The EPI Foundation, the secretariat to the 24 African member states of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI), has expressed its strong opposition to the reopening of domestic ivory markets, as proposed in the Republic of South Africa’s Draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy.
Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officer in one of the country’s ivory stockpile rooms
The EPI Foundation’s CEO, John E. Scanlon AO, said: “To open a domestic ivory market is bad for elephant conservation. It is contrary to CITES resolutions and the policies of most African elephant range states, as well as key destination states, including China, the USA and those in the EU. It will stimulate demand for ivory and undermine law enforcement as well as the international moratorium on commercial ivory trade. The same applies for South Africa’s proposal to open a market in rhino horn products.”
African elephant range states have made significant progress towards closing domestic ivory markets in recent years. In 2015, 25 range states adopted the Cotonou Declaration, which called for the closure of these markets as a crucial measure in the conservation of elephants and combating wildlife trafficking. During the past decade poaching for ivory in many parts of Africa has declined, and elephant populations have stabilised after sharp falls in previous years.
Scanlon added: “We respectfully encourage South Africa to reconsider and align itself with the broad international consensus. All 37 African elephant range states face similar challenges, including poaching, trafficking of ivory, human-elephant conflict, and the impacts of climate change.
“We need to find alternative sources for holistic elephant conservation finance, which will take us forward from the old fractious debates over ivory markets and trade. We can take proactive steps in this direction, uniting range states in a common cause to ensure the harmonious coexistence of elephants and people.”
The recent deadly heatwave in the Sahel and West Africa with temperatures above 45°C would not have been possible without human-caused climate change, according to rapid analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists from the World Weather Attribution group.
Above-danger heat stress: A man cools off amid searing heat wave
In late March and early April in 2024, extreme heat impacted countries in the Sahel and West Africa. The hottest temperature occurred on April 3, when Mali recorded 48.5°C. In Bamako, the Gabriel-Toure Hospital announced a surge in excess deaths, with 102 deaths over the first four days of April.
Around half were over the age of 60 and the hospital reports that heat likely played a role in many of the deaths. A lack of data in the countries affected makes it impossible to know how many people were killed, however it’s likely there were hundreds or possibly thousands of other heat-related deaths.
Climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, and other human activities, is making heatwaves more frequent, longer and hotter around the world. To quantify the effect of human-caused warming on the extreme temperatures in the Sahel and West Africa, scientists analysed weather data and climate models to compare how these types of events have changed between today’s climate, with approximately 1.2°C of global warming, and the cooler pre-industrial climate using peer-reviewed methods.
The analysis looked at the five-day average of maximum daily temperatures in two areas: one that includes southern regions of Mali and Burkina Faso, where the heat was most extreme, and a larger area including regions of Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, where temperatures were widely above 40°C. To investigate hot nighttime temperatures, which can be dangerous when the human body cannot rest and recover, the researchers also analysed the five-day average of minimum temperatures for the Mali and Burkina Faso region.
The scientists found that both the daytime and nighttime heatwaves, across both regions, would have been impossible if humans had not warmed the planet by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, and with other activities like deforestation. Climate change made the maximum temperatures 1.5°C hotter and the nighttime temperatures 2°C hotter for the Burkina Faso and Mali region, and the five-day daytime temperatures for the wider region 1.4°C hotter.
A heatwave like the recent one is still relatively rare, even in today’s climate with 1.2°C of warming, the researchers found. Across the wider West Africa region, similarly high daytime temperatures can be expected about once every 30 years. However, daytime temperatures like those experienced in Mali and Burkina Faso, where heat-related fatalities were reported, are expected around once in every 200 years.
But events like these will become much more common, and even more dangerous, unless the world moves away from fossil fuels and countries rapidly reduce emissions to net zero. If global warming reaches 2°C, as is expected to occur in the 2040s or 2050s unless emissions are rapidly halted, similar events will occur 10 times more frequently.
The researchers also quantified the possible influence of El Niño on the heat but found that its effect was not significant when compared with the influence of human-caused climate change.
