Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) has applauded the formation of a Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development that will help identify common challenges and opportunities in the housing sector to develop effective strategies for collective action by the member States.
Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director, Thierno Habib Hann
The decision to form the Caucus was reached by shareholders at the institution’s 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Symposium held in Kigali, Rwanda, last week.
The Caucus, which was launched during the AGM, will facilitate dialogue and information sharing on best practices in housing policy, regulation, and implementation. It is also expected to serve as a continental advocacy platform to prioritise the housing sector among national governments and international institutions.
Lauding shareholders for approving the creation of the Caucus, Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director &CEO, Thierno Habib-Hann, said the formation of the Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development is “a welcome move”.
“At 52 million housing units deficit and at an estimated construction cost of $25,000 per unit, the continent needs at least $1.4 trillion, which presents a huge funding challenge for us. We believe this Caucus will provide a platform for housing and urban development ministers from member States to collaborate, share knowledge, and develop policies and financing strategies to enhance their efforts in delivering sustainable and affordable housing solutions in their respective countries under the guidance of Shelter Afrique Development Bank,” Mr. Habib-Hann stated.
Leveraging the collective strength
Mr. Hann further noted that the Caucus has been formed to create synergy by leveraging the collective strength of member-countries, drawing on their unique experiences and resources to address Africa’s common housing challenges.
“We believe the Caucus will help identify common challenges and opportunities in the housing sector to develop effective strategies for collective action and explore ways to mobilise resources and expertise from international partners, private sector stakeholders, and development organisations to support housing initiatives and address Africa’s housing crisis,” Mr. Habib-Hann said.
ShafDB shareholders also elected Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, as the inaugural chairperson of the Caucus.
Accepting his election, Dangiwa said the establishment of the Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development presents a unique opportunity to galvanise collective action and accelerate progress towards inclusive and sustainable housing development in Africa.
“By fostering collaboration, promoting innovation, and mobilising resources, we can transform our continent’s housing landscape and significantly improve the quality of life for millions of our citizens,” Dangiwa said.
Nigeria is positioned by God’s endowment to be the prime mover for developing the African continent. A cursory look at the human, material and natural resources bestowed on this nation clearly indicates that this country will be a continental and global success when properly tapped, harnessed and deployed.
Skill acquisition training
This piece is not intended to mourn the lost opportunities in the past but to ginger and promote new strategies for actualising our nation’s rapid development.
Nigeria needs to focus on its human resources to revamp the economy. Nigerians’ capacity to acquire competencies at whatever level worldwide is not in doubt. The irony, however, is that the country is rich with potential in every sector but has a high youth population who are largely unskilled, underemployed, or unemployed.
With skills fully deployed, our country’s economic fortunes can be turned around so that many who are currently exiting the country will remain rather than run to the embrace of the unfriendly climate and people in some of these extremely cold countries. Skills are the quick fix to the challenge of youth unemployment.
The country needs to focus on skills development, acquisition, and deployment in both formal and informal education systems. Our institutions’ graduates are not industry-ready and, as such, not attractive to labour employers. Those trained through the apprenticeship system in the informal sector are neither trained to a specified standard nor organised to provide quality service.
Therefore, the country needs to rethink its strategy for capacity building and skills acquisition. This calls for introducing Sector Skills Councils as a robust solution for unbundling the huge untapped capacity of Nigerian youth.
Sector skills councils are platforms for systematic cooperation between the stakeholders in a particular sector of the economy, such as government bodies and training institutions, private sector organisations, trade unions, professional bodies, industry, regulatory bodies etc., to promote lifelong learning by connecting education to the labour market needs to promote employment and innovation by the development of relevant skills.
Training For the Labour Market
People need skills to find jobs and enterprises seek new staff members able to meet their skills requirements. A properly skilled workforce is a crucial factor in the business environment as it directly affects the economy and the labour market (European Commission, 2012). This premise underpins the need for dialogue between representatives of various economic sectors, the public authorities and those institutions responsible for training, including vocational education and training (VET). Such an approach demands a proactive attitude from all of the parties involved, coupled with the will to cooperate (ETF, 2012b).
