Axxela Limited, a leading sub-Saharan African gas and power company, says the leadership award bestowed on the company is both an encouragement and motivation for it to persistently improve and do more.
Axxela official receiving the award
The company was recently awarded a gold medal in the 2024 EcoVadis Sustainability Rating.
The rating, according to a statement, underscores Axxela’s steadfast commitment to sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and ethical business practices.
Ranked in the top 5% among companies evaluated by EcoVadis over the past 12 months, Axxela achieved an impressive 97 percentile rank, showcasing its dedication to continuous progress in sustainability and ESG practices.
The accolade marks a significant advancement from its previous silver medal rating, highlighting the company’s increasing efforts in this domain.
Bolaji Osunsanya, CEO of Axxela, stated: “Achieving a Gold Medal in our 2024 Sustainability Rating from a globally renowned authority on business sustainability ratings, serves as a superior validation of Axxela’s unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.
“Over the past years, we have worked tirelessly to ensure that we incorporate and embrace the principles of sustainability across our business operations for the benefit of our customers, employees, partners, and investors. This outcome is both an encouragement and motivation for us to persistently improve and do more.”
Osunsanya reiterated Axxela’s pledge to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, aligning with the UN SDG 9 Agenda on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
He added: “This achievement propels us to redouble our efforts towards a cleaner, more sustainable future while driving industrial growth in Nigeria and across West Africa.”
Tuoyo Ejueyitchie, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Axxela, said this recognition is a testament to Axxela’s excellence and continued improvement in the area of sustainability.
He said: “It is a true definition of team effort and general commitment to developing and adhering to processes and procedures that demonstrate our company’s dedication to maintaining world class Sustainability/ESG standards.”
To commemorate this accomplishment, EcoVadis will be planting a tree on behalf of Axxela through its partnership with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organisation focused on global reforestation.
Axxela Limited (“Axxela”) is the pioneer private sector developer of natural gas solutions and captive power generation in Nigeria; a company co-owned by Helios Investment Partners LLP and Sojitz Corporation.
Axxela is a designated natural gas shipper on the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), and a member of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), delivering natural gas to about 200 industrial and commercial customers via a vast network of natural gas infrastructure.
The NNPC Ltd will be at the 2024 CERAWeek Conference scheduled to hold in Houston, United States, from March 18 to 22, 2024.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari
GCEO, NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari, will headline the Plenary Session titled “Leadership Dialogue” on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the annual strategic conference.
Same day, NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Upstream, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, will also headline a Plenary Session titled “What are the Choices for Upstream Strategies?”
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, it will be the turn of the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye, who will be a Panelist on a Strategic Dialogue Session titled “Africa’s Energy Future: Access, Investment & Sustainability”.
CERAWeek is one of the largest energy conferences in the world, drawing thousands of foremost global energy industry experts and a host of other corporate and government leaders from around the world annually to Houston, United States, for a week-long conversation on the future of energy.
Organised by S&P Global, the conference has grown in recent years to accommodate new energy technologies and climate issues. The 2024 conference is expected to have participants from 90 countries and will feature 1,400 speakers.
Under the theme “Multidimensional Energy Transition: Markets, Climate, Technology and Geopolitics” the CERAWeek 2024 will explore “strategies for a multidimensional, multispeed and multifuel energy transition,” as the global energy industry tries to respond to, and offer insight into roadmap towards, growing demand for emissions reductions and moving towards cleaner forms of energy.
Environment stakeholders in Cross River State have sought stronger ties with forest communities to protect the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and Drill Ranch in Buanchor community, in Boki Local Government Area of the state.
Participants at the town hall meeting held in Buanchor community in Cross River State
The stakeholders at a town hall meeting held in Buanchor community, organised by Panacea for Developmental and Infrastructural Challenges for Africa Initiative (PADIC-Africa) in collaboration with Pandrillus Foundation, said that, to address challenges threatening the Afi Mountain and Drill Ranch, there must be a significant policy change by government.
The Programme Officer, Pandrillus Foundation, Zack Schwenneker, said the Afi Mountain and the Drill Ranch eco-tourism sites in Buanchor have been facing constant encroachment of farming, hunting, logging and other illegal activities.
He charged representatives of communities around the Afi Mountain Sanctuary to draw government attention to the challenges that could hinder eco-tourism from flourishing in Buanchor and other conservation areas across the state.
