The Technical Task Force on the African Regional Space Programme (TTF-ARSP) . This was declared at the end of its meeting held on 10 June 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland on the margins of the 17th Congress of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
A session at the 17th Congress of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo credit: meteotz1950.blogspot.com
The Task Force is an initiative coordinated by the African Union (AU), the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST), through the Commission on Human Resource Science and Technology (HRST) in collaboration with African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), and the African Union Conference of Ministers in Charge of Communications and Information Technologies (CITMC).
In her opening remark, the chairperson of the meeting, Dr. Agnes Kijazi, who is also the Permanent Representative of Tanzania with the WMO, stated that the “meeting is entrusted with identifying the role of stakeholders, spot elements of pilot projects, see a possibility of sharing experience with other countries currently running space programmes, discuss potential funding sources and come up with the way forward for the African Meteorological Space Implementation Plan”.
These were objectives set before the Task Force, following the resolution of the African Regional Space Programme, during the 3rd Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET-3), in Praia, Cabo Verde, 13-14 February 2015, which endorsed the draft African Space Policy and the African Space Strategy with the understanding that issues of meteorology would be adequately taken into account in its scope for implementation.
“Unlike other sectors such as communication, navigation and positioning, which attract private investors to invest in space technology, Meteorology requires a collaborative effort to provide cost-effective possibility in obtaining continental coverage from space for Meteorological information,” said Dr. Kijazi.
The Meeting took a close look at the Concept Note on the mandate of the current African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) Task Force on the African Regional Space Programme with a focus on developing a feasibility study on the Implementation Plan for the Programme. It also shared experiences of countries such as China, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya in their National Space Programmes.
“With the experiences shared today, the different levels in the implementation of Space Programmes are clearer. The African Meteorological Implementation Plan will, therefore, take a study of the viable options for Africa, cognisance of the available resources and possibly start with the application part which is related to the ground segment to build a critical mass of space scientists including application of satellite data in order to benefit from the ongoing programmes in the world, and later implement launching of the Africa Satellite,” Dr. Kijazi added.
The outcome of the meeting was to lay a clearer roadmap for the establishment of African Regional Space Programme, starting with incorporation of meteorological issues in the Draft African Space Policy, the Draft African Strategy, define Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Task Force based on lessons learned from other countries and further build on decisions reached at improving the region’s Space programme, in the 3rd Sessions of The African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) held on 13-14 February 2015 in Praia, Cabo Verde.
Norfund, the UK aid department, and Capricorn are funding the British company Agrica’s industrial rice plantation in Mngeta, Tanzania, which is destroying the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, driving them into debt and impacting the local environment, according to new research by The Oakland Institute released on Wednesday June 17, 2015 in collaboration with Greenpeace Africa and Global Justice Now.
Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director of the Oakland Institute. Photo credit: tamildiplomat.com
Agrica’s rice plantation in Tanzania has been used as a showcase project of the G8’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition and the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania. But the new report, tagged: “Irresponsible Investment – Agrica’s Broken Development Model in Tanzania,” documents a catalogue of devastating impacts on local communities.
Norfund, the UK aid department, and the US investment firm Capricorn Investments (co-founded by eBay philanthropist Jeff Skoll) have all invested several million US dollars in Agrica, a British company registered in the tax haven of Guernsey.
“Although Agrica is portrayed as a responsible investment venture, its takeover of fertile land has brought misery to local communities. Labelled ‘squatters,’ smallholders were forced off the land, lost their livelihoods, received a meagre compensation for their losses, and have had to face debts resulting from doing business with Agrica,” said Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director of the Oakland Institute.
Local farmers who planted rice for Agrica were required to purchase chemical fertilizers manufactured by the Norwegian fertilizer company Yara. They also had to sell the rice at a price determined by the company. “Agrica peddled chemical inputs to smallholders, leaving many in debt. In an area known as Tanzania’s food basket due to its fertile soil, this uncovers the real agenda of Agrica. They have opened up new markets for the products of international agribusiness that are damaging for both people and the environment,” explained Glen Tyler, agriculture campaigner for Greenpeace Africa.
The research findings raise concerns about the environmental impacts of Agrica’s industrial rice plantation. The prolonged use of agro-chemicals as well as the expansion of irrigation from 215 hectares to 3,000 hectares – resulting in up to one third of the nearby Mngeta River’s dry season water flow being diverted – threatens the Ramsar protected wetlands, within which the plantation is located.
