The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has transferred the first tranche of climate finance under the Egypt Renewable Energy Financing Framework. The project, undertaken with GCF partner, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will support Egypt’s Sustainable Energy Strategy, financing investments in private renewable energy producers.
Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF), Howard Bamsey
The transfer of $65.8 million is the first disbursement under this project, which will eventually reach a total GCF investment of $154.7 million.
It takes GCF’s total disbursements for its project portfolio beyond the $100 million milestone, demonstrating progress in moving to action on the ground for mitigation and adaptation in support of developing countries’ ambitions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
“This major investment reflects GCF’s support for the Egyptian government’s Sustainable Energy Strategy, and it shows what can be achieved through our partnership with EBRD,” said Howard Bamsey, GCF Executive Director. “We are delighted that funds are already flowing, hardly six months after the project was approved by the GCF Board. The Green Climate Fund is picking up the pace in implementing its project portfolio, and we have now reached the milestone of $100 million in project disbursements,” he explained.
The Egypt Renewable Energy Financing Framework pools the resources of GCF and EBRD together with other investors in support of Egypt’s Feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme. Individual investments in Egypt’s renewables sector under the Framework have already begun.
The Framework was approved by GCF’s Board in April of this year. The transfer takes place following the recent meeting of the GCF Board in Cairo earlier this month, at which further project approvals raised the value of the GCF portfolio to $2.65 billion.
Achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and true sustainable development will take broad-based engagement, especially by the private sector to drive innovation and investment, participants at the opening of Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum in Mexico City have been told.
Delegates at the opening of LACCF2017 in Mexico
Mexico suffered a serious earthquake last month that resulted in terrible loss of life and destruction. Mexico and Mexico City nonetheless pushed through with LACCF 2017, which has brought together private and public sector participants looking for ways to spur climate action under the theme: “Advancing the Paris Agreement – From Targets to Actions”.
“I think what has happened, and what is happening, underscores how vulnerable we are as human beings,” said Enrique Lendo, Head of International Affairs, Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico, reflecting on the earthquake and the numerous destructive hurricanes that have occurred in recent months. “They are a sign we need to renew our efforts, and strengthen our efforts,” said Mr. Lendo, citing innovative policy choices, such as carbon pricing and market-based instruments to drive investment in climate action, before officially opening LACCF 2017.
Countries in 2016 adopted the Paris Climate Change Agreement aimed at keeping global temperature rise to below 2oC, through concerted climate action in all sectors. Meeting the goal will take a great deal of investment and resources; thus, strong engagement by the private sector and a broad range of non-state actors, including the most vulnerable.
“Adopting urgent measures to combat climate change requires [one] to listen closely and attentively to all voices; to the private sector, industry, academia, civil society, indigenous peoples, since it is all of us who live the consequences of climate change,” said Antonio Molpeceres, UN Resident Coordinator in Mexico. “It is necessary that we all take part in these discussions, so that we are all actors in the creation and materialisation of a true paradigm change that will lead us to a sustainable human development path.”
This is the eleventh annual LACCF and the second time the event is being held back-to-back with the workshop of the Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) – LAC platform, creating the largest climate event in the region: The 2017 Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week.
Events like LACCF are important venues not just for inspiring greater climate action but to express views that can make their way into international negotiations. Last year when they met in Morocco, countries established the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action to encourage and coordinate this broad engagement.
The objective is to “turn countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement into concrete investment plans,” said Veronica Zavala, Country Representative, Inter-American Development Bank. She cited the need to “decarbonise our energy sector, which accounts for 40 percent of emissions in the region,” and pointed to the ample solar, wind and ocean power available in Latin American and the Caribbean.
“Isolated endeavors cannot contribute radically to stabilise economies and mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Emilio Uquillas, Representative-director in Bolivia for the Latin American Development Bank. Mr. Uquillas stressed that the effects of climate change will be felt “as usual by the most vulnerable sectors of society” and called for “a scaling up of efforts.”
