President Bola Tinubu has approved the removal of Chief Pius Akinyelure, the chairman of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. and Malam Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer.
Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Group CEO (left) and Mr. Ahmadu Musa Kida non-executive chairman, NNPC
Kyari was replaced by Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari as Group CEO and Akinyelure was replaced by Mr. Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Tinubu also removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.
Mr. Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board.
Six board members, non-executive directors, representing the country’s geopolitical zones are: Bello Rabiu, North West; Yusuf Usman, North East; and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), who represents North Central.
Tinubu also appointed Mr. Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East.
Mrs. Lydia Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President invoked the powers granted under Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, adding that all the appointments were with immediate effect.
He said that the board’s restructuring was crucial for enhancing operational efficiency, and restoring investor confidence.
Tinubu added that it would also boost local content, drive economic growth, and advance gas commercialisation and diversification.
The President handed out an immediate action plan to the new board; to conduct a strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture Assets.
He said this would ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.
Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented oil sector reforms to attract investment. Last year, NNPC reported $17 billion in new investments within the sector.
“The administration now envisions increasing the investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.
‘The Tinubu administration targets raising oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027 and three million daily by 2030.
“Concurrently, the government wants gas production jacked to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet by 2030.”
Tinubu charged the new board to elevate NNPC’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030.
The new board chairman, Kida, from Borno, is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he received a degree in civil engineering in 1984.
He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris.
He started his career in the oil industry at Elf Petroleum Nigeria and later joined Total Exploration and Production as a trainee engineer in 1985.
Kida became Total Nigeria’s Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services in 2015. Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group.
Apart from his oil industry career, Kida is a former basketballer and the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) board.
Ojulari, the new NNPC Ltd. Group CEO, hails from Kwara State.
Until his new appointment, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company.
Renaissance Africa Energy Company recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark acquisition of the entire equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), worth $2.4 billion.
Like Kida, Ojulari is also an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
He worked for Elf Aquitaine as the first Nigerian process engineer to begin a stellar career in the oil sector.
From Elf, he joined Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991 as an associate production technologist.
Apart from working in Nigeria, he worked in Europe and the Middle East in different capacities as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager.
In 2015, he became the managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO).
Tinubu thanked the old board members for their dedicated service to NNPC Ltd.
He commended them for their efforts in rehabilitating the old Port Harcourt and Warri refineries and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Maritime shipping is the backbone of international trade and an integral part of global supply chains. The sector is also a major consumer of energy: international shipping is responsible for about 5% of global annual oil use and almost 700 million tonnes (Mt) of annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Maritime shipping is a major consumer of energy
Since 2008, as both global traded value and international shipping activity expanded by almost 50%, energy use in shipping has increased by 5%, with the sector’s oil consumption reaching 4.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2023.
During that period, companies found ways to consume fuel more efficiently, since fuel accounts for up to half the costs of transporting goods by ship. In fact, the energy intensity of shipping – measured as the fuel consumed to transport a tonne of goods over a given distance – has decreased by about 30% since 2008. In 2023, this saved 1.8 mb/d of oil and $60 billion in fuel costs. Still, there remains ample scope for further improvements – in many cases by implementing technologies that are already commercially available.
Two main factors underpin efficiency gains in recent decades. First, there is the adoption of so-called slow steaming, which has been responsible for two-thirds of improvements since 2008, since cutting a ship’s speed in half can reduce fuel consumption up to eight-fold. On average, shipping speeds have fallen by 10% since 2008, resulting in oil savings of over 1 mb/d. Second, ship sizes have grown by over 50% on average.
This saved another 300 kb/d due to reduced hull surface area and wave resistance per tonne of cargo. These two trends developed as a reaction to high fuel prices, market dynamics and regulatory conditions, such as energy efficiency requirements for new-build ships and new international rules on the sulphur content of fuels.
There is potential to further reduce speeds and increase ship sizes in the future, but there are limitations. Ship sizes depend on trade patterns and must comply with size restrictions in canals and ports. And though further decreases in ship speeds are possible, they must be balanced against potential reductions in revenues and shipping capacity. Shortening waiting times at ports could help compensate for these effects, if coupled with a system favouring just-in-time arrivals over the typical “sail fast then wait” approach.
