The Lagos State Government has urged the state residents to actively participate in urban planning by reporting any violation of regulations.
The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, gave the advice in a statement on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide
The statement was signed by the ministry’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Mr Mukaila Sanusi.
Olumide said: “Proper planning cannot be done without the support and contribution of the people.
“This is why my doors are always open for residents of Lagos to make their complaints, report any observed untoward developments, and contribute generally to the sustainable development of the state.”
He encouraged the residents to report any illegal construction, unauthorised developments or other planning violations within the state.
The commissioner urged the residents to report infractions directly to his office using the Lagos MPP&UD App available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store.
He said that the residents could also call the ministry’s hotlines: 07030653241 and 08034698264.
He assured the residents that their identities as whistleblowers would be protected.
Olumide said that the ministry would take actions against any officers of the ministry found to be involved in or condoning illegal activities.
He said that by working together with residents, the government could create a more livable, organised and sustainable environment.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has stressed the importance of making Electric Vehicles (EVs) more affordable to drive a mass-market adoption.
The agency highlighted the importance of making electric vehicles more affordable on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in its annual virtual global EVs outlook report in which it reiterated the crucial role the adoption of electric cars can play in the market.
Sustainable transport: Achieveing zero emission from electric cars
According to the IEA, a reduction in the cost of EVs has become necessary to bolster the widespread adoption, particularly in developing countries.
“Although electric cars today often have lower total costs of ownership over their lifetimes due to reduced fuel and maintenance expenses, reducing upfront prices is key to boosting uptake.”
The agency noted that while EVs are gaining popularity, their high upfront costs remain a significant barrier to adoption, especially for low- and middle-income households.
It suggested that, to tackle such challenge, governments and manufacturers should work closely together to reduce production costs, amid economies of scale and investments in research and development.
Also, increase financing options by providing incentives, subsidies, and low-interest loans to make EVs accessible, develop charging infrastructure by investing in public charging networks, and promoting home charging solutions.
It said that by making EVs more affordable and accessible mass-market adoption can drive significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
It further said that 55 per cent to 95 per cent of the electric car sales across major emerging and developing economies in 2023 were large models that targeted consumers of high-end goods.
Also, it was too expensive for mass-market consumers who often do not own a personal car in the first place, saying unaffordability hindered the adoption of EVs in emerging and developed markets.
It quoted Lang Xuehong, Deputy Secretary-General of China Auto Dealers Association, saying smaller and more affordable models of EVs launched in 2022 and 2023 have become bestsellers, especially those by Chinese carmakers.
“Due to the growing accessibility, vehicles under Category ‘A at A, A0, and A00’ levels in specific represent around 70 per cent of the auto market in China.
“In the first half of 2024, nearly 95 per cent of small cars sold in China where electric, as electric models are expected to account for one in two total car sales in this country this year.
“These smaller cars are also getting smarter as luxurious set-ups are becoming more common in compact ‘A level’ and even smaller cars, such as seats with massage systems and automatic adjustment.
“As well as electrically heated steering wheels or in-situ turn-around, meaning consumers can enjoy more diverse functions than before.
“These intelligent gadgets can now be easily found in cars of a bit over $10,000, in fact, the cost of these high-end configurations is not high,” Lang said.
She. however, said that the conventional practice is for manufacturers to reserve them for luxury cars, to enhance the vehicles’ prestige and increase their price.
The agency, thereby, reiterated the need for Hybrid Plug-in electric vehicles from China driving global boom and cross-border cooperation to be key in bridging the technology gap.
The recurrent collapse of the country’s national grid is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed urgently for Nigerians to enjoy a stable and reliable power supply,
A stable power supply is crucial for social economic development to thrive.In 2024 alone, the national electricity grid collapsed more than eight times, throwing the nation into frequent darkness.
A power grid
Millions of homes and businesses continue to suffer regular power outages due to the frequent grid collapse, resulting in huge losses.
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the country’s economy, suffer even more because many of them do not have the capital to invest in alternative power sources, leaving them at the mercy of the erratic national grid.
Experts and stakeholders in the power sector attribute the repeated grid collapse to factors like ageing facilities, lack of maintenance and requisite investment, as well as alleged sabotage by vandals.
They listed other factors to include obsolete equipment, inadequate gas supply, improper coordination of plants and gas pipelines, lack of operating/spinning reserve and voltage support scheme.
They called for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, (SCADA) system to help sustain stability in power supply. The SCADA system is used for controlling, monitoring, and analysing industrial devices.
