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Global gas flaring rises to highest level since 2019, says World Bank

Michael Simire
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Global gas flaring rises to highest level since 2019, says World Bank

The amount of gas flared worldwide in 2023 rose by nine billion cubic meters (bcm) to 148 bcm, its highest level since 2019, a World Bank report has said.

Gas flaring
Gas flaring

This is contained in a statement by the World Bank, on its new satellite data on Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership, a copy of which was obtained on Friday, June 21, 2024.

The report said the increase resulted in an additional 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, an amount similar to adding about five million cars to the roads,

The statement quoted Demetrios Papathanasiou, World Bank’s Global Director, Energy and Extractives Global Practice, as saying: “Millions of people still lack access to basic energy and greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow, while huge volumes of gas continue to be wastefully flared every year.

“Capturing and using this wasted gas could displace dirtier energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and generate enough power to double the amount of electricity provided in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The statement also quoted Zubin Bamji, World Bank GFMR Manager, as saying: “The increase in gas flaring is particularly disheartening as it comes after a long-overdue reduction in 2022.

“This sets global gas flaring levels back to what we experienced in 2019. We’re hopeful that this is somewhat of an anomaly and the longer-term trend will be dramatic reductions.”

The report showed that gas flaring released harmful pollutants, including black carbon and unburned methane, which contribute to climate change and pose risks to both people and the planet.

It also showed that eliminating gas flaring would avert at least 381 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions being released into the atmosphere each year.

“When productively used, wasted flared gas can help displace dirtier energy sources, increase energy access in some of the world’s poorest countries, and provide many countries with much-needed energy security.”

It added that the World Bank’s annual Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report is a tool for monitoring and understanding the state of flaring worldwide and the progress made towards achieving Zero Routine Flaring by 2030.

It said the World Bank’s GFMR Partnership, together with the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines, had developed global gas flaring estimates based on observations from a satellite.

The satellite, the bank said, was launched in 2012 and operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“The advanced sensors of this satellite detect the heat emitted by gas flares as infrared emissions.

“GFMR is a multi-donor trust fund composed of governments, oil companies, and multilateral organisations committed to ending routine gas flaring at oil production sites across the world.

“GFMR is also committed to reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector to near zero by 2030.”

By Okeoghene Akubuike

Up to 30% more: Climate change makes it harder for women to collect water

Michael Simire
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Up to 30% more: Climate change makes it harder for women to collect water

By 2050, climate change could increase the amount of time women in households without running water spend collecting water by up to 30 percent on global average, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change.

India
Women carrying water in India

In regions of South America and Southeast Asia, the time spent collecting water could double be due to higher temperatures. A team of scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) estimates the large welfare losses that could result from climate impacts and highlights how women are particularly vulnerable to changing future climate conditions.

Worldwide, two billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water. The responsibility for collecting water typically falls on women and girls.

“Climate change leads to rising temperatures and alters rainfall patterns, affecting the availability of water. We show that for women in households without running water, the time spent collecting water will increase in almost all regions analysed under future climate change,” says study author Robert Carr, guest researcher at PIK.

On a global average, for the period from 1990 to 2019, women in households without running water spend 22.84 minutes every day collecting water – ranging from 4 minutes in parts of Indonesia to 110 minutes in regions of Ethiopia.

“Compared to these numbers, we found that women will have to spend up to 30 percent more time each day collecting water by 2050 under a high-emission scenario. This can be reduced to 19 percent if global warming is kept below 2-degree Celsius,” says Carr.

“Regionally by 2050, daily water collection times could double under a high-emission scenario, for example, in regions across South America and Southeast Asia. For regions in eastern and central Africa that currently have the longest water collection times, there can be increases of between 20 and 40 percent due to increases in temperature under a high emissions scenario,” says author Maximilian Kotz from PIK.