The study highlights factors that worsened the impacts of the heat across the region. The heat occurred at the end of Ramadan when many Muslim people fast during the day. The Sahel region has a large Muslim population and while high temperatures are common in April, the researchers say the relentless day and nighttime heat would have been overwhelming for many people who were abstaining from food and water. They also note that conflict, poverty, limited access to safe drinking water, rapid urbanisation and strained health systems likely worsened the impacts.
Heat action plans that set out emergency responses to dangerous heat are extremely effective at reducing heat-related deaths during heatwaves. However, neither Burkina Faso nor Mali has one in place. Given the increasing risk of dangerous heat in the Sahel and West Africa, the researchers say developing heat action plans will help to save lives and lessen the burden of extreme heat on health systems.
Finally, the researchers say the Gabriel-Toure Hospital’s rapid reporting of heat-related deaths was a valuable illustration of the dangers of extreme heat that would have likely acted as an effective warning for people in the region.
The study was conducted by 19 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities, organisations and meteorological agencies in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Clair Barnes, researcher at Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said: “The early-April heat in the Sahel and West Africa was extraordinary – for nearly a week, daytime temperatures pushed well above 40°C, while nighttime temperatures in some regions reached 30°C.
“Our study joins a mountain of evidence linking dangerous heat with warming caused by fossil fuel emissions.”
Kiswendsida Guigma, Climate Scientist at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in Burkina Faso, said: “Year-round heat is part of life in the Sahel and regions of West Africa. However, the extreme temperatures were unprecedented in many places and the surge in excess deaths reported by the Gabriel-Toure Hospital in Mali highlighted just how dangerous the heat was.
“For some, a heatwave being 1.4 or 1.5°C hotter because of climate change might not sound like a big increase.
“But this additional heat would have been the difference between life and death for many people.”
Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said: “Extreme heat, driven by climate change, is resulting in death for vulnerable people.
“Attribution studies like this one clearly show that if the world continues to burn fossil fuels, the climate will continue to warm and vulnerable people will continue to die.”
“In the future, it’s likely this increasingly evident link between fossil fuel emissions and heat-related death will be used in litigation against fossil fuel companies.”
The severe drought in southern Africa in 2024 was driven primarily by El Niño, rather than human-caused climate change, according to rapid attribution analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists from the World Weather Attribution group. Given the devastating impacts of this year’s drought, there is a strong need for drought preparedness in southern Africa to avoid food shortages in future El Niño years, the researchers say.
Drought in Southern Africa
Since January 2024, countries in southern Africa have experienced low rainfall and severe drought leading to crop failure and poor harvests. From January to March, an estimated 20 million people in the region faced hunger. Water shortages, particularly in Zambia and Zimbabwe, have caused major outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
National states of disaster have been declared in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
To quantify the effect of human-caused warming on the drought, scientists analysed weather data and climate models to compare how these types of events have changed between today’s climate, with approximately 1.2°C of global warming, and the cooler pre-industrial climate, using peer-reviewed methods.
The study focused on Zimbabwe, Botswana, and southern regions of Zambia and Mozambique, and analysed the period from December to February, which is the peak of the rainy season. The researchers looked at two variables: rainfall and effective precipitation, the latter reflecting the difference between total rainfall and the amount of rainfall evaporated from soils and plants by high temperatures. They also looked at the possible influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that alternates between El Niño, neutral and La Niña phases.
An analysis of historical weather data found that December-February rainfall is actually increasing across the study region, meaning that droughts during the peak of the rainy season are becoming less frequent. However, it is unclear whether this increase in rainfall is due to human-caused climate change because climate models suggest that climate change does not have a significant influence on low December-February rainfall in the region. The researchers say that local factors such as land use changes and other long-term drivers of climate variability could explain the increasing trend.
As for effective precipitation, the combination of historical weather data and climate models showed that it is not changing in southern Africa during the December-February period. This is likely because higher temperatures, caused by burning fossil fuels and other human activities, are increasing evapotranspiration, which cancels out the increasing rainfall.