One key goal of any education and training system is to train employable graduates. This means training people in the skills and competencies needed in the labour market, not just training people to look for any random available job. Ensuring the labour market relevance of skills is a key challenge for VET systems in most countries, in the industrialised, transition and developing economies alike.
However, many individuals are unable to access quality education and training. To address this, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is championing VET reforms aiming for greater efficiency, economic growth and competitiveness. The justification for these reforms lies in socio-economic developments, such as the increasing number of young people looking for work opportunities in precarious labour markets. As such, the ensuing VET reforms must be designed to fit specific socioeconomic and cultural contexts, considering national or regional specificities and the varying needs of a range of economic sectors.
Why Take a Sector Approach?
Many industrial and developing countries use sector approaches to promote skills development in the knowledge that great benefits can be gained from internal organisation within individual sectors. The fact is that labour markets are not homogeneous, and skills needs will vary from one economic sector to another depending on their activities and the nature of associated technologies. The sectoral perspectives will also depend on the markets open to them and the availability of a skilled workforce.
The classic breakdown of the economy considers the three sectors: primary (production such as agriculture), secondary (manufacturing and construction) and tertiary (services). However, as it operates at a very general level, it does not allow for any understanding of the skills needed in different economic activities. The United Nations approved a more detailed breakdown of 21 different economic activities, each with three sub-levels, while the Eurostat website (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon) offers a fuller International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities that is currently mostly used for statistical purposes.
What is a Sector Skills Council?
Sector Skills Councils promote skills development in a given economic sector. They are permanent working structures to identify or analyse skill needs or to otherwise contribute to education and training that will prepare the workforce for the specific economic sector. Different sector structures are widely used worldwide, and the Councils may be established through initiatives by the social partners or government. The Councils are usually recognised in legislation, which legitimises their work and affirms their mandate. Legal recognition grants them the right to express their opinions to the public.
The Sector Skills Councils are platforms for cooperation in which key stakeholders collaborate to develop the sector. These stakeholders may include public authorities, private sector, training organisations, regulatory bodies, trade unions, social partners (the representative organisations of employers and employees) and education, vocational training and research institutes etc.
The international experience shows that the Sector Skills Councils can cover items such as labour market analysis affecting quantitative or qualitative skills needs; forecasting skills needs; matching training provision to labour market needs; preparation of occupational or qualification standards; and policy advice on lifelong learning or VET (Vocational Education & Training). Others include fostering cooperation between educational providers and employers, provision of training for the workforce, and funding of training.
Currently, Nigeria has 14 Sector Skills Councils. Some of these are Power, Engineering, Building, Hospitality and Tourism, Automotive Industry, Education and Care, Occupational Health and Safety, Articulated Vehicles, ICT, Security, etc.
Some of their responsibilities include skills development in the sector, training delivery to meet industry standards, reducing skills gap within the sector, improving productivity due to quality training and certification, increasing opportunities due to higher competence, setting up labour market information system (LMIS), developing skills plan & maintain inventory of skills, and developing skills competency standards & qualifications known as national occupational standards (NOS).
Other responsibilities include helping to standardise accreditation and standardisation, planning and executing trainers’ (TOTs) training, promoting excellence in training and service delivery, and establishing, processing, and coordinating emerging trends in the industry.
The Sector Skills Councils combine diverse stakeholders into one body, providing a one-stop-shop solution to skills gaps and mismatches and quickly addressing shortages. Due to their all-encompassing membership, these Councils provide a strong platform for the advocacy and development of skills in the sector, and an all-inclusive source of feedback to the government on skills policies as they cover the entire spectrum of the sector.
