The Eagle Online, a web-based newspaper published by Premium Eagle Media Limited, took a break to enable it change its host and put in place a new theme, both of which have been fully accomplished.
Dotun Oladipo, Managing Director, The Eagle Online
Some of those who have visited the news website since it was reactivated have described it as reader friendly and fast on both handheld devices and desktops.
According to the Managing Editor of the newspaper, Dotun Oladipo, while the tasks appeared to have been accomplished, there may be few challenges yet to be noticed by the IT team working behind the scene to make The Eagle Online available to the reading public and cherished advertisers.
Oladipo, in a statement on Monday, May 29, 2017, thus said: “In case you our dear reader encounter any challenge, please do let us know so we may quickly rectify it.”
He said the newspaper can be reached via mobile and WhatsApp number 08094000057 and email: info@theeagleonline.com.ng for any complaint.
Oladipo added: “The aim of the break is to give our advertisers and readers a whole new experience to make it worth their money and time.
“Our goal, ultimately, is to offer better service.”
The Federal Ministry of Environment on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, restated its commitment to ensuring environmental sustainability, even as it expressed concern over the growing rate of deforestation in the country.
L-R: Deputy Director, National Space Research and Development Agency, Dr James Kadiri Godstime; Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank and Task Team Leader, Nigeria REDD+ Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Programme, Dr Amos Abu; and Senior Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, World Bank Group, Dr Anders Jensen, during the Mid-Term Review workshop for the FCPF for Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme, in Lafia, Nasarawa State
Permanent Secretary in Ministry, Dr Shehu Ahmed, who made the disclosure in a goodwill message at the Mid-Term Review (MTR) workshop for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) for the Nigeria REDD+ Readiness Programme, noted that necessary steps must be taken to address the situation.
REDD+ stands for countries’ efforts to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The concept is based on the premise that deforestation and forest degradation are the second leading cause of global warming, responsible for about 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which makes the loss and depletion of forests a major issue for climate change.
Dr Ahmed said: “We must all embrace interventions that will help reverse this trend of which the REDD+ programme is one and very pivot in contributing to the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”
While thanking the sponsors and development partners to the programme for their collaboration, he expressed optimism that the forum would provide the needed leverage that will help the nation in re-engineering and re-focusing the implementation process that will lead to successful development of an overall Nigeria REDD+ Readiness that will meet the climate change mitigation objectives of the REDD+.
A view of participants at the workshop
“This collaborative effort demonstrated by the development partners has heightened Nigeria’s speed in implementing the REDD+ Programme. However, I would love to implore the World Bank Team to help Nigeria develop innovative ideas that could enhance the programme in the country,” he added.
Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank and Task Team Leader, Nigeria REDD+ Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Programme, Dr Amos Abu, disclosed that the Project Development Objective (PDO) of the FCPF Programme is to support Nigeria to design a socially and environmentally sound strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
He added that the programme has adopted a three-phase approach, which he lists to include:
Phase 1: REDD+ readiness (two to five years)
Phase 2: Investments in forestry and related sectors (two to five years)
Phase 3: Emission Reductions Payments (last five years after Phase 1 begins)
The FCPF programme, he added, has four components:
Component 1: Strengthen national and state level readiness management arrangements;
Component 2: Develop REDD+ and conduct SESA;
Component 3: Develop Reference Emission Level; and
Component 4: Enhance stakeholder engagement, communication, consultation and feedback for REDD+ readiness process.
According to him, the aim of the MTR is to support the REDD+ Secretariat in preparation of the mid-term progress report.
Dr Abu said: “This is a milestone in Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Readiness Preparation and a requirement of the Grant Agreement. It will also be the first comprehensive report on Nigeria’s progress towards REDD+ Readiness.
“The MTR is not a decision point but will focus on stock taking and assessing progress and planning and scheduling the remaining activities in order to achieve REDD+ readiness at project completion.”
Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State expressed appreciation for the state’s inclusion among the other states (Ondo and Cross River) where the REDD+ Programme strategy is being put to test.
His words: “I wish to add that the three forest sites namely: Obi Forest (Obi Local Government Area), Marhai Forest (Wamba LGA) and Zono Forest (Toto LGA) are fully ready for the intervention.
