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Anti-corruption: Media urged to embrace credible reporting

Michael Simire
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Anti-corruption: Media urged to embrace credible reporting

The media have been charged to report evidenced-based issues on corruption in order to strengthen the fight against corruption in the Nigeria.

UNODC corruption
Participants at the UNODC forum in Lagos

Making this call in Lagos on Wednesday,  July 5, 2017 in her remarks at the close of a three-day Annual Media Meeting on Anti-Corruption in Nigeria, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Ms Christina Albertin, described the role of the media as a key prevention tool in the fight against corruption that is reflected in several chapters in the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument with 140 signatories and 181 state parties till date.

According to Ms Albertin, who was represented by UNODC Project Coordinator, Response to Drugs Project, Mr Glen Pritchard, corruption has disastrous impacts on development and that, if left unchecked, it is a serious impediment to sustainable development and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development throughout the world.

“It also breaches the essential trust between citizens and governments, as well as businesses and consumers. Therefore, it is critical that everyone in the community including media officers take up a responsibility to prevent and fight corruption,” she said.

Stressing further, the Country Rep who expressed delight that some follow-up steps from the last annual meeting were discussed, including the call for the media to dedicate more airtime and content on anti-corruption to further raise awareness and enlighten the public on issues of anti-corruption; enthused that she was happy that discussions encouraged Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) and the media to partner collaboratively and regularly on public enlightenment issues relating to anti-corruption, including the use of different social media platforms.

“It is our hope that ACAs and the media community continue with this collaborative partnership beyond the project so tangible impact through public enlightenment on anti-corruption is achieved across the country,” she added.

Meanwhile, before the wrap-up of the workshop which had 33 participants in attendance, comprising 11 Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs), 22 journalists and four resource persons drew-up a communique, underlining the need to foster institutional mechanism and concerted efforts that would promote the delivery of quality dissemination of information to the public on anti-corruption matters realising the interconnectedness of ACAs and the media.

They, however, observed that while the Nigerian media are getting more involved in the anti-corruption crusade, the campaign is still threatened by sensationalising corruption news, fake news/information being disseminated on the social media and inadequate flow of information from the ACAs to the media, as well as the media not giving adequate attention to anti-corruption.

To this end, the communique, which recommended that media houses should establish Anti-Corruption Desks, called on UNODC and ACAs to encourage the media houses in achieving this objective.

Also, it called on media houses to follow up on anti-corruption stories to their logical conclusions, while exploring the use of infographics in telling corruption stories. It reiterated that journalists should report evidence-based issues on corruption, maintain their integrity and credibility by checking their facts.

Stressing further, the communique outlined the need for journalists to be sensitive when reporting corruption issues in order not to glamourise crime, adding that there is the need to avoid sensationalism in reporting anti-corruption news, while law enforcement agencies are also urged to avoid media trials of suspects.

The participants, who commended UNODC and the European Union (EU) for their support to Nigeria in the fight against corruption, called on the media and ACAs to see themselves as advocates and partners in the fight against corruption.

By Damian Daga, Lagos

GCF Board meeting to refine climate finance flow

Michael Simire
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GCF Board meeting to refine climate finance flow

The 17th meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board opened on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, with a major goal to strengthen the Fund’s focus on targeting strong climate finance initiatives.

Ewen McDonald
GCF co-chair, Mr. Ewen McDonald

The GCF Board’s 24 members will work to strengthen the policies underpinning GCF’s support for projects that reduce emissions and boost the resilience of communities to climate change.

More than 300 GCF Partners have gathered at the Fund’s headquarters in Songdo, South Korea, for the two-day meeting. They include observers from civil society and private sector organisations, National Designated Authorities (NDAs), which act as the main national conduits to the Fund, as well as Accredited Entities and other Partners that assist in delivering finance for climate action.

This is the second GCF Board gathering of the year. It follows a call by the GCF Board at its 16th meeting in April to focus on implementation.

To further this goal, the start of the Board meeting on Wednesday was preceded by informal consultations which focused on policy matters related to the approval of funding proposals.

Highlights of the next two days include discussions of GCF’s readiness support to boost the capacities of countries to seek and implement climate finance, the accreditation of new entities that carry out GCF-supported activities, as well as discussions on how GCF can support REDD+.

Meetings of the Board are co-chaired this year by Mr. Ayman Shasly, of Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Ewen McDonald, of Australia.