Another way to further cut vessel fuel consumption would be to expand the use of more efficient technologies. However, this option has so far remained largely untapped. Analysis of the actual design engine power of new-build ships (compared with a benchmark corresponding to their size and design speed) finds that their efficiency has only improved by around 4% on average over the past 15 years. Similarly, global maritime services company DNV has found that many of the energy efficiency technologies available have been implemented on less than 5% of all vessels on the water today.
An array of energy efficiency technologies and measures are commercially available right now. Some, like waste heat recovery, were first introduced a decade ago. Others, such as hull optimisation and air lubrication, are more recent innovations but have already been deployed on hundreds of vessels. Meanwhile, technologies like kite sails are at the full-scale demonstration stage.
Several of these technologies – such as improved hull and propeller design and those that optimise operations – already make economic sense for shipowners. We estimate that in a typical container ship, these technologies can be bundled in a way that allows for energy savings of up to 15%, which would lower costs by $2-5 million per year (reducing the total cost of ship ownership by up to 10%). The capital expenditure for this level of savings has a payback period of less than five years at current oil prices.
A further 10% reduction in energy consumption is possible with additional technologies such as air lubrication, wind assistance and waste heat recovery. The investment requirements for these technologies are higher, meaning that the payback period can exceed five years. Nonetheless, relative to the lifetime of a ship, the energy savings make up for the expenditures.
These energy efficiency technologies are not limited to new builds, which account for less than 5% the global fleet every year. Many are also available as retrofits, which could deliver wider efficiency improvements across the sector.
There are several reasons why the adoption of these energy efficiency technologies in international shipping vessels to date has been limited. As in the buildings sector, the main barrier is the classic principal-agent problem, which refers to diverging priorities between an asset’s owner and operator. The shipowners commission new ship designs and decide on upgrades to the ship. They must choose whether to install efficiency technologies, which in some cases can increase costs by several million dollars.
However, charterers, not owners, typically bear the energy costs of the vessel – which means owners do not benefit from the resulting fuel cost savings. These split incentives can increase overall shipping costs, since efficiency technologies are ultimately not adopted as a result. While innovative contract configurations that enable the investor to benefit from fuel savings have been proposed, this method has yet to be adopted in practice.
A further barrier to the deployment of new energy efficiency technologies is the uncertainty about what the exact energy savings will be for a specific ship. To overcome this, technical advances are needed to measure the in-service performance of each installed technology, in addition to dedicated sea trials and the establishment of independent third parties for verification.
International bodies play an important role in regulating shipping. To date, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the European Union have been leading the way on designing policies to improve the sector’s energy and emissions intensity. The prevalent regulatory instruments they have championed fall into three main categories, which complement each other.
Standards on the emissions intensity of fuels aim to promote and de-risk the early adoption of alternative fuels. The European Union has passed the FuelEU Maritime regulation, and the IMO is currently discussing a greenhouse gas fuel standard (GFS) as part of its mid-term measures. This kind of standard does not target efficiency improvements directly, but it could indirectly incentivise the uptake of efficiency technologies in ships running on alternative fuels, which are more expensive than their fossil equivalents.
Pricing schemeson greenhouse gas emissions use market mechanisms to create a favourable business case for first movers while giving other stakeholders more time to adapt their practices. The European Union has included the shipping sector in their emissions trading scheme (ETS), and the IMO is currently discussing the economic element of the mid-term measures. An indirect impact on the energy efficiency of ships running on fossil fuels is possible if the price is high enough, but the effect could be undermined by the aforementioned market dynamics (including split incentives and uncertainty about exact efficiency improvements).
Standards on the emissions intensity of ships aim to stabilise or decrease emissions from shipping even as demand for it increases due to economic growth. The IMO now regulates the design emission intensity and operational emissions intensity of ships (through its Energy Efficiency Design Index, Energy Efficiency for Existing Ships Index and Carbon Intensity Indicator).
As intended, these standards have principally been met by improving the design and operational energy efficiency of ships. However, the increased availability of alternative fuels opens new possibilities. While the principal-agent problem could lead to greater alternative fuel use instead of investment in efficiency technologies, this issue could be mitigated with the revision of the IMO short-term measures that is currently underway.