The bulk of that scaling up will be done through investment by the business community, which is “managing enormous risk” from climate change and from its investments in climate action, said Dirk Forrister, Chief Executive Officer and President of the International Emissions Trading Association. “The business community if also looking around the corner to opportunity.”
The inclusive approach called for in the Paris Agreement will be carried forward when countries meet in Bonn, Germany, next month for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP23, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, is Mexico’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, from 2006 to 2012. Ms. Espinosa is attending an important preparatory meeting in Fiji, which will preside over COP23.
“For countries to achieve their commitments under the Paris Agreement, the private sector and public sector must work together to mobilize investment where it’s needed,” said Ms. Espinosa on behalf of the 10 co-organisers of LACCF 2017 in advance of the event. “Therefore, regional events like LACCF are taking on an increasingly important role linking investment to investment-worthy opportunities for climate action.”
Market approaches and carbon pricing are important means of incentivising climate action, such as was created by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol. Participants in LACCF are keen to understand how carbon pricing mechanisms will evolve and inform implementation of such approaches under the Paris Agreement. Mexico, for example has placed a moderate carbon tax on eight fuels. The country is considering how those obligated under the carbon tax could pay using saleable Certified Emissions Reductions created by CDM projects, everything from wind power projects to projects that reduce or avoid industrial emissions. More generally, countries in the LAC region, including Chile and Colombia, have been leaders in the development of carbon pricing mechanisms and are actively working to build multi-country engagement models. Key takeaways from the High-Level Commission on Carbon Prices were also discussed.
The report’s conclusions – that countries should pursue carbon pricing now, as an essential element of a multi-faceted strategy – resonated strongly with government representatives participating in the panel discussions. Industry participants in the Forum noted that a strong and predictable carbon price trajectory, as called for in the Commission’s report, would help provide the stability the private sector needs to move investment into long-term, climate-friendly projects, dramatically increasing the total amount of resources available to address climate change.
LACCF 2017 comprises high-level plenaries – including an address by former Mexican President Felipe Calderón scheduled for Friday, 20 October – workshops and roundtables to share the latest on: climate finance, carbon pricing, sectoral climate action and data and information for transparency. It brings together key players from the private and public sectors – cooperating agencies, potential investors, project developers, service providers – to share the latest on climate change action. It is a space where climate aspirations turn into climate action.
LACCF is co-organised by: Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; UNEP DTU Partnership; United Nations Development Programme; World Bank Group; Development Bank of Latin America; Inter-American Development Bank; Latin American Energy Organisation; United Nations Environment Programme; and International Emissions Trading Association.
President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria remains proud of its former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, for the winning the 2017 World Food Prize.
Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group
Adesina, who is the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), was on Thursday, October 19, 2017 presented with the $250,000 prize and Laureate sculpture at a ceremony in the United States.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said Buhari stated this in a video message to the AfDB President.
The presidential aide, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, quoted President Buhari as saying: “I received with delight the cheery news of your award as 2017 World Food Prize Laureate.
“Certainly this did not come to me and many Nigerians as a surprise, given your antecedents and contributions to the development of agriculture across the African continent.
“We are very proud of you.
“According to the World Food Prize Foundation, you won the prize for driving change in African agriculture for over 25 years and improving food security for millions across the continent.
“Your choice as the winner of the World Food Prize is a clear recognition and appreciation of your long standing contributions, reflected in your several roles and activities which promote social economic development.
“By dint of hard work, persistence, diligent efforts and God’s sufficient grace, you have risen above many limitations to emerge as a notable figure and a true champion.
“Your life story mirrors the resilience of the African spirit and doggedness for which Nigerians are well known.
“On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you and rejoice with you, your family and the AfDB family on this well-deserved honour.
“Congratulations!’’
Prior to serving as Nigerian Minister of Agriculture from 2010 to 2015, Adesina was a senior economist at West African Rice Development Association (WARDA) in Bouaké, Ivoary Coast, from 1990 to 1995.