The absence of Sector Skills Councils has resulted in skills development issues being handled in silos and, in some cases overlapping and waste of resources by various skills development organisations in both the public and private sectors. In fact, many private sector organisations are forced to establish skill training centers to retool their manpower for effective use since public institutions do not produce graduates that meet their immediate requirements. Sector Skills Councils will ensure that skills mismatch, which occurs when there are gaps between training organisations and industry, are avoided or reduced to a minimum.
ByBldr. Samson Ameh Opaluwah, President, Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria
A new report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has revealed that the EU’s focus on territorial emissions understates the impact of its consumption globally.
Katarina Axelsson, Senior Policy Fellow at SEI
The study shows huge potential for the EU to raise the ambition of its climate action by addressing Member States’ consumption-based emissions and lowering consumption overall.
Between 1990 and 2020, the EU slashed its territorial emissions by 29%. Yet, its consumption-based CO₂ emissions (CBEs), which account for about 9% of global CO₂ emissions, disproportionately exceed its 5.7% share of the global population.
The new study by SEI investigates the EU’s potential to lead global efforts in mitigating CBEs. It identifies three main barriers: the need for coordinated action among Member States, the absence of standardised monitoring systems and the lack of transparency in global supply chains.
Katarina Axelsson, Senior Policy Fellow at SEI, said: “By addressing these barriers, the EU has the potential to greatly boost climate action by decreasing consumption-based emissions and setting an example for other nations to follow.”
There is significant variation in the average consumption footprint among Member States, ranging from 11.0 tons of CO₂ equivalent per person in Denmark and Luxembourg to 4.6 tons in Slovakia. This disparity underscores the difficulties that individual Member States face in tackling emissions alone and highlights the potential benefits of EU-wide coordinated action. Case studies from Sweden, Denmark and France in 2021 reveal that a substantial portion of their CBEs stem from imports: 64% in Sweden, 56% in Denmark and 50% in France.
As population and prosperity grow in many Member States, consumption rates naturally increase. However, improvements in production efficiency are not enough to offset the rise in CBEs.
“There is therefore a need for policies and measures to promote strong sustainability and focus on shifting consumption patterns, emphasizing not only production efficiency gains but to reduce consumption overall that generates emissions both in the EU and abroad. Both the EU and member states have a role to play in addressing consumption hotspots,” says Timothy Suljada, Head of Division Resources, Rights and Development.
To accelerate EU climate mitigation outcomes, the report authors argue that strategies and tools should:
Acknowledge the significant role of household consumption in driving environmental issues.
Expand policy measures that target household consumption and its impacts to shift and reduce consumption alongside efficiency measures. This includes implementing uniform carbon pricing and establishing standards to restrict the carbon footprints of products and services.
Use consistent, standardised and reliable metrics across national boundaries to identify and measure meaningful and actionable areas of consumption.
Set definitive targets for CBEs at the EU level to increase the political support for measures targeting consumption-based emissions and strengthening legislation at both EU and Member State level.
The climate crisis also means a health crisis, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said.
Forecasting Healthy Futures Global Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan
Ghebreyesus, who made the submssion at the Forecasting Healthy Futures Global Summit held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, said that climate change affects human health.
“Without common efforts, this problem will grow even more,” stated the head of WHO, even as he emphasised that the organisation closely cooperates with Azerbaijan ahead of COP29.
Similarly, COP29 Lead Negotiator and Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yalchin Rafiyev, said at the Forecasting Healthy Futures Global Summit that climate change has a serious impact on human health.
COP29 also focuses on addressing health problems, said Rafiyev, adding that the international community backed Azerbaijan’s hosting COP29.
Rafiyev added that the effects of climate change are increasing: “We must work for a more sustainable future.”
He added: “We will aim to invest in human health during the COP29 presidency. We try to broaden the COP29 agenda. Human health is an important factor. All work is ongoing.”
Rafiyev added that the Cabinet of Ministers will decide on the opening of Azerbaijan’s land borders during COP29.
On his part, COP28 Director-General, Majid Al Suwaidi, said: “We need to work to secure funding for climate action and health.”