If stabilising or reducing emissions from shipping is the primary policy focus, then switching to alternative low-emissions fuels can go a long way. However, focusing on sustainable fuels alone can result in supply shortages, especially given potential competition with other sectors such as aviation. Alternative fuels are also more expensive than today’s fossil fuels, which could raise shipping costs across the board.
Improving the energy efficiency of the shipping sector is possible now
Energy efficiency technologies can help to mitigate these issues. They are already available for both new and existing ships, and they reduce fuel use, thereby decreasing the exposure of the shipping sector (and global supply chains) to volatile fuel prices. Their uptake can also limit increases in shipping costs as the adoption of alternative fuels accelerates.
Improving the shipping sector’s energy efficiency has many advantages. But to fully unlock them, clearer, targeted policies are needed to support the deployment of key technologies. There is an important opportunity now to design measures that help overcome market barriers and foster a more energy and cost-efficient shipping industry.
By Laurence Cret (Junior Energy Technology Modeller), Hannes Gauch (Junior Energy Technology Modeller), Elizabeth Connelly (Energy Technology and Transport Analyst) and Leonardo Paoli (Clean Transport Analyst), IEA
The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants Programme of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES MIKE Programme), in collaboration with the College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM), Mweka in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently conducted a two-week training programme at Rungwa Game Reserve in Singida Region, United Republic of Tanzania.
Participants at the two-week training programme at Rungwa Game Reserve in Singida Region, United Republic of Tanzania. Photo credit; CITES
The Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative was designed to equip rangers with the expertise to apply their knowledge in the field while also enabling them to train and mentor other rangers in their respective conservation areas. It was funded by the European Union under the MIKES+ project which builds on successful previous CITES MIKE projects implemented in African elephant (Loxodonta africana) range States.
The initiative brought together wildlife rangers from five East African elephant range States, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Its primary purpose was to strengthen the skills and knowledge of rangers in combating wildlife crime, with a specific emphasis on elephant mortality data collection and reporting as well as introducing them to crime scene management techniques.
The training builds on similar initiatives previously implemented in Southern and Central Africa, bringing together rangers from both regions in partnership with the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) and the Garoua Wildlife College in Cameroon. It strives to foster collaboration and strengthen data-driven conservation efforts across the region’s elephant range States.
CITES Secretary-General, Ivonne Higuero, said: “Well-trained and well-equipped rangers are the backbone of elephant conservation efforts. By strengthening their capacity to monitor and respond to threats, we are not only enhancing data-driven decision-making but also reinforcing the frontline defense against wildlife crime. This training initiative exemplifies the power of regional collaboration in ensuring the survival of the species for future generations.”
A Combination of Theory and Practical Training
In the classroom, rangers engaged in interactive sessions covering key aspects of wildlife monitoring and conservation. Each lesson was followed by a recap session, allowing trainees to reinforce their learning before moving on to new topics. Rangers were trained on the objectives of the CITES MIKE Programme, highlighting their critical role in the decision-making process and the importance of accurately collecting data when an elephant carcass is found.
This data includes the type and cause of death, detection method, age and sex of the elephant before death and the presence or absence of tusks. Participants also engaged in practical exercises to ensure they could collect this information systematically using standardised protocols and apply crime scene management techniques to preserve evidence for court proceedings.
For over 20 years, rangers across Africa and Asia have been collecting elephant mortality data in the field, providing CITES Parties with valuable insights into the conservation status of African and Asian elephants. The CITES MIKE Programme serves also as a critical database for conservation areas, supporting the development of effective anti-poaching strategies and improving site management. Beyond tracking poaching trends, MIKE data also plays a key role in identifying emerging threats, such as human-elephant conflict (HEC) and the impacts of climate change on elephant populations.
“This training has been an eye-opening experience,” said Lucy Tisa, a Kenya Wildlife Service ranger. “It has given us valuable skills to monitor and protect elephant populations in our home countries. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and collaborate with fellow rangers from across the region.”
