Former President of Malawi, Dr Joyce Banda, will launch the Six30 Campaign in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday, April 22, 2024.
Dr Joyce Banda
The Six30 Campaign aims to mobilise and enlist public and private donors to substantially increase funding and investments in renewable energy projects across the continent.
It is led by the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA), the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), and several other partners. The campaign will run from 2024 to 2030, coinciding with the end of the SDGs.
The goal is to spur investments upwards of $630 billion to bring electricity to 630 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
The campaign aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, emphasising clean energy access, poverty reduction, and climate resilience.
Energy poverty: a silent crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa
Approximately 630 million people in the region live without reliable access to electricity, while some 790 million people without modern energy services rely on solid biomass (such as wood and charcoal) for cooking and heating.
This absence of modern energy services perpetuates poverty, limits economic opportunities, and affects overall well-being – all drivers of climate change vulnerability.
Multiple factors account for the low access to sustainable energy services, but all are linked to or exacerbated by a lack of substantial and adequate financing.
In a landmark move to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Mediterranean Sea, philanthropic organisations aim to contribute to the ambitious goal of protecting 30% of the Mediterranean by 2030, with 10% designated as strict protected areas.
Dona Bertarelli and HSH Prince Albert II
To achieve this goal, an estimated $277 million is needed. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation together with other leading private and public donors¹ have pledged a total of $60.8 million towards marine conservation efforts over the next five years. They are joined in the effort to support “30×30” in the region by other prominent private donors. The announcement was made in the occasion of the Our Ocean Conference held in Athens, Greece from April 15 to 17, 2024.
The Mediterranean region, renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and status as a global hotspot for endemic species, is facing mounting threats from climate change, pollution, and unsustainable fishing practices. Despite efforts in the past, only 8.33% of the Mediterranean currently enjoys protection, with regulations often as weak inside marine protected areas (MPAs) as outside. Moreover, a mere 0.23% of the region is fully or highly protected.
Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, the funders emphasise the need for decisive action to preserve the Mediterranean’s fragile ecosystems. This includes phasing out destructive activities like bottom trawling and strengthening the management of existing marine protected areas, such as the Pelagos Sanctuary, which constitutes nearly half of the region’s protected marine space.
The substantial financial commitment from both private and public donors underscores a collective determination to address the pressing conservation challenges facing the Mediterranean Sea. It is hoped that this collaboration will inspire further support from additional donors and partners to join the effort in protecting one of the world’s most vital marine ecosystems.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco said: “Efforts to protect the Mediterranean Sea have grown over the years, but not fast enough. Last year, countries committed to achieving the global 30×30 target. Urgent action is needed at all levels if we are to meet this ambitious target. With this pledge, private and public donors call upon others to join the effort. We are committed to push for an effective 30% protection by 2030, including 10% strict protection.”
Ben Goldsmith, Conservation Collective chair and founder, said: “We’re excited to see our budget for marine protection projects across the Conservation Collective network in the Mediterranean grow year on year. There’s so much to do, and nothing more rewarding than seeing effectively managed MPAs breathe life back into this magical sea.”
Dona Bertarelli, Philanthropist, IUCN Patron of Nature and Ocean Advocate, said: “I am proud to be part of a collective effort to expand the protection of the Mediterranean, a region of immense ecological significance and rich biodiversity. With the introduction of the 30×30 funding pledge, we are united in our goal to ensure that 30% of the Mediterranean is effectively preserved. This commitment is built on the principles of inclusive decision-making and empowering local communities, which are crucial for the sustainable future of the Mediterranean Sea.
“By channeling increased financial resources into marine protection, we are investing in robust positive nature conservation initiatives that safeguard both biodiversity and local livelihoods. I am hopeful that our collaborative approach will inspire global efforts and serve as a model for protecting invaluable natural resources for generations to come.”
The government of Cameroon has restated its commitment to work closely with Nigeria to ensure effective implementation of policy framework for sustainable management of transboundary ecosystems conservation between both countries.
Ministers of the environment of Nigeria, Balarabe Lawal, and Cameroon, Mr. Jules Ndongo, signing the agreement
Mr Jules Ndongo, Cameroon’s Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, made this known in his keynote address at the official signing ceremony of the cooperation framework agreement between the two countries on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Abuja.