El Niño, on the other hand, has a strong influence on low December-February rainfall, the study found. Historical weather data showed that December-February rainfall tends to be low during El Niño years. In today’s climate, with 1.2°C of global warming, similar droughts are expected to occur about once every ten years. However, in El Niño years, they are twice as likely to occur. Together, the results indicate that El Niño, rather than human-caused climate change, was the main driver of the southern Africa drought this year.
The study highlights that reliance on rain-fed agriculture makes the region vulnerable to drought. Improving forecasting and early warning systems, as well as diversifying income sources for the poorest, will help southern Africa become more resilient to drought. The researchers say it is critical the region takes additional measures to bolster food security ahead of El Niño years.
The study was conducted by 18 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities and meteorological agencies in Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Bernardino Nhantumbo, Researcher at the Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology, said: “Tens of millions of people in southern Africa rely on rain-fed agriculture. But this year, the rains hardly fell.
“During January and February, many regions of southern Africa only received around 20% of the rainfall expected during the peak of the rainy season.”
Joyce Kimutai, Researcher at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said: “Over the past year, attribution studies have shown that many extreme weather events have been driven by a combination of both climate change and El Niño.
“The southern Africa drought appears to be a rarer example of an event fuelled primarily by El Niño.”
Wina Wina, Disaster Management Manager at Zambia Red Cross Society, said: “People in southern Africa know that the risk of drought increases during El Niño years.
“However, before this year’s drought, southern Africa farms had already been hit by flooding, agricultural pests and diseases.
“Our study highlights the ongoing need for improved drought resilience in southern Africa, especially ahead of El Niño years.
“Similar droughts will occur in the future in southern Africa. But with good planning and preparation, people shouldn’t have to face hunger.”
The USAID-funded Building Capacity for Integrated Family Planning and Reproductive Health and Population, Environment and Development Action (BUILD Project) on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, launched a journalism award to amplify media engagement with population, health, environment and sustainable development programmes in Africa.
Participants at a co-creation session to launch the award
Co-created by journalists from the East Africa region, the PHED African Media (PAM) award aims to recognise and celebrate journalists and media houses that demonstrate excellence in covering the complex and interconnected issues of population, health, environment, and sustainable development (PHED) in Africa. By highlighting exemplary reporting on these crucial topics, the award seeks to encourage and inspire further high-quality, nuanced coverage of PHED matters across the continent.
The award was launched with a co-creation session, where media stakeholders detailed criteria, the process for selection, categories, the role and responsibility of the panel, and the relevant non-monetary prizes attached to the award.
Journalists from Eastern Africa will pilot the first phase of the award and have until June 30, 2024, to submit entries of stories, photographs, and multimedia content that have been done 12 months before the official call.
The co-creators noted that stories must capture the integration of population, family planning, sexual rights and reproductive health rights (SRHR), climate change, and sustainable development, which should be presented in innovative ways such as the use of multimedia formats.
The BUILD Project also hosted training for the journalists and other stakeholders from the region to enhance their capacity to comprehend the nexus and integration of health, including voluntary family planning and reproductive health and environment and climate change.
“Through this award, we aim to recognise and celebrate the vital role journalists play in shaping narratives around the complex, interconnected challenges and solutions within the population, health, environment, and sustainable development sectors.
“By showcasing exceptional reporting on these critical issues, we hope to inspire a greater depth and breadth of coverage, amplifying the visibility of these matters and their impact on the lived realities and experiences of people across the region,” said Clive Mutunga, the Director of the BUILD Project.
In addition to recognising journalists committed to covering PHED issues, this PHED African Media (PAM) award will boost policy dialogues across East Africa on the benefits of cross-sectoral solutions for regional policy and program action.
The BUILD project is led by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) (prime) in partnership with Leadership for Environment and Development Southern and Eastern Africa (LEAD SEA), PATH Foundation Philippines Inc. (PFPI), FHI 360, and Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).
Ahead of the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Nigeria is reviewing its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and gearing up for increased climate action.
