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Europe commits to staying malaria-free

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Europe commits to staying malaria-free

The World Health Organisation (WHO) European Region has marked what seems like an important step on the road from malaria control to malaria elimination, and then on to maintaining malaria-free status, with the launch of “The Ashgabat Statement: Preventing the re-establishment of malaria transmission in the WHO European Region”. The Statement was formally presented on Monday, September 4, 2017 in Moscow, Russian Federation.

Dr Nedret Emiroglu
Dr Nedret Emiroglu, Director of the Division of Health Emergencies and Communicable Diseases at WHO/Europe

“I applaud the pledge made by these countries and their leaders,” said Dr Nedret Emiroglu, Director of the Division of Health Emergencies and Communicable Diseases at WHO/Europe. “Protecting European people from the return of malaria requires strong political support from governments, substantial financial investments and a collective will to work together in partnership.”

The meeting also serves as the occasion for the launch of a new book, “Malaria in Europe: On the way to elimination in the WHO European Region 2000-2015”, which tells the story of how Europe became the first WHO region to be declared malaria-free after reporting zero malaria cases for the first time in 2015.

According to the WHO, the achievement was made possible through a combination of strong political commitment, heightened detection and surveillance of malaria cases, integrated strategies for mosquito control with community involvement, cross-border collaboration and effective communication to people at risk.

Building on this milestone, the 10 Central Asia and Caucasus countries that had been the last stronghold for malaria in the Region − Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan − confirmed their commitment to preventing malaria reintroduction by signing the Ashgabat Statement. The Statement moves them forward from the 2005 Tashkent Declaration: “The move from malaria control to elimination” in the WHO European Region, which was signed by the same group of countries.

The Tashkent Declaration represented a turning point in efforts to achieve a malaria-free Europe, as it paved the way for the Regional strategy: From malaria control to elimination in the WHO European Region 2006-2015, which provided guidance that helped affected European countries to reduce the number of indigenous malaria cases from 90,712 in 1995 to zero in 2015.

The Ashgabat Statement outlines the commitment to control malaria importation, prevent the re-establishment of local transmission, and rapidly contain any resurgence of the disease. As long as malaria continues to circulate globally, people travelling to and from malaria-endemic countries can import the disease to Europe.

The Regional framework for prevention of malaria reintroduction and certification of malaria elimination 2014-2020 provides guidance to support European countries as they work to maintain the Region’s malaria-free status. It describes how to avoid a resurgence of malaria, prevent its reintroduction and adhere to the malaria-free certification process.

10 countries convene at Moscow meeting

Representatives from the 10 countries are meeting in Moscow from September 4 to 5, 2017. Over the course of two days of discussion, delegates will chart a course for how they can work together to keep the Region malaria-free.

“It is significant that this meeting is taking place in the Russian Federation, a country that has played a substantial role in supporting the fight against malaria both in Europe and globally,” said Dr Melita Vujnovic, WHO Representative in the Russian Federation.

By eliminating malaria, the Region has made a substantial contribution to furthering the vision outlined by the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 – namely, a world free of malaria.

“The Russian Federation has been an important partner to WHO in progressing toward this vision,” said Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme. “It has provided its technical expertise, its leadership and its financial support to strengthen the skills of those fighting malaria in endemic countries of Central Asia and Africa.”

As a result of the Russian Federation’s technical and financial contributions, close to 800 national malaria control managers and senior health professionals from 79 countries were trained in state-of-the-art malaria control and elimination.

COP23: Germany, UN sign host country agreement

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COP23: Germany, UN sign host country agreement

The government of Germany and the United Nations (UN) on Monday, September 4, 2017 co-signed the bilateral agreement which forms the legal basis for organising and hosting the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding in the German city of Bonn from November 6 to 17, 2017.

UNFCCC Germany
UNFCCC Head Patricia Espinosa and German State Secretary Walter Lindner sign the agreement

The conference, which is organised by the Bonn-based UNFCCC and is presided over by Fiji, is organisationally and logistically supported by the German government, with further support from the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Bonn.

