Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, departed Abuja on Sunday, August 16, 2015 to represent President Muhammadu Buhari at a peace mediation summit on the situation in South Sudan on Monday in Addis Ababa.
Yemi Osinbajo, Vice-President of Nigeria. Photo credit: profyemiosibanjo.com
The summit will be on the platform of the Inter-Governmental Authority, IGAD Plus. IGAD is the regional trade group of eight African countries from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the Great Lakes.
Joining IGAD for this important peace effort are a number of leading African nations including Nigeria, and others like the United States, China, United Nations, European Union and African Union, among others in the international community.
The Vice-President, who will join other leaders from the continent and outside including the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Dessalegn, will return to Abuja later on Monday.
The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has disclosed that his principal will not request any journalist to “kill” stories for him.
GOCOP dinner: L-R: Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Malam Garba Shehu; Special Adviser on Media to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina; and the President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Malachy Agbo, at the dinner for the presidential spokesmen
Adesina said instead of doing that, the administration will rather encourage newsmen to run stories that will critically examine the workings of government and provide it with the way forward.
A statement on Sunday by the President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Malachy Agbo, said Adesina said these on Thursday at a dinner held for him and other presidential spokesmen by the online publishers.
Also hosted by the GOCOP members were the Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Buhari, Malam Garba Shehu, and the Senior Special Assistant in the Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande.
Adesina said the first thing the President told him when he assumed office was: “Always tell me the truth.”
He said Buhari was emphatic when he equally told him that as a General he loved to argue, but would always bow to superior arguments.
He added: “The President told me: ‘Please do not fail to argue with me.'”
Adesina is one of its Trustees of GOCOP.
Adesina said Buhari has vowed to run an open and transparent government so much that he would have nothing to hide and would have no cause to want to ask for any story to be “killed”.
He said the only thing he asked is that for any news item, the Presidency should be allowed the opportunity to state its side before being put in the public domain.
Adesina commended the online publishers for coming together to form a group, even as he advised them to look out for spoilers, gate crashers and those who might hide under the canopy of online publishing to damage the reputation of innocent public officers.
He said: “There is a saying that one bad coin can spoil hundreds of other coins.
“My advice is that you should not allow any of your members to use the platform to malign innocent people.
“You should also find a way of sanitising the social media practitioners who just sit in their bedrooms to churn out news without professional touch.”
A group photograph of GOCOP members with the presidential spokesment
Also speaking, Shehu thanked members of the Guild for the support they gave him when he handled the media and publicity department of All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APCPPC) as Director.
According to him, the APCPPC was the poorest in terms of resources, “but the richest in terms of people’s goodwill.
“And the online publishers were the greater part of that process.”
Akande similarly acknowledged the contribution of the online media and the social media in the actualisation of the Buhari Presidency.
He advised Nigerians to adopt the government as their own because “this is the change we have been talking about”.
Earlier, Agbo had assured the presidential spokesmen of the support and cooperation of the members, even as he appealed to them to always make themselves available for any news item that requires clarification.
He assured them that members of the Guild, who are veterans in the journalism profession, would continue to support them with prayer to achieve success in their assignment.
Several other GOCOP members who spoke at the occasion commended the presidential media team for recognising the important role of the online media in modern information dissemination and appealed to them to keep it up.
Experts from governments and the public and private sectors across Latin America will gather at this year’s Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum (LACCF), which will take place from 9 to 11 September in Santiago de Chile, Chile’s capital and largest city. The objective of the meeting is to discuss the region’s climate ambition and its contribution towards a new, universal climate change agreement that will be reached in Paris at the end of the year.
Santiago in Chile will host this year’s LACCF. Photo credit: kuoni.co.uk
This year’s LACCF comes only three months before the Paris climate conference and is therefore an important opportunity for stakeholders in the region to exchange ideas, experiences and best practices on climate action.
Experts will also discuss ways to move towards carbon neutral economies. The LACCF will provide a collaborative platform at a time when Parties must submit their climate action plans (known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions – INDCs) and explore options to increase their INDC’s ambition.