“This project undermines the rhetoric of aid-sponsored large-scale agricultural investments and exposes the true beneficiaries to be agribusiness multinationals rather than small-scale farmers and local communities,” said Heidi Chow, food campaigner for Global Justice Now.
Despite claims that this is the only possible model for agricultural development, the approach is deeply flawed. More effective avenues would focus on meeting the needs of the smallholder farmers and assisting them to develop appropriate farming practices. Providing support to agroecological methods would boost yields and improve food security while preventing the debt cycle that comes with the regime of intensive chemical inputs.
The Oakland Institute, Greenpeace Africa, and Global Justice Now are demanding that all of Agrica’s investors cease funding and review their other agriculture investment schemes in Africa for similar abuses against African farmers. A global campaign is being prepared to mobilise against such wrongdoings by international donors in coming days.
On Monday evening, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) spoke with the Nigerian community at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa.
President Muhammadu Buhari. Photo credit: politicoscope.com
Speaking extempore, because according to him, he wanted to “speak from the heart,” the President urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, a country he went to the warfront to keep together.
Still extolling the virtues of our country, Nigeria, the President, who had served as a military governor of the then North-Eastern State at 33 years old, declared:”I wish I became Head of State when I was a governor. Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.”
The above comments have been reported by some newspapers to mean that the President was saying he was too old to cope with the demands of his office. Far from it.
As the saying goes, “old wines are tasty” and the President Buhari we have today is a man, like old wine, that has got tastier. At 72, yes, he can’t be called a youth, but he has in quantum the wisdom, the patience, temperance and forbearance that age brings. And all these virtues he has brought to the Presidency, to make a difference in our national life.
The President reassured the Nigerian community in South Africa that his Administration will make a positive impact on the country. He will ensure that this happens.
Insecurity as symbolised by insurgency will be brought to an end, corruption will be fought to a standstill, employment will be created for the teeming army of unemployed, the economy will be revived, and the quality of life of Nigerians will take an upward swing again.
At 72, the Buhari persona has not changed. He remains the simple, honest, incorruptible patriot he has always been. And because Nigerians earnestly desired change, that was why they voted for him overwhelmingly at the general elections in March, this year. All the virtues and values of the Buhari persona will be deployed into governance in the weeks and months ahead.
The Nigerian community in South Africa was enthralled as President Buhari spoke with them on Monday. In fact, leaving the venue was an effort, as they swarmed round the President, who shook hands with as many of them as he could.
They took his message well. That is the essence of good wine. It gets better with age. And it is a message for all Nigerians, both at home and in the Diaspora.
“Why would you let the professional arsonist join the volunteer fire department?” saidBill McKibben,author and co-founder of350.org, “These are the guys who want to keep the problem going, not solve it.”
In May, it was revealed that COP 21 in Paris may be yet another “Corporate COP” with the announcement ofEDF and Suez Environnement as lead sponsors.Suez Environnement, infamous for its dealings in water privatisation, is partially owned by ENGIE, formerly GDF Suez, which profits from fracking operations around the world,putting it at directodds with the advancement of the treaty. ENGIE and EDF’s coal operations contribute to nearly50% of France’s emissions.
The cosy relationship between polluters and the UNFCCC has become increasingly institutionalised. TheLima-Paris Action Agenda(LPAA), a joint project of the incoming and outgoing COP presidents, the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the UNFCCC Secretariat, encourages direct engagement with non-state actors—primarily identified as sub-national governments and corporations – as stakeholders in the policymaking process.
“The fossil fuel industry is not a partner in the solution – it is the driver of the crisis. Giving big polluters a seat at the table glosses over the glaring conflict of interest fossil fuel corporations have in a real solution to climate change,” saidJohn Stewart, deputy campaign director at Corporate Accountability International. “Inviting gas, oil and coal corporations to shape climate policy is akin to looking to Big Tobacco to shape public health policy.”
Ecosur Afrique, the leading carbon finance group in Africa; Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), an impact investment fund dedicated to small and medium size enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa and Volta cars Rental Services (VRS), a car leasing company operating in West Africa, have announced the first ever carbon credits transaction involving a seller and a buyer from West Africa.
