The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Lagos State Chapter, on Saturday, March 30, 2024, embarked on a clean-up of Darosha Market and drainage systems in Agege, Lagos.
APWEN members cleaning drainages at Darosha Market in Agege, Lagos
Mrs Atinuke Owolabi, Chairman, APWEN, Lagos Chapter, said the initiative was in commemoration of the World Water Day and Sanitation.
Owolabi said the exercise was also in collaboration with the office of Drainage Services, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
World Water Day is a United Nations observance day held annually on March 22 to highlight the importance of fresh water.
The day is used to advocate the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The theme of the 2024 World Water Day is: “Water for peace.”
Owolabi noted that the initiative to clean the market and other densely populated markets within the states was to pave the way for a cleaner and healthier community, towards a sustainable future.
The APWEN chairman said the theme of the global celebration suggested that water must be free from any form of diseases in any environment.
“This means that if a drainage system is blocked, then water is still not for peace.
“With the clearing of the drains ahead of the rainy season, there would be free flow of water directly into the canal to prevent flood and keep everyone at peace.
“This would also prevent the residents from contracting water borne diseases that flow into their boreholes from contaminated waters flowing around,” she said.
Owolabi noted that as female engineers and mothers, they believed that there should be a clean and healthy environment for the people.
According to her, APWEN mobilises its young female engineers who are assigned to champion the Sustainable Development Goal six (SDG 6) through the task.
“We are here to sensitise the traders that the responsibility of attaining a cleaner and healthier community begins with them as individuals,” she said.
Owolabi said that the association would replicate the exercise in other markets within the state, such as Ketu, Mile 12 and Lagos Island and also sustain the initiative.
She appreciated APWEN members for coming out to join the movement and also the Office of Drainage Services, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources for their support.
The association also donated industrial waste bin to the market to help dispose of their waste properly.
Ms Feyisetan Oluwaseun, Coordinator, APWEN Young Engineers, said the association had sensitised the traders to how to effectively sanitise the market and the dangers of not doing so.
Oluwaseun promised that APWEN representatives would come back to assess the level of the traders’ compliance to its counsel and report back to the government for necessary action, if there was any default.
The Babaloja (Leader) of the market, Mr Abiodun Afolabi, thanked the association for the intervention and donation.
He urged other sister organisations to follow suit, to achieve a cleaner and healthier environment.
Meeting in the Brazilian city of Belém on March 26, 2024, Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Emmanuel Macron of France have committed to work, in a bilateral and multilateral framework, to make climate action a strategic priority.
Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil (right) and Emmanuel Macron of France
The Presidents underlined the importance of effective, renewed and inclusive multilateralism, under the auspices of the United Nations, including to address the many ongoing social and environmental crises.
After a tête-à-tête, the first of several during a three-day state visit, Macron and Lula launched a joint appeal to make the fight against climate change a “strategic priority.” In doing so, the French president lent his support to his counterpart in the run-up to COP30, which Brazil plans to host in Belem in 2025.
The Brazilian president, who hosted his French counterpart on the state visit, has succeeded in curbing deforestation in the Amazon. But his policy in favour of new oil drilling has been criticised.
The Presidents share the point of view whereby the effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement require us to act decisively in this decade to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The Presidents committed to speed up efforts during this critical decade on the basis of the best available scientific data and equity, taking into account common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities, as well as the different national circumstances and the context of sustainable development and the fight against poverty.
The Presidents welcomed the UAE Consensus and the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake (GST) of the Paris Agreement at the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28), which reiterated the urgent need to address the crisis in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
They expressed their concern as to the shortcomings of implementation identified by the GST when it came to mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation and called on the Parties to the Paris Agreement to step up collective ambition for action and support, particularly by ratchetting up the ambition of their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) starting in 2024.
The Presidents welcomed the agreement reached at COP28 on transitioning away from fossil fuels. Recalling that almost half of their energy mixes are decarbonised, they committed to further accelerate their efforts for their respective energy transitions to emissions neutrality (net zero emissions) by 2050 and to support multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral initiatives responding to the UAE Consensus effectively and as soon as possible.