Globally, women spend up to 200 million hours a day on this vital task (as of 2016), which can lead to major losses of time otherwise used for education, work or leisure and can sometimes be a physical and mental burden.

Cost of lost working time could reach tens to hundreds of millions of US dollars per country and year

Based on historical data from household surveys in 347 subnational regions across four continents from 1990 to 2019, the researchers first assessed how changing climate conditions have impacted water collection times in the past.

“We find that higher temperatures and less rainfall have increased daily water collection times,” says Maximilian Kotz.

There are several possible explanations for that, he adds: “From a purely physical perspective, higher temperatures and less rainfall change the balance between evaporation and precipitation, thus lowering water tables. This makes fresh water harder to access. In addition, the journey can also become more uncomfortable and thus take longer due to heat stress.”

Combining the observed patterns with temperature and precipitation projections from state-of-the-art clime models (CMIP-6), the researchers then assessed the impacts of future changes in climate on daily water collection times under different emission scenarios.

“Our results shed light on a gendered dimension of climate change impacts,” states Leonie Wenz, author and Head of PIK research group “Data-based analysis of climate decisions”.

“They show how strongly climate change will affect women’s well-being. Due to higher water collection times, they will lose time for education, work and leisure. By 2050, the cost of lost working time alone, calculated at the country-specific minimum wage, would be substantial, reaching tens to hundreds of millions of US dollars per country and year under a high-emission scenario,” adds Wenz.

SPP, DCC unveil initiative to rate, rank Nigerian states’ climate governance performance

Michael Simire
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SPP, DCC unveil initiative to rate, rank Nigerian states’ climate governance performance

The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), in close collaboration with the Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja, has announced plans to officially launch the rating and ranking of the climate governance performance of Nigeria’s 36 states in July 2024.

SPP and DCC
SPP President, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke (left), with Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC), Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe

The statement was made on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the inaugural coordination meeting of climate change desk officers from Nigerian states, which was convened by the DCC.

SPP President, Prof Chukwumerije Okereke, while presenting the state of play of the rating and ranking project, said the project builds on the mapping of the climate change impact, policy, and action of the states, which was executed by the team last year in collaboration with the DCC and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

He said the current project would provide a single rating and ranking report of the performance of the 36 states of Nigeria.

Professor Okereke said the rating and ranking were done based on five governance criteria, namely, (i) climate change governance administrative structure, (ii) presence or absence of climate policy and action plan, (iii) extent of climate change project implementation; (iv) extent of incorporation of climate finance in state budgets; and (v) online visibility of state’ climate activities.

Professor Okereke said the ranking and rating exercise is based on the responses provided by States Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, and Climate Desk Officers across the 36 states, as well as extensive independent verification done by the research team and the Department of Climate Change staff.

Professor Okereke said he was confident that this rating and ranking exercise would raise awareness of climate in the states and create an atmosphere of positive competition and a race to the top among the states, consistent with what he has seen in other countries where such projects have been done.

Professor Okereke stated that the states with the highest-ranking scores would be recognised during the report’s launch, which is expected to be held in the last week of July.

During his keynote address, Mahmud Adam Kambari, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, expressed his delight at the official launch of the Subnational Coordination Meeting on Climate Change, stating that climate change is a major emergency and one of the most pressing issues of our time.

He underlined the fact that the purpose of the coordination conference is to strengthen the synergy between national and subnational actors in order to achieve better climate governance in the country in line with the Presidential Transformative Agenda of the President.

The Permanent Secretary described subnational climate change officers as key personnel in the fight against climate change, given their role in translating global climate goals into concrete actions and policies that resonate at the local level.

Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director of the DCC, while presenting the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the subnational coordination meeting, highlighted the key objectives of the meeting to include improving collaboration and knowledge sharing among Subnational Climate Change Desk Officers, promoting effective climate change action at the subnational level, and targeted training and capacity building of the desk officers.

