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World Bank’s gas flare-out initiative criticised

Michael Simire
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World Bank’s gas flare-out initiative criticised

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has urged the Federal Government to be wary of a World Bank initiative to stop gas flaring by the year 2030, insisting that the scheme, if endorsed by the government, will legitimise continued flaring by Shell and other oil corporations operating in the Niger Delta.

Gas flaring in Ogoniland, Nigeria. Photo credit: premiumtimesng.com
Gas flaring in Ogoniland, Nigeria. Photo credit: premiumtimesng.com

Media reports last week indicated that the World Bank initiative, coming on the platform of “zero routine flaring,” is expected to bring together governments, oil companies, and development institutions who recognise flaring situation as unsustainable from a resource management and environmental perspective, and who agree to cooperate to eliminate routine flaring no later than 2030.

However, the World Bank dangles an opportunity for upstream investments and viable markets for governments that endorse the initiative and expects them to provide legal, regulatory, investment, and operating environments to key into the scheme.

Development institutions will facilitate cooperation and implementation, and consider the use of financial instruments and other measures, particularly in their client countries.

But in a statement issued in Lagos, ERA/FoEN described the World Bank initiative as an attempt to financialise and reward oil corporations that have fouled the air in local communities with a cocktail of flares and, like in the case of Nigeria, further extend the flare-out dates that oil corporations operating in the country have breached time and time again.

ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Ojo, said: “There is a subsisting gas flare-out date in Nigeria and we stand by that arrangement. The Federal Government must not subscribe to this hoodwink that will free oil corporations still flaring in the Niger Delta from their obligations to ending gas flaring immediately.

“We cannot accept this World Bank initiative that will open a door for oil corporations to dodge responsibility from their human rights abuses. The flare-out deadline drama in Nigeria started in 1979 extending to 1984 and 2007 and then 2008 and 2010. Shell and other oil companies that engage in the illicit flares will only latch on to this opportunity to propose new dates for ending flares that they have willfully breached with brazen impunity to the detriment of the communities where the flare stacks are mounted.”

“Gas flaring is a violation of the fundamental right to life and healthy environment of local communities. This much was asserted by stand by retired Justice V. C. Nwokorie in a judgment brought against Shell by the Iwherekan Community Delta State, on the company’s continued flaring in the community.  At a Federal High court sitting in Benin and presided by Justice Nwokorie, he had on November 14th 2005 ordered Shell to stop gas flaring in Iwherekan by April 2007, saying it violates the fundamental right to life and dignity.”

“The current administration has rolled out well with the take-off grant for clean-up of Ogoniland. It must remain resolute in tackling the Niger Delta pollutions and not allow itself to be led by the nose. The deadline on gas flaring must be enforced immediately. Muddling the flare-out issue with financial compensation for the polluters is an absurdity that is unacceptable. Gas flaring must stop immediately,” Ojo insisted.

Mongolian wildlife to get safe passage

Michael Simire
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Mongolian wildlife to get safe passage

CMS-backed meeting explores actions to make roads, railways and fences in Mongolia more wildlife-friendly

Representatives of governments, industry, development banks, UN agencies, NGOs and scientists met in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 24 to 28 August to find solutions to ensure that steppe animals are able to cross roads, railways and fences.

Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

The growing exploitation of the natural resources in the Gobi-Steppe ecosystem has led to a dramatic increase of transportation networks, required to meet increasing consumer demand for minerals. The existing roads and railroads have proven to be a significant barrier for wildlife migrations.

“Addressing barriers to migration is a key priority for the conservation of many migratory ungulates in Central Asia and in particular in Mongolia. CMS has been working to reduce the impacts of the rapidly growing network of roads, railways and fences on migratory mammals that rely upon the vast, interconnected landscapes of Central Asia,” said Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The new action plan discussed at the inter-governmental workshop in Ulaanbaatar is an important step forward in further implementing the guidelines which are designed to mitigate the impact of linear infrastructure and related disturbance on mammals across Central Asia.

