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Unseen consequences of climate change on pregnancy

Michael Simire
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Unseen consequences of climate change on pregnancy

As global temperatures continue to rise, expectant mothers face an increasingly hazardous health landscape.

Pregnancy
Pregnancy

Medical experts warn that extreme heat significantly increases the risk of pregnancy complications, including miscarriages.

They cautioned that temperatures exceeding 25°C can pose multiple health challenges for pregnant women, particularly severe dehydration, which could adversely affect both mother and unborn child.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while outdoor activities offer health benefits, exposure to extreme heat can lead to serious health risks for pregnant women, including hypertensive disorders and other pregnancy complications.

Dr Imam Wada Bello, a public health physician and Director of Public Health and Disease Control at the Kano State Ministry of Health, noted that climate change was no longer just an environmental issue. “It is now a pressing public health concern”.

According to him, findings have increasingly linked climate change to maternal health, turning what was once viewed as a distant global issue into a direct and personal threat for millions of women around the world.

“Pregnant women become particularly vulnerable when temperatures rise,” Bello said.

“The risk of dehydration increases dramatically, which can directly impact fetal health, potentially leading to premature birth or miscarriage.

“Imagine walking under the scorching sun; how viable is your fetus? The chances of miscarriage are significantly higher than if you were in a cooler environment.”

According to Bello, heat stress compounds the physiological changes already taking place in pregnancy, such as increased blood volume, cardiovascular output, and heart rate.

“Studies show that heat places additional stress on the heart and cardiovascular system.

“Exposure to high temperatures during any trimester is associated with adverse outcomes like preterm births, stillbirths, low birthweight, and even birth defects.”

He also cited CDC findings that hot weather could exacerbate air pollution, increasing levels of harmful substances like ozone, fine particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide.

 “Breathing polluted air causes inflammation and genetic changes that may hinder placental development and promote blood clots.

“The combined effect of heat and air pollution can worsen pregnancy outcomes more than either factor alone,” he said.

Bello also raised concerns about the mental health impact of extreme heat on pregnant women.

He advised that“pregnant women can go outside, but not during intense heat; say, when temperatures hit 35°C.

“We used to experience temperatures between 25°C and 30°C, but anything beyond that is not advisable,” he added.

Bello, however, highlighted some key strategies to mitigate climate change impact on maternal health, to include, increased awareness of the link between climate conditions and pregnancy risks, temperature management, hydration and health support.

“There is need for increased awareness about the link between climate conditions and pregnancy risks.

“There should be more and sustained education about the risks of high temperatures on pregnancy outcomes

“Hydration and health support are important to prevent dehydration during pregnancy. Pregnant women should know the importance of being hydrated.

“It has become more important to monitor and reduce exposure to extreme heat, and ensure pregnant women have access to cool environments, recognising that temperatures above 25°C increase health risks

“Environmental interventions such as exploring the feasibility of large-scale tree planting initiatives to reduce overall temperatures and taking into cognaissance their potential economic benefits.

“Support green urban development and develop infrastructure that protect vulnerable populations, and support ongoing research to track miscarriage rates and pregnancy complications related to rising temperatures.”

All in all, the physician advised on a comprehensive approach that would combine medical care, environmental strategies, and public awareness as being essential to safeguard maternal health in a changing climate.

By Vivian Ihechu

Methane data and transparency continue to improve, but emissions remain far too high

Michael Simire
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Methane data and transparency continue to improve, but emissions remain far too high

Measures to tackle methane emissions are often very cost-effective and could have brought an extra 100 billion cubic metres of gas to market in 2024, the IEA’s Global Tracker shows

Fatih Birol
Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA)

Methane emissions from fossil fuels remain at stubbornly high levels, according to the IEA’s latest global tracking update, which notes that efforts to bolster data collection and monitor methane leaks are making progress.

The Global Methane Tracker 2025, released on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, presents the IEA’s latest sector-wide emissions estimates, based on the most recent data from satellites and measurement campaigns, and examines different abatement options along with their associated costs. Methane abatement is a crucial opportunity to reduce near-term global warming at a time when temperatures worldwide have set record highs for two years in a row.