Topics of particular importance will include carbon pricing and markets, flexible mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) tools, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), climate finance, low emission development policies and low carbon technology solutions.
The LACCF 2015 will assist the LAC region in understanding global markets and accessing green investment through a number of sessions, side-events and networking opportunities, building on the success of last year’s forum in Bogotá, Colombia. Participants at the forum will have the opportunity to liaise with senior UNFCCC officials and with representatives of the Latin American and the Carribean Regional Collaboration centres.
The forum is organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) along with the UNEP-DTU Partnership, the Latin American Energy Organisation (Olade), the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF).
Under the aegis of the FGN/UNDP 8th Country Programme, a three-day forum that ended in Makurdi has validated three technical reports, under a programme aimed at enhancing Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in the country
The Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammed Sani Sidi, has identified the FGN/UNDP 8th Country Programme validation as very critical to Nigeria in general and the agency in particular.
According to the DG who spoke Wednesday at the opening of a three-day Validation Workshop on FGN/UNDP 8th Country Programme that held at the Hallydays Hotel and Resort, Makurdi in Benue State, the programme would greatly enhance Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in the country.
Muhammed Sani Sidi of NEMA. Photo credit: elombah.com
Sidi, who was represented by Vincent Owam, Deputy Director (SAR), NEMA, charged participants to participate professionally so that the objective of the workshop would be met.
Stressing further, he gave special thanks to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), United Nations Development programme (UNDP) and other partners for supporting the programme.
Essentially, NEMA is benefiting from the FGN/ UNDP 8th country programme in the area of strengthening the capacity of NEMA and other relevant agencies to coordinate, promote and participate in preparedness, mitigation and response to threats, crisis and changes.
Project reports on subjects like: Mainstream gender in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) policies, planning and frameworks; Developing National DRM Information and Communication Systems; and Developing capacity for undertaking disaster risk identification, monitoring and assessment had been submitted by project consultants.
As part of the finalisation of the projects, participants at the forum set out to validate the reports.
Prof. Emmanuel Olukayode Oladipo
Speaking on the second day of the workshop’s technical session, Professor Emmanuel Oladipo of the University of Lagos who chaired the session, noted that disaster risk management is imperative in addressing disasters in the country.
According to him, the validation workshop is a step in the right direction in ensuring that the country has a viable data on risk management, adding that the process is not exhaustive as the documents stand to be scaled up in future.
In his vote of thanks on the last day of the workshop on Friday, Deputy Director, Department of Disaster Risk Reduction, NEMA, Kayode Fagbemi, who thanked participants for their attendance, said, “We are evolving as an agency that is why we organised this workshop for your help in improving the documents we proposed for effective disaster management, before validation for the FGN/UNDP 8th Country Support Programme.”
“We are trying to identify gaps and fill them up,” he added.
The workshop had participants from different technical groups such as the academia, civil society organisations (CSOs), media and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), among others.
To kick-start the implementation of its Country Programme for 2014-2017, UNDP in January 2014 held a three-day work-planning workshop with representatives from the six states selected as implementing partners: Anambra, Ekiti, Gombe, Kogi, Niger and Sokoto. Together, UNDP and the states’ representatives reached an agreement on the main elements of proposed development cooperation and produced draft annual work plans accordingly.
Nigeria Country Director of UNDP, Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai. Photo credit: ng.undp.org
The consultations, led by UNDP’s Country Director, Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai, were intensive and hands-on. They focused on fine-tuning the common areas of programme design, on discussing a Memorandum of Understanding to guide the development partnership.
The planning process was intensively consultative and inclusive. It started with the national vision, as contained in Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 strategic plan, and with the development challenges and priorities of each state, a synopsis of which was shared.
The Country Director emphasised UNDP’s development mandate in response to national and state priorities. He expressed happiness at the high level of representation from the states – which included a Secretary to the State Government and Commissioners of Budget and Planning ministries. The Country Director commended the states for both financial commitment (counterpart cost-sharing) as well as their focus on crafting meaningful activities that are linked to the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and its implementation plan (UNDAP), as well as the UNDP Strategic Plan.