“The workshop has been a joint effort to tackle the issues facing migratory species in Central Asia. Mongolia contains some of the most important habitats for the Mongolian gazelle, khulan, saiga antelope, Bactrian camel and other CMS-listed species. The fast pace of mineral extraction and infrastructure development is having a significant negative environmental effect. To minimise such changes, standards and regulations are necessary and the timing of this workshop is crucial,” said the State Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment, Green Development and Tourism of Mongolia, Mr. Tsengel Tsegmid.

The new “Ulaanbaatar Action Plan on Wildlife-friendly Infrastructure” makes strong recommendations for oversight and planning of roads and railroads in Mongolia. It aims to maintain one of the largest remaining mammal migrations in the world through strengthening the application of international guidelines adopted under the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The State Secretary of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, stated: “The mining of raw materials is a Mongolian economic interest. However, we are jointly aware of potential damage to nature including endangered migratory species. With this common responsibility, we work closely together to avoid, minimise or compensate for negative impacts.”

In November 2014 new guidelines on mitigating the impact of linear infrastructure and related disturbance on mammals in Central Asia were adopted at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS (COP11) in response to the expanding infrastructure in the region fuelled by the boom in the extractive sector. The guidelines are one of the tools for strengthening conservation action on the ground under the CMS Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI), which was also adopted at COP11.

The Mongolian Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism hosted the meeting, which was jointly organised by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, the associated Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Mongolian office of the GIZ (German Development Cooperation Agency) and CMS. The Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) provided scientific expertise and support to the meeting.

The CMS aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. To date, 121 Parties including the European Union are members of the Convention.

Newsdiaryonline Abuja office burgled, vital items removed

Michael Simire
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Newsdiaryonline Abuja office burgled, vital items removed

Unknown persons have burgled the office of Newsdiaryonline located at Extension D-49, EFAB Mall in Garki district, Abuja.

Mr. Danlami Nmodu
Mr. Danlami Nmodu

A statement by Mr. Danlami Nmodu, publisher/editor-in-chief of Newsdiaryonline, said those who burgled the office forcefully broke the doors before gaining entrance. They also ransacked some drawers and made away with some vital office items, the statement said.

The publisher said some items removed from the office include laptop computers, one generator, one LCD television set and electric kettle, among other items.

Mr. Nmodu said: “Surprisingly, the burglars left the internet router and the satellite TV decoder behind apparently because these two items could have made it easier to trace the location of whoever broke into our office”.

He said further that “we find the removal of our laptop computers particularly unsettling.”

The editor–in-chief however assured readers and followers of Newsdiaryonline, which he described as the fastest growing Nigerian online news organisation that, in spite of this setback, ”we shall continue to serve and provide you with credible news, opinions and analysis without fear or favour.”

Shell to empower 150 Niger Delta youths

Michael Simire
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Shell to empower 150 Niger Delta youths

Another 150 youths from the Niger Delta are to benefit from the 2015 LiveWIRE programme of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) operated Joint Venture, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to over 6,000 since the launch of the programme in 2003. LiveWIRE is a flagship youth enterprise development programme which provides access to training, business development services and start-up capital.

Empowering youths in the Niger Delta
Empowering youths in the Niger Delta

“LiveWIRE presents a good opportunity for bright young people to bring their ideas to fruition,” said SPDC’s General Manager External Relations, Igo Weli. “We are pleased to see the youths transform to employers of labour after going through intensive business training that is reinforced with theoretical and practical sessions.”

The two-week training slated for September will be held for the selected youths in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states. Media Relations Manager of Shell, Mr. Precious Okolobo, said in a statement on Monday that the programme is open to university and polytechnic graduates with innovative business ideas from the three states.