“Government has to change its policies for eco-tourism to thrive. Their representatives in communities should push government to support NGOs working in the forest reserve areas, we can’t do it alone and communities can’t do it alone, we need government’s support.”
Worried over security of life of tourists, the Pandrillus Programme Officer said: “The Onemile square is supposed to be a protective area, there shouldn’t be any hunting, there shouldn’t be any trapping, there shouldn’t be any logging. In December, we had international tourists, and people entered inside the camp with guns,” Schwenneker disclosed.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of PADIC-Africa, Dr. Martins Egot, noted that the meeting was to look at areas where the communities living around the Afi Mountain would feel the impact of activities and operations of NGOs, both local international.
On his part, renowned environmentalist, Dr. Odigha Odigha, warned that illegal activities in the reserved areas would scare potential international and local tourists.
Odigha, who warned that it could degrade the status of the area, advised the community to protect the beautiful landscape of the Afi Mountain Sanctuary, describing it as God’s own home.
The Cross River State Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture and the Cross River State Forestry Commission both stated that government was committed in making the state a destination for eco-tourism to thrive.
In his contribution, the Director, Eco-Tourism and Art Development, Cross River State Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Clement Omina, said: “We are calling for a tripartite arrangement where the communities that are host to some of the attractions around us have to be part of the tourism project from the point of view of developing the tourism product to marketing the tourism product.”
Reacting, the community in a group interaction, agreed to work with NGOs that are interested in building the tourism hub in their forest.
Also worried over the illegal logging activities, they said: “Logging activities happening in the northern part of the sanctuary is a critical issue, government should look into it.
“We cannot succeed except those communities that are directly involved are carried along or they have a key role to play. If the communities are left aside, whatever we are doing here will not yield anything.”
Abuja-based environment sector experts have decried the indiscriminate dumping of wastes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Officials of one of the AEPB waste evacuation contractors, on duty in Garki Area of Abuja
The experts, who spoke to in separate interviews, condemned the indiscriminate dumping of wastes in drains, gutters and streets.
Mr Osi Braimah, Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), said the board was presently handling approximately 500 tonnes of mixed wastes per day.
“These include pet bottles, organic and food materials as well as all forms of domestic wastes.
“We really encourage recycling because this will help us to increase the life span of the dumpsites as the one, we are using now is about 90 hectares and it is filling up every day.
“If residents of the FCT begin to implement wastes recycling, minimisation and reuse, it will extend the life of the dumpsite.
“They can also earn money as pet bottles are sold for a fee and papers can be recycled too.
“We strongly encourage residents of FCT to try all these out for a clean city and for profit,” he said.
The director maintained that plastic pollution has become a problem to the world, saying Nigeria was not an exception.
“We also need to join hands to work on getting plastics that can biodegrade in the environment,” he said.
Dr Joseph Onoja, Director General (D-G), Nigerian Conservation Foundation, decried the attitude of persons who dump refuse in drainages that were properly constructed.
Onoja called on the Federal Government to step up its regulations and sanctions.
“We have beautiful laws in Nigeria, but they don’t bite as they should, so we would continue to encourage the government to implement these laws to ensure that things were done the way they should,” he said.
A Rivers State-based advocacy group, the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, has urged the Rivers State Government to implement the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change.
Regional participants at the 2022 Women’s Climate Assembly in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The Project Officer, Mrs Confidence Otikor, made the appeal at a policy engagement with stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Saturday, March 16, 2024.
She urged the state government to embrace gender-responsive budgeting in order to cushion the effects of climate change on the people.
“Focus should be on frontlines in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies,” she added.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government introduced the action plan in 2020 to steer the policy’s implementation at the federal, state and local government levels.
The plan was designed to alleviate the adverse effects of climate change that are posing significant threat to the social and economic well-being of people, particularly women.
According to Otikor, implementing the action plan will help to address the challenges encountered by women in communities that are prone to environmental challenges.
“This dialogue is organised to find out stakeholders’ level of preparation to comply with the action plan at the ministries.
“The extensive engagement reveals the need for substantial efforts with civil society organisations to collaborate with the ministries to achieve the plan’s objectives.
“As a group, Kebetkache is not satisfied with the current level of implementation in the state, so further actions are needed to address the gaps,” she said.
Otikor urged non-governmental organisations to always speak out by creating awareness about issues affecting women.
“Involvement of NGOs in the action plan will go a long way to bring out the need for its implementation.
