Author: nationalpoint

The presentation of the Rivers State 2026 budget by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the House of Assembly last Friday may prove to be one of the most significant political events in the state in nearly three years. More than the proposed ₦1.85 trillion Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development, the occasion symbolised the restoration of cooperation between the executive and the legislature after a prolonged political crisis that had paralysed governance. For the first time since the crisis erupted in October 2023, the governor addressed a largely full House of Assembly in an atmosphere devoid of hostility. The rancour,…

Days of relentless rainfall have triggered widespread flooding across Rivers State, submerging homes, churches and major neighbourhoods, displacing thousands of residents and leaving a trail of destruction, even as affected communities lament the absence of an emergency response from government authorities. The downpour, which intensified from Thursday last week, has inundated several parts of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Eleme and Oyigbo Local Government Areas, while communities in the flood-prone Orashi region are bracing for what could become an even more severe humanitarian crisis. Residents say floodwaters have forced families to abandon their homes, destroyed household property, disrupted businesses and rendered several…

The Rivers State Ministry of Education has lifted the suspension of Wisdom Gate International School, Campus 1, Eligbolo, in Obio/Akpor Local Area. The school was closed by government a few months ago after a sleeping pupil was crushed to death by a cupboard that fell on him. The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, said the decision followed a investigation that confirmed that Wisdom Gate International School had met the safety standard requirements and upgraded its facilities as instructed by the Ministry. “Consequently, Wisdom Gate International School, Campus 1, Eligbolo, is permitted to resume academic activities and is strictly mandated…

Former Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner Timinipre Isoun, is dead. According to an obituary announcement by his family, the renowned scholar, scientist and public servant passed away on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The family described Professor Isoun as an outstanding scholar, visionary leader and dedicated public servant whose immense contributions to science, technology, education and national development would be remembered for generations. Professor Isoun was a towering figure in Nigeria’s academic and scientific community. He made history as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, now Rivers State University, where…

The Kalabari Renaissance Foundation has announced that Minama Community in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State will host the 2027 Kalabari New Year Festival. In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Foundation, Mr. Harry Awolayeofori Mcmorrison, and the Secretary, Ibiba Don-Pedro, the organisers said Minama was selected immediately after Elem-Kalabari in recognition of its deep historical connection with the founding fathers of the Kalabari Kingdom. The Foundation said the festival, scheduled to hold on November 16, 2026, would usher in the 2027 Kalabari New Year celebration and is expected to attract a larger turnout due to…

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, has stated that the programme’s peacebuilding process in the Niger Delta is yielding positive results, describing the region as the most peaceful in the country. He stated this in his remarks at the opening ceremony for the sixth batch of the two-day “Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation Training” for PAP stakeholders at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, on Monday. The sixth batch is made up of 120 participants. The PAP had, between July and December, 2025, organised five batches of the workshop with over 240 stakeholders trained…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) “over its failure to account for approximately ₦5.9 billion reportedly spent on the incorporation, transition, and rebranding of NNPC into NNPCL.” The NNPC reportedly paid N2.9 billion for incorporation expenses from petroleum product proceeds, while the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) also charged N2.9 billion to crude oil revenue for the same purpose, bringing the total amount spent on the rebranding of NNPC to NNPCL to ₦5.9 billion. In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1248/2026, filed last week at the Federal High…

Environmental activist and Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Nnimmo Bassey, has called for urgent action to halt the disastrous exploitation of the Niger Delta region through decades of unchecked oil and gas activities. Bassey made the call on Thursday, while delivering welcome remarks at the 5th Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence (NDAC) held in Uyo. He bemoaned the worsening environmental and health impacts of oil exploration across the Niger Delta region, saying the Niger Delta had suffered nearly 70 years of pollution, ecological destruction and economic neglect despite being the backbone of Nigeria’s oil wealth. According to…

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia SAN, has advocated for the strengthening of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as the arrowhead of development agencies in the Niger Delta region. Ajumogobia, who made the call as the keynote speaker at the NDDC Law and Development Summit in Port Harcourt, stressed the need to support the NDDC in its role as the central coordinating body among development partners in Nigeria’s oil-rich region. “Rather than functioning as the central coordinating body, the NDDC has become one layer in a crowded ecosystem where responsibilities are diffuse…

The Convener of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER), Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, has called for greater inclusion of women in maritime governance and ocean policymaking. Kiyaramo said Africa cannot build a sustainable Blue Economy while excluding women who play critical roles across fisheries, coastal trade, and maritime enterprises. He spoke while advocating the creation of an ABER Women’s Wing to promote women’s participation in shaping Africa’s ocean economy. According to him, the initiative would transform women from policy beneficiaries into key decision-makers in maritime development. Kiyaramo noted that women account for between 50 and 70 percent of Africa’s post-harvest fisheries…