27.9 C
Lagos
Monday, May 19, 2025
Home Blog Page 272

SIDS4: Nigeria to collaborate with small islands, prioritise investments in climate resilience – Tinubu

Michael Simire
-
0
SIDS4: Nigeria to collaborate with small islands, prioritise investments in climate resilience – Tinubu

Nigeria has said that it stands in solidarity with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and is committed to contributing to global efforts aimed at mitigating climate impacts and promoting sustainable development.

UN SIDS4
Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Minister of Environment, speaking at UN SIDS4

In a speech delivered on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, in Antigua and Barbados during the 4th United Nations International Conference on Small Island Developing States (UN SIDS4), President Bola Tinubu lamented that SIDS are at the frontline of global environmental crisis due to climate change and other factors such as pollution and loss of biodiversity.

“Despite contributing less than one 1% percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, these nations suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change resulting to rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and the degradation of marine ecosystems,” said Tinubu, who was represented by Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Minister of Environment.

According to Tinubu, these factors pose existential threats to the livelihoods and cultures of millions of people in this region, adding that innovative adaptation strategies as well as robust international support and partnerships are essential to enhance and build resilience in the vulnerable islands.

While expressing Nigeria‘s commitment to working with SIDS and other nations to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives, noted that, despite challenges faced by SIDS, they also have opportunities to move towards a green economy as, according to him, “they possess both unexploited terrestrial and oceanic natural resources such as fish stocks, minerals, potential pharmaceutical products, renewable energy such as wind, sun, ocean, wave, hydro and geothermal”.

He expressed belief that, if harnessed properly, SIDS have the potentials to take a lead in defining models of sustainability and human well-being whilst moving towards a Green Economy.

He disclosed that the Nigerian Government addressed environmental issues such as pollution and flooding in a major island in Lagos State by establishing and empowering Government Ministries and Agencies that are related to environment to implement robust waste management programmes.

His words: “The challenges faced by small island developing states are a reflection of broader global issues that require collective action. By supporting SIDS, we are also advancing the broader agenda of sustainable development and environmental stewardship. We must collaborate with SIDS and prioritise investments in climate resilience infrastructure which includes building sea defenses, developing early warning systems, and implementing sustainable land and water management practices.

“Collaboration with international financial institutions and the private sector is essential to mobilise the necessary resources. The economic vulnerabilities of SIDS are exacerbated by their heavy reliance on tourism and external markets. Diversifying their economies through the promotion of sustainable industries, such as renewable energy, fisheries, and agriculture, can create more resilient economic structures.

“Access to concessional financing is critical for SIDS to address their development challenges. We must advocate for tailored financial mechanisms that recognize the unique circumstances of SIDS and provide them with the fiscal space needed to invest in sustainable development and create more climate resilient environment.

“Strengthening regional cooperation among SIDS and fostering partnerships with larger economies can drive innovative solutions and share best practices.”

The President reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to the principles of equity, justice, and shared prosperity.

“The lands, water and air all belong to humanity and together, we can chart a course toward a more resilient and sustainable environment for our future and generations to come,” he said.

UN SIDS4, which commenced on Monday, May 27, will come to a close on Thursday, May 30.

NDDC received $142 million from Shell Nigeria, partners in 2023

Michael Simire
-
0
NDDC received $142 million from Shell Nigeria, partners in 2023

A total of $142.5 million was paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2023 by The Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo). SPDC paid $112.5 million while SNEPCo remitted $30 million compared to $59.04 million by SPDC and $20.73 by SNEPCo in 2022.

Igo weli
Director and Country Head, Corporate Relations of SPDC, Igo Weli

The contributions came from the Shell companies on behalf of themselves and their respective partners – Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC); TotalEnergies, EP Nigeria Limited; NAOC; and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited – as statutory contributions to the interventionist agency.

“Our support for NDDC is part of our aspirations for the development of the Niger Delta which has also seen a wide range of social investments, including health and education,” SPDC Director and Country Head, Corporate Relations, Igo Weli said.

“With the continuous support of our partners, we will continue to discharge our obligations to communities through statutory payments to agencies and projects executed in partnership with stakeholders,” Weli added.

According to him, Shell Companies in Nigeria have supported community development programmes in the country since the 1960s, benefitting many Nigerians.

Support for education is said to have led to the award of more than 3,450 secondary school grants, 3,772 university grants and 1,062 cradle-to-career scholarship grants since 2016.