A cross section of dignitaries during the workshop in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu stated that Nigeria would need $177 million in investments to meet its NDC targets by 2030.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, disclosed this during a one-day national workshop aimed at evaluating the outcomes of COP28 organised by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), in conjunction with the European Union in Abuja.
He emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and the imperative of mobilising internal climate finance. Akume stressed that while external funding is essential, Nigeria must also harness its internal resources to combat climate change effectively.
The workshop focused on strategies for internal finance mobilisation, greening the national budget, and enhancing government leadership in addressing climate change.
Represented by the permanent secretary, general services office, OSGF, Dr. Nnamdi Mbaeri, Akume highlighted the significance of integrating climate considerations into all sectors and policies through a whole-of-government approach.
He called for innovative financing mechanisms such as carbon pricing and green bonds to diversify climate finance sources and ensure adequate funding for ambitious climate goals. Akume emphasised the importance of partnerships and collaboration between governments, the private sector, civil society and international organisations to advance climate action across various sectors.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, stressed the urgency of addressing climate change collaboratively. He underscored the outcomes of COP28 as crucial for global environmental efforts, focusing on mitigation, adaptation, finance and transparency. Lawal emphasised the need for Nigeria to take action for a sustainable future, given the impacts of climate change.
The director-general of NCCC, Dr. Salisu Dahiru. highlighted the need for strengthened collective climate action across adaptation, finance, and mitigation pillars. He noted that the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on COP28 outcomes and chart a path toward sustainable solutions for a climate-resilient future.
The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are critical documents embodying ambitious pledges and actions set by countries that have endorsed the Paris Agreement. Nigeria, in its updated NDC document submitted in July 2021, affirmed its commitment to low-carbon development and proposed stronger and more ambitious targets.
As Nigeria prepares for COP29, the review of its climate commitments underscores the nation’s determination to combat climate change and pursue sustainable development goals. The workshop serves as a platform for stakeholders to engage in purposeful discussions and collaborate on actionable strategies to address climate challenges effectively.
Earlier, the Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the EU and ECOWAS to Nigeria, Massimo De Luca, urged stakeholders to walk the talk on climate actions.
Recently, the African Region proposed to amend the Minamata Convention to ban the sale and offering of sales of mercury-added cosmetics, including skin lightening products. The Zero Mercury Working Group applauded the proposal.
Mercury-added skin lightening products (SLPs)
“Over the years, the African region has taken a leadership role in phasing out mercury in products, including in lighting, dentistry and now skin lightening cosmetics,” said Rico Euripidou from groundWork in South Africa. “Toxic cosmetics are a global mercury crisis warranting coordinated international collaboration.”
African-focused studies reveal why mercury laced cosmetics are such an acute health risk.
A South Africa study revealed 70 percent of skin-lightening creams contained high levels of mercury.
A study conducted in Ghana found that 70 percent of patients with kidney disease had a history of using bleaching creams.
A Nigeria study found that over 30 percent of women who used bleaching creams experienced skin irritation.
“Even in countries like Nigeria that have banned manufacture and trade, mercury-added cosmetics are still widely available,” said Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria). “Since most come from outside the country, more must be done globally to curtail sales and use.”
This past February, the Nigerian Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) declared the use of bleaching creams as a national health emergency in the country. Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, Director Public Affairs NAFDAC, said that the agency required the media to combat the bleaching epidemic among Nigerians, saying “NAFDAC cannot do it alone.”
Other African countries have issued similar declarations. In 2018, the Rwandan government began enforcing a nationwide ban on cosmetics containing harmful chemicals like mercury, making it illegal to produce or sell most skin lightening cosmetics.
And in August 2022 Cameroon’s health ministry banned the import, production and distribution of cosmetic and personal hygiene products containing dangerous substances such as mercury.
“Despite the Convention’s ban on manufacture and trade, the proliferation and sales of mercury cosmetics continues unabated in local markets and increasingly though the internet,” said Michael Bender, International Co-coordinator, Zero Mercury Working Group. “To date, these major online platforms are not held accountable for facilitating the sale of often illegal high mercury cosmetics. If adopted, the sales ban can help prevent marketing of toxic and often illegal cosmetics.”
