The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed that the Bafana Bafana delegation will fly into Lagos on Wednesday, and would immediately connect a flight to Uyo for the African Nations Cup encounter to be held at the Godwill Akpabio International Stadium.
Bafana Bafana players
The last outing between the two teams was a friendly match at the Mombola Stadium, Newspring, two years ago, which ended 1-1.
The Super Eagles have been urged to begin well by beating their opponents this Saturday in Uyo.
General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Sanusi Mohammed, who gave this charge, said a lot is expected from the Super Eagles, considering their current form and support from Nigerians and the government.
“They must realise that it is not over until it is over. They should take all the games as they come. Our focus now is to make sure we beat South Africa and after that we think about Cameroon,” said Mohammed.
The Nigeria versus South Africa match at Uyo begins at 5pm this Saturday.
Meanwhile, all invited Eagles players participated in Tuesday’s training sessions, ahead of Saturday’s clash, as the race for the 2019 Africa Nations Cup, to be hosted by Cameroon, hots up.
Ogenyi Onaze and Ahmed Musa are expected to lead the team in the absence of the Captain of the team, John Mikel Obi, who is not listed for the tie due to injury concern.
In a related development, Manchester United has replaced Champions League winners Real Madrid as the world’s most valuable football team, according to the annual list published by Forbes on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.
United is valued at $3.69 billion (£2.86 billion) and returned to the top of the annual list for the first time in five years, an 11% jump compared to last year.
Spanish club Barcelona is second with a worth of $3.64 billion (£2.82 billion) as Real Madrid $3.69 billion (£2.77 billion) were down to the third, after four years lead.
Rounding out the top five is Bayern Munich $2.17 billion (£2.1 billion) and Manchester City $2.08 billion (£1.61 billion).
Other English teams in the top 10 are as follows: Arsenal $1.95 billion (£1.5 billion), Chelsea $1.85 billion (£1.43 billion), Liverpool $1.4 billion (£1.15 billion) and Tottenham $1.06 billion (£821 million).
Forbes Media Assistant Managing Editor, Mike Ozanian, said in a statement that Manchester United’s returned to the top spot is a testament to its powerful brand and marketing acumen.
Renewable energy technology must be considerably ramped up in order to meet long-term climate change targets and governments need to support large-scale deployment with the necessary policies, the International Energy Agency said in a report published on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.
Renewable energy: Solar panels
Under the Paris Climate Change Agreement, countries have agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the global average rise in temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees C, thereby avoiding the most severe impacts of climate change such as increased droughts, flooding and severe storms.
The IEA report, titled “Energy Technology Perspectives 2017”, says that only three out of 26 assessed technologies are on track to meet climate targets. These technologies are electric vehicles, energy storage and mature variable renewables (solar PV and onshore wind). The technologies and sectors not on track range from aviation to aluminum production.
For the first time, the IEA has looked at how far known clean energy technologies could go if pushed to their practical limits, in line with countries’ more ambitious aspirations in the Paris Agreement.
The IEA points out that, from 2010 to 2015, renewable power generation grew by more than 30 percent and is forecast to grow by another 30 percent between 2015 and 2020.
However, renewable power generation growth needs to accelerate by an additional 40 percent over 2020-25 to reach a 2 degree Celsius limit goal.
The agency predicts that the energy sector could reach carbon neutrality by 2060 to limit future temperature increases to 1.75°C by 2100, the midpoint of the Paris Agreement’s ambition range. However, this pathway would require unprecedented policy action in support of renewable technology innovation, as well as effort and engagement from all stakeholders.
The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 published its Renewables 2017 Global Status Report (GSR), regarded as the most comprehensive annual overview of the state of renewable energy.
Renewable energy: Wind turbines in Egypt. Photo credit: CDKN
Additions in installed renewable power capacity set new records in 2016, with 161 gigawatts (GW) installed, increasing total global capacity by almost 9% over 2015, to nearly 2,017 GW. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) accounted for around 47% of the capacity added, followed by wind power at 34% and hydropower at 15.5%.
