The Centre for Climate Change Communication in the George Mason University, USA on Monday, December 11, 2017 announced the publication of a new article titled: “Scientific agreement can neutralise the politicisation of facts” in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
Several recent studies have found that the more education conservatives have, the less likely they are to accept scientific findings about climate change, suggesting a motivated reasoning effect. This has led to the concern that attempts to increase public knowledge might exacerbate political polarisation on the issue. Yet, most prior studies have been correlational, which leaves the most important question unanswered: Does communicating climate change facts cause issue polarisation?
The centre sought to answer the question with a large nationally representative experiment involving 6,301 Americans.
The centre disclosed in a statement: “Consistent with the motivated reasoning account, before we provided respondents with any information, we found evidence that higher educated conservatives were more likely than higher educated liberals to underestimate the scientific consensus on climate change. However, as part of a randomised experiment, we exposed half of the sample to a simple scientific fact – ‘97% of climate scientists have concluded that human-caused global warming is happening’.
“We found that both groups who read the ‘consensus message,’ i.e. higher educated liberals and conservatives, adjusted their estimates of the consensus upward in the direction of the actual scientific norm (97%). Moreover, the consensus message reduced polarisation between higher educated liberals and conservatives by nearly 50%: the gap between higher educated liberals and conservatives shrank from about 16 percentage points before exposure to the consensus message, to only about 8 percentage points after exposure.”
The findings are visualised in the figure below:
Study findings
The centre continued: “In other words, we found that communicating a simple fact about the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change did not reinforce political polarisation. Quite the opposite: communicating the scientific consensus helped neutralise partisan motivated reasoning and bridge the conservative-liberal divide, at least on this key fact.
“These findings proved robust across ideology and education levels and build on our prior work illustrating that perceived scientific consensus acts as a ‘gateway’ to other key beliefs about climate change.”
To heighten awareness about biotechnology among key stakeholders, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), under the auspices of the Ghana Chapter of the Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology (OFAB), and the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) in Kenya, sensitised a cross section of Members of Parliament (MPs).
A number of scientific experts, policy makers and MPs at the opening session of the Biotechnology and Biosafety Workshop for Parliamentarians, in Accra
It was the last in the lineup of activities for the last quarter of 2017 and served as an occasion for the members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, and that of Environment and Natural Resources, to learn more about and discuss biotechnology and biosafety issues in the context of the draft Regulations for the implementation of Ghana’s Biosafety Law. Senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Ministry of Health participated in the event.
A team of scientific experts led the discourse that exposed the MPs to on-going scientific technological advancement around the world, the process in modifying genetic organisms, the socio-economic and policy issues on biotechnology and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), biosafety regulations in Ghana, and the global statues of biotechnology and international trade in biotechnology products.
The Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Prof. Victor Agyeman, reminded the MPs of the crucial role science plays in fostering socio-economic development for human survival. “There are instances, when for the survival of man, we need to take drastic measures including biotechnology,” he said.
Prof. Agyeman queried the huge food import into the country, which amounted to $1.9 billion in 2016, according to national statistics, and said the amount could be reduced and re-channeled into other equally pressing areas, through the application of biotechnology in the agricultural sector.
The increasing food imports can be blamed in part on decreasing agricultural production as a result of reducing arable lands for agriculture due to competitive land uses, unsustainable farming practices, rapid population growth, urbanisation and climate change impacts among others things.
The CSIR Director-General said countries are increasingly adopting cutting edge scientific innovations to address challenges including threats to food security, and cited the remarkable progress Japan is making in that direction. A scientific innovation in that country, has made it possible to cultivate fruits and vegetables on practically any flat surface without soil.
The basic resource in this pioneering farming method is polymer film, made of hydrogel, which is a super absorbent material mainly used in household products such as disposable diapers. The film works by soaking up water and nutrients through multitudes of nano-sized pores. Cultivated crops grow on top of the film, “… with the roots spreading across the surface of the membrane in wispy, fan-like formations,” according to an article by Melinda Joe published in the South China Morning Post.