Strengthening Collaboration for Future Conservation Efforts
The success of the training highlights the importance of continued collaboration between conservation organisations and well-established ranger training institutions, such as CAWM, which is widely recognised for its expertise in conservation training in the East Africa region.
This approach aligns with the CITES MIKE Programme’s sustainability vision, which seeks to integrate MIKE training into ranger training institutions, enabling them to independently deliver the training to their students and visiting rangers. By transferring these skills, the Programme not only expands its reach – ensuring more conservationists are equipped with essential expertise in monitoring the illegal killing of elephants – but also strengthens local capacity.
Leveraging their deep understanding of regional challenges, this approach enhances the long-term effectiveness of the Programme, enhanced efforts to combat wildlife crime and strengthened conservation of Africa’s elephant populations.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced the revocation of the offer of provisional allocation of houses under the National Housing Programme (NHP) of defaulting subscribers.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, made this known in a statement signed by Mr. Salisu Haiba, Director, Press and Public Relations on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Abuja.
According to Belgore, the revocation affected all recipients who failed to make full and outright payment within the stipulated period of 90 days and the additional eight-week grace granted.
“This decision aligns with the terms and conditions outlined in paragraph 2 of the provisional offer of allocation letter issued to beneficiaries.
“It reinforces the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring transparency, compliance and efficient management of the National Housing Programme.
“The revocation strictly applies to those who did not fulfill the payment requirements within the designated time-frame,” he said.
Belgore further clarified that all beneficiaries who successfully completed their payments on or before Feb. 28, 2025, remained unaffected by the action.
He also advised that they should come to the Ministry to collect their letters of allocation and proceed to take possession of the houses immediately.
The permanent secretary said that for ease of reference and public accountability, the full list of individuals whose provisional offer of allocation had been revoked would now be available on the Ministry’s official website https://fmhud.gov.ng.
He added that it would also be published in the Daily Trust, Nation and Leadership newspapers, in the first week of April, 2025.
The Permanent Secretary noted that the Ministry remained dedicated to providing accessible and affordable housing to Nigerians, and the measure was part of ongoing efforts to streamline the housing allocation process for greater efficiency and fairness.
Russia has increasingly focused on bolstering its energy partnerships with African nations, signaling a broader strategy to boost its geopolitical influence across the continent. Recent investments in Africa’s oil, gas and nuclear sectors reflect Russia’s ambitions to diversify its global energy engagements while capitalising on the continent’s growing energy demands.
Vladimir Putin,
President of Russia
In an effort to further solidify ties with Russia, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) is currently on a working visit to Moscow, engaging in discussions with Russian energy leaders. The visit highlights the growing importance of Russia-Africa energy cooperation, as the AEC explores further investment and partnership opportunities within Africa’s energy sector.
The AEC’s engagement with Moscow aligns with the broader goal of attracting diverse energy investments to meet Africa’s energy needs and underscores the ongoing efforts to enhance Russian involvement in the continent’s energy market.
Against this backdrop and ongoing G20 discussions on energy security and sustainability, Russia’s latest energy ventures in Africa are paving the way for deeper economic ties, increased Russian influence in the African energy market and potential opportunities for expanded collaboration in infrastructure development and technology transfer.
Russia’s Expanding Presence in African Energy
Russia’s leading energy companies are rapidly expanding their influence across the continent. In September 2024, Russian multinational energy corporation Lukoil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Congo to enhance cooperation in oil exploration and production.
For Russia, Congo’s oil sector is a key resource that strengthens its position in the global energy market and supports its strategy to deepen ties with resource-rich African nations. With the G20’s focus on energy security and diversification, the agreement further solidifies Russia’s role as a pivotal player in Africa’s energy landscape.
Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom has also expanded its operations. In Tanzania, Gazprom secured a deal to explore and produce natural gas, with an emphasis on compressed natural gas, which is vital for the East African nation’s growing energy needs. Tanzania’s efforts to diversify its energy sources highlight the significance of this partnership, providing Gazprom access to East Africa’s untapped gas potential while deepening the commercial ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Russian nuclear power company Rosatom is making inroads into Africa’s energy sector. Rwanda is currently negotiating with Rosatom to establish a nuclear science and technology centre and potentially build a nuclear power plant, which would also involve local capacity building, specialised training and technology transfer. Rosatom’s activities are part of Russia’s broader strategy to provide advanced nuclear technology and enable African countries to diversify their energy sources.