“We urge the state governments to speedily domesticate the action plan across all the ministries, departments and agencies in the states,” she said.
Mrs Nkem Odoya, an official of the Forestry Department, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, said that the ministry had initiated a poverty reduction programme to support people affected by climate change.
Odoya stated that the state government was also running a programme that trained and empowered agriculture entrepreneurs at the local government level.
“We also have a nutritional programme targeting vulnerable children and women in five local government areas,” he said.
Chief Constant Meju, the Coordinator, Centre for Media, Environment and Development Communications, expressed concerns over the limited support given to women by the state Agriculture Ministry.
She said that the dialogue was a crucial platform for civil society organisations to engage with the state government on climate change and gender policies.
Meju highlighted the importance of government-CSO collaboration to achieve shared objectives.
She said that some communities in the state were facing severe environmental degradation due to oil extraction activities.
“The coastal areas have been damaged by flooding, yet the government seem not to be doing anything.
“The society wants to see the government showing empathy over the plight of women in communities affected by degradation,” she said.
Some environment experts in Abuja have urged Nigerians to restore forest habitats in their homes, to mitigate the current heat wave from climate change.
Heatwave
They made the call on Sunday, March 17, 2024, in separate interviews due to the recent heat wave in the country.
Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr Michael David, said heat wave was the drying of streams and rivers.
He urged Nigerians to plant more trees and restore forest habitats in homes to mitigate climate change.
“To address the impact of heat wave and the drying of rivers and streams requires a more comprehensive strategy on climate adaptation process, water management and generally ecosystem restoration.”
The executive director added that the factors being experienced in the country were due to climate change characterised by the intensity and duration of the heat.
David said there was urgent need to safeguard water resources for future generations.
“Heat wave exposes to drought and contributes to health problems in humans and wildlife, leading to high break of diseases.
“Heat wave causes a lot of socio-economic impacts on communities, water scarcity, raises a lot of conflict in communities; livelihoods are affected as well as animals and farmers. Communities are also displaced, leading to migration of people.”
Mr Ene Owoh, the National Coordinator, Clean-up Nigeria (CUN), said it was important to note that water and climate change were intellect.
He said: “Climate change affects water supply in several ways from the present unpredictable rain falls to the depreciating water levels in streams.
“The rising sea levels, the cases of flood and drought, all of these boil down to the climate change.
“The truth be told, climate change has altered the availability of water, thus making it less plentiful in the world.
“Climate change has caused water shortage, drought and the decrease of agricultural produce.
“Let us bear it in mind that any increase in temperature level will have consequence on water level as well as human beings.”
Energy Correspondent of the Champion Newspapers, Ugochukwu Amadi, has emerged as Chairman of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC).
Newly elected executive council members of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC)
His emergence came about after a keenly contested election conducted on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the Associations National Secretariat in Lagos, Nigeria.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman said ensuring peace and unity of purpose among members would be a cardinal policy to pursue in the cause of his administration’s tenure.
In other positions, Adeola yusuf of Platforms Africa emerged Vice Chairman, while Peter Uzoho of Thisday Newspaper assumes office as the new General Secretary of NAEC.
AIT’s senior energy correspondent, Anthony Afemike Ebigie, also emerged as Treasurer, with Mohammed Shosanya of Daily Independent taking office as the Financial Secretary of the association.
Earlier, chairman of the electoral committee, Emeka Ugwuanyi, harped on the need for peace and cordial relationship among members, and advised members on the need to continue to love each other in the overall interest of the association.
The tenure of the new Executive Committee is to run from 2024 to 2026.
An exciting new children’s programme, “Dr. Mark’s Animal Show”, commenced streaming on Showmax from Friday, March 15, 2024.
Dr Mark’s Animal Show poster
The 11-part series showcases African wildlife, even as each episode takes a deep dive into a different animal species, from turtles to pangolins, unpacking their remarkable features, the roles they play in ecosystems, and the challenges they face in the wild. Viewers can watch the trailer here.
Produced by the conservation organisation Wild Africa Fund, the show’s arrival on Showmax is said to be timely. 66% of Africa’s wildlife has disappeared in the last 50 years, highlighting the need to educate our children on the reality of African wildlife and the urgent system changes required – all in a way that engages and inspires hope for a different – and better – future. Dr Mark introduces his audience to some of the animals he has rescued from the illegal bushmeat trade for eventual reintroduction to the wild.
