Rwanda will host the first-ever centralised group review of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) for African Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The event will take place alongside a hands-on capacity-building training on Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) tools.
The event, happening from May 11 to 16, 2026, in Kigali, is organised by the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), in collaboration with the UNFCCC secretariat and partners including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the CBIT Global Support Programme, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Office of the LDC Group Chair.
Kigali, Rwanda
This pilot initiative responds to requests from four African LDCs – Burkina Faso, Malawi, Niger and Rwanda – to conduct their technical expert reviews in a centralised format. The event represents an innovative step in implementing the ETF and strengthening technical capacity across LDCs.
It will bring together technical expert review teams, technical experts from Burkina Faso, Malawi, Niger and Rwanda, and partner organisations. In addition to BTR reviews of these four Parties, the session also aims to deliver practical, hands-on training on ETF reporting tools – including on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, tracking of national climate plans (NDCs), and support needed and received.
Theintegration of review and capacity-building is designed to foster collaboration and peer learning, enhance the quality, consistency and efficiency of reporting and review processes, and ensure that Parties are equipped for future reporting cycles.
As host, Rwanda demonstrates leadership in climate transparency and reflects a shared commitment to capacity development, cost efficiency, and regional cooperation.
As Parties continue submitting their Biennial Transparency Reports, initiatives such as this centralised group review underscore the importance of partnerships and efficiency gains in implementing the ETF and supporting countries to meet their reporting obligations.
At the just concluded 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, undertook several engagements to reinforce institutional coordination in advancing Africa’s climate narrative and in particular, calling for alignment between climate diplomacy and the continent’s industrial ambitions.
In his several engagements with cooperating partners, AU technical agencies and high-level continental leadership, particularly the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), Nana Dr. Amoah emphasised the need for Africa to not only continue negotiating under a common position but also strategically align climate diplomacy with its overall development agenda.
Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, at the AU Summit
He noted that global climate diplomacy had fundamentally shifted beyond emissions targets and long- term ambition, becoming increasingly intertwined with geopolitics, energy security, industrial competition, critical minerals and finance.
“These global shifts are reshaping Africa’s development options faster than our institutions are adapting,” he said. “At the same time, decisions taken outside the UNFCCC framework, in trade, industrial policy and finance, are increasingly determining what is feasible within it. If our climate diplomacy is not aligned with our energy needs and industrial ambitions, we risk locking ourselves into pathways that reproduce dependency rather than transformation,” he cautioned.
Nana Dr Amoah stressed that energy sovereignty, industrial policy and access to finance must be placed at the centre of Africa’s climate strategy, and urged stronger coordination among African institutions to address fragmentation between mandates and implementation.
Reflecting on key COP30 outcomes, Nana Dr Amoah highlighted three priority areas for Africa: the Just Transition Mechanism, the climate–trade dialogue, and climate finance under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement.
On the Just Transition Mechanism, he stressed that Africa’s interpretation must go beyond worker protection to encompass national development and shared prosperity.
“For Africa, a just transition must mean manufacturing solar panels, batteries and green hydrogen components on the African soil. It must mean local beneficiation of critical minerals, supported by skills development and meaningful technology transfer,” he said, warning that a green transition that leaves Africa confined to exporting raw materials at the bottom of global value chains could not be described as just.
On trade, the AGN Chair cautioned that unilateral trade measures, carbon border adjustments and green subsidies were already reshaping global competitiveness, posing risks to African economies.
He thus urged the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to offer a platform to aggregate regional markets and address scale constraints, but stressed the need to preserve policy space for green industrial strategies and differentiated transition pathways.
Turning to finance, he underscored that the Paris Agreement’s affirmation of developed countries’ responsibility to provide financial resources to developing countries.
“In an era of tight fiscal space, climate finance must be adequate, predictable and patient. It must address Africa’s high cost of capital and support debt sustainability,” he said, calling for a shift from “fragmented, project financing towards programmatic, regional investment platforms capable of transforming entire sectors and value chains.”
Nana Dr Amoah reaffirmed the readiness of the AGN to ensure that climate diplomacy strengthens Africa’s industrial ambitions and long-term economic transformation.
In his efforts to ensure that Africa’s climate narrative is well-coordinated, technically grounded, and politically aligned to translate into real resilience for African communities, Nana Dr. Amoah engaged with several partners including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Africa Regional Office, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Green Climate Fund (GCF), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative, among others.
