27.1 C
Lagos
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Home Blog Page 380

Maren seeks adequate planning, investment in technology to accelerate Nigeria’s oil and gas transition

Michael Simire
-
0
Maren seeks adequate planning, investment in technology to accelerate Nigeria’s oil and gas transition

National Coordinator of the African Parliamentary Network on Climate Action, Solomon Maren, has admonished the Nigerian government to embrace adequate and long-term planning backed by robust policy implementation to accelerate Nigeria’s oil and gas transition.

Solomon Maren
National Coordinator of the African Parliamentary Network on Climate Action, Solomon Maren

Maren spoke as Guest of Honour at a workshop jointly organised by the Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University (CCCD, AE-FUNAI), and the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington, DC, to present findings from a report conducted on Nigeria’s Just Transition: Implications of Oil and Gas on the Nigerian Economy. It held on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

The research team, under the leadership of Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, Director, CCCD-AEFUNAI, calculated the revenue loss and job implications of the oil and gas transition in Nigeria for the first time. The research highlighted that the oil and gas industry is facing increasing economic, environmental, and social pressure, which raises significant questions regarding the sector’s stability and long-term future. While the research stated that the oil and gas sector plays a major role in Nigeria and a number of other low- and middle-income countries’ economies in terms of generating substantive revenue and employment, it noted that the long-term future of the sector is in significant doubt due to the ongoing global transition to the green economy.

During his intervention at the workshop, Maren stated that a core requirement for getting things right with regards to Just Transition is effective long-term planning, saying that “a nation that fails to plan plans to fail.”

Maren said if the predictions that crude oil price will go as low as $25 per barrel by 2050/2060 are compared with the quantum of revenue being generated in Nigeria today, Nigeria may not have enough resources to run the affairs of the country, hence the need to critically assess the current status and act on what needs to be done to guarantee the long-term sustainability and economic prosperity of Nigeria.

Maren said one of the key issues hindering Nigeria’s development is the huge amount of recurrent expenditure in comparison with capital expenditure. He decried the situation where over 25 agriculture institutes operate with a recurrent budget of about N2 to 3 billion per annum but a capital budget of not more than N120 to 150 million, and said it was not a wonder why these institutes are not able to conduct research to improve varieties of crops using modern technology.

Maren lamented the proliferation of the Nigerian energy economy with solar panels imported from China and asked boldly that the Nigeria National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), which was set up in the last 25 years to produce solar panels, be handed over to willing investors to elevate it to a more viable enterprise for the production of solar panels for distribution to other countries in Africa to increase Nigeria’s manufacturing base in the clean sector, boost employment, and increase GDP.

“This is the beginning of our own transition; it should start with what we have,” Maren added.

Maren commended the Centre for Climate and Development and the World Resources Institute for the pathbreaking research and for providing policymakers with concrete recommendations to escape the current inertia or “Do Nothing” scenario, and he called on the government to engage with the recommendations of the research to help drive Nigeria’s sustainable future.

By Gboyega Olorufemi, Senior Policy Analyst, CCCD-AEFUNAI

Crawfish could transfer ionic lithium from their environment into food chain – Study

Michael Simire
-
0
Crawfish could transfer ionic lithium from their environment into food chain – Study

From cell phones to watches to electric cars, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries power a plethora of devices. The increased use of this technology means more lithium could find its way into the environment as consumers discard electronic products. Now, researchers describe how lithium can accumulate in a common Southern crustacean: the crawfish. As the season for catching and eating mudbugs comes into full swing, the researchers’ findings highlight the potential implications for public health and the environment.

Crawfish
Crawfish

The researchers presented their results on Wednesday, March 20, at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2024 is a hybrid meeting that held virtually and in person from March 17 to 21; it featured nearly 12,000 presentations on a range of science topics.

“As aquatic organisms, crawfish can take up large amounts of lithium dissolved in water. Because other creatures – including people – eat crawfish, looking at them allows us to see how lithium moves through the food chain, and potentially into us,” says Joseph Kazery, a professor of biology.

Two undergraduate students in Kazery’s lab at Mississippi College, Andrew Doubert and Javian Ervin, presented results of their experiments on uptake of ionic lithium by different crawfish organs, as well as the impact of seasonal temperatures. “If crawfish are raised near a landfill or a polluted site, runoff could expose them to lithium, with effects we don’t yet fully understand,” Ervin says. “I myself eat crawfish, so this issue is important to me.”