The curriculum includes Business Planning and Management and post start-up Mentoring, incubation and market linkages. Successful candidates will be linked to third parties such as NGOs, banks, and allied financial institutions and provided a volunteer mentoring programme.

In 2014, the Livewire scheme was broadened to include a specific focus on people with physical impairments. Some 180 disabled people had already benefited from training and grants by the end of the year.  Shell Companies in Nigeria work with government, communities and civil society to implement programmes that have a lasting impact on lives in the Niger Delta and beyond. Social investment activities are focused in particular on community and enterprise development, education and health.

Seeds of success in Ghana

Michael Simire
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Seeds of success in Ghana

Mohammed Sabtuwo does not just want to talk about how agriculture has changed his life; he wants to show us.

Mohammed Sabtuwo
Mohammed Sabtuwo

Before we know it, he is up from his seat and whisking us away to his house, a sense of urgency in every step.

On the way, he points to a small house, about half the size of a car garage that is made of timber slats and a tin roof.

This is how he used to live, in a small house, providing shelter from the elements and a place to sleep, but not much else.

Now, he has one of the largest houses in the neighborhood, and one that is about 10 times the size of his old house.

He opens the door and leads us through to a large open area with many rooms opening on to it.

You can sense his pride and joy at being able to tell his story.

“I’ve been building this house for the past two seasons (crop growing seasons) and after this harvest I hope to finish it,” he says pointing to the last two rooms that still need walls and a roof.

“Before I started working with Pangabu, I was planting 12 hectares and only harvesting 15 bags per hectare (roughly 0.75t/ha).

“Now I am planting two hectares and getting 63 bags (or 3.12t/ha),” Sabtuwo adds.

Pangabu is the owner of Pee Farms, a seed and agro-dealer company based in the Ashante region of Ghana, one of the country’s largest regions in terms of size and population.

Pee Farms is a grantee of the Scaling Seeds and Technologies Partnership in Africa (SSTP) an initiative between the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and USAID that is working to deliver improved seed and technologies to farmers.

Improved seed and technologies can have a dramatic impact on farm yields and incomes, for example, most farmers in Ghana are harvesting around 1.7t of maize to the hectare, significantly lower than the potential yield of 6t/ha.

Seed variety, plant spacing, weeding and the use of fertilizer all contribute to higher yields, but the challenge remains to ensure farmers are able to access these inputs and training to help transform their lives.

This is where partnerships like SSTP become important, as they help build the capacity of companies like Pee Farms to produce and disseminate high-quality seed to farmers.

Each year, Pee Farms uses its own farms and out-growers – farmers who are contracted to grow seed – to produce seed, which is harvested, packaged and distributed through Pee Farm’s networks.

Sabtuwo is one of the 400 out-growers that Pee Farms is working with.

As well as providing seed for planting, Pee Farms is also teaching farmers agronomic practices, such as plant spacing, which can dramatically improve yields.

“Pangabu has demonstration sites that he takes us to, so when the tractor is clearing the land or planting seed, he takes us to see it, so we can watch and then go back to our own farms and practice what we saw,” he says.

As well as using demonstration plots to highlight the strengths of improved seed, Pangabu regularly gets on the local radio station to promote the benefits of using improved seed.

Speaking with many of the farmers in Ejura, the village where Pangabu is based, you can get a feeling of the impact his is having on the local community.

“Since we have started helping Pangabu (as out-growers), Pangabu, has been helpful to us,” one farmer says.

“He helps us to buy seed and the fertilizer and with the training; so we are really happy,” he adds.

Pangabu says he will not have been able to grow as he has without the support of SSTP, but he also highlights how this grant is more than just about Pee Farms and his success.

“As I grow, I will grow with my out-growers, and I am growing along with my out-growers, I can’t leave them behind.”

Courtesy: Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Fresh RUWES scheme targets women, girls displaced by insurgency

Michael Simire
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Fresh RUWES scheme targets women, girls displaced by insurgency

Following the weeklong Capacity Enhancement Workshop that held in Abuja last week, the Rural Women Energy Security (RUWES) will now embark on a campaign to solely focus on women and girls in Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs).