Lisa Lim Ah Ken, Senior Specialist for Climate Action at IOM, reaffirmed the organisation’s readiness to continue supporting Africa’s climate agenda through sustained collaboration, technical engagement, and institutional partnership, while UNOAU’s Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the AU and Head of the UN Office to the AU, emphasised on the nexus of peace, security and climate change.
Meanwhile, UNEP Africa Regional Director, Rose Mwebaza, pledged continued strategic support, particularly focusing on strengthening Africa’s coordination, technical preparedness and political engagement in global climate negotiations.
Many Nigerians continue to suffer from avoidable vision problems, with cataracts and other eye conditions being major causes of preventable blindness. In Delta State, an estimated 50,000 people are living with cataracts, a condition that can be treated through timely medical care.
Unfortunately, limited access to eye care services and the high cost of treatment often prevent many residents, especially in rural communities, from receiving help.
To help address this challenge, the Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF), with the support of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), has launched its Sustainable Primary Eye Care Services (SPECS) Programme in Ashaka, Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
Members of the VCDF team, representative of the Delta State Commissioner of Health and traditional rulers of the community
The programme provides free eye screenings, surgeries, medications, and eyeglasses, bringing much-needed eye care services directly to the people.
Speaking at the launch, VCDF Programme Manager, Mr. Phillip Ukemezia, explained that the initiative is part of a long-term partnership with the Delta State Government.
According to him, VCDF has signed a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state to improve access to quality and sustainable eye care services. He noted that the collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Health, alongside SEEPCO’s support, would help ensure that more residents receive timely diagnosis and treatment for eye conditions such as cataracts and pterygium.
Ukemezia further stated that the SPECS Programme, which began in 2023, focuses on integrating primary eye care into existing Primary Health Care Centres. These centres serve as the first point of contact for community members, allowing for early detection, screening, and referral of patients for proper treatment.
The Delta rollout builds on the programme’s successful pilot phase in Akwa Ibom State, where 8,579 people benefited from free eye screenings, eyeglasses, and medications, and 865 successful cataract surgeries completed.
Encouraged by the positive impact, VCDF has expanded the programme to Delta State to reach more underserved communities.
Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Cecilia Ekpo, Vice Chairman of Ndokwa East LGA, described the programme as a major relief for residents. She expressed appreciation for the intervention, noting that many people who could not afford eye treatment now have an opportunity to receive care at no cost.
SEEPCO, which has supported several health and community development initiatives, reaffirmed its commitment to improving the wellbeing of host communities. The company emphasised its readiness to continue partnering with VCDF and other stakeholders on programmes that positively impact lives.
As part of the programme’s sustainability efforts, 73 health workers and community volunteers have been trained across Ndokwa East and West LGAs. This step ensures that eye care services remain accessible and effectively integrated within local health facilities.
Through the SPECS Programme, VCDF and SEEPCO are helping to restore sight, improve health outcomes, and bring hope to many families in Delta State.
As governments, social movements, and multilateral institutions gather in Cartagena for ICARRD+20 to advance agrarian reform and rural development, the Stop Financing Factory Farming (S3F) Campaign is calling for an urgent shift in global development finance.
Public and multilateral development banks, says the group, must end financing for industrial livestock and redirect resources toward agroecology and equitable food systems.
Twenty years after the first ICARRD, land inequality, rural dispossession, and ecological decline remain urgent global challenges. Development finance continues to shape land use, agricultural systems, and rural livelihoods and too often, it is reinforcing the very crises agrarian reform seeks to resolve.
Mariann Bassey-Olsson, S3F Africa Regional Coordinator
Development finance is far from neutral, noted Mariann Bassey-Olsson, S3F Africa Regional Coordinator.
“Public and multilateral development bank financing of industrial livestock is driving deforestation, land conversion for feed production, and land concentration,” she emphasised. “These investments directly undermine climate goals, biodiversity protection, and the vision of sustainable rural development.”
Industrial livestock production relies heavily on monoculture feed production, accelerates forest destruction, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and subjects billions of animals to intensive confinement and chronic suffering, while entrenching export-oriented agribusiness models. Rather than supporting equitable land distribution and community resilience, such financing consolidates corporate control over land and food systems.
Multilateral development banks claim that their financing of industrial livestock production boosts food security. However, industrial production is dependent on feeding grains such as wheat and corn to animals who convert these crops very inefficiently into meat and milk. This undermines food security. A new report shows that if the grain fed to livestock were instead used for direct human consumption, worldwide an extra 2 billion people could be fed each year.
