As school resumes after the two months summer holiday, more parents were seen enrolling their children in public schools.

This reporter visited the Methodist Primary School, Ewu Elepe, Ikorodu, local area of Lagos and found up to six pupils writing an entrance test. When asked, a parent to one of the pupils, Mrs Ogundoyin (who is mother of seven and four year olds), says, “The fees at private is too much. And my husband was laid off at his job. He is out of job for six months now, we can’t cope anymore.”

Another parent, Mrs. Aki, adds, “Private is trying but there is a new increment now; N5,000 increase.”

Their reports appear to establish the findings of DEEPEN (Developing Effective Private Education in Nigeria), an education initiative supported by the UK Aid in Nigeria. The team lead of the project, Dr. Gboyega Ilusanya, said at a recent training for education reporters in Lagos that default in fees is one of the issues many private schools are grappling with.
“Many of these parents intend to pay school fees, but the current economic realities make them default. And that weakens the private schools system,” he says.

A low fee private school charges a yearly maximum of N25,000 while a medium fee private school, N50,000, according to DEEPEN’s finding.

Meanwhile, cost of enrollment in public schools is supposed to be free; however, the finding from this school shows it is not entirely free. By rough estimate, enrolling a primary six pupil in a Lagos school, including sets of uniforms, text and notebooks, stationery, may cost between N15,000 and N20,000, but it is lesser for the lower grade.

Taking a nationwide view of public school enrollment, the registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, notes that since the enactment of the Universal Basic Education Act in 2004, Early Childhood services in Nigeria have recorded reasonable expansion.

Prof. Ajiboye, who also spoke during the same meeting on Education facilitated by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Reporting, made clear: “There has been an appreciable increase in the number of early childhood development centers, established to provide solid foundation as well as smooth transition from pre-primary schools to primary schools.”

Furthermore the pre-primary education Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) increased from 10.9percent in 2003/2004 to 18.1percent in 2009/2010. By national figures, there were about 2,693,323 children were enrolled in pre – primary schools in 2010. In 2013, the number increased drastically again to 2,994,734.

Another reason for the migration is the teacher quality.

Dr. Ilusanya says teacher quality is better in public than that of private schools. “Because of the financial burden of private schools, they are unable to pay teachers salary. Sometimes they employ less qualified teachers.”

Lamenting, Mrs. Aki says most of the teachers employed in her child’s last private school can’t even articulate properly. “I know because when I look at my child’s daily report book, I see spelling errors. The teacher can’t even differentiate between ‘lunch’ and ‘launch’. That is really pathetic.”

This is beginning to make parents believe the outcomes at public school may be better.

Professor Ajiboye was however quick to point the challenges of large and under-resourced classrooms. “The teacher pupil ratio is 40/42 pupils to one teacher,” he notes.

The Universal Basic Education provides every Nigerian child, as a right, has nine years of free, compulsory, basic education – from Pre-primary to Junior Secondary 3. Two percent of the yearly consolidated revenue fund is released to ensure that in the 36 states there is improvement in enrolment, reduction of drop out raye, out-of school children, improved teacher training amongst other factors.

However, Prof Ajiboye notes: “Despite high gross enrolment rates, severe constraints both within and outside the education system have led to comparatively lower completion rates at public schools – the current average being 62% for girls and 59% for boys.”

By Abiose Adelaja Adams

Members of Abolition 2000 and affiliated networks, representing peace and disarmament organisations from around the world, have called on the United States and North Korea to step back from the brink of war in North East Asia, and instead adopt a diplomatic approach to prevent war.

The global network aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons in a statement endorsed by member organisations and individuals, called for the immediate commencement of negotiations to prevent a military conflict from erupting, and to resolve the underlying conflicts. Such negotiations, they added, should take place both bilaterally and through a renewed Six-Party framework involving China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

According to the group, the escalating tensions and threat of military conflict over North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities makes a diplomatic solution of vital importance and the highest priority. It added that the increasing risk of war – and possibly even the use of nuclear weapons by miscalculation, accident, or intent – is frightening.