The show also features exclusive short messages from pop culture legends, such as Davido, Laycon, Focalistic, Nviiri The Storyteller, and Shekhinah. Coupled with the interactive quizzes embedded in each episode and the real-time questions from the live audience, this new show is sure to spark the minds of little ones across the continent and engage them with the realities of the world and wildlife around them.
Across several African countries, iconic wildlife species (including lions, gorillas, pangolins, leopards, chimpanzees, sea turtles, vultures, and numerous monkey species) are disappearing. This decline highlights the urgent need to raise awareness about these challenges and inspire action to address them, particularly with the younger generation. After all, they are set to be the future protectors of our wildlife.
Dr. Mark urges parents and guardians to watch alongside their children, facilitating discussions on the issues raised and learning about Africa’s biodiversity themselves.
“The arrival of Dr. Mark’s show onto Showmax ensures that more kids, regardless of where they live, will experience this exciting and educational series. This is taking the conservation conversation to new heights. These children will learn the importance of protecting wildlife, understand why we need animals to thrive in the wild and can share important conservation messages with their parents and society,” says Dr. Mark.
Dr. Mark Ofua, a veterinarian in Lagos, Nigeria, discovered his passion for pangolin conservation after visiting the local bush meat markets. Now he works to rescue, rehabilitate and release pangolins back to the wild. Dr. Mark brings over 16 years of experience in providing healthcare solutions for animals.
As Chairman of Pangolin Nigeria Trust, he leads efforts to protect pangolins and their habitats. He also chairs the Saint Mark’s Animal Rescue Foundation, actively involved in rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife.
To help young people understand the importance of effective waste management in accelerating economic growth and sustainable living, the Ecocykle Development Foundation (EDF) has trained over 150 out-of-school children on how to use plastic waste to make eco-bricks.
Ecocykle Development Foundation (EDF) during the capacity-building training it held at Gwani Atiku Tsangaya, Dadin Kowa, Lafia Local Government Area (LGA) in Nasarawa State
The non-profit organisation carried out this exercise as part of its Education and Recycle in Slums Initiative to inspire behavioural change among young people and provide real-life solutions to create a zero-waste and pollution-free society.
Aliyu Sadiq, EDF’s executive director, explained that, in addition to the aforementioned, the project strives to bridge the gap between local innovation and global knowledge.
Speaking at the capacity-building exercise his organisation organised at Gwani Atiku Tsangaya, Dadin Kowa, Lafia Local Government Area (LGA) in Nasarawa State, Sadiq expressed confidence that the beneficiaries, who are between the ages of 10 and 20, would use their newly acquired knowledge to decrease unemployment and provide the necessary solution in the waste industry.
“Our expectations,” he said, “are for the project to harness the creativity of these young teenagers into developing sustainable solutions that can directly reduce waste pollution in communities, create green jobs, and reduce the poverty rate in Nigeria.”
But to live up to these prospects, in the view of the environmental rights campaigner, the government, however, needs to revitalise the numerous abandoned recycling facilities that are currently dormant around the country.
He went on to say that this is important because, if successful, these facilities will serve as hubs for training and education, addressing issues related to environmental preservation and furthering Nigeria’s goal of green economic development.
In keeping with this belief, the proponent of the circular economy stated that his establishment intends to train more than 1,000 youth in sustainability skills to improve waste management in the country.
Peace Kpaka, a community volunteer in charge of the OYA Recycle initiative in Lafia, the capital of Nassarawa State, sees this intervention as an opportunity to provide rural residents – particularly the less fortunate – with the information they need to spearhead the promotion of sustainable growth.
He noted that the event was extremely interactive, with the beneficiaries asking crucial questions that demonstrated the depth of their creative thinking abilities to solve problems using the appropriate information, knowledge, and skills.
Lauritta Boniface, director of programmes and co-founder of EDF, who witnessed the training, expressed satisfaction with the project’s impact on the participants.
According to her, more than 400 people have been trained in three communities under the OYA Recycle project, and she is overwhelmed by the programme’s impact on those who have been trained so far.
In appreciation, the attendees expressed gratitude to EDF for its vision of organising and enlightening marginalised communities about the advantages of appropriate trash management.
Muhammad Sharifudeen, Mallam Atiku Sangaya’s coordinator, urges the government to think outside the box when it comes to developing initiatives and policies that encourage young people to acquire skills to create jobs and foster environmental safeguards.