President Macron renewed his support for Brazil’s Presidency of COP30 in 2025, marking the 33rd anniversary of the UNFCCC and the 10th of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, during which the Parties will present their new NDCs. In this respect, the Presidents called on all countries to immediately begin reviewing their NDCs for publication nine to 12 months before COP30, which will be held in Belém in November 2025.
The Presidents also recalled that COP28 encouraged the Parties to submit NDCs aligned with the objective of limiting warming to 1.5°C, including ambitious economy-wide emissions reduction goals for the whole economy that address all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories.
The Presidents renewed their support for the Presidencies troika of COP28, COP29 and COP30 in relation to their role shaping the “Roadmap to Mission 1.5°C” in order to significantly improve international cooperation and create an international environment that is conducive to enhancing climate action during this critical decade and limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
France and Brazil are committed to the fight against deforestation and recognise the importance of protecting Amazonia and other biomes. In this framework, the Presidents expressed their commitment to fostering the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of the planet’s tropical forests and agreed to work on an ambitious programme, including through a Franco-Brazilian roadmap on bioeconomy and the protection of tropical forests, particularly with a view to developing innovative financial instruments, market mechanisms and payments for environmental services that support the mobilisation of resources on the right scale to achieve the challenge of stopping deforestation by 2030.
The Presidents reaffirmed their commitment to effectively implementing the three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a balanced and integrated fashion, including the imperative of eradicating poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda remains the compass that all countries must follow to bring about a future where nobody is left behind.
The Presidents underlined the key importance of science and education and instruments for access to, development of and transfer of technology in the fight against climate change. They therefore agreed to promote closer ties between scientists, educators and students in both countries on these subjects, including through research projects, exchanges and joint scholarships. They also agreed to open a dialogue on training and employment aligned with the imperatives of sustainable development.
The Presidents reaffirmed the importance of closer dialogue between scientists and policymakers, including in the light of the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They share the same will to support actions on environmental education and promoting better knowledge of the IPCC, particularly among children and young people, indigenous peoples and traditional peoples and communities.
The Presidents recognised the importance of promoting inclusive climate science and sustainable development, with greater involvement of scientists from developing countries, that takes into account gender considerations and the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and traditional communities.
The Presidents recalled that the COP28 decision on the GST recognised the growing gap between the needs of developing country Parties and the support provided and mobilized to help them in their efforts to implement their NDCs.
The Presidents reaffirmed their commitment ahead of COP29 in 2024, which should adopt a new New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) building on the foundation of the goal of $100 billion per year, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries, before 2025. In this respect, they committed to working towards achieving an ambitious result in negotiations on the NCQG.
Brazil and Francesaid they are determined to work bilaterally and with their partners to bring about a new governance framework for the international financial architecture to more effectively finance the fight against poverty and the protection of the planet, which are two essential conditions for a just ecological transition. This change, which is central to the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, must raise public and private financial resources on an unprecedented scale and at an unprecedented pace and reform international financial institutions.
The Presidents underlined the urgent need for transformation and modernisation of the international financial architecture, including a reform of the multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to adapt them to the goal of supporting sustainable development, ecological transformation and just and equitable transitions.
They recalled the need to work on the challenges of mobilizing public and private finance and very significantly reducing the cost of capital in developing countries, given their limited fiscal space, and address the issues of risk aversion when it comes to investing in developing countries and improving access to multilateral funds.
The Presidents recognised the key importance of ecological planning to effectively address the climate and environmental crises. They acknowledged their respective ecological transformation policies and, in this context, committed to promote the exchange of best practices concerning effective planning instruments to combat climate change and foster adaptation and sustainable development.
In order to bring to fruition, the aspiration to make climate action a key plank of the Strategic Partnership, the Presidents committed to establish cooperation based on a calendar of technical and high-level dialogues and visits ahead of and beyond COP30 in Belém.
Starting in 2024, France and Brazil disclosed that they would build on this dialogue to mobilise their partners around the goal of stepping up the ambition of each country’s commitments by COP30.
In a reaction, René Poccard, an expert with the Centre for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development in Amazonia, said: “The two leaders have a shared interest in being at the forefront of the fight against deforestation and fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples, in order to protect the Amazon but also to send a signal to their respective electorates.”