Prof. Agyeman stated: “If we don’t do anything about the current situation in this country, and allow people’s fears and uncertainties about biotechnology to stop us from adopting it, we will lose our foods and soils, and ground water will be reduced.”
He added, “Science is the way to go and biotechnology is one vital new science that we need.”
The MPs were then taken through a tutorial session by Dr. Vivian Oduro of the Biotechnology Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute (BNARI), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC). She touched on several related topics including the various processes that humans have being using over the years to develop better agricultural crops and animals such as selection, conventional breeding, hybrids, tissue culture, cloning, in vitro fertilisation, chemical and physical as well as genetic engineering and modification (GE/GM).
Dr. Oduro described the GM crop as “a crop in which one or more novel gene has been introduced into its genome such that it is able to pass on its new genome to its offspring.” She explained that this process makes GM crops have better yields, mature early, are diseases and drought resistant and of higher nutritional values.
Dr. Oduro, said that in Ghana stable crops diseases like the cassava mosaic, cassava brown streak virus and the black sigatoka disease in plantains that affect crop nutrition and reduce yields, can be addressed by biotechnology to increase productivity, enhance food and nutritional security, ensure higher economic benefits and safeguard the environment.
For his part, the Director of Science Technology and Economic Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of CSIR, Dr. George Owusu Essegbey, said biotechnology could be exploited for socio-economic development and therefore urged the country to adopt this science.
“We must harness biotechnology to achieve national objectives for wealth creation, poverty reduction, enterprise competitiveness, sustainable environmental management and industrial growth,” he said.
A Senior Advisor to the Ghana Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS), Prof. Walter Alhassan, noted that global cultivation of biotechnology is on the increase with soya beans, maize and cotton as the leading crops, with corresponding increasing trade.
Citing statistics from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), he said global increased revenues from planting biotech maize stood at $50 billion between 1996-2015. South Africa was the only African country that benefitted from this increased revenue, realizing an estimated $1.8 billion.
Prof. Alhassan said the rest of Africa missed this opportunity and the opportunity cost has been that “300 million Africans who depend on maize as a staple were denied the choice to adopt biotech crops.”
The Executive Secretary of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Eric Okoree, briefed the MPs on the regulatory framework governing biosafety in Ghana, saying, the Biosafety Act, 2011 Act 831, provides the needed legal backing.
The objective of Act 831 is “to ensure an adequate level of protection in the field of safe development transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms from biotechnology that may have adverse effect on health and environment.” Additionally, it seeks “to establish a transparent and predictable progress to review and make decision on genetically modified organisms and related matters.”
A retired Supreme Court Judge and now lecturer at Montcrest University, Justice VCRAC Crabbe, said with the Act now in place, it will be good for the country to build her capacity to develop her own seeds. “If we are able to develop seeds of rice that can grow with little water, then this country does not have to import rice,” he added.
Of the $1.9 billion food imports into Ghana last year, rice alone accounted for $1.1 billion of the amount.
Justice Crabbe urged well to do Ghanaians to get involved in the required scientific research rather than looking up to government to be solely responsible. He further urged research institutions to make research results available to the public.
Following the formal presentations, there was mixed reactions from the MPs. On one hand, their comments indicated an appreciation of biotechnology’s potential to facilitate socio-economic development particularly in enhancing food security and improving the lot of the farmer; while on the other hand, there were hints of suspicion and uncertainties about the health and social impacts of the technology.
Still, others displayed a deep sense of curiosity to further probe the controversies surrounding biotechnology.
MP for Klotey Korley, Dr. Zenator Agyeman Rawlings, wondered about several issues. She demanded: “Does the use of GMO seeds limit farmers’ choices to re-use the off-spring or yields? Is the substance used to enhance resistance of cotton to pest toxic to all insects or some? Does research address concerns of the public? And why does the Biosafety Act appear to be silent on labeling, which is vital to make people aware of the nature of a product?”
The MP for Oforikrom, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, said, “This workshop has been a useful capacity building process that has enhanced our understanding of biotechnology and equipped us with the needed information to work on related legislature.”