He added that the countries should work for common goals and show solidarity.
David Smith, Director of the Centre for Environmental Management of the University of the West Indies, at the Forecasting Healthy Futures Global Summit, said: “We must not delay climate change adaptation measures.”
He said that climate change affects small island states in particular: “Of course, our potential is not so great. But we have problems. These problems cause various disasters and migration as well.”
Head of the WHO office in Azerbaijan, Hande Harmanci, opined that health workers must understand that climate change is a problem.
“We must understand that we have created this problem, and we must solve it. Unfortunately, health professionals are under-represented in this crisis,” she said.
G7 leaders meeting at their summit in Puglia, Italy, have reaffirmed support for multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects across Africa to realise the continent’s economic potential and transformation.
Participants at the special ad hoc meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy
US President Joe Biden and current G-7 President, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, co-chaired a special ad hoc meeting on the sidelines of the summit to review the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and its links with Italy’s recently unveiled Mattei Plan for Africa.
The meeting, which reviewed the PGII’s accomplishments and delivery on commitments since its 2022 launch, was also attended at CEO level by Italian and US representatives from the financial, energy and digital private sector with a wide portfolio in the African continent.
Italy told the gathering it was joining US and EU efforts to promote sustainable development along the Lobito Corridor – committing to strengthen collaboration and mobilize an additional aggregate contribution of up to $320 million in investment in support of the core rail infrastructure and of the related side projects, with a view to additionally creating synergies with the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA).
The Lobito Corridor is connected by a stretch of railway infrastructure snaking through mineral- and oil-rich parts of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. It connects Southern and Central Africa and provides access to Eastern Africa and a pathway to the Atlantic Ocean.
It is typical of the mega infrastructure projects supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to ensure Africa attains its stated aim of complete economic transformation, sustainable development and poverty elimination.
Expressing his thanks for being invited to participate at the prestigious G7 summit, AfDB President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, told world leaders that the African Development Bank had invested over $50 billion in quality infrastructure in Africa over the past eight years. He stated that the African Development Bank is the continent’s leading financier of infrastructure in Africa.
However, he cautioned: “Africa has an infrastructure financing gap of $68-108 billion annually.” This needs to be addressed to realise Africa’s ambitions, strongly supported by the G7, to become a major global economic powerhouse.”
In support of the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) goal of mobilising $600 billion in infrastructure investment in emerging economies, a coalition of US investors highlighted and committed anew billions of dollars in private investment in scaled infrastructure in emerging markets, aligned with PGII priorities.
In a joint statement, the co-chairs welcomed Italy’s renewed commitment to boost development in Africa including by deepening partnerships with African Nations through its Mattei Plan and stressed their commitment to increase coordination between PGII, MPA and the EU’s Global Gateway “to maximise our collective impact as we work to develop transformative economic corridors in Africa.”
The Italian Private Sector also added its voice to the growing chorus of those urging greater investment in Africa. In the context of this engagement, the Mattei Plan for Africa has launched new financial instruments in collaboration with the African Development Bank, open to international partners’ contributions.
Welcoming the renewed commitments to Africa’s economic transformation, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recalled the PGII initiative was only two years old and came about as a response to the pandemic and food crisis caused by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
“At that time, we joined forces and said that we needed a major investment programme for infrastructure abroad. PGII was born. The European Union is contributing €300 billion through Global Gateway, and it is fantastic that we also have the Mattei Plan joining now.
“We wanted to create an alternative for infrastructure investment. It is not only the financial firepower that is impressive, but PGII is sustainable: It is good for the planet and for a country’s finances,” she said.
The meeting confirmed the commitment to launching and scaling investments around PGII economic corridors globally, including corridors in Asia, Africa, and one connecting Europe to Asia through the Middle East, noting appreciation for the wide range of current and future investment by private companies in strategic sectors, such as finance for green energy and digitalisation.
