President Bola Tinubu on Monday, May 13, 2024, endorsed the #WeAreEqual campaign for the advancement of gender equity and closing the gender gap in Africa.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria
Tinubu approved the campaign during his remarks at the launch of #WeAreEqual campaign by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) hosted by the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.
Studies, he said, has consistently highlighted education as the cornerstone for national development.
He added that when girls are empowered to pursue their dreams, communities thrive, economies prosper, and nations succeed.
“The campaign will bring to realisation of the fact that the empowerment of women and girls is essential to achieving each of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
“I salute the commitment and dedication of the African first ladies, as members of OAFLAD, to advance gender equality and narrow the gender gap in opportunities and appointments across the African continent.
“This Campaign, spearheaded by your excellences, holds significant importance for us in Africa. I therefore congratulate you all. I particularly congratulate my dear wife, the first lady of Nigeria, who has chosen education as a primary tool to champion this campaign nationwide.
“I reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that no Nigerian child is excluded from quality education that prepares women and girls to lead and bring positive changes to our communities. It is now my honour to launch #WeAreEqual Campaign in Nigeria.”
The president also advised all Nigerians to carry forward the campaign, saying that it promises to gift an educated girl-child the potential to bring the necessary change and transformation in African communities for the better.
“I am aware that this campaign has been successfully launched in 15 other African countries, focusing on health, education, economic empowerment and gender-based violence. I am also delighted to learn of all the various initiatives that your excellences have embarked upon in your respective countries. I celebrate you all.
“The focus of the launch of this campaign in Nigeria, ‘Education as a Powerful Tool for Change’, is critical for Africa’s development, if we are to attain gender equity and ensure equal opportunities for all.
“We must continue to create opportunities for all our children to access quality education without leaving anyone behind, particularly the girl child. We must engender a society where everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of who they are.”
He said the #WeAreEqual campaign was timely following the reintroduction of the Alternative High School for Girls championing by the first lady.
“It is noteworthy that the launch of this laudable campaign in Nigeria came with the reintroduction of the Alternative High School for Girls by the First Lady.
“This initiative offers a second chance to young girls who have dropped out of school to further their education and fulfill their dreams and aspirations.
“I am happy to note that the foundation stone of one of the schools was recently laid in Osun State, in western Nigeria, by the first lady. More schools are underway across the country, supported by state governments, the federal government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and other development partners.”
The president in his remarks also commended the OAFLAD members across Africa, the development partners, representatives from the civil society organisations and members of the diplomatic community.
The #WeAreEqual campaign is an initiative of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
It has been launched in 15 African countries in different nomenclatures, and focuses on health, education, economic empowerment, and gender-based violence.
Azerbaijan is looking forward to international cooperation in tackling climate change under COP29, said Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister, COP29 Chief Negotiator.
He made the remarks on Monday, May 13, 2024, during a workshop on capacity building in the preparation of biennial transparency reports.
“We recognise the interconnected nature of climate challenges and believe that by building cooperation and dialogue on a global scale, we can increase our international resources,” Rafiyev said.
He stressed that COP29 would create and leverage the conditions for dialogue, using Azerbaijan’s strategic location to ensure that the negotiations reflect global perspectives and can lead to a more comprehensive and inclusive outcome.
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in the Azerbaijani capital Baku in November this year. The decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11, 2023. Within two weeks, Baku will become the centre of the world and will host about 70-80 thousand foreign guests.
In a related development, Abdulla Al Hammadi, COP28 Senior Negotiator for Transparency, is in Baku, Azerbaijan, this week for a training workshop hosted by COP29 presidency on building confidence and capacity in the preparation of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).
“Implementation of the UAE Consensus must be built on enabling trust and confidence in climate action. The submission of the first BTR is a cornerstone to ensuring that the Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework showcases how Parties are progressing in implementing mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance action to keep 1.5 and global climate resilience within reach. We urge all Parties to make efforts to meet the deadline to submit their first BTR,” COP28 Secretariat said in a post on X.
