The United Nations has called for international solidarity with Grenada, the Saint Vincent and other Caribbean islands hit hard by Hurricane Beryl.
Hurricane Beryl
A Category 5 storm, Hurricane Beryl has claimed at least six lives as it barrelled through the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Initial reports indicate severe damage to homes, infrastructure and power and communications.
UN Spokesperson, Stephané Dujarric, told journalists in New York that seven agencies based in Grenada and nine in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines “will be augmented by additional UN emergency teams in the coming days.”
“Logistics are going to be a challenge, given the islands’ dispersal, damaged infrastructure and limited accessibility,” he said.
Dujarric added that the Secretary-General is “very much appealing for strong international solidarity” with Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the other islands that have been hit by the hurricane.
“These small island states that the Secretary-General has often visited were again bearing the brunt of natural disasters. And it is critical that we see international solidarity,” he added.
Hurricane Beryl is only just the start of what is forecast to be extremely intense 2024 hurricane season, amid worsening impacts of climate change.
The UN Spokesperson also voiced concern for Haiti, which was already in a dire situation before the hurricane.
“The security situation is not making it any better. We are prepositioning, we are ready to help as soon as the storm hits and before,” he said.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), aid agencies they are in close contact with Haitian authorities, who have amplified early warning messages.
“UN agencies, of course, stand ready to assist and have already taken anticipatory measures,” Dujarric said.
Also, the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) raised alarm over the rate at which Hurricane Beryl intensified from a tropical depression to a Category 3 in 42 hours, and Category 4 in 48 hours.
“This is unprecedented for June but is in line with the recent trend towards very rapid intensification,” the agency said, recalling that such was the case with Hurricane Otis which grew to a Category 5 hurricane overnight and hit the Mexican resort of Acapulco last October.
At least 52 people were reported to have been killed by Hurricane Otis and a further 32 remain missing.
WMO noted “record high” sea surface temperatures, warning that the stage is set for an “especially active and dangerous” hurricane season for the entire basin – Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America.
“It takes just one land falling hurricane to set back years of socio-economic development. For example, Hurricane Maria in 2017 cost Dominica 800 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General.
Food experts have urged the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, to champion the fight against the use, proliferation and consumption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country.
First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu
The experts spoke to newsmen on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, on the sidelines of a workshop organised for media practitioners by Health of Mother Earth (HOMEF) a civil society organisation (CSO) in Abuja.
The workshop is titled “Transforming the Nigerian/African Food System to Sustain-Ability (TAFS).”
GMOs can either be animal, plant, or microorganism whose gene has been altered in a way that do not occur naturally to achieve a desired trait, character or outcome using genetic engineering technologies.
Dr Jackie Ikeotuonye, a nutritionist and Botanist, observed that GM beans, maize, cassava and cotton, among others, had been introduced into the Nigerian market.
According to her, the GM products are neither properly regulated nor well labeled to accurately inform ordinary Nigerians before consuming them.
The expert said that there was no empirical evidence to show that GM foods were safe for human or animal consumption.
Ikeotuonye rather said that the whole conversations about GMOs were shredded in secrecy, saying that there were lots of controversies about GMO. “This should be halted,” she stated.
She said that it was noteworthy that the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had come out to say it had not licensed any GMOs product in the country.
The agency also said that if any such GM product was found in any departmental store or supermarket, such was being sold illegally without the consent of NAFDAC.
According to the nutritionist, there is a surge in cases of cancer and other strange diseases in the country which can be attributed to the food people eat.
“The First Lady recently started a commendable campaign that encourages people to plant vegetables and other food items around their homes.
“We are calling on her to take up that fight against production and consumption of GMOs in the country because of what she is doing.
“We are hoping she will pick up this information and begin to interrogate it and to fight GMO to a standstill,” she said.
Mr Donald Ofoegbu, the Coordinator, Alliance for Action on Pesticide in Nigeria, said the nation could grow its food without chemicals.
“Nigeria does not need pesticides or GMOs to feed the populace.”
He said farmers could grow food without the use of chemical pesticides or GMOs to feed the nation but by using organic methods, saying that several examples abound.
According to him, there is a lot of smallholder farmers and in a lot of home gardens, people grow foods within their backyards organically.
He, however, lamented that 40 per cent of the food produced by smallholder farmers was wasted as a result of lack of infrastructure.
Ofoegbu said that what Nigerian farmers really needed was accessible roads, storage and processing facilities among others to ensure food sufficiency for the country.