The agreement also focused on management of forestry and wildlife resources.
According to Ndongo, the historical and fraternal ties between Cameroon and Nigeria have great deal of strength, therefore, the need to deepen such ties to promote shared prosperity.
He said, “This is most common among our people living at the transboundary regions between the two countries.
“Some of their transaction involves the exportation and marketing of timber, other forest products and bush meats.
“It should be underscored that we cannot ascertain all these activities are carried out legally. The exportation of forestry resources and cross-border poaching are serious offenses.
“The context of cooperation and cross-border management of our forestry and wildlife resources through this agreement is aimed at implementing cross-border policies and programmes among other things.
“The government of Cameroon will do anything possible at its level to work closely with Nigeria toward implementing the agreement.”
In another keynote address, the Nigeria Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, assured Ndongo and the Cameroonian delegation of the Federal Government’s determination to achieve targets through the partnership.
Lawal said, “Nigeria and Cameroon do not just share common borders, but also have shared vision on the best approach towards protection of the resources between the two countries.
“This is for the overall wellbeing of our people, irrespective of the social, economic, environmental and cultural development of the two countries.”
He commended supports by the governments of Germany, the U.S., United Nations, European Union and other partners to have contributed towards the success so far recorded in the preservation of forestry and wildlife resources.
In his remark, Danter Renna, Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, commended the milestone reached between Nigeria and Cameroon in terms of forestry and wildlife conservation.
According to him, the U.S. will support the agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon in the forestry and wildlife conservation, and preservation, particularly how such ideas promote cooperation among them.
“The U.S. is proud to be a partner between Nigeria and Cameroon, as well as in their work to preserve the natural ecosystem both share at transboundary levels,” he said.
Highpoint of the event was goodwill messages from the Embassy of Germany in Nigeria, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Ndongo and Lawal respectively.
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have called for improved investment by government and private organisations in the area of technology and infrastructure to enhance post-harvest management in the country.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security
They made the call on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Abuja at the “1st Post-harvest Connect Conference and Exhibition.”
The theme of the conference is “Scaling Appropriate Post-Harvest Solutions for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security.”
The stakeholders said that the measure would guarantee food and nutrition security, income generation and make the nation an agricultural hub in the world.
Dr Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), said more investments were required in post-harvest management to transform the food system in alignment with the challenges of small holder farmers in Africa.
Kanangire, in his paper entitled, “Scaling Appropriate Postharvest Solutions for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security,” said addressing post-harvest challenge would make huge impact in commercialisation, improve climate resilience among farmers.
According to him, Nigeria loses a lot of revenues due to post-harvest challenges.
“Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa; we take one step forward in productivity and take two steps backward in post-harvest management,” he said.
Represented by Dr Emmanuel Okogbenin, a Senior Official in AATF, Kanangire further recommended that research institutes and investors should strengthen post-harvest management technology transfer delivery processes to reach smallholder farmers with technological support.
According to him, any technological innovations should consider the plight of farmers with regards to finances.
“So, there must be reduction in cost for affordability of small holder farmers,” he said.
Dr Alfred Dixon, Chairman, Governing Board, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), said boosting post-harvest solutions not only enhanced food availability but also ensured that nutritious food reached those who needed it most.
Dixon, who is also the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Country Representative in Sierra Leone, said Nigeria was facing challenges relating to post-harvest and food security.
He emphasised that through appropriate practices like scaling post-harvest solutions, tangible difference would be made in the lives of individuals and families.
“Sustainable postharvest practices not only help in reducing food losses but also contribute to the overall well-being of communities by ensuring access to nutritious food.
“Our efforts in promoting such practices are crucial in driving positive change and fostering resilience within Nigerian communities,” he said.
Dixon said the conference served as a light of hope to inspire others to join hands in the pursuit of a more sustainable future.
Dr Simon Ehui, Director General, IITA, said through collaborations post-harvest management could be revolutionalised, reduce food and waste as well as promote equitable access to nutritious food for all.
Jones, represented by Dr Beatrice Aoghewi, Head of Station, Abuja, quoted the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as saying that Sub-Saharan Africa experienced 20 per cent of food loss.
Dr Godwin Atser, Country Director, Sasakawa Africa Foundation, said curtailing post-harvest could make Nigeria food secured nation.