Another investment has seen the introduction of the Health-in-Motion programme, providing free medical services directly to communities. Over one million individuals have benefited from the programme since its inception in the early 2000s. Also, the global Shell LiveWIRE entrepreneurship programme supported 73 businesses through training and mentorship programmes leading to 97 employment opportunities for Nigerians.

Türkiye ranks 11th in renewable energy capacity worldwide

Michael Simire
-
0
Türkiye ranks 11th in renewable energy capacity worldwide

Türkiye’s installed renewable energy capacity has reached 58,462 megawatts, rising to 11th place in the world ranking.

Alparslan Bayraktar
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, said on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, citing data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

“We now rank among the top 11 countries globally in renewable energy and rank fifth in Europe.

“Türkiye intends to incorporate renewable resources, such as solar, wind, hydraulic, and geothermal, into its energy mix within a certain programme,” Bayraktar said in a statement.

The country aims for 5,000 megawatts of newly installed renewable energy capacity every year, including 3,500 megawatts of solar energy and 1,500 megawatts of wind power, he said.

Every kilowatt-hour of renewable electricity means a reduction in the amount of natural gas, coal, and oil the country imports, the minister noted.

According to IRENA, China, the United States, Brazil, India, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain, France, and Italy occupy the top 10 places in world ranking of installed renewable energy capacity.

How smart is `Climate Smart Agriculture’ to environment, food security?

Michael Simire
-
0
How smart is `Climate Smart Agriculture’ to environment, food security?

With the impact of climate change being felt on food systems around the world, and with the contribution of agriculture to global emissions also gaining attention, experts are focusing on climate change.

Sen. Abubakar Kyari
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach to managing landscapes, cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries that address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.

However, stakeholders have expressed concern that the term could be used to green-wash industrial agricultural practices that could harm food production in the future.

Though climate smart agriculture is gaining attention and acceptance among stakeholders, including researchers and policy makers, there is growing concern about what smart “Climate Smart Agriculture” really is.

With most of the world’s largest fertiliser and synthetic agrochemical manufacturers among the promoters of climate change, it the sincerity behind the said Climate Smart Agriculture comes under scrutiny.

According to an ActionAid Nigeria report, some governments and NGOs also worry that pressure to adopt Climate Smart Agriculture could lead to complications in the food systems of developing countries, with its attendant negative fallouts.

These worried stakeholders say that their agriculture systems have not contributed as much to the problem, but that going the Climate Smart Agriculture way could actually limit their ability to effectively adapt to the climate challenges ahead.

They argue that there are no identifiable yardsticks for determining what “Climate Smart” is, since entities that could be destructive to the climate, the farmers, and the environment, also freely use the word Climate Smart Agriculture.

Mr Bowie Attamah, a legal practitioner and an environmentalist, said promoters of industrial scale mono-cropping were jumping on the “Climate Smart” bandwagon, claiming that they proffer solutions to climate change.

“The same so-called ‘green revolution’ industries that have been widely criticised for their significant contribution to climate change and their negative environmental and social impacts on farmers and food systems.

“The have simply re-branded themselves as ‘Climate Smart’ and continued as before.

“Synthetic fertilisers, for example, contribute significantly to climate-change greenhouse gases while large-scale industrial livestock production has been shown to be a major contributor to climate change.

“Ultimately, there are no means to ensure that ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’ is actually smart for the climate, for agriculture, or for farmers,’’ he said.

Attamah said that synthetic fertilisers contribute to climate change as the creation of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers is energy-intensive, burning large amounts of fossil fuels and leading to high CO2 emissions.

“When applied to the soil, they can release Nitrous Oxide (N2O), a highly potent greenhouse gas that has 298 times the atmospheric warming effect of CO2,” he said.

“There are, therefore, significant concerns that destructive agribusinesses are able to use climate rhetoric and the general confusion over the term ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’, to provide ‘green wash’ cover to their activities.

“This enables them to expand into new markets such as Africa while undermining local economies, ecosystems, seed diversity and farmers, in the process.

“So, I’m skeptical when I hear people who are destroying the environment claiming that that they also practice climate smart agriculture,’’ Attamah said.

However, stakeholders have advocated the embrace and growth of organic and agroecological farming practices to enhance the health of the environment and its habitants, as well as food and nutrition security on the African continent.