He called on relevant authorities and development partners to look into infrastructure and shun the GMOs initiative as it was a threat to people and the sovereignty of Nigeria.
Ofoegbu said that no fewer than 19 countries in Europe had banned GMOs, saying it could be an act of terrorism to bring GMO to Russia.
“Let us see the government put their weight behind it; it is not just something the first lady should do alone.
“The Ministry of Agriculture also has policies that are talking about food sovereignty, food security, getting people to grow food; that is the direction we need to go,” he said.
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, called for calm over the flash flood caused by the torrential rainfall experienced throughout the state.
Flooding in Lagos
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, made the plea in a statement in Lagos.
“Lagos has experienced about nine hours of non-stop rainfall since the early hours of Wednesday.
“This is coupled with the heavy rainfall which the state has been experiencing on a daily basis since the previous week resulting in the rise in level of the Lagos lagoon,” Wahab said.
He said the flash floods which inundated areas such as Iyana-Oworo linking the Third Mainland and several other areas would recede once the rains abate and the level of the lagoon reduces.
The commissioner added that the state had deployed officials of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to major black spots including Iyana-Oworo which had been cleared of all blockages.
Wahab urged all those in low lying areas to as a matter of necessity relocate to higher grounds at this period to safeguard lives and properties.
He urged residents to desist from wading through floods with their vehicles as it takes only a foot of flowing water with high tide to sweep away a vehicle irrespective of the number of occupants.
Wahab also urged all residents to avail themselves of daily weather reports as issued by the State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources as it serves as a guide to daily itinerary.
He noted that Lagos is a coastal city with almost one third of its landmass under water, as such necessitating a genuine reason for every resident to be more responsive to the state of the environment.
Wahab reiterated that the government on its part has embarked upon a yearlong maintenance and cleaning of all its secondary and primary collectors to be able to contain runoffs that may come from heavy rainfalls.
“Residents on their parts are expected to regularly clean and maintain the tertiary drains in front of their tenements and refrain from dumping refuse in the drains for the collective good of everyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works has directed the removal of silted drains along federal roads in the state with a view to curbing the flood on the highways.
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
“Our teams are currently deployed to assess the situation while removing silted drains along the affected roads are currently being carried out,” Kesha said.
Kesha said that the ministry understood the inconvenience caused by these flash floods and was committed to eliminating the disruptions caused thereafter.
The controller clarified that, contrary to some reports, Lagos was not experiencing widespread submergence from floodwaters caused by the early morning heavy rainfall.
She noted, however, that the ministry acknowledged that localised flooding had affected certain sections of federal roads within the city, adding that necessary actions were being taken to arrest the situations.
The generation of clean electricity in Europe is reportedly setting records. In the first half of 2024, renewables made up more than 50% of all power generation in Europe while nuclear provided a stable share of 24%, according to latest figures from Eurelectric’s electricity data platform.
Secretary General of Eurelectric, Kristian Ruby
Demand for power, however, remains low due to sluggish growth, deindustrialisation and mild weather. Stimulating demand for electricity will be paramount to ensure continued investments in clean generation.
Europe’s power generation is decarbonising at unseen pace. The latest figures from Eurelectric’s Electricity Data Platform, ELDA, show that 74% of electricity produced in the EU in the first half of 2024 came from renewable and low-carbon energy sources. This is a significant increase compared to the 68% share in 2023. The main reasons behind this remarkable result were an unprecedented influx of renewables on the grid combined with the stabilisation of the nuclear fleet.
“The pace of change is impressive. These figures document that the decarbonisation efforts of electricity companies are years ahead of any other sector,” said Secretary General of Eurelectric, Kristian Ruby.
While the numbers on the supply side are promising, the same cannot be said for electricity demand. In the first half of 2023 power demand in the EU decreased by 3.4% compared to same period in 2022 and has continued to remain low in 2024 – 2.6% lower than in H1 2022. This trend is mainly due to industry relocating abroad, warmer temperatures, energy savings and slow economic growth.
“Policymakers must urgently support the uptake of electricity to provide the necessary investment signals for clean generation,” added Ruby.
To do so, Eurelectric is calling on the new Commission to propose an Electrification Action Plan within the first 100 days of its mandate, with a 35% indicative target for 2030 and a clear electrification indicator to be introduced in the national energy and climate plans (NECPs) of EU countries to monitor and deliver progress on the ground.
