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NCF, BirdLife in conservation scheme to renew livelihood, habitat

Michael Simire
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NCF, BirdLife in conservation scheme to renew livelihood, habitat

A team of nature conservation groups has embarked on an initiative designed to improve livelihood and habitats of migratory birds in the Sahel areas of Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mauritania.

Alade Adeleke, NCF Executive Director
Alade Adeleke, NCF Executive Director

Tagged “Living on the Edge Project (LOTE),” the project is funded by the Dutch Nationale Postcode Loterij, an independent lottery that sets aside two-third of its profits for charities in the fields of development, education and nature conservation. Vogelbescherming Nederland, as the beneficiary of the grant, established a contractual partnership with BirdLife International, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and three West African countries to carry out intervention activities aimed at realising the goals and objectives of the project from 2011 to 2015.

Presently, the project is being implemented in seven communities in the Sahel zone of Nigeria. These communities are Kaska, Kumaganam and Meori, in the sand dune-prone area of Yobe State; Adiani, Baturiya and Maikongoli situated within and around the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands  Complex; and Rijiyan Dono in  the Sokoto-Rima Basin.

The aims of the project are to: restore and conserve the natural dryland and wetland habitats, improving peoples’ livelihoods and conserve habitats for migratory birds, and empower people for sustainable use of natural resources and improve livelihoods. The project employs various strategies to achieve its set goals which are all encompassing and toeing the line of African Union (AU) policy direction.

Similarly, the Great Green Wall initiative is expected to plant trees that provide a barrier against desert winds, and help to hold moisture in the air and soil, allowing agriculture to flourish. The LOTE takes the cognisance of the fact that forests play a major role in the efforts to arrest climate change. Next to the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation is the greatest source of greenhouse emissions, hence the global demand to stop deforestation and to engage in massive re-afforestation in tropical zones.

The project combines Geographical Information Systems and remote sensing technology to develop LandUse/LandCover map of these areas to identify the area of intervention in each sites and also delineate the habitat restoration sites.

So far, the forest regeneration component of LOTE has restored about 15 hectares of land in some of the communities it works. This is evident in the planting of 14,700 seedlings on 10 hectares of land and provision of 1,500 seedlings of economic trees for the communities of Kaska, Kumaganam and Meoiri and; establishment of tree nurseries for raising tree seedlings for planting to curtail desert encroachment in collaboration with the local communities of Kaska, Kumaganam and Meoiri. It is expected that this effort will enhance biodiversity and improve resilience to climate change in the area as the tree will stabilise the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere.

One of the project sites of LOTE, Meoiri, is a 35km north of the wetlands. Historically, the site used to be an important habitat for migratory birds but the LOTE project noticed its serious state of degradation at the inception of the project. Specific interventions were made in form of re-planting of indigenous trees to establish plantations to reduce the rate of desert encroachment and habitat restoration; and planting to establish orchards (fruit trees) for locals to generate income. These same interventions were made in Kumaganam, Kaska, and Rijiyan Dono (Sokoto Rima Basin) sites of LOTE.

Interestingly, some of the species of trees planted for the afforestation are economical trees that will eventually bring income for the people in the long run As part of its sustainability plan, the project establishes Site Support Groups (SSGs) in each of the sites. These groups are trained on how to establish trees nursery, help to maintain the plantation and were also taught basic ecological monitoring skills to monitor their environment.

Restoration efforts embarked upon by the project notwithstanding, it employed various practical approaches and intervention to reduce pressure on the remaining woodlands and ensuring sustainable natural resource management. Conflicts over the use of resources are being addressed. The project, in collaboration with the concerned stakeholders, has re-beaconed a grazing route of approximately 3km distance and covering about 8 sq. km of Maja grazing reserve.

The conducted activity has now eliminated disputes that usually occur between the nomadic Fulani livestock keepers and the crop cultivators. Similarly, the activity has assisted in the protection of the remaining woody vegetation of the Maja Grazing Reserve as it harbors variety of migratory birds’ species.

The project has equally introduced fuel-efficient stoves capable of reducing the volume of firewood to be consumed by women and men for cooking and heating purposes.  It facilitated a train-the-trainers workshop on the production and use of fuel efficient stove for 36 women from six communities. From surveys conducted after the first attempt at training the people to construct the stove, over 600 fuel-efficient stoves have been constructed both for commercial and domestic use purposes in the different communities of the project sites, leading to reduction in the rate of encroachment into the reserves for fuel wood exploitation. Other intervention efforts aiming at supporting the people to reduce pressure on the forest include bee harvesting training and mat making.