Fabrice Le Sache, CEO of ecosur afrique. Photo credit: APO
The transaction, which has been structured by ecosur afrique, allows VRS customers to offset the CO2 emissions of vehicles leased in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Thomas Crand, the co-founder of VRS, states: “We develop a strong environmental strategy; CO2 emissions are at the heart of our concerns and we are pleased to offer our customers the option to offset their carbon footprint. The transaction, that took place on Monday, June 15, 2015, is pioneering and a unique choice, which distinguishes us on the West African market. We hope it will become standard in our sector.” VRS will aggregate the offset demand of customers taking part in the “carbon neutral” programme each quarter and for the whole fleet concerned. The carbon credit purchases will be made with same periodicity.
The carbon credits, or emission reductions, which are at base of the offset transaction, are generated from the dissemination of energy efficient cooks toves in Côte d’Ivoire. The cook stoves are distributed as part of the “Soutra Fourneau” programme financed and operated by ecosur afrique. They allow to reduce charcoal consumption of small entrepreneurial users such as restaurants or canteens. The use of charcoal and firewood for cooking purposes remains a major source of CO2 emissions and deforestation in West Africa. Beyond the environmental aspect, the benefits are numerous: redistribution of purchasing power to consumers, decrease of noxious fumes, reduction of meal preparation time by half.
Fabrice Le Sache, CEO of ecosur afrique, explains the background of this pioneering transaction: “The exchange of carbon credits involves traditionally their transfer from developing countries to industrialized countries. We are convinced that the future of the market lies in part in the development of the South / South transactions, particularly within Africa. We have been working for several years on our carbon credit offer in order to create sufficient liquidity allowing the emergence of such a market. With over 40 projects in 17 countries, we now have the largest portfolio of African carbon credits in terms of volume and diversity. We must now increase and expand the demand; Similar CO2 offset transactions are under negotiation with African hotel chains, carriers and agribusinesses.”
As a private investor of VRS, I&P played a major role in the operation. The fund began by offseting its own CO2 emissions in an exemplary manner and proposed this solution to some companies in its portfolio in the following, particularly to those, which are concerned by this topic (logistics, transport, distribution of fresh products). Jean-Michel Severino, CEO of Investisseurs & Partenaires, said: “I&P shows, once again, its commitment to pioneering entrepreneurial ideas, both to strengthen the business model of its holdings, to offer them distinctive solutions in their market and to assist them in environmental and social performance, a pre-condition of economic sustainability.”
Malawi was not the only country that suffered devastating climate change effects this year. So to say, from last year. The Lower Shire, southern tip of the country, suffers annual flooding and often droughts, but the year 2015 has been so different and a big mark in the lives of many people – affected directly and indirectly.
Weeks of very heavy rainfall have triggered widespread flooding in Malawi. Photo credit: Water Journalists – Africa
Natural disasters have just been some technical explanation by officials at the Department of Disaster, an arm of the government dealing with all that man-kind has inflicted upon the self through careless care of God’s creation.
The youth of Malawi, drawn from across all districts, have not been spared, and it is not a DoDMA sanctified arena any more. The suffering that floods brought onto the people have brought with it a renewed fight and thinking to preserve Mother Earth. If not preserve, well, at least to control and probably abate the actions that lead to mass destruction of life, property and hope.
The year 2010/11 Malawian youth in the faith community were part and parcel of the Pan-African Climate Justice Caravan driving from Nairobi in Kenya to South Africa, Durban, where world leaders met at the 17thUNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP). They undertook the journey across some 5,000 kilometres by road, sleeping in tents and observing the beauty that nature should be, alongside appreciating the damage that mankind has brought on the environment.
This year around, Malawi’s youth are engaging in various activities, from participating in the Pan-African Regional Cycling Caravan from Maputo in Mozambique to Nairobi, to planting and adopting trees within the country, and collecting signed petitions that along with those from participating countries and elsewhere, will add to numbers in pressing for a fair, legally binding deal come COP21 in France this December.
Already, the We Have Faith platform in Malawi will be engaging in climate justice concerts, the pre-launch in Blantyre and the main concert at the capital city, Lilongwe. Dignitaries from government, faith mother bodies, donor partners, and youth groups, among others will be in participation.
Speeches, musical performances, cultural shows, and motivation talks from Climate Justice Ambassadors led by Father George Buleya, who is the National Ambassador. Branded messages under the country banner of‘Chilengedwe – Tsogolo Lathu, Ufulu Wathu’(Environment – Our Future, Our Right) will buttress the regional ‘ACT Now for Climate Justice’ cry adopted by the caravan spearheaded by the We Have Faith and ACT Alliance.