“We have also paid the state counterpart contribution and provided an office complex in Karu to house both the Nasarawa State REDD+ and the NEWMAP officies. I assure you that Nasarawa State will continue to support the REDD+ programme to facilitate the realisation of its objectives of protecting our environment to ensure the sustenance of our fauna and flora.”
Dr. Moses Ama, National Coordinator, Nigeria REDD+ Programme, states that the programme aims to prepare the country to engage and benefit from the potentially emerging performance-based system from Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) within the context of the international climate negotiations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“The development objective of the Nigeria FCPF Programme is to support the nation to design a socially and environmentally sound strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation,” he said.
He listed the specific objectives of the MTR as:
Review progress towards the achievement of the Project Development Objectives and assess the strong and weak points of the project design;
Review implementation progress for each component, as well as for the administrative aspects of the project;
Evaluate compliance with fiduciary/safeguards aspects and overall implementation risks;
Visit some of the project states and meet with project stakeholders, including Government and community representatives; and,
Review jointly with the Government the possibility of requesting for additional Financing in support of the Forestry sector of Nigeria.
On Wednesday, May 24 and Thursday, May 25, the MTR Report and the Independent Assessment Report were presented to stakeholders. Representatives of the participating states also made presentations.
The FCPF, with the World Bank as its delivery partner, is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, the sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.
The advisory body on natural World Heritage, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has recommended World Heritage status for three sites nominated for their outstanding natural value.
The IUCN also recommends danger-listing for the Cerrado Protected Areas in Brazil, and action to tackle major threats in listed sites, including Doñana National Park and the Sundarbans. This advice is included in a first set of reports for the World Heritage Committee released on Friday, May 19 2017, with a second dispatch due on Friday, June 2.
Recommended for the World Heritage status, China’s Qinghai Hoh Xil hosts many endemic species – animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth
Three biodiversity sites recommended for inscription
In the evaluations released, IUCN recommended two proposals to inscribe natural areas on the World Heritage List, as well as one extension of an existing site. This advice will be presented in July to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, which will take final decisions on what sites to list at its annual meeting in Kraków.
The nominations recommended for approval by IUCN include critical habitats for iconic and threatened species.
Covering a huge area of 3.7 million hectares in the world’s largest, highest and youngest plateau, China’s Qinghai Hoh Xil hosts many endemic species – animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth. It supports the life cycle of the Tibetan antelopes, which give birth in the site after a long migration.
Argentina’s Los Alerces National Park protects the some of the last portions of undisturbed Patagonian Forest, within a wider ecoregion identified as a global priority for nature conservation. It hosts the second longest living tree species on Earth – the Endangered alerce or Patagonian cypress. The site’s oldest recorded tree is a 2,600-year-old, 60-metre-high alerce.
A complex of four protected areas in Benin and Burkina Faso are proposed as a 1.5-million-hectare extension to Niger’s W National Park, listed as a World Heritage site since 1996. The area is a refuge for fauna that has either disappeared or is highly threatened elsewhere in West Africa, such as cheetahs and lions. If approved, the extended site will be listed as W-Arly-Pendjari Complex.
IUCN has evaluated a total of 10 nomination files and three proposals for minor boundary modifications, in preparation for the 2017 World Heritage Committee meeting due to take place in Kraków, Poland from 2 to 12 July. Out of these, eight recommendations have been issued today, one was withdrawn by the state party, and the remainder will be released on 2 June.
At risk: sites hosting rare species
The World Heritage Committee reports also include IUCN’s advice on necessary measures to tackle threats affecting the world’s iconic natural areas. A total of 55 natural World Heritage sites have been monitored by IUCN this year, in collaboration with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.
Brazil’s Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks are recommended for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to insufficient legal framework and protection. Located in one of the world’s oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems, the site is home to rare species, including the yellow-faced parrot, and the giant anteater and giant armadillo.