When signing the agreement on behalf of Germany, State Secretary Walter Lindner of the German Foreign Office stressed the geopolitical significance of climate action in a world in which the impacts of climate change and the urgency to act are becoming increasingly apparent.

“Climate change often causes water and food shortages, leads to conflicts over land and resources and consequently gives rise to refugee and migration crises. The UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn is therefore of particular global relevance. And once again, Bonn has an opportunity to demonstrate its caliber as a UN city and as a conference location,” he said.

Commending Germany’s climate leadership, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s top climate change official, said: “Germany’s support for Fiji, for the UN climate change team and for every person who will attend COP23 shows the country’s commitment to climate and sustainable development goals. For participants ranging from Heads of State and Ministers to CEOs of major companies, civil society and young people, Germany will be the hub global climate action in November.”

UNFCCC Germany
UNFCCC’s Patricia Espinosa with German State Secretary Walter Lindner and Fijian Ambassador Deo Saran

“Germany has given the UN a home in Bonn with world-class facilities – the UN campus and the World Conference Centre. The City of Bonn has been an exemplary partner to work with, as has the government of the State of North Rhine Westphalia. And Bonn is a UN city and is now truly becoming a sustainability hub,” she added.

The central aim of the November climate meeting COP23, which will be attended by more than 20,000 participants, is to take forward work on the implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and to galvanise climate action by all relevant stakeholders.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Deo Saran, Fiji’s ambassador to Belgium and permanent representative to the European Union.

Government seeks donor support to tackle Benue flooding

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Government seeks donor support to tackle Benue flooding

The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, has called on international donor agencies and other philanthropists to support the Benue State Government in tackling the menace of the flood within its confines.

Ibrahim Usman Jibril
Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, speaking with the media during the tour of flooded sites in Benue State

Jibril stated this on Monday, September 4, 2017 in Makurdi while on an assessment tour of the flooded areas and some camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

The minister, who expressed concerns over the level of devastation, said it was beyond the capacity of the state.
He appealed to the international community to assist the state government to tackle the disaster.

He attributed the cause of the flood to indiscriminate building on waterways and the blockage of drains which interrupted water flow.

“This situation is devastating; we will seek help from the international agencies for the flood victims in Benue.

“Many people built on water ways and blocked water channels in Makurdi, I have gone round the town and discovered that there are buildings in areas that ordinarily should not harbor them.

“It is not easy for the state government to demolish such buildings but we hope that the people will collaborate with the relevant government agencies to address the issue,” he said.

He reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to assist the state to overcome the disaster.

Also fielding questions from reporters, the Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, said the state government was overwhelmed by the flood.

He said that 21 local government councils were facing “serious ecological challenges”.

Abounu said the challenges ranged from collapsed bridges, culverts, roads, farmlands, houses, among others.

He listed the erosion sites to include Guma, Makurdi, Tarka, Gboko, Obi, Otukpo, Ukum, Katsina-Ala and others.

The Deputy Governor conducted the minister round the affected areas within the state capital.

The state government donated over 200 locally fabricated cooking stoves to the IDPs.

Presenting the stoves, the state commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Joseph Utsev, charged the IPDs to make judicious use of the available amenities at the camp.

Lagos commences reconstruction of Oshodi-International Airport Road

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Lagos commences reconstruction of Oshodi-International Airport Road

The Lagos State Government on Monday, September 4, 2017 flagged off the reconstruction of a 10-lane Oshodi-International Airport Road, with a pledge to complete the project within the next 15 months.

Oshodi-International Airport Road
An impression of the Oshodi-International Airport Road after reconstruction

The state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Adebowale Akinsanya, said at the ceremony that the project was in line with the state government’s commitment to transform the entire axis.

Mr. Akinsanya said that the state government took it upon itself to undertake the reconstruction of the road, being one of the busiest roads in the state with vehicular volumes average of 50,000 vehicles daily.

According to him, the poor state of the road is not acceptable for the status of the state as the fifth largest economy in Africa and the nation’s commercial hub.

Mr. Akinsanya said some of the fences along the corridor had been identified to be within the right of way, adding that government would minimise the impact of the project on property owners.