Dr. Abiola-Awe urged climate change desk officers to be responsive and on time at all meetings, as they are expected to attend and offer updates on climate change initiatives, successes, problems, and lessons learnt in their respective regions during the monthly sessions.

In closing, Prof Okereke congratulated the DCC Team on the successful coordination meeting of Climate Change Desk Officers from Nigeria’s 36 states, which he said will have a massive impact in helping to align state climate action with national climate priorities and objectives.

By Michael Simire and Wole Adegbule

GEF approves over $700m to support Great Green Wall, cities, climate resilience

Michael Simire
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GEF approves over $700m to support Great Green Wall, cities, climate resilience

The Global Environment Facility’s governing body has approved more than $700 million for nature protection and renewal projects, including support for the Great Green Wall and investment in large-scale initiatives for sustainable cities, cleaner industries, improved ocean and land health, and greater climate change resilience.

GEF Council Meeting
GEF Council Meeting, June 2024

The funding from the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), which together are part of the GEF family of funds, reflects a commitment to quickly and efficiently deploy grants to developing countries whose action on environmental challenges is key to meeting global goals for biodiversity, climate change, and pollution this decade.

The package of support includes nearly $500 million from the GEF Trust Fund for 25 projects and programmes, among them the new global Sustainable Cities Integrated Programme, and multiple efforts to address chemicals and waste challenges, including in Bolivia’s cement, textile, brick, and glass sectors, in Brazil’s cement industry, and in electronics globally. It also includes support for a new Indonesia Coral Bond that will connect private capital with urgent conservation needs, building on the successful Wildlife Conservation Bond, or “rhino bond,” issued by the World Bank in 2022 with GEF financial support.

Focusing on climate change adaption, Council members approved a record $203 million from the LDCF for initiatives across 20 Least Developed Countries, including joint financing with the GEF Trust Fund for the Great Green Wall. The LDCF support will propel efforts to enhance resilience to flooding and drought in Laos and Cambodia; to develop climate-resilient transport infrastructure in Sao Tome and Principe; to support youth- and women-led green enterprises in Chad; to improve food security in Sierra Leone; and to address other urgent needs.

The GBFF Council approved the new fund’s very first work programme, allocating $37.8 million for protected area management in Brazil and Mexico. This came less than one year after the fund supporting implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework was launched at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver, Canada. The three GBFF-funded projects are set to improve the sustainability of more than 30 million hectares of protected areas on land and at sea, with long-term financing and support for Indigenous-led conservation.

CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, who was appointed to a second four-year term during the Council meetings in Washington, DC, said the large, diverse package of support reflected countries’ endorsement of the GEF family of funds’ unique ability to link challenges and address them holistically, through Integrated Programmes and through thematic programming.

“We need maximum ambition, maximum acceleration, maximum cooperation,” Rodríguez said. “The only way we can combat the complex environmental threats before us is through a unified, integrated, and harmonised approach. At a moment where we hear calls for multiple additional financial mechanisms, I strongly believe that we need to come together, not further divide ourselves.”

Council members also heard from the heads of multilateral environmental conventions about the need for fast, collaborative, and joined-up action towards international goals, looking ahead to the three year-end Conferences of the Parties (COPs) on biodiversity diversity, climate change, and desertification. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP16 will occur in Colombia in October; the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s COP29 will occur in Azerbaijan in November; and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s COP16 will occur in Saudi Arabia in December.

Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, stressed the importance of prioritising action on pollution, including the phase-out of dangerous chemicals, which can cause long-lasting environmental harm with wide effects.

“Failure to meet the 2030 targets could lead to continued contamination of ecosystems, adverse health effects in our bodies and in wildlife, and increased difficulty in achieving broader environmental and public health goals,” Payet said.

This urgency was echoed by Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, who noted that cleaning up industrial processes and improving waste management were key to reducing risks to the environmental overall, and to making progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework as well as targets on carbon emissions and land health. “The needs are vast,” she said.