This planning discussion took place against a rapidly evolving funding environment. Both constraints and opportunities were emphasised. There was consensus around the need to craft development programmes that focus on those areas where partners’ finite resources can make the most impact– or the “most bang for the buck” – in line with corporate direction and changing development landscape. The planning workshop was an important opportunity to build partnerships and mobilise resources for the Nigeria programme, and to leverage core resources (‘TRAC’) as a catalyst to attract counterpart cost-financing. Indeed, a measure of the success of the workshop was the commitment by the states to contribute two dollars for each development dollar provided by UNDP Nigeria. In addition to the critical role of resource mobilisation, the planning workshop also demonstrated inherent capacity building elements. By holding a major workshop of this nature with the partner states, UNDP enhanced the planning capacities of the states – along the lines of Results Based Management.
The teams from the states were led by the following high level officials:
• Mrs. Michelle Onugbolu (Anambra State Programme Manager)
• Hon. Oyebanji Abiodun (Ekiti State Commissioner of Planning and Budget)
• Hon. Danladi Mohammed (Gombe State Commissioner for Economic Planning)
• Hon. Osaniashi Olatunji (Kogi State Commissioner for Budget and Planning)
• Mallam Idris Kusogi (Niger State Director, State Planning Commission), and
• Alhaji Sahabi Isah Gada (Sokoto State Secretary to the Government).
Mr. S.O Elohor, the Deputy Director, International Cooperation of the National Planning Commission, the coordinating ministry for development cooperation, represented the Executive Secretary of the Commission at the meeting with the states. He charged the states to be focused on their development activities and to plan for effective development results.
Image makers in the Presidency on Thursday in Abuja had dinner with officials of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The meeting held at the corporate head offices of Premium Times Limited at Wuse 2.
The gathering offered both parties the opprtunity to interact and share ideas towards moving the nation forward.
The Presidential spokesmen were: Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu; Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina; and Special Assistant to the Vice-President, Laolu Akande.
GOCOP president, Malachy Agbo, congratulated the spokesmen for their respective appointments and assured them of the support of GOCOP members, adding that they (the spokesmen) should be open and available whenever the online publishers and their staff needed information and/or clarifications on issues.
The spokesmen, who said that online journalism had come to stay in the nation, promised that they would do all in their ability to ensure that necessary informaion gets to the media executives, while giving them (the publishers) a freehand to carry out their duty.
L-R: Garba Shehu, Femi Adesina and Malachy Agbo
Laolu Akande (left) with Malachy Agbo
L-R: Musikilu Mojeed of Premium Times, Femi Adesina and Malachy Agbo
The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) organised a Water Summit with the theme: Connecting Local Outrage to Global Resistance of Corporate Control of Water on 11-12 August 2015. The summit was organised in partnership with Corporate Accountability International, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Public Services International (PSI), Transnational Institute, Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt & Development, and Freedom from Debt Coalition.
Public water provision in a rural community in the Federal Capital Territory
Participants were drawn from local, national and international partners in Ghana, Belgium, the Philippines and the United States, representing a growing global movement committed to resisting corporate control of water and securing water as a human right. Solidarity messages were received from notable civil society actors and policy stakeholders in Nigeria. They include Ms. Joe Odumakin, Chairperson of Women Arise for Change Initiative; Wale Okediran and Uche Onyeagucha former parliamentarians; Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Centre (CISLAC); Greg Akili, Project Coordinator, Corporate Accountability International (CAI); Priscilla Achakpa, Executive Director of Women Environmental Programme; Sani Baba of Public Service International (PSI); and Shayda Naficy of Corporate Accountability International.
Key on the agenda was the interrogation of water privatisation in all its ramifications and implication on communities and peoples; solidarity between civil society groups, labour unions, activists, policy makers and the media around public-public partnerships as a strong alternative to privatisation in the water sector; and exploring of policy options to strengthen democratic control of water.