Adesina was named Forbes African Man of the Year for his reform of Nigerian agriculture.
He introduced more transparency into the fertiliser supply chain through the popular E-Wallet system of fertilizer distribution in Nigeria.
The AfDB President had also worked at the Rockefeller Foundation as a senior scientist in 1988, and from 1999 to 2003, represented the Foundation in southern Africa.
The former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, appointed Adesina as one of 17 global leaders to spearhead the defunct Millennium Development Goals.
At the just concluded conference on biotechnology in Abuja recently, Dr Rufus Ebegba, Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), expressed concern that many Nigerians were not supporting the introduction of genetically modified crops.
L-R: Environment Minister of State, Ibrahim Usman Jibril; Director General/CEO of National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA); and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Nile University in Nigeria, Prof. Faruk Gursoy, at the Third National Biosafety Conference, in Abuja
“Although the technology is about 26 years old, Nigeria has yet to fully embrace the technology based on so many factors.
“The agency has the capability to ensure that the practice of modern biotechnology and the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) which are products of biotechnology do not have any adverse impact Nigerians,’’ he said.
Ebegba said the conference was unique because it was the first time the agency decided to invite both those who supported the technology and those who did not across the country.
“This conference is aimed at addressing issues surrounding it and we have also invited those who are constantly condemned the agency in spite its model achievement.
“The agency has tried as much as possible to convince Nigerians on what they can do to protect them from any adverse potential effects as the result of the use of the technology,’’ he told the participants.
According to him, GMOs involve organisms, plant, or animal, which genetic material has been manipulated through genetic engineering.
But critics of the technology insist that the practice of GMO is fraught with disapproval by many individuals and organisations across the country, although the campaigners for its introduction believe it increases food supply.
They observe that Nigeria joined the league of countries in support of GMO produce when the presidency signed the National Bio-safety Agency Bill to law in 2015.
However, some stakeholders in the agricultural sector see the passage of the bill as a good development that can launch the country to commercial production of genetically modified crops with the capacity to improve the livelihood of Nigerians.
In spite of this, critics insist that there are more questions to be answered if the country will accept genetically modified crops.
In the light of this, concerned stakeholders in agricultural sector and food scientists attempted to supply evidences to support the usefulness of the products in other developed countries during the conference.
For instance, Mrs Bibiana Kipkorir, Programme Officer, International Service for the Acquisition of Agric-Biotech Application, said credible scientific evidence should inform the decision to reject or to accept genetically modified crops by Nigerians.
She stressed the need to sensitise the grassroots to the issues surrounding the GMOs to debunk the misconceptions of the public on the safety of the crops.
He said the organisation had a strong outreach programme at the grassroots that could even allay the fears of women and young farmers about the use of the technology.
Assuring the public of the safety of the technology, National Biotechnology Development Agency also insists that the efficacy and safety of the products are guaranteed under scientific proof.
The agency notes that there has never been any negative effect recorded from any genetically modified organism anywhere in the world.
It believes that the fear for GMO foods is based on falsehood, observing that biotechnology is as old as history and it is capable of improving the economy.
Similarly, Prof. Abiodun Dunloye, Vice-President, Nigeria Biological Safety Association, highlighted the importance of biotechnology, insisting that the GMOs had been around for some years in Nigeria and people had been consuming them.
“Human beings are always sceptical about innovations and GMOs have always been a controversial issue since its inception, hence dissemination of its information should be addressed with caution,’’ he observed.
According to Dunloye, humans choose certain qualities over others in plants, so they tinker with the genetics of crops to get the varieties they want; bigger, tastier or juicier.
“Take the sweet potato for example, studies show that sweet potatoes were bred some 8,000 years ago out of the swollen parts of regular potato roots.
“Making a crop that will be resistant to herbicide in that regard makes it much easier and cheaper for farmers to control weeds while producing high yields.