Experts say agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems.

They believe that farmers and food security would be better served through the implementation of specific, meaningful and tested strategies such as agroecology.

Prof. Olugbenga AdeOluwa, the Coordinator, Organic and Agroecology Initiative (ORAIN), said that needs to upscale its organic and agroecology practices to bring the continent to the forefront of having a secure food system and safe environment.

AdeOluwa also said that there is a need to improve local development for export business in organic agriculture to improve the continent’s GDP.

“Capacity building of strategic practitioners in the organic agricultural sector of Nigeria is needed to contribute to food security, income generation, employment, systems resilience, among others,” he said.

Another expert, Mrs Joyce Brown, Programme Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said that promoting agroecology would protect the environment, the earth and help in attaining food security.

Brown said that another reason for promoting organic and agroecological practices is due to the understanding that industrial agriculture is not healthy.

She, therefore, urged government sensitise the masses on the economic importance of organic and agroecology farming.

“Other methods of farming destroy the ecosystem and the introduction of GMOs also will lead to loss of biodiversity even as climate change contributes its own impact to the agriculture food system,” she said.

Experts have argued that agricultural production systems in many developing countries, which are usually far less industrialised, have done the least to contribute to the global problem of climate change.

They argue that supporting their agriculture to adapt to changing weather conditions should be the greatest priority, and that they should not be obliged to take on more than their ‘fair share’ of mitigation commitments in agriculture.

They say developed countries, which have intensive production and high consumption models of agriculture, should consider changing their agricultural practices, while allowing developing countries to focus on their adaptation needs.

They say climate smart agriculture should not be a proxy to force developing countries to carrying more than their fair share of climate change mitigation, nor to let developed countries off the hook.

The idea of climate smart agriculture may sound appealing to many organisations and governments but should be approached with caution because of the risk of harmful green-wash agricultural practices.

There is a great need to make a distinction between developed nations, who are largely responsible for climate change, and developing nations who are the least victims of this phenomenon.

By Ebere Agozie, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

NASRDA urges stakeholders to leverage its Crop-Watch programme for food security

Michael Simire
-
0
NASRDA urges stakeholders to leverage its Crop-Watch programme for food security

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has urged agriculture stakeholders and interested parties to leverage available data through its Crop-Watch programme to enhance agricultural practices for food security.

ActionAid Agriculture
Agriculture

Dr Rakiya Babamaaji, Crop-Watch Nigeria Coordinator, made the call in an interview on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, in Abuja.

NASRDA and the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Science (AIR-CAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2022, for Crop-Watch programme.

The programme was targeted at utilising Earth Observation satellite data to enhance real-time monitoring of crops, which would increase agricultural productivity and ensure food security.

Babameji said that Crop-Watch was meant for sustainable agriculture.

“The economic value is for us to improve the productivity of agriculture within the country.

“Ours is to generate geospatial data; support the relevant agencies that have the mandate for agricultural practice and food security in the country.

“By the time stakeholders use this, it will improve production for farmers because we are all working towards precision agriculture and food security.

“We are supporting the government and the Renewed Hope Agenda for food security and NASRDA is doing its best by providing geospatial data to support agriculture.

“We want to work with all the relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector including the private sector, anybody that needs geospatial data to contact NASRDA.”

She said that part of the challenges of the programme was that the skill of deploying geospatial technology and interpreting its data was lacking among agricultural practitioners.

Babamaaji added that the agency was working on providing data as well as developing the capacity of individuals to understand mapping and statistical data.

“We will be meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture to help them upgrade their Geospatial Information System (GIS) lab, where they can do some data analysis.

“We will want to develop their capacity to understand it and take to the local farmers in the language they will understand, which includes the agricultural extension workers.

“With an improved budget, we need more publicity to get our product out; to enable us better inclusion for the private sector, state governments; we need them to be part of it,’’ she said.

Babamaaji also said that the programme had recorded some feats, which included an active, customised platform where interested parties could access information on arable lands across the country.

She said people could access information on crop condition index, health of a crop, stress, yield intensity both in a map format and statistical data.

“We have trained some stakeholders on how to access the platform; built their capacity; exposed them to different data emanating from the platform.

“We also exposed them to agricultural data collecting app, GVG, developed for Crop-Watch data collection and can be used to validate some of the remote sensing data collected from the platform.