Two national climate change and energy champions, Sam Onuigbo and Solomon Maren, have provided reflections on the fuel subsidy removal policy being implemented by President Bola Tinubu and how the reform can be leveraged to better advance the nascent energy transition agenda in Nigeria.
Sam Onuigbo (top) and Solomon Maren
Both leaders spoke as Guests of Honour at the workshop jointly organised by the Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University (CCCD, AE-FUNAI) and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London to present findings from a recent report conducted on Nigeria’s subsidy reform and its energy transition agenda, held virtually on March 14, 2024, with stakeholders from across the globe in attendance.
The CCCD and ODI reports provided rigorous and evidence-analysis of the fuel subsidy removal that was introduced by President Bola Tinubu on the day he took office on May 29, 2023, and made several recommendations on policies and reforms needed to make the reform more progressive and climate friendly.
Onuigbo, Vice President (Africa) of the of the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) and sponsor of Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, 2021, while speaking at the workshop, said that the government of President Bola Tinubu deserves commendation for being bold and courageous enough to remove the fuel subsidy. He acknowledged current negative economic impact on citizens, particularly those in the lower class of the economy, but insisted that the subsidy was a big weight that needed to be removed to avoid the debt spiral and the collapse of the economy. It will be recalled that, according to figures from the NNPC, Nigeria spent N4.39 trillion ($9.7 billion) on petrol subsidy in 2022.
Onuigbo noted that allocations to states have significantly increased following the removal of fuel subsidies and argued that it is imperative that those entrusted with the responsibilities of governance at the state level apply these extra resources in a well-focused manner to drive sustainable development goals, including those of energy transition. He said this should be possible because the Nigerian President also signed the Electricity Act into law a few days after assuming office, which removed electricity from the exclusive list and put it on the concurrent list to enable other tiers of government to get involved in the process of energy provision and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Onuigbo reiterated the importance of a balanced energy mix in Nigeria’s energy portfolio and the need for effective engagement of the private sector to mobilise the much-needed resources to advance Nigeria on a sustainable path to development.
On his own part, Solomon Maren, National Coordinator of African Parliamentary Network on Climate Action, said that the fuel subsidy in Nigeria was like a time bomb waiting to explode and reiterated that President Tinubu should be praised for his boldness in addressing the matter. He recalled that the Nigerian economy was almost grounded when it became difficult to meet its borrowing obligations amidst a porous border, which aided in the smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into neighbouring countries and, of course, corruption. Maren said that continuous payment of subsidies was a contradiction of the country’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2060.
Maren said several steps can be taken to make the subsidy reform support energy transition and climate action in Nigeria. He advocated for the introduction of clean cooking at the rural level, including solar-powered stoves, as part of efforts to reduce emissions. He also decried the distribution of buses running on PMS for transportation across the states as part of the strategic plan to alleviate the subsidy effects and called on governments at all levels to embrace electric buses with installed solar panels to recharge their batteries.
Maren further highlighted the need to industrialise Nigeria to reduce the effect of foreign exchange fluctuations on the economy. He celebrated the recently commissioned power project in Aba, Abia State, as a shining example of policies that will assist the country in driving effective change through infrastructure development.
In his intervention, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, the Director, CCCD, said that given that the exploration, production, and consumption of fossil fuels are main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Nigeria, the removal of the subsidy by President Tinubu last year could be a major step in reducing fossil fuel-based emissions that are adding to the climate change impact on Nigeria. He, however, noted that several years of experience from around the world have indicated that while it is important to reform fossil fuel regime subsidies, it is also necessary to do that in a way that is consistent with the broader objective of sustainable development and equity and fairness to ensure that the economically disadvantaged pollutions are not made worse off.
The report highlighted that fossil fuel subsidy removal holds the potential to contribute substantively to climate-resilient development through releasing finance for low-carbon and sustainable development imperatives, but notes that policies need to be put in place to ensure that the gains made from the subsidy are channelled to advancing energy transition objectives. The report also calls for more aggressive policies to cushion the adverse distributional impacts, especially on the most economically vulnerable groups.
The report finds that rural and lowest-income households are the worst affected and that lower-income households are vulnerable to an increase in the price of goods. On the gender disaggregated analysis of the welfare effects, female-headed households are disproportionately affected by energy reforms, and this is consistent both in urban and rural areas.
By Gboyega Olorunfemi and Elochukwu Anieze, Research Associates at the Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University (CCCD, AE-FUNAI)