Brazilian climate activist and 350.org Director for Latin America, Ilan Zugman, said: “Macron and Lula are right to bring the issue of climate financing to the bilateral agenda of both countries, but we still need to see concrete support from France and other European countries to the full phase out of fossil fuels and consistent taxation on fossil fuel companies, as well as on financing a fair energy transition and adaptation measures in the Global South.
“Taxing the super-rich, which Brazil courageously took to the G20 agenda as group leader in 2024, is also a path to this financing, but the engagement of European governments in this proposal has to be much clearer.”
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a $50 million loan for the Yobe State Environmental and Climate Change Action Project (ECCAP) to enhance climate change resilience, boost food security, and improve livelihoods for over 3.5 million people in northeast Nigeria.
Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State
The project cost is estimated at $101.34 million with the African Development Bank providing a $50 million loan while the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) is expected to provide $30 million in co-financing. Yobe State Government will contribute $4.52 million in counterpart funding, and project beneficiaries are contributing $16.82 million.
In decades past, protracted inter-communal conflicts, especially between herder and farming communities, and armed insurgencies have aggravated the already fragile environmental situation in Yobe, plunging it into rapid economic decline. With 72% of its population living below the poverty line, Yobe is ranked as the state in Nigeria that is most vulnerable to climate change.
ECCAP will support the federal and state governments in their efforts to respond to the challenges of droughts and desertification, empower women by supplying small ruminants and providing cooking stoves to develop micro, small and medium-size enterprises, among other interventions. The project will also support the preparation of Yobe State’s Gender Policy.
The implementation of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme will incentivise the population to maintain 2 million regenerated trees on farms and support payments for labour and related services to plant and maintain 20 million drought-resistant trees. This project complements the bank’s and other Development Partners’ on-going and planned projects to address climate change and promote livelihood improvements in Yobe State.
Speaking during the Board of Directors’ approval of the project, African Development Bank Group President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said the project would help tackle general insecurity, climate vulnerability, food insecurity and build resilient livelihoods.
“This is a very practical and granular project that tackles the issues of insecurity, more generally vulnerability, but also food security, and restoration of the degraded environment. It is all about how we build resilient livelihoods. This is a project that shows how we can do that in an integrated way,” he added.
Director General of the bank’s Nigeria Country Department, Lamin Barrow, said: “With the key interventions in afforestation and reforestation contributing to carbon sequestration, this green project will help reduce vulnerability to climate shocks, build the resilience of the target population and boost Nigeria’s efforts to meet its African Forestry Landscape Restoration Initiative goal to restore 4 million hectares of land degraded by climate change, a regional and global public good, and Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 15 targets.”
Martin Fregene, AfDB Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, said: “The ECCAP project is not a typical livelihood support project; it seeks to fill a gap to ensure sustainability in livelihood-enhancing projects. The project will lead to the improvement of the vegetative cover of the state with more than 20 million established trees over 120,000 hectares and will train selected youth and women to set up 3,560 new MSMEs that will process and market new products using raw materials from trees, such as neem oil, and introduce improved clean cooking stoves and clean cooking technologies targeting 10 % of the population.”
The bank’s current portfolio in Nigeria comprises 50 operations amounting to $4.6 billion. The portfolio is fairly well distributed across the Bank’s High 5s priority areas.
Persons with disabilities in Nigeria may seem to have seen a significant degree of institutional relief when President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, five years ago.
Disability. Photo credit: Istockphoto
Also known as the National Disability Act, it aims to uphold the dignity and rights of people with disabilities by outlawing discrimination in a variety of spheres and punishing violators with fines and jail terms, among other penalties.
Despite this trailblasing legal instrument, which guarantees equal rights to the estimated 25 million citizens with disabilities, many of them still struggle due to a lack of enforcement and numerous obstacles.
As it relates to building and transportation modifications, the Act sets up a five-year transitional time for altering public buildings, structures, and vehicles so that individuals with disabilities can use and access them.
January 17, 2024, saw the end of the five-year transitional grace, with some public buildings and transport companies yet to comply with this Act.
“The implementation of the Act has been very slow; I will not rate it very high, though a lot of things have been happening since the enactment of the law,” says Agbo Christian, a person with a disability.