“To fast-track the project, three groups of workers will work on the project and they will work day and night, while upon completion, the project will be linked to the Oworonshoki Reclamation Project, which is also ongoing,” he said.

Oshodi-International Airport Road
State of the Oshodi-International Airport Road prior to reconstruction

The commissioner said that a stakeholders’ meeting would hold on Thursday to sensitise people of the area about the project.

He urged the residents and motorists to cooperate with the state government while the construction would last, saying that the intention was to transform the area.

“There will be some minor inconveniences, but we are going to mitigate the impact. The work will be accelerated.

“The project is to make life easier for everybody. We just want to appeal to people to cooperate with us.

“We will be here to talk to the people in case of any issue, and we are also working with our partner, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),” Mr. Akinsanya said.

Also, Biodun Otunola, the Managing Director of Planet Projects, the firm that designed the project, said that, prior to the commencement of the construction, adequate feasibility studies were carried out.

Mr. Otunola said that the project, upon completion, would facilitate total transformation of Oshodi and International Airport corridor.

The managing director said that, in as much as there would not be alternative roads created specifically for the project, adequate measures had been put in place to educate the public on the staging that would be developed.

He said that the project would be executed in phases, while motorists would make use of other sections of the road during construction work on a particular section.

The project designs include reconstruction and expansion of the existing carriage to a three-lane expressway on both directions, construction of two-lane service roads in both directions.

There is the construction of a Ramp Bridge to provide a U-turn from Ajao Estate to Airport, construction of a flyover at NAHCO/Toll Gate and drainage works.

Others include the removal of existing Pedestrian Bridge at Ajao Estate and construction of Pedestrian Bridges at Ajao Estate and NAHCO/Hajj Camp, construction of Slip Road to provide access to Ajao Estate, construction of Lay-bys and installation of street lights.

Court bars Oruma, firm from encroaching Lekki land

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Court bars Oruma, firm from encroaching Lekki land

The Lagos State High Court has restrained a former Nigeria international professional footballer, Wilson Oruma, and a firm, Dok Engineering Services Limited, from entering a piece of land measuring 57,739.633square metres at Idasho Village, Elekan in Ibeju Lekki.

Wilson Oruma
Wilson Oruma

Justice W. Animahun granted an interim injunction restraining the defendants whether by themselves or their agents “from attempting to enter, entering or alienating or in any way disturbing the claimant’s possession of all that land…”

The order, granted for seven days on August 24, was to subsist pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The claimant, through its counsel K. C. Atuenyi, applied to the court for an extension of the order in the face of the long vacation to prevent the respondents from encroaching on the land while the suit was still pending.

Justice M. O. Obadina, who took over from Justice Animahun as the vacation judge, granted an extension of the order for another seven days. It will lapse on September 12.

The claimant, Megallus Nigeria Limited, is praying for an order compelling Oruma to assign and endorse all documents transferring his rights over the property.

In an affidavit of urgency, the claimant’s Managing Director, Ifeanyi Okafor, claimed that, during the pendency of the suit and upon commencement of the long vacation, Dok Engineering “in collusion” with the Oruma, “forcefully beset the land” and started erecting fences and partitioning the property in dispute into two equal halves.

The claimant said it was “in the bid to hoodwink the honourable court into believing that it (Dok Engineering) is in actual possession, and which we verily believe is also an act preparatory to selling and/or alienating same in a manner that will render nugatory any eventual judgment of the Honourable Court.”

Megallus Nigeria accused the respondents of contempt and urged the court to hear the suit urgently.

The claimant said that, sometime in August 2013, Oruma offered it a parcel of land for sale, and it made a part-payment of N5 million out of N90 million, with the balance to be paid in four months.

The claimant said that due to its inability to complete the balance, a new payment plan was drawn up, in which he paid additional N15 million, with the balance to be paid by March 31, 2014.

The firm said when it sought to complete the payment and presented Oruma with eight managers’ cheques on March 31, 2014, totalling N70 million, the defendant allegedly refused to collect the cheques and also did not execute the instruments of transfer, including deed of assignment.