Lithium contamination is not new. Even before lithium-ion batteries became widespread, lithium was, and still is, used as a medication to treat mood disorders. It enters the water supply in those applications because typical wastewater treatment does not remove drug contaminants. At high levels, lithium can have toxic effects on human health, including potentially damaging heart muscle cells, as well as causing confusion and speech impairment. In other animals, it can cause kidney damage and hypothyroidism. Studies have also shown that when lithium accumulates in plants, it can inhibit their growth, Kazery says.

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends discarding lithium-ion batteries at dedicated collection points, Kazery says they often end up in landfills. Soaring demand along with lax disposal practices suggests lithium is on the verge of becoming a significant environmental contaminant, he says.

As fully aquatic organisms that spend their lives within a relatively small area, crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) reflect local lithium contamination and could serve as powerful bioindicators of its presence in an environment. The lithium they contain could be passed through the food chain to predators, including humans, either directly or indirectly through crawfish-eating fish that people consume.

For its experiments, the team purchased crawfish bred for research. Knowing that the liver collects toxins from the human body for subsequent removal, Doubert wondered whether lithium would accumulate in the crawfish version of this organ: the hepatopancreas. To find out, he added ionic lithium to food for five crawfish, while giving another five lithium-free food. He then examined the amount of lithium present in four of their organs after one week. He found, on average, the most lithium in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, followed by the gills, the hepatopancreas and, finally, the abdominal muscle in the tail.

The researchers think the GI tract likely contained the highest level because the lithium-spiked food remains there during digestion. Meanwhile, the gills and the hepatopancreas both pick it up while removing it from the body. People predominantly eat the tail, which appears to take up lithium, but not as readily as the other body parts studied.

Doubert also found that 27.5% of the lithium he fed them had passed from the animals’ GI tracts into other tissues. Animals further up the food chain can accumulate higher levels of toxic substances if they eat contaminated prey, so lithium will likely become more concentrated in the predators of crawfish. The researchers expect the high rate of absorption Doubert saw to exacerbate this accumulation in both humans and the other animals that eat crawfish.

Water temperature that crawfish inhabit varies significantly throughout the year. Those shifts affect the animals’ metabolism, even causing them to become inactive during winter. Knowing this, Ervin decided to look at the effects of temperature on lithium uptake. He placed crawfish in tanks kept at temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit and added a consistent concentration of ionic lithium to the water.

After five days, he found that lithium uptake by the abdominal muscle and a part of the crawfish that Doubert did not study – the animals’ exoskeleton – increased in the warmest tank. These results suggest that the animals may contain the most lithium during the warm months, according to Ervin.

The crawfishes’ weight also decreased in warmer water. At this point, it’s not clear how or whether the crawfishes’ weight loss was connected to the lithium they accumulated, Ervin says, noting that the team plans to follow up on these results.

“A lot of people think the use of lithium-ion batteries is a good thing right now, but it is important to explore the effects that may be coming down the road,” Doubert says.

Nigeria reiterates plan to boost power supply to 6,500MW in six months

Michael Simire
-
0
Nigeria reiterates plan to boost power supply to 6,500MW in six months

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has reiterated the Federal Government’s plan to raise electricity generation from 3,500 Megawatts (MW) to 6,500MW within the next three to six months.

Adebayo Adelabu
Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu

Adelabu, who was on a working visit to various power projects in Lagos on Friday, March 22, 2024, said the aim was to enhance power supply across the country to meet the growing energy demands.

His visit included an inspection of the headquarters of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and two 20 MVA injection substations at Randle, Surulere, along with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring rooms.

Adelabu emphasised the urgency of boosting electricity generation capacity, stating, “3,500 megawatts is not acceptable, and we have plans to increase the capacity to a minimum of 6,000 to 6,500 within the next three to six months.”

He commended EKEDC for its achievements over the past decade and stressed the need for continuous improvement in the power sector to drive economic growth and development effectively.

Highlighting the critical role of the power sector in industrial and economic development, Adelabu compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity unfavourably to that of countries like Korea and China, underscoring the need for substantial improvement.

Addressing challenges in the power sector, Adelabu emphasised the importance of prioritising baseload power generation and gradually transitioning to cleaner energy sources to meet the nation’s energy needs effectively.

He acknowledged the persisting complaints about power outages and urged stakeholders to work collaboratively to address these challenges and improve service delivery.

Adelabu outlined the government’s strategy to prioritise service provision to customers in higher billing bands while gradually extending improved services to all segments through strategic infrastructure investments.

