By Our Correspondent

The Ministry of Regional Development has inaugurated the Core Working Group (CWG) on Regional Development as part of a high-level stakeholders’ engagement aimed at strengthening policy coordination, institutional effectiveness, and inclusive regional growth across Nigeria.

Declaring the event open today, 15th December 2025, in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of State, H.E. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, acknowledged the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the creation of the Ministry and the Regional Development Commissions reflects a deliberate national strategy to address long-standing regional imbalances.

“The Development Commissions represent strategic instruments for addressing long-standing regional development gaps, while responding to evolving socio-economic and security concerns across the country,” he stated.

The Minister highlighted that the key expectations of regional development must be locally grounded, secure, accountable, and sustainable. “A region-by-region approach must reflect local realities, priorities, and comparative advantages,” he noted that “the integration of security considerations must reinforce peace-building, community resilience, and long-term stability.”

He stressed that “strong governance and accountability mechanisms must provide clear indicators, monitoring systems, and transparent processes,” while “policy thrusts must align with national development plans and global best practices, ensuring continuity beyond political cycles.”

In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary A. Ogbe, described the inauguration as a major step toward institutional strengthening and improved service delivery. “This gathering marks a concrete step in our collective effort to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry to deliver on its mandate of promoting balanced, inclusive, and sustainable regional development across Nigeria,” she said.

Dr Ogbe explained that the CWG will function as the Ministry’s technical backbone, serving as a technical engine-room that provides evidence-based inputs and ensures coherence across departments. She further noted that the inauguration coincides with the commencement of a Rights and Results-Based Management (RRBM) Training aimed at transforming how regional development policies are planned, implemented, and measured.

In his keynote speech, delivered on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Chief Social Policy, Mr Hamidu Poufon, underscored the central role of the Ministry of Regional Development as the institutional anchor for achieving equitable and inclusive development across Nigeria’s regions. He noted that this role is critical to the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stated that the UNDP will serve as a technical partner to the Ministry, as a leading global development agency, and emphasized that the overarching goal of regional development efforts must be to drive balanced national progress by channelling inclusive growth across all regions, ensuring that development interventions are equitably distributed to address disparities and unlock regional potential.

The two-day event is taking place in Abuja from 15th to 16th December 2025, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with support from the European Union (EU), UNDP, and UNICEF.

By Our Correspondent

There was palpable tension in Yenagoa, the state capital of Bayelsa state on thursday, as the news of the deputy governor of Bayelsa state, senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, sudden slumped in his office and was urgently rushed to the federal medical centre (FMC), Yenagoa filtered into the air.

Daily Echoes Media gathered from sources at the government House that the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m., sending shockwaves across the state capital, noting that the deputy governor’s Aides and security personnel immediately raised alarm that led to swiftly conveying the deputy governor to the hospital.

Eye-witness account at the hospital revealed that Senator Ewhrudjakpo appeared to be in a critical condition upon arrival at the emergency unit, and was subsequently moved to the intensive care unit (ICU), where medical personnel were said to have stabilised his health.

As at the time of filing this report, no official statement has been issued regarding his state of health.

A source close to the deputy governor attributed the incident to a strenuous workload remarking “he’s a workaholic he should find time to rest.”

Security operatives have since sealed off parts of the hospital premises, while senior government officials continue to arrive in a show of solidarity.

Despite circulating rumours claiming the deputy governor had passed away, hospital insiders insist he is receiving optimal medical attention and remains in stable condition.

Meanwhile,attempts to reach the senior special assistant on media to the deputy governor, Mr. Doubara Atasi, were unsuccessful.

The government has not yet release an official statement concerning his present state of health thereby giving rise to growing rumours of his death among residents and political stakeholders in and outside Bayelsa State.

By Our Correspondent

The Edo Government says it has intensified measures through various innovative programmes to ensure full and prompt implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the state.

Mrs Edesili Okpebholo, the wife of the governor, communicated this on Monday in Abuja at the 2025 SDGs Short Film Challenge and Awards dinner, an event organised in collaboration with the United Nations and other stakeholders.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SDG Short Film Challenge is an initiative aimed at inspiring creativity and storytelling around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mrs Okpebholo said the government had embraced the spirit of action and innovation, working to accelerate implementation of the SDGs in the state.

She said that more than 3,000 rural women had been empowered through various programmes including the provision of clean energy facilities, agricultural production, health, education training and film production.

“I will begin with our most recent project regarding SDG 7, Clean Energy, in which we provided clean stoves to rural women.

“I have always said that for you to make impact, it must start from the rural woman; we have done a lot of education of the girl child, I believe in the total woman, empowering her financially, in her health and mentally.

“So, in my office, we are in agreement with all SDG goals , but as I said, it has to do with the total woman, the complete woman so that is what we do as a project, to care for our people.”

The Edo first lady said the state government had some months ago, toward expanding its creative economy, entered into a strategic partnership with a German film academy.

“This collaboration aims to equip emerging filmmakers with world-class training, modern film production techniques, and access to advanced professional film production equipment.”

She said the state would continue to support the film industry practitioners in their movie production, especially on films and cinema shows that promote SDG goals.

“As first lady of the state, I have the privilege of championing several initiatives that speaks directly to our shared commitment to sustainable development.

“Particularly in the areas of empowerment, financial, mental independence, for women, through the Better Life and Care Foundation, which is my pet foundation, and project, we have changed the way we see life.”

According to her, Edo Government has transformed the lives of numerous women and girls, providing them with tools and confidence to pursue their dreams and become pillars of their communities.

She said the efforts aligned with various goals of the SDG, adding that she personally believed in full empowerment of the woman gender.

“Our vision is clear and simple, a future where everyone, every child, every community is in a safe, sustainable, and prosperous environment,” she said.

She urged film makers to continue to utilise their creativity and voice as a force for the good of the nation as they work toward a better and prosperous future.

The Edo first lady said achieving the SDGs goals was not the responsibility of government alone, saying that it required the collective effort of all citizens.

She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to working closely with partners, including platforms like the promoters of SDG short films challenge programme to ensure inclusive, sustainable, and impactful development.

On her part, the Queen Consort of Olu of Warri, Olori Ivie Atuwatse III, said film makers ‘were sustainable change agents, wielding one of the most powerful tools.

She said the most powerful person was the storyteller, describing film makers’ as powerful sustainable development change agents.

“With these films, you have done something revolutionary; you have given these big global goals, human faces, turning them into practical, creative pathways for ordinary people to understand, contribute to, and drive change.”

She called on governments and international development agencies to invest in storytelling to accelerate implementation of SDGs.

“We need the filmmaker in Kano, who can tell the story of climate resilience in Hausa or the animator in Enugu who can explain gender equality to a 10 year old in a way that will make her focus in attaining her dreams,” she said.

NAN reports that high point of the event was the presentation of awards of excellence in SDGs implementation to Mrs Okpebholo and Olori Ivie Atuwatss III .

Awards and cash gifts were also presented to winners for various categories of short films such as best indigenous film and animation, on SDG goals among others.

The 2025 SDG short film challenge and awards provides a national platform for emerging filmmakers and storytellers from across Nigeria to showcase compelling short films that highlight community actions, policy impacts and local innovations.

The short films are designed to show case voices of change, driving progress towards the SDGs.

It is organised in collaboration with the United Nations, FreshNEWS Multimedia Networks Ltd and other key stakeholders.