It also reassessed and denounced the misleading marketing myth of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) as just another form of water privatisation promoted by the World Bank and other financial institutions.
In his welcome remarks titled: Water as a human right and communal good: the way forward, ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Dr. Godwin Ojo, noted that the summit was aimed at honing the tools needed to stop water privatisation in Lagos and other cities faced with the challenges of privatisation.
The keynote address was delivered by Nnimmo Bassey of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
Following exhaustive deliberations and contributions, participants observed that:
The World Bank and other corporate powers are aggressively promoting privatisation as a false panacea to lack of water access in Africa.
Awareness of the human right to water is still very low.
Traditionally, it is a taboo to sell water in most communities in Africa.
Failures of good governance and profit-oriented management have caused the water systems in Lagos and other cities to decline markedly over the last 15 years.
Land grabs by multinational corporations have increased in Africa and pose serious challenges on access to water, thus depriving locals of their right to safe and potable water. Corporate takeover of water sources in Lagos and cities across Africa is a new form of colonialism.
Women’s rights and the rights of other vulnerable groups are a central concern in the realization of the human right to water, but are not accorded priority in government planning in Lagos and across Africa. Women and children are at the receiving end of water shortages and inaccessibility.
Reckless oil extraction activities, especially in the Niger Delta, are contributing factors in denying local communities access to water.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the water sector are not the solution to the water challenge, but rather a new form of colonialism aggressively marketed by the World Bank and its corporate partners, that defines success in terms of profit rather than universal affordable water access.
It was therefore agreed that:
Privatisation, under any guise including a PPP, is not a solution to lack of access to water.
A bill to guarantee access to water as a human right should be sponsored at the Lagos State House of Assembly and at national levels to forestall plans to use Lagos and other Nigerian cities as the laboratory for water privatisation in Nigeria and across the African Region.
There is the need to link the governance issues at the domestic front and across Africa with the robust global movement that is resisting privatisation of water.
A growing global trend of reclaiming and building strong public water systems – including through remunicipalisation – offers opportunities to build local democratic governance of water sources and infrastructure.
Privatisation is a justification or excuse for introducing market forces that cannot guarantee rights to water.
The failure of the World Bank’s privatisation of the water system in Manila, Philippines, which has been marketed to government officials across Africa, is a cautionary example of the dire consequences that would face Lagos if it pursued the PPP model.
Women and vulnerable groups should be accorded priority in plans to guarantee access to water.
The linkage between water access and the environment and sanitation is important and therefore should be at the front burner of campaigns against the privatisation of water.
Local communities at the grassroots level, and in particular Community Development Associations (CDAs), must be fully integrated into campaigns on [the human right to water].
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) should be used to demand information on funds granted for public water projects over the last three decades.
The need for stakeholders to assert their identities as ‘citizens,’ rather than accept being designated as ‘consumers’ through privatisation and commodification.
An Africa Coalition Against Water Privatisation has been established as a network of civil society and development experts carrying out targeted actions towards promoting the human right to water. This initiative will address the challenges of governance, human rights and corruption in the water sector across the African continent.
An African Women Water Network has been established, working in coordination with the Africa Coalition Against Water Privatisation.
The Summit stands in solidarity with the Water Citizens Network of Ghana in saying NO to prepaid water meters.
The monthly surcharge on electricity tariff stopped by the Nigerian Senate should also be extended to the water sector.
Citizen engagement processes that are funded and supported by international financial institutions, that promote PPP privatisation models as the presumed goal and/or neglect input from independent citizen advocates, are rejected.
A probe will be launched of all loans and funding for the existing water system and infrastructure managed by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC).
The Abuja skyline and indeed the Nigerian property market is poised for a remarkable transformation as construction gets underway for “The Address Hotels + Resorts” in Abuja, by Eagle Hills, a global developer of iconic real estate assets. It is a core component of the Abuja Centenary City, “A city within a city” and designed as a new social and economic hub for Nigeria.