According to Christian, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, the Ministry of Works and Housing, which is expected to engage other government organisations to ensure public buildings are duly modified, has been lackadaisical in that regard.
“Activists with disabilities also pushed for the creation of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, which is saddled with the responsibility of implementing the Act.
“I can say to an extent that if the government has accepted to establish this commission, it means there has been an effort to implement the Act, but unfortunately, after five years of the enactment of the Act, we will not say much has happened.
“I will rate the government around 40 percent because, aside from the establishment of the commission, not much has been done.
“This is because, when we go to some of the public buildings housing different ministries, departments, and agencies of the government, the compliance is low, and no modification has happened to allow easy access to persons with disabilities,” a worried Christian said.
Christian, like many other people with disabilities who have difficulty accessing public buildings or transportation, either stays at home or relies on friends and family to help them get things done.
In a 2023 survey conducted by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Lagos State ranked first as the only state that exceeded the required criteria for implementing access to infrastructure and other services for PWDs.
The survey, which was done to assess the level of implementation of the Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) criteria across different Nigerian states, saw a lot of states lagging.
However, Mr. David Anyaele, the Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, has attributed this unimpressive report and low implementation of the Act to a lack of adequate awareness of its provisions.
“In terms of access to public buildings and transportation facilities among my community of persons with disabilities, it has remained weak.
“Both government and privately owned transportation facilities are not accessible to persons with disabilities,” he said.
Anyaele added that the absence of political will, ignorance of the important players in policymaking, and lack of funding for disability-related issues and groups such as the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities had continued to hinder the complete implementation of the Act.
Miss Diana Omueza, a journalist and PWD advocate, describes this worrying situation as a major blow to the community of PWDs, as it has crippled their sense of belonging and self-confidence.
According to her, the impact of non-implementation of the Act would be grievous in the lives of PWDs, as issues around lack of accessibility could seriously affect their mental health.
“For now, and from my observation, the majority of the building modifications have been done by private organisations such as hotels, especially in Abuja, the nation’s capital, and Lagos.
“I have also heard of stories where PWDs missed their flights because there was no one to readily attend to them to get them wheeled to the aeroplane.
“Even though there is a section where you can identify that you are a PWD while booking your tickets, just to signify that there is a need for a wheelchair.
“It’s so sad and unfortunate that after the five-year moratorium period for public buildings and transportation facilities to be remodified to allow access to PWDs, nothing has significantly been done.
“From my years of working with PWDs and listening to their stories, I can tell you that there is low awareness of the provisions of this Act, even among Nigerians,” she added.
However, the government has called on PWDs to contact the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to file their complaints about non-compliant public buildings that have yet to be modified for easy accessibility.
Mr. Mohammed Isa, senior special assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, said that the government is not unconcerned with the challenges facing PWDs in the country.
Isa said that training programmes are already being developed to enlighten architects, engineers, and construction professionals on how to design and modify these buildings to meet accessibility standards.
“The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 mandates that accessibility standards are met, as individuals can also seek legal assistance if they encounter inaccessible buildings.
“As of my last update, progress on the implementation of building modifications under the Act has been gradual.
“Efforts are being made to establish and enforce accessibility standards, especially in public buildings; initiatives are also underway to raise public awareness about the importance of accessible buildings and the rights of persons with disabilities,” he assured.
In their deprivation, PWDs and PWD advocates believe that there is a sense of cautious optimism.
Notwithstanding the implementation gap, the stakeholders recognise the significance of the Act.
They, however, note that for the Act’s full potential to be actualised, more cooperation and more robust enforcement procedures are fundamental.
By Ruth Oketunde, a Master of Art student at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom
Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa have emerged as Africa’s most polluted countries in terms of air pollution disease burden, with profound health consequences for Africa’s people and exacerbated impacts on climate change, a report prepared by Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace MENA has revealed.
Hendrina Power Station, Mpumalanga
Titled “Major Air Polluters in Africa Unmasked,” the report investigates the biggest human sources of air pollution across Africa, focusing on major industrial and economic sectors, including the fossil fuel industry. Every year in Africa, as many as 1.1 million premature deaths have been linked to air pollution.
