The Government of Rivers State of Nigeria has unveiled a Newborn Screening Programme aimed at reducing infant mortality and morbidity, describing the initiative as a decisive step towards improving child health outcomes in the state.

Launching the programme on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt, the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Nma Odu, said early screening of newborns would strengthen preventive healthcare and give every child a healthier start to life.

Odu explained that newborn screening is a simple but critical medical intervention that enables the early detection of genetic, metabolic, hormonal and congenital disorders before symptoms manifest.

“This initiative reflects our collective commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery, promoting preventive medicine and ensuring that every child born in our facilities is given the healthiest possible start in life,” she said.

The deputy governor noted that the state’s 2025 budgetary allocation to the health sector was substantial, underscoring the administration’s resolve to prioritise healthcare delivery. She added that Governor Siminalayi Fubara considers healthcare a direct investment in the wellbeing of citizens, particularly the vulnerable, as reflected in the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP).

Describing the screening initiative as an investment in the future, Odu commended the management and medical team of the teaching hospital for what she termed a laudable and forward-looking intervention.

Earlier, the Chairman of the hospital’s Management Board, Tamunoiyoriari Sampson Parker, praised the Chief Medical Director and staff for their dedication, while calling for sustained government support to expand critical health services.

In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director, Chizindu Alikor, said the wellbeing of newborns remains central to efforts at reducing neonatal and under-five mortality rates.

Alikor disclosed that the hospital had introduced a comprehensive screening package for babies born within the facility and across the state, in line with the administration’s “Health for All Rivers People” agenda.

He expressed confidence that early detection of health conditions through the programme would enable prompt diagnosis and treatment, significantly improving survival rates and long-term health outcomes for children in the state.

The Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, has identified structural and financial weaknesses as central to Nigeria’s persistent governance challenges, declaring that accounting and finance lie at the very heart of the nation’s governance crisis.

Speaking at the university’s inaugural lecture delivered by Professor Thank God Chikordi Agwor, the Vice-Chancellor acknowledged dignitaries and distinguished personalities in attendance before turning attention to what he described as one of the most troubling issues confronting the country — the inability of government to meet the demands and expectations of its citizens.

According to him, while numerous explanations have been advanced over the years to account for governance failure in Nigeria, many of those perspectives merely scratch the surface. He argued that they often fail to interrogate the deeper structural and institutional foundations responsible for the country’s recurring governance setbacks.

He explained that the inaugural lecture provides an important scholarly platform to move beyond routine commentaries and political rhetoric, offering instead a rigorous examination of the systemic roots of governance dysfunction.

The lecture, titled “Failure of Governance and Governance of Failure in Nigeria,” delivered by Professor Agwor, sought to unpack the institutional and systemic factors that have continued to undermine effective public administration. The Vice-Chancellor noted that the presentation offered fresh insights into how entrenched structural lapses, particularly in financial management systems, contribute significantly to governance breakdown.

Professor Zeb-Obipi further reflected on what he described as a compelling exposition of the intersection between accounting, finance and governance. He stressed that governance cannot be divorced from sound financial architecture, insisting that greater attention must be paid to budgeting processes, financial forecasting and accountability mechanisms.

“Accounting and finance,” he stated, “lie at the core of both the failure of governance and the governance of failure.”

He maintained that without disciplined budgeting, transparent financial reporting and credible forecasting frameworks, governments risk perpetuating cycles of inefficiency and unmet public expectations.

The Vice-Chancellor further urged government at all levels to integrate a robust financial and accounting nexus into policy design and implementation, arguing that such integration remains critical to addressing Nigeria’s governance challenges in a sustainable manner.

Commending Professor Agwor for what he described as a profound intellectual contribution, Professor Zeb-Obipi reaffirmed the commitment of Rivers State University to advancing research that supports national development and strengthens institutional capacity.

The inaugural lecture, he concluded, exemplifies the role of academia in confronting national challenges through evidence-based inquiry and critical scholarship.

By Victoria Michael

Rivers and Lagos states have emerged as hotspots in the consumption of sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks among minors and underage persons, a nationwide survey by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed.

The study, conducted in collaboration with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria and carried out by Research and Data Solutions Ltd, Abuja, surveyed 1,788 respondents across six states between June and August 2021. It examined access to alcohol and drinking frequency among minors (below 13 years), underaged persons (13–17 years) and adults (18 years and above).

Presenting the findings on Tuesday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described alcohol as “one of the most widely used substances of abuse among youths,” warning that its availability and ease of access are fuelling rising consumption among children and teenagers.

According to the report, 54.3 per cent of minors and underage respondents obtained alcohol by themselves, with nearly half (49.9 per cent) purchasing drinks packaged in sachets or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Rivers State recorded the highest rates — 68.0 per cent for sachets and 64.5 per cent for PET bottles — while Lagos State followed with 52.3 per cent and 47.7 per cent respectively. Kaduna State posted 38.6 per cent sachet and 28.4 per cent PET bottle consumption.