Although there are no official figures on how many women use such products across Africa, billboards advertising the potentially deadly creams can be seen in cities across the continent.
“The current sales ban proposal on mercury-added products reflects the willingness of many African countries to drive the mercury change envisioned by the Minamata Convention in their countries,” said Charline Cheuvart, Mercury Policy Officer at the European Environmental Bureau. “The upcoming COP should endorse this forward-looking initiative and make it part of the fight against mercury pollution worldwide and the effort to #MakeMercuryHistory.”
At least 10 African countries have adopted regulations to curtail toxic skin lighters, including South Africa, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Sudan. Since 2015, eight of those 10 countries have taken steps to curtail toxic cosmetics.
Even if CO2 emissions were to be drastically cut down starting today, the world economy is already committed to an income reduction of 19% until 2050 due to climate change, a new study published in Nature finds.
Flooding in Russia
These damages are six times larger than the mitigation costs needed to limit global warming to two degrees. Based on empirical data from more than 1,600 regions worldwide over the past 40 years, scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) assessed future impacts of changing climatic conditions on economic growth and their persistence.
“Strong income reductions are projected for the majority of regions, including North America and Europe, with South Asia and Africa being most strongly affected. These are caused by the impact of climate change on various aspects that are relevant for economic growth such as agricultural yields, labour productivity or infrastructure,” says PIK scientist and first author of the study Maximilian Kotz.
Overall, global annual damages are estimated to be at $38 trillion, with a likely range of $19-59 trillion in 2050. These damages mainly result from rising temperatures but also from changes in rainfall and temperature variability. Accounting for other weather extremes such as storms or wildfires could further raise them.
Huge economic costs also for the United States and European Union
“Our analysis shows that climate change will cause massive economic damages within the next 25 years in almost all countries around the world, also in highly developed ones such as Germany, France and the United States,” says PIK scientist Leonie Wenz who led the study.
“These near-term damages are a result of our past emissions. We will need more adaptation efforts if we want to avoid at least some of them. And we have to cut down our emissions drastically and immediately – if not, economic losses will become even bigger in the second half of the century, amounting to up to 60% on global average by 2100. This clearly shows that protecting our climate is much cheaper than not doing so, and that is without even considering non-economic impacts such as loss of life or biodiversity,” adds Wenz.
To date, global projections of economic damages caused by climate change typically focus on national impacts from average annual temperatures over long-time horizons. By including the latest empirical findings from climate impacts on economic growth in more than 1,600 subnational regions worldwide over the past 40 years and by focusing on the next 26 years, the researchers were able to project sub-national damages from temperature and rainfall changes in great detail across time and space all the while reducing the large uncertainties associated with long-term projections.
The scientists combined empirical models with state-of-the-art climate simulations (CMIP-6). Importantly, they also assessed how persistently climate impacts have affected the economy in the past and took this into account as well.
Countries least responsible will suffer most
“Our study highlights the considerable inequity of climate impacts: We find damages almost everywhere, but countries in the tropics will suffer the most because they are already warmer. Further temperature increases will therefore be most harmful there. The countries least responsible for climate change, are predicted to suffer income loss that is 60% greater than the higher-income countries and 40% greater than higher-emission countries. They are also the ones with the least resources to adapt to its impacts.
“It is on us to decide: structural change towards a renewable energy system is needed for our security and will save us money. Staying on the path we are currently on, will lead to catastrophic consequences. The temperature of the planet can only be stabilised if we stop burning oil, gas and coal,” says Anders Levermann, Head of Research Department Complexity Science at the Potsdam Institute and co-author of the study.
The Federal Ministry of Environment on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Abuja expressed determination to partner with the Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria (IEPN) on environmental sustainability.
Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Environment Minister
Malam Balarabe Lawal, the Minister of Environment, said this at the inauguration ceremony of the 1st Governing Council of IEPN.
Lawal, who was represented by Dr Olubunmi Olusanya, Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry, assured that the Ministry would unlock all potentials in the environment sector and regulate environmental professionalism.
Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, President and Chairman of Governing Council of IEPN, said that the institute is saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of its members in protection of the Nigerian environment.
“Today marks the beginning of a new era in Environmental Governance and Ecosystem Management in Nigeria. It was not an easy task going through the process of signing the IEPN establishment Act into Law.
“Nothing signposts man’s apparent failure to protect Mother Nature than our apathy in combating climate change challenges.
“As a matter of fact, the symbiotic relationship between man and the environment seems to have collapsed. Every passing day presents daunting environmental challenges interfering with ecosystem matrices such as water, air, land and man,” Ezemonye said.
The president said that it behooves on all, to ensure the sustainability of the Nigerian environment.
He said that the primary mandate of the council is to protect the environment by regulating the activities of environment users in order to proffer environmental justice.
Ezemonye commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for signing the IEPN Act into Law.
Having identified health and environmental hazards associated with substandard recycling activities of lead acid batteries, a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at promoting responsible battery recycling and responsible sourcing of secondary non-ferrous metals from Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULABs) has been launched in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
Used lead-acid batteries
Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) made the submission during a workshop and capacity building tagged “Partnership for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (ProBaMet)” on Monday, April 15, 2024.
Explaining the significance of the project, Adogame said: “At SRADeV-Nigeria we recommend recycling as a best approach of material recovery for any waste material, but it has to be done in environmentally sound way.
“We decided that raising a national advocacy is the way to go and to do it better is to collaborate with institutions either from a policy point of view or a regulatory point of view.
“Collaborative efforts because ULABs is a big employer of labour and where there is no capacity and there is no economic consideration in terms of employability then we really need to look at it from both sides.
“This is not about closing any facility; it is about how we get the facilities to upgrade in such a way that our interest is the environment is safe and they do their business in environmentally sound way.
“ProBaMet is a project initiative that is bringing different angles of partnership between government, industries and communities in such a way that their capacity will be built, their enabling environment will be enhanced, whatever gaps that is responsible for unsound recycling practices, we all look at it and we address it together,” he stressed.
Mr. Ola Oresanya, Commissioner, Ogun State Ministry of Environment, while appreciating SRADeV-Nigeria for facilitating the workshop, noted that the ProBaMet project is one of the key points in circular economy programme.
“In Ogun State, on a daily basis we recycle more than 1200 Metric Tonnes of batteries, making the state with the highest number of recycling companies in Nigeria. The ferrous and non-ferrous industries are domiciled in Ogun State, combined among these industries is about 1400 Metric Tonnes of batteries being recycled and we take ULABs as non-ferrous components which are being recycled.
“For every recycling process there is always consequences because it is more dangerous to have secondary handling for these materials than the factory material. Identifying the radioactive metals from non-radioactive metals is by using technology that can help in scanning and the consequences of recycling.”
Prof. Aliyu Jauro, Director General of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), noted that “batteries which power automobiles and alternative energy systems pose a significant concern due to their content of toxic lead and mercury exposure which can lead to severe heart issues including memory loss, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, kidney damage and even death”.
Prof. Jauro, who was represented by Abdul-Salam Isa, Director, Inspection and Enforcement of NESREA, said: “Nigeria has seen a surge in the use of usually acid lead batteries given their affordability and availability. While these batteries offer tremendous benefits, improper handling during the recycling process has resulted in environmental contamination and compromise human safety.
“To ensure sustainable development, the Federal Government established NESREA with the mandate to enforce national compliance.”
Mr. Andreas Manhart, representing Oeko Institute Germany, opined that the overall objective of the project is to work together with recyclers and regulators to define the effective ULABs management in Nigeria.
He said: “The recyclers have to run their operations profitably and the regulations have the job of keeping the country and the people safe and clean.
“Having worked in many European countries, one of the major challenges faced by ULABs is that, apart from battery recycling being a profitable business, increasing the profitability, the recyclers need to keep the environment clean and the workers safe. This is a short-sighted aspect because in the long run you will have liabilities like workers suing the company for pollution.