Across Africa and Latin America, including Colombia, the host of ICARRD+20, communities continue to resist land grabbing, ecological destruction, and rural decline linked to industrial agriculture expansion.
Industrial livestock systems are also reshaping rural economies in ways that deepen inequality, warned Opeyemi Elujulo, S3F Youth, Policy & Campaigns Lead.
“Factory farming concentrates ownership and decision-making power in the hands of large agribusiness corporations, displacing small-scale producers and Indigenous landowners,” he stated. “Women, youth, and marginalised communities bear the heaviest burden. This is not rural development, it is rural dispossession.”
In many regions, industrial livestock expansion is promoted as modernisation or food security. However, grassroots movements and smallholder farmers consistently highlight its damaging social and environmental consequences. The expansion of these systems undermines local food sovereignty, increases dependency on global commodity chains, and weakens community resilience.
ICARRD+20 presents a critical opportunity to realign development finance with its stated goals of reducing rural poverty, supporting agrarian reform, and advancing sustainable development.
Redirecting financial flows can transform land outcomes and rural futures, stressed Claudia Escorza, S3F Latin America Regional Coordinator.
“Shifting public finance away from factory farming toward agroecological and diversified food systems supports more equitable land use, strengthens resilient rural livelihoods, and aligns with climate and biodiversity commitments,” she affirmed. “Public money must serve the public good, not corporate concentration.”
Agroecology and diversified food systems offer proven pathways that support small-scale farmers, protect land rights, and strengthen local markets. Across regions, agroecological approaches have demonstrated increased climate resilience, improved soil health and fertility, enhanced biodiversity, reduced input costs, and greater income stability for farming communities.
Evidence from multiple regions shows that agroecological systems can maintain – and often improve – yields while reducing dependency on costly external inputs, thereby boosting farmers’ incomes and livelihoods. These systems promote gender equity, strengthen community food sovereignty, and contribute to long-term rural sustainability. Redirecting development finance toward these approaches is essential to achieving meaningful agrarian reform that is both socially just and economically viable.
The Stop Financing Factory Farming Campaign is calling on governments and multilateral development banks participating in ICARRD+20 to:
End public and multilateral financing for industrial livestock and factory farming projects;
Conduct transparent reviews of existing agricultural investment portfolios;
Redirect financing toward agroecology and community-led, small-scale food systems;
Align agricultural investments with climate, biodiversity, and human rights commitments;
Guarantee meaningful participation of grassroots movements, women, youth, small-scale farmers and producers, and Indigenous Peoples in agricultural financing decisions.
Agrarian reform cannot succeed without transforming how development finance is structured and deployed. Development banks cannot credibly champion rural equity while funding systems that accelerate land concentration, environmental degradation, and social inequality.
The future of rural development depends not only on policy commitments but on where public money flows. It is time to stop financing factory farming and start financing food systems that nourish communities, protect ecosystems, and uphold justice.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in partnership with the British High Commission Abuja, on Monday, February 23, 2026, convened a survivor‑centred event highlighting the emerging global crisis of human trafficking into cyber‑enabled scam operations in Southeast Asia.
The event, “Confronting the Global Scam Centre Crisis: Perspectives of Nigerian Survivors,” brought together recently repatriated Nigerian nationals who were deceived with fraudulent job offers and trafficked to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Many were coerced into conducting sophisticated cyber‑fraud schemes under exploitative and abusive conditions.
Deputy High Commissioner, Gill Lever, with representatives of NATIP, IOM, Thailand Embassy, Nigeria Immigration Service and National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre
The programme follows the successful joint efforts of NAPTIP, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, and the British NGO EDEN, whose coordinated action – including on‑the‑ground triangulation at the Thai–Myanmar border and welfare visits to affected nationals in Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) – enabled the safe rescue and return of 23 Nigerian survivors earlier this month.
According to the UN OHCHR’s 2026 report “A Wicked Problem”, credible sources estimate that at least 120,000 people are currently being held in forced scam operations inside Myanmar, with the total rising to over 300,000 across Southeast Asia. Survivors identified in the report originate from at least 66 countries. Between 2020 and 2025, 74% of known victims trafficked into scam centres worldwide were taken to Southeast Asia after being promised high‑paying jobs.