MP for Shia OsuDoku, Mrs. Linda Obenewaa Ocloo, said, “My initial apprehension of GMOs has now been replaced with an appreciable understanding of biotechnology following the sensitisation.”
MP for Manso Adubia, Yaw Addo Frimpong, stated: “I’m a good friend of GM, because I believe science is ruling the world and I don’t want our farmers to be left behind … I think there is need for an advocacy group to champion the cause of GMOs in Ghana.”
Generally, the MPs were happy with the interactions and called for more of such activities to enhance their understanding of biotechnology and biosafety issues.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) says it is attending French President Macron’s One Planet Summit on climate finance this week, and that it is ready to share its experiences of investing climate finance to support low-emission and climate-resilient development, and of how public climate funds can successfully leverage private capital.
Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF), Howard Bamsey
The One Planet Summit takes place in Paris on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 marking the second anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement. It will focus on delivering public and private finance in support of climate action.
The GCF was created as an operating entity of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the goal of supporting global efforts to respond to the challenge of climate change. GCF is said to be the largest dedicated climate fund, and has a mandate to serve the Paris Agreement. GCF has a $2.65 billion project portfolio, comprised of 54 projects divided between mitigation and adaptation activities in support of developing countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
Howard Bamsey, GCF Executive Director, will speak during the One Planet Summit session on “Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action,” examining how public engagement can leverage private climate investments. Roughly half of GCF’s project portfolio is managed by its Private Sector Facility, which mobilises significant amounts of private capital for investment in support of the climate plans of developing countries.
Mr Bamsey, it was gathered, will also speak at a number of side-events organised in the margins of the summit, and will emphasise the need for ensuring complementarity and coherence with other financial institutions so that climate finance is delivered effectively. A number of GCF’s partners will be attending the Summit, including several leaders that contribute to the Fund, leaders of the developing countries that are working on transformational change in bringing about climate resilient development while ensuring that GCF funded activities are country-owned, and the Accredited Entities that carry out projects on the ground.
The Summit will also address the need for better climate information systems to anticipate the impact of extreme climate events upon vulnerable regions, and GCF will outline its contribution in this area.
The Summit comes at the end of a year of implementation for the Green Climate Fund. After rapidly scaling up disbursement, projects to the value of over $600 million are currently being implemented by the Fund’s Accredited Entities. Country ownership is a guiding principle for GCF, which has also approved over 130 applications for readiness support to developing countries, to a value of over $41 million. Readiness support builds capacity, ensuring that developing countries are in a position to access climate finance effectively.
GCF says it will echo a message to the summit about the power of climate finance to deliver a transformation towards low-emission and climate-resilient development.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Initiative (CCMAI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has urged the Federal Government to mitigate the causes of climate change.
Dr Peter Tarfa, Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the Federal Ministry of Environment
Senior Programme Officer of the initiative, Mr Richard Inyamkume, gave the advice on Monday, December 11, 2017 in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said mitigating causes of climate change became necessary to reduce its huge negative that might affect more Nigerians in 2018.
“Climate change impact on communities in Nigeria is relatively huge and may affect more Nigerians in the coming years, if we do not take proper steps to mitigate its causes,’’ he said.
Inyamkume said the NGO was concerned about the prevailing challenge posed by global warming and how it affected the available natural resources meant to serve man’s needs.
“Throughout 2017, our organisation has been engaged in advocacy programmes that are expected to enlighten the general public on the causes and imminent dangers associated with the impact of climate change.
“Through our ‘Green Bwari Project’, we are able to mobilise children and youths for tree planting in Ushafa, Peyi, Jigo, Pambara, Kogo, Sabon Geri and Bwari township.
“Over 80 trees have been planted and we are hoping to do more in 2018. Bwari Area Council, Abuja, needs trees to assist in the purification of the atmosphere of the area.’’
He said that the organisation also engaged school children and tertiary institutions in its “Save the Climate Club” mobilising students to take action against climate change.
According to him, it will also influence their parents, friends and relatives to join the campaign against environmental degradation, pollution and improper waste disposal.
“By 2018, our organisation is hopeful that we will attract donors and partners in the actualisation of our projects and initiatives.