Kunle Olawoyin, spokesperson of the NCF, said: “The LOTE project can be described as one single conservation project in the Sahelian region of Nigeria which is promoting greater community participation in wetlands resource management, through the reduction of natural resource degradation and the prevailing pressures mounted on the wetlands as result of unsustainable harvest of resources, upstream development and incursion of invasive species. It is the hope of the NCF and other stakeholders in the business of conserving our natural resources, particularly those located within the Sahelian regions will, see LOTE as one project they can draw useful lessons from for future interventions.”

IPCC: Governments comment on draft Kyoto document

Michael Simire
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IPCC: Governments comment on draft Kyoto document

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will on Monday 2 September 2013 commence the final round of written comments by governments on the final draft of the 2013 Revised Supplementary Methods and Good Practice Guidance Arising from the Kyoto Protocol (KP Supplement). The exercise will end on 29 September 2013.

Rajeendra Pachauri, Head of IPCC
Rajeendra Pachauri, Head of IPCC

This is the third stage of IPCC mandated reviews before formal adoption and acceptance of the KP Supplement at the 37th Session of the IPCC to be held in Batumi, Georgia, from 14 to 18 October 2013.

Review is a vital part of producing methodology reports such as this one. Draft reports are subjected to a multi-stage review beginning with the review of a first order draft by scientific experts, followed by the review of a second order draft by governments and experts and a final round of government comments before adoption and acceptance at a Session of the Panel.

Two previous drafts of the KP Supplement were subject to scientific and technical review by experts (Expert Review) from 7 January 2012 to 3 February 2012 and by governments and experts (Government and Expert Review) from 22 April 2013 to 2 June 2013. The draft was revised by the authors after both of these reviews in response to comments received, and this process has produced the Final Draft of the KP Supplement. The first review of the Overview Chapter took place at the time of the Government and Expert Review.

Climate policy and global climate negotiations rely on a robust scientific foundation to produce sound results. The IPCC provides policymakers with regular assessments of climate science and its potential impacts, as well as assessments of the possibilities for mitigating climate change. The estimation of emissions and removals of greenhouse gases (GHG) is one important basis for climate mitigation and the IPCC provides de facto international standards for such estimation, through highly technical work, while offering flexibility to take different national circumstances and capacities into account.

In December 2011, the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) invited the IPCC to review and, if necessary, update supplementary methodologies for estimating anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks resulting from land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities [under Article 3, paragraphs 3 and 4, of the Kyoto Protocol (KP)], on the basis of, inter alia, Chapter 4 of IPCC’s 2003 Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (GPG-LULUCF)

In response, in June the following year, at its 35th Session in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPCC asked its Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) to produce the KP Supplement. Also at the request of the UNFCCC, the TFI is working on the 2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands, whose final draft was circulated for government comments on 12 August 2013 for four weeks until 8 September 2013. It will also be considered for formal adoption and acceptance at the 37th Session of the IPCC in October.

Features, remedies to Benue flood disaster

Michael Simire
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Features, remedies to Benue flood disaster

The recently released report of “The 2012 Flood Impact Assessment” of Benue State conducted by the Benue Non-governmental Organisation Network (BENGONET) with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Benue State Government aims to bring to the fore the extent of the damage caused by the flood and the need to carryout interventions that will mitigate its effects on the lives of those involved as well as put in place adequate measures to prevent its re-occurrence and evolve better strategies for managing such situations in future.

A flooded neighbourhood
A flooded neighbourhood

With the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroun, several states in Nigeria witnessed heavy flooding especially those with rivers passing through them.

Benue State, which has the River Benue as a major river passing through it and other smaller rivers and tributaries, experienced severe flooding which cut across all its major towns on the bank of the river and its tributaries. Indeed, the flood ravaged and swept way anything within a 10-kilometre radius of the bank of the river between September and October 2012, the peak period of the flood.

The devastation, which sacked communities in Makurdi, Apa, Agatu, Otukpo, Guma, Buruku, Tarka and Kasina-Ala local government areas (LGAs) of the state, left on its trail over 700,000 displaced persons with thousands of farmlands, houses and huts either submerged or washed away.