The claimant said the former footballer instead offered to refund the N20 million part payment, rather than collecting full payment.

According to Megallus Nigeria, Oruma claimed that he received an offer double what the claimant first offered and, therefore, would not accept a lesser offer.

But the claimant said the defendant “is estopped from reneging on an obligation voluntarily contracted and upon which the claimant had already furnished consideration to the extent that it can no longer revert to its former position.”

Megallus Nigeria said Dok Engineering (the second defendant), which claimed to have also bought the land from Oruma, could not rely on any agreement between it and the ex-footballer to overreach the claimant’s initial agreement with Oruma.

Besides, the claimant said a deed of assignment between Dok Engineering and Oruma “was fraudulently procured” as the suit had already been instituted and proceedings ongoing when the deed of assignment, dated October 15, 2014, was procured.

Megallus Nigeria said requirements of the law were not complied with in executing the deed, including obtaining the governor’s consent, adding that it was not signed by the truly accredited representatives of families entitled to deal in or dispose of the land.

The claimant also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from entering or alienating or disturbing the claimant’s possession of the land.

Megallus Nigeria prayed for an order nullifying or setting aside any sale, alienation, assignment or transfer of the land to Dok Engineering or any other person by Oruma.

However, the defendants are praying the court to dismiss the suit.

Oruma claimed the plaintiff did not pay for the land in line with the agreement.

Dok Engineering is claiming it acquired the land legally, therefore, the suit was unmeritorious.

Justice Obadina adjourned until September 8 for hearing of the motion on notice.

By Chinyere Obia

Arid community earns livelihood from transformed Niger dryland

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Arid community earns livelihood from transformed Niger dryland

A previously degraded acreage in a semi-arid settlement in Niger Republic has metamorphosed into life-giving grassland, thanks to a sustainable land management initiative that is now in its second phase.

Mahamadou Issoufou
Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger

Prior to the intervention in Tchirofondou, located in Urban Commune of Say within the confines of the Region of Tillaberi, the community was a bare stretch of dry, sullied land. But the transformed drylands now feature a stretch of vegetation in form of vegetables, grasses, trees and economic crops, which has become a source of livelihood to the local people.

Located 65km south of Niamey, the nation’s capital, Tchirofondou is one of the land recovery sites under PAC3, a CFA 13,888,450 worth project bearing two components that are listed to include:

  • Recovery of land degraded by the CES/DRS method with plantation of acacia Senegal and seedling of herbaceous plants on an area of 30 hectares (ha); and
  • Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) on an area of 70ha.

Plagued by land degradation due to high human and livestock pressure accentuated by a decline in rainfall, as well as shifting cultivation, Tchirofondou at the end of the 2016 wintering season reportedly produced a significant amount of straw that was judiciously used by the management committee. The produce, it was gathered, was used to feed animals, and build granaries and homes.

In the 2017 crop year however, the community has requested support from PAC3 to begin development of the site. The women of the various villages undertook a trial to produce cereal (sorghum) and legume (groundnut) in accordance with the objective of the micro project (increase in agro-sylvo-pastoral production). The experience is said to come from start-up and monitored closely by the municipality and all concerned technical departments.

The ANR component is implemented in the fields of the volunteers with the supervision of the service of the environment and the PAC3 personnel.

The revelations were made to a group of journalists and communicators attending the Regional Workshop on Communicating Project Results to Different Audiences in Niamey recently under the Building Resilience through Innovation, Communication and Knowledge Services (BRICKS) project. It was supported by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Environment Facility (GEF), World Bank, Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).

An indigene of Tchirofondou, Ismanu Madu, said: “We now plant sorghum. Initially, we were faced with a lot of difficulties. From the fodder grown on the site, we were able to take care of our expenses. With the project, everything invested has helped improve living conditions and women’s livelihood.

“All the women are mobilised and have to work in order to draw the maximum benefits of the project. Even after the project ends, they will continue, as they have seen its benefits.”

Referring to the numerous bow-shaped mounds made of earth on the field, another local folk submitted: “It is used to trap the rain water, which infiltrates the soil, and from where vegetation grows. It is called the ‘half moon’.