The co-chairs also welcomed the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII) as a key platform for collaboration on infrastructure investment in Africa and celebrated the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) commitment of up to $100 million in philanthropic catalytic investment capital to unlock an additional $1 billion in private finance. The participants also recognized GEAPP as one of the key partners in implementing distributed renewable energy generation, battery storage, and e-mobility projects.
Apart from the Lobito corridor, Dr Adesina listed a whole raft of the other projects the AfDB was supporting to change the face of Africa.
These included:
financing with $1 billion the 1,110 km transport corridor that’s linked Ethiopia to Nairobi and Mombasa, expanding trade between them by 400%.
partnering with the US and EU Global Gateway to finance the Lobito corridor between Angola, Zambia and DRC. The African Development Bank is providing $500 million to finance Zambia’s end of the corridor.
financing the $3.2 billion central rail corridor that links Tanzania, DRC and Burundi, through securitisation.
financing with $213 million the energy transmission line linking Mauritania and Mali and the Rosso bridge linking Senegal and Mauritania.
However, he said a major challenge remained the “lack of bankable projects, which has to do with the lack of enough project preparation facilities.”
The African Development Bank set up the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA), with $500 million for project preparation and development, to mobilise $10 billion in private investments into green infrastructure to fast-track Africa’s net zero transition.
“AGIA has received global support and was profiled by Italy at the G7 finance ministers and central governors meeting (https://apo-opa.co/3XsaKf2). I wish to thank the G7 for providing $150 million of support towards AGIA,” he concluded.
Italy and the United States are further collaborating on clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and e-mobility projects, starting with potential projects in Kenya.
Lastly, the G7 leaders welcomed Italy’s G7 Presidency’s efforts to promote effective implementation of PGII and enhance investment coordination with partners through the establishment of a new Secretariat.
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has appealed to world leaders to step up the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to reverse the damage done to the earth.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
No fewer than 130 countries have already pledged to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030 toward a world where human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on the land under UNCCD.
The UN supports innovative efforts worldwide, including the newly launched Great Green Wall Observatory, which tracks progress of Africa’s largest land restoration initiative to combat land degradation, desertification and the negative impacts of climate change in the Sahel region.
Guterres made the appeal in his message on Monday, June 17, 2024, to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on June 17.
He said that as nearly 40 per cent of land across the planet is degraded with more acres lost every second, governments, businesses and communities must galvanise action to reverse the damage and protect Earth.
“We know what we need to do: it’s set out clearly in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
“As we mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention, the world must dramatically pick up the pace of implementation.
“Build momentum towards UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh; and ensure young people are heard in the negotiations.
“Together, let’s sow the seeds for a thriving future – for nature and humanity,” he said.
According to him, every second, around four football fields of healthy land are degraded.
“The security, prosperity and health of billions of people rely on thriving lands supporting lives, livelihoods and ecosystems, but we’re vandalising the Earth that sustains us.”
“Desertification, land degradation and drought are currently among the most pressing environmental challenges.”
The Day’s theme is “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future”, spotlighting the future of land stewardship, which is the planet’s most precious resource to ensure the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the world.
Healthy land not only provides us with almost 95 per cent of food eaten around the world, but so much more.
It clothes and shelters people, provides jobs and livelihoods and protects communities from the worsening droughts, floods and wildfires.
“As the focus of this year’s World Day reminds us, we must be ‘United for Land’.
“Governments, businesses, academics, communities and more must come together and act,” he said.
Growing populations coupled with unsustainable production and consumption patterns fuel demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land to the point of degradation.
At the same time, desertification and drought are driving forced migration, putting tens of millions of people each year at risk of displacement.
Of the world’s eight billion inhabitants, over one billion of young people under the age of 25 years live in developing countries, particularly in regions directly dependent on land and natural resources for sustenance.
Creating job prospects for rural populations is a viable solution that gives young people access to eco-entrepreneurship opportunities and at the same time to scale up best practices.
Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, says sustainable energy sources, including solar and wind power, can help communities globally to reverse desertification and land loss.
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
No fewer than 130 countries have already pledged to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030 toward a world where human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on the land under UNCCD.
The UN supports innovative efforts worldwide, including the newly launched Great Green Wall Observatory, which tracks progress of Africa’s largest land restoration initiative to combat land degradation, desertification and the negative impacts of climate change in the Sahel region.
Thiaw said this in his message to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on June 17.
He said desertification is happening at the local level as much as it is global.
“Unless we address this at the local level, we will never be able to actually control it at the global level. Global policies and global decisions are needed.
“The impacts are huge in terms of food security and food sovereignty.
“It also drives forced migration. If people can no longer produce food on their land then they will migrate. As we have seen for example in the Sahel or Haiti, there can be severe consequences for global security.
“When people fight over access to land and water, it leads to more conflicts. We are seeing more of this, and it has consequences on the homogeneity of communities and on national economies,’’ Thiaw told UN News.
Thiaw said it was estimated that up to 50 per cent of the global GDP might be lost by 2050 due to challenges with agriculture and food production unless we address the issue of land loss and desertification.
He said that land loss had been happening around the world and that land degradation had been affecting arid and less arid lands.
“But in terms of drylands and desertification, it is estimated that 45 per cent of the land surface is affected by desertification.
“Maybe it is more striking to say that 3.2 billion people or one third of the world population are affected by that.
“Every year a hundred million hectares of land is being degraded, an area the size of Egypt. We need to halt land degradation, but we also need to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land,’’ he said.
Thiaw said that land degradation could be addressed by improving the techniques of agriculture, reducing the impact on land in terms of extraction of minerals and other extractive industries.
“It is also important that we reduce the pressure in terms of people activities in some parts of the world so as to diversify the economy and create more opportunities to create income.
“Restoring degraded land is not an expensive activity to undertake, but it is absolutely essential to provide more food security and to reduce conflicts.
“Every single dollar invested in land restoration can generate up to $30 in economic benefits, so investment in restoration activities is quite profitable from the economic point of view.
“This is not just the responsibility of local communities but also of governments and crucially of the private sector because the largest driver of land use in the world is big agriculture,” he said.
According to him, land degradation is a global phenomenon that affects all countries, including the U.S., India, China, India, and Pakistan.
The official, however, noted that the impact is much more severe in small countries, and small economies that do not have reserves, nor the insurance systems to protect their people.
“And the level of vulnerability is much higher in communities whose revenues are only based on the income they can generate from land,” he said.
Thiaw said that desertification didn’t exist in isolation and that it was an amplifier of climate change. because with extreme events, you also have severe impact on land and on communities and local economies.
“So basically, they are mutually interacting, and it is therefore important to have a more comprehensive global picture.
“It is wrong to think that you can protect biodiversity or the land without tackling the climate issue and vice versa,’’ he said.
He further said that small-scale interventions at a local level were very important, noting that we should not discard all of the efforts that are being made by the local communities day in, day out.
“They need much more support from governments. They also need to see less subsidies for the agriculture industry, that is destroying the environment. Public money that, in some cases, is destroying the environment should be used to actually rebuild economies. “
Speaking on Mauritania his country, Thiaw said he had seen land degradation in his lifetime, noting that at the same time, he also has a lot of hope as he expresses optimism in positive changes coming.
“I see the younger generation being conscious of the fact that they need to reverse the trend.
“I see more farmers and pastoralists trying to do their bit.
“I see more interventions from the international community, including from the humanitarian world that are investing in land restoration.
“So, I see a movement which gives me some hope that if we join our efforts and if we work in a collaborative manner, it would be possible to actually reverse the trend.’’
Thiaw, however, reiterated that the best hope he had was in energy, which was the missing link for development, and for small and medium enterprises.
According to him, energy is now accessible in remote places thanks to our ability to harness solar and wind energy.