“Having a decent space to call home is a cornerstone of a liveable city.” – reSITE, a global platform connecting people and ideas to improve the urban environment, 2020
Cities must be innovative; otherwise, they will stop functioning properly. Innovation goes hand in hand with technology, making city life easier and allowing people to live more fulfilling lives.” – Patrizia, European City Ranking, 2023
Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide
In June 2024, the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), an affiliate of The Economist, published its annual report on The World’s Most Liveable Cities 2023. Vienna, Austria, maintained its position as the numero uno world’s liveable city for the third consecutive year (2021, 2022 & 2023) among 173 cities surveyed across the globe.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lagos, Nigeria’s primate city, was in a starkly different position, ranking a challenging 170th. This placed the megacity among the world’s top “10 least liveable cities”, as reported by the EIU. This position has been a consistent feature for Lagos over the past three years – 2021, 2022, and 2023 – a stark contrast to Vienna’s three-year reign as the world’s most liveable city.
The EIU considered several significant factors in conducting the global survey and ranking the participating cities, including education, environment, health care, connectivity, amenities, culture, safety, and sustainability.
While some cities, such as Hong Kong, Osaka, Johannesburg, and Oslo, made valiant efforts to improve their ratings by moving up the ladder of the world’s most liveable cities, Lagos, along with Dhaka, Karachi, Algiers, Tripoli, and Damascus, have adamantly remained at the bottom of the ladder year in and year out.
They are annually ranked among the world’s top 10 least liveable cities. The authorities in charge of planning and managing these cities seem content with the plight of the cities they superintend, as evidenced by the need for improvement in their rankings.
This piece addresses Lagos’s poor annual liveability ranking among other global cities. It starts by posing a direct question: Is Lagos truly a liveable city? To what extent is Lagos liveable? What are the factors that hinder tolerable liveability levels in the megacity? It emphasises the Lagos State Government’s (LASG) significant role in improving the residents’ liveability conditions.
Before we delve into the specifics of Lagos’s liveability, let’s first understand what it means for a city to be liveable, a term often used in urban planning discussions.
Liveability, a sustainability meme, explains certain conditions required to facilitate decent living for the residents of cities and sundry categories of human settlements, including their physical, social, and overall well-being.
A liveable city is a human-centred settlement that provides essential urban services such as efficient public transport, affordable housing, health care, education, recreational facilities, security, a wholesome environment, and the promotion of culture, all to guarantee a better quality of life and living.
All these factors have been a daunting challenge to the planning and management of the Lagos conurbation. Consequently, its liveability ranking could be a lot higher. Firstly, the issue of public transportation and connectivity within the megacity is often a harrowing experience for the residents. Lagos is notorious for traffic, where commuters spend long hours on the road trying to reach their various destinations for work, school, and commercial purposes.
Strangling traffic has adverse health implications for the environment and commuters. The emission from large vehicles on the city roads pollutes the environment. At the same time, the commuters suffer the consequence of the unclean air they breathe because of the relentless environmental pollution. The residents’ quality of life and liveability are unavoidably in jeopardy.
The famous saying that Lagos is not for low-income people has a telling effect on housing affordability among a larger percentage of the residents. A significant percentage of the population needs help to afford to pay the rent for decent accommodation.
As a result, they live in crowded slum areas without amenities, precluding them from comfortable, healthy living. Therefore, the shortage of affordable housing is one of the negative factors affecting Lagos’s low liveability ranking among the world’s most liveable cities.
Another factor of city liveability where Lagos is deficient is the provision of social services such as health care and educational facilities. The LASG’s efforts in this direction are overwhelmed by the high demand from the colossal population of city residents. The health care system is overburdened. Access to health care services takes work.
The low-income people find access to health care services very difficult, even though such services are supposed to be free. The doctor-patient ratio is not within the acceptable standard specified by the World Health Organisation. The WHO standard is a ratio of 1:600 patients, while that of Lagos is 1:9,083 (The Lancet, Feb. 24, 2024).
The number of public schools is grossly inadequate, and families with school-age children, especially the slum dweller parents, often experience unpalatable moments trying to register their wards in public schools. Embarrassed by student overpopulation in public schools, the LASG has vowed to tackle the problem frontally, according to the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, who further said that “the state had quality education for pupils in schools in Lagos State as its topmost priority…and that the government was building more schools in places where existing schools are overpopulated and more qualified teachers while training existing ones in effective class management.” (Punch, August 31, 2023).
