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2019 Regional Climate Dialogues to boost climate action

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2019 Regional Climate Dialogues to boost climate action

Following the successful conclusion of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Poland in December 2018, which resulted in the adoption of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, the international community finally has operational guidelines to translate their climate pledges under the Paris Agreement into concrete action. This provides an important step for delivering action at the transformational scale necessary to limit the global average temperature rise to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius – the central goal of the Paris Agreement.

Katowice COP24
A delegate stands in the main meeting hall of COP24 in Katowice, Poland

Year 2019 has clearly emerged as a critical year – perhaps an inflection point – as climate change has become the “biggest threat to the global economy”, as the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, and ambitious action is urgently required on all fronts. Central in this mobilization effort is the UN Secretary-General’s 2019 Climate Summit in September, which aims to boost ambition and accelerate action.

A series of Regional Climate Weeks will kick-start converstations for the Summit in Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Two days of the Regional Climate Weeks will be dedicated to technical dialogues on the implementation of the climate commitments or “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These technical NDC dialogues, running since 2014, have been organised by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat to help countries plan and implement their climate committments.

Translating NDCs into Concrete Climate Actions

The last round of technical NDC dialogues held in 2017-2018 focused on the energy sector and allowed participants to exchange national experiences on NDC implementation, including linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); opportunities and barriers for climate actions; climate finance and private sector engagement; gender-responsive approaches, scaling up ambition, and long-term strategies.   

Given that climate action is a complex issue, it requires a whole-of-country approach.  This entails coordination among government entities on all levels and the engagement of key stakeholders ranging from women, indigenous populations and civil society organisations to financial institutions and the private sector. The dialogues that have taken place to date have shown that there is a strong need to build capacities within and across ministries and local ownership and accountability is essential for the sustainability of climate projects.

Access to finance remains one of the most important barriers to climate action. Going forward, financial instruments and innovative financing mechanisms must be leveraged to mobilise adequate climate finance. An enabling environment for private sector engagement and public-private collaborations must also be further enhanced to ensure the required pace and scale of climate action is fulfilled in these critical years ahead.

Inspiring Examples of Regional Progress on Climate Committments

In Latin America, the transition to clean energy is in full swing. New energy reforms and plans have provided opportunities for countries to increase their share of renewable energies (principally hydro and wind) in the energy matrix, establish energy efficiency funds and promote the electrification of the transport sector. Many countries are including the transport sector in their development plans thus not only contributing to their NDC targets but also to their development goals.

In Africa, a key emerging topic for countries has been the engagement of regional, municipal and local actors to help bridge the gap between ambitious national climate targets and the concrete actions required on the ground. The representation of local entities and civil society organisations (CSOs) at the dialogue was a clear indication that this inclusive engagement process was well underway in the region.

Meanwhile, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and Caribbean regions have demonstrated great leadership in terms of energy efficiency and security. In the Pacific, countries have been building on existing energy plans or strategies to implement energy projects and establish green energy funds. In the Caribbean, countries have been focusing on renewable energy generation and energy efficiency, forest and land use management, and waste. Both regions are looking to include additional sectors such as water and agriculture and to strengthen adaptation components.  Given their current pace of implementation, SIDS may well be in a position to submit even more ambitious NDCs in 2020.

Countries from the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia region also showed strong determination to implement their NDCs with some countries striving to go beyond what is already included.  Key areas of focus included energy security and independence, the development of long-term Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) and the inclusion of adaptation in NDCs. As countries are preparing for a clean energy transition, it was encouraging to see new regional partnerships emerge to develop regional energy efficiency standards and enhance integrated energy systems.

The dialogue for Asia and Arab States, which brought together two distinct regions, showed that despite the regions’ differences, countries shared very similar experiences regarding NDC implementation.  Countries from both regions have already begun to invest in clean and energy efficient solutions (e.g., energy efficient buildings and industries) as well as different energy technologies.  Countries are working hard to reduce political and regulatory barriers to unlock investments in clean energy and are exploring innovative financial instruments such as green Islamic bonds or “sukuks”.

With 130 developing countries and over 803 participants from government ministries, the private sector, multilateral organisations and other institutions having participated in this round of dialogues alone, it is clear that the technical NDC dialogues have until now provided an important, neutral and inclusive platform for key stakeholders to discuss technical issues on putting their climate commitments into action.