Renewables are becoming the least cost option. Recent deals in Denmark, Egypt, India, Mexico, Peru and the United Arab Emirates saw renewable electricity being delivered at $0.05 per kilowatt-hour or less. This is well below equivalent costs for fossil fuel and nuclear generating capacity in each of these countries. Winners of two recent auctions for offshore wind in Germany have done so relying only on the wholesale price of power without the need for government support, demonstrating that renewables can be the least cost option.
The inherent need for “baseload” is a myth. Integrating large shares of variable renewable generation can be done without fossil fuel and nuclear “baseload” with sufficient flexibility in the power system – through grid interconnections, sector coupling and enabling technologies such as ICT, storage systems electric vehicles and heat pumps. This sort of flexibility not only balances variable generation, it also optimises the system and reduces generation costs overall. It comes as no surprise, therefore that the number of countries successfully managing peaks approaching or exceeding 100% electricity generation from renewable sources are on the rise. In 2016, Denmark and Germany, for example, successfully managed peaks of renewables electricity of 140% and 86.3%, respectively.
Global energy-related CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and industry remained stable for a third year in a row despite a 3% growth in the global economy and an increased demand for energy. This can be attributed primarily to the decline of coal, but also to the growth in renewable energy capacity and to improvements in energy efficiency.
Other positive trends include:
Innovations and breakthroughs in storage technology will increasingly provide additional flexibility to the power system. In 2016, approximately 0.8 GW of new advanced energy storage capacity became operational, bringing the year-end total to an estimated 6.4 GW.
Markets for mini-grids and stand-alone systems are evolving rapidly and Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) business models, supported by mobile technology, are exploding. In 2012, investments in PAYG solar companies amounted to only $3 million; by 2016 that figure had risen to $223 million (up from $158 million in 2015).
Arthouros Zervos, Chair of REN21, said, “The world is adding more renewable power capacity each year than it adds in new capacity from all fossil fuels combined. One of the most important findings of this year’s GSR, is that holistic, systemic approaches are key and should become the rule rather than the exception. As the share of renewables grows we will need investment in infrastructure as well as a comprehensive set of tools: integrated and interconnected transmission and distribution networks, measures to balance supply and demand, sector coupling (for example the integration of power and transport networks); and deployment of a wide range of enabling technologies.”
But the energy transition is not happening fast enough to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Investments are down. Although global investment in new renewable power and fuel capacity was roughly double that in fossil fuels, investments in new renewable energy installations were down 23% compared to 2015. Among developing and emerging market countries, renewable energy investment fell 30%, to $116.6 billion, while that of developed countries fell 14% to $125 billion. Investment continues to be heavily focused on wind and solar PV, however all renewable energy technologies need to be deployed in order to keep global warming well below 2C.
Transport, heating and cooling sectors continue to lag behind the power sector. The deployment of renewable technologies in the heating and cooling sector remains a challenge in light of the unique and distributed nature of this market. Renewables-based decarbonisation of the transport sector is not yet being seriously considered, or seen as a priority. Despite a significant expansion in the sales of electric vehicles, primarily due to the declining cost of battery technology, much more needs to be done to ensure sufficient infrastructure is in place and that they are powered by renewable electricity. While the shipping and aviation sectors present the greatest challenges, government policies or commercial disruption have not sufficiently stimulated the development of solutions.
Fossil fuel subsidies continue to impede progress. Globally, subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power continue to dramatically exceed those for renewable technologies. By the end of 2016 more than 50 countries had committed to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and some reforms have occurred, but not enough. In 2014 the ratio of fossil fuel subsidies to renewable energy subsidies was 4:1. For every $1 spent on renewables, governments spent $4 perpetuating our dependence on fossil fuels.