“Soon, other GMO seeds were developed, including cotton, rice, sugarcane and tomatoes, among others, with the intention of making these crops resistant to insects, diseases, herbicides and pesticides.
In his contribution, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, Minister of State for Environment said the government acknowledged the role of agriculture in long-term economic growth and food security.
He said the government was working to ensure food security, describing the introduction of biotechnology as an alternative economic method of moving the country forward.
The minister said many lies had been told to discredit GMO products, making Nigerians to be sceptical about the technology.
He acknowledged that though there might be some tiny negative sides, its positive sides were enormous.
“We will not be afraid of receiving criticism, but we want constructive criticisms, those who are for and against this technology are invited to share their views and express what they feel, so that together we can understand the future of biotechnology,’’ the minister said.
He promised that the Federal Government would partner with all stakeholders in exploring the use of relevant technology that would provide adequate food for Nigerians.
He also noted that the government was committed to adopting any safe technology that would facilitate its food security and economic recovery drive for the country.
“This is aptly encapsulated in government’s Agriculture Policy –The Green Alternative and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
“This calls for a combination of tools, processes and safe technologies, in a complementary way, to provide a form of economic diversification.
“This would bring a new set of skill requirements thereby expanding job opportunities and this is where modern biotechnology comes,’’ he said.
Observers, therefore, note that although there are concerns about whether or not the country should popularise GMO crops, approval of the technology seems to remain part of methods of achieving economic growth and food security.
An environmentalist, Mr Habib Omotosho, has urged industrialists and business owners to use solar and other renewable sources of energy for their operations to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Rooftop solar power panels
Omotosho, the National Coordinator, Environmental Advancement Initiatives, an NGO, said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, October 19, 2017.
He said that if solar and other renewable energy systems were used for the operations of industries and small businesses, it would aid the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The ecologist urged industrialists and small business owners to emulate some of their colleagues, particularly those in Lagos State, who relied solely on solar energy for their uninterrupted power supply.
“When I encountered some people who operated telecommunications and barbing salon businesses with solar power in Lagos, they told me that many customers patronised their shops because of regular power supply,” he said.
Omotosho said that renewable energy could be harvested from wind and sun using certain devices.
He said that solar and other renewable energy sources would expand Nigeria’s industrialisation efforts and create jobs, while reducing environmental pollution in the country.
According to him, it will also increase energy security and reduce fossil fuels import costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
“To this end, the development of solar and other means of renewable energy through off-grid will enable the telecoms industry to drive the development of rural and urban communities.
“Low carbon growth drives rural economy through off-grid power by generating power using water wheels without the need for dams,’’ he said.
Dr David Kassa, the Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture, on Thursday, October 19, 2017 said International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has concluded arrangements to support 4,522 dry season rice farmers in the state with farm inputs.
Dr David Kassa, the Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture
Kassa disclosed this at the opening session of the state’s Trade Promotion and Knowledge Fair, organised by VCDP at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo, the state capital.
The commissioner said one of the major achievements of VCDP in the state was the construction of 20km feeder road in the hinterlands.
He explained that the programme supported 4,167 farmers with inputs in the 2016 farming season.
He added that “VCDP is aimed at enhancing the income and food security of poor rural households who are engaged in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava.”
The National Coordinator of the programme, Dr Ameh Onoja, commended the Taraba Government for the support given farmers and the VCDP in the state.
Onoja described the success of the programme in the state as overwhelming, noting that “I am
impressed with what VCDP is doing in Taraba in the area of rice and cassava production.
“Today, at this Trade Promotion and Knowledge Fair, we have Olam and Popular Farms; they are all on ground in Taraba to buy and process the rice produced by our local farmers; it’s a great achievement; meaning, we are checking rice importation into the country.”
On his part, the State Programme Coordinator (SPC), Mr Irimiya Musa, expressed satisfaction with the success recorded by the programme in the state.