Looking ahead

The next technical NDC dialogue series, which will now be integrated for the first time with the larger Regional Climate Weeks, will run from 2019-2020. Discussions will focus on the preparation of second-round NDCs with increased coverage, clarity and ambition; capacity strengthening for tracking NDC implementation progress; and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, building on lessons learned from implementing initial NDCs and drawing on the outcomes of the Talanoa Dialogue and COP24. Looking beyond the second generation NDCs, the dialogues will further support countries to look to 2050 and beyond and encourage the formulation of long-term climate strategies, which countries are invited to submit to the UNFCCC by 2020. Long-term climate strategies define trajectories for low-carbon, climate-resilient, and sustainable development, and thus chart a clear direction on ambitious climate action for policy and decision makers, investors and the business community.  

Agriculture, highest contributor to global warming in Nigeria – Research

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Agriculture, highest contributor to global warming in Nigeria – Research

Agriculture is the highest contributor to global warming in Nigeria, a recent research conducted by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology says.

ActionAid Agriculture
Agriculture

This research debunks the long-time general assumption that energy is the highest contributor to global warming.

Prof. Peter Ekweozoh, Director, Environmental Sciences and Technology, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday, February 4, 2019.

He spoke with NAN at a workshop with theme: “Green Economy Capacity Assessment Workshop” at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Lagos.

The workshop was a partnership between the University of Reading, U.K, and FIIRO to brainstorm on how to improve the Green Economy and mitigate environmental degradation.

“A recent research by our ministry shows that the agriculture sector is the highest contributor to global warming in Nigeria and also the use of land, contrary to what we believed.

“Research has proven that it is not energy, and so, if we are able to stop the use of chemical fertilisers, burning of agricultural waste and turn them into usable products, our society will be better.

“The Federal Government is already making efforts at having low carbon development programmes. The President has signed the Paris Agreement that took place in 2015.

“With this development, Nigeria will be able to enforce its own policy called the `National Determined Contribution on Sea Waste Road Map 2030,’’ he said.

Ekweozoh said that the country was not deficient in having a policy framework that could attract donors to help in realising the Green Agenda policy but rather, the country needs personnel to carry out its policy.

“We are not bereft of a framework that can help us with the Green Economy; what we need is to put our policy framework together in order to attract foreign donors. We have up-to-date climate change policies and roadmaps.

“In the implementation of the Green Economy policy framework, we need to coordinate the skills. We also need to close those gaps and then we will have a good shot at implementation of the policy.

At the end of this programme we will start massive capacity building programme as a result of the gaps to fill,” he said.

Ekweozoh said that Nigeria had inaugurated a National Waste to Wealth Programme in 2015, which was aimed at addressing environmental degradation.

“In 2015, Nigeria signed National Waste to Wealth Programme to law. This programme is an inter-ministerial mission that seeks to address some attitudes which we need to change.

“We also need to educate our people to know how to treat waste and stop throwing waste around.

“We need to put in place appropriate technology, facilities that will undertake the processing of mix waste because that is what we have. Just dumpsite everywhere, unlike what we have in the Europe which is technological land fills.

“I believe once that is achieved, we will have the National Science Technology Innovation Roadmap 2030 which is supposed to drive development in all the sectors – agriculture, industry, tourism, water resources and energy,” he said.

By Funmilola Gboteku

Rural hospitals in Cameroon get solar energy succour

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Rural hospitals in Cameroon get solar energy succour

One man’s endeavour is changing lives of many in rural Cameroon and fighting climate change. He is tapping energy from the sun and supplying to hospitals in “forgotten” places. Arison Tamfu reports

Solar panels at Ngambe Council
Solar panels at Ngambe Council

Ngo Bas was just 14 when she became pregnant. And now, she is 15 and is due at any moment. Literally.

“I’m past nine months pregnant,” she says with a grin.

She lives with her grandmother in Ngambe, a remote, forested community in Cameroon’s Littoral Region. Things are hard, her granny says, disturbed that the life of the unborn child is in danger because Bas does not feed well. But that is the least of her worries. Bas is supposed to give birth at Ngambe District Hospital where there is no electricity.

“We have been without electricity for like… I can’t even remember. The hospital and by extension patients are the most affected,” says Dr. Daniel Telep Yede, director of Ngambe District Hospital.