“More than three million citizens of Korea, China, USA and other countries lost their lives in the Korean War from 1950-1953. Should a war erupt again, the loss of lives could be considerably worse, especially if nuclear weapons are used. Indeed, a nuclear conflict erupting in Korea could engulf the entire world in a nuclear catastrophe that would end civilisation as we know it,” declared Abolition 2000.

In supporting diplomacy rather than war, the group listed a number of measures, which include:

1. Oppose any pre-emptive use of force by any of the parties, which would be counter-productive and likely lead to nuclear war;
2. Call on all parties to refrain from militaristic rhetoric and provocative military exercises;
3. Encourage China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the United States to consider the phased and comprehensive approach for a North-East Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone with a 3+3 arrangement, which already has cross-party support in Japan and South Korea and interest from the North Korean government;
4. Encourage China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the United States to also consider options and modalities for turning the 1953 Armistice Agreement into a formal end to the 1950-1953 Korean War;
5. Welcome the call of the UN Secretary-General for a resumption of Six-Party talks and his offer to assist in negotiations;
6. Welcome also the offer of the European Union to assist in diplomatic negotiations, as they did successfully in the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program;
7. Call on the United Nations Security Council to prioritise a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

The 3+3 arrangement, it was gathered, would include Japan, South Korea and North Korea agreeing not to possess or host nuclear weapons, and would require China, Russia and the USA agreeing not to deploy nuclear weapons in Japan, South Korea or North Korea, nor to attack or threaten to attack them with nuclear weapons.

An indigenous player in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, Belema Oil Producing Limited, has said that it will end gas flaring in its host communities in 2019.

Managing Director of the company, Mr Boma Brown, who made the disclosure on Monday, September 11, 2017 at a forum to introduce its operation model to its host communities  in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said that gas flaring had  deprived the country of huge revenue,  polluted oil producing areas and depleted the ozone layer.

According to him, Belema Oil is now ready to harness its flared gas to generate more revenue.

“We have already set up a team to monetise our gas which is basically to turn the gas presently flared into revenue as part of our business model.

“The company is currently speaking and engaging stakeholders with a focus to ending gas flaring in five oil fields in Idama, Robertkiri, Jokka, Inda and Belema-Belema North, all in Kula (Rivers).

“We have already started the framework by carrying out the projects that we have earmarked to stop gas flaring before the end of 2019,” he said.

Brown said that government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had, shown willingness to end gas flaring in the country in 2020.

He expressed optimism that deregulation of the downstream industry would drive needed investment in the oil and gas sector.

Brown expressed optimism that his company’s drive to end gas flaring would encourage other multinational oil companies to follow suit and end decades-long pollution in the Niger Delta.

“Introduction of Belema Model to our host communities is part of our desire to create value in the communities and allow them share in the wealth.

“We want communities to participate in our activities – not just only in surveillance of oil and gas facilities – but to acquire skills that would enable them participate in the industry.

“We will do this through regular training and integration with our contractors while employing some of them to work with the company,” he said.

The NNPC recently released a template to curb gas flaring, preparatory to the 2020 flare-out deadline by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said on Monday, September 11, 2017 that about $700 million had been realised from the pledges made by donors to address the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad basin region.

Onyeama stated this in Abuja while fielding questions from newsmen after a closed door meeting with a UN delegation led by Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

The UN had in February organised a $1.5 billion donor conference in Oslo to tackle the complex crisis caused by Boko Haram terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin.

Donors pledged more than $670 million at the conference hosted by Norway in conjunction with Nigeria and Germany to support aid operations in the region.

“At the last count I believe about $700 million has been realised in the pledges made to assist in the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad basin country including Nigeria.

“Nigeria is having the large chunk of it. The UN is disbursing a lot of the fund, and a lot of it is going into relief and food materials for the Lake Chad region countries,” Onyeama said.

The minister, who commended the UN for the role it played in organising the conference, however, said that there were challenges in the redemption of the pledges by the donors.