Monday’s event provided a protected platform for survivors to voluntarily describe in their own words how they were recruited, the coercive conditions inside scam compounds, and their journeys toward safety and recovery.
Gill Lever OBE, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Abuja, said: “We are here today to listen to survivors who have shown remarkable bravery in sharing their experiences. The UK is working closely with NAPTIP, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EDEN and IOM to ensure survivors receive trauma‑informed care and safe repatriation. Their courage will help prevent others from being harmed, and we stand firmly with Nigeria and all African Commonwealth partners in confronting this rapidly evolving threat.”
Representing, Director-General of NAPTIP, Mrs. Kehinde Akomolafe, Director of Public Enlightenment, said: “The courage these survivors have shown in sharing their stories is remarkable. Their experiences expose the brutal reality of trafficking into scam centres, a crime that strips people of their dignity and freedom. NAPTIP is committed to protecting Nigerian citizens from this growing threat and grateful for the steadfast support from our partners in ensuring survivors receive the comprehensive support they need to heal and rebuild their lives.”
One of the survivors said: “I was promised opportunity, a good job and a chance for a better life. Instead, I was trapped and forced to do things that went against everything I believe in, while living in constant fear. I am sharing my story so that other Nigerians can recognise the warning signs and protect themselves. No one should have to endure what we experienced.”
The Ogun State Government has commenced an independent and comprehensive health audit of residents of Ogijo in Sagamu Local Government Area, following concerns over possible lead exposure in the community.
This is contained in a statement in Abeokuta on Monday, February 23, 2026, by Mr. Goke Gbadamosi, Public Relations Officer and Information Officer of the state Ministry of Health.
The state government recently identified and sealed a used lead-acid battery recycling plants in the area after reports of an alleged lead poisoning surfaced in November 2025.
Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker
According to the statement, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, disclosed the commencement of the health audit during a stakeholders’ engagement at the Ologijo’s Palace.
Coker said the state government had completed blood sample collection from over 500 scientifically selected residents to determine their Blood Lead Levels (BLL).
She noted that global attention following reports by some international media organisations had placed Ogijo in the international spotlight, necessitating a deliberate and structured government response.
She explained that shortly after the reports emerged, the Ministries of Health and Environment visited the affected communities to allay fears and outline a clear monitoring, evaluation and response framework.
“The health sector deliberately adopted a scientific approach to the audit process.
“His Excellency directed that the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) be engaged to independently conduct the study to ensure authenticity, transparency and global credibility of the findings.
“We have ensured that NIMR is working independently to deliver unbiased results, and once the report is received, appropriate recommendations will be submitted to the governor for necessary action.
“NIMR commenced fieldwork in the community last week and has collected over 500 blood samples using a stratified scientific methodology, covering individuals previously identified with elevated blood lead levels,” she said.
Coker acknowledged that some facilities earlier sealed had since been reopened by the ministry of environment following compliance reviews.
She stated that the ministry of health would institute a monitoring protocol requiring periodic blood lead level testing for workers in the affected industries to safeguard them against health risks.
Coker assured residents that the governor remains committed to their welfare.
In his remarks, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMR, Prof. Oladipo Obafunwa, said the institute deployed a professional team to conduct the exercise in line with established scientific standards.
Responding, the Ologijo of Ogijo, Oba Kazeem Gbadamosi, commended the state government for its timely intervention and transparent engagement.
The sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-6) concluded on Thursday, February 19, 2026, in Rome, with broad agreement among the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) around key enablers to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
The aspects addressed included biodiversity finance, progress in the implementation of the Gender Plan of Action, capacity-building and development, cooperation with international organisations and other conventions, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
CBD Executive Secretary, Astrid Schomaker
The recommendations adopted by the Subsidiary Body will be considered for adoption at the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, hosted by Armenia in Yerevan from October 19 to 30, 2026.The Conference, comprising the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) and meetings of the Convention’s Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols, will see the first global review of collective progress in the implementation of the KMGBF.
In many of the adopted recommendations, Party negotiators were able to produce bracket-free, clean text, signaling commitment to securing consensus in Yerevan. “The conclusion of SBI-6 marks the achievement of an important first milestone in a marathon year,” said Clarissa Nina, the Chair of SBI. “I thank the Parties for working together in a spirit of solidarity and common purpose to iron out divergences and deliver these robust recommendations.”