Thirty-four monitoring reports containing IUCN’s advice are now available online, with a further 22 due to be released on June 2. Natural World Heritage sites facing threats include Doñana National Park in Spain, a crucial wetland for migratory bird species which is threatened by unsustainable use of water for agriculture; and the Sundarbans in Bangladesh – home of the world’s largest population of tigers, together with India’s Sundarban National Park – which is exposed to a number of threats including a coal-fired power plant project, increased shipping, and reduced inflow of freshwater.
Despite having the highest international recognition, natural World Heritage sites continue to face serious threats, including from climate change, industrial activities and armed conflict. At present, 18 natural sites are listed as ‘in danger’ out of 238 listed for their outstanding natural value.
Established in 1972, the World Heritage Convention protects 1,038 sites of outstanding cultural and natural importance. About one in five World Heritage sites is natural, including 197 classified as natural and 32 classified as “mixed” – both natural and cultural.
As the Convention’s advisory body on nature, IUCN is responsible for evaluating the eligibility of new sites for World Heritage listing under natural criteria, as well as monitoring listed natural sites affected by threats. IUCN’s advice will be discussed by the World Heritage Committee, which will take the final decisions during its annual meeting, taking place in Krakow, Poland from July 2 to 12, 2017.
Former Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has asked Nigerians to keep and nurture democracy, nor for the sake of democracy but for the sake of the country.
Bola Tinubu
“We must remember that should we fall asleep, there are those who would like nothing better than to take it from us,” he said in his message on the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day and 2nd year of President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Tinubu said Nigerians should remain vigilant and “by doing so ensure a better future and better Nigeria for ourselves and our progeny”.
The statement was issued on Sunday, May 28, 2017 in Lagos by Tinubu Media Office and signed by his Media Adviser, Mr. Tunde Rahman.
In the terse statement, the APC national stalwart said: “Democracy Day and our commemoration of it must be more than an empty ritual. It must add up to more than another reason to have another holiday.
“We, as a people, choose democracy as our preferred form of governance not because it would be easy to achieve or to hold even once we have it. We choose democracy because history has taught us that the welfare of the people is best and perhaps only secured by government responsive and accountable to the people. This can only be democracy.
“Many Nigerians have fought and sacrificed to enshrine democracy as our way of governance. We mark this day in honour of these people many of whom laboured in obscurity and without proper thanks to achieve this precious thing for the nation.
“We mark this day to keep in remembrance that we must not take this good form of government for granted. We must keep and nurture it, not for democracy’s sake but for our own sake. We must remember that should we fall asleep, there are those who would like nothing better than to take it from us. We must remain vigilant and by doing so ensure a better future and better Nigeria for ourselves and our progeny.
“Thus, I congratulate Nigerians on this day. I congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and urge him and his administration to continue to do all it can to protect and improve our democratic way of life.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu representing Lagos Central Senatorial District has said the recent rescue of 82 of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls is a proof of the commitment of the Federal Government to the wellbeing of the Nigerian child.
Released Chibok girl with her parent
On the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day, she said her prayers were with the remainder of the over 200 girls abducted from their dormitory in Chibok in 2014 who are still in captivity.
Senator Tinubu expressed the hope that the remaining girls would be rescued soon and reunited with their families.
In a letter addressed to the Nigerian Child across the 36 states of the federation, Senator Tinubu also charged the government to provide for those who have been displaced by insurgency and are often without basic necessities – food, shelter, affordable and accessible health care and education.
“This is your right and I hope that Nigeria can be better to provide you a whole world of opportunities ahead of you. It is my hope that every one of you can be protected fromviolence such in all its forms such as exploitation and abuse, trafficking, physical and humiliating punishment, harmful traditional practices etc. However, you must not let the difficulty of the situation around you limit the greatness you carry,” she said.
The letter reads:
“Dear Nigerian Child,
It is the 27th of May, a day set aside to celebrate you a valuable resource, our hope and leaders of tomorrow; appreciate childhood and address issues that concern you all. Thus, I rejoice with you.
“This children’s day is a joyous one, particularly so, in light of the return of 82 Chibok girls, children like you who were abducted in 2014 and deprived of access to their homes, education, parents and loved ones. The return of these girls is proof of the commitment of this government to your wellbeing. My prayers are with those still in captivity and for their hasty return.