Access to quality education should also be part of the effort to improve the state’s educational system.
Lagos is an island. As the saying goes, water is everywhere, but there is none to drink. The city’s major liveability factor challenge is providing POTABLE WATER (my emphasis) for the teeming population of the megacity. The entire megacity is underserved with drinking water. The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) has a daunting task in coping with its cardinal responsibility as a water provider to the city’s residents. Most of the water infrastructure had broken down beyond repairs.
The government should be decisive about providing potable water to the nooks and crannies of the megacity. The LASG must build additional water treatment/pumping stations, and the few existing ones should be overhauled for operational efficiency. Water is life. Maintaining essential human and house hygiene would be easier with a constant water supply for the residents’ daily shores.
Liveable cities must be aesthetically appealing. A foreign freelance journalist visiting Lagos for the first time once quipped, “Lagos appears as a city that has never been touched by urban planning.” The disorderliness, notice of noise pollution, refuse, open drainage and presence of urchins on the streets of Lagos are attributes of an unliveable city. These negative factors caused the EIU to give Lagos shallow scores during the 2023 World’s Liveable Cities survey exercise.
Lagos’s yearly ranking among the 10 least liveable cities worldwide for three consecutive years should concern the LASG. It is an indictment. The government must be responsive to the challenges, notwithstanding their enormity. The trajectory must change. All the factors outlined in this piece are germane to improving Quality of Life (QOL). People who love their cities take care of them. But the LASG should lead the cause. More funding should be allocated to each sector to improve the operations of the MDAs.
Some cities have enhanced their liveability ranking because their municipal government worked assiduously to improve the liveability factors where they were formerly deficient. The LASG should emulate best practices.
Tpl. Yacoob Abiodun (Planning Advocate) writes from Chicago, USA
The Federal Government of Nigeria says it is adopting new approaches to monitor and increase agricultural productivity, to address food insecurity in the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari
Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said this on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at the opening ceremony of a four-day workshop on CropWatch Innovative Cooperative Programme (CropWatch-ICP) in Abuja.
The regional workshop focused on “Advancing Satellite-Based Crop Monitoring to Increase Resilience in the face of Global Food Insecurity.”
The workshop is organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), in collaboration with Aerospace Information Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIR-CAS).
Other collaborators are the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Alliance of International Science Organisations (ANSO).
Nnaji said the workshop was aimed at sharing knowledge of data for smart and precision agriculture.
Represented by Mrs Esuabana Nko, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Nnaji said that food insecurity had been a major issue in West Africa.
He said the deployment of space technology could address the growing food demands.
“Agricultural production systems need profound transformation through technolo-Earth Observation (EO) techniques.
“With rapid developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, and nano-satellites, we are adopting new approaches for monitoring and increasing agricultural productivity.
“These include regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and Carbon Dioxide Reduction (CDR) methods,” he said.
The minister emphasised the need for African nations to partner in order to ensure food security, agricultural sustainability through exploring space technologies.
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr Matthew Adepoju, recalled that UN’s projections of the world population to increase to 9.5 billion by 2050, which food production was expected to increase by 70 per cent to meet the demand.
Adepoju said that space, science and technology played a critical role in revolutionising agriculture.
“It provides the tools and methods necessary for a sustainable agricultural future by providing up-to-date information on sustainable farming practices through scientific research.
“Technology bridges the gap between scientific research and practical application, enabling the implementation of innovative solutions.
“Space technology is significantly impacting agriculture and has the potential to transform the sector by 2030.
“By utilising GPS, drones, satellite images, and data analytics to optimise resource use and reduce environmental impact by minimising waste and preventing overuse, space technology,” he said.
Nnaji said this would provide data on crop phenology, plant nutrition, water optimisation, soil health, crop health, and yields,” he said.
According to him, let us embrace the transformative power of science, technology, and innovation to create a future where agriculture in developing countries is resilient, productive, and sustainable.
The Director-General of AIR-CAS, Prof. Yirong Wu, commended Nigeria on its CropWatch-ICP achievements, saying that the workshop would showcase such to other African countries to key-in.
Wu added that AIR-CAS would launch a CropWatch-ICP regional centre for West Africa which would be domiciled in NASRDA.
According to him, Nigeria will provide the technical assistance for other West African countries on crop management and productivity.