Christine Lins, Executive Secretary of REN21, explains: “The world is in a race against time. The single most important thing we could do to reduce CO2 emissions quickly and cost-effectively, is phase-out coal and speed up investments in energy efficiency and renewables. When China announced in January that it was cancelling more than 100 coal plants currently in development, they set an example for governments everywhere: change happens quickly when governments act –by establishing clear, long-term policy and financial signals and incentives.”
Nigerians living in cities have been urged to develop the habit of spending their vacations in rural communities across the country to be close to nature and enjoy better health.
The Head of Department, Zoology and Environmental Biology, Lagos State University, Dr. Abiodun Denloye, made call at an event by the Lagos Office of Federal Ministry of Environment to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day.
Bothered by the nation’s alarmingly diminishing forest resources, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) appears to have taken the gauntlet in the bid to address the somewhat unsavoury development.
L-R: Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Addy, Director, Ecological Fund Office, The Presidency; Mr. Ibrahim Boni, Conservator General, National Parks in Nigeria; Mrs. Rosemary Ojochieni Osikoya, Commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources, Kogi State; Chief Ede Dafinone, Chairman, National Executive Council, NCF; Dr. Adeshola Adepoju, Executive Director, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria; and Adeniyi Karunwi, Director General, NCF, at the Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) Initiatives National Stakeholders’ Summit in Lagos
Courtesy of a re-greening initiative tagged: “Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN),” the national environment watchdog aims to restore the nation’s forest cover to at least 25% within the next three decades.
“It is common knowledge that Nigeria can barely boost of a 7% forest cover, despite her historical affluence of about 40% forest cover in the years preceding the oil boom. The marked decline in forest cover in just a space of about 40 years is enough evidence and proof to stress that Nigeria can become a ‘forestless’ nation,” said Chief Ede Dafinone, Chairman, National Executive Committee of the NCF, in an address at a Stakeholders’ Summit in Lagos on Monday, June 5, 2017.
At the tw0-day Summit to kick-off the programme, Chief Dafinone lamented: “The beauty of green has been substantially replaced with the grey of concretes to such an extent that Nigeria may be in the peril of importing fuelwood and timber from neighbouring countries if we fail to utilise this moment to deliberate on the modalities for securing the future of the forestry sector in the country. Our mandate here is to recover perhaps the extent of forests we have lost over the past decade due to human activities.”
Director General of the NCF, Adeniyi Karunwi, described the GRN Initiative as a national programme that belongs to all Nigerians including religious bodies, production entities, institutions and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“It is my hope therefore that we shall all strive to give this initiative the required facelift and stimulus needed to drive Nigeria’s forests back to the minimum global standard of at least 25% over the next 30 years (2017 – 2047).”
He described the GRN as an initiative “to accommodate ongoing efforts in the forest sector, operationalise voluntary carbon markets to create employment opportunities, enhance community resilience to climate change, as well as support afforestation and reforestation projects across Nigeria.”
Active in the nature conservation sector for about 32 years, the NCF, according to Karunwi, has a vast repository of conservation experience in both fauna and flora preservation in the country.
He disclosed: “Our efforts in communities and protected areas over the years brought over 700,000 hectares of forestland and more than six species of endangered animals (Elephants, Chimpanzees, Pangolins, Mandrills, Vultures, Ibadan Malimbe, etc) under our direct management in Nigeria.
“NCF is therefore an encyclopedia of conservation knowledge in Nigeria with over three decades of cumulative learning and experience.”
In line with current act of whistle blowing aimed at curbing corruption and recovering the nation’s looted funds, Nigerians have been asked to extend the controversial act to issues related to the management of the environment.
Environment Minister of State, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, with a youngster during the World Environment Day celebrations in Abuja
In an address delivered on Monday, June 5, 2017 to commemorate the World Environment Day, Environment Minister of State, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, said: “We sincerely urge everyone to not only continue to ‘whistle blow’ to recover the looted resources of this great nation, but to also whistle blow to expose the illegal exploitation of our natural resources in order to protect our environment.
