In a recent public statement, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo emphasised the determination of the current administration to adopt a Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) approach for the 2016 fiscal year, at the same time linking clearly defined policy priorities to the budget.
Yemi Osinbajo, Vice-President of Nigeria. Photo credit: profyemiosibanjo.com
Following the decision of the Federal Government to adopt ZBB, ActionAid Nigeria facilitated a series of consultations and discussions among civil society organisations (CSOs) involved in budget advocacy. The consultations led to the hosting of two-day training on ZBB for CSOs, organised by ActionAid Nigeria with support from Oxfam in Nigeria and the Federal Public Administration Reform Programme Nigeria (FEPAR).
The participating CSOs, collectively referred to as The Budget Network, commend the principles behind the decision, namely the need to ensure efficiency, transparency and value for money in public spending, a position civil society has advocated over the years. The Budget Network expressed concerns over the non-inclusion of CSOs in the conceptualisation and implementation of the ZBB.
The Network expressed worry about the audit process, non-publication and implementation of audit reports and urged government to strengthen the office of the Auditor General by ensuring that all audit reports are treated with the urgency and importance they deserve.
The Network further called on the Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives to become more assertive in holding all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to account at all times.
The Network additionally called for a revisit of the National Budget Bill and urged the Federal Government to constitute the Procurement Council with the inclusion of representatives from civil society and media, in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007.
The Network also called on the government to make the budget process more participatory and inclusive, and to regularly communicate its policies and programmes to the citizenry.
The Network further called on government to take steps to align the ZBB implementation with existing legal frameworks and demanded adequate monitoring and evaluation of the process in order to address any unintended consequences.
In order to expand the revenue base of government, the Network suggested that government takes urgent steps to diversify sources of income. One of the major ways is recovery of stolen assets and the reform of the tax system to guard against illicit financial flows, tax holidays and waivers enjoyed by multinational corporations and influential businesses.
The Budget Network comprises the following CSOs: 1. Civil Research Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) Enugu 2. Know Your Budget (KYB) Kaduna 3. Christian Aid 4. Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) Ijebu-Ode 5. Women Associates Research and Documentation Centre (WARD-C) 6. Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Groups (NDEBUMOG) 7. Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (CENTRE LSD) 8. Federal Public Administration Reform Programme (FEPAR) 9. African Centre for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Benin City 10. Development Action Group, Port Harcourt 11. Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) 12. International Centre for Development Initiative, Lagos. 13. BUDGiT 14. Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) 15. Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) 16. National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) 17. Policy Associates 18. Oxfam in Nigeria 19. ActionAid Nigeria
The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) concluded its 12th Plenary session and fourth Ministerial Summit in Mexico City recently with commitments to share data on Earth observations at a time of exponential data growth, human development and climate change.
Eduardo Sojo, President of INEGI. Photo credit: fuerza.com.mx
Hosted by the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (or National Institute of Geography, Statistics and Informatics) (INEGI), the week-long conference was attend by more than 400 delegates from 41 GEO governments and 39 partner organisations, and included Ministers of Environment, Science and Natural Resources.
Major achievements include the adoption of a 10-year Strategic Plan (2016 – 2025) and a Ministerial Declaration that focuses on harnessing critical environmental observations to enable leaders to make better-informed decisions for the benefit of humanity at a time of rapid global change.
Against the backdrop of the recent adoption of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and an anticipated global agreement on climate change, GEO launched several bold, new initiatives, including:
A global Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), including an Arctic to Antarctic network linking coastal observing centers in the Americas to measure species distribution and habitat;
AmeriGEOSS, a regional programme to share Earth observation data for agriculture; disaster risk reduction; water; and biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring;
A new initiative to integrate Earth observations into national plans to attain the Global Goals for Sustainable Development; and
Renewal of GEONETCast, an initiative of China, Europe and the United States to provide critical Earth observation data to developing countries.
Eduardo Sojo, President of INEGI said, “This is a unique event for Mexico to talk about the environmental politics of the world. We are pleased to be participating in GEO activities that will provide significant benefit to Mexico and the Latin America/Caribbean region.”
U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said, “As we near the historic Paris climate talks, its clear open data and international collaboration are key to countries moving the needle on climate change. We can and should share Earth observation data to help address climate challenges because science and open data are ritical to understanding land, water, wildlife and climate change. They must be at the heart of every policy decision – no country can solve it alone.”
European Commissioner Carlos Moedas said, “We have reached a tipping-point where GEO has to move its focus towards successful societal delivery. We should not underestimate this formidable challenge. The European Union, through its Horizon 2020 and Copernicus programmes will continue to be a driving force to help GEOSS reach its full maturity – a GEOSS which is designed for and accessible by all contributors and all users.”
South Africa´s Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, said, “Our responsibility is to ensure the targets of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development are met. We should not take science for granted. We need to provide adequate funding for scientific research and global collaboration.”