Ms Haihua Gong, Director, Division of Asian and African Affairs, CAS, said the programme would enable African countries to reduce dependence on foreign data on agriculture which could be unverified, leading to delayed decision making.
Gong said: “This programme will provide essential data and information to increase resilience to natural disaster under climate change and help improve agricultural diversification and sustainability.”
Mrs Liping Zhang, Chief of Science, Technology and Development Section, UNCTAD, said adopting the CropWatch programme in developing countries would help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals one, two and three.
Mr Mohammed Fall, UN Resident Coordinator for Nigeria, recalled that the Food and Agricultural Office (FAO) projected 32 million Nigerians to face hunger in 2023.
Fall said that if necessary steps are not taken to ensure food security in two years to come, about 82 million Nigerians would be on the border line to phase three food insecurity.
Highlight of the event was the inauguration of the CropWatch-ICP Regional Centre for West Africa.
The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorm and rains from Wednesday, July 3 to Friday, July 5, 2024, across the country.
Thundery weather
NiMet`s weather outlook released on Tuesday, July 2, in Abuja predicted morning thunderstorms on Wednesday over parts of Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba and Adamawa states.
“While afternoon/evening thunderstorms are expected over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe states.
“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue and Niger states in the North Central in the morning.
“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory and Benue states,” it said.
According to NiMet, morning rains are expected over parts of Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Ogun, Abia, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in the southern region.
It anticipated high prospects of continuous rains for Lagos which might lead to flooding.
The agency forecast thunderstorms with rains over the entire region during the afternoon and evening hours.
NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms over parts of Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states on Thursday with thunderstorms over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Jigawa states later in the day.
“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kogi and Niger states in the North Central in the morning.
“Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue states.
“Morning thunderstorms with rains are expected over parts of Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Lagos, Delta, Abia, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in southern region.
“Rains are expected over the entire region during the afternoon and evening hours,” it said.
NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms over parts of Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe states on Friday while thunderstorms are expected over the entire region later in the day.
It anticipated partly cloudy atmosphere in the morning over the North Central region with thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue and Kogi states later in the day.
“Morning rains are expected over parts of Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in southern region.
“In the afternoon/evening hours, rains are expected over the entire region during the afternoon/evening hours,” it said.
NiMet urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.
It further urged the public to take note and take safety precaution in places where continuous rains were expected, flood incidences might occur.
It advised Airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecast from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended a comprehensive set of tobacco cessation interventions, including behavioural support delivered by health-care providers, digital cessation interventions and pharmacological treatments in a first guideline on tobacco cessation.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO)
The guideline focuses on helping the more than 750 million tobacco users who want to quit all forms of tobacco. The recommendations are said to be relevant for all adults seeking to quit various tobacco products, including cigarettes, waterpipes, smokeless tobacco products, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco, and heated tobacco products (HTPs).
“This guideline marks a crucial milestone in our global battle against these dangerous products,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “It empowers countries with the essential tools to effectively support individuals in quitting tobacco and alleviate the global burden of tobacco-related diseases.”
Over 60% of the world’s 1.25 billion tobacco users – more than 750 million people – wish to quit, yet 70% lack access to effective cessation services. This gap exists due to challenges faced by health systems, including resource limitations.
“The immense struggle that people face when trying to quit smoking cannot be overstated. We need to deeply appreciate the strength it takes, and the suffering endured by individuals and their loved ones to overcome this addiction,” said Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO. “These guidelines are designed to help communities and governments provide the best possible support and assistance for those on this challenging journey.”
Effective therapies for quitting tobacco
Combining pharmacotherapy with behavioural interventions significantly increases quitting success rates. Countries are encouraged to provide these treatments at no or reduced cost to improve accessibility, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO recommends varenicline, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), bupropion, and cytisine as effective treatments for tobacco cessation.
In 2023, WHO initiated a prequalification procedure for medicinal products against disorders caused by tobacco use to improve global access to recommended tobacco cessation medications. In April 2024, Kenvue’s nicotine gum and patch became the first WHO-prequalified NRT products.
WHO recommends behavioural interventions, including brief health worker counselling (30 seconds to three minutes) offered routinely in health-care settings, alongside more intensive behavioural support (individual, group, or phone counselling) for interested users. Additionally, digital interventions such as text messaging, smartphone apps, and internet programmes can be used as adjuncts or self-management tools.
WHO encourages health-care providers, policy-makers, and stakeholders to adopt and implement this guideline to promote tobacco cessation and improve the health of millions of people in need worldwide.