Parties re-committed to finalising National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), National Targets, and National Reports as soon as possible. There is a February 28 deadline for national reports as inputs into this year’s global review of collective progress, with their inclusion being important to provide an evidence-based assessment of where the world stands on halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
An analysis covering 130 sets of national targets and 51 NBSAPs, which informed the deliberations at the meeting, revealed a gap between the global ambition of the KMGBF and what Parties have set out to achieve at the national level.
“These insights also highlight the possibility of correcting course by increasing ambition and accelerating implementation at the national level,” said Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the CBD. Since the analysis, a further 20 NBSAPs have been submitted.
By the time the meeting closed, the European Union, Lesotho, Uganda and Switzerland were announced as the first Parties to have submitted their 7th National Reports ahead of the February 28 deadline. Several Parties indicated their intention to follow suit, while others pointed to difficulties linked to capacity gaps and limited or delayed access to resources. All other actors were also encouraged to submit information, including indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society, women, youth, the private sector and academia.
Up to now, 75 percent of Parties have submitted national targets. These constitute the actual drivers of national implementation and are tethered into the monitoring and review mechanisms – which makes them crucial for the global review at COP17 and for responsibility and transparency in the implementation of the 23 targets of the KMGBF.
Due to a shortage of funding for the participation of delegates from developing countries, several single-member delegations faced considerable challenges in keeping pace with the intensive nature of the negotiations during the four-day meeting.
Thanking Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Monaco, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland for their contributions to the dedicated Trust Fund, the Executive Secretary reiterated her call on other eligible donors to “step forward and support inclusive participation in a year of taking action for nature.”
Africa’s rich livestock genetic resources hold untapped potential to drive productivity, climate resilience, and sustainable development, according to a new open-access reference, “African Livestock Genetic Resources and Sustainable Breeding Strategies: Unlocking a Treasure Trove and Guide for Improved Productivity”.
The book, officially launched on Monday, February 23, 2026, by the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet) in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), and the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), consolidates decades of research on livestock genetics, breeding, and adaptation strategies for Africa.
Left to right: Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR and Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), during the launch of the African Livestock Genetic Resources and Sustainable Breeding Strategies: Unlocking a Treasure Trove and Guide for Improved Productivity book at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi Kenya
Livestock, Climate, and Productivity: Why It Matters Now
Hosting approximately one-third of the world’s total livestock population, Africa is home to the world’s richest diversity of indigenous cattle (150 to 180), goats (289), poultry (126) and dromedaries (94), and the second highest diversity of indigenous sheep (363), rabbits (4), and donkeys (27).
The locally adapted breeds of these species have evolved over generations to survive heat, disease, and variable feed conditions, making them critical for climate adaptation and resilience in small-scale and low-input production systems.
Yet many African livestock breeds are at risk of extinction primarily due to indiscriminate crossbreeding with exotic breeds, which erodes the unique genetic traits of these indigenous animals. This is driven by a push for higher productivity, often ignoring that local breeds are better adapted to harsh environmental conditions.
Moreover, while the low productivity of indigenous breeds in these difficult smallholder environments leads to high greenhouse gas emissions per unit product (2.1–5.0 kg CO2-eq/kg of product, closer to global averages), the total emissions remain lower than in intensive agricultural regions. Improving genetics, animal health, and management efficiency is a proven pathway to increase output while reducing emissions intensity, contributing to both climate mitigation and food security.
“Africa’s livestock genetic diversity is not just a heritage—it is a climate and development tool,” said Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of ILRI. “By using science-based breeding strategies, we can improve productivity, enhance resilience, and reduce emissions intensity across African livestock systems.”
Evidence-Based Breeding for African Production Systems
The book emphasises that breeding objectives must reflect farmer priorities and production realities. For success, genetic improvement programmes must integrate adaptation and mitigation goals, include farmers in decision-making, and strengthen institutional capacity for data collection, monitoring, and livestock breeding and management.
“Local breeds are the backbone of climate-resilient African agriculture,” said Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director of CTLGH. “Protecting and sustainably using these breeds through targeted breeding is essential if we are to safeguard livelihoods and meet the challenges of climate change.”
A Coordinated African Response
The launch of this landmark publication positions AABNet, ILRI, CTLGH, AU-IBAR, and their National Partners as leaders in coordinating African livestock genetic improvement and conservation.
