Coordinator of the FADAMA scheme in Anambra State, Mr Chukwuka Egbueh, has called on the youth to engage in farming so as to support the government’s efforts to develop the agricultural sector.
Youths involved in farming. Photo credit: smeonline.biz
Egbueh made the call on Monday, January 8, 2018 in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, the state capital.
He stressed that government had made a lot of investments to overhaul and develop the agricultural sector.
“Nigeria did well in agriculture in the First Republic but I can tell you that at no time has the sector received more financial support from government than now.
“However, more efforts should be made to educate and mobilise our youths to develop a positive mindset towards agriculture. The youths should also be sensitised to fully appreciate the dignity of labour,’’ he said.
Egbueh noted that a major challenge facing efforts to develop the agricultural sector was the growing population of ageing farmers.
He, therefore, said that pragmatic efforts should be made to encourage the youth to take up farming as their profession.
“Youths should be encouraged to fill the gaps being created by our ageing farmers.
“Farming is a rewarding and lucrative profession; that is why the youth should be encouraged to engage in crop growing.
“However, there are lots of incentives by governments, in form of grants and loans, to encourage serious youths to go into farming,’’ he added.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been called upon to engage in campaigns that expose all government subsidies to fossil fuel corporations, and work to end the policy.
Phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies has generated numerous debates, such as those at the COP21 climate conference in Paris, where a communiqué outlined important messages on how the world can phase out fossil fuels
In the January 2018 Climate Scorecard Report No 16 made available to EnviroNews, CSOs were enjoined to contact policymakers at national, provincial, state and local levels of their government and urge them to take steps to comply with the call by the G7 and G20 countries to end all fossil fuel subsidies by the year 2025 – or sooner.
In the report titled: “Fossil fuel subsidies in leading greenhouse gas emitting countries”, Climate Scorecard, a not-for-profit group, summarises recent annual fossil fuel subsidies and policies of the 20 leading greenhouse gas emitting countries, including Nigeria ($160 million in 2017). They range in magnitude from $60.9 billion (Saudi Arabia) to $667 million (South Korea).
A subsidy is a sum of money granted by a government or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive. In many countries, tax-payers’ money is given by governments as subsidies to fossil fuel corporations. These subsidies are used to help develop new sources of coal, oil and gas and to make energy from these sources less expensive to consumers.
According to the journal World Development, fossil fuel subsidies were $4.9 trillion worldwide in 2013 and $5.3 trillion in 2015 (6.5% of global GDP in both years). Coal subsidies are said to account for about half of global subsidies.
Fossil fuel subsidies take many different forms including: direct support for both national and international exploration of new sources of oil, coal and natural gas; tax breaks and exemptions; concessional loans to fossil fuel producers; and subsidisation of consumer energy prices.
Subsidies, it was gathered, have the effect of artificially lowering the cost of fossil fuel energy, and giving fossil fuel companies a competitive advantage over renewable energy providers.
“They represent a drain on government revenue and a poor use of taxpayer money. Subsidies contribute to global warming caused by fossil fuel generated CO2 emissions, and to atmospheric pollution that has been linked to increases in respiratory illnesses and other diseases. There is now a worldwide movement to end fossil fuel subsidies,” the Climate Scorecard report says.
However, G7 countries (UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the EU) have pledged to end fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The G20 nations also have called for the termination of all such subsidies, though have yet to set a target date.
The report adds: “These subsidies to fossil fuel corporations have helped to make these corporations among the wealthiest entities in the world with enormous annual profits going to many of the wealthiest individuals in the world. In addition, the oil industry is one of the most powerful players and influencers in the global economy. In most countries, fossil fuel corporate lobbyists press governments to continue and expand these very beneficial subsidies.”
Besides those of Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, the report lists fossil fuel subsidies in other leading greenhouse gas emitting countries to include: Argentina ($13.6 billion in 2014 in consumption subsidies), Australia ($11 billion per annum from tax-based subsidies), Brazil ($59.3 billion per annum from subsidies to private companies), Canada ($46.4 billion per annum), China (partial estimate $15.42 billion; complete estimate unavailable), Germany ($40 billion fiscal support and public finance $2.88 billion per year, 2014-2016), India ($20.4 billion in 2016), Indonesia ($8 billion in 2015, $4 billion in 2016), Italy ($17.5 billion in 2016) and Japan ($376 million).