“We use traditional African bush lamps and torches during delivery at night. This is a very, very risky venture. Anything can happen to the child and the mother because we don’t usually see what we are doing. We refer worst cases to other hospitals, but they are very far away,” he adds.

That is what worries Bas and her granny most.

But Bas’ worries might soon be over. There is good news. Gaston Claude Songo is about providing the hospital with solar energy.

Songo, 40, is soft-spoken, but he is sure of what he’s doing, and has proved a rare skill for seeing the obvious. The idea of supplying renewable energy to remote communities in Cameroon has become a passion for him.

One afternoon in early 2018 while driving in the hot sun in Douala traffic, Songo was struck by the obvious.

“Broadly available technology, plummeting cost of solar panels, and free, unlimited sunshine. I realised that this was a gift from Mother Nature. Why should my people suffer when energy is almost free and clean?” Songo says with a sense of pride and fulfillment.

Eleven months later, Songo is fully-engaged in a project to supply solar power to hospitals in rural Cameroon.

“It is purely a personal initiative. I provide the energy free of charge. I have been raising some funds for the project through social media campaigns especially on Facebook. People of good of will who believe in helping others and making the world a better place have been of great assistance” he says.

Today, Songo has come to install solar panels in the Ngambe District Hospital.

He is a native of Ngambe and understands better that anyone else what his people are going through.

“As a child I witnessed the suffering my people were experiencing because there was no electricity. It was horrible especially in the hospitals in rural areas or forgotten places. Hospitals are very sensitive, and patients need hope. Darkness in hospitals kills that hope” he says while placing two solar panels on the rooftop of the hospital building. “I want to show to the world that without being rich, we can still help others through our skills and knowledge,” he adds.

Gaston Claude Songo about to install solar panels
Gaston Claude Songo about to install solar panels

Night is falling and Songo is done with the installation. To the amazement and joy of the villagers, the bulb is switched on and…voila… there is light.

“This is a miracle. Just like that and there is light in the hospital,” exclaimed a patient in the hospital.

That evening by 8:00 pm, coincidentally, Bas in critical labour arrives the hospital. She is breathless as nurses rush her to delivery room. Things move faster than usual. With ease and comfort of the light, Dr. Yede and his team start the delivery process and few hours later, the cry of a baby is heard. She is delivered of a healthy boy and she is doing well.

“This delivery would have been risky and almost impossible yesterday. At last darkness has been defeated in this hospital,” says Dr. Tede breathing a sigh of relief. “We will now be able to work 24hrs, admit patients, perform operations and store some hospital material in the refrigerator,” he adds.

“My baby has brought light here. Thanks a lot to technology. Can you imagine what I would have gone through if there was no light,” says Bas joyfully.

Local authorities are confident that the advent of light in the community will significantly change the lives of the people.

“Development has been retarded here for long because of electricity. We did not know that the sun can provide energy. Songo has opened our eyes. I am now making it an official policy for Ngambe to tap light from the sun and wherever possible. I can guarantee you that this is going to significantly alleviate poverty in this community,” says Gilbert Yede, mayor of Ngambe rural council inhabited by approximately 10,000 people.

Curing climate change

Songo’s success story is a real booster to the fight against climate change that has taken its toll on the livelihoods of people especially in Africa where droughts, erratic rainfall, floods have become the new normal.

Scientists agree that renewable energy is one of the major ways of mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change because it is clean and does not emit dangerous greenhouse gases into atmosphere.

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat which are naturally replenished.

“A switch to renewable energy is what we need now. Times have changed,” says Emmanuel Tabot, an environmentalist.

Songo has decided to move with the times by making renewable energy available to people.

“Renewable energy is by action not talking. Africa has sunlight, wind, tides, and rains in abundance. Why don’t we just abandon our old ways of supplying energy and act now to save the world from the dangerous consequences of climate change?” says Songo adding that energy deficiency is a major setback to development in Cameroon in particular and Africa in general.

And he’s right.

Most of Cameroon lives in the dark. Cameroon suffers from outages: about 10 electrical outages per month, which last an average of two hours each.

Despite the impressive hydroelectric capabilities of the country, only approximately 20% of the population have access to the national grid, with 80 percent of the supply concentrated in urban areas and just 17 percent in rural areas according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy. Apart from hydro power, Cameroon is well endowed with sunshine, and various sources of biomass and natural gas, yet little effort has been put into the development of these energy sources. Renewable energy currently contributes about 1% towards Cameroon’s energy mix according to 2018 government figures.