Recognising the role of Distribution Companies (DisCos) in customer service, Adelabu said it was important to ensure proactive engagement and efficient operations at this level to address consumer needs effectively.

He stressed the need for comprehensive reforms and transformation in all segments of the power sector, focusing on issues such as metering, vandalism, debt collection, and customer relations.

Adelabu highlighted the necessity of stimulating demand through customer engagement to ensure effective utilisation of generated power and underscored the importance of efficient distribution to prevent wastage.

The minister noted the government’s commitment to enhancing the sector’s performance through substantial investments in infrastructure and efficient customer response.

In response to the minister’s visit, Mr Oritsedere Otubu, Chairman of EKEDC, commended the government’s efforts to improve power supply and expressed the company’s commitment to supporting the initiative.

Dr Tinuade Sanda, CEO of EKEDC, said the company would continue to collaborate with government agencies and consumers to protect power assets and curb vandalism within its operations.

Sanda said that the company, in the last six months, had invested over N4 billion on transformers, cables and rehabilitation over 352 feeders to ensure stable supply during the rainy season.

She added that the debt profile of the company in the last 10 years stood at over N131 billion, inclusive of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“We also use this medium to appeal to our customers to pay their bills for effective service delivery.

“The MDAs outstanding debts to date stood at over N36 billion, adding that the DisCo will not hesitate to embark on mass disconnection of debtors,” she added.

She, however, said the company was ready to embark on mass disconnection of debtors, including government agencies with outstanding debts, to address the issue of unpaid bills.

By Yusuf Yunus

It’s not just Shell and IOCs, it’s also the govt

Michael Simire
-
0
It’s not just Shell and IOCs, it’s also the govt

Since the inception of Shell’s oil activities in the country, there have been several lawsuits against them. These could most likely factor into their reasons for selling off their onshore subsidiary to the Renaissance consortium.

Osagie Okunbor
Mr. Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria

According to Amnesty international in a 2016 press release: “Shell’s failure to maintain and protect pipelines may leave it liable to a raft of compensation claims from dozens of Niger Delta communities.”

One of these lawsuits is Ogale and Bille v Shell case. The Ogale and Bille communities in Rivers State, Nigeria, are pushing Shell to take responsibility for damages resulting from long-term oil pollution caused by the company’s activities.

This pollution has severely affected the communities’ rural economy, particularly affecting their access to clean water, destroyed or contaminated agricultural lands, and devastated fishery resources, according to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) studies dating back to 2011.

The battle against the multinational company began as soon as Bille and Ogale residents sought relief in 2015. Their claims despite the cleanup effort immediately after reports of damaged farmlands and health hazards had critical areas mostly remain unrepaired. A predominantly recurring phenomenon in Nigerian society is the collective signing of petition by affected community members to demand for environmental justice.

In the Ogale and Bille v Shell legal battle, the oil spillage occurred years before legal action was taken. This is an indication that the Nigerian government shows serious disregard for environmental rights of its citizens and environmental preservation. If the relevant regulatory bodies are effective, there wouldn’t be a long-standing case of unabated oil pollution in different communities and communities would never have to sign petitions to demand remediation.

There are two pressing issues relating to Shell’s and IOCs operations that relevant stakeholders in environmental justice space should be aware of. One is their green-washing tactics; Shell often provides misleading and inaccurate reports like in the Bonga oil field case where they underreported the magnitude of spillage.

This is a serious issue especially in Nigeria with ineffective regulatory agencies and no legal framework making accurate and quality reporting of environmental and sustainable report a necessity. The pattern is clear, it’s not just Shell or the IOCs, it’s also the government. The Nigerian government is the “foundational enabler” and the citizens are just disposables.

The second is deliberate obfuscation or I’ll like to call it “muddling the narrative” Shell has a reputation for peddling the narrative that oil sabotage and theft is the major cause of oil pollution in the Niger Delta. How do they do this?

When you have the money, you have the solution. Shell, through their financial prowess, can influence the media. Since they can have a frog-like grip on the media, they muddle and peddle whatever narrative they see fit.

Shell have argued that the reason for oil pollution in the Niger Delta is majorly due to sabotage and theft. In order for this to be a viable response, there has to be verifiable report on the state of Shell’s facilities and equipments, and data on spillage due to operational error. We cannot rely or trust the report available on Shell’s website, there has to be third party scrutiny.