The GEF Council will meet next in December 2024, when countries will begin discussions on the ninth replenishment of the Trust Fund. The four-year GEF-9 funding cycle will stretch from 2026 to 2030 – a period aligned with the final push for 2030 global environmental goals including the “30×30” target.

“We are at a moment of truth for the planet. We need to rise to the challenge by assessing what we have, where we need to go, and how we will get there,” Rodríguez said. “The GEF partnership needs to be bigger, bolder, and better. Bigger in our ambitions. Bolder in our actions. And better in our delivery, better in our impact. This is the spirit that I want us to take forward as we enter into the GEF-9 replenishment negotiations.”

Featuring African stars, ‘Music for Wildlife’ launches on Trace Global Network

Michael Simire
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Featuring African stars, ‘Music for Wildlife’ launches on Trace Global Network

Wild Africa has concluded plans to launch “Music for Wildlife,” a concert series that brings African artists together to protect the continent’s iconic wildlife. For launch this weekend with OAS1SONE, it is a premium live, on-demand content and live experiences network on Trace’s TV broadcast channels and streaming platform.

Kenya wildlife sanctuary
A wildlife sanctuary

In Nigeria, the shows can be found on Trace Naija, channel 325 on DSTV. Produced by Wild Africa, a nonprofit organisation inspiring the protection of Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces, and with OAS1SONE, Music for Wildlife now sees Africa’s creative talent and natural heritage celebrated globally, reaching more than 350 million people.

Music for Wildlife’s engaging blend of studio sessions, interviews and captivating wildlife content will reach viewers in over 180 countries, across 28 localised Trace TV channels and Trace+ global streaming platform. These performances will air across Trace’s television and streaming platform from June 21 onwards aligned with Trace’s 21st Anniversary.

Through the intimate concert series, audiences will meet Africa’s finest musicians, including chart-topping stars such as Musa Keys, CKay, Focalistic, and a multitude of other stars as well as the latest emerging talent, as they tell the story of their music, lives, careers and inspirations, and express their passion for endangered species.

Each concert also includes special features from African and international stars from music entertainment, sports, comedy, television, and film like Davido, 2Baba, Jacky Chan, Boity, Alex Iwobi, Stonebwoy, Emmanuella, Yao Ming, Sir Richard Branson, Morgan Heritage, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Stephanie Linus, Djimon Hounsou, and many others.

Featuring over 150 musicians from across the continent, Music for Wildlife harnesses the emotive power of music to raise awareness and inspire action for wildlife protection.

Never has the need been more urgent for relevant, creative ways to help society connect with conservation, according to Wildlife Africa.

Africa, home to a quarter of the world’s biodiversity, faces enormous challenges – from poaching to habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade to climate change and human-wildlife conflict. Wildlife populations calling the continent home have plunged by 66% in the last 50 years, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report.

Once home to rhinos, giraffes, and cheetahs, Nigeria faces rapid biodiversity loss rates. With just 50 West African lions, about 100 Cross River gorillas, and a couple hundred elephants, many species stand on the brink. According to the UN, the country also has the highest rate of deforestation in the world, losing 3.7% of vitally important forest each year, and has emerged as an export hub for the illegal trade in pangolin scales and ivory.

But Africa is not staying silent. From Johannesburg to Lagos, Accra to Windhoek, artists raise their voices, speak out against the threats facing wildlife, and inspire their audiences to connect with their wild spaces in national parks. Nigeria’s musicians, 2Baba, Ckay, Laycon, 2Baba, and more, are especially vocal and are working with Wild Africa as part of a wider campaign beyond Music for Wildlife. They’re taking a stand against illegal bushmeat, deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade and promoting wildlife tourism. And it’s having an impact.

A recent survey of 1,000 Nigerians conducted by Lagos-based Market Surveys International found that 88 percent are aware of Wild Africa’s campaign, with 97 percent of people aged 10-17 reporting that they remember the campaign. Additionally, 86 percent said they would no longer kill or consume because of learnings from the campaign, and 31 percent said they have stopped consuming bushmeat due to the campaign.