“From the feedback, it was appreciated, and we hope to achieve more in the next one year.’’

The coordinator also mentioned that the agency had developed the soft copy of a quarterly bulletin designed for agriculture sector organisations.

According to her, efforts are being made to produce the hard copy as well.

She further said that NASRDA’s performance on the programme had earned the agency a nomination to host the regional capacity building expected to hold from July 2 to June 5.

Babamaaji said that 15 African countries were expected for the training in collaboration with AIR-CAS and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

“That training is for us to extend the programme beyond Nigeria; we want to exchange knowledge of data for agricultural practices; for smart and precision agriculture within West Africa.

“We are also inviting Chad and Cameroon from Central Africa to join because they are our neighbours with ten local participants,” she said.

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

Human-elephant conflict in Ethiopia has become more frequent, severe – Seyoum

Michael Simire
-
0
Human-elephant conflict in Ethiopia has become more frequent, severe – Seyoum

The Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) friend of the month for May 2024 is Mezgebe Seyoum, the Community Partnership Desk Head at the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA). Mezgebe was one of the EWCA beneficiaries of the human-elephant coexistence training in Tsavo earlier in the year.

According to him, human-elephant conflict in Ethiopia has become more frequent and severe over recent decades because of human population growth and the expansion of agricultural and industrial activities.

Mezgebe Seyoum
Mezgebe Seyoum

Tell us a little bit about how you grew up, where your passion for conservation was ignited.

I grew up in a rural area and finished my high school education at Adventist Boarding School, where I participated in the school plantation programme. After joining university, I developed an interest in social science, but my passion for conservation was ignited when I joined the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority 15 years ago.

In all the years you have been working in Ethiopia’s parks, what has been the highlight of your career?

Some of the highlights over the past 15 years have been providing continuous awareness and training on conservation to local administrators and buffer zone communities, which has been essential in fostering sustainable environmental practices. We have also improved the livelihood security of these communities. This has reduced their over-reliance on natural resources, thereby alleviating pressure on the environment.

Over the years, we have been encouraging our local communities to get involved in the planning and management of protected areas, both inside and outside these zones, ensuring that their needs and insights are considered, leading to more effective conservation efforts. We also address and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, particularly those involving elephants, while discouraging poaching activities in our efforts to protect biodiversity. Additionally, we have been developing project proposals to solicit funds that can help alleviate the poverty of forest-dependent communities, further supporting Ethiopia’s conservation goals.

What is the situation of human elephant coexistence in Ethiopia today, and what are some of the biggest threats facing this coexistence?

Human elephant conflict in Ethiopia has become more frequent and severe over recent decades because of human population growth and the expansion of agricultural and industrial activities, which together have led to increased human encroachment on previously wild and uninhabited areas. The biggest threats facing humans are the current social and economic uncertainties. Competition for the available natural habitats and resources has increased, and the resulting ecological imbalance has negatively influenced human-elephant coexistence.

Do you remain optimistic that coexistence between people and elephants is possible in Ethiopia?

Human-elephant conflict has become a serious problem in all parts of the country, though it varies from one region or ecosystem to another. However, I am optimistic that people and elephant coexistence will improve because people have an improved understanding of wildlife resources in general and elephants in particular, including from an economic perspective, tourism advantage, as well as their ecological significance.

SB60: African negotiators highlight shifting dynamics in climate negotiations

Michael Simire
-
0
SB60: African negotiators highlight shifting dynamics in climate negotiations

As the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) Lead Coordinators meet to strategise for the 60th session of the UN Climate Change Subsidiary Bodies (SB60), the group has highlighted the shifting dynamics in the negotiation processes and the need to be vigilant.

Alick Muvundika
Interim AGN Chair, Dr. Alick Muvundika

Interim AGN Chair, Dr. Alick Muvundika, urged the group to pay particular attention and remain vigilant on the importance of established procedures within the UN climate framework to avoid being short changed.

“We have to remain vigilant and respectfully challenge manoeuvres aimed at circumventing established procedures within the UNFCCC. For example, as a group we noticed some procedural issues regarding the agenda at the first workshop under the UAE-Belem work programme on indicators for measuring progress achieved towards the targets of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), where some established procedures were allegedly breached, as the agenda focused on substantive issues without prior notice to Parties. This was in addition to the nomination process, which was also characterised by non-procedural issues,” said Dr. Muvundika, when he officially opened the meeting in Bonn, Germany.