These organisations emphasise the importance of multi-country genetic evaluation to address major gaps in human capacity and infrastructure for genetic evaluation across African countries, professional capacity building to promote education innovation and strengthen human capacity in animal breeding across Africa, advocacy, awareness and business development to promote the use of advanced genetic tools and information to boost livestock productivity, and collaboration, networking and partnerships to scale breeding programmes and enhance sustainable development in livestock.
“Conserving and using Africa’s indigenous livestock genetic resources is a matter of climate and development security,” said Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR. “Strategic investments in genetic characterisation, breeding programmes, and farmer-centered approaches will drive sustainable, resilient livestock systems for Africa’s future.”
A Practical Resource for Policy, Research, and Practice
The book offers actionable insights for governments, researchers, and practitioners, including:
Prioritising breeds with adaptive traits for climate resilience.
Aligning breeding goals with production systems and farmer needs.
Practical perspectives on feasible livestock breeding strategies
Emphasises the centrality of genetic characterisation, and presents opportunities for, and examples of, the use of gene editing, as well as reproductive and genomic technologies in different livestock species
Integrating genetic improvement with conservation and sustainable use.
Strengthening institutions, data systems, and professional capacity to deliver results.
“AABNet was founded to bridge the gap between research and practice. This book, crafted by our pan-African community of experts, is our foundational text. It provides the common language and evidence base we need to professionalise animal breeding on the continent, combat genetic erosion, and ensure that farmers have access to trustworthy, productive, and adapted animals,” said Ed Rege, Chair of AABNet Executive Committee.
The book is open access and available for download, serving as a practical reference for policy, research, and training across Africa and globally.
A new report by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO reveals a critical lack of understanding of how the ocean absorbs and stores carbon. This uncertainty about our planet’s largest carbon sink threatens to skew current climate predictions and hamper our ability to develop effective mitigation and adaptation strategies in the coming decades.
The report also lays out a roadmap to bolster international cooperation, strengthen ocean carbon monitoring and update climate models accordingly.
Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director-General
“The ocean is one of our strongest climate allies, absorbing a large share of the carbon we emit. Yet we still lack a full understanding of how this natural defense functions – or how long it can endure. Coordinated global monitoring of ocean carbon absorption is therefore essential and urgent. This report reaffirms UNESCO’s commitment to supporting Member States in developing climate policies based on robust science to advance this goal,” said Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director-General.
The ocean is storing around 25% of global CO₂ emissions. But, according to the new report coordinated by the IOC of UNESCO, major blind spots remain in our scientific understanding of this process, with variations large enough to considerably affect how governments plan climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Climate models built on incomplete data
The Integrated Ocean Carbon Research Report finds that scientific models differ widely in estimating how much carbon the ocean absorbs, with discrepancies of 10-20% globally and even greater in certain regions.
These differences stem from limited availability of long-term data, and gaps in understanding how key processes respond to climate change. This means quantifying how changes in ocean warming and circulation affect carbon uptake, how shifts in plankton and microbial life influence long-term storage, and how coastal and polar regions exchange carbon with the atmosphere. Industrial activities today, and the risks associated with climate engineering in the future may also alter the ocean’s natural ability to absorb carbon.
Major implications for climate targets and adaptation
All of this indicates that we are making climate decisions without knowing how the ocean will behave. If the ocean absorbs less carbon in the future, more CO₂ will remain in the atmosphere and accelerate global warming. This would have a direct impact on future emissions targets and national climate plans.
Greater uncertainty in ocean carbon uptake also complicates adaptation planning, especially for coastal communities already vulnerable to storms, sea-level rise and warming waters. Decisions about potential carbon removal strategies and ocean-based climate interventions must also be grounded in more robust scientific evidence.
From uncertainty to action
Prepared by 72 authors across 23 countries, the Integrated Ocean Carbon Research Report offers the most comprehensive synthesis to date of the uncertainties affecting our ocean carbon sink estimates.
Beyond identifying research needs, the report also lays out a coordinated roadmap to strengthen monitoring, modelling and international cooperation so that ocean carbon science can more directly inform climate policy. To close these knowledge gaps, the report calls for a global ocean carbon observing system, combining satellites, autonomous platforms and sustained measurements from the surface to the deep ocean – while improved ocean and climate modelling should also include stronger capacity development in under-represented regions to ensure truly global monitoring coverage.
Reducing carbon emissions remains the only long-term solution to protect the ocean and the climate. But without a clearer understanding of how the ocean carbon sink is changing, global mitigation and adaptation strategies risk being built on incomplete information.