L-R: Sir John Odey (Chairman, RUWES Advisory Board), Mrs Bahijjahtu Abubakar (National Coordinator, Renewable Energy Programme), Mr Daouda Toure (Coordinator, United Nations Systems in Nigeria) and Mr Luka Mangset (Director, Enterprises, Development & Promotions in the Federal Ministry of Youth & Development) ...during the Capacity Enhancement Training Workshop, in Abuja
L-R: Sir John Odey (Chairman, RUWES Advisory Board), Mrs Bahijjahtu Abubakar (National Coordinator, Renewable Energy Programme), Mr Daouda Toure (Coordinator, United Nations Systems in Nigeria) and Mr Luka Mangset (Director, Enterprises, Development & Promotions in the Federal Ministry of Youth & Development) …during the Capacity Enhancement Training Workshop, in Abuja

Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the RUWES initiative aims at promoting access to clean energy technologies and develop market and entrepreneurship skills for women and girls to eradicate poverty and improve their livelihoods.

The maiden edition of the RUWES Capacity Enhancement Workshop, which had “Unveiling the potential of the rural women,” as its theme, was graced by dignitaries and featured events such as exhibitions, training sessions, drama, site visits, woman-to-woman talk and paper presentations.

However, according to Daouda Toure, Resident Coordinator, United Nations Systems in Nigeria/Resident Representative of the UNDP, unveiled the follow-up to the RUWES initiative “that will ease the burden of women caring for their families while still in the IDP camps.”

He said: “The second phase of the initiative will be a pilot post-IDP camp empowerment programme, which will be in form of training women and girls in the IDPs camps in community clusters to set up community-based skill acquisition centres and small viable businesses with guaranteed support from the state governments to ensure sustainability.”

Toure lauded the RUWES project, saying that its objectives align with the goals and ideals of UNDP Nigeria.

“Thus UNDP is pleased to collaborate with RUWES in organising special training and skill acquisition workshops targeted at conflict affected women and girls as well as to further strengthen the RUWES as a self-help grass root organisation,” he added.

Former Environment Minister and Chairman, RUWES Advisory Board, Sir John Odey, stressed that RUWES is responding to challenges such as felling of trees to meet energy needs, enlightening and providing rural women with access to clean energy solutions and empowering them to drive the demand for clean energy – towards a climate resilient and low carbon economy in the country.

He called for collective efforts by all stakeholders in the clean energy space to scale up efforts by RUWES and UNDP and their partners.

His words: “The business community is encouraged to use part of their funds earmarked for corporate social responsibility (CSR) for projects to scale up access to these clean energy technologies and provide funding to rural women under the RUWES initiative to startup businesses in the clean energy market space. The funds should be directed through the UNDP to help scale up projects and further position Nigeria to lead the region in the clean energy revolution. We further reach out to the government and lawmakers to become advocates of clean energy.”

National Coordinator, Renewable Energy Programme in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Bahijjahtu Abubakar, disclosed that 100 trainees including IDPs took part in the Abuja training workshop, pointing out that RUWES has so far registered about two million women.

“RUWES deals with cooperative societies (with a minimum of 30 persons), which gets a package comprising of stoves and solar units upon the payment of N5,000 for registration. RUWES provides the goods so that the women can buy in instalments, such that the goods are affordable to their members. The cooperative gets the package for free and sells for a little profit,” she stated.

RUWES Admin. Coordinator, Mrs. Halima Kolo Mohammed, in a vote of thanks, expressed hope that all experiences shared, lessons learnt, best practices and challenges encountered in implementing RUWES’ programmes would be useful in future efforts aimed at giving rural women, internally displaced women and girls, as well as widows of the insurgency, clean energy for the necessary lift out of poverty.