“One of the factors contributing to the slow implementation of renewable energy in the country is the lack of a defined renewable energy government policy. Government commitment and enthusiasm are essential for promoting renewable energy efforts by both foreign and private sector investors,” says Dr. Edouard Mboumboue of the University of Yaounde 1.

Cameroonian President, Paul Biya has placed renewable energy high on his list of national goals, however, Cameroon’s first large-scale wind and solar farms are still being developed.

Songo’s achievement is a fascinating eye-opener to the government and now, the government plans to boost Cameroon’s electricity access in rural areas as part of its “Vision 2035” development plan, aimed at expanding the economy and slashing poverty to 10 percent.

“What he is doing is a great personal endeavour. It’s encouraging and we will now intensify efforts to supply renewable energy to rural areas in the country,” says Joseph Tabe of the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy.

Government intends to supply solar power to approximately 250,000 people in 1,000 rural communities of the country by 2020.

“This will change lives and notably alleviate poverty in rural areas. People like Songo should play a key role,” says Tabe.

One of Songo’s personal goals is to meet government officials, entrepreneurs and people of good will to seek for partnership or support that will enable him to expand his project that he now calls “Solar Energy for my people”.     

“What we have done in Ngambe and other places, we can share with local entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond,” he says. “We have the local know-how and engineering, but no means. Now, we are working and learning how to master technologies on our own and start to invest more in our own confidence to produce local wealth and put a smile on people in rural communities,” he adds.

As long as sunlight is free, Songo wants to supply green energy to “every rural hospital” in Cameroon. “This energy will not only help the hospitals but will keep local businesses in business, and even provide basic services to villages that have been socially off-the-grid as well,” he says.

Nigeria, Togo fishers clamour sustainable fishing

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Nigeria, Togo fishers clamour sustainable fishing

Courtesy of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) fishers in Nigeria and Togo met on December 28, 2018 in Makoko community, Lagos State, Nigeria. The meeting reportedly created space for exchange of information and ideas to ensure sustainable fishing and ensure that fishers’ rights are upheld and respected by policy makers.

Fishers
Adam Derman (second left) with fishers from Makoko

The meeting hosted Adam Muhamadou Derman, the Secretary General of Fishermen Trade Union in Togo; who also doubles as the chairman of FishNet Alliance, Togo and leaders of fishing associations in Makoko. Apostle Akintimehin, one of the leaders of fishing associations in Makoko, thanked HOMEF for being always committed to the cause of fishers in Makoko and Nigeria at large.

While narrating the fishing practices in Togo, Adam said that there are federations of fishers in Togo which include: continental fishers (folks that fish in rivers, creek and other inland water) and oceanic fishers (folks that fish in seas, oceans etc.). He added that, at a time, a new fishing port was constructed in Lome by the Chinese without due consultations with the fishers – so the fishers were not involved in the construction. He stated that it would have been better if the fishers were consulted so they can decide how the port would be operated.

According to him, a time came when the fishers and trade union of fishers raised their voices because the construction activities were negatively impacting their fishing activities. A management committee was set up and fishers were incorporated into the management of the port, affording them the opportunities to be involved in decision making for the port operations and fishing in their region.

He added that monitoring of fishing activities was done by the government in the past, but now that there are professional fishing association associations.

“We are part of the monitoring and control team with government public administration. With the fishers’ involvement, they have put in place good fishing practices like fishing with small nets, fishing with generator, in which they go for fishing with generator and put light inside the water to attract fish,” he said.

While reiterating the stance of FishNet Alliance, he said that there is a sensitisation going on now to discourage fishers from using chemicals because some fishermen go to the sea with some chemicals and put them in the water to catch more fishes to have more money.

“We are currently dialoguing with them and informing them about the harm (both to the marine environment and to humans that consume the fishes and also our livelihoods) of using chemicals to fish, informing them that the chemical kills the fish, their eggs and other aquatic organisms. When this happen, they will not be able to reproduce and if this continues over some years; there will be no more fish in our water.”

He informed that they have gone a step ahead to ensure that the local knowledge is preserved for now and the future – so they organise workshops to train community fishers (both young and old) on sustainable local fishing techniques and resource management as a way of continuous reminder about their traditional methods of fishing that respects nature. He believes that by so doing, they are transferring the local knowledge to the future.