Shell started to publish their oil spillage reports since 2011. Spill occurrences prior to 2011 are lying in the dark. Independent bodies like the CEHRD and Amnesty international whom have independently assessed the truth-value of Shell’s oil spill report have found them to be inaccurate and flawed.

In 2011, the UN Environment Programme identified that: “Government officials are at the mercy of oil companies when it comes to inspecting oil sites.”

When the government is weak on environmental protection, all forms of environmental vices are excusable. A possible solution is first to make the publishing of accurate and independently verifiable sustainability and environmental report a legal and corporate requirement, is this too much to ask for?

No. if the right of individuals and communities to a serene environment that ensure their optimum health and livelihood is a priority for the Nigerian government, then it is not so much of a demand.

Second is to strengthen surveillance system and regulatory bodies with a high level of independence. An effective surveillance system gives timely notice on areas affected by industrial activates and an independent regulatory body will be able to verify companies’ sustainability report and be able to act.

By Greatson Odion

Chinedum Nwajiuba: Resetting Nigerian youths for agripreneurship

Michael Simire
-
0
Chinedum Nwajiuba: Resetting Nigerian youths for agripreneurship

In his comments at the Youth Agriculture Programme on Saturday, March 23, 2024, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba lamented that the oil boom is over and there is hunger in the land. He wants the youths to become agriculture entrepreneurs to address the situation

Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba
Former Vice-Chancellor, AE-FUNAI, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba

The core challenge – The youths have abandoned agriculture

Our farming population is aging. Our agriculture is a rural matter with mostly aged persons involved. The average age of farmers is over 55 years.

There is a reduction in the farming population without a rise in technology level. There are hardly young persons involved with agriculture, especially farming.

Projected into the future, can we imagine a society without farmers? This creates the Nigeria paradox of high youth unemployment, yet labour scarcity, and then poverty, and food insecurity.

There ought to be a deliberate and major effort to raise younger generations of farmers. This does not exist.

A number of factors have discouraged young persons from farming

Low returns on agriculture. Compared to other sectors of the economy, farm earnings are very low. There are no incentives to encourage farmers not to abandon agriculture, or to attract young persons to be farmers now and in the future.

Low level of technology. The drudgery, associated with the slash-and-burn, rainfed, hoe and cutlass farming, is not attractive to famers, old or young.

Olaudah Equiano, an Igbo, writing in the 18th century, described agricultural technology in terms of hoe and cutlass. Three centuries (21st) after, that is still largely the common level of technology we operate, even when our consumption and technology use in other sectors (transport, communication, etc.) have advanced and may in some cases be at the same level as the most advanced countries). But our agriculture mechanisation and management practices are at the primitive level.

How do we expect our youth to be as engaged as they were 60 years ago? How do we explain the absence of systematic support and incentives for agriculture, which we find in other serious countries and parts of the world? How do explain the multiplicity of universities and other institutions with agricultural programmes, degree holders and professors, with our agriculture tools and equipment largely remaining in the 18th century? How do we explain the collapse of agricultural extension services? How do we explain the idleness of the Ministries of Agriculture? How do we explain mass hunger around us?

Prof. Theodore Schultz teaches us that those who farm the same way their forefathers farmed will never be able to feed themselves no matter how hard they worked or how fertile their soil. Those who apply technologies will not only be able to feed themselves but will have surpluses to sell to their neigbours.

Yet, we have neither hardworking labour in agriculture, nor fertile land, as was the case in the past. The changes in the Nigeria economy, coming mostly with the oil boom in the early 1970s, and changes in values since then, has changed the social and policy environment significantly from the saner era of the 1950s and 1960s. In the past, youths willingly worked for adults without asking for payment (igba onwe onru; young men collectively working for each other’s family).

Today, our old mothers in the villages cannot find persons to harvest the palm fruits, or till the soils. Rising population and accelerating migration to urban areas, have also contributed to not just loss of labour, but also loss of some of the most naturally fertile lands of Igboland.

Today, anyone engaged with agriculture around here will rank our problems in agriculture as lack of labour, high cost of labour, poor soils, ahead of any other factors.

In summary, an aged rural population using hoe and cutlass, on poor quality soils, cannot feed us!

Then, Hunger in the Land

This is so evident and so obvious. This calls for all-hands-on-deck. The Igbo philosophy of ibu anyi ndada, a concept from a saner past.