Soaring land prices, land grabs, and carbon schemes are creating an unprecedented “land squeeze”, threatening farmers and food production, reveals a comprehensive new report released on Monday, May 13, 2024, by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food).
Susan Chomba, IPES-Food expert
The report comes as land issues rise up the global agenda – with the World Bank holding a conference on “Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action” in Washington DC this week, a recent World Bank report on net-zero in food systems calling for measures to reduce the conversion of forests to croplands, and as Brazil launches an agrarian reform policy “Terra da Gente” to allocate land for 295,000 families by 2026.
The study exposes the alarming escalation of land grabbing in various forms, including through “green grabs”, opaque financial instruments and speculation, rapid resource extraction, and intensive export crop production. Land around twice the size of Germany has been snatched up in transnational deals worldwide since 2000.
Major new pressures are emerging from “green grabs” for carbon and biodiversity offset projects, conservation initiatives, and clean fuels, the report highlights. Huge swathes of farmland are being acquired by governments and corporations for these “green grabs” – which now account for 20% of large-scale land deals – despite little evidence of climate benefits. Governments’ pledges for land-based carbon removals alone add up to almost 1.2 billion hectares, equivalent to total global cropland. Carbon offset markets are expected to quadruple in the next seven years.
This global trend of land grabs and green grabs is particularly affecting sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, while land inequality is growing fastest in Central-Eastern Europe, North and Latin America, and South Asia. Shockingly, 70% of the world’s farmland is now controlled by just 1% of the world’s largest farms.
As demand for land continues unchecked, the panel of experts says the “land squeeze” is inflaming land inequality and making small and medium scale food production increasingly unviable – leading to farmer revolts, rural exodus, rural poverty and food insecurity. With global farmland prices doubling in 15 years, farmers, peasants, and Indigenous peoples are losing their land (or forced to downsize), while young farmers face significant barriers in accessing land to farm.
IPES-Food calls for action to:
Halt green grabs and remove speculative investment from land markets;
Establish integrated governance for land, environment and food systems to ensure a just transition;
Support collective ownership and innovative financing for farmers to access land; and,
Forge a new deal for farmers and rural areas, and a new generation of land and agrarian reforms.
Susan Chomba, IPES-Food expert, Kenya, said: “Land isn’t just dirt beneath our feet, it’s the bedrock of our food systems keeping us all fed. Yet we’re seeing soaring land prices and grabs driving an unprecedented ‘land squeeze’, accelerating inequality and threatening food production.
“The rush for dubious carbon projects, tree planting schemes, clean fuels, and speculative buying is displacing small-scale farmers and Indigenous Peoples. In Africa, powerful governments, polluting fossil fuel companies, and big conservation groups are elbowing their way onto our land under the veneer of green goals, directly threatening the very communities bearing the brunt of climate change.”
Nettie Wiebe, IPES-Food expert, Canada, said: “Imagine trying to start a farm when 70% of farmland is already controlled by just 1% of the largest farms – and when land prices have risen for 20 years in a row, like in North America. That’s the stark reality young farmers face today. Farmland is increasingly owned not by farmers but by speculators, pension funds, and big agribusinesses looking to cash in. Land prices have skyrocketed so high it’s becoming impossible to make a living from farming. This is reaching a tipping point – small and medium scale farming are simply being squeezed out.”
Sofía Monsalve Suárez, IPES-Food expert, Colombia, said: “It’s time decision-makers stop shirking their responsibility and start to tackle rural decline. The financialisation and liberalisation of land markets is ruining livelihoods and threatening the right to food. Instead of opening the floodgates to speculative capital, governments need to take concrete steps to halt bogus ‘green grabs’ and invest in rural development, sustainable farming and community-led conservation. Bottom line, we’ve got to make some serious changes to democratise land ownership if we want to ensure a sustainable future for nature, food production and rural communities.”
The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) have described the somewhat hasty payment of compensation and other benefits to the illegally disengaged staff of Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) by the Lagos State Government as a peremptory move to stall the reversal of the unpopular decision and clamour for investigation of the finances of the corporation since 1999.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
A statement by the LWC on Sunday, May 12, 2024, had hailed Governor Sanwo-Olu for settling the emoluments and thanking him for bringing succour to the Corporation by the payments of all emoluments for the period from August 2011 up to Oct, Nov, Dec 2016 and till date. Accrued rights (bond) of the Corporation retirees up to Dec 2022 was also allegedly settled.
