazards confronting medical students, particularly during clinical training, and expressed the association’s desire to enrol its members in RIVCHPP’s programmes.

He said the welfare of medical students remained a priority for the association, noting that the existing health insurance arrangement available to the students was characterised by protocols and bottlenecks that often hindered seamless access to healthcare.

The visits ended with the presentation of RIVCHPP promotional materials to the visiting delegations.