“The site depends on rainfall exclusively. For the future, we plan to dig boreholes on this site as well as on others. The crops we grow here are drought-resistant, such as sorghum, peanuts, okra and sesame. We do mixed cropping. We sell grass for animal feed and gum Arabic, which yields about CFA 800,000 per ha per annum.

“We have other sites (total of 26 sites) that have started planting the gum Arabic, and it is on the basis of this that we did this projection. PAC1 and PAC2 featured 45,000 ha with the cultivation of gum Arabic and fodder grass. However, 86,000 ha are being cultivated under PAC3, with the cultivation of agricultural produce, gum Arabic and fodder grass.”

UN builds Judiciary Research Centres in Calabar, Osogbo

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UN builds Judiciary Research Centres in Calabar, Osogbo

In furtherance to the implementation of the “Support to the Justice Sector in Nigeria”, a project funded by the European Union (EU), the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has established Judiciary Research Centres in Osogbo in Osun State and Calabar in Cross River State.

Judiciary Research Centre
The Judiciary Research Centre in Calabar, prior to the arrival of the computers

While finishing touches are being put to the centre in Calabar, the one in Osogbo has been completed and was recently commissioned. A typical centre is basically an electronic library meant to speed up and make judicial research more effective and convenient.

In Calabar, Mr James Ibor, Liaison Officer, Justice Sector Reform Project, UNODC in Cross River State, disclosed that the JRC is 80% completed, and awaiting delivery of some equipment for it to be officially unveiled and eventually operational. According to him, the IT staffs that will operate the centre have been trained by the UNODC and are ready to commence work.

The facility is located within the premises of the Cross River State Judiciary (CRSJ) in Calabar.

Josephine Effiom, Secretary to the Chief Registrar, CRSJ and one of the trainees at the recently-held UNODC/EU JRC workshop, said that the Calabar JRC occupies two separate rooms.

“There are a total of 35 seats, with the first room accommodating nine persons and most of the technical equipment line the inverters and batteries. The space in other room is completed devoted to researchers and can seat up to 24 persons. We are expecting the delivery of the computers,” she stated.

In Osogbo, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State inaugurated the centre at the Osun High Court premises in the state capital.

Gov. Aregbesola lauded the EU and UNODC for establishing a modern Judiciary Research Centre in the state, as well as for their support in the judiciary sector.

Aregbesola assured the EU and UNODC that his administration would continue to ensure synergy with the judiciary toward effective use of the ICT facilities for justice delivery.

He said the centre would encourage more researchers to carry out more research in the best interest of the entire citizenry.

According to him, ICT is playing vital roles in the development of any nation and it is the role of the judiciary workers to maintain the equipment adequately.

Aregbesola also directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to ensure that Osun citizens outside the state capital have easy access to the facilities.

Chief Judge of the state, Mrs Oyebola Adepele Ojo, praised the EU for assisting the Federal Government to improve justice delivery, especially in Osun.

Ojo said the centre would be of immense benefit to judges, magistrates, lawyers, and other relevant stakeholders in the judicial cycle.

She said that the centre would go a long way in boosting research and  improving justice delivery system in the state.

Ms Christiana Albertin, the UNODC Nigeria representative, said the organisation would continue to support the Federal Government on projects that would benefit the citizenry.

The project was funded by EU under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) in conjunction with the UNODC).

Ahead COP23, forum explores finance mobilisation for climate-resilient infrastructure

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Ahead COP23, forum explores finance mobilisation for climate-resilient infrastructure

Experts are gathering this week in Rabat, Morocco, to discuss how finance can be mobilised for infrastructure that is able to withstand the impacts of climate change, which include more frequent and severe storms and flooding.

Rabat
Rabat, Morocco

The event holds from Wednesday, September 6 to Thursday, September 7, 2017.

According to observers, investing in climate resilience across all sectors and industries makes good business sense as it can prevent inefficiencies and costly retrofitting of infrastructure while reducing the vulnerability of societies.