The youth, supported by faith leaders under the banners of the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC) who are the official We Have Faith platform coordinators in Malawi,Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi (QMAM), Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM), and the Baha’i Faith, the Seventh Day, will also participate in the climax concert in Kenya and some will proceed to Paris, France, where they will bring the Malawian youth voice to the world leaders after attending the Conference of Youth (COY).
Vigils, prayers, peaceful protests against continued global warming at the hands of large economies, and the Conference of the People (COP) take place at strategic places in Paris, joined by youth and faith leaders and civil society players.
The objective of the regional activity is to have a bigger and stronger African voice reaching world leaders in demanding for a change to their approach on climate issues, African being the biggest victim of rising temperatures that must be brought down to at least 1.5 degrees. Malawi media, cyclists, religious leaders and corporate world are expected to play a bigger role in the advocacy campaign that regionally will involve nine countries and cycle for 90 days across an approximate 6,000 kilometres journey.
And should nothing happen, Malawi will continue to lose entire villages to floods, families especially women and children to droughts, and property to storms and other naturally induced climate phenomenon.
Over 1 million climate justice ambassadors are expected to be created in the campaign that further engages Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Angola.
By M’theto Lungu (We Have Faith ACT NOW Campaign Coordinator, Malawi)
Due to ‘disappointing yields and poor quality cotton fiber,” the country of Burkina Faso in West Africa is ditching Monsanto’s genetically modified cotton
GMO Cotton
JeuneAfriquereports that Interprofessional Cotton in Burkina Faso has decided tophase out the use of Monsanto’s GMO cotton seedsover the next three years. This is a group of cotton farmers, banks, research institutions, private stakeholders and the government. It isn’tjustcotton farmers that are complaining about Monsanto’s GM cotton, though.
Interprofessional Cotton members include the Société burkinabè des fibres textiles (Sofitex), Faso Coton, and the Société cotonnière du Gourma (Socoma, subsidiary of the French group Geocoton).
All of these groups have complained that Monsanto’s GM cotton did not produce quality cotton fiber, and farmers have experienced lower yields than with non-GM cotton. The group will also seek compensation from Monsanto for lower yields they experienced since the 2008 growing season.
The group isdenouncing its contractwith Monsanto due to the lower quality performance of the GM cotton, and also lower yields.
Advocates of GM cotton state that they have increased agricultural production by more than US$98 billion and saved an estimated 473 million kilograms of pesticides from being sprayed in the US, but critics question their environmental, social, and economic impacts – with good reason. Among the complaints are thatGM cotton has caused superweeds, and drivenIndian farmers to suicide.
Genetically modified organisms and crops are so controversial that communities, states, and even entire nations are at the very least attempting to ban or suspend these creations – with some areas having notable success. A small example within the U.S. can be seen when a federal judge in southern Oregon recently decided touphold Jackson County’s banon genetically engineered crops after two alfalfa farms requested that the ban be blocked.
Another example can be seen with the nation Hungary, which could be the first to introduce the new European Union regulations allowing countries toban the cultivation of GMO crops.
An observer remarked: “As time goes on, you can expect to see more suspensions and even bans on Monsanto’s GMOs as well as the company’s herbicidal chemical creations meant to be sprayed on GMO crops.”
Twenty-three members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have expressed solidarity with people in the global community standing in support of the human right to water, with particular mention of the dangers of privatisation of water in Lagos, Nigeria.
Shayo Holloway, managing director of the Lagos State Water Corporation, insists that government is partnering with the private sector and not privatising water. Photo credit: theeagleonline.com.ng
The solidarity was expressed in a letter signed by about half of the CBC, expressing sentiments which the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Environment (ERA/FoEN) believes underscores “the disproportionately harmful effect water privatisation schemes, including public-private partnerships, have on people of colour around the world, with signatories pointing specifically to efforts to privatise water in Lagos, where the World Bank has pushed privatisation as a solution despite its abysmal track record.”
The letter draws from two US examples – Detroit and Baltimore. By prioritising revenue over access, much as a private utility would, the cities have raised rates and forced the shut-off of water access for tens of thousands, drawing the concern of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Water.