In response to the flooding, the Benue State Government created camps for the displaced in Makurdi metropolis where those who were rendered homeless by the devastation went to seek shelter. Primary schools within Makurdi were closed and turned into camps where the displaced persons lived and survived on goodwill donations from charity organisations, religious bodies, non-governmental (NGOs), donor agencies, governmental agencies and public-spirited individuals.

According to the report, the flood had a devastating impact on the affected people, houses and environment. Private and public buildings were affected by the water which, in most instances, rose up to the window and even completely submerged buildings in some locations.

Refuse was washed from dump sites into people’s homes and sewage was flooded into sources of water in most areas affected by the flood. Farmlands were washed away and vegetation was either swept away or withered away due to excess water.

The camps that were set up by the government could not adequately cater for the needs of those families that ran to them. Toilet facilities were not adequately provided for in the camps and water supply was an issue in most of the camps.

Though there were warnings about the flood, the government’s response showed a lot of unpreparedness for the floods when they eventually came. It was as if the government did not heed the warnings of the flood. The failure of the government to heed repeated warnings and properly prepare for severe flooding resulted in far more damage and hardship than was necessary

Most of the victims who went to the camps complained that the camp officials kept most of the items donated by public-spirited individuals/philanthropists for themselves. Most of the areas affected were those located near the banks of the river or its flood plains.

Also, most of the victims were traumatised, helpless and depressed as a result of the floods. This put a strain on families and the relationship between members of families.

Lots of properties were lost to the flood. Most families, even as at the time of the conduct of the survey, could not come to terms with the reality that they had lost so much to the flood. Electronics, domestic animals, vehicles and other properties were either damaged beyond repairs or washed away by the flood.

Businesses, farmlands and other means of livelihood were destroyed by the flood, leaving most families with nothing to fall back on even after the flood.

It is believed that women and children suffered the most. Women were not provided with sanitary commodities and the absence/inadequacy of toilets and water hit them very hard. Most women were torn between looking after their children and catering for themselves during the period, which put a strain on them emotionally.

The men, the report states, had to undergo a lot of stress and pressure as they had to constantly experience anxiety about catering for their families in terms of looking for shelter and providing for other essential needs of the family and managing the situation. There were also unconfirmed reports of rape on some of the females.

The report states that, though the flood has come and gone, the impact and effects on the people is still being felt by those that were directly involved. The government, civil society organisations and public-spirited individuals should intervene to bring succour to those that were directly affected by the flood.

The removal of refuse from some of the affected areas has not been done till today. Government agencies responsible should be reminded of their responsibility to those in the affected areas where refuse was washed from dump sites to residential areas.

If not in place already, government should develop a disaster management blueprint and get its agencies responsible for response to disaster acquainted with such a document. The state’s response to the flood showed a blatant unpreparedness.

Similarly, government should make efforts towards supporting flood victims, nurturing economic growth, restoring infrastructure and re-establishing and protecting the environment.

Government should relocate houses built close to the river bank, while enacting legislation that would ban new development in floodplains.

Government should embark on the construction of new drainage channels, canals and aggressive expansion of existing ones within the areas affected to enhance the free flow of water.

CDKN in moves to build climate resilience in Africa

Michael Simire
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CDKN in moves to build climate resilience in Africa

The Climate & Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is seeking to support an 18-month project within an African city that will contribute to climate compatible development (CCD) within the informal context. A workshop from 9-11 July 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa provided a forum where participants could exchange knowledge and experiences with the aim of identifying the key elements of a framework for CCD in informal settlements and slums.

Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary
Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

The workshop was attended by government representatives, NGO practitioners and university-based researchers from Kampala (Uganda), Accra (Ghana) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), as well as representatives of CDKN, the African Centre for Cities (ACC) researchers and other key urban experts.

This project aims to foster climate compatible development in African cities through working with informality and building climate resilience amongst the urban poor.

The project was initiated by CDKN, in partnership with the ACC at the University of Cape Town (UCT), to develop an approach to CCD that responds to the specific challenges and needs of African cities, which are characterised by high levels of slums and informal settlements, largely informal economies, high levels of unemployment, majority youthful populations, and low levels of industrialisation. They have the highest growth rates in the world. The urban poor, who largely reside in informal settlements and slums, are vulnerable to global economic and climate change impacts. These can combine to devastating effect.