“Some of you, especially those who have been displaced by insurgency, are often without basic necessities – food, shelter, affordable and accessible health care and education. This is your right and I hope that Nigeria can be better to provide you a whole world of opportunities ahead of you.
“It is my hope that every one of you can be protected from violence such in all its forms such as exploitation and abuse, trafficking, physical and humiliating punishment, harmful traditional practices etc. However, you must not let the difficulty of the situation around you limit the greatness you carry.
“My commitment to you children has not waned. As the Senator representing Lagos Central, I will continue to do my best to ensure better conditions, welfare and opportunities for you all.
“You are the leaders of tomorrow, Nigeria’s future; and everything you do and learn is to prepare you for that great responsibility and equip you with all the necessary tools. Please make the most of it.
Today, I wish you a happy Children’s day and hope sincerely that you take on the baton of excellence, impacting lives, your surroundings and Nigeria in all you do.
As Egypt continues to exert all efforts for enhancing living conditions of its inhabitants, and in line with the Egyptian development vision 2030 and its urban development targets, the Ministry of Housing – represented in the Informal Settlement Development Fund – together with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in Egypt are initiating a new cooperation entitled “Participatory Citywide Urban Upgrading in Egypt”.
Dr. Joan Clos, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat (centre), signing the cooperation project with Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Housing, Utilities And Urban Development; Eng. Khaled Sedeek, Executive Director of the Informal Settlement Development Fund; Ambassador Saeed Mohammed Al-Said Hindam, Assistant Foreign Minister and Director of the Department of International Cooperation for Development; and Mrs. Randa Abou al-Hosn, United Nations Development Programme country director
During his visit to Cairo on Sunday, May 21 2017, Dr. Joan Clos, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, signed the new cooperation project with Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Housing, Utilities And Urban Development; Eng. Khaled Sedeek, Executive Director of the Informal Settlement Development Fund; Ambassador Saeed Mohammed Al-Said Hindam, Assistant Foreign Minister and Director of the Department of International Cooperation for Development; and Mrs. Randa Abou al-Hosn, United Nations Development Programme country director.
The project will bring the specialised experience of UN-Habitat to the Egyptian context; supporting the planning and implementation of strategies and programmes that increase access to adequate housing, improve living conditions of informal dwellers and curb the growth of new informal areas. In this process, a number of participatory planning tools and guidelines will be tested, shared and applied.
Additionally, the project will endorse the establishment of a knowledge platform aiming for full participation and involvement of stakeholders from local target communities, community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academia, private sector, national and international development agencies active in the urban sector.
The project, it was gathered, will be implemented in five years, targeting priority defined informal and unplanned areas in Egypt in support to the country’s vision to address and resolve various socio-economic and physical issues resulting from the spreading of unsafe, informal and unplanned areas.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Monday, May 22, 2017 signed the bill outlawing open grazing in the state.
Describing the development as a step in the right direction, the governor stated that his administration would do all it can to protect the state from intruders and criminals.
Governor Ortom signs the bill as Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange (right), lends a handThe governor displays a copy of the new law amid applauseThe governor addressing the gathering
Stakeholders in the environment sector have called on the federal government to create what they describe as a holistic institutional framework for the implementation of climate change policies in the country.
Environment Minister of State, Ibrahim Jibril, with some dignitaries during the “Environment in an Era of Change” forum in Abuja
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day stakeholders’ meeting of Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in the environment sector with the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, in Abuja on Thursday, May 25, 2017.
Themed: “Environment in an Era of Change,” the forum appeared to be well attended by CSOs, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, development partners as well as other critical stakeholders operating in the environment and development sector from the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The meeting was aimed at facilitating stakeholders’ consultations on environmental issues, challenges and prospects in Nigeria and to engender interaction between the Environment Ministry and other stakeholders in the formulation of durable environmental agenda and roadmap towards repositioning the Nigerian environment.
Other objectives of the meeting include to stimulate policy dialogue on the environment among relevant stakeholders within the various strata of the society that will foster sustainable economic development in view of Nigeria’s efforts to diversify her economy and employment generation to the teaming rural communities, and also to facilitate the adoption of strategies to fast-track the Green Economy initiative through Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme of the government towards implementation of the country’s programme.