“It is only when we do this that we will claim to have truly connected with nature and our environment; as well as have the right to proclaim, ‘We are with Nature in Nigeria’.”
He acknowledged the millions of rural people around the country who, according to him, spend every working day “connected to nature”, in terms of their dependence on natural water supplies and how nature provides their livelihoods in the form of fertile soil.
“Indeed, they are among the first to suffer when ecosystems are threatened, whether by pollution, climate change or over-exploitation,” Jibril lamented.
He called on the citizenry to join heads with the government to empower the people, take climate action and protect the environment.
“By tackling head-on the myriad of environmental challenges confronting the country in the six geopolitical zones, we should be able to unlock the investment opportunities and potentials embedded in us towards achieving economy recovery, diversification and growth and by extension sustainable development in Nigeria,” he declared.
Jibril reiterated government’s determination to address the nation’s environment and sustainability challenges, saying: “The Federal Ministry of Environment, having being saddled with the statutory responsibility of formulating policies to regulate the environment sector as well as implement programmes and projects to conserve and preserve the nation’s natural resources, is working assiduously to address the concerns of climate change, drought and desertification, biodiversity loss, deforestation, land degradation, flood and erosion, pollution, sanitation and waste management.
Furthermore, in pursuant of the UN’s 2030 Development Agenda through implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and through the Economy Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by the present Administration, the Ministry is repositioned to ‘fit-for-purpose’ and dedicated to deliver on addressing the socio-economic and environmental issues and concerns of poverty, food security, environmental health and sanitation, renewable energy, green economy, sustainable consumption and production, climate change, oceans and eco-systems restoration in the Niger Delta as well as Lake Chad basin and the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands in the North East.”
Harriet Thompson, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, noted that the UK’s commitment to tackling global climate change and the Paris Agreement is as strong as ever.
Her words: “We continue to play a leading role internationally and are delivering on our commitments to create a safer, more prosperous future for us all. The theme today is connecting people to nature, which implores all of us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth that we share.”
Thompson, who led the UK delegation to the UN climate change negotiations, stated that Nigeria enjoys phenomenal endowments in its land, water and is people.
She said: “Finding ways to support, protect and connect these riches together is how the nation can grow and sustain a brighter future. There are many ways in which we can connect to nature. We can play sport, go for a hike or bask in the variety of landscapes across Nigeria, which are phenomenal – rivers, valleys, lakes, forests, waterfalls, beaches and more.
“Yet it is virtually unknown as a tourist destination. There are challenges about getting this right – security, transport access, and facilities. And protecting nature will be key to sustaining it as a tourist attraction – no one will want to come and see a decayed and broken landscape. One way in which we can all contribute is to not leave our litter lying around. Later this week, volunteers from the British High Commission will be gathering for one hour in their own time to help collect litter.
“Last month the High Commissioner visited Lekki Conservation Centre, one of Africa’s prominent and most-diverse urban Nature Parks due to its high species richness. It is the only protected area in Lagos. There are several national parks across the country, and recently in Rivers State, the State Governor was commended by locals for creating a green space in Port Harcourt, for everyone to enjoy. It is important that these spaces are protected, and we hope that in building the new highway road construction in Cross River State nature is protected.
“According to the 2011 Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), climate change could result in a loss in GDP in Nigeria of between 6% and 30% by 2050, worth an estimated 100 to $460 billion.
“In addition to the global climate risks, there are immediate local impacts of the carbon economy in Nigeria. We are pleased that $1 billion has been committed by the Federal Government and international oil companies for the Ogoniland cleanup and hope progress can continue swiftly. We also hope for better solutions to combat the damaging effects of oil bunkering and illegal refineries.
“Agriculture and farming, which is a key focus for economic development in Nigeria, gives daily opportunity to connect with nature. The country’s focus on re-building its agricultural capacity is beginning to bear real fruit – with a rising contribution to GDP. This growth will help to provide even more employment and earning opportunities.