“The possibility of combining energy and agriculture is very positive, as you can harvest water, store food, and reduce food loss. You can process that food to create chains at the local level,’’ he said.
Two Lagos-based Physicians have urged parents and schools’ management to maintain optimal hygiene to avoid the spread of cholera.
Students of Nyanya-Gbagyi Primary School, New Nyanya, Nasarawa State
They gave the advice in an interview on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Lagos, following the outbreak of cholera in the state and some states across the country.
According to them, this is necessary since most schools will resume from mid-term break and the Sallah holiday on Wednesday.
On June 9, 2024, the Lagos State Government declared a cholera outbreak as reported by the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) on June 12.
According to the EOC, 324 suspected cholera cases have been reported in the state, including 15 people who died.
A General Physician Consultant, Dr Gerald Chinasa, said the disease could spread fast in schools if preventive measures were not in place.
Chinasa said that pupils, particularly the younger ones, were at higher risk of contracting cholera, a food and water-borne disease caused by the ingestion of the vibrio cholera bacteria.
He advised that parents should be more conscious of how they prepared and packaged their children’s foods, saying that proper personal and environmental hygiene should always be maintained.
According to him, parents should ensure that the cooking utensils, lunch box and cutleries among others are properly washed and rinsed with clean running water.
He suggested the option of giving bottled water to the pupils instead of sachet water while going to school, saying that cholera could easily be contracted through contaminated foods and water.
For the schools, Chinasa reiterated the need for proper environmental sanitation and personal hygiene particularly after using the restroom, within classrooms and at playing grounds.
He emphasised the need for existence running tap water with standby soap for hand washing at strategic points within the school premises.
“For pupils that are very young, their hygiene starts from homes; parents should underscore the importance of personal hygiene particularly when preparing and packaging their foods.
“Parents should ensure that cooking utensils, lunch box and cutleries are properly washed and rinsed under running water.
“In schools, environment and personal hygiene are also key.
“The rest room should be constantly cleaned and sanitised. Regular hand washing at key moments like after using restroom, before and after eating, should be encouraged,” he said.
Contributing, a Consultant Family & Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Dr Moyosore Makinde, cautioned against consumption of contaminated foods and water to avoid contracting cholera infection.
Makinde, also the President of Society of Lifestyle Medicine of Nigeria (SOLONg), said that consumption of contaminated foods and water remained the major means through an individual could contract cholera.
According to her, highly dedicated personal hygiene, which entails safe drinking water and consumables remain the only means to prevent contraction of cholera.
“Cholera is transmitted through food and water that are contaminated with a bacteria called Vibrio Cholerae.
“The recommendations for prevention include hand hygiene, particularly hand washing at key moments after using the toilet and before eating.
“Boiling of drinking water and use of treated water for cooking are also essential.
“Individuals should avoid eating raw food or undercooked foods like seafood and vegetables. Fruits should be thoroughly washed before consumption.
“Environmental sanitation is a critical factor as well, which entails proper disposal of human waste and cleaning of drainages. And the cholera vaccine can also be administered to prevent infection,” Makinde said.
Lagos State, a bustling metropolis in Nigeria, is not immune to the far-reaching impacts of climate change. As the effects of global warming continue to unfold, the connection between climate change and the spread of diseases like cholera becomes increasingly evident.
Cholera. Photo credit: World Health Organisation (WHO)
In this article, I will delve into the dire challenges faced by Lagos State regarding climate change and cholera, underlining the pressing need for immediate action to safeguard the health and well-being of its residents.
The bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera, poses a significant threat to the population of Lagos State. With its densely populated urban areas and inadequate sanitation infrastructure, the state is highly vulnerable to cholera outbreaks. The disease spreads through contaminated water and food, and its symptoms include severe diarrhoea and dehydration, which often lead to death if left untreated.
Climate change exacerbates the conditions that facilitate cholera transmission in Lagos State. Rising temperatures create a more favourable environment for the survival and reproduction of Vibrio cholerae bacteria. Moreover, changing rainfall patterns and an increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and flooding, contaminate water sources, further spreading the disease.