Others are: Mexico ($11 billion spent in subsidies in 2012, 1.4% of Mexico’s GDP), Russia ($14.4 billion in 2010), Spain ($1.4 billion between 2014 and 2016), Thailand ($.438 billion spent on fossil fuel subsidies in 2016), Turkey (estimated between $300 million and $1.6 billion), United Kingdon ($8 billion every year) and United States ($8.157 billion in 2015).
Nigeria introduced petroleum subsidies in the 1960s with the aim of strengthening its local industry and improving product affordability and domestic consumption. A report published by the Council on Foreign Relations estimates that the Nigerian government spent about $20 billion on fuel subsidy in 2013.
The subsidy was removed in May 2016 amid falling crude oil price and an economic recession. However, more than $160 million was spent on subsidy in early 2017 as the national oil company absorbed costs due to an increase in crude oil price from about $20 per barrel in 2015 to about $50 per barrel for most of 2017.
Observers say that the short duration of the subsidy removal makes it difficult to assess its effect on carbon emissions reduction.
The collapse in crude oil price in recent times is said to be an important factor that led the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidies. It also was felt that an enduring global shift in focus from fossil fuels to renewables (available at an affordable price) would drive down petroleum prices and naturally incentivise the government to remove subsidies.
It is also felt that local production and supply of petroleum products by existing and new refineries would eliminate much of the costs subsidised by the government.
The final rites for the installation of Otunba Gani Adams as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland will begin on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.
Otunba Gani Adams
Since he was designated as the Aare Ona Kakanfo in 2017 by the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi II, Adams had been engaged in several processes that will lead to his installation on January 13, 2018 at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, Oyo State.
From Wednesday, the National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress and Founder of Oodua Progressive Union, which is in 79 countries, will be in seclusion in Oyo town.
According to information from the Media Office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo-designate, the schedule of rites, which will end in the wee hours of Saturday, had been drawn up by the Palace of Oba Adeyemi.
Also on the schedule of programme for the installation is a press conference to be addressed by the Oyo State Government to unveil the details of the installation ceremony on Saturday and provide guests and users of the ever-busy Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso Road with traffic diversion and parking arrangements.
Among the several dignitaries expected at the ceremony are the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki; the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and the Ooni of Ife, Oonirisa Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
Also expected are Obas of the six South West States and those of Yoruba speaking areas of Kogi and Kwara States; captains of industry; and the Diplomatic Corps in Nigeria and representatives of foreign governments.
Adams, who succeeds late business mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, as Aare Ona Kakanfo, was appointed by Oba Adeyemi on October 16, 2017.
He holds 52 chieftaincy titles.
As a human rights activist, he was involved in the struggle for the return of Nigeria to democracy after several years of military rule and has defended the rights of the underprivileged.
A 25-year plan to plant 50 million trees across the North of England has been backed by the Government.
The Government has given financial backing to the Northern Forest project as part of its 25-year environmental strategy
The Northern Forest will connect five community forests across the north of the country, creating a band of native broadleaf trees such a oaks, and conifers like spruce and pine.
Planting will span a 120-mile stretch along the M62 corridor between Liverpool and Hull, totalling 25,000 hectares of forest.
With a Government contribution of £5.7 million, the project is expected to cost a total of £500m with charities making up the rest of the sum.
The woodlands will create a new habitat for wildlife including birds and bats, as well as endangered red squirrels.
The project’s backers say it could bring economic benefits, generating £2 billion through boosting tourism and rural business, increasing property values and reducing the impacts of flooding.
England is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. Forest coverage across the country is about 10%, according to the Woodland Trust, compared to about 36% across the continent.
The organisation warned last year that the UK could be felling more trees than it was planting – the first time the balance had been tipped for decades, spelling bad news for climate change and conservation.
It welcomed the Government’s contribution to tree planting over the next decades.
“The Northern Forest will accelerate the creation of new woodland and support sustainable management of existing woods right across the area,” Austin Brady, director of conservation at the woodland trust, said.
“Planting many more trees, woods and forests will deliver a better environment for all – locking up carbon on a large scale, boosting wildlife habitat and greening our towns and cities.”
Trees have been lost to infrastructure and development projects, and a lack of tree-planting projects have meant few new woodlands are growing to replace them.