“We appreciate very much, role the UN has been playing in assisting us addressing the serious humanitarian challenges we are facing in the northeast of the country.

“We are very grateful to the UN for assisting us to organise the donor meeting in Oslo and really put it in the centre of the international stage.

“We appreciate the visit of the delegation led by the UN Under-Secretary-General which is meant to highlight the challenges of the of Lake Chad Basin countries,” he said

He said that a lot had been achieved on the very impressive pledges made by countries in Oslo

“We appreciate it very much, of course the challenge in the pledge is to have it all redeemed but it is a work in progress and significant amount has been redeemed.

“UN has also embarked on creating awareness through the UN General Assembly and to encourage international support,” he said

Lowcock earlier remarked that he was in Nigeria to have first hand assessment of the humanitarian crisis in the northeast region and report back to the UN General Assembly.

“My visit is to have first hand assessment of the situation here and in particular to understand the progress made in the lives of the people that need humanitarian help.

“More than 11 million people over a year ago were in need of humanitarian help and are now being helped by Nigerian government and the international community.

“Next week when the leadership of the UN will gather we will have the opportunity to take the stock of the progress made and to identify further area where the assistance would be provided,” he said

Lowcock said that he would be in the northeast to meet with affected populations and humanitarian partners to evaluate the response.

The UN Chief said that the visit would avail him opportunity to also engage with government officials in the northeast and to advocate for increased support to affected people and communities.

He said that his visit was also aimed at drawing global attention and to mobilise increased support for affected populations.

He said that focus was particularly on women and children amid growing protection concerns, food insecurity and worsening health conditions exemplified by the recent cholera outbreak across camps.

Up to two billion hectares of land are degraded. On average, 12 million hectares are lost every year and 169 countries are affected by land degradation, desertification and drought. In an unprecedented global campaign to save productive land, 112 countries, as of today, have agreed to make the Sustainable Development Goal target of achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030 a national target for action.

The world’s largest and most populous nations, including Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, Russia and South Africa have committed to the national targets in a move that could see over 1.3 billion mostly poor people regaining food, water, energy and job security, and resilience to climate change. Conservative estimates put the cost of land degradation globally at $297 billion per year.

Under the land degradation neutrality target setting programme spearheaded by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and supported by 17 international partners, more than 60 of these countries have already established national land degradation baselines and set neutrality targets.

Joining the initiative signals a country’s determination to restore degraded land to ensure the amoung of productive land available today is maintained going forward.

“Desertification is the joint mission of all mankind and the responsibility of the international community to ensure a beautiful planet,” said Mr. Wang Yang, China’s Vice Premier.

“Over the coming decades China will put an emphasis on the development of an ecological civilisation – including by combating desertification – to ensure better societal fairness and human well-being,” he added.

Wang was speaking on behalf of President Xi Jinping at the Ministerial meeting of the 13th session of the UNCCD in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, where more than 80 ministers discussed pursuing land degradation neutrality as a viable response to the growing threats of desertification, drought, and sand and dust storms.

Desertification, land degradation and drought are threats to global security due to their impacts on number of livelihoods tied to the productivity of land – more than two billion. This year, drought led to the worst humanitarian crises since the Second World War. Distress migration driven by desertification in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to reach 60 million out to 2045.

“The population is growing at an extra 200,000 people every day, while 20 countries have declared drought emergencies in the last 18 months alone. We were clearly not sufficiently prepared for these challenges. Hundreds of millions of people go to bed desperate, hungry and thirsty as a result. Under business as usual scenarios, there is no future relief,” said Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD.

She said the Convention, at its current Conference, “can offer the poor a new deal. By using our land resources rationally and acting before it is too late, there is enough for everyone to live well… We can be better prepared for drought and offer stable, green and land-based employment and development for millions of rural people. We can promote harmony between city and country and offer opportunity for all,” Barbut added.