Atser assured that the organisation would continue to support initiatives geared towards making the nation food secured and enhance wealth in agricultural production.
The conference was organised by the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and other stakeholders.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and its Joint Venture partner in OML 85, First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P), have commenced oil production from the asset also known as Madu Field.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari
Production from the field which is located in shallow waters offshore Bayelsa State and operated by First E&P is expected to be at an average of 20,000 barrels per day.
The achievement is a testament to the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to optimise production from the nation’s oil and gas assets through the provision of enabling environment for existing and prospective investors.
Speaking on the development, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari, described the commencement of oil production at the Madu Field as a significant milestone that will contribute to the larger goal of meeting the production required to drive revenue growth and boost the nation’s economy.
Kyari, who commended stakeholders for their support, also explained that the addition of 20,000 barrels per day by an indigenous oil player signals the commitment of stakeholders to achieving economic development for Nigeria.
It will be recalled that the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the development of the Madu Field and a sister field, Anyala, was taken by the NNPC Ltd/First E&P JV in 2018.
Production from the Madu Field will be processed at the JV’s Abigail-Joseph Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Unit, which has a crude oil storage capacity of up to 800,000bbls.
UN Climate Change announced on Friday, April 19, 2024, that the global Art Charter for Climate Action (ACCA) will join its efforts to unite the arts and entertainment sectors in transformative climate action. The announcement was made at The Hope Forum held during the 60th Venice Biennale international art exhibition.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell
The Charter will become the visual arts pillar of UN Climate Change’s Entertainment & Culture for Climate Action alliance, which aims at accelerating the transition of arts, film, music, and other relevant sectors to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and to inspire climate action beyond the sector through artistic expression and innovation.
“In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, it is essential that all sectors take transformative climate action now,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell. “In addition to reducing its global emissions, arts and culture play a critical role in inspiring people to imagine and realise a low carbon, just and climate-resilient future.”
The Art Charter brings together more than 1,000 members in over 70 countries committed to using creativity, science-based information, and collaboration to create system-wide change. For the visual arts, this means focusing on international freight, energy consumption, packaging and recycling, and digital initiatives. Members include a wide range of public and private actors and organisations worldwide, from individual artists to major museums, commercial entities to not-for-profit organisations.
“ACCA is an initiative that, for the first time ever, brings together the entire visual art sector’s value chain around the common goal of steering the global industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to net zero,” said Luise Faurschou, Director the non-profit ART 2030 and Steering Committee member of ACCA. “Our aim is to be able to assemble our collective learnings, to advocate for our obligation to meet the Paris Agreement, and to implement system changes that directly impact our goals.”
The Hope Forum event, organised by ACCA founding member ART 2030, featured statements from many changemakers from the art sector, including renowned artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Cecilia Vicuña, and AI Weiwei, and a panel discussion featuring institutions such as Christie’s and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, who spoke of their efforts to reduce emissions and waste across the art supply chain. These were joined by representatives of climate policy and science institutes.
The ACCA and UN Climate Change announcement was endorsed by Frances Morris, Director Emerita of the Tate Modern, who emphasised that “ACCA can and should be a common framework. But crucially, it can also be a network of networks for a green and just transition. From all corners of the world, linking grassroots to big shoots, we (the visual arts sector) can be united in our actions for the planet.”
The founding organisations of the Art Charter are ART 2030, the Gallery Climate Coalition, the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM), and Julie’s Bicycle. Interested stakeholders worldwide are encouraged to join the Art Charter for Climate Action’s Community to access resources, knowledge, and capacities for collaborative engagement.
A call has gone out to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and all maritime stakeholders in Nigeria to key into the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference Statement.
Mr. Anthony Akpan, President of PAVE
Mr. Anthony Akpan, President of Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), made the call in the aftermath of the just concluded 2024 Ocean Decade Conference which took place in Barcelona, Spain, from April 8 to 12, 2024.
Akpan, who also doubles as the National Coordinator of the Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) Network in Nigeria and a member of the Nigeria National Ocean Decade Committee, noted that the conference discussions centred around the development of a common vision for the future priorities of the Ocean Decade, and thus the global ocean science agenda. These discussions were nourished by the results of the Vision 2030 process, including the Vision 2030 Outcomes Report.