“In agriculture, in tourism, in building a sustainable future – nurturing, respecting, protecting, and connecting with nature are essential. Also essential is making the most of its potential, while not ruining it through careless exploitation.”
President Donald Trump’s action notwithstanding, Americans appear to have stood firmly by the Paris Agreement, thanks to what looks like an unprecedented outpouring of support for the famous climate treaty.
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, on Monday, June 5, 2017 submitted an unique statement of unity from hundreds of U.S. mayors, governors, state attorneys general, CEOs and others to achieve and eventually exceed America’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In a letter addressed jointly to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Bloomberg presented this declaration, called: “We Are Still In.”
Bloomberg also announced his intent to work with interested subnational and non-state actors over the coming months to formally quantify these sectors’ aggregate climate actions and submit a report to the UN as “America’s Pledge” to the world under the Paris Agreement.
America’s Pledge intends to eventually submit a “Societal Nationally Determined Contribution” to the United Nations, accounting for the efforts of U.S. cities, states, businesses and other subnational actors. America’s Pledge will aggregate US climate action, building upon the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, an initiative led by Bloomberg and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, to transparently and accountably track the climate commitments of over 7400 cities worldwide.
“Today, on behalf of an unprecedented collection of U.S. cities, states, businesses and other organisations, I am communicating to the United Nations and the global community that American society remains committed to achieving the emission reductions we pledged to make in Paris in 2015,” said Bloomberg. “I am confident the broad array of leaders and organisations that have signed today’s declaration, and many others that will join in the days to come, will work together to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2025, just as we had pledged in Paris. These groups will take vigorous and ambitious actions to address climate change, and we will communicate those actions in a transparent and accountable way to the UN. The United States can, and will, meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement.”
Patricia Espinosa, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said: “The UNFCCC welcomes the determination and commitment from such a wealth and array of cities, states, businesses and other groups in the United States to fast forward climate action and emissions reductions in support of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The Paris Agreement recognises the indispensable role of all these actors in achieving the transformations that will take us to a low emission, resilient world offering opportunities for all. The pledge being made, under the theme ‘We Are Still In’, underlines the strength and robustness of the Agreement in respect to its widespread support among all sectors and at all levels of society globally,” she said.
Former United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, said: “I have been arguing and it absolutely bears repeating: the current Administration may have pulled out of Paris, but the American people are all-in. The United States will meet its commitment. We’ve seen and together we are helping build greater energy to meeting this goal. Mayors, governors, companies, and universities have already made great progress – we’re already halfway there – and Mike Bloomberg is taking an important step, formally collating these efforts into a societal NDC for the United Nations. This is only the start and I will have more to announce shortly, but make no mistake, the United States will continue to lead in the global fight against climate change.”
In 2015, the executive branch of the U.S. federal government submitted a “nationally determined contribution” (NDC) as its pledge under the Paris Agreement. This NDC committed the U.S. to reduce its economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by between 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2025. In the absence of federal engagement with the Paris Agreement process, America’s Pledge will enable all sectors of the U.S. economy and civil society to engage in climate action that can be represented to the international community in a clear, transparent and accountable manner.
Nigeria has all it takes to be the Africa centre for promoting and setting up projects on clean energy and sustainable investments.
L-R: Prince Lekan Fadina, Chairman, CISME Consulting Limited; Claudia Hirst, REEM Group, Austria; and Ekerete-Ola Dan-Ikom, Mark George Consulting, during the workshop
This was the submission of Prince Lekan Fadina, Chairman of CISME Consulting Limited, during the Project Development and Financing Workshop for the 3rd cycle of the West Africa forum for Clean Energy financing (WAFCEF3) held last month in Lagos.
“We appeal to our various governments especially in Africa to put in place necessary legislative and regulatory laws, framework and incentives to encourage investment in clean energy,” said Prince Fadina in his presentation and welcome address.