Informality is a central characteristic in African cities. Engaging with the informal sector is therefore key in the response to the urban climate change challenge in the African context. Informality comes in many forms, including settlement on unplanned land without public services and bulk infrastructure, unregistered housing construction and transfer, informal and insecure jobs, and unregulated trade and service provision. 62% of Africa’s population lives in slum conditions and this is likely to double by 2050.

According to Project Manager, Lisa McNamara, “This awarded project will also help develop the beginnings of this co-created framework further. The ACC will act as a research partner during the project to facilitate, track and document learning on what constitutes CCD in African cities.”

The project will span two years (Jan 2013 – Feb 2015).

Bamako Convention in flagship meeting, 22 years after adoption

Michael Simire
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Bamako Convention in flagship meeting, 22 years after adoption

History was made a couple of weeks ago when Bamako, the capital of Mali, hosted the first gathering of the parties to a treaty adopted in the ancient city about 22 years ago.

WasteThe treaty, the Bamako Convention, was first adopted in 1991 and came into force in 1998. Nigeria is yet to ratify the agreement.

Indeed, the meeting of the first Conference of the Parties (COP 1) of the Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa held 24-26 June, 2013. Among the expected initial organisational work of a first meeting, the assembled African nations selected electronic waste (e-waste), an unknown subject at the time of the 1991 adoption of the Convention, for strong continental action.

Since the 2005 release of the Basel Action Network’s (BAN) film and report “The Digital Dump: Exporting Re-use and Abuse to Africa,” Africa has been revealed as an ongoing destination for unwanted used electronics flowing from North America and Europe. Destinations such as Accra in Ghana, Nairobi in Kenya, and Lagos in Nigeria have been the subject of numerous subsequent studies and documentaries.

The Bamako meeting, however, marks the first time that African Parties have by themselves called for rigorous action to prevent e-waste dumping in a decision adopted by Parties to legal instrument or treaty.

The Bamako COP 1 e-waste Decision (Decision I/13) calls for:

  • All African nations to enhance or supplement existing legislation to prevent illegal and unwanted traffic in hazardous and other e-waste from entering their territory and the African continent;
  • African nations to create and adopt legislation to make electronics manufacturers legally take individual producer responsibility for taking back their equipment in the continent of Africa;
  • African nations to legally consider all non-functional or untested used electronic equipment as hazardous waste and prevent their importation into the African continent;
  • African nations to adopt legislation to control the importation of near-end-of-life or unwanted equipment, inter alia by designating such equipment as hazardous waste.

Among other decisions adopted were those calling for all African states to ratify the Convention as well as the Basel Ban Amendment. Currently the Bamako Convention is ratified by Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

In a reaction to the development, Leslie Adogame, SRADev Nigeria’s Executive Director, described the delay as shameful to the African continent.

His words: “Although we welcome the eventual coming on-board of the first session (COP 1) of the Bamako Convention which suffered a natural death since 1991, but this delay is shameful to the continent and has accounted for the poor management of hazardous waste and the e-waste dumping into Africa in the past 22 years (even though e-waste was not originally addressed within the convention).

“It is most shameful that Nigeria who should be seen to play a lead role in the continent has inadvertently lagged behind, Nigeria is yet to ratify the Bamako Convention after 15 years of its coming into force in 1998.

“It is not enough to just sign the Convention without Ratification, which was why Nigeria could only attend the recent Bamako meeting (COP 1) as an Observer.

“An observer status simply means no voice in the continent’s on-going rigorous action to implement the treaty or prevent e-waste dumping in a decision adopted by Parties to legal instrument or treaty.

“Moreover, following the global exposition of the Basel Action Network’s (BAN) film and report ‘The Digital Dump: Exporting Re-use and Abuse to Africa,’ which implicated Nigeria as one major destination for unwanted used electronics flowing from North America and Europe, we should be seen to be pro-active after all.

“We are urgently calling on the Federal Government to match words this time with action and move away from “environmental rhetorics”. Although we acknowledge the effort and achievements by NESREA in recent past at addressing the national scourge, this final take-off of this First Meeting of African Waste Treaty – Bamako Convention, the government would need to address immediately the illegal importation of e-waste through its porous borders as a priority, domesticate and harmonise the existing legislation in line with the Bamako Convention, strengthen and Fund a competent authority (NESREA) and establish the treaty Focal Point in addition to a national body to act as ‘Dumpwatch’ in liaison with NGO groups and other interest groups before the second conference of parties – COP 2.”

Electronic wastes entail discarded computers, office equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets and refrigerators. These also include device destined for reuse, recycling, or disposal.