The meeting was also aimed at providing an update on government policy action on environmental governance; seeking inputs of CSOs into the implementation of government environment programme and create the platform for continued engagement between government and the CSOs.
The communiqué also called for more awareness creation on the effects of land degradation and other environmental challenges in the country.
It also tasked the federal government to, among other things, emphasis on review and update of some environmental laws that are obsolete.
Other issues raised by the communiqué include the need for enhanced advocacy by CSOs in promoting effective environmental management; the need for the Environment Ministry to push for support from state governments for more collaboration in areas of sensitisation and the environment sustenance awareness embarked upon by CSOs, who urged for more collaborative support from the ministry.
Speaking, the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, disclosed that the meeting was convened in order to provide a platform to brief the CSOs, NGOs, development partners and other critical stakeholders on the efforts to reposition the Environment Ministry in delivering its mandate.
This, according to him, would engender contributions of the stakeholders to further reposition the environment sector in view of the Sustainable Development Goals and the change vision of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
While charging the stakeholders to raise critical issues that would bring rapid development of the environment sector, the Minister said: “I do hope that this gathering will stimulate policy dialogues on the environment among various strata of the civil society with the goal of fostering partnership and collaboration for sustainable economic development in view of Nigeria’s efforts to diversity her economy and employment generation.”
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Shehu Ahmed, noted that governance in the environment sector can only achieve sustained result and become more effective with the active support and partnership of the CSOs, NGOs and other development partners.
He called for a regular interface and sharing of ideas between the ministry and the stakeholders so as to ensure a rapid development of the sector.
Seven days after a rash of ratifications triggered the Minamata Convention on Mercury into force, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby making the twin island nation the 53rd future Party to the Minamata Convention.
Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis
History was made on Thursday, May 18, 2017 when the global treaty came into force, having garnered the required 50 ratifications.
On that day, the EU and seven of its member States – Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden – deposited their instruments of ratification at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing to 51 the current number of future Parties.
As a result, on August 16 2017, the Convention, which aims at protecting human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds, will become legally binding for all its Parties.
The 1st Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP1) will gather governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations from around the world in Geneva from September 24 to 29, 2017.
The Minamata Convention is said to be the first new global Convention on environment and health adopted for close to a decade. It addresses the entire life cycle of mercury, considered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the top 10 chemicals of major health concern, which threatens the environment and health of millions.
Beneficiaries of The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture undergraduate scholarship who have consistently earned excellent grades have been inducted into a new mentorship programme aimed at grooming them for entry into the oil and gas industry and motivating them to maintain their top academic performance.
Officials of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and the Scholars at the SPDC Headquarters, Port Harcourt
“Our ‘Shell Meet Scholars’ programme is an extension of our joint venture’s education initiative for undergraduates in our areas of operation. It is our way of giving recognition to beneficiaries of our university scholarship scheme who have consistently maintained a CGPA of 4.5 and above in their courses of study,” said SPDC’s Social Investment and Social Performance Manager, Gloria Udoh when 18 out of the 22 students visited the corporate headquarters of the company in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, May 24, 2017.
She said that with the programme, the scholarship scheme has taken a more sustainable character as SPDC will encourage the 22 students to maintain their current academic grades by having SPDC mentors assigned to them.
“They also qualify for automatic internship placement in the company and free enrolment to the Shell-built Port Harcourt Literary Society Library,” Udoh added.
SPDC’s Campus Ambassadors Programme (CAP) will groom the 22 students to become role models in their various universities, while being prepared for possible employment in the oil and gas industry after graduation. The initiative will cover coaching in career management, self-evaluation and feedback, communications skills, technical knowledge improvement, change management, leadership skills and understanding of SPDC’s business culture.
The elated students thanked SPDC for the transparency of the scholarship award process and pledged to work hard to be worthy ambassadors of the company.
A total of 8,145 students from SPDC operational areas have benefited from the joint venture’s regular secondary school scholarship scheme in the past six years. The university scholarship scheme is a natural progression of the scholarship scheme for students at the secondary school level.