“We are focusing more on green conservation and low carbon growth initiatives in the coming year.
‘’We hope to mobilise and empower women to go on clean cooking technologies such as clean cook stoves and biogas stoves.
“It is our conviction that communities will gradually switch to clean cooking options that will be available.
Inyamkume said CCMAI would empower women to take up ownership of home vegetable gardens and derive additional income from the sale of such produce.
“Though our projects and initiatives have been constrained or limited by funds, we are still planning ahead of time to get our targets and goals accomplished.
“Funds play a vital role in building sustainable environment and organisations like ours that are not-for-profit, need charity donations from kind hearted people for the actualisation of our objectives.’’
He called on government to invest more in low carbon growth initiatives and support partnerships that would increase resilience to climate change risks.
Inyamkume also urged people to join the advocacy for safe and healthy environment, as well as make donations that would support the activities of the organisation.
“Our vision is to actualise green and safe environment for all Nigerians and to assist in transforming our surroundings into better and appreciable outlooks.
“We have enlightened citizens as well as empowering men and women, youths and children in green and low carbon initiatives and projects.
Ahead of Christmas celebration, prices of tomatoes, pepper and onions have reduced by about 45 per cent in Lagos, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Tomatoes. Photo credit: authorityngr.com
NAN price checks at Mile 12, Whitesand, Iddo and Oko Oba markets in Lagos on Monday, December 11, 2017 revealed that the drop in prices was due to bumper harvest of agricultural produce.
NAN reports that a basket of tomatoes, which previously sold for N15,000, now goes for N8,000 while red pepper (tatashe) now cost N8,000 compared to its previous price of N14,000 a basket.
A basket of chilli pepper (rodo) also reduced from N18,000 to N10,000 and a jute bag of onions, which previously cost N30,000, now goes for N20,000.
A 25-litre of vegetable oil, which previously sold for N11,500, now cost N10,700, palm oil decreased from N11,000 to N10,300, while a measure of garri now cost N400.
However, the price of a 50 kilogramme bag of rice ranged between N13,500 to N17,000, depending on the brand while a measure of beans cost N1,500.
Mr Femi Odusanya, spokesman for Mile 12 Market Traders Association, attributed the price drop to the ongoing harvest season for most of the produce.
“Over 20 per cent of the annual four million metric tonnes of tomatoes produced in the country is supplied to Mile 12 Market annually and redistributed to over 400 markets in Lagos and Ogun State and six ECOWAS countries.
“About 200,000 metric tonnes of the 800,000 metric tonnes of tomatoes annually supplied to Mile 12 Market get wasted due to postharvest losses.
“Presently, the supply of the produce is more than the demand because farmers commenced harvest in December and there would be surplus in the market till April when the harvest season would end.
“That is why we have been advocating for increased investment in tomato processing plant to mop up the excess and reduce waste, create jobs and increase contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” Odusanya said.
He urged the three tiers of government to create an enabling environment toward attracting more investors to tomato processing in the country.
Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr Salami Adekunle, on Monday, December 11, 2017 called for development of strategically located rural towns to reduce rural-urban migration.
Luka Achi, President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP)
Adekunle told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that new towns could play crucial roles in achieving new settlements in a very short time.
According to him, development of rural towns will help to decongest over-populated cities, and thereby improve living standard in the country.
“This will help decongest the already overcrowded urban centres by creating alternative for rural dwellers that only migrate to the cities due to lack of infrastructure in the villages,’’ he said.
The town planner noted that development of local towns remained the way through which overpopulation of major cities could be checked.
NAN reports that new towns are planned urban communities created in rural or undeveloped areas and designed to be self-sufficient with their own facilities for housing, education, commerce and recreation, among others.
Adekunle said that the focus of new towns was to tackle the shortage of affordable housing, address issues of low demand and also to encourage a more sustainable use of land.
“Government should make development of new towns the focus of their transformation agenda because it can provide houses, jobs and facilities to millions of people who choose to make their home there,” he said.
However, he said that sustainability would be a major problem of these new towns because of the lack of maintenance culture in Nigeria.