The company has also signed an MoU with Guinea-Conakry to develop floating nuclear power plants; three cooperation agreements with Mali to explore the construction of a low-power nuclear plant; and a nuclear cooperation deal with the Republic of Congo.
Nuclear power is becoming an attractive option for many African nations looking to meet growing energy demands while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Rosatom’s involvement positions Russia as a key partner in Africa’s energy transition, aligning with G20 discussions on sustainable and diversified energy sources.
The Future of Russia’s Energy Engagement in Africa
Russia’s growing energy investments in Africa reflect a strategic push to secure long-term energy partnerships with resource-rich nations. These investments – spanning oil, gas and nuclear sectors – demonstrate Russia’s commitment to becoming a dominant energy player in Africa, capitalizing on the continent’s untapped energy potential.
For Russia, Africa represents a vital frontier in the global energy market, and its rising energy demands and need for infrastructure development have created opportunities for Russian companies to provide both traditional and alternative energy solutions. These investments align with Russia’s efforts to secure long-term access to vital resources in a shifting global energy landscape, while competing with established players like the U.S. and China on the continent.
African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies is a platform for discussing Africa’s energy future and attracting global investments in the sector. As the continent seeks to diversify its energy mix, AEW, according to officials, offers an opportunity for Russian companies and investors to deepen their engagement on the continent, forge new partnerships and explore emerging opportunities in Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
Looking ahead, Russia’s energy strategy in Africa will likely focus on strengthening bilateral ties, enhancing energy security and contributing to the continent’s energy transition. As the G20 continues to prioritise global sustainability and diversification, Russia will aim to position itself as a reliable partner in both traditional energy resources and emerging technologies like nuclear power.
Russia’s expanding presence in Africa’s energy industries underscores its ambition to become a strategic partner for the continent. However, navigating geopolitical dynamics and international competition will be key to ensuring that the country’s investments deliver long-term benefits for both Russia and Africa’s energy future.
The coming years will be crucial in determining whether Russia can solidify its position as a leading energy player on the continent, especially in light of the G20’s focus on sustainable energy development.
Lagos State generates an average of 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, the state waste management agency has said.
Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) office
Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), gave the figure in an interview in Lagos.
Gbadegesin said that the authority had been effectively evacuating the large volume of waste in partnership with Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.
According to him, LAWMA and the PSP operators daily deploy 102 compactor trucks for waste evacuation.
Gbadegesin said that LAWMA’s marine waste evacuation team had also continued to evacuate waste from coastlines, lagoons and drainage channels.
He added that LAWMA had continued to expand its advanced medical waste management to accommodate operations of hairdressers and beauticians who generated human tissue waste.
He emphasised that every Lagos resident had a role to play in maintaining a cleaner and healthier environment.
“From disposing waste properly through accredited PSP operators and cleaning of gutters in front of our houses, to sorting waste at source, we all have roles to play,” Gbadegesin said.
He highlighted LAWMA’s ongoing innovations in waste management, including expansion of the waste-to-wealth initiatives aimed reducing dependence on landfills.
“Now, we have a glass recycling plant in Lagos, and people are beginning to see the economic potential in materials such as PET bottles,” Gbadegesin said.
Access to essential urban services – such as water, sanitation, transport, energy, and waste management – is more than just infrastructure. It’s a matter of gender equality.
Women in the eThekwini Municipality gained insights from a collaborative exchange with Hamburg Wasser, part of an EU-funded project focused on water supply, gender integration, and customer engagement services. Photo credit: Claudia Wendland
When these services are inadequate, women, particularly those from marginalised communities, bear the heaviest burden. But when cities prioritise gender-responsive urban services, they unlock opportunities for women’s economic empowerment, health, and leadership.
Inclusive urban services are not just about fairness; they are fundamental for resilient and thriving cities. UN-Habitat says it is at the forefront of this transformation, working with partners to bridge gender gaps in urban development.