Misreading the situation – The oil boom is over

With the situation we find ourselves, and desperation by many persons, it seems people who have been socialised in the way Nigerians have been since the early 1970s, do not seem to appreciate the real problems Nigeria is facing. So far, people are seeing the symptoms of what we suffer, without realising the depth of the illness. Headache is not an illness, but a symptom of an illness.

Painkillers can give you some momentary sense of getting better, but until the fundamental problem is identified and dealt with, the problems will continue, and will most likely worsen. Albert Einstein teaches that you cannot solve a problem by operating at the same level by which it was created.

What is the problem? Simple, the oil boom is over. Borrowing, creating money, and all what we have become familiar with, will not be of much help. The solution is to reset our society and our minds. The solution is to resocialise ourselves. The solution is to produce. The solution is to unleash the youth energy into production.

Lessons from Michael Okpara

Once upon a time in our history, a man and a government happened in our land, and changed the society and economy fundamentally. Get familiar with that. Find and read the book by Dr. Pius Okigbo, “Okparanomics: The Economic and Social Philosophy of Michael Okpara”.

In the absence of Michael Okpara, and the energy level he unleashed first as Minister of Agriculture, and then from 1959, as Premier of old Eastern region, which by the mid-1960s, had transformed that region to perhaps the fastest growing economy in the world, we should be waiting for no one. All hands-on deck. As agricultural, industrial and social revolution had happened to us between 1950s and 1960s, we can do it again today.

The Youth Agriculture Programme

We are encouraging our young people to get involved with crops which have high market value. Some of these crops even have export markets.

This is an important focus of the programme today. We will present other aspects of crops and livestock, light technologies and approaches in an era and area, with the challenges of scarcity and high cost of labour, and poor soils.

There are other simple things we will be recommending and presenting, but we cannot solve all our problems in one day.

We hope from this exercise today to take the Gideon way in Judges 7:4-16, and locate a smaller group for further training, and further empowerment.

Former Vice-Chancellor (February 2016 – February 10, 2021), Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba is Chairman, Board of Directors, Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST)

Save Lagos, other coastal areas from sea level rise – Asiodu

Michael Simire
-
0
Save Lagos, other coastal areas from sea level rise – Asiodu

The President of Board of Trustees, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Chief Philip Asiodu, has called for pragmatic approaches to check the predicted sea rise in Lagos that can affect many people in the coastal areas.

Chief Philip Asiodu
Chief Philip Asiodu

Asiodu made the call while giving remarks at his 90th birthday celebration organised by the NCF on Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Lagos.

He said that he was worried about the sea rise and appealed to the government to arrest the situation.

“Lagos as you know is not very large in terms of land space and we have a lot of conservation challenges in Lagos and with the global warming and all.

“Lagos is endangered if the sea should rise as it is predicted and if we don’t do much to arrest the situation, at about two million human beings will have to relocate.

“We pray that enough is done but certain urgent things will have to be done in Lagos,” he said.

He expressed fear that if nothing drastic “is done to check the sea rise, Lekki might be under the sea in the next 10 years”.

He noted that many beaches had gone under the sea due to coastal erosion and poor management of environmental issues, calling for a more workable friendly policy on environmental matters.

He also appealed to the federal and state governments to cooperate with the government to develop the country.

“I still believe there is hope and we can return to a very good system.

“We will soon discover that there is no section of this country that do not have enough intelligent men and women capable of transforming the country.

“So, let us pray that the country will survive, and we will do things right nationally and globally,” he said.

Earlier, in a tribute, the National Executive Council Chairman, Justice Bukola Adebiyi, said that Asiodu had always been working towards achieving the NCF’s vision of a Nigerian where people could prosper and live in harmony with nature.

“The course and message of conservation has been championed by Asiodu at every opportunity.

“Always available to lead us at NCF, chairing our numerous and lengthy meetings.

“He has always been leading our annual walk for nature and conservation trips and visits to various presidents of this country,” she said.

NCF Director General, Joseph Onoja, also noted that Asiodu had contributed not just to national development but also to the conservation of natural environment.

“When NCF was founded in 1980 by Chief S. L. Edu and his friends and after Edu’s demise, we needed someone that could continue with the strides, and we had Asiodu.

“We have moved NCF from that point onward and we have made so much impact, so we are here to celebrate him,” he said.

He added that Asiodu was a visionary person and was able to push NCF to where it is.

He advised younger generations to take care of the environment so that the environment would take care of them.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, in his remarks, congratulated Asiodu.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Climate Change, Mrs Titilayo Oshodi, the governor said that Asiodu had been a beacon of wisdom, dedication and stewardship.