But AUPCTRE and RDI said the House of Assembly has agreed to wade into the matter and would be meeting with the leadership of AUPCTRE in the state this week hence the Lagos governor should wait for the outcomes.
A petition by AUPCTRE, the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) included recommendation for a probe of the finances of the corporation that were allegedly mismanaged by successive management since 1999.
AUPCTRE Lagos State Chapter Secretary, Abiodun Bakare, queried the rush of the Lagos State Government in settling the emoluments when the issues at stake revolve around the breach of due process in laying off 391 staff.
“We have spoken and marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly to demand the reversal of the illegal sack and the House has promised to look into the matter. So why is the executive arm of the government jumping the gun through this action?” he demanded.
RDI Executive Director, Philip Jakpor, said: “The speed with which the state government settled the emoluments is surprising and seems more like trying to arm-twist everyone into accepting the illegal action.”
Jakpor maintained that the sack of the workers on the grounds of redundancy is illegal and illogical, insisting that the woes of the corporation have nothing to do with staff as the LWC is understaffed and the waterworks across the state undermanned.
“The tone of the LWC statement commending the governor for settling of the emoluments is celebratory and clearly exposes the determination of the promoters of privatisation in the highest quarters of government to press on with the failed privatisation models for which the sack of the staff was carried out.
The two organisations encouraged the House of Assembly to remain undeterred in its promise to address the issues to ensure innocent workers do not end up as scapegoats for the actions of individuals playing out a script which has an endgame which is privatisation of Lagos water services.
They also re-echoed their demands which was submitted in a petition to the Lagos State House of Assembly. It includes the unconditional reinstatement of all disengaged staff of the LWC; Probe of all the water contracts awarded in Lagos since 1999, blacklisting of identified contractors and recouping of all monies diverted, as well as a halt to the ongoing privatisation plans of water in Lagos and termination of all partnerships and collaborations that aim to foist water privatisation on the state.
Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa State says International Oil Companies (lOCs), particularly Shell Petroleum Development Company, have been responsible for the environmental degradation in the state.
Gov. Douye Diri with other delegates during the Annual Convention and Fund Raising of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) of the Americas, held in Houston, Texas
Diri disclosed this at the Annual Convention and Fund Raising of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) of the Americas, held in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Sunday, May 12, 2024.
The congress has “Ijaw-Nation: Nurturing Partnership through Symbiotic Relationships Towards Homeland, Social, and Economic Development” as its theme.
The governor specifically fingered Shell as a major culprit in the degradation of the Bayelsa environment.
“After waiting for several years for dialogue without Shell or any other IOC coming forward, we will be compelled to institute legal action against the Dutch super oil major and other IOCs.
‘‘Today, Shell is divesting, and I call on the Minister of Petroleum (Oil) that we have a duty to ensure that Shell’s divestment must take care of ameliorating our environment.
“Today, our flora and fauna are gone. Our beautiful environment is also gone.
“We will need the support of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora because there is so much, we will achieve if we work together,’’ Diri said.
In his remarks, Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), sought the support of ljaw people in joining hands with President Bola Tinubu on the advocacy against oil theft and environmental pollution.
Lokpobiri said: “If you go to our area in Bayelsa State, it is likely to be the most polluted state, but people may not know.
“What is responsible for this pollution, it could be mainly the people or companies. The people in that state are involved in getting illegal crude oil for illegal refining.
“After the refining they throw the rest into the river.
“You will agree with me that by the law, Federal Government owns the water and land resources. So, it behooves everyone to join hands together to fight this menace,” he said.
The Minister urged Nigerians in diaspora to support the efforts of the government, so that the environment can be preserved.
He appealed to ljaw people in diaspora to tell Nigerians in Niger Delta region to stop pipeline vandalisation.
“It will cause more harm to the communities than the little money they will make.