In a move towards increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production and growing its reserves, NNPC Ltd has declared a state of emergency on production in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
GCEO, NNPC Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari (standing 7th from left) in a group photograph with participants at the on-going Nigeria Oil & Gas (NOG) 2024 Energy Week Conference & Exhibition in Abuja
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari, disclosed this in a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 23rd edition of the Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG Energy Week) in Abuja, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
“We have decided to stop the debate. We have declared war on the challenges affecting our crude oil production. War means war. We have the right tools. We know what to fight. We know what we have to do at the level of assets. We have engaged our partners. And we will work together to improve the situation,” the GCEO declared.
According to him, a detailed analysis of assets revealed that Nigeria can conveniently produce two million barrels of crude oil per day without deploying new rigs, but the major impediment to achieving that remains the inability of players to act in a timely manner.
He said the “war” would help NNPC Ltd. and its partners to speedily clear all identified obstacles to effective and efficient production such as delays in procurement processes, which have become a challenge in the industry.
On medium to long-term measures aimed at boosting and sustaining production, Kyari said NNPC Ltd. would replace all the old crude oil pipelines built over four decades ago and also introduce a rig sharing programme with its partners to ensure that production rigs stay in the country for between four and five years which is the standard practice in most climes.
He called on all players in the industry to collaborate towards reducing the cost of production and boosting production to target levels.
He expressed the company’s commitment to investing in critical midstream gas infrastructure such as the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipelines to boost domestic gas production and supply for power generation, industrial development and economic prosperity of the country.
On Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Kyari observed that NNPC Ltd. has since keyed into the Presidential CNG drive, adding that in conjunction with partners such as NIPCO Gas, NNPC Ltd. has built several CNG stations, 12 of which will be commissioned on Thursday in Lagos and Abuja.
The opening ceremony of the NOG Energy Week also saw goodwill messages and keynotes presented by the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais; Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Engr. Mohamed Hamel; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Ekperikpe Ekpo; Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Ms. Olu Verheijen; as well as the Chairman, Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa.
NNPC Ltd. is the Principal Sponsor of 2024 NOG Energy Week Conference & Exhibition which has as its theme “showcasing opportunities, driving investment and meeting energy demand.”
Climate change has created significant environmental problems in Nigeria, affecting all regions and socioeconomic classes. The 2024 heatwaves are a stark reminder of its impact, causing considerable stress on commercial farmers and threatening food security.
Malam Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment
The Niger Delta faces persistent oil spills, leading to severe soil and water pollution, while the northern regions struggle with drought and desertification.
Climate change impacts are primarily felt at the subnational level in Nigeria. Therefore, effective climate action must be localized. Despite the presence of comprehensive federal policies, such as the Climate Change Act and the Energy Transition Plan, there is a glaring absence of similar frameworks at the subnational level. For Nigeria to meet its climate and sustainable development goals, state-level action is crucial.
Recognising this, the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the Department of Climate Change (DCC), conducted a survey on subnational climate impacts, actions, and policies. The survey engaged diverse stakeholders, including state climate change desk officers, academics, youths, and climate experts. The resulting report, “Climate Impacts, Policies, and Actions at the Subnational Level in Nigeria,” was launched in Abuja on November 17, 2023.
The report found that eight states, including Nasarawa, Plateau, Yobe, Jigawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, and Ogun, allocated budgets for climate projects in 2023. Additionally, 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have developed climate action plans.
Lagos, Enugu, and Rivers State have even established dedicated climate change offices, with Rivers State being the only state to pass a Climate Change Bill into law.
While these developments are promising, it is essential to monitor and evaluate state-level efforts to ensure they achieve their goals. SPP, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment’s Department for Climate Change have worked closely to initiate an annual ranking of climate change governance at the subnational level. This ranking will assess administrative structures, budget allocations, policies, action plans, and other metrics.
The inaugural ranking will be released on July 25, 2024, in Abuja, recognizing the hard work on the three top states and highlighting areas needing improvement and encouraging better climate action across states.
For Nigeria to effectively combat climate change and advance sustainable development, state-level initiatives must complement federal policies. The upcoming ranking and continued scrutiny of state efforts will drive accountability and enhance climate action, ensuring Nigeria meets its climate goals.
Prof Chukwumerije Okereke is President and Chairman, Board of Trustee, Society for Planet and Prosperity, Nigeria