He said: “The conference discussed and identified future priorities for ocean knowledge and science generation and uptake that could be fulfilled via the Ocean Decade framework.”
He also noted that the conference recognised its pivotal role in kicking off a series of major international convening, including the Immersed in Change Summit in Costa Rica and leading to the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
The conference highlighted that, by working collaboratively across this series of events, the global ocean science community has the possibility to catalyse previously unforeseen levels of action that will indelibly anchor the role of ocean science and knowledge in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
To achieve this and fulfill the identified priorities, the conference issued the following Call to Action to all societal actors, including government, philanthropy, UN entities, industry, and the scientific community to “be proactive in the development of partnerships and collaboration for the co-design and co-delivery of transformative Decade Actions that translate the priorities identified during the Conference to tangible action.
“To significantly increase investment of in-kind and financial resources in ocean science, including the development of policies and innovative financial instruments, thereby ensuring the sustainability of existing and future Decade Actions, structures, and processes that are collectively working to fill the priorities identified during the conference.
“Increase investment in capacity development, sharing, and coordination with a focus on SIDS, Least Developed Countries, and other under-represented groups including Early Career Ocean Professionals.
“To also seize all opportunities to raise awareness and visibility of the Conference outcomes and the Barcelona Statement as an essential guiding framework for global ocean science and knowledge priorities in the lead-up to the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference.”
Over 1,500 in-person participants and thousands of virtual participants gathered for the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, which was hosted by Spain, and co-organised by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) in close collaboration with the Region of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council.
Reflective of the spirit of diversity of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030, this first in-person gathering of the Ocean Decade community convened geographically and generationally diverse representatives from the scientific community, governments, NGOs and civil society, philanthropy, industry, and United Nations entities.
Nigeria and Cameroon have signed what looks like a historic cooperation framework agreement to enhance transboundary ecosystem conservation and sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources.
Ministers of the environment of Nigeria, Balarabe Lawal, and Cameroon, Mr. Jules Ndongo, signing the agreement
The agreement, which was signed on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, by the ministers of the environment of Nigeria, Balarabe Lawal, and Cameroon, Mr. Jules Ndongo, represents a significant turning point and provides a platform for the creation of a cooperative transboundary management framework that will promote coordination and cooperation between the two countries on issues about the preservation and sustainable use of their natural resources.
Nigeria and Cameroon share a boundary of over 1,975 km. Aside from the global phenomenon of climate change and environmental issues, transboundary criminality along this path, such as illegal logging, poaching, and wildlife trafficking, has continued to have a detrimental effect and pushed these resources to extinction. As a result, the two countries believe that halting and reversing this worrisome trend cannot be accomplished solely through in-country political will and commitment but that the adoption of bilateral and multilateral approaches is more promising, particularly given the continuum and migratory nature of these resources, as well as the complexities of their transboundary management and conservation.
According to Nigeria’s minister of environment, the endorsement is important as it does not only underscore the commitment of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present government of President Bola Tinubu to collaborate with Cameroon to manage and conserve the two nations’ shared natural resources but also demonstrates the significance of bilateral cooperation in tackling global challenges.
Therefore, in his view, signing the agreement is just the start; much work needs to be done, and Nigeria would do its fair share to ensure that the treaty is effectively carried out.
“We must continue to engage in constructive dialogue and remain steadfast in ensuring that our natural resources are sustainably managed and conserved for the benefit of present and future generations,” Lawal said.
In a similar spirit, Mr. Ndongo bemoaned the increased exploitation of forest reserves, including poaching, which he mentioned as one of the primary drivers of climate change.
He noted that Nigeria and Cameroon have a history of doing business together, such as marketing timber and other forest products like bush meat, particularly to people who reside on opposite sides of the shared border.
Many of these activities, he argued, cannot be proven to be legal, which is why signing the pact is critical to ensuring the collaborative mobilisation of resources to implement selected transboundary initiatives of mutual interest.
“Given its importance, I hereby urge parties involved in this process to be more committed to the implementation of this instrument,” says Cameroon’s minister for environment.
Ndongo called on the various technical and financial partners who helped foster the agreement to see it as the start of the process and ensure its successful completion, assuring that the Cameroonian government will do everything possible to ensure the agreement’s smooth implementation.