“We must develop collaboration, network and cooperation between our organisations and countries as these will help us take the benefit of the knowledge world,” he added.
Fadina, who stressed that CISME was particularly interested in the workshop as resource partner, co-organiser and event partner, pointed out that the event was timely and relevant to Nigeria.
“It is timely and relevant being in line with the recent Federal Government launching of the Green Climate Bond, which was the first by any African government, the ratification by Nigeria of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the diversification programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the new Economy Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria efforts to create enabling environment for inflow of investment into Nigeria with such initiatives as the Acts on the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets 2017 and the Credit Reporting 2017 enacted to facilitate the operations of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment,” he stated.
He enumerated CISME’s role in the promotion of sustainable development, environment, low carbon projects – green economy and industrial development which, according to him, continuously get recognition from many global institutions.
He described the workshop as an opportunity for sharing experience, knowledge transfer, networking, collaboration, capacity building and partnership in the context of the new North-South partnership for sustainable development.
Peter Storey, the Project Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) global co-ordinator, in his presentation shed some light on the role of PFAN as a platform for accelerating investment for climate change and clean energy. He underlined the essence of the global drive for clean energy and the process of benefitting from various climate finance opportunities and the Green Climate Fund.
He further stressed the need to highlight project strengths, identify weakness and focusing on the benefits to the community, bearing in mind the social economic and environmental implications. He emphasised that there are funds available to fund good projects, adding that Africa, as a good destination on such funds, needs to address the challenges and opportunities.
The workshop ended with the participants expressing their views and promised to use the knowledge acquired for the benefits of people in their countries and contributing to the attainment of the continent’s drive for sustainable development.
The workshop was organised by the Project Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) ICETT, Pan Pet Limited and some global financial and industrial institutions in collaboration with CISME Consulting Limited.
The vital link between oceans and climate change is among the issues at the forefront of discussions at the United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in New York from June 5 to 9, which is being attended by the UN’s top climate change official, Patricia Espinosa.
Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The Ocean Conference highlights the necessity of adopting integrated approaches to better monitor the progress being made in the ocean and climate agendas, and to address these issues jointly.
According to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), oceans and climate change are two key elements of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It adds that SDG 13 sets out targets to be met in order to combat climate change and its impacts. SDG 14 aims at conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
The oceans, which cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface, are said to play a major role in the global climate system, generating oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Changes to the climate, brought about by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, are leading to changes in the oceans, including sea-level rise and ocean acidification, which put marine ecosystems and coastal communities at risk.
The ocean:
produces half of the world’s oxygen and stores one third of all carbon emissions stemming from human activity. It is the largest carbon sink on the planet, and therefore serves as a major ally in the combat against climate change.
absorbs over 90% of excess heat accumulated in the climate system, thus contributing to the regulation of the climate system.
But warmer atmospheric temperatures and increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases exert a huge pressure on the ocean and threaten its ability to regulate the climate.
The oceans are experiencing increased stress from climate change. As a consequence of thermal expansion of seawater and melting of glaciers and ice sheets, global sea levels have risen by 20 centimetres since the beginning of the 20th century.
Because of growing concentrations of CO2, ocean acidity has also increased by 30% since the Industrial Revolution, and today, ocean acidification is occurring at an unprecedented speed.
These phenomena, triggered by climate change and increased CO2 emissions, are threatening sea and marine ecosystems, as well as the major resources they contain. They have already shown their negative impacts on lives and economies in coastal communities, and could have even bigger consequences in the future.
Particularly at risk are the inhabitants of small island States, who are more vulnerable to sea level rises and extreme meteorological conditions, and who depend on sea resources for their livelihoods.
Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), at the Stakeholders Workshop on GMOs held on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 in Abuja says that there is no evidence to assure the world of the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
GMOs
Unjust, unsafe, unsustainable. These are the three key words that can be used to describe food systems based on genetic engineering and other chemical based agricultural systems that seek to pollute the environment and to overturn local knowledge, local food culture and local economies.