China´s Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Jianlin Cao, said, “We promote open access to data, knowledge and information. Data sharing is key for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). As Co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific region, we will implement more activities to enforce GEO cooperation with other countries, such as capacity-building, data sharing, eco-environment, disaster monitoring and climate change observing.”
GEO welcomes new Members Ecuador, Kenya, Somalia, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe, bringing the number to 100 nations; five new Participating Organisations: the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (BSC), International Research Center on El Niño (CIIFEN), Future Earth, Research Data Alliance (RDA) and The World Bank (IBRD/IDA); and four new Observers: European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technologies (ISNET), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).
The 13th GEO Plenary will be held in St Petersburg, Russia in November 2016.
Fresh hopes have emerged for Nigeria’s floundering agricultural sector, thanks to a new initiative being promoted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is tagged the “GEF-UNDP Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Nigeria.”
A smallholder female farmer
According to project officials, the scheme will contribute to the enhancement of long-term environmental sustainability and resilience of food production systems of the country, for the achievement of improved national food security by:
Strengthening the enabling institutional and policy environment,
Scaling up proven sustainable land and water management (SLWM) gender-responsive best practices for improved productivity, particularly among small-scale family agricultural producers in the face of climate change and climate variability impacts, and
Establishing a climate-resilient and result-oriented food security monitoring system.
At a project initiation workshop held last week in Abuja, participants attempted to perfect and finalise the project elements, preparatory to a full commencement of the programme.
While accounting for about 24% of the nation’s GDP and employing roughly 70% of the labour force, agriculture is dominated by about 15 million smallholders (mostly women), who account for over 90% of the national food.
In a presentation titled “Fostering sustainability and food security in Nigeria,” Prof Emmanuel Oladipo of the University of Lagos listed the main divers of food security to include: rapidly growing population, changing and uncertain climate, shrinking farming workforce, poor infrastructure, flat crops yields over the past decades, and conflicts in the northern agro-ecological zones (AEZs) where most of the grains are produced.
“These drivers put food security in grave danger, unless the decline in food production is offset by vast increase in country food production and food imports – despite infrastructure, production and market support services constraints,” submitted Prof Oladipo.
While identifying possible risks as political, strategic, operational and financial, he listed the project components as:
Enhancing the institutional and policy environment for achieving improved food security
Scaling up gender-sensitive sustainable land and water management (SLWM) initiatives and agrobiodiversity practices that provide local adaptation and global benefits and improve food production
Developing an appropriate methodology for results-oriented monitoring and evaluation (M & E) for food security and establishing a climate and food security monitoring system in project areas
In terms of national relevance, the project is said to be consistent with policies and strategies such as the Vision 20:2020; Economic Transformation Blueprint; Agricultural Transformation Agenda; National Policies on Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment; National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change in Nigeria (NASPA-CCN); and National Agricultural Resilience Framework (NARF).
Prof Oladipo’s words: “Specific project sites are yet to be determined, but focus will be on the Sudan-Sahelian AEZ, where agro-pastoral millet sorghum and cereal-root crop mixed production systems are practiced.”
Over 40,000 persons are expected to attend the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in December this year, the French Ambassador to India, François Richier, has said.
L-R: French Ambassador Francois Richier, CSE Director General Sunita Narain and Zambian Deputy Ambassador to India Sikapale Chinzewe, at the final day of the conference
Richier says the French government will offer free visas to journalists. He was speaking during the final day of the Annual Media Briefing on Climate Change organised by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an environment think tank based in India.
Over 100 journalists from the continents of Asia and Africa attended the two-day event held at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi a couple of weeks ago.
In her remarks, the CSE Director General Sunita Narain petitioned developing countries to negotiate powerfully during this conference.
“It is important for developing countries to negotiate strongly in Paris. It is critical that countries from South Asia and Africa send their best people and negotiate hard on climate change,” said Sunita.
Most speakers during the event blamed the developed countries for the present state of global warming.
The world is already looking at the prospect of not containing climate change within 2 degrees Celsius. And, to achieve this, the Zambian deputy high commissioner Sikapale Chinzewe who also spoke during this occasion, insisted that climate change resolutions must be legally binding.
Speaking in a session to discuss American consumption trends, CSE Director General Sunita Narain said that if the US did not make serious changes to its “conspicuous consumption”, climate change mitigation efforts would not be as successful as US needed to lead the way, having been the highest emitter in the world.
Some of the journalists from Africa who attended this two-day event in India
Earlier, CSE Deputy Director General Chandra Bhushan said that the per capita annual emission of the United States would be 12 tonnes while that of the European Union would be five tonnes in 2030.
“People live well in the EU. Americans need to scale down their lifestyles,” he said.
One of the journalists, Kaah Aaron Yancho, from Cameroon, who is also a member of Water Journalists Africa and writer for WaterSan Perspective, lamented that the western media was shaping the agenda in developing countries instead of the indigenous media in these countries.
“We need to ensure that our policies are not affected by the powerful but biased foreign media,” he said.