“I think maintenance is a greater challenge than funding of the new town development because with the proper policies and awareness, funding could come from both home and abroad.
“After construction of the new town, the project should be handed over to competent technocrats for proper maintenance and sustenance,” the NITP chairman said.
He urged the Federal Government to earmark more funds for the development of new towns in rural areas to enhance development of the country.
“New town development will help government provide social amenities and facilities in the rural areas and also provide jobs for the citizens in the rural areas,” he said.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 welcomes governments and representatives from all over the world to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement at the One Planet Summit. The Summit presents an opportunity to reaffirm global climate commitments to combat climate change and to emphasise the transition from negotiation to implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
The General Secretary of the ACT Alliance, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, commented, “We welcome the opportunity to celebrate the Paris Agreement. However, we must not forget that the Agreement is only a framework for cooperation. The Paris Agreement can only deliver results if countries fully commit to climate action and to increasing their ambition.”
“It is people and communities living in poverty and in vulnerable conditions that are already struggling with the impacts of climate change who face the greatest burdens. Solutions to alleviate these burdens exist and we know what must be done. It is time to turn the paragraphs of the Paris Agreement into concrete action,” said Bueno de Faria.
To enable concrete climate action, the availability of and accessibility to climate finance will be essential. “Financial institutions and industries must transform to become Paris-compatible in order to provide financial support for the energy transition needed to keep global warming below 1.5C and to strive for resilient societies,” said Martin Vogel, co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Change Group.
“Adequate support for climate action is long overdue and remains a sensitive topic as nobody wants to pay the bill. However, funds are needed for investments to provide renewable energy access for all and to help people to adapt and manage situations of loss and damage due to climate change,” said Vogel.
ACT Alliance is concerned of the current approach of multilateral development banks such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and other institutions on climate finance.
“There is a much needed reform of multilateral development banks to increase the transparency around the impact of their investments in energy and to enhance financial innovation to better support the adaptation needs of developing countries,” said Vogel.
Journalists for Social Development Initiative (JSDI) and Connected Development (CODE) have entered into an agreement to launch the first ever Science Café as part of efforts to increase the level of science literacy in Nigeria.
The Abuja city gate: The city of Abuja will host the Science Café
The event, which is scheduled to hold on Thursday, January 18, 2018 in Abuja, is dubbed – “Science, Technology and Modern Society: Role of Communication in Promoting Sustainable Livelihood”.
JSDI, under the pact, will oversee all the technical operations of the café, while CODE is expected to provide the platform and serve as host to the project.
In addition to the science hangout, the initiative will feature series of other activities including a monthly Science Digest that will capture latest developments in the science and technology sphere.
It is also expected to introduce a weekly talk show on radio where topical as well as trending issues on science and technology innovations are going to be discussed.
Co-initiator of the Science Cafe/Coordinator of Journalists for Social Development Initiative, Etta Michael Bisong, hinted that his organisation initiated the project to provide an informal platform where stakeholders can come together and brainstorm on how best to leverage on the potentials of science and technology for sustainable living.
Etta lamented that science and technology has continued to suffer all sorts of public assaults despite its remendous contributions to the growth of society.
These benefits, according to him, are clearly visible in the transformation of most sectors of the economy such as the banking, agriculture, education, aviation as well as in information and communication technologies (ICTs).
He noted that the attacks, most of which are more emotional than scientific are caused by the ill public perception on science & technology especially concerning health and environmental safety.
“It is this singular reason that is responsible for the conceptualisation of the science café,” he said.
Co-founder/Chief Executive of Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, said the work relationship with JSDI is in fulfillment of his organisation’s mandate to strengthen and use the media as tool to make the world a better place.
He expressed optimism in the exercise and urged other key players both local and international to support this noble initiative so as to help accomplish objective of the project.
JSDI is a non-governmental organisation established in 2015 to bridge the gap and serve as an alternative voice for the promotion of developmental communication across Africa.
Presently, the group has a membership base that span across over 80 organisations including print, electronics as well as the online media.