They expressed their readiness to uphold the tenets of the FishNet Alliance stating that the FishNet Alliance is the way to go and that it will help unite fishers in Africa and in other parts of the world.

The fishers from Makoko thanked him from coming all the way from Togo for a knowledge exchange and solidarity visit, stating that they face threats of displacement from their coastal environment due to dredging activities by the government, and that, secondly, fishing gears are expensive, and they do not enjoy any assistance from the government.

Participants opined that the problems faced by coastal communities are similar in nature, yet the authorities involved are not taking the plight of the fishers in coastal areas into consideration, even when the fact is clear that the sector employs more people than the oil and mining sectors. 

With the FishNet Alliance, the fishers in coastal regions in Nigeria, Togo and Ghana believe that they now have leverage and a platform to express themselves and share their experiences and issues with other fisher folks across the coast of West Africa.

The platform brings about collective efforts in putting a stop to the activities of the explorative and extractive industries across Nigeria and the coast of West Africa, the fishers stressed.

The fishers from Lome and Makoko agreed that since exploration for hydrocarbons is ongoing along the entire coastline of West Africa, it is essential that the FishNet network expands to more countries and that fishers are trained to monitor the marine ecosystem in their territories.

By Stephen Oduware (Project Officer, Sustainability Academy, HOMEF)

No single formula for all forms of deforestation – Study

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No single formula for all forms of deforestation – Study

The world has been trying for decades to curb deforestation but continues to fail. Forests are still being cleared at high rates despite efforts by forested and supportive countries alike. A new study by researchers has found that there is no “one size fits all” solution: every agent of deforestation is different and requires specialised efforts to reduce their impact.

Deforestation
Deforestation in Peru

The researchers – from World Agroforestry, ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, African Centre for Technology Studies, Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute, and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research – highlighted three main typologies of deforestation, and forest degradation: 1) smallholding farmers, usually very localised; 2) large-scale commercial agriculture involving legal or illegal allocation of forested areas to establish commercial farms; and 3) natural factors, such as fire, insect attack and landslides.

Each of these three forms of deforestation need to be addressed differently if the rate of deforestation is to decrease substantially. In their study, the researchers focused on the first category – smallholding farmers – in two forested areas: Menagesha Suba in Ethiopia; and Masaai Mau in Kenya.

“We applied behavioral science theories to understand the in-depth contexts among smallholders in relation to deforestation and forest degradation,” said Lalisa Duguma, the lead author of the paper and a researcher at World Agroforestry. “In the past, the search for solutions to curb deforestation largely focused on technical solutions without unearthing the underlying behavioral logic of smallholders as it relates to deforestation. Such an approach misses its target widely.”

They found that the factors forcing smallholders to engage in deforestation and forest degradation were largely contextual, that is, socio-demographics, production constraints, policies and governance issues, with some influence from routine practices, such as timber extraction for fuelwood and construction. These factors can be broadly aggregated as necessity-driven, market-driven, and governance-driven.

“In the forests studied, deforestation and forest degradation were mostly caused by farmers meeting their needs for subsistence, supported by weak governance. Though most factors were intrinsic to smallholders’ contexts, the extent of deforestation and degradation was aggravated to a great extent by factors external to the communities living close to the forested area.

There was also an observed strong interdependence between the various key factors, which demands a systemic approach for dealing with the drivers of deforestation and degradation. Therefore, when policies are being developed, there should be scrutiny of the contexts, the factors aggravating destructive behavior, and the associated enablers, to reduce forest losses under varying socioeconomic, biophysical, and governance conditions.

The researchers recommend that REDD+ should use the typologies of deforestation and forest degradation and the context in which they occur to identify targeted measures that could enhance effective control of loss of forests. “With REDD+ moving into implementation after the Paris agreement,” said Peter Minang, a co-author and leader of the Landscapes Governance research unit at World Agroforestry, “a search for innovative ways of understanding the drivers of deforestation and finding corresponding relevant solutions is critical to save forests.”

UK varsity partners FIIRO, others on Nigeria’s green economy transition

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UK varsity partners FIIRO, others on Nigeria’s green economy transition

The University of Reading in the United Kingdom says it is partnering with the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) to achieve green economy transition in Nigeria.