Some electronic scrap components such as CRTs are known to contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and brominated flame retardants.

In Nigeria, numerous ICT markets have emerged over the years but the popular Computer Village at Ikeja in Lagos stands tall, occupying about six hectares of land with over 400 registered businesses. People come from every nook and cranny of the country and even from countries within the West African region to buy computers, phones and parts in the market.

The wastes are processed and disposed using crude methods such as dumping in open land spaces or refuse dumps as well as open burning. Toxic chemicals are released into the environment with the crude disposal methods in use and in the process cause high risks to human health and the environment as some of these toxic constituents are carcinogenic and endocrine disruptors.

Since the days of the infamous Koko toxic waste dump in Delta State over two decades ago, Nigeria has consistently experienced cases of illegal toxic waste shipment into the country from Europe and the Americas. The National Environmental Standards and regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) had on several occasions detained some vessels that brought in e-waste into the country. Some vessels previously detained include: MV Maersk Nashville and M.V. Gumel.

The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Environment and the NESREA have intervened appropriately by developing draft National Policy on e-waste while NESREA has launched national E-Waste regulations. In cognisance of the environmental and human health challenges posed by e-waste, Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) also have ongoing initiatives on how to solve the e-waste menace in an environmentally-sound manner.

PAVE, CTI-PFAN collaborate on clean energy

Michael Simire
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PAVE, CTI-PFAN collaborate on clean energy

Officials of the Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) have disclosed that the Lagos-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) is collaborating with the Climate Technology Initiative Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI-PFAN) in the area of sustainable energy.

Consultant to the Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), Evans Bassey; President of PAVE, Akpan Johnson; Global Coordinator, Climate Technology Initiative Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI-PFAN), Peter Storey; representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Ms Ime; and Programme Manager at PAVE, Temiloluwa Ogunniyi, during a visit by Storey and Ime to PAVE’s office in Lagos… August 1st, 2013
Consultant to the Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), Evans Bassey; President of PAVE, Akpan Johnson; Global Coordinator, Climate Technology Initiative Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI-PFAN), Peter Storey; representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Ms Ime; and Programme Manager at PAVE, Temiloluwa Ogunniyi, during a visit by Storey and Ime to PAVE’s office in Lagos… August 1st, 2013

“We are currently in discussions and anticipate that there will be many synergies and opportunities for our respective organisations to explore to support clean energy initiatives in Nigeria,” stated Anthony Akpan, head of PAVE.

According to him, the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) is a multilateral, public-private partnership initiated by the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) in cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Expert Group on Technology Transfer.

“PFAN operates to bridge the gap between investments and clean energy businesses.  CTI PFAN operations and activities are funded by the CTI and other funding partners including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Energy for All Programme, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) and the International Centre for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT).

Moringa tree

admin
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Moringa tree

Moringa is becoming popular in Nigeria and people seem to enjoy consuming the seeds more than the leaves . However Dr Aimienwauu, a Moringa farmer and natural medicine practitioner warns that consuming the seeds of moringa has a long term side effect. The kidneys, Liver and other organs of the body could be damaged.
The experiment of using moringa seeds to purify water is enough warning to show how the high portent seeds can gradually damage the human body if consumed for a long time without the guidance of a natural medicine practitioner. Watch this video.

Eleko community’s sustainability challenges

Michael Simire
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Eleko community’s sustainability challenges

Global challenges constitute an alarming indicator that calls for reflection on how best to utilise, preserve and conserve natural resources, towards ensuring a sustainable lifestyle, sustainable growth, sustainable economy and sustainable development.

Oshaniwa
Oshaniwa

In the new millennium, attention is being paid to environmental protection so that future generations can also benefit from the bounty of nature. The new slogan of the 2000s is “sustainable development or sustainability” which is impacting on most, if not on all, economic and social aspects of growth, and which is of paramount significant to Lagos State as an emerging mega city. The tires of government need to address locally their social, ecological and economic challenges in meeting the agenda for sustainable development.

The concept of Sustainable Communities is one of the sustainability modes of creating awareness, educating, as well as promoting peace, values and mainstreaming the three pillars of sustainability in the development process. Thus, sustainable communities are communities planned, built, or modified to promote a sustainable living. They tend to focus on environmental sustainability (including development and agriculture) and economic sustainability.