The experts have warned that the incessant national grid collapse may persist if urgent steps were not taken to address the several challenges bedeviling the power sector.
The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, said that there was a need to have power grids in different regions or states.
According to Adelabu, having multiple power grids in each region and state would ensure stability.
He said that the decentralisation of the power sector would help the plan to build grids in each region.
“This has been made possible by the Electricity Act (EA) signed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, which has decentralised power.
“It has enabled all the state governments and the local government councils to be able to participate in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
“We all rely on a single national grid today; if there is a disturbance of the national grid, it affects all 36 states. It should not be like that.
“The EA will enable us to start moving gradually towards having regional groups and possibly having state grids, and each of these grids will be removed and shielded from each other,” he said.
Adelabu said that the Federal Government was overhauling the national grid to reduce the frequent disturbances and improve power supply across the country.
According to him, the grid is over 50 years old, with weak, obsolete components, which includes the lines, sub-stations with old transformers.
He said that most of the tower installed a long time ago were falling due to effect of weather and climate changes.
“This grid requires a huge revenue for maintenance.
“But what we have now, we will continue to manage it and prevent frequent disturbances until we are able to completely overhaul this infrastructure,‘’ he said.
Adelabu said that the Federal Government was not quiet about revamping the entire grid structure as various programmes were being put in place to ensure that old infrastructure were replaced.
He listed the programmes to include Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) known as the Siemens project which is currently ongoing.
“There is also the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)’s expansion programme supported by the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) .
”So, what we have now, we will continue to manage and prevent frequent disturbances until we are able to overhaul these infrastructure a 100 per cent,‘’ he said.
Some experts said that the only way to reduce the incessant grid collapse was for the Federal Government and stakeholders to invest more in the sector.
Mr Isreal Abraham, the President, Chartered Institute of Power Engineers (CIPEN), said that power infrastructure needed a lot of maintenance, adding that it was very costly to take care of equipment.
Abraham said that the grid collapsed often because there was no constant maintenance both from the generation, distribution and transmission companies.
“The transmission company is doing its best, but more needs to be done and this should be done massively.
“A lot of things need to be put in place, and lot of funds are required to upgrade power facilities to the level where we can be sure that things are in the right place.
“For instance, the last collapse was as a result of shattered equipment that helps to manage the grid.
“If that equipment was maintained or replaced, it would not have gotten burnt easily, and the possibility of it breaking down would have been averted,” he said.
Abraham also said that discipline was essential in managing the grid by ensuring that the right things are done.
According to him, the regulator, especially the system operators, are expected to direct the grid managers to do the right thing.
He said that anyone that failed to comply with such directives should be sanctioned.
“This goes for both the generation, transmission and distribution companies.
“All of them are supposed to comply with the instruction of the grid operator. So grid discipline is one of the major things that has to be done,”he said.
Mr Denis Ukwuez, the Executive Director, CIPEN, said that the major cause of non-performance in the power sector was lack of adequate financing.
Ukwuez said that there were projects in the power sector that had been there for more than 20 years and had not been completed.
”We have projects in transmission which have been there for more than 20 years and not completed.
”Some of these power plants are taking over 30 years to be completed because of funding,” he said.
A power expert, Prof. Stephen Ogaji, emphasised the need for the system operator to complete and inaugurate the SCADA project to effectively supervise the national grid.
Ogaji also urged the system operator to implement the Generation Dispatch Tool (GDT) and enforce all provisions of the grid code.
He called on the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) to approve the procurement of Ancillary Services that provide secondary controls (Spinning Reserve).
He warned that the incessant disruption of normal grid operation could lead to reduced plant availability, high generation costs, and significant revenue losses.
He said that the country had already recorded great losses in revenue due to the inability to generate power into the grid.
The expert also highlighted the impact of thermal fatigue on key components of power generation equipment, resulting in millions of dollars in damages.
He said that the entire economic system, not just utilities, was affected by the unstable power supply.
As Nigerians continue to endure epileptic power supply, stakeholders are unanimous that more investments should be channelled towards grid maintenance for the country to enjoy stable and reliable power supply.
By Constance Athekame, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
President, Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN), Prof. Sylvia Uzochukwu, has described as sensational the claim that Genetically Modified (GM) seeds contain “epicyte” or sterilisation gene.
Uzochukwu said this in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, while reacting to a report by the anti GM writer who claimed that GM foods like corn contain “epicyte” or sterilisation gene.