FIIRO
Cross section of participants at the workshop

Prof. Chuks Okereke of the university made this known on Monday, February 4, 2019 at a forum held in Lagos. The theme of the workshop was: “Green Economy Capacity Assessment Workshop’’.

Okereke said that the project, which included four other agencies under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, was designed to engender Green Economy decisions in Nigeria.

Green Economy is an economy that aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It also aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment.

Okereke said: “This project is aimed at knowing the gaps in the partner agencies, so that an effective training programme will be implemented to equip them on how to facilitate green economy transition.

“Our research shows that there are lots of gap in African Government systems, which include low technical skills in the area of life cycle assessment, renewable technologies and even in terms of policy designs mainstream.

“However, the extent of these gaps has not been really identified in a systematic way.

“Our focus now is to have a systematic identification for these loopholes, so that we can know for certain where those gaps exist and work on them.

“This research will help us to facilitate low-carbon development in Africa, which is currently the poorest and most vulnerable continent to climate change.’’

Prof. Gloria Elemo, the Director-General, FIIRO, said that the workshop was aimed at sensitising participants on the latest developments in green economy around the world.

Elemo explained that the workshop would point out the set of skills required by the Federal Ministry of Science and its agencies to effectively facilitate green economy transition in Nigeria.

The director-general, represented by Dr Yemisi Asagbra, the Director of Production, Analytical and Laboratory Management, said that the workshop would help participants to become part of the resource persons within the ministry.

Elemo said that they would help to galvanise Nigeria’s efforts at climate mitigation and adaptation, particularly in the food and agro-allied industry. 

By Funmilola Gboteku

ECOWAS, AfDB sign $22.7m Abidjan-Lagos highway agreement

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ECOWAS, AfDB sign $22.7m Abidjan-Lagos highway agreement

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), on Monday, February 4, 2019 signed a $22 million agreement for the technical design to develop the Abidjan-Lagos Road.

Jean-Claude Brou
ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou

The signing of the Grant Retrocession Agreement between ECOWAS and AfDB and the contracts for the feasibility, environmental, socio-economic and detailed engineering designs was done at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.

ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou, said that the signing was in recognition of the decision of the Presidents of Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin in 2014 on the construction of the highway.

“With the approval of the member states, the ECOWAS Commission forwarded financing requests of approximately $89 million to several development partners, including AfDB and European Union, to fund the technical and project preparation studies.

“We thank the AfDB for their swift response and subsequent identification mission undertaken in Dec. 2018 for possible financing.

“The EU contribution of €9.13 million was mobilised through the African Development Bank who also contributed approximately $11.06 million making it a total of $22.72 million for the project.”

The commission’s president added that contracts were also signed with three major consulting firms to undertake feasibility, environmental, socio-economic and detailed engineering designs for the six-lane highway.

He said the 1,080 km Abidjan-Lagos corridor would connect some of the largest and economically dynamic cities in Africa and also link vibrant seaports which served landlocked countries of the region.

The Senior Director, AfDB, Mr Ebrima Faal, said West Africa needed deeper market integration to promote industrialisation for the economic development of the region.

Faal reiterated that the total intra-regional trade stood at 15 per cent, adding that the project would facilitate trade within the region.

“Promoting regional trade is enshrined in articles establishing AfDB and is a key pillar in the High Five priorities of the bank.

“That is why the bank is investing heavily in high quality regional transport infrastructure throughout the continent.”

The AfDB representative said the objective of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Study was to undertake all the needed technical studies for the effective implementation, operations and economic development of the highway.

Mr Mayne David-West, Pearl Consultants and Civil and Structural Engineers, who spoke on behalf of the other consultants, said the project design would take two years and would connect to the planned East-West coastal road.

“The project design life span will take two years before construction; we will provide bid documents for the construction itself.

“The beauty of this road is that there is already an existing East-West coastal road design which starts from Lagos to Calabar and from there, goes to Cameroon.

“When this road is done, it will be connected to the East-West coastal road.”

The EU representative, Mr Kurt Cornelis, said the project fitted in the framework of the cooperation of the EU with the continent and the region.

Cornelis said the project would strengthen the competitiveness of the territories, stimulate investments, encourage regional integration for development growth and job creation.”

By Temitope Ponle

SEMA sensitises community on fire, flood management in Kaduna

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SEMA sensitises community on fire, flood management in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) with support of an NGO, Christian Aid, on Monday, February 4, 2019 sensitised a community in the state on appropriate response during fire and flood emergencies.