The scheme’s backers hope the project – part of the Government’s 25-year environment plan – will help meet targets to cuts climate change emissions.
The scheme will connect the five Community Forests in the north of England, the Mersey Forest, Manchester City of Trees, South Yorkshire Community Forest, the Leeds White Rose Forest and the HEYwoods Project.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urging him to use his leadership position to “urgently call and/or facilitate the holding of a special session of the UN Human Rights Council to address persistent killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State of Nigeria and other parts of the country.”
Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The organisation also urged Prince Al Hussein to “speak out strongly and condemn the killings apparently by herdsmen in the country, and make an official visit to Nigeria with special rapporteurs with relevant mandates to discuss the killings and concrete actions to end the killings and ultimately bring about significant improvements in the lives of farmers and their families as well as other citizens affected by violence across the country.”
In an urgent appeal dated Saturday, January 6, 2018 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said, “The UN Human Rights Council’s ability to successfully expose and hold perpetrators of human rights violations to account may be under threat if your office continues to ignore or pay little attention to the crimes and abuses apparently by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators in Nigeria.”
The organisation said, “While we acknowledge that the council has made significant contributions to human rights elsewhere, we are concerned that the violence and killings in Nigeria rarely attract the attention of the UN and particularly, your office. It is time for your office to speak out strongly against the continuing killings by herdsmen in Nigeria for the sake of thousands of victims and their families who continue to lack access to an effective remedy, including truth, justice and full and effective reparation.”
Suspected herdsmen on Saturday killed at least 11 persons in a fresh attack on Tombu village in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. This followed the alleged killing earlier in the week of at least 33 people apparently by herdsmen in the state.
The urgent appeal reads in part: “The killings in Benue State of Nigeria and the distressing situation of farmers and their families paint a stark picture of the grave abuses carried out apparently by herdsmen and the impunity that they continue to enjoy. The actions of herdsmen hinder meaningful progress towards stability, development and peace in the country.
“We also urge your office to facilitate the process of creating a commission of inquiry to investigate killings by herdsmen in Nigeria, and to uncover, name and shame cow owners that hire the herdsmen, as such owners may be criminally complicit in the killings. The involvement of your office will ensure solid investigations into the alleged killings, and help draw international attention to the problem, which in turn will go a long way in putting pressure on the Nigerian authorities to take concrete and meaningful steps to end the killings and bring suspected perpetrators to justice.
“SERAP notes that the Human Rights Council was created in 2006 to replace the failed UN Commission on Human Rights, which had largely been unwilling to address real human rights concerns in deserving countries.
“The council needs to be vigilant to avoid the problems that plagued its predecessor, including a loss of relevance from failing to speak out on human rights violations and abuses in deserving countries, such as Nigeria. We urge your office to seek full respect for the right to life, to personal security and dignity, to property, and other human rights of farmers and other Nigerians, consistent with the international human rights standards your office has sworn to uphold.
“Nigeria is a member of the Human Rights Council, and has ratified several UN human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nigeria has also ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which has in fact become part of the national laws.
“The Human Rights Council cannot be silent when innocent citizens are caught up in violence such as the one going on in Benue State. The international community must strive to deliver justice to victims of human rights violations and abuses wherever they occur and ensure that those found to be responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.
“SERAP strongly believes that the holding of a special session on the violence and killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State and elsewhere in Nigeria would contribute to a speedy end to the problem, and to peace and greater respect for human rights of farmers and their families as well as other citizens.
“The holding of a special session on the killings in Benue State will be consistent with the practice of the Human Rights Council regarding its previous special sessions on the Occupied Palestinian Territories; Lebanon; Darfur; Myanmar; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the Global Food Crisis and the Global Economic and Financial Crises, among others.”