Board meetings represent timely signposts to GCF’s recent progress and future direction. During the past quarter of the year, GCF has been stepping up its transfer of funds for approved climate finance projects.

Makoko fisherwomen seek gender equality

Michael Simire
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Makoko fisherwomen seek gender equality

Makoko community is a slum neighbourhood on the mainland of Lagos State in Nigeria, where women eke out a living from fishing. The community was established in the 18th century as primarily a fishing community. According to the 2006 census data, the population of Makoko is estimated at 85,840 comprising Nigerians from diverse ethnicities and religions.

Makoko
Makoko community is a slum neighbourhood on the mainland of Lagos State

Makoko community has more than 200 women in the fishing business ranging from fisherwomen to fish traders.

This reporter took a canoe trip on the Lagoon to interact with some fisherwomen in Makoko. The canoe trip, which lasted for about 30 minutes, provided an insight into the challenges encountered by the fisherwoman. A particular scene that comes to mind was the many fishing traps and fishing nets that dot the Lagoon waterways and women waiting on the banks of the Lagoon to buy fishes caught by both fishermen and fisherwomen. Some of the women spoke to EnviroNews about the challenges they face in the course of fishing in the Lagoon.

The case of Memunat Saliu is particularly interesting as she disclosed that she handles the mechanical aspect of servicing her canoe because engines are expensive to maintain.

“We are in competition with our male folk and it has not been easy. We are easily discriminated against because of our gender and this has made life more challenging for us as fisherwomen. You can imagine that I personally handle the maintenance of my canoe so that I can save some more money for my family. I must confess to you, it is difficult being a fisherwoman in Lagos,” Saliu says.

For Madam Lowe, the actions of the Lagos state Government have not been encouraging despite promises to the contrary.

“We face a lot of challenges on the waters; water hyacinth is also a big problem for us to maneuver our canoes, our engines get spoilt easily as we battle with this leaves on a daily basis,” laments Lowe.

The traditional ruler of Makoko, (known as Baale in the local dialect), Chief Samuel Adebowale Abo-Oluwa Erejuwa, concurrs that fisherwomen in the community face a lot of challenges including lack of access to fishing tools, boat engines, hooks and quality fishing nets. The traditional ruler emphasises that, in the allocation of fishery resources, preference is given to fishermen than fisherwomen.

Chief Abo-Oluwa Erejuwa pleadswith the Lagos State Government to intervene in rehabilitating the fishing market and empowering fisherwomen to enjoy equal opportunity with their male counterparts.

However, one promising aspect of Makoko fisherwomen is that they are involved in both the harvest and post-harvest value chains of fishing. The women are both fisherwomen and fish sellers. After a successful catch as fisherwomen, the women return to Asejere fish market (one of the biggest fish markets in Lagos) located within a distance from Makoko, where they engage directly with fish traders.

The Iya Oloja (female market leader) of Asejere Market, Alhaja Moduoe Kaosara Adebayo, notes that women in the fish business are very hard working and they need urgent support from the state government. She adds that Makoko produces the largest tons of fish in the whole of Lagos State which is also sold by the women on the market. But she adds that government needs to do more for women in fishery.

However, the member representing the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency at the Nigerian parliament, Jide Jimoh, says that all hands are on desk to improve the trade and empower the women to reposition the Nigerian economy.

Jimoh discloses that motions are in place to push the need for Makoko women to get the needed support from the federal and state governments as, according to him government is trying to diversify the Nigerian economy.

The Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture says it is set to support the women in the fishing business. Commissioner for Agriculture, Oluwatoyin Suarau, adds that government is determined to build a bright future for those in the fishing sector, especially women.

Mr. Suarau explains that the state government has introduced numerous ways to improve fishing as, he adds, this will in turn improve the standard of living of such women through provision of modern day facility like modern day fishing tools to maximise the benefit of the abundance of water resources which accounts for about 22% of the state’s land mass.

Women in the fishing business in Makoko will be glad, if the government comes to their aid and support their business; this will in turn encourage youths to focus more on agriculture, especially, fishing as a means of livelihood in the state and Nigeria in general.

Importantly, this will be in line with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, which promotes gender equality in the fishing sector. The guidelines propose that “all parties should recognise that achieving gender equality requires concerted efforts by all and that gender mainstreaming should be an integral part of all small-scale fisheries development strategies”.