And the AGN Chair also highlighted health and climate as an emerging subject worth of the group’s active consideration, saying health was fast becoming a key agenda within the climate space in relation to the GGA framework, and called on the group to take keen interest and support African governments as they navigate the impacts of climate change on health.

“A crucial point for us to ponder under the UAE-Belem work programme is the inclusion of health as one of the thematic targets. Instead of waiting for this agenda to be set by others, we should, as a group, be actively involved and the work programme offers a window for us to input terms of how health should be mainstreamed into climate negotiations. As AGN, we have the AAI, which stands out as a shining example of our capacity to set our own agenda in these processes,” said Dr. Muvundika.

In addition to the UAE-Belem work programme, the AGN Chair further highlighted operationalisation modalities for the Loss and Damage Fund; the Just Transition work programme; Mitigation work programme; the New Quantified Goal on finance (NCQG), Joint work on Agriculture, and the unfinished business under Article 6 on carbon trading mechanisms, as some of the key priorities for Africa at the SB60 session.

With recent deadly floods in East Africa, particularly in Kenya, drought in Southern Africa, and fatal heat waves in the Sahel region, the discussions have been on what the Loss and Damage Fund can or cannot do for the African region as it continues to face climate-induced losses and damages.

“All eyes are on this process, and I have no doubt that our team on the Board is doing everything to secure Africa’s interests as the fund gets fully operationalised. Crucially, this year, central to all these discussions are the negotiations under the New Quantified Goal on finance (NCQG), which is the main theme and focus for COP29. As SBs usually set the tone for COPs, there is substantial work to be discussed under all the aforesaid thematic areas, and our full commitment and input is required,” said Muvundika.

Dr. Muvundika expressed gratitude to the AAI for its continued support to the AGN, emphasising the importance of home grown and Africa-led solutions to the climate crisis.

And speaking at the same event, AAI Technical Advisor, Kulthoum Mutsumi, emphasised the initiative’s commitment to supporting the AGN.

“The AAI was born from an idea of the AGN, supported and launched by all African Ministers and Heads of State. As you may be aware, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) gave the initiative a renewed mandate to continue supporting the African adaptation agenda and the AGN,” stated Mutsumi.

Oil, gas reforms will make Nigeria globally competitive, says Tinubu

Michael Simire
-
0
Oil, gas reforms will make Nigeria globally competitive, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu says the three Executive Orders on oil and gas reforms will make Nigeria’s petroleum sector globally competitive.

Oil
The President in a meeting with a delegation from ExxonMobil Upstream Company

The president said this during a meeting with a delegation from ExxonMobil Upstream Company, led by its President, Liam Mallon on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Abuja.

He emphasised that these reforms would ensure that no oil company faces undue challenges in the country.

The three Executive Orders, which became effective from Feb. 28 are: Oil and Gas Companies (Tax Incentives, Exemption, Remission, etc.) Order, 2024; the residential Directive on Local Content Compliance Requirements, 2024; and the Presidential Directive on Reduction of Petroleum Sector Contracting Costs and Timelines.

Tinubu assured the delegation of the federal government commitment to resolving the divestment issues between the company and Seplat Energy, which are currently under litigation.

“We have been pushing for closure on divestment issues, and I believe the other party, Seplat, is open to this,” the president said.

Tinubu commended the company for its show of commitment to environmental protection in Nigeria, noting its efforts in reducing gas flaring in the country.

“Nigeria is going through a lot of reforms, and we have been navigating the leadership quarters carefully to ensure that we achieve a win-win situation for all parties and attract more investments,” he said.

The president described ExxonMobil as a worthy partner in Nigeria’s development over the decades and urged it to remain committed to contributing to the success of his administration.

“We are close enough to be fair and blunt with you, and we are not afraid to hear from you on better options and recommendations for the growth of the industry in Nigeria,” the president said.

The meeting, attended by Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), and Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), discussed issues such as divestment, decommissioning, and abandonment as regards the company.

“Mr. President has given a clear directive to the NNPC GCEO and I to resolve the issue of divestment, and we are doing whatever we can to achieve that,” Lokpobiri stated.

On decommissioning and abandonment in the oil industry, Lokpobiri noted that the ministry is addressing the matter in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and global best practices.

“The reforms driven by the three Executive Orders will ensure that companies operating in Nigeria have the best environment to continue making their investments and that no company will seek to leave Nigeria,” the minister said.