SERAP therefore urged Prince Al Hussein to:
Urgently facilitate a special session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the persistent killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators in Benue State of Nigeria and other parts of the country with a view to ending the problem and ensuring access of victims and their families to an effective remedy, including truth, justice and full and effective reparation;
Speak out strongly and condemn the killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators in the country, and make an official visit to Nigeria with special rapporteurs having relevant mandates to discuss the killings and concrete actions to ultimately end the problem, and bring about significant improvements in the lives of farmers and their families as well as other citizens affected by violence across the country;
Put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to allow and facilitate the visits of Special Procedures mandate holders to investigate years of violence and killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators in the country with complete impunity;
Prevail on the Nigerian authorities to fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute of the ICC to investigate fully, effectively, fairly, independently and impartially and bring to justice those suspected to be responsible for crimes against humanity in the context of the on-going attacks and violence in Benue State and elsewhere in the country;
Use the opportunity of the special session to urge other states to exercise universal jurisdiction over the killings and violence in Benue State and elsewhere in the country.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has taken up a campaign to ensure that President Donald Trump’s offshore drilling plan in America’s Arctic region does not see the light of the day.
Environmentalists consider Arctic offshore drilling too dangerous
In the past week, the Trump Administration published the new Draft Proposed Programme for the 2019-2024 Oil and Gas Leasing Programme, which is set to replace the 2017-2022 plan – opening up the Arctic to a new wave of offshore drilling activities, which the group describes as “risky”.
“We must continue to keep the Arctic out of the five-year oil and gas leasing programme,” says Sara Thomas, the WWF Director, Activism and Outreach.
According to her, a healthy Arctic Ocean is key to the survival of wildlife – bowhead whales, gray whales, walruses, polar bears, and more – as well as many indigenous communities.
“The vast size, remote location, and extreme weather conditions, combined with the complete lack of infrastructure for responding to oil spills, make drilling in this area extremely dangerous.
“Oil spill response methods are ineffective in broken ice and other severe weather conditions in the Arctic, making any large oil spill or well blowout catastrophic for the amazing life in the Arctic Ocean,” she submits.
The WWF is encouraging members of the public to, during the administration’s multiple comment periods, voice their opinions and speak up against the plan.
“During the last comment period, nearly 90,000 WWF supporters spoke up to keep the Arctic out of the leasing programme,” discloses Thomas.
Citizens are also being enjoined to sign a public comment to President Trump and Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zike, and demand that the new offshore drilling is kept out of the the country’s Arctic region.
U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists have credited the international ban on man-made chemicals containing chlorine with helping to bring the ozone back.
The ozone hole in 2015
About 30 years ago under the Montreal Protocol, a United Nations emergency panel banned the use of the chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which left chlorine in the atmosphere destroying ozone molecules.
Through direct observations of the ozone hole by a satellite instrument built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), scientists for the first time have said that levels of ozone-destroying chlorine are declining, resulting in less ozone depletion.
In previous studies, researchers have used statistical analyses of changes in the ozone hole’s size to argue that ozone depletion is decreasing.
The new study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is the first to use measurements of the chemical composition inside the ozone hole to confirm that not only is ozone depletion decreasing, but that the decrease is caused by the decline in CFCs.
CFCs are long-lived chemical compounds that eventually rise into the stratosphere; where they are broken apart by the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation, releasing chlorine atoms that go on to destroy ozone molecules, NASA said on its website.
“We see very clearly that chlorine from CFCs is going down in the ozone hole, and that less ozone depletion is occurring because of it,’’ said lead author Susan Strahan, an atmospheric scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Stratospheric ozone protects life by absorbing potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation, which might cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and damage planet life.
The Antarctic ozone hole forms during September in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter as the returning Sun’s rays catalyse ozone destruction cycles involving chlorine and bromine that come primarily from CFCs.
To determine how ozone and other chemicals have changed year to year, scientists used data from JPL’s Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Aura satellite, which has been making measurements continuously around the globe since mid-2004.
The change in ozone levels above Antarctica from the beginning to the end of the southern winter, early July to mid-September, was computed daily from MLS measurements every year from 2005 to 2016.
Measurements show that the decline in chlorine has resulted in about 20 per cent less ozone depletion during the Antarctic winter than there was in 2005, and scientists are crediting the international ban on chlorine-containing human-produced chemicals.
Evidence had been building during the 1970s and ’80s that CFCs were damaging the ozone layer.
The levels of ozone had been dropping, which ultimately resulted in a nearly ozone-free “hole’’ above the Antarctic.
The ozone hole spurred countries and companies into action.
Two years after the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985, nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to regulate ozone-depleting compounds, later amendments to which completely phased out the production of CFCs.