An impression of the Abuja Centenary City
The project is a multifunctional development that offers a complete cosmopolitan lifestyle to its residents, as well as serves as a hub for the wider community. The Centenary City, a smart, inter-connected urban centre that draws on the innovative technologies, will have a central business district, a financial centre, a museum and cultural centre to promote African and global arts, world-class hotels, business and technology parks, residential districts, an 18-hole golf course, industry centres, sports and leisure facilities and community amenities.
Eagle Hills, a UAE-based private real estate investment and development company, has reconfirmed The Address Resorts as a core element of the Abuja Centenary City, its premier lifestyle free trade zone development in Abuja. The Address Abuja, which is already under rapid construction, promises to introduce a new concept in Nigeria for hospitality and residential living with serviced villas and apartments.
The Address Abuja in Centenary City is designed to work in harmony with nature: an exclusive community becoming part of the natural landscape and offering both an impressive downtown skyline and peaceful suburban living. Conceptualised by one of the world’s finest hospitality labels, The Address Residence serviced apartments, will be the city’s most exclusive uptown address, offering the pinnacle of urban life, ultra-modern towers and a breathtaking view of Centenary City. Residents will be able to enjoy a host of world-class amenities both inside and around their homes from fully equipped gyms, swimming pools and premier wellness facilities to closely located convenience stores and services.
It is set in a spectacular position, offering breathtaking views of Centenary City and the surrounding landscape. The podium deck is the front door of the project, featuring a carefully detailed complex of private decks, infinity pools, concierge services, and the ultimate in club facilities, all within a resort atmosphere. The development aims to boost the Nigerian hospitality sector, bringing it in par with international standards across the globe.
Mohamed Alabbar, a board member of Eagle Hills, said: “Centenary City Abuja is a fitting tribute to the Nigerian nation. The 1,300-hectare master-planned community, is envisaged as a spectacular city hub and the largest of its kind in Africa. The Address Residence Abuja will be the latest premier property embodying the company’s progressive spirit. The project features a residential community consisting of four- to 10-bedroom luxury villas and one- to three-bedroom apartments.”
Philippe Zuber, Chief Operating Officer of The Address Hotels + Resorts, said: “The Address Abuja, the five star premium brand brings a new identity to the hospitality and service offering in Nigeria and the region. The Address chooses central locations to offer its customers the best in entertainment, leisure and overall convenience, guaranteeing a first-class hospitality experience for every resident and guest. The Address Hotels + Resorts group philosophy is to offer a more personal and approachable experience to guests in a lifestyle environment, whether it be business, leisure or group travelers. Its motto ‘Where life happens’ demonstrates the versatile approach of The Address to servicing every customer, guaranteeing a first-class hospitality experience for every guest; making it the perfect addition to Centenary City.
With excellent connectivity to the main highway, 30 minutes from the city centre and less than 10 minutes from the airport, The Address Abuja in Centenary City is located in the heart of this spectacular development.
The arrival of The Address Hotel in Nigeria at Centenary City Abuja is symbolic of Eagle Hills’ approach to developing flagship mixed-use master-planned communities in high growth cities of the future. The urban expansion and renewal projects positively impact business and tourism while also ensuring sustainable economic growth. When completed, Centenary City will be an interconnected, smart and intelligent city that will create several thousand new jobs and promote other sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure.
Eagle Hills is a global developer of iconic real estate assets and a provider of premium lifestyles that helps countries raise their global profiles to new heights. Their properties aim to become flagship city destinations that invigorate nations. Backed by unprecedented credentials in creating mixed-use master planned communities, Eagle Hills Company builds residential projects that captures the very best the city has to offer, and is a catalyst to urban expansion and sustainable economic growth.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Thursday in Abuja formally presented the report of the media coverage of the 2015 general elections to the public with a call on the media practitioners to digest and learn from the recommendations.
Mr Adesina (with the mike) and other dignitaries during the book presentation in Abuja on Thursday
Mr Adesina who spoke in Abuja while presenting the book, “Reportage of 2015 Elections: Monitoring Scorecard of Print and Online Media”, enjoined the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that it is widely circulated.