Several other international partners at the event praised Nigeria and Cameroon for their landmark agreement, underscoring the importance of stronger border cooperation in combating wildlife trafficking and ecosystem protection.
According to Tunde Morakinyo, executive director of the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, this pact will allow national parks in Nigeria, such as Gashaka-Gumti and Cross River, to collaborate closely with counterparts in Cameroon to protect the incredible biodiversity that the two countries share, including chimpanzees, gorillas, and elephants, for future generations.
He revealed that his organisation has been advocating for transboundary cooperation between the two countries, including the Nigeria Programme of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Ministry of Environment, the National Park Service, and their Cameroonian counterparts.
“It is hard to explain how excited I am by this historic agreement. The idea of transboundary collaboration on conservation was proposed as far back as 2008, recognising the spectacular national parks on both sides of the Nigeria-Cameroon border,” he said.
Mary Rice, executive director of the Environmental Investigation Agency of the United Kingdom (UK), stated that this is not a problem that one country can solve on its own because wildlife trafficked from Africa to Asia invariably crosses several land borders before being exported, so international cooperation to enforce those borders is essential.
“This agreement should make that easier, enabling better investigations and more robust criminal justice responses,” she said.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Wildlife Africa Fund, Peter Knights OBE, said that from being the epicentre of wildlife smuggling in Africa, “Nigeria is now making great strides, such as this agreement and the pending new wildlife law, to show leadership in protecting biodiversity.”
Clearly, it will not be out of place to declare April 2024 as “the month of Genetic Engineering GE)” in Ghana, because the publication of the approval of 14 new GE products, by the USDA in its Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) Report hit headlines of major news channels in the country.
Chief Executive Officer, Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Eric Okoree
The core message of the brief report was to announce the approval by Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) of 14 new biotechnology products comprising eight corn events and six soybean events for placement on the market for commercialisation.
While the report appears to have stirred up a hornet’s nest, as reactions from a cross section of the Ghanaian public suggest that these products have already been imported into the country; it has also established that the NBA has its feet on the ground.
The authority says the products are not yet in the country. “…the NBA wishes to state categorically that those events or products have not been imported into the country for food, feed, or processing yet.” What the NBA has done is to register the products and events to allow for importation for those purposes by any individual or group interested in them.
In a press release issued to shed some more light on the matter, NBA’s Chief Executive Officer, Eric Okoree, stated that “any entity interested will require an import permit from the NBA to be able to import them for use in the country.”
He assured the public that such decisions would be based on the relevant regulations and international best practices. “It is important to note that the NBA as the government agency responsible for the regulation of genetic modification (GM) and its related products has laid down procedures in line with the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) and with international best practices in deciding on any application brought before it.”
Mr. Okoree further assured Ghanaians of the safety of GM product(s) that have received the NBA’s approval; notably, the Bt Cowpea submitted by SARI and the 14 events submitted by Bayer West-Central Africa S.A. and Syngenta South Africa to be registered for food, feed or for processing.
The CEO, who is a Biotech Regulator, explained that the 14 registered products, made up of eight maize and six soybean events, are not intended for cultivation, but rather for direct use as food, feed, or for processing.
So, approval was granted under Section 13 of the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) and Regulation 15 of the Biosafety (Management of Biotechnology) Regulations, 2019 (LI 2383) following the evaluation of data and information supplied by the applicant and a thorough risk assessment by the NBA Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). This is an 11-member Committee set up to purposely provide scientific advice to the NBA Board on matters regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). This Committee is responsible for carrying out risk assessment and auditing of applications at the request of the Board.
The Application Approval Process
The press statement also clarified the application approval process. Step one is for the TAC to conduct a risk assessment and submit the findings to the Board.
So, in relation to the 14 products and events, having received the applications, the authority evaluated the events in line with available data provided by the applicants as well as guidelines set out by the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Biotrack Product Database and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Genetically Modified food platform to determine the under a set of listed conditions:
“Development of the modified events including the molecular biology data that characterise the genetic change; proximate analyses; major constituents (fats, proteins, carbohydrates) and minor constituents (minerals and vitamins); composition of, and nutritional information (including anti-nutrients) on the GM products compared to their conventional counterparts); and the potential for causing allergic reactions.”
The other conditions are: “microbiological and chemical safety of the event(s); the potential for the production of new toxins in the events(s); and, the potential for any unintended or secondary effects.
