The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has selected Nigerian youth campaigner, environmentalist and digital media expert, Olumide Idowu, to make a presentation on how youths in Africa are putting solutions to pollutions in Africa at the upcoming the Third Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEA-3).

He will also be managing the social media and communications functions for civil societies at the event, scheduled to convene from December 4 to 6, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya. The forum has “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet” as its theme.

The UNEA-3 will be preceded by the third meeting of the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives to UNEP (OECPR 3), taking place from November 29 to December 1, 2017 in Kenya.

UNEA-3 aims to deliver a number of tangible commitments to end the pollution of air, land, waterways, and oceans, and to safely manage chemicals and waste, including a negotiated long-term programme of action against pollution that is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The High-Level Segment of UNEA-3, which will take place from December 5 to 6, is also expected to endorse a political declaration on pollution, aimed at outlining policy measures for, inter alia, addressing pollution to protect human health while protecting the developmental aspirations of current and future generations.

The ministerial segment will debut the interactive “Leadership Dialogues,” aimed at providing participants with an opportunity for high-level engagement and discussion on how to achieve a pollution-free planet.

Other UNEA-3 outcomes will include voluntary commitments by governments, private sector entities and civil society organisations to address pollution, and the “#BeatPollution Pledge,” a collection of individual commitments to clean up the planet.

Discussions at UNEA-3 will draw on a background report by the UNEP Executive Director, titled “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet.” The report explores the latest evidence, as well as responses and gaps in addressing pollution challenges, and outlines opportunities that the 2030 Agenda presents to accelerate action on tackling pollution.

In addition to preparing draft decisions for UNEA-3, OECPR 3 will review progress reports on the implementation of various decisions and resolutions of previous UNEA sessions, including:

• UN Environment’s contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• support to the implementation of the Paris Agreement; sound management of chemicals and waste;
• prevention, reduction and reuse of food waste; marine plastic litter and micro plastics;
• illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products;
• protection of the environment in areas affected by armed conflict; and
• enhancing the work of UN Environment in facilitating cooperation, collaboration and synergies among biodiversity-related conventions. The meeting will also consider a progress report on the Sixth Edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6).

Other events taking in conjunction with UNEA-3 include:

• the 17th Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum from November 27 to 28;
• the Science, Policy and Business Forum from 2-3 December 2 to 3; and
• the Sustainable Innovation Expo, from December 4 to 6, which will seek to complement the Leadership Dialogues by showcasing innovative solutions, as well as investment opportunities for addressing the world’s environmental challenges.

Idowu has over 10 years of experience working on social media, environment, climate change, monitoring & evaluation and sustainable development issues. He is a climate change policy expert and trainer with extensive experience in creating, facilitating and managing youth-led projects. He has represented Nigeria and Africa at over 10 high-level global governance meetings on sustainable development.

He is the co-founder of Climate Wednesday, a not-for-profit outfit which seeks to identify key climate-based issues affecting developments especially in Nigeria and Africa in general.

He presently serves as the senior communications officer for African Youth Initiative on Climate Change and a volunteer to Save the Children Nigeria on Advocacy and Campaign.

In this article by ‘Seyifunmi Adebote, some young Nigerians whose recent efforts have pushed the country several steps forward in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are acknowledged, with the aim of inspiring more young people to act in a similar direction

Drives for the actualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria, as in other countries, lies greatly on young people; this is clearly proven by countries ranking top five on the SDGs list: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Switzerland.

Summarily, the ultimate aim of the SDGs, which took precedence over the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, is to end poverty, to protect the planet and to ensure prosperity for everyone. Each of the 17 outlined goals has specific targets and should be met by 2030. The level of knowledge among young people about the SDGs greatly influences the engagement rate and the resulting success.

Sadly, it seems a greater percentage of Nigerian youths do not have an in-depth understanding or are yet to key into the ideals of the SDGs. This, in turn, has pushed too much of the work to be done on the few ones who understand and work round the clock to actualise the SDGs. Though Nigeria is presently ranked 141 out of 149 countries, these young folks deserve credit.

Through the DEAN Initiative, Semiye Michael nicknamed Mr. SDG, has done so much to help young people have an understanding and work together towards the SDGs. Hamzat Lawal, the young brain behind Connected Development (CODE), has through his organisation increased transparency and local engagements.

Rose Keffas, working with the office of the Senior Special Assistance to the President on SDG, has channeled lots of energy in engaging and supporting events and projects geared towards the actualisation of the SDGs in Nigeria. Commending his various ways of creating sync between SDGs-inclined individuals, groups and organisations, Joshua Alade, the convener of Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, has made impacts.