“Tackling methane leaks and flaring offers a double dividend: it alleviates pressure on tight gas markets in many parts of the world, enhancing energy security – and lowers emissions at the same time,” said IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol. “However, the latest data indicates that implementation on methane has continued to fall short of ambitions. The IEA is working to ensure that governments and industry have the tools and knowledge they need to deliver on pledges and achieve the goals they have set.”

The 2025 update of the Global Methane Tracker adds several new elements, including country-level historical emissions data; an interactive tool to explore international methane initiatives; and estimates of emissions from abandoned fossil fuel facilities. The report also features a fully open-access model for exploring methane abatement pathways in the oil and gas industry.

The fossil fuel sector accounts for nearly one-third of global methane emissions from human activity today. According to the report, record global production of oil, gas and coal – along with limited mitigation efforts to date – have kept methane emissions from the energy sector worldwide above 120 million tonnes annually.

The IEA estimate is considerably higher than the levels implied by official reporting, but data transparency is improving. There are now more than 25 satellites in orbit that can provide vital insights. Very large leaks from oil and gas facilities detected by satellites rose to a record high in 2024.

New analysis in this year’s Tracker also found that abandoned oil and gas wells and coal mines together contributed around 8 million tonnes to global methane emissions last year. Taken together, these sources would be the world’s fourth-largest emitter of fossil fuel methane.

According to the report, around 70% of annual methane emissions from the energy sector could be avoided with existing technologies. Meanwhile, a significant share of abatement measures could pay for themselves within a year, since the gas that is captured can be resold.

The analysis finds a huge range in methane emissions intensities across different countries and companies, with the best outperforming the worst by a factor of 100. Raising awareness and spreading readily available best practices are essential to narrow this gap, it notes.

According to new analysis published in the Tracker update, current methane pledges by companies and countries cover 80% of global oil and gas production. At the moment, however, only around 5% of global oil and gas output demonstrably meets a near-zero methane emissions standard.

The Tracker finds that addressing methane emissions and flaring would improve energy security by creating additional natural gas supply. Methane abatement could have made around 100 billion cubic metres of natural gas available to markets in 2024, on par with Norway’s total gas exports. A further 150 billion cubic metres of natural gas is flared globally each year, the majority of which is part of routine practices and can be avoided.

Based on today’s policies, deploying targeted methane mitigation solutions in the fossil fuel sector would prevent a roughly 0.1 °C rise in global temperatures by 2050. This is comparable to eliminating all the carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industry worldwide.

US will stop tracking the costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change

Michael Simire
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US will stop tracking the costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change.

NOAA
NOAA

NOAA falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring. It is also parent to the National Weather Service.

The agency said its National Centres for Environmental Information would no longer update its billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database beyond 2024, and that its information — going as far back as 1980 – would be archived.

For decades, it has tracked hundreds of major events across the country, including destructive hurricanes, hail storms, droughts and freezes that have totaled trillions of dollars in damage.

The database uniquely pulls information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s assistance data, insurance organisations, state agencies and more to estimate overall losses from individual disasters.

NOAA Communications Director, Kim Doster, said in a statement that the change was “in alignment with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes.”

Scientists say these weather events are becoming increasingly more frequent, costly and severe with climate change. Experts have attributed the growing intensity of recent debilitating heat, Hurricane Milton, the Southern California wildfires and blasts of cold to climate change.

Assessing the impact of weather events fueled by the planet’s warming is key as insurance premiums hike, particularly in communities more prone to flooding, storms and fires. Climate change has wrought havoc on the insurance industry, and homeowners are at risk of skyrocketing rates.

One limitation is that the dataset estimated only the nation’s most costly weather events.

The information is generally seen as standardised and unduplicable, given the agency’s access to nonpublic data, and other private databases would be more limited in scope and likely not shared as widespread for proprietary reasons. Other datasets, however, also track death estimates from these disasters.

Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections, pointed to substitutes from insurance brokers and the international disaster database as alternative sources of information.

Still, “The NOAA database is the gold standard we use to evaluate the costs of extreme weather,” Masters said, “and it’s a major loss, since it comes at a time when we need to better understand how much climate change is increasing disaster losses.”

These moves also don’t “change the fact that these disasters are escalating year over year,” Kristina Dahl, vice president of science at nonprofit climate organisation Climate Central. “Extreme weather events that cause a lot of damage are one of the primary ways that the public sees that climate change is happening and is affecting people.”