This kind of impact is the aim of partnerships between artists Trace, OASISONE, and Wild Africa, as each makes clear.

“Africans should care about protecting wildlife. Wildlife and national parks create a lot of jobs in Africa, such as attracting tourists from across the world. Let’s use music and arts, to protect our amazing wildlife,” noted Focalistic, one of the early pioneers of Amapiano and multi-award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and global superstar.

“African artists are very powerful voices and can make the difference to raise awareness for better wildlife protection in Africa. Trace is proud to open its global network to host the Music for Wildlife shows that perfectly align with our values and initiatives,” says Olivier Laouchez, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Trace Group.

“Trace, one of the most powerful global broadcast media networks of African music and content, joins some of the most influential artists and voices in African music entertainment, in partnership with one of the leading conservation communications organisations in the world, to collectively lend their voices for Africa’s future, for its wildlife conservation.

“We are thrilled to be part of this game-changing partnership, both for the massive audience reach in protecting Africa’s wildlife, but also the unprecedented push this will achieve for Africa’s amazing artists and music, to audiences of millions around the globe,” says Jandre Louw, Founder and CEO of OAS1SONE.

“We are excited to partner with Trace in the launch of Music for Wildlife across their varied and far-reaching channels. This collaboration allows us to leverage the power of music to connect with a continent-wide and even global audience, turning up the volume on the issues that affect not only wildlife but the natural foundation on which human life depends,” says Peter Knights, Wild Africa CEO.

Stakeholders advocate collaboration to harness climate change opportunities

Michael Simire
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Stakeholders advocate collaboration to harness climate change opportunities

Some stakeholders have called for collaborative effort to harness the opportunity of climate change and address the challenges associated with it.

CAAF 2024
Titlayo Oshodi, Special Adviser on Climate Change & Circular Economy to the Lagos State Governor, speaking at CAAF 2024

The stakeholders made the call on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at the opening of the two-day Climate Action Africa Forum (CAAF) 2024 in Lagos.

The forum had the theme, “Green Economies, Brighter Future: Innovating and Investing in Africa’s Climate Smart Development.”

Ms Ramatoulaye Diallo, Chief Executive Officer, Great Green Wall of Africa Foundation, said in her keynote address that stakeholders are decisive of the urgency with which Africa’s climate challenges are addressed.

Dialo said that aside climate change being one of the most critical issues in the 21st century, the reality of climate change was becoming more and more eminent.

She said that Africa was unfortunately in the heart of these realities and facing severe weather challenges such as rising temperature, erratic rainfall and desertification among others.

According to her, decisive action is essential in the battle to protect Africa, noting that, however, the journey requires collaboration, innovation and commitment from all stakeholders.

“I have great faith in the fight against   climate change, the existence of this challenges is always hampering livelihood and social economic development.

“That is why proactive, collective and continental efforts are too sure to address them, like I always say the development of Africa will lead to the development of higher might.

“Money is not the issue, we have the money; what we do need, we need to fight. We need to come together and hold hands to achieve a better goal,’’ she said.

According to her, with what countries are facing, it is imperative we work together to get sustainable solutions resilient for a worthy transformation and significant breakthrough.

Dialo said that stakeholders must utilise collective wisdom, share knowledge and goals as well as build capacity.

She said that there were always opportunities for people, so, therefore, it was important that all turn the opportunity into projects that could attract investment.

‘’CAAF 2024 is already the platform where we can harness and address the needs of those most vulnerable to climate change’’.

Also in his address, Markus Wauschkuhn, Cluster Coordinator of German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Nigeria, said that the German cooperation had supported green economies in Nigeria.

Wauschkuhn said that there was need not to talk of climate only on defensive action but as a business opportunity, adding that the innovation potential was particularly high, especially in Africa.