Geo-journalism: EJN launches ‘InfoCongo’

Michael Simire
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0
Geo-journalism: EJN launches ‘InfoCongo’

After many years of behind-the-scenes work, InfoCongo, a new GeoJournalism website from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) that combines interactive maps, visualised data on natural resource issues and traditional journalism stories, has been launched at a ceremony in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Managing Editor of InfoCongo, David Akana, facing the DRC media after the launch of the interactive mapping platform in Kinshasa
Managing Editor of InfoCongo, David Akana, facing the DRC media after the launch of the interactive mapping platform in Kinshasa

A day after the launching ceremony, EJN specialists with support from development organisations working on similar topics in the Congo Basin such as the Central African Programme on the Environment (CARPE) and The Observatoire Satellital des Forets d’Afrique Centrale (OSFAC) organised a half-day capacity-building workshop on “Data journalism: Emerging Practices to Tell Impactful Environmental Stories.” Twelve local reporters with expertise in environment reporting from major media organisations participated in the training.

“InfoCongo represents a new opportunity to better understand the changes that this important region is undergoing,” says David Akana, the site’s managing editor. “We are aiming for it to become a vibrant platform for the exchange of information about sustainable development between journalists, scientists, policy makers and the public at large.”

As the second largest rain forest in the world after the Amazon, the Congo Basin faces a myriad of challenges ranging from deforestation, illegal logging and wildlife trafficking to climate change. InfoCongo is designed to raise awareness and improve public understanding on these issues. In addition to bringing a new approach to collecting, analysing and disseminating environmental data coming out of the Congo Basin, the site’s approach of using networked journalism is able to syndicate content into a single space and provide greater visibility to stories from local media and development organisations.

InfoCongo is part of a series of interactive web platforms initiated by EJN to strengthen environmental reporting around the world. Combining visually compelling maps, data, and stories from local reporters, InfoCongo intends to spotlight emerging challenges facing the Congo Basin.

“InfoCongo can serve as an important addition to the region’s and the world’s understanding of Central Africa,” adds Gustavo Faleiros, EJN Manager and the founder of InfoAmazonia. “When combined with our existing GeoJournalism sites in the Amazon, Indonesia, the Himalayas, and upcoming sites in the Mekong region and elsewhere, we will have an unprecedented ability to monitor environmental change in the Global South.”

InfoCongo is operated by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network, and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through NASA and the University of Maryland. Top government officials from the DRC, leading civil society organisations working on the Congo Basin and select local and international media based in Kinshasa are expected at the launch ceremony.

InfoCongo is built on the principle of collaboration, partnership and participation. Do you know of any stories, maps, data or any other information that is not on InfoCongo? Please let us know (contact@infocongo.org).

Countries report progress on water, sanitation commitments

Michael Simire
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0
Countries report progress on water, sanitation commitments

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partners report significant progress on 56% of the 383 commitments tabled by 43 developing countries and 12 donors at the 2014 High Level Meeting.

Catarina de Albuquerque, Executive Chair of SWA. Photo credit: un.org
Catarina de Albuquerque, Executive Chair of SWA. Photo credit: un.org

Most of the commitments aim at removing barriers to progress, eliminating inequalities and ensuring sustainability of water and sanitation services.

Countries report significant progress on half of their commitments, including a tenth nearly or already achieved. In particular, they report progress on commitments to improve the visibility of the sector, develop and implement national monitoring systems, and increase institutional and human capacity.

Countries also report slow progress on almost 40% of their commitments, including 7% facing major barriers. Although there are some specific good examples of increased budget allocations for the sector, overall, country commitments related to financing are lagging behind.

Donors achieved significant progress on 81% of their commitments, including more than a quarter either already or almost complete. Most of this progress is concentrated on commitments around financing, improving visibility of the sector and decentralisation. Donors also report slow progress on 19%, mostly on the few commitments related to increasing evidence and improving coordination and alignment.