The two-day event of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) brings together around 120 participants from around the world, including experts and practitioners from local and central governments, multilateral development banks, UN organisations, infrastructure project developers, and the financial sector including the insurance industry.

The meeting will feature presentations by leading researchers and practitioners as well as diverse case studies on climate-resilient infrastructure and its financing, ranging from the Lake Bizerte rehabilitation project in Tunisia and water adaptation measures in the housing sector in Jamaica to hydropower resilience in Tajikistan.

Participants will explore how to improve risk information and assessment so that they can feed the information into infrastructure investment decisions and policy making processes.

The mandate of the SCF is to assist the Conference of Parties (COP) in exercising its functions with respect to the financial mechanism of the Convention in terms of:

  • Improving coherence and coordination in the delivery of climate change financing;
  • Rationalisation of the financial mechanism;
  • Mobilisation of financial resources; and
  • Measurement, reporting and verification of support provided to developing country Parties.

It was established by the COP at its 16th session (COP16 – in 2010 in Cancun, Mexico) by decision 1/CP.16. Its roles and functions were further defined and its composition and working modalities elaborated on at COP17 (in 2011 in Durban, South Africa).

Making the most out of climate finance in sub-Saharan Africa

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Making the most out of climate finance in sub-Saharan Africa

Africa faces some of the most severe impacts of climate change globally for a long period of time despite the fact that it has contributed the least to the issue. It is unfortunate that a relatively little amount of global climate finance has entered the coffers of sub-Saharan African countries, especially the poorest nations in that region.

Alex Rugamba
Alex Rugamba, Chair of AfDB’s Climate Change Coordination Committee

However, there has been a generally accepted opinion that the need to ensure that climate finance provision is adequate, sustainable, predictable, and urgent for it to meet the demands of developing countries.

In the same manner, there has been increasing calls to recipient-cum-developing countries to ensure that the climate funds if received will be put to a judicious, efficient, and effective use in order to achieve the objective of transformation and green development in sub-Saharan Africa and the developing world.

Now, a multitude of key players has been involved in channeling climate finance to the region, to help the countries adapt to drastic climate change impacts already existing and to support low-carbon development.

The Clean Technology Fund (CTF) administered by the World Bank and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) are the largest funders of climate change projects in the region. A total of $2.67 billion has been approved for more than 400 projects and programmes in the region since 2003, according to CFU.

The six biggest Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in the world namely, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDBG), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have jointly mobilised the sum of $81 billion in 2015 as climate finance. Out of this amount, sub-Saharan African received only 9% of the total fund amounting to $7.29 billion.

Looking at the various regions of the world, Central Asia and the non-European Union (Europe) receive the lion share of the overall fund at 20%, followed by South Asia receiving 19% of the fund. Other regions receive the following amounts out of the overall fund: Caribbean and Latin America at 15%, the Pacific and East Asia at 14%, the European Union (EU) at 13%, sub-Saharan Africa at 9%, and North Africa and the Middle East at 9%, while multi-regional deals make up the remaining 2% of the total fund.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that current levels of climate funds directed to sub-Saharan African are probably not enough to meet the obvious needs of the region, especially for adaptation finance. Therefore, the most vulnerable group in the region has received little support in the long run.

The major obstacle to climate finance investment in the region has been the transaction costs of the micro-scale projects that are needed in the least-developed areas as well as the problem of designing and carrying out such projects in effective ways – financial viability and replicable ability.

Already, 20 climate funds are functioning in the region and the biggest contribution is coming from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) which has approved $446 million to fund four big renewable energy projects domiciled in South Africa. The International Climate Initiative (ICI) of Germany, the International Climate and Forests Initiative (ICFI) of Norway and the International Climate Fund (ICF) of the UK have all invested in sub-Saharan Africa via their individual bilateral country climate finances.

Therefore, South Africa is the biggest recipient of climate finance in the region. It has received over 20% of funding approved since 2003 and the larger share of this fund has been channeled to Eskom Renewable Energy project.

Looking inward, Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has provided $905 million from her internal resources in 2015, in addition to $58 million of external resources to boost the region’s energy resources.