He said that it was similar to what happened 10 years to 20 years back in the telecommunications sector, which saw the influx of businesses.

He said that there was open opportunity which could be used to create businesses, instead of complaining about the situation.

According to him, some examples are innovative green solutions to address challenges, green technologies in the production of goods in clusters.

“We also have 44 skills programme for youths, employment programme which is focusing on technical training for youths’ development, and we are also actively working towards developing a curriculum for green skills in Nigeria,” the GIZ executive said.

According to him, green economy is not only a tool or academic concept, but also very much a trust cutting tool which is affecting more and more areas of the cooperation.

He said it was part of its transition to a sustainable future in which critical environmental, economic and social challenges are addressed.

“We at GIZ support our partner countries in establishing economic structures based on sustainable production of consumption patterns and combined prosperity climate, environmental protection and social justice.

He said that in Nigeria, for example, GIZ was actively promoting energy transition through its Nigerian energy support programme.

Wauschkuhn added that the energy support programme was focused on fostering investment for renewable energy and energy efficiency across different areas for electricity for disadvantaged rural areas.

According to him, GIZ has also supported recycling volume chain jointly with the Lagos State Government and has worked with over 3,000 plastic waste recycling actors on different aspects of business support.

He expressed excitement to be part of the conversation and future engagements.

The CAAF is a two-day conference which started from June 19 and would end June 20.

By Stellamaris Ashinze

Govt begins water quality analysis to curtail cholera outbreak

Michael Simire
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Govt begins water quality analysis to curtail cholera outbreak

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has initiated a water quality analysis following a cholera outbreak that has resulted in the deaths of 30 people across several states.

Prof Joseph Utsev
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev

Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, who made the disclosure, said on Thursday, June 20, 2024, that this was necessary following continued reports of outbreak in many parts of the country.

According to him, the ministry’s concern highlights the severity of the waterborne disease, which is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and spreads rapidly through contaminated water or food.

He said the symptoms of cholera include vomiting, severe dehydration, and diarrhea, which can be fatal if not treated promptly.

“In response to the outbreak, teams from the National Water Quality Reference Laboratories in Lagos, Enugu, and Sokoto have been dispatched to collect water samples and investigate the presence of Vibrio cholerae in the affected areas.

“Additionally, the ministry is coordinating with State Technical Working Groups and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agencies (RUWASSAs) through the WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group (WiETWG) to address the outbreak comprehensively.”

Shinkafi said that, before the outbreak, the National WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group had already trained state working groups on preparedness, prevention, and response strategies, as well as hygiene promotion and water safety planning.

These states, he said, have now intensified their community sensitisation efforts to reduce cholera cases and are promoting campaigns against open defecation, a known transmission route for the disease.

He, however, urged Nigerians to take precautions to protect themselves and their families by boiling or treating drinking water before consumption.

The permanent secretary called on all Nigerians to wash hands with soap under clean, running water regularly, especially before eating and after using the toilet.

He said the ministry would continue to provide updates in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as the situation evolves.

“Let’s wash fruits and vegetables with safe water and salt before eating.

“Let’s also seek medical attention immediately if experiencing symptoms of cholera, such as vomiting, severe dehydration, and diarrhea.

“Together, we can overcome this challenge and prevent further loss of lives.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is quoted as saying that “as of 11 June 2024, 1,141 suspected cholera cases had been recorded across 30 states in Nigeria since January 2024.’’

The 10 states that recorded 90 per cent of the cases are mostly located in the South (Bayelsa, over 400 cases, Lagos, Abia, Cross River, Delta, Imo States), with some situated further north (Katsina, Nasarawa, Zamfara).

Experts unveil alternative to extractivism

Michael Simire
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Experts unveil alternative to extractivism

Some experts under the auspices of the Nigeria Socio Ecological Alternatives Convergence have unveiled an alternative approach to extraction of mineral resources from the soil in a bid to salvage Nigeria’s deteriorating ecosystem.