Lagos is a centre of excellence and it is anticipated that its governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, should take the lead in mainstreaming gender in the small-scale fisheries segment in the state.

By Ruth Akinwunmi-King

UNESCO, IUCN ask Poland to stop logging in Białowieża Forest

Michael Simire
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UNESCO, IUCN ask Poland to stop logging in Białowieża Forest

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 adopted a decision urging Poland to immediately halt all logging and wood extraction in the old-growth forests of Białowieża.

wolves
Wolves In the Białowieża Forest, Poland. Photo credit: wildpoland.com

The decision follows the advice of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the official advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, which meets this week in Kraków, Poland.

IUCN is expected to carry out a mission to assess whether the site’s unique values, which include intact ecological processes, are at risk.  Poland has been requested to submit a report on the conservation of the site by December 2018. Should danger to the site’s Outstanding Universal Value be confirmed, Białowieża will be considered for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2019.

“The old-growth forests of Białowieża are one of the main reasons why it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list,” said Tim Badman, Director of IUCN’s World Heritage Programme. “It is critically important – and a global responsibility – that the Outstanding Universal Value of this ancient forest be preserved for future generations. IUCN looks forward to engaging with Poland to carry out a monitoring mission to Białowieża, in order to assess the situation and identify and agreed adequate measures to conserve the site.”

Poland has been undertaking wood extraction and logging in Białowieża Forest. The site, which is protected under the European Union’s Natura 2000 initiative, was the subject of European Commission’s announcement, in June 2016, of an infringement procedure against Poland, which noted that increased logging in Białowieża is likely to cause irreparable biodiversity loss.

“IUCN remains concerned with the activity in Białowieża and will work with Poland to find the right management solutions to preserve this unique European site,” said Luc Bas, Director of IUCN’s European Regional Office.

Białowieża Forest was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 as one of the first World Heritage sites. The site was then extended twice, in 1992 and 2014. Today, it covers a total area of 141,885 hectares across the Polish-Belarusian boarder. It is one of the few remaining primeval forests on the European continent. It is home to the iconic European Bison and hosts more than 250 bird and over 12,000 invertebrate species.

How clean energy can meet most of Paris Agreement’s energy-related goals

Michael Simire
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How clean energy can meet most of Paris Agreement’s energy-related goals

Ahead of the G20 meeting which starts in Hamburg, Germany at the end of the week, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has published a report showing that clean energy could achieve 90% of the energy-related CO emission reductions required to meet the central goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Dolf-Gielen-Director-IRENA-Innovation-Technology-Centre
Dolf Gielen, Director of IRENA’s Innovation and Technology Centre

Nations agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit the global average temperature rise to as close as possible to a maximum 2 degrees Celsius. This requires reducing energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by more than 70 per cent by 2050 compared to 2015 levels, which can only be achieved with the massive deployment of renewable forms of energy such as wind, solar and hydro, combined with energy efficiency.

IRENA says that further technological breakthroughs and new business models are needed to fulfil this potential. The study seeks to identify priorities for innovation that will enable the decarbonisation of the energy sector.

Based on the current status and future needs for low-carbon technologies in 13 distinct sectors, renewables could account for two-thirds of primary energy supply in 2050, up from just 16 per cent today, says IRENA. But this means the growth rate of the share of renewables in total final energy consumption needs to rise seven-fold and be sustained until 2050.

“Renewable energy innovation is starting to really change gears,” says Dolf Gielen, Director of the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre. “As more and more technologies become cost effective, there is now a shift of attention from technology innovation, towards business-model innovation, innovation in markets and regulation, and innovation in financing. The combination of all of these innovations together is creating a great momentum, and we are going to see a lot of pleasant surprises in the coming years.”

How summers will become hotter, by weather presenters

Michael Simire
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How summers will become hotter, by weather presenters

In a year already marked by heatwaves and new daily temperature records, television weather presenters have explored how climate change would make future summers even hotter in some of the world’s major cities.

weather presenters-Carol Kirkwood
BBC weather presenter, Carol Kirkwood

If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, Earth’s average global surface temperature could rise more than 4°C (7.2°F) by the end of the 21st century. But what does this global average really mean for the daily lives of people living in Madrid, or Ha Noi, or Montreal?