“No matter the proceed gotten from the illegal refining, it cannot feed the people of the communities, so, we appeal to those perpetuating such acts to desist.
“President Tinubu will continue to support all Nigerians in diaspora, including the ljaw people because we occupy strategic position in the country and oil still remains the main strength of our economy.
“It accounts for at least 90 per cent of forex. We occupy the entire areas of coastline.
“For us to benefit from this resource, we need to work with government at all levels,” he added.
Earlier, the President General of INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said the choice of the theme of this year’s event is very apt and captivating.
According to Okaba, the theme seeks to identify and address the divergent means, methodologies and strategies of rejigging, mobilisng, galvanising, repositioning credible and symbiotic linkages as well as partnership among the Ijaws in the Americas and others in diaspora.
“Despite the God-given enormous human and natural resources of the Ijaws, who are equally ranked among the four largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Ijaw nation, the focus of this conversation, is badly impoverished, brutally balkanised, neglected, and undermined by successive administrations in Nigeria, even before independence.
“The Ijaw local economy is badly articulated. This is worsened by the lack of meaningful wealth creation/empowerment and employment opportunities.
“The Ijaw ecosystem, to say the least, the worst ever anywhere in the world, has continuously faced unmitigated catastrophes arising largely from oil and gas exploitation-related pollution without any reasonable form of remediation and compensation.
“The Ijaws suffer a slave and stranger status in a nation where they are aboriginal and the producers of its economic mainstay,’’ he said.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reassured oil and gas stakeholders that service companies and other manufacturers that have established capacities in the country will continue to enjoy patronage through the award of contracts from operating companies in the sector.
Executive Secretary NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, with officials during the visit
The Executive Secretary NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, made this commitment on Friday, May 10, 2024, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he led officials of the Board and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) to visit companies that deliver pipe coating and related services.
The team visited Brightwaters Energy Limited, formerly known as Willbros Nigeria Ltd, Solewant Nigeria Limited and Pipe Coaters Nigeria, managed by Tenaris Nigeria Ltd.
The Executive Secretary said the visits were to assess the companies’ facilities and determine how the Board can galvanise the industry to patronise them. He underscored the importance of getting first-hand information on in-country capabilities before making key decisions on oil and gas projects. He insisted that operating companies must support and patronise local oil and gas service companies in compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
Ogbe emphasised that activities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry must be used to create employment opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths and help to resuscitate the economy, in line with the aspirations of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The Chief Executive Officer of Brightwaters Energy Limited, Mr. Scott Gregory, thanked the Executive Secretary for leading the visit while highlighting that Brightwaters, formerly Willbros, carried out Nigeria’s first pipe coating in 1962.
He recalled that the facility had 3,000 employees some years back, executing various spheres of oil and gas projects. He conveyed the management’s aspiration to return the firm to those high-performance levels and sought the Board’s support to win oil and gas projects that would resuscitate the sprawling facility.
“We feel that we can be a positive contributor to Nigeria through the capacities that we have. We want to bring real, true value to the table,” he added. He admitted that the coating facility had suffered downtime but assured that the plant would be up and running within 60 days of the award of a new contract.
The Chairman of Tenaris Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Nwapa, welcomed the NCDMB’s team to PCNL’s facilities. He commended the efforts made by the agency to push local content in the industry, attributing it to the good culture that had been established at the Board over the years.
Nwapa, who was the pioneer Executive Secretary of NCDMB, expressed delight that some of the oil and gas projects that had been pending for nearly 10 years were now being developed and expressed hope that existing local capacities would be maximised in the execution of those projects.
The team was taken around the company’s facilities and shown the various equipment of PCNL in readiness for the award of new contracts. Nwapa pledged the commitment of the company to meet the expectations of clients as well as allow them to participate in the supervision of the work in their factory.
The PCNL facility covers an area of 160,000 m2 in the Onne Free Trade Zone. The company offers Anticorrosion, CWC, Thermal Insulation, Internal and Bends Coating plants as well as Double Jointing and Anode Installation Facilities.