Nigeria Socio Ecological Alternatives Convergence
Nnimmo Bassey (right) with other participants at the Nigeria Socio Ecological Alternatives Convergence in Abuja

The experts drawn from Civil Society Organisation (CSO) frontline community activists and academics unveiled the document on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Abuja.

The Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Mr Nnimmo Bassey, said that the convergence had been thinking, planning and acting to drive an alternative ecological blueprint for Nigeria.

He said that an alternative ecological approach that respected the right of mother earth, and protected the planet and its people was the sole aim.

“We will be presenting the Nigeria Socio Ecological Charter that highlight the key ecological challenges across the country and present a policy pathway that is both progressive and protective of the planet.

“The charter represents a powerful call for a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s socio-ecological landscape.

“It outlines a vision and plan for creating a sustainable, fair, and balanced society that prioritises the well-being of individuals and the preservation of the natural world.

“The charter presents a clear roadmap towards achieving our collective vision for our ecological wellbeing, firmly grounded in the values of fairness, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability,” he said.

According to Bassey, Nigeria cannot continue to depend on extractive ideas of extractivism, believing that wealth has to be dug out of the earth crust to survive.

He said that the way mining and oil extraction had been done over the years had damaged Nigeria to a large extent.

“The national social ecological alternative is proposing that we have to start thinking and doing things in ways that are in harmony with nature, that makes it possible for every Nigerian to live at peace with the environment,” he said.

In his keynote address, Prof. Zacharys Gundu, an expert in African Archaeology, said that there was a need to think differently to reverse the challenges of Nigeria.

According to him, the thinking that brought us here is not the same thinking that will take us out of the situation.

He said that Nigeria must look inward to address the challenges facing the country, saying that sustainable solution would not come from outside.

On his part, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba said all Nigerians have a role to play to salvage Nigeria’s deteriorating ecosystem.

He urged all Nigerians to engage in tree-planting and farming as well to meet the high demand for food in the country.

By EricJames Ochigbo

Chad eliminates human African trypanosomiasis as a public health problem

Michael Simire
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0
Chad eliminates human African trypanosomiasis as a public health problem

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has congratulated Chad for having eliminated the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, as a public health problem. It marks the first neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in the country.

Tedros Ghebreyesus
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO)

Chad is the first country to be acknowledged for eliminating a neglected tropical disease in 2024, becoming the 51st country to have achieved such target globally, and marking the first step beyond the midpoint to the global threshold of 100 countries set for 2030. The 100-country target is one of the four global overarching targets set by the Road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030.

“I congratulate the government and the people of Chad for this achievement. It is great to see Chad join the growing group of countries that have eliminated at least one NTD. The 100-country target is nearer and within reach,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Sleeping sickness can cause flu-like symptoms initially but eventually causing behaviour change, confusion, sleep cycle disturbances or even coma, often leading to death. Improved access to early diagnosis and treatment, as well as surveillance and response has proven that countries can control and eventually eliminate transmission.

So far, seven countries have been validated by WHO for eliminating the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis: Togo (2020), Benin (2021), Côte d’Ivoire (2021), Uganda (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Ghana (2023), and Chad (2024). The rhodesiense form of the disease has been eliminated as a public health problem in one country, Rwanda, as validated by WHO in 2022.

“The elimination of the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis in Chad reflects our commitment to improving the health of our people. This achievement results from years of dedicated efforts by our health workers, communities, and partners. We will continue this momentum to tackle other neglected tropical diseases and ensure a healthier future for all Chadians” said Dr Abdel Modjid Abderahim Mahamat, Minister of Health, Chad.

As of June 2024, across the WHO African region, 20 countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease, with Togo having eliminated four diseases and Benin and Ghana having eliminated three diseases each.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by the Trypanosoma parasite. These parasites are passed to humans through the bite of infected tsetse flies, which get the infection from humans or animals carrying the parasites.