Musa said that the programme had made many farmers millionaires and created jobs for thousands of people in the state.
He commended Gov. Darius Ishaku and the state’s Ministry of Agriculture for the support given to the programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Trade Promotion and Knowledge Fair featured exhibition from farmers and off takers who showcased various species of rice, cassava and their finished products.
The Lagos Chapter of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON) on Thursday, October 19, 2017 urged the Federal Government to delete the Land Use Act from the nation’s Constitution.
Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, Omotayo Awomosu
Its Chairman, Mr Omotayo Awomosu, gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that removal of the Land Use Act from the constitution would make positive impacts on the building construction industry and possibly restore investors’ confidence in the sector.
He said that the removal of the Act would reduce the rigid constitutional procedure for its amendment such that it could easily be amended to suit the current realities.
According to him, stagnation of the sector is as a result of the land ownership system which concentrates too much power in the hands of state governor.
“Some of the governors often exploit this for private economic and political reasons to the detriment of other parties.
“When it was promulgated in 1978 as the Land Use Decree, its main objective was to open land to development by individuals, corporations, institutions and governments.
“But over the years, the implementation of the law/Act has strayed from its main objectives.
“Provisions, which require procurement of Certificate of Occupancy and granting of governor’s consent to alienate (transfer ownership), among others, have been cumbersome and have adversely affected economic and business activities.
“Let the Act be struck out of the constitution to stand as an ordinary legislature which can easily be amended. And let every state be allowed to independently determine its land tenure system,” Awomosu said.
He said that the Act/law was based on a wrong assumption that the governor, as a trustee, would act in the utmost interest of the people.
“The law should provide that all citizens shall have a right to land as property and also have the power to convey same at will.
“There is no need for any governors’ consent before I can transfer the land I inherited from my fore-fathers to the desired beneficiary.
“The protocols and cumbersome process of seeking the consent has hindered the socio-economic development of the nation and thrown up a new land-owning class, different from the traditional landowners,” he added.
The Monkey Pox virus outbreak has spread to 11 states with 74 suspected cases recorded, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has said.
Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole
Adewole made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
President Muhammadu Buhari chaired the meeting held at the State House Council Chamber, Abuja.
The Federal Government, on Oct. 11 confirmed that 33 suspected cases of the virus were recorded in seven states.
Monkey Pox is a rare viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms in humans similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although less severe.
Smallpox was eradicated in 1980. However, Monkey Pox still occurs sporadically in some parts of Africa.
The minister, who updated the Council on developments in respect of the outbreak, listed the affected states as Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa and Rivers as well as the FCT.
“The Council also received an update on the state of the public health of the nation. We informed the council about the latest development in respect of the Monkey Pox virus outbreak. So far as of today, there are 74 suspected cases in 11 states of the country.
“We have confirmed three from Bayelsa and 12 of the suspected cases from Bayelsa tested negative; four suspected cases from Lagos tested negative. We are still expecting the results of the other ones.
“We are also doing test at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Edeh, to really understand the genomics of this virus.
“Even when they are negative, the laboratory attendant should be able to tell us what exactly they are,’’ he said.
The minister dismissed the assertion that the military was spreading Monkey Pox virus through vaccination.
He said that the military was never involved in any vaccination in the country, adding that any vaccination must involve state governments and the Federal Ministry of Health.
“It is also important to dispel the rumour circulating in the country that the military is vaccinating people and trying to spread Monkey Pox across the country.
“The military is not involved in any vaccination exercise.
“And I must educate Nigerians about how vaccination campaigns are done. The Federal Government will take the lead but we do not conduct campaign without working with states.
“So, there is no way we will do campaign without working with the states,’’ he said.
The minister announced that his ministry was conducting vaccination in only three states of the federation, namely Borno, Kwara and Kogi.
He stated that the cholera vaccination was being conducted in Borno while that of Yellow Fever vaccination was being carried out in Kwara and Kogi.