The project jointly undertaken by the International Press Council (IPC) and the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) was funded by donors- EU, UKAid, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development under the Democratic Governance fore Development (DGD) Project managed by the UNDP.
According to the Presidential Media Adviser, it was good that the 2015 electoral process was measured and evaluated, saying it would guide media practitioners in the coverage of future elections.
While noting that there were lapses in the media reportage of the last general elections, Mr Adesina however, posited that “the negatives and positives are work in progress”.
The UNDP’s Media Advisor, Toyin Gabriel, who also represented the DGD Project Director, expressed delight that after a long process, the IPC and NPC were able to produce a world class report that can stand the test of time.
Mrs Gabriel said the project was undertaken meticulously with a view to proving that there are Nigerian institutions that can deliver high value project.
She said the stake was very high to deliver a product that the sponsors can be proud of and thanked the contributors for a job well done.
In his review prior to the presentation, the Director, International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, said the scope of the project covered six-month period from November 2014 to April 2015.
He said 12 national newspapers were monitored during the period. They were- Daily Sun, The Nation, National Mirror, Vanguard, The Punch, ThisDay, Daily Independent, The Guardian, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Champion, Leadership and Daily Trust.
Also monitored were 10 regional newspapers – Nigerian Chronicle, Daily Star, Nigerian Observer, Nigerian Pilot, Abuja Inquirer, Peoples’ Daily, Blueprint, The Gleaner, Desert Herald, and Fresh Facts.
In addition, four online newspapers – The Tide, The Cable, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times as well as three social media platforms – Enough-is-Enough Nigeria, Reclaim Naija and INEC were monitored.
Mr Arogundade said: “The period covered meant that it was possible to assess the performance of the concerned media outlets, prior to, during and immediately after the elections in the five topical areas of use of sources, conflict sensitivity, language use, coverage of issues and coverage of the election management body”.
The general findings are as follows:
The monitored media outlets accorded varying degree of priority to public interest issues in the 2015 elections; while there was high interest in conflict related issues, the development content of the election reports were quite low;
The monitored media outlets exhibited different levels of professionalism in the reporting of political parties and candidate but media access was generally in favour of the biggest two political parties while the other political parties were often overlooked;
The monitored media outlets made noticeable efforts to comply with the legislative and the institutional frameworks on the media coverage of elections, but there were significant areas of non-compliance.
Recommendations:
The media should in future elections guarantee fair access and equitable coverage for all registered political parties especially in order to enable the electorate to make informed choices at the polls. The reporting should not continue to be focussed exclusively on the so-called frontline or prominent political parties;
The media should continue to base its agenda for the reporting of elections and democratic governance issues on the public interest for credible process, development and democratic accountability;
Media owners, editors and reporters who cover elections should develop deliberate strategies to ensure that women politicians are properly projected;
Regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Press Council, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) etc and media professional associations/bodies like the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigeria Guild of Editors, RATTAWU, etc should strengthen and enforce their industry regulatory instruments, including election guidelines and professional conduct to ensure that media organisations deliver on equitable coverage of all political parties and women candidates;
The media should embrace the philosophy of gender responsive reporting by giving greater projection to female politicians and women issues generally while also seeking commitment from women politicians and women led organisations as sources for stories affecting the female gender and democratic governance;
Journalists should ensure that their reports on the electoral processes in general and democratic governance issues in particular are more inclusive by improving on the use of experts, women, youths, ordinary citizens, the civil society, etc, as sources;
Online media platforms operated by media practitioners should continue to uphold media ethics in their reportage of electoral and democratic governance issues in order to enhance their rating as dependable sources for engagement in subsequent elections and especially to draw a distinction between online media and other online activities by individuals who are not journalists;
The use of social media has some cross cutting advantages, as such, the civil society should plan to use and equally encourage other election stakeholders to use social media in subsequent elections in Nigeria and in engagements that deepen Nigeria’s Democratic governance;
INEC should sustain and improve on its engagement and use of the social media as a political communication and voter education tool in Nigeria;
Development partners should continue to support and fund local NGOs and media support groups on capacity building and knowledge sharing initiatives that contribute to deepening the democratic process in Nigeria.