Flooding
A flood ravaged community

During the event held within Bashama community in Kaduna, Executive Secretary of the agency, Ben Kure, said the aim was to develop local disaster response capacity.

Kure, who was represented by Mubarak Ibrahim of Relief and Disaster Management unit of the agency, said that the simulation exercise was in line with the agency’s preparedness and response strategies.

He said that the exercise was also aimed at increasing synergy among response agencies in the state.

He said that the objective was to ensure that communities, especially first responders are fit, ready and able to provide prompt professional services meant to reduce casualties during fire incidents.

“We know that disaster management is demanding and requires a lot of determination and commitment to accomplish.

“Therefore, we must understand the various roles support agencies ought to play in managing disaster and building community resilience,” he said.

Emmanuel Danjuma, Programme Officer Disaster Management and Peace Building, Christian Aid, said the exercise would create required skills and resilience for people of the community to provide rescue in emergencies.

He said the exercise was targeted at nine communities in three Local governments Area’s of Kaduna North, South and Chikun.

He listed the communities to include Ungwar Rimi, Malali, Rafinguza and Haliru Dantoro community in Kaduna North; Romi, Nasarawa in Chikun, and Baranawa and Tudun wada in Kaduna South.

Danjuma said the sensitisation and simulation exercise was in line with the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) as part project of early Warning for Early Response (EWER) initiative.

He assured that the centre would continue to sensitise communities to ensure that safety becomes a culture among residents, adding that this will, in turn, reduce to the barest minimum accidents at home.

The event was graced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Kaduna State Fire Service, Red Cross, NGOs, and traditional rulers, among others.

By Ezra Musa

Nigeria decries Cameroon’s denial of entry to 35,000 refugees

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Nigeria decries Cameroon’s denial of entry to 35,000 refugees

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has expressed concern over Cameroonian authorities’ decision to deny entry to 35,000 displaced persons from Nigeria’s state of Borno.

internally-displaced-persons-NEMA
Women and children in a IDPs camp. The displacement was informed by the Boko Haram insurgency. Photo credit: channelstv.com

Head of the commissioner, Sadiya Farouq, said while presenting relief items for the affected displaced persons at the Government House, Maiduguri, that the refugees were left stranded at the border.

Farouq disclosed that the refugees were those displaced in attacks coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents on January 14, 2019 at Rann community in Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.

He explained that the displaced persons who fled the conflict were stranded at the Nigeria-Cameroun border, sequel to the decision of the Cameroonian authorities to deny them entry.

Farouq said: “The displaced persons ran for safety but were denied entry into Cameroon. They are stranded along the border as they could not go back to their communities for fear of renewed attacks.

“The trend left us devastated; hence, my visit to Borno to attend to the immediate needs of the displaced persons.

“The commission, in line with its mandate, will provide durable solutions to persons of concern. We handed over relief items to Borno government for distribution to the affected persons.”

Farouq added that the gesture was aimed at improving the living conditions of persons recently displaced due to insurgents’ attacks in the state.

According to her, the commission is monitoring the situation to facilitate implementation of durable solution, including possible relocation and resettlement of the IDPs.

Farouq added that the commission had liaised with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate negotiations with Cameroonian authorities with a view to finding solution to the impasse in accordance with the United Nations Convention on Refugees.

She quoted sections of the UN charter, affirming that “no contracting state shall expel or return a refugee in any manner whatsoever to frontiers of territories where his or her life or freedom will be threatened on account of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”

The commissioner urged the Cameroonian authorities to rescind its decision and take necessary steps to support the displaced persons.

Farouq recalled that over 40, 000 Cameroonian refugees were allowed into the Nigeria since October 2017, adding that the commission provided support to the affected persons of concern.

“They are currently camped in Cross River, Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Taraba states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This is a clear demonstration of Nigeria’s commitments to the international humanitarian obligation and spirit of good brotherhood.

“It will also interest you to know that the federal government has given the go ahead, including funding for Technical Working Group of the Tripartite Commission for safe and dignifying return of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon to other stable areas in the country.