At Solewant Group, an EPCI and Pipe Coating Company, the NCDMB delegation was shown round the company’s facilities as well as the new investments, such as the 5 mega watts generators, procured to guarantee power supply to the facility.
Accompanying Ogbe on the facility visits were the Director, Projects Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Abayomi Bamidele; General Manager, PCAD, Maurice Iwhiwhu; Special Technical Assistant (STA) to the Executive Secretary, Mofe Megbele; Deputy Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Obinna Ezeobi; and other staff members of the Board.
The SPDC team was led by the General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Mr. Lanre Olawuyi.
NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NNPC E&P Ltd), NNPC Ltd’s flagship upstream subsidiary, and Natural Oilfield Services Ltd (NOSL), a subsidiary of Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd (SEEPCO), announce the successful commencement of oil production at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13 in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari
The production, which commenced on May 6, 2024, with 6,000 barrels of oil, is expected to be ramped up to 40,000 barrels per day by May 27, 2024.
The first oil flow from OML 13 is said to be a historic milestone in the partnership between NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL, highlighting their dedication to driving growth and development in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which remains a vital component of the nation’s economy.
The achievement does not only signify the culmination of rigorous planning and execution by the teams involved, but also represents a new era of economic empowerment and development opportunities for the host communities.
Furthermore, for Nigeria, the first oil from OML 13 holds some significance as it contributes to the country’s efforts to increase its oil production capacity, which is crucial for meeting domestic energy needs and driving economic growth.
The NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL partnership is also committed to operating in a manner that is safe, environmentally responsible, and beneficial to the local communities.
Escalating food prices compounded by insecurity, economic downturn, high cost of transportation and climate change are reshaping Nigerian agricultural landscape.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari
Granted, the Federal Government is making spirited and multi-faceted efforts to tackle insecurity and reduce food inflation, but surging food prices continue to exert pressure on average Nigerians.
To this end, families are finding innovative solutions and stop-gap measures to combat rising food prices.
An increasing number of Nigerian families are turning to subsistence farming as a means of ensuring food security and affordability.
These families are upbeat that subsistence farming, especially home gardens, can provide primary and regular source of diet and nutrition and also reduce dependence on commercial food products which are most times, expensive.
Mrs Rose Maiwada, a schoolteacher and Mrs Blessing Yakubu, a trader, are spearheading the advocacy for the cultivation of essentials for personal consumption and community resilience.
“I am a schoolteacher with four children without a husband; when I noticed that my salary could no longer sustain the family because of the increase in prices of food items, I had to clear the back of my house where I planted vegetables and some grains.
“I planted yams in sacks and potatoes, tomatoes and other basic household items that I need for my personal consumption.
“This has really helped my family; I no longer spend money on buying some food items and meat because I grow the basic things that I need for my consumption, I have small poultry also,” Maiwada said.
On her part, Yakubu said the increase in the prices of food items made her to think of the engage herself in farming.
“As a trader, when people come to the market and you tell them the price of an item, the looks on their faces most times make me depressed; how I wish I could give the items for free,” she said.
Worthy of note, an NGO, Global Alliances for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), recently empowered no fewer than 1,760 households with its home gardening inputs to improve nutrition indices in four LGAs in Kaduna State in order to boost subsistence farming.
The 440 beneficiary households were given vegetable seeds (Amaranthus and tomato seeds), orange-fleshed sweet potatoes vines, organic fertilisers, and watering cans.
GAIN’s, Mr Francis Aderibigbe, said the initiative was launched as a crucial part of the Workforce Nutrition Component within the Strengthening Nutrition in Priority Staples Project (SNiPS).
Aderibigbe, who is the Project Coordinator of Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), an implementing partner of the GAIN’s Home Gardens Initiative, said the exercise was designed to provide support to farming households, farmers, farmworkers and processors in the rice and maize value chains.
He explained that the Workforce Nutrition Component focused on increasing the consumption of safe, nutritious foods by smallholder farmers, their families, and the wider population.
He said the Workforce Nutrition Component promoted consumption of nutrient-enriched staples, fruits and vegetables for improved dietary intake, especially among farmers, farmworkers, and their households.