Located along the Lagos coastline, Eleko is one of the numerous communities in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos. It is renowned for its swampy terrain and regarded as the “gate way” to economy prosperity in the state. Both the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Eco-tourism Village cut across the Eleko community, which has a population of about 5,000 inhabitants. Major occupation of the people is fishing and some trading activities by the famous Eleko Beach.

Environmentalist, Toyin Oshaniwa, who is conducting a study in the area of sustainable communities, ponders: “How sustainable is Eleko in 2015/2020? How sustainable are its fishing activities? What are the ecological, social and economic challenges? What is the state of its governance and community development/participation?”

Oshinawa, who is Executive Director, Nature Cares (a non-governmental organization), says that Eleko is rich in natural resources and biodiversity such as swampy shrubs, water tolerant plants, coconut trees, shrimps, periwinkles prawns and fish.

According to him, the community is showing signs of climate change directly and indirectly impacting inhabitants such as low fishing activities, rising sea level, high tides, changes in weather and fishing patterns, and loss of natural shoreline protection (coconut trees). He lists other challenges to include: poor waste management, deforestation, water and sanitation, land clearance/utilisation and salt water intrusion and attending health consequences.

“To address the environmental or ecological problems, sustainability strategies can be employed to create more environmental values and reduce the negative impact of the people activities or lifestyle on the environment,” he states, adding that the strongest element of sustainable community is the promotion of social equity, and appreciation of cultural values and peace.

“The people of Eleko are peaceful, supportive and accommodative. Meeting and interacting with them shows the desire to develop in a sustainable way, by identifying social needs for the community, and development that will help the future generation. Some of the noted challenges are: poor sanitary system (toilets), lack of basic educational infrastructure and system (primary and secondary schools), electricity, and vulnerable livelihood, especially the women. A practical sustainable community participatory project will promote a sustainable community development,” he observes.

He describes the community as a gate way of economic development for the state, having a strong potential for growth. But he fears that poor government policies and lack of good governance that does not involve the people in the development process may be a clog in the wheel of progress.

“The Lekki Free Trade Zone is an indication that there will be land use conflict and destruction of natural resources with no proper sustainability plans. Already, there are: poor roads within the community, Illegal sale of land, lack of a sustainable plan for the community, women and youth unemployment, and neglect of the fishing sector due to poor equipment and policy.”

He wants both the local and state governments to ensure a sustainability plan is put in place to protect the people’s source of livelihood, protect/preserve their land for future generation, invest in the fishing industry, empower youth/women, and create green jobs.

Ocean surge in Lagos, govt advises residents to keep away

Michael Simire
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Ocean surge in Lagos, govt advises residents to keep away

There was panic in Lekki Peninsula area of Lagos State in the early hours of Thursday as the Atlantic Ocean overflowed its banks.

SurgeResidents and early morning callers to the Lekki Beach noticed the rising level of the ocean waves and raised an alarm.

According to an eye-witness, a lady narrowly escaped being swept away when the waves suddenly took over her, but she held on tightly to a coconut tree to the surprise of many who thought she has been washed away by the raging water.

Also affected were the premises of nearby Silverbird Television, a private television station as water flowed into the organisation’s compound.

Residents expressed fears over the adverse effect of the development, prompting state officials to assess the site. They asked those within the beach to vacate the area, warning that the surge would likely get worse.

Experts have attributed the surge to rising sea level occasioned by melting polar ice due to global warming.

Warning that danger looms in the beaches and its environs, General Manager/CEO, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, attributed accidents and emergencies that occur during festive periods to the nonchalant attitude and carelessness of the people.

He warned Lagosians to be safety conscious and stay away from the affected areas especially Lekki Beach, Alpha Beach and Elegushi Beach. He added that the tidal waves began at 3am and lasted till 6am, and said a repeat of the wave might cause damages to the beach’s environ.

But the Public Relations Officer, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-West Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, debunked claims that ocean surge is to blame for the flooding of the Lekki axis of the state. He added that only turbulence was experienced.

He said: “Contrary to claims, there was no flooding in Lagos or Lekki and, if there was, we would have been alerted. The only alert we received today was concerning the ocean surge.

“Some environmentalists had contacted NEMA to warn members of the public not to swim in the ocean or any of the beaches due to the turbulence from the ocean.

“Although the surge does not mean that they cannot visit the beaches, they are urged to stay away from the water because such surging waves carry whatever is in their path.”

He said the agency initially did not want to raise the alarm and cause panic, but was more interested in doing a deeper assessment of the surge with a group of experts from different agencies.