Empowering women in e-mobility
In Kigali, Rwanda, a pioneering project is reshaping the transport industry for women. The SOLUTIONSplus initiative, led by UN-Habitat and the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, the City of Kigali, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Rwanda, and Ampersand Rwanda, is integrating gender-inclusive strategies into electric mobility.
Through driving training, and financial support for electric vehicles, 49 women have successfully joined the moto-taxi industry, achieving a driving test success rate of 69 per cent.
Key lessons from this initiative highlight the importance of addressing local gender dynamics, ensuring safety, fostering women-led networks, and implementing policies that create long-term opportunities for women in transport.
Women leading change in water utilities
In the water sector, an EU-funded partnership between eThekwini Water and Sanitation (South Africa) and Hamburg Wasser (Germany), supported by UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), is advancing gender equality. This initiative is increasing women’s representation in water utilities, fostering leadership, and shaping gender-inclusive policies.
The results are promising: a 133 per cent increase in gender peer exchanges, greater knowledge-sharing, and policy reforms at operational and management levels. Expert guidance from non-governmental organisation Women Engage for a Common Future has further enhanced gender mainstreaming efforts, ensuring that women have a stronger voice in shaping urban water management.
Women and youth in the Blue Economy
The Go Blue Project, supported by the European Union, is transforming economic opportunities in Kenya’s six coastal counties. This initiative prioritises women and youth, aiming to create 3,000 new jobs and equip 10,000 beneficiaries with skills in sustainable resource management.
A standout success is the material recovery facility in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, where women waste pickers, once working in hazardous conditions, now have formal employment with improved working conditions and protective equipment. The project’s broader impact includes municipal solid waste strategies and an action plan that has already generated 100 long-term jobs in waste management.
Beyond employment, Go Blue promotes integrated land-sea planning to support sustainable urban development and marine conservation. By fostering climate resilience and economic growth, the initiative ensures Kenya’s coastal communities can thrive while protecting vital ocean resources for future generations.
Why gender-inclusive urban services matter
Governments, private sector actors and development partners should take bold action to embed gender equity in urban service delivery. This means integrating gender-responsive policies into urban planning, ensuring women’s voices are represented in decision-making and committing to long-term investments that empower women in urban spaces. Addressing these disparities is not only a matter of justice but a strategic move towards building stronger, more inclusive urban economies.
The Enugu State Government says it is set to launch its 260 Smart Farm Estates meant to revolutionise agriculture and get residents to farm.
Gov Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State
Mr. Patrick Ubru, Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industralisation, said this on Monday, March 31, 2025, while leading a team of inspectors on behalf of Gov. Peter Mbah to the site of the Smart Farm Estate pilot project at Akpawfu in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
It will be recalled that the state government had earmarked N2 billion in the 2025 budget for Smart Farm Estates initiative across its 260 political wards in the 17 council areas of the state.
The initiative is under Gov. Mbah’s grassroots agriculture revolution tagged: “One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate’’.
Ubru said that there was a need for step-down town hall meetings for farmers in council areas to take advantage of the initiative
According to him, “time should not be wasted in organising the town hall meeting with the targeted farmers”.
He called on individuals, cooperative societies, communities, corporate organisations and other agencies in the state into agriculture and agro-industrialisation business like IFAD-VCDP and FADAMA to key into the initiative for collaboration in the interest of the people.
The commissioner explained that the “One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate Initiative” would be a game-changer for the people, as the governor was putting everything in place to ensure that people received its maximum benefits.
“It will be done in hectares of land, where all types of farming activities such as crop farming and exotic/economic plant such as cocoa, casava, sorghum, vegetables, exotic pepper and spices among others will be practised.
“The state government will actively collaborate with local government councils to ensure that the initiative works efficiently as well as engage the people, especially youths, in each locality to participate in the initiative as it holds lots of benefits.
”The One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate initiative will solve so many issues particularly unemployment among youths in localities, hunger, food insecurity and knowledge gap on modern agriculture practices as workshops will be organised at local levels,” Ubru said.
The commissioner expressed satisfaction on the zeal demonstrated by the consultant and his team so far in the project.