Cowpea
She described the report as misleading, and lacks sources to support the claim.
Genetic sterilisation, or gene-based sterilisation, is a method of using genetic manipulation to induce infertility or sterility. It can be achieved through a variety of techniques such ionizing radiation, gene silencing, gene knockout and others.
The BSN boss said the writer was seeking to mislead the public by deliberately providing a link that did not address the issue that was raised.
“There is no gene called the epicyte gene.
“Epicyte bio-lab is the name of a biotechnology company in San Diego announced in 2001 that it had created a ‘contraceptive corn’.
“This was after researchers discovered a rare class of human antibodies that make sperm sluggish. Shortly after the 2001 epicyte press release, all discussion of the breakthrough vanished.’’
The Professor of food science and biotechnology explained that nothing more was heard in any media about the development of the spermicidal corn, and the company no longer exists.
“So, what the writer is referring to is something that was mentioned more than 20 years ago which was abandoned, and no longer exists.
“No GM seed contains any ‘epicyte’ or sterilisation gene. It is all sensationalism.’’
The Kaduna State Government says it will plant 10 million trees in four years under its afforestation programme.
The Commissioner of Environment, Abubakar Buba, who spoke to stakeholders on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in Kaduna, said the plan was geared towards mitigating the effects of climate change and protecting the environment.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State
He said that the government had already planted 1.7 million trees in 2024.
Buba assured that the ministry would double the number of trees that would be planted in 2025.
According to him, the ministry’s nurseries have generated the seedlings.
“The major challenge of climate change is carbon emission – greenhouse gases and the likes – and the major thing that absorbs carbon dioxide is trees.
“We expect residents not just to plant trees but to nurture them to grow not just in the cities but in the suburbs and villages as well,’’ he said.
He commended Gov. Uba Sani for initiating what he described as greener and cleaner Kaduna State.
Buba also described Sani as an environmentally friendly governor.‘
’The governor also mandated us to de-silt about 140 kilometres of drainages within the city centre so as to check flooding during the raining season by easing the free flow of water.’’
The commissioner said that the governor had asked the ministry to dredge River Kaduna and other water bodies within the state.
“The water that will flow into the rivers as a result of our de-silting the drainages will be so much that at the end of the day, it will flow back to the people’s houses,’’ he said.
Buba commended Sani for the increased allocation to environment in 2025 budget, adding that the governor had promised substantial implementation of the budget.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, will on Thursday, January 9, 2025, begin a two-day official visit to Nigeria.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed
While in Nigeria, she will have a series of meetings, including with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, senior Government officials as well as the senior leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Accompanied bySecretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simão, and UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, they will be addressing pressing issues of regional stability and development.
Ms. Mohammed will also meet with the UN country team in Nigeria.
On behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ms. Mohammed attended the presidential inauguration of John Dramani Mahama, in Accra, Ghana, from where she will travel to Nigeria.
During her visit to Ghana, she met with President Mahama and with the UN country team to take stock of the relationship between the United Nations and Ghana.
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero announces restructure and shift of focus to addressing barriers to mobilising capital following departure of multiple banks from its Net Zero Banking Alliance
Mark Carney, one of the GFANZ leaders
The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) was launched in April 2021 by the UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, Mark Carney, and the COP26 presidency. It set out to develop the building blocks for a financial system capable of financing the transition to net zero, encompassing sub-alliances including the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).
At the end of 2024, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mark Carney, and Mary Schapiro – leaders of GFANZ – announced that moving forward into the new year GFANZ will allow any financial institution working to mobilise capital and lower the barriers to financing energy transition to participate. Previously, participation was contingent on alignment with the Paris Agreement.
Two days later, GFANZ Secretariat shared a new year update, outlining its plan to restructure and shift its focus to addressing barriers to mobilising capital. It stated:
“Since its launch at COP26, GFANZ has achieved its initial goal of developing the building blocks of a financial system capable of financing the transition to net zero. To successfully transition the economy, we must accelerate progress in public policy and technology developments, and close three critical gaps: data, action, and investment.”
More than 500 major financial institutions representing over $100 trillion in balance sheets have voluntarily developed independent transition plans using the GFANZ Framework. Moving forward, it will focus on closing the investment gap, according to the statement, helping to unlock the annual $5 trillion opportunity created by modern energy systems and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
To work towards this, GFANZ will transition to an independent Principals Group, led by CEOs and leaders of financial institutions acting to address the barriers to mobilising capital globally.