“His exceptional dedication to the advancement of Lagos and by extension of Nigeria is commendable.

“His effort has inspired countless individuals to join in the noble cause of preserving our environment for future generations,” she said.

Born on Feb. 26, 1934, Asiodu is a conservationist who had always continued to foster collaboration with stakeholders on NCF’s visions.

He also has a distinguished career both in private and public sector as one of the outstanding leaders whose stewardship has shaped many corporations and businesses.

Dignitaries at the occasion included Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Prof. Pat Utomi and captains of industries, among others.

The highlights of the events were drama, tributes, music and gift presentation.

By Henry Oladele

Group extends air quality mapping campaign to Lagos

Michael Simire
-
0
Group extends air quality mapping campaign to Lagos

Encouraged by the success of its particulate mapping campaign in Rivers State, the Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI) has started engaging Lagos communities around extractives on particulate mapping.

Air quality mapping
Participants at the interactive engagement on air quality mapping

The initiative is a community driven air-quality mapping and data advocacy project aimed at identifying and documenting the ecological impacts caused by fossil fuel extraction and refining in Nigeria, by measuring air emissions around oil and gas facilities.

At an interactive engagement with residents of Ibeju-Lekki on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, MAJI Executive director, Onyekachi Okoro, said that the huge environmental impacts attached to fossil fuel extraction and refining makes it imperative for communities hosting extractive industries to collect their own environmental data.

Okoro explained that impacted communities will only be able to hold the extractive firms to account when they have hard evidence, citing the Ogoni communities’ defeat of Shell as example of the use of evidence to challenge impunity.

Using low-costs air quality monitors deployed in communities around the Dangote Refinery, the MAJI will collect real-time data for the development of an environmental analysis and audit platform, to drive evidence-based discussions, build local actor capacity, and raise awareness.

The project looks to mainstream the use of open-source technology, data and participatory strategies that strengthen community and stakeholder awareness, engagement and advocacy on the environmental impacts of the potential Dangote Refinery emissions on community lives and livelihoods.

The engagement in the Lagos communities also had civil society groups such as Earthcare Foundation, Peace and Development Project (PEDEP), and Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) in attendance.

Uncertainties around gene drives dominate discourse at RDI journalism training

Michael Simire
-
0
Uncertainties around gene drives dominate discourse at RDI journalism training

Campaigners advocating for transparency in research have charged the Nigerian media to beam their spotlight on gene drives to checkmate the use of Africans as guinea pigs for western experiments.

Gene Drives
Participants at the virtual journalism training

They made this call at a virtual Journalism Training on Reporting Gene Drives organised by Nigerian non-governmental organisation, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), for media practitioners in the print and electronic genre on Friday, March 22, 2024.

Barbara Ntambirweki of the AfriTAP/ETC Group while speaking on Africa’s concerns about gene drives said that there are unethical experiments going on in several countries in Africa without the knowledge of indigenous people where the experiments are being conducted.

Ntambirweki cited Uganda where gene drives mosquito was experimented in communities where the locals are paid to expose their legs to biting mosquitoes without the community people understanding what it was all about.

She explained that although regulations are yet to be put in place globally, the most advanced projects are aimed at malaria interventions, and that some African countries like Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania and Uganda have already been targeted by research organisations with hidden motives.

According to her, the Target Malaria Research consortium wants to undertake open releases of gene drive mosquitoes that will, apparently, reduce the population of the female anopheles mosquito and the mosquito population and reduce malaria transmission and disease yet the initiative lacks transparency even in ongoing trials taking place.

She warned that Nigeria which has the highest malaria rate globally may be a potential target for the experiments except the media starts spotlighting the issue and getting policy makers to understand and take actions that will save the continent.

Managing Director of EnviroNews, Michael Simire, who delivered a presentation on “Communicating the Jargon of Science”, explained that science journalism covers subjects such as biotechnology, genetically modified organisms,  global warming and climate change, among others, even as he went on to add that  the identified spheres are where jargons such as DeoxyriboNucleic Acid or Polymerase Chain Reaction and Streptococcus which is essentially a bacteria and Apoptosis the jargon for cell death, among others.

He advised that, to write a good science news, the journalist must use simple language and avoid the jargon and technical terms to a large extent so as not to put the readers off. He stressed that jargon makes information difficult to understand and prone to misinterpretation. Giving an example, he said that rather than use the word “carcinogenic”, the journalist should use “cancer-causing”. He urged journalists to make use of real-life examples to write science news to help the audience understand what is being explained and make it relatable.