To find out, Climate Central, a research and communications organisation based in the United States of America, downscaled the global climate models assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to see the effect on summer temperatures in various cities by the year 2100. It used two different climate change scenarios (high emissions and moderate emissions) and matched each selected city with a city that already experiences such temperatures.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Climate Central invited weather presenters from a dozen countries to work with meteorological services and other national experts to explore the implications. For example, by the end of the century the citizens of Paris (where daily summer high temperatures now average 22.7°C) may see summer high temperatures like those today in Fez, Morocco (29.2°C).

Many of the assessed cities could see their maximum daily temperatures in summer rise by as much as 6-9°C. No place on Earth is currently as hot as the summer highs that cities such as Doha and Baghdad could experience if global emissions remain high.

Other cities featured in the videos include Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Frankfurt, Hanoi, Havana, Kampala, Madrid, Montreal, Nairobi, Sofia and Tokyo.

“What the weather presenters have created are only possible scenarios, and not true forecasts. Nevertheless, they are based on the most up-to-date climate science, and they paint a compelling picture of how climate change may impact daily life in cities where most of the world’s population lives. Urban warming could be double that of surrounding areas due to the presence of stone materials and paved roads. This would lead in particular to higher night-time temperatures,” said WMO Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas.

“The enhanced heat – and an expected increase in associated extreme weather like summer storms – will have major implications for energy and water supplies, public health and transportation. More intense heatwaves would also often lead to poorer air quality, which can even be lethal,” he said.

Miguel Ángel Mancera, the Mayor of Mexico City and the Vice Chair of C40 Cities for Latin America, said: “By 2050, about 80 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Fortunately, a growing number of cities around the world have committed to taking action to reduce emissions and pursue sustainable development. I am convinced that with local action we can achieve global goals.”

The new video series is part of an initiative by WMO and weather presenters to make climate science more accessible so that the public can better understand how climate change affects the local and national weather conditions that impact our daily lives.

In a similar exercise, WMO previously worked with some 60 weather presenters on “weather reports from the year 2050.” Four series of reports were launched in conjunction with the Paris climate change conference (COP 21), the Third World Conference on Disaster risk Reduction held in Sendai, the Lima climate change conference (COP 20) and the UN Climate Summit in New York.

Amina Mohammed clamours stronger AU-UN partnership to benefit Africa’s youth

Michael Simire
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Amina Mohammed clamours stronger AU-UN partnership to benefit Africa’s youth

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Monday, July 3, 2017 called for the strengthening of the relationship between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) in order to deliver on promised development for Africa’s youth.

Amina Mohammed
Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo credit: African Union Commission

Addressing her first African Union Summit since taking office, Ms. Mohammed said that the AU’s thematic focus this year on youth is a “powerful reminder” of the core principle at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the AU’s strategic framework known as Agenda 2063 and other global agreements, namely, creating a better world for the next generation.

“For the 226 million young people aged 15 to 24 living in Africa today, these agendas address challenges and opportunities that are integral to their futures,” she said.

“Today you are here taking decisions that will ensure that Africa benefits from the full potential of all its people, including young women and men,” she added, in a nod to this year’s theme of Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through investments in Youth.

“Investing in our youth today reaps the dividend of a peaceful and prosperous Africa tomorrow.”

Addressing leaders from across the continent who have gathered at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ms. Mohammed called for “building new bridges between us, and fortifying the ones that already exist” to deliver on the promises of the development agenda for Africa and its people.

In April, the UN-AU annual conference in New York resulted in a joint framework for enhanced partnership on peace and security. The two organisations are now preparing a joint framework on sustainable development, focusing on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and of Agenda 2063, according to Ms. Mohammed.

She also noted that the UN will be collaborating with the AU on a new UN-European Union initiative to be launched at the UN General Assembly this September to end gender-based violence around the world.

The deputy UN chief also highlighted some of the other areas where the UN and the AU are working more closely, including on efforts to enhance the UN’s partnership with Africa’s regional economic communities in areas of peacekeeping, elections and democratic transitions.

Secretary-General António Guterres recently reiterated the need for “predictable, reliable and sustainable” financing for AU peace operations, and is said to be working on a set of concrete proposals for the UN Security Council.

“Our efforts should continue to be based on urgency, flexibility and innovation to improve complementarity, cost-effectiveness and impact,” Ms. Mohammed said.

She also echoed Mr. Guterres’ call at the G7 summit in Italy, where he urged world leaders to invest in young people, with stronger investment in technology, relevant education and capacity-building in Africa.