Prof Nosa Owens-Ibie of the Media and Development Department, Caleb University, delivered the keynote address on the topic: “Ethics in Election Reporting: Looking into the Future”, while the NUJ National President and NAWOJ President, Abdulwaheed Odusile and Ifeyinwa Omowole, delivered goodwill messages respectively.
The increasing occurrence of climate-related health issues is now a global concern and risk due to the erratic changes in the environment. Climate change is aggravating natural disasters and causing more casualties. Higher temperatures, sea level rise and changes in precipitation with more weather extremes are having negative effects on public health, causing a rise in mortality, displacement, and morbidity in communities worldwide. Storms and typhoons are more intense in parts of Asia and flooding more widespread. Higher temperatures are clear with the prevalence of heat waves in Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and India, in the wake of which more than 2,000 lives were lost. Health systems can expect to experience these effects of climate change across regions and nations.
So many people are still in the habit of throwing waste on the road and in gutters; they litter the environment, causing blockages and stagnant water in drainages and gutters, and creating conducive breeding grounds for mosquitos
With regards to Nigeria, research findings on the impacts of the changing climate on vector- borne diseases indicate that higher temperatures would increase the spread of malaria and other infectious diseases such as trachoma at a faster rate. Many other existing diseases and conditions will get worse, and there will be an influx of new pests and pathogens into virgin regions or communities. In order to curtail this spread, we have to change our habits of waste management and cleanliness. So many people are still in the habit of throwing waste on the road and in gutters; they litter the environment, causing blockages and stagnant water in drainages and gutters, and creating conducive breeding grounds for mosquitos.
There is still a lack of adequate supply of public toilets causing people to defecate in public areas, which is detrimental to health because it can contaminate drinking water when floods occur as a result of climate change. This contaminated water causes sicknesses like cholera and typhoid that could be fatal if not properly treated.
The most vulnerable people to climate related health risks are children, the aged, the poor and those with underlying health conditions, in rural and urban areas, some of which do not have access to health care and facilities.
Our health care infrastructure and delivery systems which are already being stressed by the effects of climate change will further deteriorate if measures are not put in place. The Ebola crisis in Nigeria showcased the prospects of a strong health sector for the country; citizens were educated, the spread was contained within a short time and eradicated completely from the country. Some of the activities used to achieve this were persistent campaigns and awareness by the media. This same approach is necessary to educate Nigerians on the relationship between climate change, health risks and lifestyles.
The government has to intervene by enforcing the eradication of low standard cars on roads that pollute the atmosphere. This adds to greenhouse gases and increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as asthma. There has to be enforcement at sea ports to eliminate the dumping of toxic waste by developed countries. Lastly, the government should apply more stringent measures to execute punitive measures that will eliminate the business-as-usual approach by multinationals of contaminating and degrading the environment in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) on August 5-6, 2015 in Kaduna held the last leg of its three-phase Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP) for the year.
Just like those held previously in Port Harcourt (June 18-19) and Ibadan (July 1-2), the two-day Kaduna forum had “Development of a Multi User Template for Land Use Planning and Analysis Reporting (LUPAR) in Nigeria” as its theme.
The well-attended event featured an array of senior planners including numerous past presidents, as well as some planners who are legislators in the National Assembly.
A keynote presentation
The high table at the official opening
It was a full house at the Hamdala Hotel in Kaduna, venue of the MCPDP
The forum was graced by dignitaries
Town planners in politics: National President of the NITP, Dr. Femi Olomola (second from left), with professional members of the institute who also double as legislators in House of Represntatives of the National Assembly. From left: Tpl Nkole Udo Ndukwe (representing Arochuckwu/Ohi Federal Constituency), Tpl Dr Muhammad Sani Abdu (Kirfi/Alkaleri Federal Constituency) and Tpl Shehu Adamu (Bauchi Central Federal Constituency)