Speaking on “Gene Drives: What is it all about?”, Diego Barcena Menendez, an ecological farmer and former molecular scientist, introduced the participants to the world of CRISPR, a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes that are used to detect and destroy DNA from similar bacteriophages during subsequent infections.

Menendez explained that DNA is a set of instructions for all living organisms that are not linearly arranged but packed into Chromosomes. There are 23 in humans and six in mosquitoes. He revealed however that the process may lead to unintended consequences and that this possibility has continued to dog experiments on sterilising mosquitoes or inserting genes that can make them susceptible to insecticide which are being carried out in Africa.

Barbara Pilz, campaigner with Save Our Seeds, said that the political issues around gene drives are discussed mainly at the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in addition to some national governments.

Pilz pointed out that signatories to the UN CBD meet every two years at the Conference of the Parties (COPs) meeting to discuss latest developments. In between the COPs, there are intersessional meetings to discuss specific topics and work on text. In some cases, an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group might be put in place to support the process in certain subjects.

She related that text and recommendations are discussed, modified and approved during COPs and what is agreed becomes a new guideline or duty for the countries.

Earlier, RDI Executive Director, Philip Jakpor, said that in conceiving the training the organisation realised that the media is key not only in keeping the public informed but also in exposing and interrogating initiatives and innovations that are extraneous to Africans and African culture as part of its watchdog role.

Jakpor argued that RDI is not averse to technology or innovation as long as they are rooted in facts, the promotion of African culture, are indigenous and protect the people from manipulation in all forms. He went on to say that there is a new form of colonialism that targets altering food, food systems and nature as a whole.

He expressed worry that gene drives are being experimented already in Uganda, Ghana, and in Burkina Faso where in 2019 sterilised mosquitoes were released, even as he opined that Nigeria, with its huge population of more than 230 million people, may be a potential testing ground for gene drives.

WWD 2024: WaterAid advocates multi-stakeholder collaboration to water management

Michael Simire
-
0
WWD 2024: WaterAid advocates multi-stakeholder collaboration to water management

There is need for multistakeholder, inter-agency and intergovernmental collaborations for effective water resources management and sustainable water service delivery to everyone everywhere. This will include right policies, good planning, adequate funding, and commensurate capacity building.

WaterAid
WaterAid marks the 2024 World Water Day Celebration in Lagos

Ms Evelyn Mere, Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, who made this submission in her remarks to mark the 2024 Water Day Celebration held at Oregun Junior High School, Ikeja, on Friday, March 22, in Lagos, said: “We must ensure that all communities and sectors are able to access the water needed to meet their needs. This way, we can ensure peace in communities and guarantee the well-being of all citizens thereby, deploying water as a tool for promoting peace.”

Represented by Mr Kolawole Banwo. Head, Advocacy, Policy and Communications, WaterAid, Mere said that the 2024 theme “Water for Peace” focuses on recognising water as a tool for peace, showcasing effective mechanisms and tools to enhance cooperation and prevent water-related disputes through displaying the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world.

According to her: “Globally, 2.2 billion people still lack access to safely managed water and, in Nigeria, 185 million people lack access to basic water supply.

“The goal is to work together to balance everyone’s needs, ensuring everyone, everywhere has sustainable access to improved water, and to make water a catalyst for a more peaceful world.”

In his submission, Mr Jamiu Ali-Balogun, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, expressed gratitude to WaterAid and its partners on their impact and intervention in schools in Lagos State.

Represented by Mr Olufemi Asaolu, Ali-Balogun said that Lagos remained a home for all.

He underscored the importance of water and clean environment for the well-being of the students, while urging the students to be good mangers of water.

Mr Olakunle Adegbite, Permanent Secretary, Office of Water and Drainage Services, Ministry of the Environment, noted that the 2024 World Water Day theme is “Water for Peace”.

Represented by Mr James Oyedele, Adegbite said that water could easily create peace or war, depending on its scarcity or availability.

He noted that herders/farmers clash has been exacerbated by the movement of herders southward in search of water.

He, however, thanked WaterAid and partners for what they are doing in the provision of WASH facilities for Lagos Schools.

Highlights of the event was presentation of drama session to underscore the importance of water to life by students at the schools.

The event was supported by PepsiCo Foundation and Cummins West Africa.