“I must confess that the zeal demonstrated here is in consonance with the aspirations of His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, on all projects targeted towards shoring up the state’s economy, especially agriculture and agro-industrialisation projects.
“I am personally happy with the level of security infrastructure placed here and the State Ministry of Agriculture will always be available for any need to ensure that the success story attained by this pilot farm continues,” he added.
Corroborating, the Senior Personal Assistant (SPA) on Agriculture to the Governor, Mr. Mike Ogbuekwe, explained that the initiative was meant to diversify the state’s economy through agriculture and agro-industrialisation aimed at shoring up the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“The Smart Farm Estates are expected to grow local needed crops as well as special crops and other agricultural produce for export such as Sorghum and Ose Nsukka, the special aromatic and ornamental yellow pepper of Nsukka,” Ogbuekwe said.
He also informed the commissioner of the approach by Nigeria Breweries to the state government to work out a partnership for the supply of Sorghum which is its principal raw material at the appropriate time.
Contributing, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Victor Ngwu, said that there was a need for staff of the ministry with experience in communication and documentation to be part of the initiative to get reliable data and statistics.
Earlier, the Consultant to the Smart Farm Estate pilot project, Mr. Friday Nnaji, said that the pilot project was 200 hectares of farmland to be allocated to 200 farmers of the local council with each to grow a specific crop.
“The pilot Smart Farm Estate has two entrance points located at its opposite points and there will be an unstoppable electricity supply as well as water supply in the Smart Farm with a plan for irrigation as well as adequate security.
“As you can see, we have commenced the perimeter fencing of the whole farm area; while the central warehouse for the farmers is already constructed above lintel level,” Nnaji said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, published its first-ever reports addressing the critical lack of medicines and diagnostic tools for invasive fungal diseases, showing the urgent need for innovative research and development (R&D) to close these gaps.
Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance
Fungal diseases are an increasing public health concern, with common infections – such as candida, which causes oral and vaginal thrush – growing increasingly resistant to treatment. These infections disproportionately impact severely ill patients and those with weakened immune systems, including individuals undergoing cancer chemotherapy, living with HIV, and who have had organ transplants.
“Invasive fungal infections threaten the lives of the most vulnerable, but countries lack the treatments needed to save lives,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance ad interim.
“Not only is the pipeline of new antifungal drugs and diagnostics insufficient, but there is also a void in fungal testing in low- and middle-income countries, even in district hospitals. This diagnostic gap means the cause of people’s suffering remains unknown, making it difficult to get them the right treatments,” added Nakatani.
The fungi in the top “critical priority” category of the WHO’s fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL) are deadly, with mortality rates reaching as high as 88%. Advancements in treatments mean that more people are likely to be living with immunocompromised conditions, which also could mean increases in cases of invasive fungal diseases. This is a complex challenge to manage due to inaccessibility of diagnostic tools, limited availability of antifungal medicines, and a slow and complex R&D process for new treatments.
Constrained process in developing treatments against deadly fungal infections
WHO’s report on antifungal drugs highlights that, in the past decade, only four new antifungal drugs have been approved by regulatory authorities in the United States of America, the European Union or China. Currently, nine antifungal medicines are in clinical development to use against the most health-threatening fungi, as detailed in the FPPL.
However, only three candidates are in phase 3, the final stage of clinical development, meaning few approvals are expected within the next decade. Twenty-two drugs are in preclinical development, an insufficient number to feed a clinical pipeline considering the dropout rates, risks and challenges associated with earlier development stages.
Issues with current antifungal treatments include serious side effects, frequent drug-drug interactions, limited dosage forms and the need for prolonged hospital stays. The report highlights the urgent need for safer antifungal medicines, possibly reducing requirements for continuous drug monitoring.
Antifungal medicines that work against a wide range of severe infections caused by fungal priority pathogens are also needed. Children are particularly underserved with few clinical trials exploring paediatric dosing and age-appropriate formulations.
WHO recommends investing in global surveillance, expanding financial incentives for drug discovery and development, funding basic research to help identify new and unexploited targets on fungi for medicines, and investigating treatments that work by enhancing patients’ immune responses.