Dr Aidan Farrow, Senior Scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, said: “In many parts of Africa a lack of air quality monitoring has allowed pollution to remain hidden. However, there is abundant evidence that African nations face a serious public health crisis from air pollution. The root causes of this crisis are the air pollutant emitters.
“Data from satellites and even fuel sales in each country allow scientists to investigate emission sources. These data point towards the biggest hotspots, the biggest contributions to pollution and who is responsible for them. The data are clear, areas like Mpumalanga in South Africa, where coal burning for electricity is a major industry, really stand out.”
The report found that Africa is home to some of the worst nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide hotspots in the world, all of which are primarily linked to thermal power plants. The report also found that Eskom, a public utility company that has the government of South Africa as its sole shareholder, operates many of the most polluting plants in South Africa.
Key findings compiled by the report include:
Exposure to air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death in Africa (HEI 2022) and achieving World Health Organisation guidelines could result in significant gains in life expectancy.
Pollutant emissions lead to a considerable number of premature deaths in Africa. Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa consistently exhibit large disease burdens, with the highest mortality linked to fossil fuel air pollution in these nations.
Six of the world’s 10 largest NO2 emission hotspots identified were found in Africa, all in South Africa.
Two of the world’s 10 largest SO2 emission hotspots identified are in South Africa.
Of the 10 largest SO2 point sources identified in Africa, nine are thermal power stations, and one is linked to a smelter complex in Mali. Four of the power plants are located in South Africa owned by ESKOM, two in Morocco and Egypt, and one in Zimbabwe.
Health impact studies suggest that life expectancy could be improved by up to 3 years in some African nations if air quality met WHO guidelines.
According to the World Health Organisation, exposure to air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, can cause both short- and long-term health problems. These include heart and lung diseases, pregnancy problems, kidney issues and cancer.
“We urgently call upon North African governments to adopt the report’s recommendations particularly the installation of air quality monitors and ensuring access to real-time data. This proactive approach empowers affected communities to address their governments for action, to take charge of their well-being, make informed decisions, and collectively work towards cleaner and healthier environments,” stresses Sarra Ben Abdallah, Greenpeace MENA Campaigner.
“For too long, the people of Mpumalanga have borne the burden of South Africa’s coal dependency, not just in the air we breathe but in the opportunities we’re denied. The pollution from coal plants like those operated by Sasol in our region has not only tarnished our health, leading to failed health assessments and chronic diseases, but it has also clouded our future, leaving us jobless as companies opt to hire from outside, citing our ‘unfitness’ for work.
“This report by Greenpeace sheds light on our struggle, linking every breath of polluted air to the systemic injustice that fuels unemployment and health disparities in Secunda,” discloses Fana Sibanyoni, an activist from the Mpumalanga region.
The report presents recommendations to address the critical issue of air pollution in Africa, emphasising the need for investment in clean technologies, especially in the energy sector. International institutions share a significant responsibility in sustainably developing the African continent.
Many of the causes of air pollution, such as the combustion of oil, coal, and gas, are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Policies aimed at reducing air pollution, therefore, offer a win-win strategy for both climate and health.
In a world where reliable electricity is not a luxury but a necessity for everyday life, the citizens of many nations find themselves grappling with the dire consequences of erratic power supply. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is no exception.
Renewable energy: Solar panels
The persistent issue of epileptic power supply has plagued the nation for decades, causing immense frustration and hindering socio-economic development. As citizens endure blackouts and voltage fluctuations, the blame game ensues, often pointing fingers at the government’s failure to address the root causes.
One of the key factors exacerbating Nigeria’s power woes is the persistent reliance on fossil fuels, particularly the issue of fuel subsidy removal. While the government may justify such measures as necessary for economic reform, the repercussions on the populace, particularly in terms of energy access, cannot be overlooked. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2024 has leads to increased costs of living, further burdening the already struggling masses.
With the government set to inject N1.6 billion for on-grid electricity subsidise through the 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs), we must not forget the over 45% of the population without electricity mostly in rural areas, and the poor electricity supply by the on-grid players who lack transparency and accountability, poor metering plans and lack a grid expansion plan – as much as we know it.