Liam Mallon, the President of ExxonMobil Upstream Company, appreciated the support and reassurances provided by the Nigerian government and pledged the company’s long-term commitment to the country’s energy sector.

He also commended the president for his courage and conviction to undertake bold reforms within his first year in office.

By Ismail Abdulaziz

NNPC, JV partners, NDDC commission N24.5bn Ogbia-Nembe Road

Michael Simire
-
0
NNPC, JV partners, NDDC commission N24.5bn Ogbia-Nembe Road

As part of activities to mark the one-year anniversary of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the NNPC Ltd and its joint venture partners – Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), TotalEnergies, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) – in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have commissioned the 25.7km Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State.

Ogbia-Nembe Road
L-R: Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; Minister of Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh; MD/CEO NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku; SPDC MD and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor; Rep of the CUIO NUIMS, Obinna Aralu; His Eminence, King Edmund Daukoru, Mingi XII, Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom; and His Eminence, King Dumaro Charles Owaba, The Obanobhan III of Ogbia Kingdom, during the commissioning of the 25.7km Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State, on Monday

The project, valued at N24.5 billion, traverses mangrove forests with seven bridges and five culverts, and connects 14 communities.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony which held at Nembe on Monday, May 27, 2024, the Minister of the Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the project was in alignment with the President’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” for sustainable development in the Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria in general.

“This project is evidence of what good partnerships can bring to communities,” the President said, urging other oil companies to collaborate with the NNPC Ltd and the NDDC to deliver transformative projects.

Earlier in his remarks, the NNPC Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Mr. Bala Wunti, who was represented by Mr. Obinna Aralu, expressed satisfaction with the completion of the road, describing it as “a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision”.

He said the road was more than just infrastructure as it symbolizes progress, connectivity, and opportunities for the Nembe people through seamless transportation, increase in economic activities and general improvement in the quality of life.

Wunti also thanked all the partners and stakeholders for their contributions to the successful delivery of the project.

On his part, the Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, highlighted the transformative impact of the project, stressing that it “will connect communities to the city centre, boost economic activities, and reduce risks associated with river transport.

Okunbor reiterated Shell’s commitment to partnering with government agencies to deliver projects that are beneficial to the people of the Niger Delta region and Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission was dedicated to completing projects across the Niger Delta region that serve the urgent needs in the communities.

The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, commended the NDDC, NNPC Ltd and its partners for the project.

The epoch-making event was attended by top government officials and traditional rulers from Bayelsa State, including the Senate Committee Chairman on Niger Delta, Sen. Asuquo Ekpeyong; Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta, Erhiatake Ibori-Senu; Chairman of NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie; the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, King Edmund Daukoru, Mingi XII; and the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, King Dumaro Charles Owaba III.

According to the promoters, the completion and commissioning of the Ogbia-Nembe Road mark a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts by the NNPC Limited and its partners to enhance infrastructure and promote sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.

Environmentalists group demands release of detained anti-EACOP activists

Michael Simire
-
0
Environmentalists group demands release of detained anti-EACOP activists

The Ugandan police force on Monday, May 27, 2024, arrested eight activists marching to the Chinese Embassy in Kampala to deliver a protest letter against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline funding.

StopEACOP
StopEACOP campaign

National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) says it is concerned that, instead of being engaged meaningfully, they were arrested. It says this kind of humiliation and inhuman treatment is not only a human rights abuse but also has no place in the modern world and should be condemned at all costs.

“Use of excessive force to arrest peaceful and unarmed civilians is a big shame to a civilian force like police and violates the Ugandan constitution. NAPE strongly warns and calls upon the police to stop this harassment and intimidation of environmental activists and calls for unconditional release. NAPE maintains that detaining environmentalists for protesting is unlawful, and culprits should be punished,” said Frank Muramuzi, the Executive Director of NAPE.

In any case, this EACOP and other oil development projects are public investments that should be kept under scrutiny by the citizens. If these investments are to come at a cost of denying citizens their rights, then they need to be fought at any cost, Muramuzi added.

“OilWatch Africa supports the call release of the detained activists and frowns at the harassment of citizens fighting for the rights of Africans to a safe environment as enshrined in Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

1...271272273...2,220Page 272 of 2,220

TV Report

Archives

2025 EnviroNews Nigeria. All Rights Reserved.

×