“The movement will be done in a safe and dignifying manner as clearly spelt out in the Tripartite Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Cameroon and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),” she added.By Hamza Suleiman

Activists seek to halt GM cowpea release, cassava field trials

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Activists seek to halt GM cowpea release, cassava field trials

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and farmers has denounced the recent approval for release of Bt cowpea (beans) for cultivation in Nigeria. The group is also demanding a rejection of the application for field trials of a cassava clone, asserting that the processes of making and approving these artificial crops present enormous threat to human and environmental health.

Anti-GMO public rally
A recent anti-GMO public rally in Abuja

On Monday, January 28, 2019, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) issued permits to the Institute of Agricultural Research, Zaria for the commercial release of a genetically modified cowpea said to be resistant to the Maruca vitrata virus.

The coalition in response to this stated that the release of the genetically modified beans will contaminate indigenous varieties, place them at risk and expose farmers and people to avoidable risks.

They referred to a study of pollinator characteristics of the natural West African wild cowpea populations which reveals that the Bt-gene will move from the genetically modified lines to non-modified lines of both cultivated and wild relatives, resulting to other plants gaining the resistance trait that will cause an alteration in ecological balance and present adverse effects.

“It is worth nothing that this cowpea containing the transgene Cry1Ab, has not been approved for commercial use anywhere else in the world. Use of this Bt gene was discontinued in South Africa where the cultivation of maize modified (with the gene) led to enormous pest resistance and infestation. Current research has revealed that protein produced by this transgene has toxic effects on human liver cells and induces alterations in immune systems of laboratory animals,” the coalition stated in a statement made available to EnviroNews on Sunday, February 3, 2019.

The statement was endorsed by Nnimmo Bassey (Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Coordinator, GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance), Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje (Chairperson, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa) and Jackie Iketuonye (Country Representative, Bio-Integrity and Natural Food Awareness Initiative).

The coalition added that the projection that the GM beans will increase yield by 20% above current levels is a “paltry reason” for exposing the nation to risks as the challenges of agriculture in Nigeria are complex and cannot be solved by one genetic engineering silver bullet.

Bassey said: “It is clearly impossible to label genetically engineered beans and its products in Nigeria. Our socio-cultural setting makes it impossible to give Nigerians the right of choice through labeling of GMOs. This is one reason why the rush into GMO approvals is extremely perplexing. Where is the push coming from and why this reckless rush?”

He further added: “Within just a couple of years of Nigeria having a GMO regulatory agency, all we see are permits and propaganda, while the task of protecting the Nigerian people and our environment is being forgotten due to the blatant incestuous relationship with developers, promoters and merchants of these risky technologies.”

The group calls on the Nigerian Seeds Council or the Varietal Release Committee not to endorse recommendations from NBMA as doing so will dash the hopes of Nigerian farmers to preserve natural varieties, expose consumers to unnecessary risks and place the nation on an irreversible road to ecological disaster.

The group condemned a new application for a genetically modified cassava which is engineered to yield more starch than normal, stating that the application seeks to address a non-existent problem and appears to be promoted by industrial starch producers or by speculators who see genetic engineering as a means of making profit and serving industry needs to the detriment of lives and food system.

It also stated that Nigeria already has varieties of cassava which give sufficient starch and that the people are not complaining. They insisted that Nigeria must not be a test ground for dangerous food technologies as has already been recorded with a novel variety of cassava field-tested by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in 2018 (and which may already be in the environment) despite protests and objections.

The coalition also decried the flooding of the Nigerian market with illegally imported genetically modified food products (as revealed in a recent market survey by HOMEF) and advised NBMA to invest time in regulating and protecting foods and promoting biosafety rather than parading itself as a permitting or revenue generating agency.

The body noted that the clamour by the Nigerian government officials for genetically modified food crops goes against the precautionary principle (a major principle of the Cartagena Protocol to which Nigeria is signatory) which advises governments to take precaution in the face of uncertainty of safety of GMOs in terms of human and environmental health.

In conclusion, the coalition advised that in place of the genetically engineered solution and modern agricultural biotechnology in general which requires a significant increase in input costs and could disrupt socio-ecosystems, Nigeria should instead focus on biological control as solution to pests invasion and augment with provision of needed infrastructure and other necessities such as credit schemes, access to land and extension services to farmers for enhanced productivity and food sovereignty.

They demanded that the National Biosafety Management Agency Act be critically reviewed to ensure that it protects the interests of the people, for example to include strict provision on Liability and Redress, emphasis on the precautionary principle and on public consultation.

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