However, amidst the gloom and discontent lies a potential solution: the shift from centralised power generation to Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE). Unlike traditional fossil fuel-based grids, DRE systems harness energy from abundant renewable sources such as sunlight, wind, and water, offering a decentralised and sustainable alternative. Yet, despite its potential to revolutionise energy access, DRE adoption remains hindered by various challenges, including high cost for renewable solutions, lack of available consumer financing for poor informal groups, inadequate incentives to transit to clean energy solutions and policy frameworks that are not implemented.
One glaring irony is the failure of governments to reallocate subsidies from fossil fuels to incentivise DRE adoption so as to ease the suffering of the masses and bridge energy access. Instead of perpetuating dependency on finite resources with volatile prices like fossils, the governments should redirect these funds towards promoting renewable energy solutions that empower citizens and foster resilience against power disruptions.
Imagine a scenario where generators anxiously allocated to fuel subsidies are channeled into initiatives that promote DRE adoption at the grassroots level and medium and small-scale businesses across Nigeria – boosting their production activities, cutting business operating cost by 40% which was previously used to fuel generators, and creating more jobs.
Subsidies could be redirected to subsidise the cost of solar panels, wind turbines, or mini-hydro systems, making renewable energy technologies more accessible to households and businesses alike. Additionally, government-backed incentives such as tax breaks, grants, and low-interest loans could spur investment in DRE projects, stimulating economic growth while addressing energy poverty.
Furthermore, investing in DRE infrastructure not only enhances energy access but also mitigates environmental degradation and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. By embracing renewable energy, nations like Nigeria can position themselves as leaders in sustainable development, harnessing their abundant natural resources to drive progress while safeguarding the planet for future generations.
The shift towards DRE is not merely a matter of technological advancement but a paradigm shift in governance and energy policy. Governments must prioritise the welfare of their citizens by investing in resilient, decentralised energy systems that provide reliable power and empower communities to thrive. And where the government feels its lacking resource and technical capacities to deliver reliable decentralised energy, it must explore partnership and support the work of development partners and private sector players making bold investment and delivering support to make DRE accessible to Nigerians.
For instance, international partners like All On, is stepping forward to transform Nigeria’s energy landscape. Since inception, All On has facilitated over 80,000 off-grid solar connections, revolutionising energy access across the nation. Collaborating with 50 off-grid energy companies, they’ve enabled 8,000+ mini-grid connections, sold 45,000+ solar home systems, and empowered 2,500+ users with solar refrigerators.
Their impact extends beyond numbers: 14 MWh of installed capacity, cutting 29,000+ MT of CO2 emissions, and generating 1,900 kWp of power across 21 mini-grid sites. Moreover, over 400,000 lives have been directly impacted, with 800 jobs created and 560 businesses powered by clean energy, fostering socio-economic growth from the grassroots.
The success of All On’s initiatives underscores the urgency for decentralised renewable energy adoption. Redirecting subsidies towards DRE initiatives could subsidise solar panels, wind turbines, and mini-hydro systems, making renewable technologies accessible to all.
In conclusion, the plight of epileptic power supply underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to transition towards a more sustainable energy future. By shifting subsidies from fossil fuels to Distributed Renewable Energy, governments can not only alleviate the burden on citizens but also catalyse a green energy revolution that benefits both people and the planet.
As Nigeria navigates towards a greener future, partnerships like All On exemplify the transformative power of decentralised renewable energy. Together, we can illuminate a path towards prosperity, driven by clean, decentralised energy solutions that empower communities and protect the environment. It’s time to shift subsidies, energise communities, and embrace a brighter tomorrow for all.
For the EU to effectively remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere in the future, it is not only important to develop the technical capabilities but also to have a proper regulatory structure in place.
European Commission. Photo credit: Mark Renders/Getty Images
In a new study, a research team led by PIK Director, Ottmar Edenhofer, presents an economically sound concept for this. A European carbon central bank that is to be established plays a key role in the concept.
The EU has passed far-reaching resolutions for the rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. As in the energy and industry sectors, it will also cap CO2 emissions in the problem sectors of heating and transport from 2027 onwards by means of emissions trading in order to achieve climate neutrality. Unavoidable residual emissions are to be offset primarily by technologies in which CO2 is directly or indirectly removed from the atmosphere and then stored.