“It’s critical that we highlight those events when they’re happening,” she added. “All of these changes will make Americans less safe in the face of climate change.”

The move, reported Thursday by CNN, is yet another of President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove references to climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the weather from the federal government’s lexicon and documents.

Trump has instead prioritised allies in the polluting coal, oil and gas industries, which studies say are linked or traced to climate damage.

The change also marks the administration’s latest hit overall to the weather, ocean and fisheries agency.

The Trump administration fired hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal NOAA employees on probationary status in February, part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts to downsize the federal government workforce. It began a second round of more than 1,000 cuts at the agency in March, more than 10% of its workforce at the time.

At the time, insiders said massive firings and changes to the agency would risk lives and negatively impact the U.S. economy. Experts also noted fewer vital weather balloon launches under NOAA would worsen U.S. weather forecasts.

More changes to the agency are expected, which could include some of those proposed in the president’s preliminary budget.

The agency’s weather service also paused providing language translations of its products last month – though it resumed those translations just weeks later.

African govts urged to reverse privatisations in water, electricity, waste sectors

Michael Simire
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African govts urged to reverse privatisations in water, electricity, waste sectors

African governments, especially those of Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, have been told to immediately reverse all existing privatisations in the water, electricity, and waste sectors and suspend any ongoing or planned discussions on the privatisation of public assets.

Regional meeting
Some of the participants at the regional meeting in Abuja

They were also urged to reject all IFI-driven initiatives that promote the commodification of essential public services, including through PPPs, corporatisation, concessions, and other profit-driven models that undermine universal access and human rights.

These calls formed part of the resolutions adopted at the close a regional meeting convened in Abuja from May 7 to 8, 2025, by the Public Services International (PSI), in collaboration with DGB Bildungswerk Bund (DGB BW).

The meeting brought together trade unions and civil society organisations from Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda under the PSI–DGB BW project titled “Promoting Transparency and Decent Work in Supply Chains in Electricity, Water and Waste Services in Sub-Saharan Africa – Phase II.”

The two-day gathering served as a critical platform for stakeholders to share national experiences, analyse the impact of privatisation on public services, and formulate collective strategies to promote decent work and reclaim public control over essential services.

While the countries were urged to adopt and scale up Public-Public Partnerships (PUPs) as a viable, democratic, and socially just alternative, they were at the same time asked reinvest in human capital within the public sector.

“PUPs have shown proven success in delivering quality public services without profit motives. Also, governments must allocate sufficient resources for the training, motivation, and retention of public sector workers to promote efficiency, innovation, and transparency,” participants submitted in a communique.

They also called for the ratification and full implementation key International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, and strengthening of social dialogue, albeit by restoring and respecting tripartite governance frameworks that enable meaningful engagement between governments, employers, and workers’ organisations in shaping public service policy.

Participants recognised that the widespread adoption of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and privatisation models in the electricity, water, and waste sectors continues to undermine access to quality, affordable, and accountable public services across the continent.

Despite mounting global evidence of the systemic failures of these models – especially in Africa – governments remain under pressure from International Financial Institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank and IMF to privatise public assets and utilities.

The meeting underscored that these policy prescriptions, framed under the guise of “efficiency” and “reform,” fail to account for the lived realities of African communities and public sector workers.

Rather than delivering improved services, privatisation has deepened inequality, entrenched corruption, and weakened public institutions, participants noted.

Following deliberations, the meeting made the following observations:

  1. Privatisation has failed to serve Africa’s public interest. It has led to escalating user fees and shrinking service coverage, restricting access only to those who can afford to pay.
  2. Public revenues have been eroded. Essential resources that could otherwise be reinvested to enhance service delivery and uphold decent working conditions have been diverted to private profit.
  3. Privatisation has increased vulnerability to corruption and conflict of interest, with opaque contracts and limited accountability mechanisms.
  4. African governments – including Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda – have accumulated long-term debt from IFI-financed privatisation ventures that have not yielded the promised improvements in service delivery or equity.
  5. Privatisation has taken diverse and increasingly covert forms, including corporatisation, concessions, subletting, and the rise of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), which are effectively privatisation through the backdoor.
  6. The supply chains of water, electricity, and waste services are characterised by precarious employment conditions – marked by job insecurity, low wages, wage arrears, and absence of social protection (e.g., pensions and unemployment insurance). This directly undermines service quality, worker dignity, and community well-being.
  7. Privatisers have introduced governance models that marginalise workers’ voices, eroding long-standing tripartite arrangements and weakening democratic oversight over public services.