The survey further showed that sachet purchases were higher among males (51.4 per cent) than females (41.5 per cent), and more prevalent in rural areas (50.1 per cent) than urban locations (45.3 per cent).

Beyond direct purchases, minors and underaged respondents accessed alcohol through friends and relatives (49.9 per cent), social gatherings (45.9 per cent) and even parents’ homes (21.7 per cent), underscoring the depth of exposure within communities.

Among those who bought alcohol themselves, 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underaged respondents procured sachets, while 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of underaged persons purchased PET bottles.

On drinking frequency, 63.2 per cent of minors and 54.0 per cent of underaged respondents described themselves as occasional drinkers. However, 9.3 per cent of minors and a troubling 25.2 per cent of underaged persons reported drinking daily.

Public health experts warn that early exposure to alcohol significantly increases the risk of substance dependence, impaired cognitive development and mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. The pattern, they caution, may also heighten vulnerability to risky behaviours, cult-related activities and violent crime among youths.

Security analysts have repeatedly linked substance abuse among young people to rising incidents of street violence, sexual assault, traffic offences and other criminal activities in urban centres. The normalisation of alcohol consumption at increasingly younger ages, they warn, could compound Nigeria’s existing security and social challenges.

NAFDAC urged stricter regulatory measures, noting that access to alcohol by children can be curtailed if easily concealable pack sizes are removed from circulation.

“A ban on small pack sizes, including sachets and bottles below 200 millilitres, can reduce the menace of underage drinking,” the report stated.
It also called on parents, teachers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to treat underage drinking as a serious social alarm.

“Consumption of alcohol by children should raise alarm for parents, teachers, religious leaders and the community at large,” the agency said.

The findings, observers note, underscore the urgency of coordinated policy interventions, enforcement of age restrictions and sustained public awareness campaigns to prevent what could evolve into a broader crisis of youth addiction, crime and mental health disorders across Nigeria’s urban and rural communities.

Nigeria must reconstruct its governance architecture by first rebuilding the accounting and financial foundations upon which it stands, Professor ThankGod Chikordi Agwor has declared.

Delivering the 126th Inaugural Lecture of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, the Professor of Accounting and Finance argued that the country cannot move from “managing failure” to governing for development, equity and public trust without restoring discipline to its financial systems.

The lecture, themed “Failure of Governance and Governance of Failure in Nigeria: Unveiling the Accounting–Finance Nexus,” examined what the scholar described as the systemic fragility embedded within Nigeria’s governance structure.

Agwor maintained that accounting and finance are not peripheral technical tools but the very infrastructure of governance.

“Where they are strong, governance is resilient. Where they are weak, governance fails — and failure becomes governed,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria’s governance crisis reflects not only institutional weakness but a deeper structural distortion within the accounting–finance nexus. He described the phenomenon as the “governance of failure” — a condition in which institutional arrangements do not merely tolerate dysfunction but actively manage, rationalise and reproduce it.

“Nigeria exhibits a more troubling phenomenon: the governance of failure. This refers to institutional arrangements and practices that do not merely tolerate failure but actively manage, rationalise and produce it,” he stated.

Despite its abundant natural and human resources, Nigeria, he noted, continues to struggle with institutional inefficiencies, entrenched corruption and declining public trust. While leadership failure, corruption and weak political will are frequently cited as explanations, Agwor argued that such narratives often obscure the deeper challenge of informational asymmetry and financial opacity.
“Without credible accounting data and enforceable financial discipline, governance becomes performative rather than substantive,” he said.

The inaugural lecturer pointed to troubling empirical patterns: recurrent fiscal deficits without credible fiscal discipline; repeated banking crises followed by regulatory forbearance; public enterprises sustained despite chronic losses; and audit reports that reveal irregularities without sanctions.

“These patterns suggest that failure itself has become institutionalised — rendered predictable, administratively manageable and politically survivable,” he observed.

He further explained that weak enforcement environments have produced what he described as a governance equilibrium that perpetuates failure. Public and civil servants, he argued, have rationally adapted to these conditions, sustained in part by predictable financial incentives that reward compliance with dysfunction rather than reform. “The result is a governance equilibrium that perpetuates failure.

Breaking this equilibrium requires restoring accounting and finance to their disciplinary roles,” he said.

Agwor warned that the normalisation of weak accounting practices — delayed audits, qualified audit opinions without consequences and routine budget deviations — represents the entrenchment of governance failure.

“This normalisation represents the governance of failure; a condition where governance systems adapt to dysfunction rather than correct it. Breaking this circle requires restoring accounting’s disciplinary role,” he advised.

Over the years, the scholar has advanced research bridging accounting, finance, governance and public policy, producing work that is empirically grounded, theoretically rigorous and socially relevant. His contributions, observers noted, have mentored scholars and practitioners who understand that accounting choices are not neutral technicalities but decisions that shape societal outcomes.