Since the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), more than 500 projects have been launched worldwide, and over $1 billion have been mobilised to advance ocean knowledge and transform it into measurable action.
From strengthening global ocean observing systems and advancing seabed mapping to improving early warning for coastal hazards and supporting ecosystem-based climate solutions, IOC of UNESCO is helping build the scientific foundations required to protect ocean biodiversity and enhance climate resilience worldwide.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Jennifer Adighije, has disclosed that the company is strategically diversifying into renewable energy development and direct electricity supply to industrial clusters as part of a broader plan to enhance power reliability and support economic growth across Nigeria.
Speaking during a television programme monitored in Lagos, Adighije explained that the company’s evolving strategy is anchored on long-term sustainability, improved operational efficiency, and the need to close critical electricity supply gaps affecting industrial productivity nationwide.
Managing Director of NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije
According to her, NDPHC is gradually transitioning towards cleaner energy sources, including solar and small hydro power projects, to complement its existing gas-fired generation assets developed under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP). She noted that renewable energy integration would not only diversify Nigeria’s energy mix but also strengthen resilience within the power sector.
Adighije revealed that the company is currently developing a solar power concept targeted at industrial clusters in Kano State, which is expected to serve as a pilot for similar interventions across other industrial hubs in the country. The initiative, she said, is designed to provide dedicated and reliable electricity to manufacturing zones, thereby reducing dependence on diesel generators, lowering production costs, and improving competitiveness for Nigerian industries.
She further disclosed that NDPHC is exploring opportunities for direct electricity supply arrangements with electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and eligible customers under existing regulatory frameworks. Such partnerships, she explained, would ensure that power generated by NDPHC plants is efficiently delivered to high-demand clusters where it can create the greatest economic impact.
Under its flagship “Light Up Nigeria” initiative, the company aims to deliver reliable and affordable electricity to industrial and commercial clusters, markets, universities, and residential communities through embedded and independent power solutions. The programme is also expected to stimulate job creation, attract investments, and support small and medium-scale enterprises that are heavily impacted by unreliable electricity supply.
Providing an update on NDPHC’s infrastructure portfolio, Adighije stated that the company has constructed 10 power plants across 10 states under the NIPP programme, with eight already commissioned and six currently in commercial operation. She added that NDPHC’s installed generation capacity stands at approximately 4,000 megawatts, representing nearly 30 per cent of Nigeria’s total grid-connected capacity.
She emphasised that within the past year, the company successfully recovered about 900 megawatts of previously dormant generation capacity through optimisation of plant performance, enhanced operational discipline, and the deployment of predictive maintenance strategies. These improvements, she said, demonstrate NDPHC’s commitment to maximising existing assets before embarking on new generation projects.
In addition to operational improvements, the NDPHC boss disclosed that the company recently recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages of critical power equipment worth millions of dollars from Nigerian ports after prolonged delays. The recovered equipment, she said, would be deployed to complete ongoing generation, transmission, and distribution projects across the country, thereby accelerating infrastructure delivery timelines.
Despite these achievements, Adighije acknowledged that Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to face structural challenges that limit the impact of available generation capacity. One of the most significant constraints, she noted, is the mismatch between installed generation capacity and the transmission network’s ability to evacuate power efficiently to distribution companies and end-users.
She also identified gas supply shortages as a persistent challenge affecting thermal generation plants, explaining that gas procurement alone accounts for nearly 60 per cent of operational costs for power generation companies. In addition, liquidity constraints within the electricity market remain a major concern, as only about 30 per cent of sector invoices are currently settled, creating financial strain across the value chain.
To address these systemic issues, Adighije advocated the decoupling of government subsidies from electricity tariffs and the gradual implementation of fully cost-reflective tariffs across all customer segments. According to her, establishing a financially viable electricity market is essential for restoring investor confidence, attracting private sector participation, and ensuring sustainable sector growth.
She stressed that consistent implementation of government policies, particularly the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, remains critical to unlocking investments, strengthening infrastructure, and stimulating electricity demand across Nigeria’s expanding economy.
Adighije reiterated NDPHC’s commitment to supporting national development through reliable power supply, noting that improved electricity access remains fundamental to industrialisation, economic diversification, and improved living standards for Nigerians.
She expressed optimism that ongoing reforms, combined with targeted investments in renewable energy, industrial power solutions, and infrastructure optimisation, would significantly improve power reliability in the coming years.