EU pledges €300m new projects in Northwest, Northeast Nigeria

Michael Simire
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EU pledges €300m new projects in Northwest, Northeast Nigeria

The European Union (EU) has pledged the sum of €300 million for new projects in the North-West (NW) and North-East (NE) of Nigeria.

EU
Nigeria government and EU officials at the 2025 annual Europe Day celebration

Mr. Gautier Mignot, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, made this known at the 2025 annual Europe Day celebration.

Mignot said that the EU and Nigeria shared a dream of a better, rule-based, more prosperous, sustainable, equal world, reflecting the realities and needs of the 21st century.

According to him, for this dream to come true, we need to work together and you, Nigerians, have a major role to play in Africa and the world.

“Since my arrival last September, I see a concrete progress daily in our partnership, in particular, through the roll-out of our EU Global Gateway strategy to offer more opportunities to the people.

”Especially, the women and the youth, and through the 300m euros of new projects that we are launching this year in the NW and NE of the country.

“I also see our common willingness to enhance our relations, particularly in trade and investment for which we are proud to be your number one partner.

”In this fast-changing world, the EU is for Nigeria a stable and reliable partner and so is Nigeria for us,’’ he said.

Speaking further on partnership, the envoy said that the bloc was building the same partnership with its sister organisation, ECOWAS.

He added that the bloc was seeking the same alliance with Africa as a whole, adding that foreign ministers from the bloc would meet in Brussels to prepare for the EU-AU summit.

“The summit will be held later this year and to also celebrate our 25th years of partnership, which is second to none in all areas,’’ Mignot said.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, lauded the EU for the additional support of €300 million dedicated for new projects in the NW and NE regions.

He said that the partnership and values that Nigeria and the EU had shared has helped in addressing restiveness due to some of the empowerment initiatives they created for Nigerian youths.

Bagudu said: “Today is not just the affirmation of values that transcends border, peace, solidarity, mutual respect and partnership for sustainable development.

“These are values which the EU has championed and which Nigeria, the largest economy and democracy, both shares.

“Over 60 years, the relationship between EU and Nigeria has flourished in depth and breadth from trade, investment to governance reforms, public health, education, digital economy and climate action.

“The EU intervention in the Niger Delta and the North-East in supporting peace building initiatives and the restoration of livelihood and youth empowerment programmes has helped to reduce restiveness and in educational challenges.

“In recent years, EU continue to be a strategic partner in our nation’s developmental priorities, including our national development plan 2021-2025 and the new Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu,’’ he said.

50m people in West, Central Africa at risk of hunger – WFP

Michael Simire
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50m people in West, Central Africa at risk of hunger – WFP

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions of people in West and Central Africa are facing record hunger as conflict, displacement, economic hardship and repeated extreme weather push the region towards a major crisis.

Margot van der Velden
Margot van der Velden, WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa

No fewer than 36 million people are struggling to meet their basic food needs, which is projected to rise to over 52 million during the lean season from June to August, latest analysis reveals.

This includes almost three million people facing emergency conditions, and 2,600 people in Mali who are at risk of catastrophic hunger.

Although needs are at a historic high, resources are limited, with millions of lives at stake.

“Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed,” Margot van der Velden, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said.

In 2019, only four per cent of the population was food insecure compared to 30 per cent today, according to Ollo Sib, a senior research adviser with WFP.

“We hope that our voice will be heard because this food security situation in the Sahel remains extremely difficult and dire,” he said, speaking from Dakar to journalists in Geneva on Friday, May 9, 2025.

Sib recently travelled to some of the affected areas, such as communities in northern Ghana grappling with unprecedented drought.

“They were forced to replant two to three times, and for them, each failed sowing is an additional financial burden as the cost of fertilisers and seeds were extremely high in those locations,” he said.

The assessment team also went to northern Mali, which is the only place in the region where people are facing catastrophic food security conditions.