“So, we are interested in finding a solution before pollution goes. Unfortunately, this is not the case in all the countries we have been to. We are engaged in this project to share experiences and also to bring knowledge on how it can be done properly. It is not a rocket science, this type of solution has been conducted all over the world in the last 20 years without polluting, so technically it is certainly possible even with a profit.”
Dignitaries at the event include the Ologijo of Ogijo, Oba Kazeem Gbadamosi, representatives from government agencies and other stakeholders.
The workshop was hosted by the Ogun State Ministry of Environment and financed by the Initiative for Global Solidarity.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Monday, April 15, 2024, received a cheque of $1 million from Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL), being part of the return on investment (ROI) on one of the Board’s strategic investments.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Omatsola Ogbe
The cheque was presented by the Chairman of the company, Emeka Ene, when he visited the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where he was received by the Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and other members of the Board’s management.
Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL) is a joint venture company between Xenergi Limited and NCDMB Capacity Development Intervention Company.
As part of the project, Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL) constructed and commissioned a 300 MMscfd Capacity Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) and injection facility located in the Umusam Community, near Kwale in Delta State, Niger Delta, Nigeria.
The KGG Facility was designed to handle stranded gas resources in Nigeria’s OML56 oil province by providing the opportunity for independent operators in the area to monetise natural gas from their fields through the gas gathering, compression, injection and metering infrastructure of the KGG for quick market access.
Nedogas is one of the several strategic and successful investments of the NCDMB funded from the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), in line with the Board’s mandate to build capacity and catalyse local projects in the Nigerian oil and gas industry as enshrined under the Nigeran Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
In his comments, the NCDMB boss stated that the success story of NEDOGAS at Kwale, Delta State could be replicated in other oil- and gas-producing communities to minimise gas flaring. He declared the Board’s readiness to continue collaborating with the company. “Their model should be extended to other parts of the country where gas flaring is continuing. They have shown that with the modular system, we can quickly remove flaring from our operations in Nigeria.”
He confirmed that NCDMB had continued to receive briefings from its investment partners, adding that “we are still waiting for them to come back with success stories. Some of them are near completion and have not started operations yet.”
Chairman of Nedogas, Mr. Emeka Ene, conveyed the company’s excitement in returning part of the credit and profit, adding that this “proves that NCDMB’s investment was a success, and they are getting back that investment.”
He added that “we look forward to further collaboration with the NCDMB to expand the scope,” adding that “NCDMB is now doing effectively and practically and tangibly what it was set up to, which is to impact the economy by direct interventions. That is the way the economy can grow, improve the gas infrastructure in such a way that is sustainable despite the tight economic conditions.”
The value propositions of the Nedogas project include total eradication of flared gas and conversation of environmental pollutants into products of value and creation of a strategic gas gathering hub and injection node for quick access to market for gas owners to monetise gas. Other benefits include the provision of alternative gas supply to western flank of the OB3 line to add to the volumes of economic sustainability and increase in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), among other reasons.
The partnership with NEDOGAS is one of NCDMB’s 15 strategic investments geared towards actualising the Federal Government’s aspirations in key areas of the oil and gas industry. Most of the projects were targeted at actualising the Federal Government Decade of Gas programme.
Some of NCDMB’s notable third-party investments include Waltermith’s 5000 barrels per day (bpd) modular refinery in Imo State, Azikel Group12,000 bpd hydro-skimming modular refinery in Gbarain, Bayelsa State and Duport Midstream’s 2,500bpd modular refinery in Edo State.
Other investments include Better Gas Energy for LPG terminal and gas distribution, partnership with Rungas Prime Industries Limited to establish a cooking gas cylinders manufacturing plant in Polaku, Bayelsa State and Alaro City in Lagos and the partnership with Butane Energy to deepen LPG utilization in the North.
There was also the partnership with BUNORR Integrated Energy Limited in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to produce 48,000 litres of base oil per day and partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company Limited and DSV Engineering to establish a 10,000 Ton Methanol Production Plant, Odioama, Brass, Bayelsa State.