He stated that the ministry would soon start vaccination against measles while a nationwide vaccination against Yellow Fever would commence before the end of the year.
Also addressing the correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, the Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, revealed that the Council approved N236 million for the completion of Sabke Irrigation Dam in Katsina State.
He said the contract for the dam was initially awarded in 1997, re-awarded in 2009 after it was abandoned, but would now be completed by the current administration.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) says the bank will invest $24 billion in agriculture over the next 10 years to help unlock its potential and assure food security in Africa.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina
AfDB president, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said this at a side event of the ongoing Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, USA on Wednesday, October 18, 2017.
Adesina said there was need for supportive public policies and significant investments in infrastructure, especially for roads, irrigation, storage, warehousing and agro-processing.
He said that AfDB would provide support to strengthen African agricultural research and development systems to play significant roles in the transformation processes.
The former Agriculture Minister said the support was to ensure that valuable research no longer simplied gathered dust on the shelves of academia.
The president said that AfDB’s Feed Africa strategy had launched the Transformation of the African Savannah Initiatives (TASI) to help unlock the potential of the Savannas of Africa.
He said that the initiative would start by bringing approximately two million hectares of savannah in eight African countries – Ghana, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and Mozambique.
These countries come under the cultivation of maize, soybean and livestock production in optimum conditions.
“Success in this endeavor requires that we wake up the savannas of Africa.
”When we do so, African agriculture will indeed rise up from its slumber.
“Let’s wake up Africa’s savannas and turn them into the new wealth zones of Africa and unleash Africa as a global powerhouse in food. Together let arise and feed Africa.
“Valuable research must meet the needs of farmers and agri-businesses in ways that exponentially increase productivity and improve the quality of lives of our rural poor.
“Africa must learn from the experiences that have worked elsewhere, while tailoring the interventions to the specific realities of Africa.
“We must ensure that small, medium scale and large-scale commercial farmers co-exist in a way that allows opportunities for all.
” Partnerships in research and development will be crucial,” Adesina said.
According to him, the bank has engaged to work with the strongest possible organisations with proven track records in tropical agriculture from South America.
He said that this included the Brazilian Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), the Agricultural Corporation of Brazil (CAMPO), and others with long experience in conservation agriculture.
Adesina that the research institutions would work closely with the universities and the national agricultural research systems across the savannas of Africa to enhance agriculture.
An environmentalist, Mr Oluwasegun Benson, on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 said that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State would officially inaugurate the Community Vector Control Point (CVCP) in Lagos on Thursday, October 26.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State speaking at a sensitisation workshop on water management and environmental control
Benson, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Phosgard Fumigants Ltd., said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that the CVCP project was expected to help provoke a rapid decline in diseases caused by mosquitoes and other vectors in the state.
He noted that the diseases were posing a threat to the wellbeing of the state, adding the CVCP would aid efforts to reduce the incidence of malaria and other vector-borne diseases in the state.
“The CVCP houses vector tanks, which will be used to store larvicides that will be used to fumigate drainage channels of streets across the radius of 1.5 to 2 kilometres, given the flight range of mosquitoes.
“The vector control mobile vehicles will also carry out larviciding exercises in the hard-to-reach areas like sub-canals,” he said.
Benson said that the project, which aimed at complementing the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, would turn Lagos into a clean mega city, thus becoming the first of its kind in Lagos State.
He said that the exercise would also aid efforts to combat any outbreak of the Zika virus, a disease associated with mosquitoes.
“It will also serve as the first-line of response in case of any emergency and finally, it has some employment benefits for our youths,’’ he said.
Benson said that the prototype of the CVCP would be unveiled by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Babatunde Adejare, who was a staunch advocate for a disease-free environment.
He said that guests, expected at the event that would hold in Surulere, included the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, Assemblyman Desmond Elliott and representatives of the Dangote Group, WHO and UNICEF, among others.