“We had the opportunity to interact with pastoralist elders who typically sell their livestock to buy cereals,” he said.

“This year they were worried because the cost of food rose by 50 per cent compared to the five-year average. But at the same time, they are not able to access markets to sell their goods.”

WFP said unyielding conflict is among the factors driving deepening hunger in West and Central Africa.

Fighting has displaced more than 10 million of the most vulnerable people across the region, including more than two million refugees and asylum seekers, in Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania and Niger.

Nearly eight million more have been internally displaced, mainly in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Meanwhile, food inflation exacerbated by rising food and fuel costs are pushing hunger levels to new highs.

At the same time, recurrent extreme weather “erodes the ability of families to feed themselves,” WFP said.

WFP stands ready to respond and scale up vital assistance in West Africa and the Sahel.

The UN agency is seeking $710 million to support its life-saving operations through the end of October.

The aim is to reach almost 12 million people this year with critical assistance.

So far, teams have already reached three million of the most vulnerable including refugees, internally displaced people, malnourished children under five, and pregnant or breastfeeding women and girls.

The agency said that five million risk losing assistance unless urgent funding is found.

WFP also called for governments and partners to invest in sustainable solutions aimed at building resilience and reducing long-term dependency on aid.

Since 2018, the UN agency has been working with regional governments to address the root causes of hunger through a programme that has rehabilitated over 300,000 hectares of land to support over four million people in more than 3,400 villages.

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Lagos demolishes illegal structures in Ikeja GRA to restore order

Michael Simire
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Lagos demolishes illegal structures in Ikeja GRA to restore order

The Lagos State Government on Saturday, May 10, 2025, began demolition of illegal structures, including makeshift shanties, in the Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA).

Ikeja GRA
Demolition of illegal structures in Ikeja GRA, Lagos

The Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki, led the team that demolished the structures.

Oki said that the illegal structures and shanties had become a threat to security and infrastructure in the neighbourhood.

The team moved through major streets such as Michael Otedola, Sowemimo, Remi Fani-Kayode and Ajisafe, identifying and pulling down makeshift stalls, wooden shacks and other unauthorised buildings.

Residents, many of whom had raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of the once serene neighbourhood, watched with relief as the agency cleared out what it described as “security black spots” where stolen goods were allegedly being sold.

Oki said: “There have been complaints from the residents of Ikeja GRA about abnormalities in the construction process.

“We began enforcement from 9.00 a.m. today and visited many construction sites.

“Most of them actually have valid approvals, and even the buildings assumed not to conform, do, in fact, meet the required standards.”

Oki said that the real concern was not approval of buildings, but rise of illegal conversions and unapproved structures that distorted the planning integrity of the area.

“Some people get approval for four flats but turn them into eight, or they have approval to build a duplex but they convert it.

“This puts a heavy burden on public infrastructure. We can’t let Ikeja GRA become like Ajegunle,” he said.

The permanent secretary noted that letters had been sent to all property owners in the area months earlier, asking them to submit their building approvals for verification.

According to him, the enforcement drive was not a sudden move but a necessary intervention after extensive notice and engagement.

Oki said: “We are dealing with shanties, bowlers and people selling stolen goods. This is not  witchhunt. It is about safety, planning and the rule of law.’’

He warned that buildings found not to conform would be marked, and if corrective measures wouldn’t be taken, the buildings would be demolished.

A resident of Ikeja GRA and community leader, Mr. Tunde Disu, expressed gratitude to the government for what he called a “timely intervention.”

Disu said: “This action has been long overdue.

“The state government has tried with road upgrades, but if residents keep altering their building plans, it becomes unmanageable.”

He highlighted the security implications of leaving illegal structures unattended to, noting that the area had recorded an increase in suspicious activities and reduced visibility for security patrols at night.

“Our private security team and the police are on constant patrol, but we need the environment to support their work. Clearing these shanties is a big win,” he said.

Disu also said that efforts would be made to track owners of the demolished structures and hold them accountable.

“Some of these properties are in dispute, but we will follow up and ensure that the right things are done,” he said.

He added that the residents’ association would collaborate with agencies such as Lagos State Waste Management Authority for cleanup operations.