As part of a global movement to oppose corporate control of water, spanning from Jakarta to St. Louis, Baltimore recently avoided potentially perilous contract with global private water corporation Veolia. Detroit Representative John Conyers, Jr. led the signatories with Rep. Karen Bass, ranking member of the Africa subcommittee. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, the Democratic co-chair of the Nigeria Caucus, and Reps. Maxine Waters and Emanuel Cleaver, two former CBC chairs, are also among the influential signatories.
Akinbode Oluwafemi of ERA/FoEN (left) in a meeting with some members of the CBC
In the US, from Detroit to Baltimore, aggressive collections policies are curtailing people’s access to water, disproportionately affecting communities of colour as the letter’s signers note. In Lagos the World Bank has lobbied for decades to privatise water systems.
In 2012, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – the private investment arm of the World Bank – held a conference in Senegal to persuade African leaders to privatise their water systems. The conference featured Manila, Philippines as a model for replication, despite that project’s record of massive rate hikes, quality concerns, and communities with severely limited access. International arbitration recently found that major pieces of the Manila deal violate Philippines law.
The letter read in part: “We wish to express our solidarity with the people of Lagos, of Detroit, and of cities around the world as they raise their voices in support of public water, participatory governance, and universal access. Water is a fundamental building block upon which individual and collective economic prosperity relies. When people cannot access or afford clean water, the impact on their health and livelihoods is devastating” … “and these circumstances force families to make painful economic choices.”
Consequently, ERA/FoEN has commended the CBC for its solidarity, describing the action as “timely” in halting the planned privatisation of water in Lagos.
ERA/FoEN Director, Corporate Accountability & Administration, Akinbode Oluwafem,i said: “The solidarity letter from the CBC is an encouragement for anti-privatisation groups to scale up our campaign against policies that prioritise profits over rights. We expect the Lagos State government to halt the privatisation plans and instead defend the rights of the vast majority of Lagos residents that water privatisation will disenfranchise.”
Oluwafemi, who recently visited CBC offices to seek support for the campaign against water privatisation in Lagos promoted by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), thanked members of the caucus for supporting the campaign by Lagosians to defend their right to a free gift of nature. But Shayo Holloway, managing director of the Lagos State Water Corporation, denied the allegation, insisting that government is partnering with the private sector and not privatising water.
Nonetheless, ERA/FoEN and a coalition of labour, human rights and environmental groups had severally taken to the streets to pressurise the authorities that water privatisation was a central issue in the recent elections.
Supporting the move, Shayda Naficy, Challenge Corporate Control of Water campaign director at Corporate Accountability International, said: “Around the globe, the human right to water is under threat and people of colour are disproportionately affected. Whether it’s the World Bank or Detroit City hall, this fundamental right must be upheld. The best way to do that is to keep water systems democratically accountable and in public hands.”
The CBC members learned recently that the coalition of Lagosians, in the face of this relentless lobbying from the World Bank, have raised the visibility of the plans and organised to stop it in its tracks. The campaign has engaged directly with candidates and elected officials on the issue, and marched through the streets of Lagos, but privatisation remains a risk. The group’s most recent visit to Washington, DC made clear to members of Congress that what threatens water in Lagos threatens the water of people across the U.S. as well.
Congressional co-signatories of the letter include: Alma Adams (D-NC), Karen Bass (D-CA), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Donna Edwards(D-MD), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Robert Rush (D-IL), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).
Polar bears are now eating dolphins lured north by warming water.
Scientists for the first time observed the bears feasting on white-beaked dolphins in Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic. They theorise the dolphins, coaxed northward by warmer waters, were trapped under the ice and killed by the bears when coming up for air through a small hole, they wrote in a newstudy.
A polar bear with the remains of a white-beaked dolphin covered up with snow. Source: Polar Research via Bloomberg
“This is the first record of this species as polar bear prey,” the authors led by the Norwegian Polar Institute’s Jon Aars said in the paper published this month in the Polar Research journal. “The warming of the Arctic is significantly changing the ecosystem and relations between species.”
Climate change is rendering increasing areas of the Arcticice-freeduring summer months. While the dolphins often visit Svalbard in warmer months, they haven’t been reported that far north in early spring. The researchers observed seven more dolphin carcasses near the area in the following months.
One of the bears was so skinny his ribs were visible through the fur, they said. After the bear had eaten one dolphin, it covered up another with snow to save for later.
As the Arctic warms amid changing climate and ice sheets thin, dolphins could become a more regular meal. For the bears, that’s good news as access to their more usual food supply, seals, may further decline because of the milder weather.