“The challenge of strengthening Africa’s human capital, starting with its young people, has galvanised commitments to promote their rights and invest in quality and relevant education at all levels, health, science and technology and innovation,” said Ms. Mohammed.

GMOs: Biosafety agency collaborates with quarantine service, seed council

Michael Simire
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GMOs: Biosafety agency collaborates with quarantine service, seed council

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) and the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) as part of efforts to regulate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and its products in the country.

NBMA
Officials of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) and the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) after the signing of the MOU

Signing the MoU on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 in Abuja, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, NBMA Director General/CEO, said that the MoU presented the various agencies the needed platform for synergy and the opportunity to fast track the management of issues of genetic modification in a way to safeguard the health of Nigerians and the environment.

Dr. Ebegba added that the MoU remained a landmark development in the history of biosafety in the country as it would ensure the agencies speak with one voice on issues of biosafety.

“The controversy surrounding GMOs will not abate soon therefore, it is important for us, as government, to work together and be courageous to say the truth without fear or favour,” Ebegba added.

He noted that NBMA does not promote GMOs but promotes safety measures that will ensure the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.

Dr. Vincent Iselgbe, Coordinating Director, NAQS, during the signing ceremony acknowledged the role NBMA is playing in safeguarding the health of Nigerians.

“The existence of the NBMA is vital for our country. The Agency is in the forefront of protecting the health of Nigerians, as well as the environment. The country’s agriculture is currently saddled with challenges such as army worms and other insect infestations, these developments reinforce the need for all to support the NBMA in carrying out its mandate,” he said.

He said the MoU provided the necessary framework for his service to collaborate with NBMA as far as import and export of GMOs are concerned.

Also speaking, Dr. Phillip Olusegun Ojo, Director General, NASC, said that the National Seed Policy recognises the place of GM seeds hence the need for the council to work closely with NBMA in regulating the nation’s seed industry.

The MoU took into cognisance the mandates of the various agencies’ specified areas of partnership in the import and export of GM products, seed multiplication and commercialisation, and handling.

UNODC leads fight against corruption in Nigeria

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UNODC leads fight against corruption in Nigeria

The International Anti-Corruption Day is commemorated on December 9 of every year, especially by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union (EU) and the US Embassy in conjunction with the government of Nigeria on the platform of the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT). The IATT comprises 22 government agencies with Anti-Corruption and accountability mandates, but the menace is still a clear and present danger that must be tackled consistently.

UNODC
A view of participants at the conference

Corruption is basically defined as dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery and it is the bane of development especially in developing countries such as Nigeria, which has been rated by Transparency International whose 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index puts the country as the 136th least corrupt country in the world.

Accordingly, records by TI show that the scale of corruption in the world is still huge as 68 percent of countries worldwide have serious corruption problems.

“Half of the G20 are among them. Not one single country is corruption-free,” it states.

Successive administrations in the country right from the return of democracy in 1999 have one way or the other failed to stem corruption in the fabric of the very existence of the country. According to observers, corruption is present in all spheres of the Nigerian society, be it in governance, religious bodies, and the private sector, among others.

The current administration in the country led by President Muhammadu Buhari has made concerted efforts in fighting corruption headlong, with many celebrated cases of trials, arraignments and investigations into alleged corrupt practices mostly from the previous administration. However, it is not yet Uhuru. The drive though commendable must go further and be domesticated at the lowest rungs of the society in order to involve even the civil servant in the ministry who resorts to collecting inducement before processing a file and the policeman on the high way who extorts monies from drivers.

It will be recalled that the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, gave a cost of corruption stating that 55 Nigerians stole N1.34 trillion between 2000 and 2013, and that 15 former governors and five former ministers stole N146.84 billion.

It is worthy of note that the UNODC floated anti-corruption programme in the country will go a long way in conscientiously bringing to the fore the need to abhor corruption and stem its further growth, to enhance development and growth of the nation.

As advocated by participants at a three-day Media Meeting on Anti-Corruption in Nigeria, organised by the UNODC with funding from the European Union (EU) through a reviewed 16-point communique in Lagos on Monday, July 3, 2017, Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) were charged to develop strategic communication plans for their operations, government urged to establish special courts to tackle corruption matters, and that the fight against corruption should not be limited to the federal level but should include states and LGAs.

The resolution also also underlined the need to further give emphasis to the importance of value re-orientation of citizens in the fight against corruption, promote the need to curb institutional corruption through systemic reviews, and urged the ACAs to help build the capacity of the media in the fight against corruption.