By Lydia Chigozie-Ngwakwe

Forest Security Service described as missing link in Nigeria’s security architecture

Michael Simire
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Forest Security Service described as missing link in Nigeria’s security architecture

The Deputy Commander-General (Intelligence), Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), Dr John Metchie, has said the organisation has capacity to plug the gap in Nigeria’s security architecture.

Forest Security
Dignitaries at the training of Intelligence, Surveillance and Provost personnel of the NFSS, in Abuja

Metchie stated this at the end of the training of Intelligence, Surveillance and Provost personnel of the NFSS on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Abuja.

He said that intelligence was the bedrock and the heart of security, adding that the forest guards possess credible and actionable intelligence that could help tackle insecurity in the forested regions.

“I keep saying that we are the missing link and I stand by that belief that forest guards are the missing link of the security architecture of Nigeria.

“I want to also take this opportunity to thank Mr President for his role in all this.

“This is because when Mr. President came into power, he promised the Nigerian people that he was going to do something about security.

“Now the bill is on his table and Nigerians are watching and we are begging him to please do the needful and sign the bill immediately, so that we can assist the existing security agencies,” he said.

Metchie commended the Commander-General of NFSS, Dr Joshua Osatimehin, for providing the needed strategic leadership in ensuring that the service gets legal backing.

He also commended him for the training of Intelligence, surveillance and Provost officers to position them to deliver on the mandate of NFSS.

According to him, with the training they have received, they will go back home and will be more effective and ready to serve their motherland.

Dr Stephen Okwori, a Security, Safety and Crime Management Consultant, said that crime was normal and inevitable in any society, adding that the duty of the government and security agencies is to see that crime is reduced.

Okwori said that if the President gives assent to the NFSS Bill, it would enhance security and intelligence gathering in the local communities where most of the violent crimes are perpetrated.

He added that inadequate security presence in rural areas across the country, coupled with the vast nature of the forested areas had contributed to the heightened insecurity in the country.

“So when the bill establishing the NFSS is assented to, they (service) will now cover that gap and complement the effort or support the conventional security services that we have in the area of intelligence gathering.

“I will tell you that most of the failures of intelligence with our conventional security service is because there is no local intelligence security service to cover that gap in the area of generating local intelligence for the military and other securities agencies to work with,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have declared support for the operations of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS).

The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ajao Adewale, said that fighting insecurity was a job that required collaboration and without exclusive monopoly by any single security agency.

Adewale said the training would foster collaboration to effectively police the nation’s forest area through intelligence, adding that intelligence was the life-fire of security operations.

He said that the FCT in particular was surrounded by mountainous forest areas, adding migrants from other states takes advantage of the open space in the abandoned area to perpetrate criminal activities.

“For you coming up with the idea shows that you are really prepared to maintain and escalate your standard of operation.

“We commend and appreciate this initiative. Complimenting ethical leadership is the strategic power of intelligent police.

“By leveraging data, critical analysis and evidence-based practices, we can take our community to a greater height in terms of security and safety.

“By collaborating and working with your organisation, we have seen that we can always extend our outreach and Nigeria will continue to be safe and secure,” he said.

The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the service for equipping its personnel with requisite knowledge in intelligence gathering and conflict management.

Marwa, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Operations and Investigation, NDLEA, Kayode Raji, pledged to continue to collaborate with NFSS in the area of intelligence to fight crimes in the country.

He said that the agency would continue to partner with NFSS, urging the personnel to liaise with NDLEA officers in their various commands to ensure effective synergy in tackling crimes as it relates to drug.

He emphasised that no single individual organisations can fight crime alone, saying that security was always a network to avoid skirmishes between the security agencies.

Also, the Commandant of NSCDC, FCT Command, Olusola Odumosun, commended the NFSS for their doggedness and commitment to national security.

He said that NSCDC had continued to partner the forest security operatives in the territory to ensure safety of lives and property.

The Commander-General of NFSS, Dr Joshua Osatimehin, stated that the just concluded training involved three departments which include intelligence, surveillance and provost.

He said the officers were brought together to further strategise to be able to collaborate effectively with the relevant security agencies to curb criminality within the forested region.

According to him, there is a need to strengthen the Department of Intelligence for policing, driving security.

“So with this, I believe we have achieved a lot from different experts that have come across the security organization.