Aderibigbe noted that Home Gardens Initiative was centred on training households in the establishment and maintenance of home gardens.
He added that it was also to improve access to quality planting materials for the home gardens and improving knowledge and technologies on good agronomic practices for home gardens.
“The initiative also seeks to improve nutrition education of households on the need to consume nutritious foods grown in their home gardens,” he said.
In the same vein, Mr Mustapha Bakano of the National Cassava Growers Association champions subsistence cultivation of cassava as a mainstay of food security.
He said that with strategic partnerships and government support, cassava could alleviate food insecurity and reduce dependency on imported grains.
According to him, cassava is a staple food not only in Nigeria but in other part of Africa; so there is need for all of us to cultivate cassava.
“I am urging Nigerians to cultivate cassava; if we all do this, it will take us out of food insecurity because we can eat it in different forms and we can also export it.
“We are synergising with the government to ensure that these seedlings reach the farmers to boost food security.
“If we are able to focus in this direction, in the next few years, we will be looking at integrating cassava flour into wheat and this will help us reduce our deficit in importation of wheat,’’ he said.
What’s more, Prophet Isa El-buba, the General Overseer of the Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministry International (EBOMI), said it had become imperative for Nigerians to embrace farming as an occupation.
El-buba, who is also the Convener of the Initiative for Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), said Nigeria is blessed with arable land and temperate weather capable of growing all types of crops.
He said that people should take advantage of that and engage in farming activities
El-buba said that such a move would avert the looming food crisis in the nation, as people would produce for both subsistence and commercial purposes.
“Nigerians should embrace farming; agriculture is the way to go and government should not beg us to go into farming.
“No matter how small the piece of land is, cultivate it and since we are blessed with quality soil, you will be amazed what that small piece of land will produce.
“With the current happenings, the days ahead will be rough and so by farming we will be able to avert food scarcity,’’ he said.
On the other hand, some experts believe that resort to biotechnological solutions can address Nigeria’s food crisis.
Prof. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director General of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NABDA), said that the adoption of biotechnology would revolutionise food production and security.
Abdullahi underscored the transformative potential of biotechnology, envisioning enhanced crop yields, resilience to pests and diseases and reduced environmental impact.
“Biotechnology offers a promising pathway to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods and ensure national food security.’’
According to him, biotechnology is vast, profound and proffers solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our agricultural sector.
“Biotechnology stands as a beacon of hope, a transformative force driving agricultural progress across the globe and farmer associations like yours play a pivotal role as the bedrock of our agricultural landscape.
“This technology will enhance crop yields and improved nutritional content against pests, diseases, and adverse environmental conditions, biotechnology offers a spectrum of opportunities to propel our agricultural productivity to new heights,’’ he said.
Dr Rose Gidado, Director Agricultural Biotechnology Department, NBRDA, said improved seed varieties were critical to sustainable farming practices.
She said was hopeful on a future where every Nigerian contributed to food security by cultivating staple crops with ease and minimal environmental impact.
Gidado appealed to Nigerians to embrace farming to boost food security.
She said the new improved seedlings were easy to plant and it did not require spraying of pesticides as the conventional seeds.
“If we can all plant one stable crop in no time Nigeria will be free from hunger, “she said.
Admittedly, subsistence farming improves families’ food supplies and help them make healthy food choices in terms of eating organic foods, but policy analysts are concerned.
The analysts are of the view that Nigeria, with its massive arable land, has the capacity to produce enough food for local consumption and export.
According to them, no matter how helpful subsistence farming could be, it should not supplant large scale mechanised and commercial farming as seen in other climes.
Kenya-based Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), a global climate movement that brings together NGOs from some 51 countries, has declared its support to Azerbaijan, the nation hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled to hold in Baku from Monday, November 11 to Friday, November 22, 2024.
Executive Director of PACJA, Mithika Mwenda
In a statement endorsed by the head of the Alliance, Mithika Mwenda, and 128 African NGOs, the group expressed appreciation to Azerbaijan’s leadership in the field of global climate action.