Further, GFANZ also emphasised its focus on public-private partnerships, aiming to scale private finance alongside governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and other development partners. It will continue collaborating with MDBs, including the World Bank Private Sector Investment Lab, to develop tools that scale private-sector investment globally.
The update follows the departure of several major banks from the NZBA, including Citigroup, Bank of America, whose CEOs remain as part of the Principals Group.
GFANZ reiterated its commitment to driving forward, “Overcoming barriers to mobilising capital at the scale and speed required to achieve net zero is urgent and achievable. GFANZ is steadfast in its commitment to supporting financial institutions worldwide in addressing these challenges and seizing the opportunities of this pivotal moment.”
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, congratulated Malam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), on his 60th birthday on Jan. 8.
GCEO NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari
The President commended Kyari’s diligence in transforming NNPCL into a profitable organisation, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, his Spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The President said the NNPCL, under Kyari’s leadership, recorded notable achievements, including the resuscitation of two refineries, an increase in domestic natural gas consumption and a boost in oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day.
The President applauded Kyari’s dedication to service and professionalism at the NNPC, OPEC and as the first Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL.
He said: “Kyari is a shining example and an embodiment of the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I commend his commitment to creating new opportunities and ensuring the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s energy sector.”
He prayed to Almighty Allah to continue to grant Kyari sound health, wisdom and strength to serve the nation while mentoring the next generation of energy sector leaders.
Two weeks before the end of his Presidential term, Joe Biden has taken action to protect over 625 million acres of the US’ Ocean from future oil and natural gas leasing
President Joe Biden announces new US climate goals during his final weeks in office. Photo credit: WILL OLIVER/Pool/EPA-EFE/ABACA/IMAGO
US President, Joe Biden, on Monday, January 6, 2025, announced a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along the entire eastern US Atlantic coast, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Coast along California, Oregon, and Washington, and the remaining portion of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area in Alaska.
The announcement highlights that nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal counties that rely on a healthy ocean to thrive. Additionally, almost 400 municipalities and over 2,300 elected local, state, Tribal, and federal officials across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts have formally opposed the expansion of offshore drilling in these areas in view of its severe environmental, health, and economic threats.
The Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area was established in 2016 and includes one of the largest marine mammal migrations in the world – beluga and bowhead whales, walruses, and seals travel the funnel of the Bering Strait each year to feed and breed in the Arctic. Oil and gas development would pose severe dangers to coastal communities, and where the health of these waters is critically important to food security and to the culture of more than 70 coastal Tribes, including the Yup’ik, Cup’ik, and Inupiaq people who have relied on these resources for millennia.
This action has been taken under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The withdrawals have no expiration date and prohibit all future oil and natural gas leasing in the areas withdrawn. Within his presidential term, Biden has conserved over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history. Previously, in January of 2021, he restored protections for part of the Northern Bering Sea, and in March 2023 withdrew 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea from future oil and gas leasing, which completed protections for the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean.
Within the announcement, Biden stated, “My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.
“We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low. Those are false choices.”
Incoming President Donald Trump has made his plans for the US’ oil and gas industry clear with his repetition of the slogan “Drill, baby, drill” throughout his campaign.
Meanwhile, under the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, presented in World Energy Outlook 2024, demand for oil peaks by 2030 and then declines significantly. This scenario aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C by mid-century, leading to a substantial reduction in the use of fossil fuels, including oil.
The Biochemistry Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BPAoN) has urged farmers to desist from the use of corrosive chemicals as fertiliser to hasten germination of agricultural food commodities.
Farmers
Its President, Mr. Ikotun Olayemi, gave the warning in an interview on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in Lagos.
Corrosive chemicals are substances that can damage or destroy other substances they come into contact with, and are immediately dangerous to living tissue.
Olayemi emphasised that planting with corrosive chemicals portends danger to human health, including acute poisoning and long-term health consequences as toxins are released into the body’s circulatory system.
“The effect of toxins in the body’s circulatory system bio-transform, contaminate blood vessels and some other sensitive organs which reduces longevity,” he said.
According to Olayemi, the health risks associated with chemicals in food depend on the type of chemical and the quantity of food consumed.
He stressed that natural foods should be harvested in their natural state, as their components contain antioxidant content that helps the activity of body organs.
Olayemi urged the regulatory agencies to sensitise farmers on the dangers of utilising toxic substances for food production to prevent untimely deaths.