“Carbon removal as the second pillar of climate protection will cost us a lot of money in the second half of the century – estimates range from 0.3 to 3 percent of global economic output,” says Ottmar Edenhofer, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and one of the authors. “We provide a very concrete concept of how this Herculean task can be accomplished.”
Linking EU subsidies to the permanence of CO2 extraction
The study, published in the journal FinanzArchiv, addresses the issue of carbon removal from an economic point of view: Just as regulators make CO2 emissions more expensive in order to limit their negative consequences, they should subsidize CO2 removal.
Max Franks, PIK researcher and co-author of the study, explains: “As a basic principle for cost minimisation, the price for removing and permanently storing one ton of CO2 should be equal to the price for emitting one ton of CO2 into the atmosphere. A notable challenge is addressing the issue of non-permanent CO2 removal, where the greenhouse gas needs to be repeatedly taken out of the atmosphere.”
Seemingly cheap land-based options, such as afforestation or carbon sequestration in farmland, can thus become decisively less attractive compared to, for example, air filter systems with permanent underground storage. Therefore, it seems sensible to initially link EU subsidies to the permanence of extraction (“upstream pricing”), the authors conclude.
Only when CO2 emissions in the land sector have also been comprehensively determined and are subject to pricing can withdrawals be subsidised indiscriminately. The four key levers are quantity control of net emissions, regulation of liability for non-permanent removals, financial support for expansion and innovation of carbon removal, and certification of providers.
For the first two tasks, the study proposes a European Carbon Central Bank, plus two further authorities for financing and quality control. According to the study authors, this proposal would be quite feasible under the current EU political architecture.
A global shift to a healthier, more sustainable diet could be a huge lever to limit global warming to 1.5°C, researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) find.
1.5°C
The resulting reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would increase the available carbon budget compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C and allow to achieve the same climate outcome with less carbon dioxide removal and less stringent CO2 emissions reductions in the energy system. This would also reduce emission prices, energy prices and food expenditures.
“We find that a more sustainable, flexitarian diet increases the feasibility of the Paris Agreement climate goals in different ways,” says Florian Humpenöder, PIK scientist and co-lead author of the study published in Science Advances.
“The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions related to dietary shifts, especially methane from ruminant animals raised for their meat and milk, would allow us to extend our current global CO2 budget of 500 gigatons by 125 gigatons and still stay within the limits of 1.5°C with a 50 percent chance,” he adds.
Putting a price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the energy and land system is an important policy instrument to stay within the limits of 1.5°C warming.
“Our results show that compared to continued dietary trends, a more sustainable diet not only reduces impacts from food production within the land system, such as deforestation and nitrogen losses. It also reduces GHG emissions from the land system to such an extent that it cuts economy-wide 1.5°C-compatible GHG prices in 2050 by 43 percent,” explains co-lead author, Alexander Popp, leader of the working group land-use management at PIK.
“Moreover, healthy diets would also reduce our dependency on carbon dioxide removal in 2050 by 39 percent,” he adds.
Flexitarian diet could make a marked difference for the feasibility of the 1.5°C target
Up to now, existing literature did not allow to single-out the contribution of dietary shifts alone for the feasibility of the 1.5°C limit. In the new study, PIK scientists investigated how dietary shifts would contribute towards the feasibility of 1.5°C transformation pathways relative to a scenario without dietary shifts.
The researchers used the open-source Integrated Assessment Modelling framework REMIND-MAgPIE to simulate 1.5°C pathways, one including dietary shifts towards the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet by 2050 in all world regions.
“The EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet is a flexitarian diet predominantly featuring a wide variety of plant-based foods, a marked reduction of livestock products especially in high- and middle-income regions, and restricted intake of added sugars, among other things,” says co-author Isabelle Weindl from PIK.
However, considerable challenges are yet to be addressed: Decision-making in food policy is often dispersed across different institutions and ministries, which hinders the implementation of coherent policies in support of healthy diets. Moreover, social inclusion and compensation schemes are central for a just transition to healthy diets, the authors state.
The results indicate that a shift in our diets could make a considerable difference if we do not want to crash through the 1.5°C limit in the next 10 to 15 years.