A priority issue for the ministers is the mechanism needed to ensure communities that are vulnerable and at risk of drought have the means to take early action. They will also consider how to address the new sources of sand and dust storms, how to motivate the private sector to invest in land-restoration, and motivate mayors and local and regional leaders to support the achievement of these targets.

The 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification (COP13) is taking place in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China.

At a press conference with journalists, Mr Liu Dongshen, Vice Minister State Forestry Administration, said for some years now, China has restored more land than it has degraded. Last year, it registered a net surplus of more than 2,000 square kilometers. This year, the country has restored over 1,000 square kilometers above the net balance.

In addition to the strategic plan for 2018-2030, the ministerial declaration and the decisions COP13 will take on drought, land rights and sand and dust storms, he underlined the mobilisation of youth as an important issue from the Conference, which China will pursue going forward.

More than 4,000 delegates are participating in COP13, which runs until September 16.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of Kenya is the principle government agency responsible for the management of the country’s environmental matters. A national regulatory body established by an act of parliament in the early 2000s, NEMA has in recent years enlarged its focus to support the government’s climate action strategy. In a recent interview with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), NEMA’s Wangare Kirumba, DAE Coordinator, and Kennedy Ochuka, Director, Finance and Administration, shed some light on the activities of the authority and its strategy with the GCF. Excerpts:

What is NEMA’s level of engagement on climate change?

NEMA has several streams of engagement. First and foremost, within Kenya’s Climate Change Act, the authority has been tasked with implementing actions as defined by the country’s Climate Change Council. This includes monitoring greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and reporting overall compliance against the limits set out by the Act. NEMA leads the government’s GHG reporting requirements to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and has played a key role in the development of Kenya’s national climate change action plan as well as its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

NEMA has also been given a mandate to expand climate finance sourcing from multilateral funding organisations. The authority’s accreditation to GCF followed its accreditation to the Adaptation Fund in 2012, and we have since secured resources from this fund to promote climate action in the country.

What are some of main challenges and opportunities in responding to climate change in Kenya?

Our first key challenge is getting proper data for decision making: data that is scientifically sound and area and ecosystem specific. A second challenge is resources. The impacts associated with climate change are very clear and the interventions to help communities adapt require resources that are currently not enough to address the scale of the problem. Third, overcoming knowledge gaps. Most green technologies that are readily-available today are not applicable to our context.
However, the opportunities are many and we see the GCF as a way to avail needed resources and build momentum and energy towards addressing climate change at the required level and scale. Through the various GCF platforms, like regional dialogues and workshops for direct access entities, we are able to learn what other countries and entities are doing so that we can apply such knowledge locally. Another noteworthy opportunity is the political support and commitment that the government has placed in NEMA, which has made it possible for the authority to have access to mechanisms like GCF and the Adaptation Fund.

Can you share some of the projects that you would like to bring to the GCF?

We have five funding proposals under development that are focused on adaptation with mitigation co-benefits. The proposals target a range of actions that have been identified as priorities by the government of Kenya. This includes climate smart agriculture, water management and ecosystem restoration, introduction of robust tree crops to address food security, and an existing livelihood enhancement programme to work with small-scale farmers to introduce renewable energy interventions at the household level. Another project we are putting to GCF is anchored in a new form of governance in Kenya that will provide county governments with access to climate finance. These newly-formed, semi-autonomous bodies will be able to use GCF resources to inform, design and implement adaptation actions at the community-level.

What advice would you give to other organisations seeking accreditation to the GCF?

Three words: Go for it. Be prepared to learn and stand ready to grow as GCF matures. Bring your ideas and a willingness to be flexible. Prepare well and get the full support of your institution. Accreditation cannot be approached from a single unit or team; it must be an organisation-wide initiative that garners buy-in from top management. Lastly, the GCF process is strong on National Designated Authority (NDA) engagement and, as an entity, you will need to work with your NDA right from the beginning. As soon as possible, start building this relationship for a fruitful engagement.

We very much feel GCF is supporting us and pushing us to bring dynamic and strong proposals forward. As a direct access accredited entity, we feel like a valued partner.