Landscape report of diagnostics for fungal priority pathogens
The new diagnostics report shows that while commercially available tests exist for fungal priority pathogens, these rely on well-equipped laboratories and trained staff, which means that most people in in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not benefit from them. All countries, but particularly LMICs, need faster, more accurate, cheaper and easier testing for a broad range of fungal priority pathogens, including diagnostic tools that can be used at or near point-of-care.
There are many challenges with existing antifungal diagnostics; they work only for a limited range of fungi, are insufficiently accurate and take a long time to obtain results. Most of the tests are not well suited to primary and secondary health facilities as certain diagnostics require stable electricity supplies within suitable and equipped laboratories.
Health workers often have insufficient knowledge about fungal infections as well as the impact of fungi growing more resistant to treatments, resulting in limited ability to perform the testing needed to determine the appropriate treatment.
WHO calls for strengthening the global response against invasive fungal diseases and antifungal resistance and is also developing an implementation blueprint for the FPPL.
Global Action Against Incinerator Alliance (GAIA Africa) has called for ban on importation of unmanageable second-hand clothing that cannot be reused, repurposed, or recycled in Africa.
A campaign against waste colonialism
This is contained in a statement by Carissa Marnce, Africa Communications Coordinator for GAIA Africa, to mark the 2025 Zero Waste Day in Lagos on Monday, March 31.
The statement said that textile wastes were severely impacting African communities.
According to it, the fashion industry generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, much of which end up in the Global South.
It said that Kantamant Market in Ghana, for example, has become a hub for secondhand clothing, where approximately 15 million items are imported each year, commonly referred to as “Obroni Wawu” or “dead white man’s clothes.”
“Unfortunately, most of these garments are of such poor quality that they are discarded immediately.
“These wastes fill landfills, clogs waterways, and pollute the environment, all while undermining local textile industries and sustainable economies,” the statement said.
It said that the 2025 theme, “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles,” highlighted the hidden reality of the global fashion industry, which produced excessive waste that often contaminates African nations.
The alliance urged fashion brands to take responsibility for the waste they generated, ensuring sustainable end-of-life solutions for textiles.
It called for investment in local textile industries to support African textile production through policies that promoted quality, sustainability, and circular economies.
The organisation also encouraged consumers worldwide to move away from fast fashion and adopt sustainable clothing choices.
GAIA Africa urged African governments, policymakers, and citizens to reject the waste colonialism that threatened Africa’s environment and to build a fashion industry that respected both people and the planet.
Desmond Alugnoa, Ghana, GAIA Africa’s Programme Manager for the Zero Waste and Climate Programme, said that Africa could not become a dumping ground for fast fashion’s waste.
According to him, this is not charity; this is waste colonialism. We refuse to be the world’s landfill.
“We demand urgent policies that stop the export of unmanageable textile waste to Africa and hold corporations accountable for the full lifecycle of their products.”
The statement also quoted Jacob Johnson Attakpah, Ghana, Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO) Project Manager for Zero Waste Cities Programme, as saying: “Africa refuses to be at the receiving end of textile waste, especially from the west because our systems cannot handle them, but even if they could, it is unconscionable to produce waste that you cannot manage.
“The fashion industry must embrace circular design, responsible sourcing, and innovative recycling to move towards true zero waste.
“On this International Day of Zero Waste, we must advance systemic change that prioritises sustainability over fast fashion’s disposable culture.”
The statement likewise quoted Nirere Sadrach, Uganda, End Plastic Pollution (EPP) Founder and Team Leader, as saying: “The influx of second hand and used clothes which are being imported in large amounts is partly responsible for the textile waste crisis.
“Those trading in these second hand and used clothes are claiming that they are ‘cheap’ and affordable to all.
“However, they ignore the huge cost coming with the waste they generate since these textiles are used for a short time and then dumped.”
Sadrach said that some countries in the global north were also practicing waste colonialism by using the used textile trade as a door to export their waste to poorer countries.
“Also the companies producing these items in richer countries for first time use are also pretending to be unaware of the harm they are causing.
“And they seem to be far from taking responsibility to address the waste problem they are causing when their products are consumed as second hands in poorer countries.”