“This calls for globally concerted efforts to support the transition towards sustainable healthy diets,” concludes Johan Rockström, PIK director and co-author of the study.
The Federal Government says addressing the underlying socio-economic causes of insecurity, such as poverty and unemployment, is crucial to achieving lasting stability in the energy sector.
Sen. Heineken Lokpobri
Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), said this at the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum 2024 (OLEF), organised on Thursday, March 28, in Abuja by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
“This can be addressed through implementation of the Host Community Trust Fund, Gas Infrastructure Fund and other intervention mechanism,” he said.
The SPE-OLEF, hosted by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has its theme as “Stability in the Energy Sector: Integrated Strategies for Infrastructure, Transportation and Security”.
The OLEF, which commenced in 1991, is focused on contributing to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry policy development, in commemoration of the first commercial oil discovery in Nigeria by Shell D’Arcy at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956.
Lokpobiri, represented by Mr Kamoru Busari, Director, Upstream of the ministry, said over the years, insecurity had posed as one of the most pressing challenges to stability in the Nigerian energy sector.
He said there had been cases of pipeline vandalism, oil theft and sabotage that had caused significant threat to the sustenance of the country’s energy infrastructure and smooth operations.
The minister said that concerted efforts were being made to address the security threats in the sector, with the awarding of surveillance contract to Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited.
This, he said, had culminated in substantial increase in oil production.
He said the government would continue to explore better ways resolving some of the bottlenecks in the sector especially through the use of modern technological.
“Government is open to harness all possible advancement pathways by implementing policies and promoting partnerships that will transform the current energy system to a low-carbon energy system, with hydro, solar and natural gas playing important roles.
“Nigeria is working towards achieving its Energy Transition Plan goals, which involves significant emission reductions across key areas like power, cooking, oil and gas, transport and industry with an ultimate target for carbon neutrality by 2060,’’ he said.
According to the minister, areas of infrastructure, transportation and security are fundamental to the efficient functioning of the energy sector and its inter-dependent to ensure stability and sustainability.
He said following the strong commitment made by President Bola Tinubu at the recent COP28, there was an ongoing robust approach by the government to revamp the energy sector.
This, he said, was not only being implemented domestically but was being extended to the international communities through friendly competitions of energy supply to the international market.
In the theme lecture presentation, Mr Abdulrahman Mijinyawa, General Manager, Development and Subsurface Nigeria, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), said Nigeria’s energy infrastructure was largely inadequate, mostly outdated and often damaged.
Mijinyawa, while saying that products were not getting to the desired destination, explained that transportation was a critical aspect of the energy sector for enabling movement of products.
He said for an improved transport system, transport cost should be streamlined, logistic overhead reduced, while public private partnership should be encouraged to fund intermodal connectivity.
According to him, good policies, fiscal incentives, integration and collaboration would go a long way to unlock the industry challenges.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health said on Friday, March 29, 2024, that international donors have significantly cut funding for malaria projects in the country over global crises, including conflicts and climate change.
Jimmy Opigo
Jimmy Opigo, Head of the National Malaria Control Division at the ministry, said this at a news conference in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
He said the withdrawal of external funding would have adverse effects on malaria control and treatment costs in the East African country.
“The cost of malaria control in public health has been 95 per cent donor dependent.
“The funding has been allocated to mosquito nets for prevention, residual indoor spraying, test kits for malaria, and first and second-line malaria treatment.
“And this treatment is in both the private and public sectors, which the donors have been subsidising,” said Opigo.
Minister of Health, Ruth Aceng, told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that the donors were turning their focus on global issues, like conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as well as climate change activities.
Aceng also raised concerns about Uganda’s heavy reliance on donor funding for the health sector, revealing that 85 per cent of the country’s health budget for the financial year 2024/2025 was externally funded.
According to the World Health Organisation, Uganda has one of the highest malaria incidence rates in the world, accounting for about five per cent of all cases worldwide.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, out of every 10 sick people in Uganda, three have malaria.
Among children under five years of age admitted to hospitals, six out of 10 have malaria and face the risk of death.
Additionally, out of every 100 pregnant women, 20 have malaria, putting both their lives and the lives of their babies at risk.