Looking forward, the Antarctic ozone hole should continue to recover gradually as CFCs leave the atmosphere, but complete recovery would take decades, according to NASA.
“CFCs have lifetimes from 50 to 100 years, so they linger in the atmosphere for a very long time,’’ said Anne Douglass, fellow atmospheric scientist at Goddard and the study’s co-author.
“As far as the ozone hole being gone, we’re looking at 2060 or 2080. And even then there might still be a small hole,’’ she said.
Lagos-based environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), is set to begin the year with an annual public lecture which is geared at gaining public support for burning environmental issues.
Adeniyi Karunwi, Director General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF)
The Chief S. L. Edu Memorial Lecture is part of NCF’s sustainable development agenda and its contribution to nation building. The 2018 Lecture will be the 16th edition. The Lecture is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Victoria Island in Lagos.
Titled: “Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade in West Africa: the role of Environmental Law and Governance”, the lecture will be presented by Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, a Professor of Environmental Law and Policy, and the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Ojo.
According to Adeniyi Karunwi, the NCF Director General, the lecture theme was informed by the rising cases of illegal wildlife trade in Nigeria and other West African countries.
“Policy Advocacy is a cardinal programme of the Foundation, which is used to advocate for actions on imminent environmental issues, hence the choice of topic,” he was quoted as saying in a statement made available to EnviroNews.
He stressed that the Lecture was initiated by NCF to immortalise the Founder, late Chief Shafi Lawal Edu. “In the past 15 years, lectures in diverse environmental issues have been discussed as a way of advocating and educating the populace on the need to be well sensitised and embrace nature conservation and sustainable livelihood,” he emphasised.
The event, it was gathered, will also be used to award Scholarship Grants to two deserving PhD. Students understudying environmental sciences in Nigerian universities. The grant, sponsored by Chevron, is to encourage the students to undertake research work in the fields related to nature conservation, biodiversity and sustainable livelihood.
The NCF has its projects spread across the country, which are directly based on one or all of the Foundation’s activities in biodiversity conservation, environmental education, policy advocacy and improvement of livelihood of host communities.
The group says the event is public and attendance is open to environmentalists, nature enthusiasts, students and all the concerned.
The Sokoto State Government has awarded contract for the construction of 250 solar powered water schemes in the 23 local government areas.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State
Malam Imam Imam, the spokesman of the governor, said this in a statement on Sunday, January 7, 2018 in Sokoto, the state capital.
Imam, who did not mention the cost, said that the project was part of government policy of opening up and improving standards of living in rural areas.
He said that the project, which would be completed in three months, included solar pumping system, control room, distribution system borehole of 10,000-litre capacity, over head tank and security fence.
“The Dange Shuni, Gada and Sokoto North councils will have 14 of the schemes in different locations, Wurno council 12 schemes, while 11 schemes will be located in Illela council and 17 councils will get 10 each of the schemes in their localities.”
He said the locations of the projects were arrived at after wide consultations with stakeholders at the grassroots level.
“The unique thing about this project is the level of participation of communities in planning for the constructions.
”Government will continue to engage the populace as it implements the projects that have positive bearing on their lives.
“This project will increase access to safe drinking water and improve hygiene and basic sanitation in rural areas,” Imam said.
Dr Juliet Ochi of the Paediatrics Department, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), has advised parents to protect their children from cold as harmattan set in.
School children
Ochi gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, January 6, 2018 in Enugu.
She explained that the current hazy harmattan could lead to excessive sneezing, cough and catarrh in children especially children suffering from respiratory conditions like asthma, as the cold and dusty weather tends to aggravate it.
The paediatrician enjoined parents to ensure that their kids were always covered properly with sweaters, stockings, thick trousers as well as blanket for infants as this would help to prevent illness associated with cold.
Ochi added that it was more important to start early in taking number of measures to protect children from cold, dust particles and soles of the feet from peeling and lips from cracking.
“Begin to take measures to protect your children from cold as well as dust particles, skin and soles of the feet from peeling, and lips from cracking for the children to be healthy,” she said.
She also called on parents to visit health facilities whenever they notice any sign of cold symptom on their children.
The expert urged parents to avoid buying medicine for the children without doctors’ prescription.
Besides, she appealed to teachers and day-care owners to help parents in making sure that the pupils in their schools remain covered during school hours.