The lecture reinforced the argument that sustainable reform must go beyond rhetoric to institutional recalibration — placing transparency, credible financial reporting and enforceable fiscal discipline at the centre of governance reform.

For Agwor, the pathway forward is clear: rebuild accounting, restore financial integrity and reposition governance from managing failure to delivering development, equity and trust.

By Victoria Michael

President Bola Tinubu has approved the extension of the Bonny–Bodo Road to link up with the strategic East–West Road, in what officials describe as a major boost to connectivity in the Niger Delta.

The President also sanctioned the immediate reconstruction of three key federal roads in Niger State.

The approvals were granted during a meeting with the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

Under the new directive, the Bonny–Bodo corridor in Rivers State will be extended to connect directly to the East–West Road. The project will be executed as a dual carriageway and constructed with reinforced concrete pavement to enhance durability. Solar-powered street lighting will also be installed along the stretch.

The linkage is expected to significantly ease transportation challenges, improve access to riverine communities, and strengthen economic activities across the oil-rich region.

In Niger State, the President approved the reconstruction of three major road corridors using reinforced concrete pavement to guarantee long-term value and resilience.

The projects include the 120-kilometre Mokwa–Bida Road, the 63-kilometre Mokwa–Makera Road, and the 123.5-kilometre Bida–Lambata Road.

Officials said the adoption of concrete technology reflects the administration’s commitment to building cost-effective and durable infrastructure nationwide.

The Edo State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 113 suspected kidnappers during a coordinated security operation across strategic locations in the state.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said the arrests followed credible intelligence indicating that ransom proceeds from kidnapping operations were being discreetly received and coordinated at Zangos in Agbede and the Iruekpen axis.

The early morning raid was led by the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, who supervised a joint task force comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as local vigilantes and hunters.

“The precision raids yielded the arrest of a total of one hundred and thirteen (113) suspects. All suspects are currently undergoing thorough profiling to ascertain their level of involvement,” the statement said.
“Those found culpable will be made to face the full weight of the law.”

Agbonika described the command’s offensive against kidnapping networks as “relentless and uncompromising,” vowing to dismantle not only armed groups operating in forests but also their financial and logistical support structures.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely, credible information to security agencies, assuring that all intelligence received would be treated with strict confidentiality.

The commissioner further declared that the command remains proactive and battle-ready to safeguard lives and property, warning that there would be no hiding place for kidnappers or their collaborators in Edo State.

The arrests mark the latest in a series of operations targeting criminal elements in the state. On February 4, the Nigerian Army announced the arrest of 13 suspected kidnappers and drug traffickers in separate operations across Osara community in Etsako West Local Government Area, as well as Auchi and Okpella in Edo North Senatorial District, according to a statement by Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade.

In a move widely seen as consolidating the recent peace accord in the state, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has approved the appointment of Dr. Dagogo S.A. Wokoma as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Barrister Sunny Ewule as Chief of Staff (CoS).

The appointments, which take immediate effect, are interpreted as part of ongoing efforts to stabilise the political climate and strengthen governance structures following the new peace deal in Rivers State.

The new appointees are scheduled to be sworn in at 2:00 p.m. today at the Executive Council Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt.

Political observers note that the reconstitution of key positions within the Governor’s inner cabinet signals a deliberate step towards inclusiveness and administrative cohesion, in line with the spirit of reconciliation that has recently reshaped the state’s political landscape.

The announcement was conveyed in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, who affirmed that the appointments are aimed at reinforcing effective service delivery and sustaining the momentum of peace and governance in the state.

With the latest development, expectations are high that the new SSG and Chief of Staff will play pivotal roles in translating the gains of the peace accord into tangible dividends for the people.

The Ebedaowei of Kabuowei Clan in Bayelsa State, King Hope Aserifa Torru, alongside members of the Kabuowei Traditional Council, has congratulated Hon. Dr. Peter Pereotubo Akpe on his inauguration as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.

Dr. Akpe was nominated by Governor Douye Diri and subsequently screened and confirmed by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Ebedaowei and the Council, the traditional institution described Dr. Akpe’s emergence as a significant milestone in the Prosperity Government’s quest to deepen good governance and deliver on its mandate to the people.

The statement, signed by High Chief Freston Akpor, the Ozituaowei of Kabuowei Clan, extolled the new Deputy Governor’s record of service, strategic leadership acumen and commitment to transparency in public affairs, noting that these qualities distinguish him as eminently suited for the office.

King Torru and the Council further commended Governor Diri for what they termed a discerning choice, describing Dr. Akpe as disciplined, calm, resourceful and intellectually equipped to function effectively in his new capacity.

The traditional rulers offered prayers for wisdom, divine guidance and patience for the Deputy Governor as he assumes office, while reaffirming the unwavering support of the Kabuowei Clan for the policies and programmes of the Prosperity Government.

“We stand in full support of initiatives aimed at promoting our common good and collective progress,” the statement added.