Rapid urbanisation in Lagos State has contributed to the challenges posed by the intersection of climate change and cholera. As the population grows, inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure strains the city’s ability to provide clean, safe water to all residents. The lack of proper waste management systems also increases the risk of cholera outbreaks as contaminated water sources become more prevalent.
In light of climate change, Lagos State must prioritise adaptation measures to combat the looming public health crisis of cholera. Enhancing water and sanitation infrastructure, including providing safe drinking water and improved waste management, is crucial. Additionally, promoting hygiene practices, such as handwashing and proper food handling, can help prevent the spread of cholera.
While adapting to climate change’s impacts is essential, mitigating its root causes is equally important. Lagos State can take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting renewable energy sources and implementing sustainable urban planning practices. The state can help mitigate the conditions that facilitate cholera transmission by addressing the underlying factors contributing to climate change.
Building resilience in the face of climate change and cholera requires a multi-sectoral approach. Collaboration between government agencies, healthcare providers, environmental organisations, and community leaders is crucial. Early warning systems, community education, and improved surveillance can help identify potential cholera outbreaks and enable prompt responses.
Lagos State is at the forefront of the challenges of climate change and the spread of cholera. The health and well-being of its residents require immediate action. By implementing adaptation measures, promoting sustainable practices, and investing in resilient infrastructure, Lagos State cannot only mitigate the impact of climate change on cholera but also create a safer and healthier environment for its population.
To safeguard Lagos State’s future, it is critical to prioritise the intersection of climate change and public health, offering a beacon of hope for a healthier future.
By Olumide Idowu, Executive Director, ICCDI Africa
Parliamentarians from across Africa, led by Nigerian Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has called on G7 countries to show more commitment in supporting African countries who are in dire need of finance to fight the climate change crisis and tap into the continent’s abundant renewable energy potential.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe
The MPs made their request known in a letter to addressed to G7 leaders, through Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, host of the 2024 G7 Summit held from June 13 to 15, 2024.
In the letter signed by 50 African MPs, they described Africa as “a swing continent on the world’s path to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5℃ limit,” holding the world’s largest potential in renewable energy.
According to the MPs, despite this strategic position of Africa, the continent cannot harness this enormous potential as it desperately lacks the financial resources and technology to translate raw potentials to energy.
The MPs pointed out the inequality in accessing climate change finance, lamenting that of the $495 billion invested in renewable energy globally in 2022, Africa received only 0.8% between 2000 and 2020. The continent has further attracted only 2% of global renewables investment. They described this as unjust in the light of the fact that the climate crisis was caused by the industrial economies.
Senator Abaribe, in voicing his support, stressed that developed countries bear a moral obligation to address these disparities, given their historic contribution to the climate crisis.
“It is not only a moral responsibility of the G7 to lend its voice to a restructuring of the international financial architecture…it is indeed the just thing to do,” he stated, adding that it is unsustainable to be voting billions of dollars for wars while neglecting things that can prevent them.
Lending her voice, Egyptian MP, Sahar Al Bazar, added that “this support is crucial for fostering sustainable development, ensuring economic stability and addressing Africa’s pressing energy challenges.”
In their appeal, the MPs outlined three key requests to the G7: support for debt forgiveness for African countries; assistance in reforming the financial architecture burdening African nations; and an urgency for the G7 to deliver on their climate and finance commitments to developing countries, stating that they expect the G7 to lead the global energy transition by committing more stringent climate plans and unlocking finances for poorer nations, adding that it is in their interest to invest in powering Africa’s energy potential.
Furthermore, the MPs restated their commitment to the energy transition by ensuring that key provisions are included in their countries’ budgets to finance clean energy.
The 50th G7 meeting took place in Fasano in Apulia, Italy, with part of the decisions being the commitment of the body to the launch of the G7’s “Energy for Growth in Africa” initiative.