“The Department of States Services (DSS) was there, the military, the police, have all come to offer their parenting experience to our officers and I believe we are graduating stronger, more confident and more strategic,” he said.

Osatimehim urged NFSS personnel to continue to support all agencies to rid the nation of crimes and criminality.

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Development Agenda Magazine focuses on Sahel region’s challenges in Q2 2025 edition

Michael Simire
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0
Development Agenda Magazine focuses on Sahel region’s challenges in Q2 2025 edition

Development Agenda Magazine has released its Q2 2025 edition, placing a focus on the Sahel region – a belt of land stretching across Africa that faces some of the most pressing development, environmental, and security challenges of ourtime.

Paddy Ezeala
Mr. Paddy Ezeala, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Development Agenda magazine

“This edition aims to inform stakeholders about the multifaceted problems plaguing the Sahel, from food insecurity to political unrest,” said Paddy Ezeala, Publisher and Editor-in-chief of Development Agenda magazine.

“It also highlights the ingenuity and resilience ofcommunities working against the odds to secure a better future.”

Environmental degradation, notably desertification and recurrent droughts, continues to undermine livelihoods in the Sahel.

With over 30 million people facing acute food insecurity, the magazine underscores the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian and development responses.

In addition to its environmental focus, the edition tackles the region’s political volatility. As governance issues persist and extremist threats rise, the Sahel remains a hotspot of instability.

Featured interviews with local leaders and regional experts shed light on the fragile balancebetween governance, security, and development.

A central theme of the issue is the call for enhanced international collaboration. Drawing from successful partnerships in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, the magazine advocates for a collaborative approach involving governments, development agencies, and civil society actors.

The Q2 edition also highlights the role of innovation in overcoming longstanding development barriers.

From tech-driven farming methods to mobile-based healthcare delivery, the magazine showcases stories of progress that offer replicable models for the region and beyond.

Key features in the Issue:

  1. Unequal Burden: The Overlooked Impact of Crisis on Women and Girls in the Sahel
  2. lluminating Ghana’s Energy Choices: Nuclear vs Renewable
  3. Trump’s Tarif War: No Winners, Only Losers
  4. Angelique Kidjo: Celebrating Over 40 Years of Musical Excellence.

‘Africa not a laboratory’ – Civil society denounces ‘act of climate colonialism’

Michael Simire
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‘Africa not a laboratory’ – Civil society denounces ‘act of climate colonialism’

African civil society organisations are outraged by the Degrees Global Forum being hosted in South Africa next week, calling it an act of climate colonialism effort to co-opt the African climate movement, academics, and youth that will threaten the sovereignty, ecosystems, and futures of African peoples.

Solar Radiation Management
Solar Radiation Management

Under the guise of climate action, the forum plans to promote Solar Radiation Management (SRM) – a geoengineering technology observers believe will interfere with the Earth’s atmosphere with risk for catastrophic and unpredictable consequences.

“SRM is not a neutral scientific endeavor but a neo-colonial political development that reflects deep asymmetries of power, knowledge, and accountability. Attempts to deploy or test these risky, unproven and dangerous methods in Africa aims to turn the continent into a laboratory for the manipulation of the atmosphere, land, and oceans.

“These actions pose serious threats to environmental integrity, regional sovereignty, and the rights of communities across the continent and are designed to help global north countries to evade their responsibilities for causing the climate crisis while continuing to exploit and profit off Africa for fossil fuels and other resources to fuel their continued, unsustainable levels of over-consumption,” the Hands Off Mother Earth! (HOME) Alliance disclosed in a statement. 

HOME Alliance added: “The Degrees Forum is advancing an agenda that directly contradicts the continent’s position on solar geoengineering. In 2023, African ministers clearly expressed their opposition to Solar Radiation Management during the 19th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), stating their concerns on promotion of geoengineering technologies, particularly solar radiation management, and called for a global governance mechanism for non-use of Solar Radiation Management. This stance echoes the widespread concerns of scientists, academics, communities, and climate and environmental justice groups globally.

“This also comes off the back of a withdrawn, problematic resolution on SRM at the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2024, where African countries strongly advocated for the Assembly to reaffirm a precautionary approach to geoengineering, as established by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other UN bodies and called for non-use governance mechanism.