By Ajibola Adedoye

Food experts challenge NASS to prohibit use, consumption of GMOs

Michael Simire
-
0
Food experts challenge NASS to prohibit use, consumption of GMOs

Food experts have called for the prohibition of the use, consumption and promotion of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country.

GMOs
GMOs

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.

The experts spoke to newsmen on Friday, March 22, 2024, on the sideline of a workshop for judicial officers titled: “State of Biosafety in Nigeria”, organised by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in Abuja.

The aim of the workshop is to equip judicial officers with the requisite knowledge on GMO and its infringement on fundamental human right.

To achieve this, the experts said the National Assembly should amend the National Biosafety Management Agency’s (NBMA) Act to prohibit the use, consumption and promotion of GMOs in the country.

Prof. Qrisstuberg Amua, Director-General, Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, said that the call to eliminate GMO in the country was “a matter of national security”.

He said that government must be wary of strange narratives of food shortage, climate change and insecurity in the country as they could be sponsored by proponents of GMOs to invade and hijack Nigeria’s food system.

Amua said that efforts must be made to address insecurity, return farmers back to the fields, fix local infrastructure like roads, silos and processing plants, adding that Nigeria would feed Africa again.

According to him, Nigeria does not need GMOs to ensure food security, saying that “it poses threat to the environment and public health.

“The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) was established by an Act and this Act has some loopholes.

“It requires the National Assembly to look into it and review it so that it will be more effective in protecting and safeguarding the biosafety of citizens of Nigeria.

“For example, National Biosafety Development Agency (NBDA) is supposed to be regulated by NBMA, but NBDA is on the board of NBMA which we think is strange because how will you regulate someone on your governing board.

“There are also some elements in the law that point to the fact that they are free to accept gifts from certain quarters, though there are some conditions given but we also found it strange.

“This is because if you are free to accept gifts, it means that anybody who is trying to push an agenda from outside Nigeria can find a way to lobby you and give you gifts that will influence the certification that the person is seeking for.

“Such are the anomalies, and we seek to interface with the legislators to open them up to see those anomalies and find ways as they are saddled with the responsibility of making laws for the good governance and protection of this country,” he said.

Dr Ifeanyi Casmir, a Medical Microbiologist and Public Health Consultant, said that there were many studies that suggested that GMOs could cause cancer.

According to him, we do not know enough about the impact of GMOs on the people and plans for us to be very categorical about its safety.

He said: “The risk factor is not zero and Nigeria does not have a testing protocol that is able to evaluate the impact of human consumption of GMOs as available claims of its safety are being sponsored by its manufacturers.

“They use the deception of high yield and pest resistance to smuggle those things and farmers are left with sand in their mouths.

“Because when they do the first year, if they have the increasing yield, and they repeat in the second year, they have 100% loss in yield, where is the promised yield?

“The yield increase is all deception, and we are worried that we are losing the indigenous germ plasm of plants.

“So, there are issues about health, environment, socio-economic implications and cultural implications about genetic modification.

“The food people eat is an integral part of their culture.

“That is what defines them. If you completely alter that, you have set in motion processes of ethnic cleansing. You will eliminate the people, you will wipe them out,” he said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Director, HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, said that Nigeria, like many other African nations, stood at a crossroads to her food future.

“The stark choice is between adopting agricultural biotechnology in line with the industrial agriculture model or agroecology,” he said.

According to Bassey, biotechnology, in the guise of enhancing agricultural productivity and fostering economic development, locks in monocultures, loss of biodiversity, seed monopoly and seed/food colonialism.

“Agroecology delivers increased productivity and economic resilience and also nourishes and revives ecosystems, strengthens local economies, mitigates climate/environmental crises and promotes food sovereignty.

“Judges play a crucial role in adjudicating disputes, ensuring due process, and upholding the rights of all stakeholders, including farmers, consumers, and environmental advocates.

“Adjudicators should resist pressures and influence of vested interests and ensure that decisions regarding GMOs are guided by the precautionary approach, ethical principles and scientific evidence.  

“While technological advancements hold out promises, we must not compromise the safety of our people or the integrity of our ecosystems,” Bassey said.

He noted: “It is imperative to approach the issue of GMOs and biosafety with the utmost diligence, impartiality, and commitment to upholding the principles of justice.

“It is our hope that this training will deepen our understanding, encourage meaningful dialogue and resolve to promote the common good and our collective right to food justice,” he said.

By EricJames Ochigbo

1...379380381...2,289Page 380 of 2,289

TV Report

Archives

2025 EnviroNews Nigeria. All Rights Reserved.

×