Little wonder, the National Project Officer UNODC, Nigeria Country Office, Sylvester Atere, who noted that strengthening integrity and reducing corruption has been a priority for Nigeria for a number of years, maintained that the anti-corruption sector in Nigeria currently has a reasonable quantity and quality of legislative texts, statutes and mandates to carry out its work and a number of anti-corruption institutions have been created.

However, he opines: “Though the existing legal framework could be improved further, specifically in areas relating to preventive action, incentives for reporting, whistle blowing and witness protection as it provides a fair basis for anti-corruption agencies to conduct their work, if it were fully enforced.”

Atere stresses that “the Government of Nigeria took part in the consultations leading to the adoption of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2003 which is the global framework for the fight against corruption.”

“This project builds on the achievements of a previous EU-funded project under the 9th EDF, and will support the Government of Nigeria by promoting good governance and by contributing to Nigeria’s efforts in enhancing transparency, accountability and combating corruption,” he said.

The time to fight corruption in the country is now or never if we must get out of the doldrums of economic malaise, and the quagmire of under-development for now and future generations.

By Damian Daga, Lagos

Forum showcases Africa’s ground breaking health research

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Forum showcases Africa’s ground breaking health research

The scientists, representing 54 institutions in 21 countries across the continent, have been participating in the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) Africa Annual Meeting, a $100 million programme to build world class research leaders.  The meeting held from Monday, July 3 to Wednesday, July 5, 2017 in Accra, Ghana.

Alphonsus Neba
Dr Alphonsus Neba, the Programme Manager for DELTAS Africa

The ambitious initiative was launched in 2015 with funding commitments through 2020 by the African Academy of Sciences and the NEPAD Agency’s Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), with the support of the Wellcome Trust and the UK’s Department for International Development.

DELTAS Africa is dedicated to training the next generation of scientific leaders on the continent at the level of master’s, PhD and postdoctoral fellowship. It also builds the infrastructure to produce world class research to address Africa’s health and research priorities.

“We are glad to be hosting some of Africa’s best minds in Ghana, which shows a commitment from our scientists to galvanise resources to solving our pressing health challenges,” said Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

In the two years since its implementation, DELTAS Africa has recruited close to 500 masters, PhD and postdoctoral fellows, half of whom are women.

“We are proud of the progress so far. Through DELTAS Africa, we are contributing to increasing the population of African health researchers and women scientists and providing the infrastructure needed to do quality research to improve health outcomes and to retain our best young talent on the continent,” said Dr Tom Kariuki, African Academy of Sciences Interim Executive Director and AESA Director.

Africa’s global share of health researchers is a meagre 0.3 percent while women researchers across different scientific disciplines account for only 22% of African researchers. This limits the continent’s efforts to improve its public health systems, a prerequisite to creating healthy nations. As a result, the continent, which represents 17% of the world’s population, bears a disproportionate 25% of the global disease burden. Devastating outbreaks such as Ebola have underscored the lack of trained doctors and other healthcare providers, as well as outdated and underdeveloped health and research systems.

By 2034, the continent is forecast to be home to the world’s largest working age population of 1.1 billion. Building the knowledge base that will create high level R&D driven jobs for this young population so they can live, work and thrive in Africa, will require massive domestic and foreign investment in African R&D. AESA and its partners, such as Wellcome and DFID are setting the pace through investments in DELTAS Africa.

DELTAS Africa promises to reap the population dividend by improving research environments, training researchers who are conducting important studies that shed light oninfectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and population and public health challenges, including:

  • Vaccine development for malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis including finding ways of controlling and eliminating endemic diseases in Africa
  • Large population studies to track health changes and inform policy to adopt and implement adaptive measures
  • Better understanding of neglected tropical diseases that will lead to the development of new treatment and preventative approaches.

Dr Alphonsus Neba, the Programme Manager for DELTAS Africa, said, “Healthy nations are wealthy nations. Health research generates the knowledge to improve health systems and provide a productive and healthy workforce that can contribute to socio-economic development.”

The DELTAS Africa Annual Meeting also provides an essential platform for intra-African collaboration, which still significantly lags behind foreign collaboration. Of the continent’s six most productive research nations – Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia – none of its top collaborators are fellow African nations.

“Collaboration is key to optimising our limited resources to solve our common challenges,”says Dr Neba.

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