“Real climate solutions lie not in false solutions and dangerous distractions, but in approaches rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems, community-led adaptation, agroecology, and energy justice.”

African civil society leaders have been reacting to the development.

Dr. Mfoniso Xael, Programmes Manager, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said: “Aside from being very commendable, the position of AMCEN on SRM – calling for non use Agreement on Geoengineeering – from their 19th ordinary session in 2023 was clear and projected the interest of Africans, especially those of indigenous groups and vulnerable nations. The fact that The DEGREES Initiative is planning to host their global forum on SRM this May in an African nation – South Africa, that call does not just go against AMCEN’s position but is also a cuff on AMCEN. This move greatly undermines the efforts that African Ministers are putting in to protect Africa and African people. This forum should not be held in Africa nor should the outcome of the forum be allowed to breed.”

Kwami Kpondzo, Director Centre pour la Justice Environnementale, Togo, said: “It is disappointing that despite the strong opposition to SRM on the continent, DEGREES Initiative continues to push for the modelling of SRM. The African continent and its peoples are not guinea pigs or objects for experimentation. Free us and free the continent from your absurd ideas of technologies that you think can help solve the climate crisis. It’s a distraction from real solutions.

Dean Bhekumuzi Bhebhe, Senior Advisor, Power Shift Africa, said: “They gather in Cape Town to debate spraying the sky, dimming the sun, and tweaking the thermostat as if Earth were a malfunctioning machine and Africa, the test bench. But Africa is not an experimental testing ground. The Degrees Initiative cloaks hubris in policy lingo, but geoengineering is not a solution it’s a techno-fantasy for avoiding real change.

“While we fight to stop emissions, they draft plans to rearrange their fallout. This is not innovation, it is in fact evasion. The climate crisis does not need solutions such as “solar radiation management”, it needs justice, courage, and the end of fossil fuels. Anything less is smoke and mirrors, mostly smoke.”

Amos Nkpeebo, FIDEP Foundation, Ghana, said: “The science is clear and so is the injustice. We cannot engineer our way out of inequality. In Africa, communities living on the frontlines of climate change are not asking for speculative techno-fixes like SRM that reinforce global power imbalances. They are calling for tangible investments in clean water, inclusive energy access, sustainable food systems and climate-resilient infrastructure.”

Josué Aruna, Executive Director of Congo Basin Conservation Society CBCS-Network DRC, said: “As Africans, our cultural values must remain the foundation of our development and our future. Highly dangerous technologies like SRM are leading us toward the distraction of the century, which whitewashes the responsibilities of Northern countries regarding climate change. We will never be ready to swallow global stupidity at the expense of our cultural and ecological future. Stop imposing your thoughts on us. Those who love Africa must invest in renewable energy, agroecology, and the restoration of degraded landscapes.”

Gideon Akoto, Friends of the Earth, Ghana, said: “As the climate crisis intensifies, powerful actors in the Global North are increasingly promoting geoengineering – technological interventions such as solar radiation modification and carbon dioxide removal – as urgent solutions. Many proposed carbon removal projects, for instance, rely on large-scale monoculture plantations that threaten food sovereignty, displace Indigenous peoples, and disrupt ecosystems.

“Similarly, solar radiation modification experiments could alter rainfall patterns and climate systems globally, with no meaningful participation or consent from the most affected communities. Climate justice demands a rejection of false solutions and a commitment to people-centered response led by frontline communities. The future of climate action must be rooted in equity, not in the continuation of colonial legacies through technological dominance.”

Kenneth Nana Amoateng Executive Director, AbibiNsroma Foundation, Ghana, said: “Degrees Initiative, respect Africa’s position on Solar Radiation Management. SRM will not solve the impacts of climate change but rather affect our oceans, biodiversity and our traditional medicine. African will be the biggest loser from geoengineering technologies. Degrees Initiative don’t Geoengineer Africa!”

Kamese Geoffrey, Bio Vision Africa (BiVA) Uganda, said: “Geoengineering is going on the African continent at the back of our communities. The African continent has been turned into a laboratory of diverse geoengineering tests, and we say no to the secretive manipulation of our continent for profits behind our backs. We demand Free, Prior Informed Consent so we can ensure these harmful technofixes do not happen in our lands, skies and oceans.”

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