Farinloye said: “For now, we want people to keep out of the water till proper and deeper analysis is done and then measures to ameliorate the effect are put in place.

“Ordinarily, all beaches are supposed to have medical centres in them but, at the moment, only about two have such facilities and that is why a stakeholders’ meeting billed for next week will tackle such issues.”

On whether the surge was exacerbated by the Eko Atlantic project, Farinloye said that was part of what the experts would assess and discuss during the stakeholders’ meeting and then work on ways to ameliorate the effects of the project on the ocean.

When contacted, one of the environmentalists who had alerted NEMA, Sunny Osaghale, said they were forced to bring it the agency’s attention because of the alarming height of the waves.

He said: “We had to say something because some people are ignorant and they think they can swim in the ocean the same way they swim in the pools.

“Ordinarily, when the ocean is choked, it will surge on the sea reservoirs which are the shorelines, but the shorelines in Lagos have been washed away and what is left is weak and that is why the ocean overflows the banks.

A university don, Dr. Dupe. Olayinka, raised doubts over the safety of Eko Atlantic City, a mixed-use estate being built just off the Bar Beach on land reclaimed from the ocean. It is being championed by the Lagos State Government. When completed, the project, which is billed to cover some nine million square metres of reclaimed land, would be home to about 250,000 people.

Olayinka as well as several other scientists believe that the Eko Atlantic City project is a major cause of the increasing incidence of ocean surge being experienced within the area and surrounding vicinity.

Two years after UNEP report, Shell urged to clean up Ogoniland mess

Michael Simire
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Two years after UNEP report, Shell urged to clean up Ogoniland mess

On the occasion of the second year anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Assessment of Ogoniland, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has demanded that the Nigerian government demonstrate its commitment to implementing the recommendations of the UNEP report by compelling Shell to clean up its mess in Ogoniland.

ND5The ERA/FoEN, in a statement issued in Abuja, said it was simply absurd and unacceptable that, two years after the UNEP assessment was submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan and a committee set up to make critical recommendations on its implementation, there is still nothing meaningful on ground to show that the Nigerian government is ready to make Shell take responsibility for its environmental crimes in Ogoniland.

The UNEP findings released on August 4, 2011 showed hydrocarbon pollution in surface water throughout the creeks of Ogoniland and up to 8cm in groundwater that feed drinking wells. Soils were found to have been polluted with hydrocarbons up to a depth of five metres in 49 observed sites, while benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical was found in drinking water at a level 900 times above World Health Organisation (WHO) acceptable levels.

ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Ojo, said: “The issues in the UNEP report are about the devastation of the ecosystems, waterbodies, livelihoods and how Shell’s oil extraction activities have impoverished the Ogonis, and sentencing them to slow deaths. Sadly, the Nigerian government and Shell are still promoting cosmetic approaches to the remediation measures recommended by UNEP. These measures seem clearly focused on guaranteeing Shell does not take responsibility for its mess in Ogoniland. Shell, clean up your mess because a day of reckoning is at hand.

Ojo said that the hasty setting up of a Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) which does not in any way address the key demands that the report recommended on the eve of the first anniversary in 2012 lends credence to the belief among the Ogoni and the environment community that government is trying to divert attention from the real issues. Sadly, government has taken side with Shell rather than with the people and the protection of the environment.

“We are unequivocal that the HYPREP and ongoing illegal activities by Shell in Ogoniland do not in any way represent the UNEP recommendations. HYPREP should either be scrapped or made a unit in the National Oil Spills Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) which should be statutorily responsible for the clean-up of Ogoniland rather than the administrative status of HYPREP under the control of the Minister for Petroleum.”

Ojo said the ERA/FoEN demands include:

  • The immediate release of the $1 billion Ogoni Environmental Restoration Fund by the Federal Government and Shell with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) as the supervising agency as to its deployment and use.
  • Shell immediately commences decommissioning of its abandoned facilities in Ogoniland, and the cleaning up of all impacted sites in Ogoniland to ensure remediation, restoration and compensation.
  • The good people of Nigeria, Civil Society groups both from Nigeria and across the globe should join hands in pressuring the Nigerian government and Shell to not only begin the full implementation of the UNEP Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland but to ensure its timely completion.
  • The immediate setting up of $100 billion Niger Delta Restoration Fund for the clean-up of the entire Niger Delta impacted by oil activities.
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