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) presents this Memorandum to President Muhammadu Buhari as well as policy makers and law makers at the National Assembly for a sustainable Nigeria. The document identifies several priority areas as cardinal to meeting citizens welfare, while presenting some indicators in which the present government’s success will equally be measured.
President Muhammadu Buhari. Photo credit: informationng.com
Energy Access and Off-Grid Options
Energy, in particular, oil and gas, has continued to contribute over 70% of Nigeria’s federal revenue. Regrettably, Nigeria has relied too heavily on its oil and gas resources to the detriment of other renewable sources of energy as its main source of energy. Available statistics show that only about 40% of the nation’s population has access to electricity from the national grid, leaving close to 95 million people relying on the traditional use of wood and kerosene for cooking with its attendant health implications.
Oil exploration in Nigeria has led to monumental environmental damage to communities in the Niger Delta, while energy poverty has increased the rate of deforestation and loss of forest cover with about 72% of the population depending on biomass as source of cooking energy (GCN, 2010).
The unfolding effects of climate change, the production and use of energy remains the twin problem of induced climate change and global energy poverty. Therefore, the deployment of cleaner energy solutions, particularly renewable, is paramount to reduce emission of greenhouse gases, protect the environment and enhance sustainable development.
On a long term basis, rather than focus attention on oil discovery in the Chad Basin, a post petroleum economy for Nigeria should be the focus drawing lessons from the Delta Beyond Oil Masterplan that seeks to deliver on sustainable development through renewable energy sources. There is a need of shift from fossil fuel based energy sources to cleaner energy such as solar and mini-dams as alternatives to drive future development within planetary boundaries. Renewable energy has emerged as the most favoured alternative to fossil fuels because of its low carbon nature, low rate of depletion, high rate of regeneration and inherently sustainable component. The provision of reliable, clean, and affordable energy access is required to create economic opportunities, harness the economic potentials of the rural areas to reduce poverty, stall rural-urban drift, enhance educational potentials for rural school children and encourage the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the rural areas and attain the MDGs.
The National Energy Policy (2005) emphasised the importance of renewable energy to achieving sustainable development through the expansion of overall access, targeting access rate of at least 75% by 2020. The National Policy and Guidelines on Renewable Electricity, and the on-going Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) also emphasised the importance of renewable energy.
However, renewable energy options are suitable off-grid and stand-alone systems. Based on a 10% economic growth rate and the corresponding ECN’s projected electricity demand profiles of about 16,000MW, 30,000MW and 192,000MW in the short, medium and long terms in the country, the document envisaged, that renewable energy (RE) would contribute about 13%, 23% and 36% of the total electricity demand of the nation in the short, medium and long terms, respectively (ECN, 2007). Nigeria needs to be in the forefront of the renewable energy revolution by dedicating adequate resources for research and development that will drive this process.
The UNEP Assessment Report Recommendations on Ogoni
It will be recalled that the FGN commissioned the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess the level of environmental pollution in the Ogoniland occasioned by years of spillage from oil operations in that area. The UNEP Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland Report released on August 4, 2011 made far-reaching recommendations for the cleanup, which it envisaged will take up to 30 years and cost an estimated $1billion. While government accepts the report, it has however not demonstrated sufficient commitment to implement the recommendation. It is therefore ironic, that despite several millions of Naira invested in the report and countless agitations by interested stakeholders, the Report has been subjected to political machinations and intrigues, while the environmental degradation continues almost unabated.
Your administration will do well to study the report with a view to fully implement its recommendations, which will certainly reduce environmental hazards and improve livelihoods of the affected communities.
Environmental Sustainability of the Niger Delta: Overhauling the JIV process
Closely linked to the UNEP Report is the general environmental concerns in the Niger Delta region which are well documented and further exacerbated by continued poor environmental enforcement, low level of commitment by operating companies and unbridled frustration by affected communities due to perceived neglect of government. ERA/FoEN-led coalition of CSOs and Host Communities Network urges the government to compel the transnational oil companies to halt gas flaring and commence the clean up of the over 10,000 oil spill sites by the establishment of US$100 million clean up and remediation fund for the entire Niger Delta. The socio-economic costs of inaction, economic and health losses and fast depleting biodiversity in the region have not been properly quantified neither is any one held accountable for such losses. The inability of government to hold culprits to account and non-enforcement of the Polluter-Pays Principle has encouraged the culture of impunity with grave consequences to the environment, rural livelihood sources and serious environmental degradation.