According to the statement, no negative results were gotten following this thorough process. “… after this thorough risk assessment and evaluation, there were no adverse findings with any demonstrable history of biosafety concerns.”
The statement cited countries such as Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Nigeria, and South Africa that have already given similar approvals and have confirmed the same to be as safe as their conventional counterparts.
Issues raised by concerned groups/individuals
Touching on the issue concerned individuals have raised about BT Cowpea released on the blind side of Ghanaian consumers, the statement said enough room was created for public participation by the public especially farmers, as mandated by the Biosafety Act.
Additionally, the Authority duly published the Confined Field Trials in the Ghana Gazette of June 25, 2021, and the Environmental Release notification was placed in the July 26, 2022 Issue 123. The Daily Graphic edition of Thursday, June 22, 2023, also published the notice of environmental release.
The statement described as unfortunate the call to reject any GM seeds that will be supplied. It noted that the NBA recognises the need for Ghanaians to adapt to emerging plant breeding technologies in the agricultural space for sustained crop improvement and food security.
“We wish to reiterate the fact that the improved yield and sustained food security will rather inure to the benefits of farmers, rather than impoverish them as being speculated by sections of the media,” the statement said, adding that “there is a robust biosafety system in place to ensure the safety of GMOs officially released in the country.”
Therefore, the NBA assured Ghanaians that the Biosafety Ac, 2011 (Act 831) will be effectively implemented to safeguard the environment and health of Ghanaians. The NBA will also continue to monitor “for any unapproved GMOs in the country and follow up on the performance of those GMOs already approved in the country.”
The Biosafety Act
The passage of the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) by Parliament on December 31, 2011, operationalised biosafety in Ghana by establishing the NBA, its governing body and the various committees/units necessary for its smooth and efficient functioning. The objectives of the Act are first to ensure an adequate level of protection in the field of safe development, transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms resulting from biotechnology that may have an adverse effect on health and the environment; and secondly, to establish a transparent and predictable process to review and make decisions on genetically modified organisms.
Stakeholders in the environment sector have called for increased budget allocation to fight the impacts of climate change in the country.
Participants at the forum to review Nigeria’s 2024 Climate Budget and the Energy Transition Plan to mitigate climate change
The stakeholders converged on Abuja on Thursday, April 18. to review Nigeria’s 2024 Climate Budget and the Energy Transition Plan to mitigate climate change in the country.
Speaking at the forum, Sen. Abubaka Bagudu, Minister of Budget and National Planning, said that the Government of Nigeria was committed to climate issues that would align with the sustainable goals for climate mitigation for 2030.
Bagudu, who was represented by Dr Sanjo Faniran, Director, Social Department, assured that the ministry would soon hold a round table to ensure commitment to environmental issues.
Dr Michael David, Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), said that Nigeria’s budget had to be climate friendly to build resilience.
He expressed displeasure on the allocated sum for climate change, saying that only 5.02 per cent of the total of 2024 budget was allocated to fight the impacts of climate change.
Prof. Shuaib Hassan, Director, Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Abuja, said that, for Nigeria to fight climate change, it must stay away from fossil fuels.
He urged the Federal Government to look into the budget allocation for climate change, waste management and research.
Shuaib added that for the country to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, it would have to move from conventional fossil fuels to alternative renewable energy sources like wind and solar to reach the goal.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said that climate change had impacted on the food security of the nation.
Kyari, who was represented by Mr Odey Patrick, an Assistant Director in the Ministry, urged stakeholders to show more concern to the issues of adaptation and mitigation.
Dr Salisu Dahiru, the Director-General, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), said that advocacy, collaboration and partnership were key to combating climate change.
Dahiru, who was represented by Mrs Adesola Effiwatt from the Climate Investment Desk, NCCC, said that climate change had gone beyond an environmental, as it is now an economic and social issue.
Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, National Coordinator, Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP), urged that whatever decision arrived at to be implemented to build climate resilience.
“GEF is the largest funder of environmental projects in the world, we have seven national parks and communities around them are surrounded with natural resources that we are trying to manage,’’ she said.
Mr Kenneth Akpan, representative of the Country Director, OXFAM, expressed optimism that the budget on climate change could carry all stakeholders along.