The singular commitment of Olumide Idowu, co-founder of Climate Wednesday – a platform that promotes environmental issues; the vibes of Jennifer Uchendu, founder of Susty Vibes and co-founder of Ogoni Stories; the consistency of Esther Agbarakwe, Special Adviser to the Minister of Environment on strategic communication and stakeholders participation, also a co-founder of ClimateWednesday; the energy of Felix Abayomi, the team lead for Wildlife of Africa Conservation Initiative – all these put together have attracted the attention of the international community to appreciate the involvements of young Nigerians towards the SDGs.

Adam Alqali, Oyinye Gift, Wonne Afronelly, Ose Egbie, Daniel Nwaeze, Laz Ude, Dexter King, Muyiwa Felix, Tokoni Olobio, Precious Ajunwa, Ebenezar Wikina, Imran Buba, Adepeju Jayeoba, Tamara Possibi, Gideon Olanrewaju, Damola Morenikeji, and many other young hard workers silently driving the SDGs in Nigeria are making impact while being a huge inspiration to millions, beyond the African continent.

By Adebote Oluwaseyifunmi (environmentalist; Abuja, Nigeria; adeboteseyi@gmail.com)

A project verification team from the Fiscal Responsibility Commission has described the N734 million Barkin-Ladi Irrigation Scheme project in Plateau as “a scam”.

Mr Sampson Eletuo, the Team Leader, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after inspecting work so far done on the project, declared that project execution was “less than 20 per cent”.

“The Project Engineer, Mr Garba Bello, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has said that 95 per cent of the job has been completed.

“He has also told us that the project will be inaugurated in December, which is just next month.

“But, from what is on ground, less than 20 per cent of the job has been executed; there is no way the project can be inaugurated this year because both the irrigation and dam components are not ready,” Eletuo said.

He said that the work appeared to have been abandoned because the handlers were not at the site, while the contractor was not around to answer questions raised by the verification team.

“The information given to us was puzzling; the manager told us that the water for the dam was coming from the ground, which we found rather confounding.

“He also said that work was ongoing, but we did not see any machine, power generating plant or any equipment at the site.

“Our conclusion is that this project is managed by the worst engineers in the world. If I have my way, the engineer should be arrested. The project is a scam and money is being spent unnecessarily,” he said.

Eletuo accused Bello of “shielding” the contractor from the verification team so as to “play pranks”.

Reacting, Bello said that the opinion of the verification team was not a true reflection of work already carried out at the project site.

“I think the team’s assessment is based on the dam component of the project, which is only 20 per cent completed.

“I have taken them round the irrigation component and they have seen that it is more than 90 per cent completed,” he said.

He rejected suggestions that he had shielded the handlers from the team, saying that workers of the construction firm represented the principal handler who had traveled out of the country.

Bello said that “about N440 million” had so far been paid to the contractor, adding, however, that work so far done had exceeded that amount “by far”.

NAN quotes Bello as telling the team, during the inspection, that a 5,000 KVA power generating plant was already at the site, while nozzles to be used to pipe water for dry season farming had been installed.

He further said that three communities – Pomor, Bassa and Heipang – in Barkin-Ladi Local Government, would benefit from the irrigation scheme to be undertaken on 145 hectares of land.

Bello explained that the irrigation scheme would ease dry season farming, boost the production of Irish potatoes and assorted fruits, and also create jobs.

Mr Charles Abana, Deputy Team Leader, who also spoke on the project, said that the commission’s interest was to ensure that no project was abandoned after money had been paid.

“The Fiscal Responsibility Commission’s mandate is to visit project sites and verify work done so as to ensure that government money was not wasted. We want to ensure that monies meant for projects do not disappear into private pockets.

“A laudable project like this one should be pursued to its logical conclusion so that it will touch the lives of those it is expected to benefit,” he said.

Abana said that the team would compare what it had seen with how much had been paid to the handlers, before passing a verdict on the project.

NAN reports that the project was awarded in 2014 by former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, who hails from Barkin-Ladi.

Rwanda’s government has offered to host up to 30,000 African migrants held as slaves by armed groups in Libya.

The announcement on Thursday, November 23, 2017 comes days after U.S. television network CNN broadcast footage of African migrants being auctioned off for slave labour in Libya, for as little as 400 dollars.

“Given Rwanda’s political philosophy and our own history, we cannot remain silent when human beings are being mistreated and auctioned off like cattle,” Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo told dpa.

“Our door is wide open,” the minster added. “Rwanda is small, but we will find some space.”

The East African nation has a population of 12 million.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “horrified” by the CNN footage.

On Tuesday, the African Union (AU) said it has launched an investigation into Libyan slave markets and was trying to access illegal detention centres in which migrants were held and then auctioned to the highest bidder.

The AU appealed to its 55 member states to provide logistical support to enable the evacuation of the migrants held in Libya to their countries of origin.

Cameroon on Monday evacuated 250 of its nationals from Libya.