Environmental risks and ecological scarcity are being heightened. Rather than selective settlement, the root cause of grievance and environmental pollution should be dealt with decisively.
In particular, the mandatory Joint Investigation Visit to oil spill sites is currently led by the oil companies who are also responsible for the spill. It is the oil companies who put the logistics together and eventually decide the cause of spill, level of impact and extent of remediation rather than the NOSDRA with the statutory functions. The resulting Joint Investigation Report has been noted to criminalise communities, even falsified date and extent of impact in order to reduce damages and liability as the Bodo and Shell case show. Even though the issue is being settled out of court with US$83 million being paid to victims, it ought to be the concern of this government about how a company Shell has treated citizens of Nigeria with falsification of documents and manipulations of the JIV process.
ERA/FoEN advocates for stronger commitment from the government to hold every polluter accountable for both clean up and remediation of any affected area and strengthen institutions to avoid “regulator capture” which has often rendered government’s efforts useless. Attention should be paid to the Ministry of Environment, NESREA and NOSDRA so that they can properly be equipped to conduct their statutory regulatory and enforcement duties.
Climate Change and National Economic Development: The Climate Change Commission Bill
That this present government has pledged to focus attention on climate change is significant. But it can hardly do this without a strong institutional base to drive the process. There is a global consensus that climate change will stunt economic development if no urgent actions are taken. Nigeria has committed to the global effort to reduce the impact of climate change by signing both the UNFCCC and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. Appropriate policies like the National Climate Change Policy and the National Adaptation Strategic Action Plan (NASPA) have been adopted. However, because climate change is crosscutting and directly affects economies of nations, a strong national institution that will provide appropriate climate governance is being advocated. Such national institution will provide leadership, coordination, create access to resources and information to fully respond to the present and future dangers of climate change.
Nigeria has pioneered the legislation for the establishment of a specialised National Climate Change Commission/Agency through the Bill for the establishment of a Commission since 2009. However the Bill has not been assented by former President Jonathan. It is instructive to note, that countries like Philippine, Mexico, Columbia and Kenya who have adopted the Nigeria’s proposed model have since established statutory Commissions to provide climate governance and resilience in their respective countries.
ERA/FoEN recalls then the President-elect’s acceptance speech where he commits to addressing the climate challenge that presently incapacitates livelihoods. ERA/FoEN urges the president to champion the fight against climate change by the establishment of a dedicated commission directly under the presidency in line with current global practices.
The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)
The PIB was introduced to restructure the oil and gas sector through unbundling the existing NNPC with specialized agencies and bodies. Amongst other things the Bill seeks to ensure that the management and allocation of petroleum resources and their derivatives shall be conducted strictly in accordance with the principles of good governance, transparency and sustainable economic development; enshrines the principles of transparency and good governance by stating that institutions of the industry shall be guided by the principles of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the provision for participation of the people in the decision making process and fully provides for the right of citizens to know about processes of the industry.
The Bill has been subject to intense debate and political intrigues despite that the philosophy and principles of the Bill have been generally accepted. While the present legislature has promised to pass the Bill before the expiration of the current legislature year, it behooves on the new administration to ensure the full implementation if passed that so that local participation in community development process is enhanced.
In the event of non-passage of the Bill, the President is called upon to accelerate the passage of the Bill by working with the National Assembly to ensure probity and accountability for the general good of the economy and the people. The Bill if passed will increase revenue for Nigeria, account for frequent oil spills and cleanup process and arrest the spate of oil theft.
Who is Afraid of Oil Pipelines Metering?: Publish What You Pump
Surprisingly, the amount of oil extracted in Nigeria on a daily basis is unknown. What is known is the amount offered for sale at the export terminals. ERA/FoEN suggested to the past administration the need for metering of the oil pipelines, oil wellheads, and flow stations down to the export terminals but the oil companies by consensus were opposed to this. It will surprise Mr President that the amount of oil extracted from Nigeria is basically unknown. What is known is the volume offered for sale. In this way, the massive oil theft currently on-going is unaccounted for. The question this government should ask and deal with is: “who is afraid of oil pipeline metering?” so that Nigeria can ascertain the actual volume of oil extracted from Nigeria which far exceeds the records of about 2.4 mbpd.