Abuja-based activist and Co-Founder/Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal is working to build a grassroots movement of citizen-led actions through Follow The Money, an initiative that, among others, seeks better service delivery in rural communities while holding government representatives accountable. In this piece, he explores dynamics of the Not Too Young to Run campaign in the light of progress made so far
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki
Now that the Not Too Young to Run Bill has been passed by the National Assembly, and is now awaiting approval of two-thirds majority of the 36 Houses of Assembly of the Federation for inclusion in the Nigerian constitution, we the youth are hopeful that a new dawn is about to break over our country’s political horizon. However, in as much as our hopes have been raised to the pitch of expectant enthusiasm, we cannot afford to rest on our oars. We are in for the long haul!
Considering that the bill is in the chambers of the State Assemblies, one could assume that it has found a place among its own: the grassroots. The truth is that the essence of the Not Too Young to Run is to mainstream the youth in governance, and there is no better background for situating the gauge for effective democratic governance but in the wards and local governments, the actual constituencies of the Houses of Assemblies.
Therefore, we must let every Nigerian, young and old, to know that the victory of the Bill is a victory for democracy, because the best dividends thereof are the ones that touch the people at the bottom of the pyramid. As the bill faces the final hurdle, there are relevant issues that need to be brought to light.
The first is the present challenge of rural to urban migration. It is young people that are more affected because they are perennially in need of better comfort, prospects and opportunities. Their fresh energy and exuberant drive push them to the cities in their millions, and when in the cities, they are further pushed to try their luck outside the country. But the sad reality is that at the end of the day, the frustration they encounter both in the cities and in foreign lands make them get even angrier at the government.
Nigeria is at a crossroads. These young people are sent back to Nigeria from countries that can barely afford to feed its own teeming youth population. Presently, we are feeling a national outrage at the inhuman experience of many Nigerians in Libya.
They suffer slavery, prostitution and forced labour in foreign land. But most remarkably, the pain they feel is in the fact that they have finally become disappointed when they discovered that the reality is that even Nigeria could be better than the country they had ran to for greener pasture. They realize that their own country has potentials for greatness. Ironically, these Nigerians believe, but do not trust. Why? Because our political class is not made up of young faces like theirs.
All over the world, young people want to see leaders with kindred spirits, with whom they could dream and build. They want to be part of a new system where people like themselves are given opportunities to impact the lives of fellow young people. They are tired of promises of a better tomorrow that never gets better. They are tired of begging. They are tired of handouts.
The second reality is that Nigeria is a regional giant, and therefore the #NotTooYoungToRun could easily catalyse a new African political paradigm. A peaceful one at that, without the violence that usually accompanies youthful movements like the Arab Spring.
For instance, the United Nations had taken clue from this action and set up agencies to pioneer the campaign to make it a global goal. The Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth initiated the Not Too Young To Run global campaign in partnership with UNDP, OHCHR, the IPU, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) and the European Youth Forum in order to convene existing efforts into a global movement and provide young people with a central platform through which to advocate. The global campaign was launched at the first United Nations Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law at United Nations Geneva, November, 22, 2016.
According to the UN, there are more young people in the world now, than ever before, and approximately 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24. In Nigeria, over 60% of the population is under the age of 25. The median age of the country is 18, placing it in the top 20 youngest countries in the world. This is why Nigeria’s leadership must reflect its populace.
The third issue is the psychological impact the Bill will have. At the onset of the #NotTooYoungToRun movement, there were some groups that insisted that age limit should be totally removed, so that even young Nigerians who are 18 years of age should be eligible to run for political offices. To this school of thought, the victory recorded so far in the removal of five years from age limit of President, Member House of Representatives, and Governor, is nothing to celebrate. However, I am of the view that we cannot afford to miss the psychological triumph gained by the assent of the National Assembly to our demands.
For sure, it opens up a whole new vista in the political affairs of our country. It is a way of telling every young Nigerian to maximize his energy for the good of all. Five years is time enough to rev up one’s youthful potentials and make resounding impact.