These are the main conclusions of the Mid-Term Review of Progress, the consolidation of SWA partners’ self-monitoring midway through April 2016, by when most commitments should be achieved. The commitments are set and monitored by governments, together with the main in-country stakeholders.

“We are encouraged by the results of the Mid-term Review and partners’ participation in it: 40 of the 43 countries and all 12 donors that made commitments reported back a year later,” said Catarina de Albuquerque, Executive Chair of SWA. “The spirit of the reporting is about learning from experience. We look at where we are making progress, and where we are still facing challenges, and this strengthens our resolve to do better.”

SPDC JV declares force majeure on Bonny Light exports

Michael Simire
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0
SPDC JV declares force majeure on Bonny Light exports

The Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture (SPDC JV) has declared force majeure on Bonny Light exports effective August 27, 2015 following the shutdown of both the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL).

Osagie Okunbor, head of SPDC Nigeria
Osagie Okunbor, head of SPDC Nigeria

A leak was reported on the TNP at Oloma in Rivers State, while the NCTL is shut down for the removal of crude theft points.

SPDC says it is working to repair and reopen the two lines as quickly as possible.

Uganda Breweries, WaterAid in $2.8m sanitation project

Michael Simire
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0
Uganda Breweries, WaterAid in $2.8m sanitation project

Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) and WaterAid Uganda (WAU) have partnered to implement a three-year water and sanitation project in Bulangira Town in Kibuku District worth one billion Uganda Shillings equivalent to $2.8 million.

Over half of all people in developing countries suffer at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits
Over half of all people in developing countries suffer at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits

“Bulangira is a challenged town with minimal infrastructure to support social services and limited access to land for water and sanitation services for the underprivileged. When WaterAid alerted us of this situation, we decided to come in to help deliver proper access to clean safe water through our Water of Life programme,” said Julie Adell-Owino, Representative of the EABL Foundation.

The “Bringing Safe Water and Sanitation” project will be implemented in partnership with Sanitation Solutions Group, Bright Technical Services, Kibuku District Local Government and Bulangira Sub-county. The first phase starts this year with a feasibility study and other start-up activities.

“The main objective of the project is to provide sustainable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation to Bulangira small town residents. The project includes construction of a water scheme, institutional latrines, mobilisation of communities on water, sanitation and hygeine (WASH) behavioral change, advocacy and measures to improve the management and coordination capacity of the town authority,” said Spera Atuhairwe, Country Representative, WaterAid Uganda.

In a bid to leverage stakeholder participation ownership and eventual sustainability, Uganda Breweries, the EABL Foundation and WaterAid Uganda organised a one-day start up workshop in Bulangira town to launch the project and ensure ownership, leverage support and commitment to various project outputs by partners in line with the donor expectations.

The majority of people in Bulangira have no access to safe water, with water coverage at 62% compared to the 100% Millennium Development Goal target in Uganda for urban and small towns. This has led to the continued use of unsafe water sources such as springs that are highly contaminated. In addition, the sanitation coverage is low; many residents lack convenient private latrines and residents are forced to practice open defecation. The other challenges faced include increase in housing deficit, poor quality informal structures, inadequate services such as solid waste management, and inadequate financing.

Currently, Bulangira town has only one deep borehole and a spring well serving the entire town of five villages, which has no functional water supply system. The poor households in the small town buy water from vendors for between UGX 200-500 per 20-litre jerry can, depending on whether the season is wet or dry – which is 10 times more expensive than water supplied by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC).

In regard to sanitation, residents in Bulangira practice illegal and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into water sources and small streams hence posing a serious threat to public health and the environment. Construction of latrines by residents is challenged by loose, sandy soil texture, solid rock and a high water table which presents latrine design challenges. All these, coupled with inadequate private sector engagement, poor planning and coordination, exacerbate the water and sanitation problems of Bulangira town.

By Adella Mbabazi

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