Social Justice and Equity: National Basic Income Scheme for the Unemployed
Years of failed promises, dashed expectations and limited opportunities for selfactualisation have been perceived by a large portion of the population as injustice. This has elucidated protests and to some extent armed struggle of diverse levels and characteristics across the country. Inequitable distribution of the nation’s endowed natural resources and the widening gap between the rich and the poor has increased a sense of social exclusion and public participation. Despite consistent GDP growth, Nigeria continues to experience “growthless growth” as poverty and joblessness have become pervasive. The absence of necessary social security safety nets like medical insurance, welfare particularly for the poor coupled with lack of access to energy, water and a safe environment have continued to demoralise meaningful contribution from this segment of the population.
As part of the solution, ERA/FoEN has continue to advocate for reforms that will guarantee livelihoods like the right to a clean and safe environment, right to access to water and public participation in environmental issues as a fundamental right under the Nigerian Constitution. A regime that ensures social justice and equity is the first step towards ensuring a sustainable Nigeria.
The Niger Delta is destroyed by oil impact so also is the 11 frontline states of the north by desertification. In particular, the Fulani-Hausa herdsmen-famers conflict over grazing and farmlands for food has spilled to the south. In Eastern Nigeria, gully erosion, and in Western Nigeria, deforestation has impacted rural livelihoods.
Selective payment to a few cannot be the answer to mass unemployment and security. Since rural livelihoods sources have been affected throughout Nigeria, ERA/FoEN further advocates for the adoption of a National Basic Income Scheme (NaBIS) of about N10,000 to be paid to ALL Nigerians who are unemployed to reduce the gad of social disparity and income inequalities to cushion the meagre earnings of the poor and provide some safety valves in desperate times. ERA/FoEN urge Mr. President to adopt NaBIS that has the prospects of unlocking creative potentials, reduce crime rates, and foster national cohesion and to give a sense of belonging to this group of Nigerians desperately in need of succour.
ERA/FoEN believes that Nigeria can only make meaningful progress through efficient use of its natural resources in a sustainable manner. A “Change” agenda that will “result to improved human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (UNEP).
Apart from statutory allocation to this NABIS Fund by deemphasising individual security but the collective, all Nigerians earning N500,000 and above on a monthly basis (or N6 million per annum) will be too willing to contribute 1% of their earnings to this fund. A social Security Fund for the Unemployed is long overdue. In the past, Governors Fayemi (Ekiti), Mimiko (Ondo) Dickson (Bayelsa), and Uduaghan (Delta) were already implementing monthly stipends to alleviate old age poverty. This experience can be built upon successfully by the use of biometrics.
Poverty, Unemployment, Population, Electricity Rates: Current Trend
How will the resent government reverse these damaging statistics and reduce the rate of poverty in Nigeria? The Nigeria economy grew at an average of about 6.2 percent annually between 2002 and 2011, the new poverty estimates in 2010/2011 and 2012/1013 is 35.2% and 33.1% respectively (NBS report 2014). Punch Newspaper of February 14, 2012 reported the NBS statistic as 112.519 million Nigerians live in relative poverty condition, this figure was contained in the 2010 Poverty Profile Report of NBS represented 69% of the country’s total population. There is a general disconnect between Nigeria’s economic growth and human development
Nigeria is ranked 156 out of 187 national economies worldwide (UNDP-HDR 2011). In 2004, out of the estimated population of over 130 million in Nigeria, 54.4% lived below the poverty line. The situation worsened in 2011 when 69.1% of the population or approximately 100 million people lived in abject poverty (NBS Report 2011). As of mid-2010, Nigeria’s population was estimated at about 163.4 million (NBS 2011) and a steady annual population growth rate of 2.5%. Presently the population rose from 40,431,790 five years ago to 167,912,561 as at 2014 (NPC).
This represents an annual growth rate of 3.2% or 5.6 million people per annum. The unemployment rate as at 2011 was 24% compare to 21% in 2010, according to NBS 2013, 54% of Nigerian youth were unemployed in 2012 this has continued to rise by 27% annually in 2014 according to NBS.
Conclusion
It is within this context that submission on the above critical issues stalling the development of Nigeria are raised, with a view to getting government to redouble its effort in seeking alternative and sustainable solutions to the current energy poverty in the country. The brief outline here focuses on some parameters which eventually provides a template for scorecard for this present government.