The bank has set ambitious goals for the key players in the industry to help ensure that Africa stands at the threshold of an exponential growth in clean energy access as well as benefit from an extensive increase in climate-friendly energy use and green development. This will assist the region in supporting innovative projects in solar, wind, geothermal, and water, noted Alex Rugamba, Chair of AfDB’s Climate Change Coordination Committee (CCCC).

Furthermore, the bank provided $305 million of her own resources and $91 million of external resources to support adaptation commitments and intensify the resilience of sub-Saharan Africa against climate change especially in forestry, agriculture and land use sectors.

Considering each sector, water, and waste water systems receive the biggest adaptation fund at 27% of the total amount, while other sectors followed suit as follow: energy, transportation and related infrastructure at 24%, crop, and food production at 18%. Renewable energy takes the bulk of mitigation finance at 30%, lower carbon transport at 26%, and energy efficiency commitments at 14%.

Looking into future, the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) will increase climate finance activities in many sectors, especially in:

  • Renewable energy and energy efficiency
  • Low carbon and climate resilient cities, regions, and industries
  • Low carbon transportation
  • Natural resource efficiency
  • Climate-friendly agriculture and food security

These financial activities and efforts will assist countries to meet their objectives under the Paris Agreement, navigating them to a low carbon and more resilient future.

So, as the countries of the sub-Saharan African region work to put their development goals right with their committed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) prescribed in the Paris Agreement, this focus on strengthened capacity in financial activities is an early indication to meeting these climate finance goals and an essential new area of engagement.

By Chikwendu Chizurum Henry

Nigerian businesses shortlisted for Shell entrepreneurship innovation prize

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Nigerian businesses shortlisted for Shell entrepreneurship innovation prize

Three Nigerian entrepreneurs have been shortlisted for Shell LiveWIRE “Top Ten Innovators”, a global competition which highlights and rewards LiveWIRE businesses that demonstrate excellence in innovation. The three Nigerians have come up with creative ideas on energy efficiency and access to chemical and paint products, and join 22 entrepreneurs from nine countries to vie for the prestigious prize. A public vote of the shortlisted businesses takes place September 1 to 8, 2017, with the results helping to determine the winners.

Joanna Cochrane
Joanna Cochrane, Vice President Social Performance, Shell

“We are pleased at the opportunity for the Nigerians to showcase their talent on the global stage using Shell’s flagship entrepreneurship development programme,” said Igo Weli, General Manager, External Relations, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC.) “SPDC launched the LiveWIRE programme in Nigeria in 2003, providing training, business development services and start-up capital for youth-owned businesses. Our ambassadors have benefitted from this support to make their mark and we call on Nigerians to encourage them by voting for their ideas.”

“Top Ten Innovators” is a worldwide competition open to the alumni of Shell LiveWIRE, a Royal Dutch Shell Social Investment Programme, operating in 15 countries, which enables young people to start their own business and create employment.  The shortlisted entrepreneurs have the chance to win a top prize of $15,000, three Runner-up prizes of $10,000 or six Merit awards of $5,000. The programme aims to create role models for other young entrepreneurs, and demonstrate that introducing innovation supports growth and job creation.

Joanna Cochrane, Vice President Social Performance at Shell, said, “Shell LiveWIRE is very important to us, because when we help local entrepreneurs to set up businesses, they create long term sources of income for communities, they create jobs and they help to find innovative solutions to social and economic problems.”

The Nigerian businesses are:

  • Nigeria De-rahbs Energy Services: Produces, installs, services and repairs solar energy equipment, and also provides training to future engineers and energy entrepreneurs.
  • Nigeria Emobella Engineering Nigeria Ltd: Provides engineering services with a USP of 24h availability and high-quality customer service.
  • Nigeria Fendwall Paint and Chemical Products; Produces and retails household and commercial paint products via a business model supporting low-income customers to access their products.

Interested persons can vote for the organisation of their choice here: http://topteninnovators.shell-livewire.com/

Since its introduction in Nigeria in 2003, the LiveWIRE programme has trained 6,550 Niger Delta youths in enterprise development and management, and provided business start-up grants to 3,313.

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