Unjust because they are often introduced surreptitiously or illegally and without adequate information to the public.
Unsafe because they are unnatural and because of the very process and nature of genetically engineered or modified organisms including by the inherent allergenicity of some of the organisms and the fact of some of them being basically insecticides.
Unsustainable because they operate as monocultures and would eventually subvert African food systems, disrupt local economies, build dependency on agrotoxics and on monopolist seed companies.
The public needs to be repeatedly reminded that there is no evidence to assure the world of the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Products of modern agricultural genetic biotechnology are a real threat to our biodiversity, soils and ways of life. Pesticide crops do not only kill target pest but other beneficial organisms, including pollinators and those in human guts.
We must never forget the fact that once GMOs are released into the environment they cannot be recalled and would persist, contaminate and literally poison our environment. There are proven agricultural systems that require government support through the provision of extension services, research, rural infrastructure and linkages of farms to markets. These are where our governments must step up to the plate. Literally.
We are talking about our right to know what is on our plates and our right to choose what we eat. It is worth saying again and again that what we eat must not eat us. We cannot allow forces that are against our best interests to drive our agricultural narrative and suggest that nutrition can only be manufactured in modern biotechnology laboratories. We must uncover every surreptitious effort to contaminate our agricultural and food systems. It is time to monitor our imports including those that come as food aid.
It is time to march against poison! Yesterday the world paused to think about our global environment. The theme for the day was Connecting People to Nature. The world resolved to Stand with Nature. GMOs do exactly the opposite – they don’t only disconnect us from Nature, the fight against Nature.
GMOs have been spectacular failures in Africa. GMO cotton failed with small scale farmers in South Africa’s Makhathini Flats. The crop recently failed and was banned in Burkina Faso. Investments on GMO cotton experimentations in Ghana have just entered the pause mode with the purveyor of the failed technology, Monsanto, withdrawing financial support.
It is incomprehensible that the Nigerian Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) would permit the commercial placement in the Nigerian environment of a crop that has failed in a resounding manner just across our borders. This is the time for Nigeria to retreat from the GMO path before more damage is done. Populist propaganda for the technology will never eliminate the fact that GMOs are marketing tools designed to secure profits for corporate entities and to secure political control for neo-colonial and imperial forces. GMOs are the current epitomes of colonialism via the gastronomic route.
They are being pushed by external political and commercial interests into Africa and the Nigerian government and her agencies should not play the willing tool to be used as the window through which Africa would once more become enslaved by forces ranged against her interests. This must be stated very loudly because the public has a right to know. If the current government inherited a dangerous programme from the previous government it should be bold enough to distance itself from it. Environmental corruption is infinitely more deadly than monetary thievery. The fight against corruption must include against the corruption of our food systems, socio-cultural and ethical codes.
We reiterate that we have a right to know that GMOs are against our interests, including in the health, economic, social and cultural spheres. We have a right to know that the threats that GMOs pose to us are real, present and dangerously intergenerational. We have a duty to state categorically that there are tested and successful and viable farming practices that are safe and should be promoted. That route is provided by agroecology, a system that is independent of controlling political, agrochemical and seeds corporations.
We have a duty to insist that the weak biosafety laws being pushed across Africa, and in contradiction to existing African Model Law on Biosafety, are not in our best interest. They are laws set up to permit atrocious assault on our health, agricultural and food systems. The NBMA Act 2015 is a prime example of a law begging to the drastically revised or repealed outright. The law is replete with provisions that block public information, promote conflict of interests promotes vested interests and restricts avenues for adequate punishment for harm caused.
To gain a full understanding of the needless nature of GMOs, we must listen to our farmers, economists and scientists that are not tied to the apron strings of biotech corporations. This understanding should place a responsibility on all of us to demand food safety and reject attempts to force our peoples to become guinea pigs in needless and dangerous experimentations.