The statement reads: “We, the undersigned civil society organisations, wholeheartedly support the UNFCCC-COP29 Presidency and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the hosting Country, as they embark on the vital mission of steering the global community towards a sustainable, climate-resilient, and ecologically just future.
“Given our shared concern regarding the planetary emergency and environmental challenges posing an existential threat to the planet and humanity, we find inspiration in Azerbaijan’s dedication and leadership showcased in promoting climate action through global diplomatic, political, and economic interactions.
“We stand at a pivotal moment where radical and resolute steps are imperative to alleviate the effects of climate change, safeguard vulnerable communities, effectively adapt, build resilience, and conserve our invaluable ecosystems for generations to come.
“In this context, we encourage Azerbaijan to provide leadership in promoting dialogue, genuine collaboration, inclusivity, and innovative outreaches as we sound alarm on the urgency of global climate action.
“As Azerbaijan steps into the role of global leadership for COP29, we wish to express our profound confidence in her capability to foster significant cooperation, inspire ambitious pledges, and navigate the World towards the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathways.
“We unite in solidarity with the rest of the civil society – globally – in our collective endeavours to achieve climate justice, accelerate climate action, and forge a promising future for our planet and future generations.”
The Havel Corporate Concept, an affiliate of ioSafe Nigeria, has unveiled projects designed to transform Abuja into a smart city.
Dr Ahmed Badanga and colleagues addressing the press conference in Abuja
The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Dr Ahmed Badanga, unveiled the projects at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, May 10, 2024.
Badanga identified the projects as Abuja Smart City Project and Abuja Residents Smart Card Project.
He explained that the Abuja Smart City Project, which would be implemented in collaboration with critical stakeholders, would make governance, transport, tourism, health, business, and homes smarter.
The. CEO said that the team would explore a Public-Private-Partnership, not just on financial agreements but also in the sharing of expertise, risks, and rewards, in pursuit of mutual and public interests.
He said that the smart city project was tailored-based on local peculiarities, people, and the current state of Abuja city, as against the practice of allocating land to build a smart city within a city.
“We are blending global standards with our unique Abuja identity, utilising, and leveraging existing infrastructure, technology, and services within and outside Abuja metropolis,” he said.
According to him, the goal is to transform Abuja to a smarter, faster, and reliable service provider, and a city where technology and innovation meets hospitality.
He said that the project, when completed, will facilitate real time access to service and transaction via internet, artificial intelligence and customised mobile application tagged, “Abuja Smartcity App”, a one stop shop.
This, according to him, will improve the quality of life of Abuja residents.
“The project is designed to redefine Abuja city, where services are provided smartly by unlocking the potentials of the city to allow people to live, explore, work with ease, and relax pleasantly.
“This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals 11, which seeks to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable,” he said.
He explained that the project would be built in phases, based on existing structures by adopting local content that focused on customer support systems.
He added that the project would rely majorly on technology, particularly internet, Wi-Fi, voice services, fiber optic infrastructure, and satellite services available in the city among others.
“This will create Abuja, where all activities and responsibilities are interconnected with an array of sensors and data collectors, distributed throughout the city, and monitored centrally,” he added.
On the Abuja Residents Smart Card Project, Badanga said that the digital biometric database was designed to drive the Abuja Smart City vision to reality.
He said that the proposed card would have basic features of e-payment and biometric data to enable the holders to access government, security, financial, and transportation services.
According to him, efficient public services are not possible without a resident smart card and digital database.
“The idea of the smart card is to build a reliable database of all residents of Abuja to support the proposed smart city.
“This will enhance an effective and realistic ecosystem for planning, especially in the provision and delivery of social services and amenities.
“This is critical, considering the continued influx of migrants seeking economic opportunities and better life, thereby, increasing the city population with implication on social services, infrastructure, and security.”
To ensure the success of the projects, Badanga said that the organisation would carry out an extensive awareness campaign toward building smart people, to access smart services, in a smart city.
He disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima would officially unveil the Abuja Smart Strategic Road Map, during the 2nd edition of the Nigeria Data Expo and Conference scheduled for July 23, 2024.