For the avoidance of doubt, the bill sought to alter the section, 65, 106, 131, and 177 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to reduce the age qualification for the office of the President, Governor, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly. The Bill also advocated for an independent candidate in our electoral system.
Finally, with the successful passage of the Bill at the National Assembly there is a convergence of powers. It will be recalled that while the Bill was still at the National Assembly undergoing deliberations, more than 25 State Houses of Assembly had publicly declared support for and endorsed the Bill, following a series of fruitful engagements with young people at the state level. This is why I expect that we shall surpass the required two thirds (24 Houses of Assembly) approval. We look forward to up to 30 approvals.
One can safely conclude then that the Legislature has taken up the gauntlet, and is poised to guard our democratic heritage by engendering equal representation and true patriotism. Having recognised a future of demographic threat of a rising youth population without commensurate channels of positive engagement, our lawmakers are investing wisely. As can be easily understood, the greatest investment in youth is political investment, because it holds the key to opening the doors to other developmental concerns like infrastructure, equality, education, health and environment, and general self-advancement.
It is now left to us as youth to prepare to play our own part with requisite wisdom, tact and patriotism. We must muster a new intellectual energy with which to positively engage the democratic arena in future elections after the Bill must have become law. We must equip ourselves with the right tools for sustainable democratic process. We must increase our capacity. We must learn new things, from our elders and from history.
It is my hope that come 2019, we would see young people in power, helping to chart the course of governance to an all-inclusive future. By then we must have found the “cohesion-incentive” to make us continue believing in our young democracy where we shall see eye-to-eye with our leaders, and hold hands with our fathers, mothers and mentors in a journey to birth a people-oriented new Nigeria.
The Petroleum Technologies Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has honoured Shell companies in Nigeria with the Aret Adams Award for Excellence in recognition of their “outstanding contributions to the development of local content in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”
General Manager External Relations, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Igo Weli; President, Petroleum Technologies Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Bank Anthony Okoroafor; Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Bayo Ojulari; and SNEPCo’s Nigerian Content Manager, Austin Uzoka, at the PETAN Awards Ceremony in Lagos
PETAN, comprising 89 indigenous companies in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, announced the recognition at the 2017 award night in Lagos, the 3rd corporate laurel to be won by Shell from the organisation. Shell had won PETAN’s Local Content Operator of the Year awards in 2013 and 2015.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, PETAN President, Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, acknowledged the leadership role of Shell Companies in Nigeria in local content development and said the award was well deserved.
He added, “Indigenous companies look to leveraging growth opportunities in the industry.”
Speaking later, the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and production Company Ltd (SNEPCo), Bayo Ojulari, who represented Shell companies in Nigeria, thanked PETAN for the recognition.
He said: “At Shell, we see local content as a critical business enabler, not just a regulatory requirement, and that is why we took cogent steps to encourage community and Nigerian contractors even before the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act was enacted in 2010. Today, these steps have matured as contracts and funding and other capacity building initiatives as well as highly rewarding collaborative engagements with Nigerian oil and gas professionals in Scotland and suppliers in China. We are pleased that the milestones have been recognised by PETAN and other organisations.”
The Lagos event also featured awards to other intentional oil companies and Nigerian service providers.
Shell Companies in Nigeria awarded 94% of their total number of contracts to Nigerian companies in 2016, with the total value amounting to $0.74 billion.
In a related development, 110 persons have completed the Shell/PETAN Internship Programme designed to support efforts towards tackling the shortage of competent manpower in some critical disciplines in the oil and gas industry, with emphasis on geology and engineering.
Speaking at the graduation of the third batch of the programme in Port Harcourt on Thursday, December 7, 2017, Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, said the collaboration with PETAN was targeted at fresh graduates on an annual basis.
“This is achieved through exposure to rich technical on-the-job work experience, designed to equip the participants with practical industry experience and to position them more favourably for employment after the 12-month internship,” he said.
Represented by the General Manager External Relations, Igo Weli, the SPDC MD also announced the commencement of the fourth batch of the programme.
The Shell/PETAN Internship Programme commenced in 2014 and about 50 percent of the 110 beneficiaries from the first to third batches have been employed by some PETAN member companies.