There are two forms of the disease: one caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, found in 24 countries in West and Central Africa, accounting for more than 92% of cases. The gambiense form is the only form of human African trypanosomiasis transmitted in Chad. There is another form of HAT caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, found in 13 countries in East and Southern Africa accounting for the remaining cases.

NNPC, TotalEnergies JV announces $550m FID on Ubeta Field Dev’t Project

Michael Simire
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0
NNPC, TotalEnergies JV announces $550m FID on Ubeta Field Dev’t Project

In a major step towards boosting Nigeria’s oil and gas production, the NNPC-TotalEnergies JV has officially announced a $550 million Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Ubeta Field Development Project.

NNPC TotalEnergies
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri (8th from left); Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo (9th from right); Special Adviser on Energy to the President, Olu Verheijen (6th from right); GCEO NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari (8th from right); Senior Vice President for Africa, Mike Sangster (7th from left); Managing Director/Chief Executive, TotalEnergies Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Matthieu Bouyer (6th from left) and other senior executives of NNPC Limited and TotalEnergies during the signing ceremony of Final Investment Decision (FID) agreement on the Ubeta Field Development Project at the NNPC Towers in Abuja

The milestone is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Executive Order on Oil & Gas Reforms aimed largely at improving the investment climate and positioning Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the oil & gas sector in Africa.

The Ubeta field discovered in 1964, North-West of Port Harcourt in the eastern part of the Niger Delta will, once on stream, produce about 350MMScf/day of gas and 10,000 BBLS/day of associated liquids, tapping into the vast gas reserves and contributing towards securing gas supply to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.

At the well-attended signing ceremony held at the NNPC Towers, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, while appreciating the support from stakeholders, highlighted the continuous support of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in facilitating a conducive operational environment as a major enabler in achieving this success.

“We appreciate Mr. President for supporting us with the appropriate fiscal environment. The Presidential Executive Order is instrumental to us getting to this significant milestone and we are now seeing the impact of the policy,” Kyari added.

In his remarks, the Senior Vice President Africa, Exploration & Production, TotalEnergies, Mike Sangster, said: “Ubeta is the latest in a series of projects developed by TotalEnergies in Nigeria, most recently Ikike and Akpo West. I am pleased that we can launch this new gas project which has been made possible by the Government’s recent incentives for non-associated gas developments. Ubeta fits perfectly with our strategy of developing low-cost and low emission projects and will contribute to the Nigerian economy through higher NLNG exports”.

Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has significantly rekindled investor confidence in the Oil and Gas Industry, assuring Nigerians that more investments are on the way.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the project is a testament to the effectiveness of Government’s policies aimed at creating a conducive environment for investment in the gas sector.

Located in OML58, the Ubeta gas condensate field will be developed with a new six-well cluster connected to the existing Obite facilities through an 11km buried pipeline. Production start-up is expected in 2027, with a plateau of 300 million cubic feet per day (about 70,000barrels of oil equivalent per day including condensates). Gas from Ubeta will be supplied to NLNG, a liquefaction plant located in Bonny Island with an on-going capacity expansion from 22 to 30 Mtpa, in which NNPC Limited holds a 49% interest.

Ubeta is a low-emission and low-cost development, leveraging on OML58 existing gas processing facilities. The carbon intensity of the project will be further reduced through a 5 MW solar plant currently under construction at the Obite site and the electrification of the drilling rig. TotalEnergies is working closely with NNPC Limited to enhance local content, with more than 90% of manhours which will be worked locally.

The Ubeta FID justifies the effort invested by NNPC Limited, with unyielding Executive support, into tackling the underlying reasons that have plagued the attractiveness of the Nigerian oil and gas industry to foreign investors in recent years.

The Ubeta project has a robust Nigerian Content plan and is poised to stimulate economic activities, create job opportunities, and create significant value for stakeholders.

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