Recently, the nation’s environment watchdog, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), held its 2015 Green Ball in Lagos.
Themed “Reforestation,” the event held at the Oriental Hotel and was graced by dignitaries.
Wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun (in gold), in the company of Chairman, National Executive Council, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Chief Ede Dafinone and other guests during the NCF Green Ball
NCF Council Member, Mr. Desmond Majekodunm (left); environmentalist, Dr. Newton Jibunoh; and a guest during the NCF Green Ball
Wife of the Governor, Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun (right); NCF Council Member, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi (left); and a guest during the NCF Green Ball
Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Segun Awolowo, has revealed that the sum of almost N350 billion is lost to smuggling of Shea products from Nigeria every year due to the non-existence of proper structure for the Shea value chain in the country.
Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Segun Awolowo
“Nearly N345 million is lost in the smuggling of Shea products out of the country,” Mr Awolowo stated at the Shea Conference in Abuja. The two-day conference which had the theme, Shea Conference: A Concerted Renaissance, was organised by the USAID Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) project in collaboration with Shea Origin and the National Shea Products Association of Nigeria (NASPAN).
Noting that the global demand for Shea butter is worth about $10 billion and is projected to be worth about $30 billion by 2020, the NEPC boss called for increased proactive measures of repositioning the non-oil export sector in the country with agricultural products, such as Shea, with which Nigeria’s GDP is expected to surge.
“This adds value to the country’s socio-economic space in the form of inclusive and sustainable growth and wealth creation,” he said, adding that “becoming a competitive global player in Shea production is one key step in Nigeria’s push to industrialise, lifting millions out of poverty and bringing the country closer to realizing its full economic potential.”
In addition to the traditional uses of Shea such as cosmetics, soap, moisturiser, oil, wax, ointments and candles, Shea butter is now commonly used in the production of cocoa butter equivalents or improvers and up to 5% content by weight is allowed under EU regulations in chocolate, other confectionaries and margarine, creating even larger international markets for Shea products.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Nigeria is the world largest producer of Shea nut, producing 325,000mt in 2010 with the wildly grown Shea trees predominant in 21 states across the country.
Lamenting the failure to harness this nature endowed advantage, Awolowo noted that issues of quality control with Shea processing in Nigeria must be standardised. “Although there are approximately 16 Shea producing states in Nigeria, problems arising from quality control meant we were unable to convert our comparative advantage to competitive advantage in the global arena. Yet the strong sector development can lead to poverty reduction, women empowerment, employment generation through the establishment of small and medium scale industries and the earning of precious foreign exchange.”
Mr Awolowo however revealed that Shea butter is one of the products that has been selected for the NEPC One-State-One-Product (OSOP) initiative which seeks to “develop one exportable product per state by leveraging on the area’s comparative advantage.”
He also adds that Shea butter will feature prominently as one of the products for the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) initiative by the US government which allows import of agricultural commodities from Africa to the US, duty free as well as the Nigeria Diaspora Export Programme (NDEX), which seeks to take advantage of Nigerians in the diaspora by leveraging on their population.
Declaring the conference open, Wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, noted: “Shea butter industry would be able to achieve and eradicate extreme hunger, universal primary education, promote gender equality, and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS and malaria, and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development.”
Also speaking at the conference, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) who was represented by Mallam Aminu Takuma – a Director at NIPC – stated: “NIPC will be partnering with the USAID Nigeria NEXTT project and Technoserve to facilitate investments in Shea Clusters with necessary processing facilities in states where Shea trees are predominant.” The Shea clusters are to be spread across the 19 states where the Shea trees are predominant.
Affirming the investment opportunities in Nigeria for the Shea industry with growing international demand, the President of NASPAN, Saidu Ali, notes that “there are currently six massive processing plants for Shea butter in Ghana while there is none in Nigeria.”
“Imagine the level of economic loss for us as a country while we are losing most of the Shea nuts and butter to smugglers,” he adds.
The conference which had over 250 participants featured training sessions on critical issues such as industry trends, production techniques, and the international market for Shea, as well as practical information about the Shea business and improving its processing standards.
The U.S. government, through USAID, continues to support Nigeria’s Shea industry, through the Global Shea Alliance, which includes leading retail brands, Shea butter manufacturers, research institutions, ministries, regulatory bodies, and Shea butter producers and exporters.
“By building local capacities and facilitating a dialogue on public-private partnerships, this conference will do much to further the development and vitality of the Shea industry,” said Mobola Sagoe, Chief Executive of Shea Origin and convener of the Shea Conference.
In a related development, the USAID Nigeria has revealed plans to support the development of the Shea industry in Nigeria through the wide network of Global Shea Alliance, another USAID initiative for the Shea sector.
Acting Deputy Mission Director of the American aid organisation in Nigeria, Kathy Body, made this know at the 2015 Shea conference in Abuja, where she stated: “USAID Nigeria recognises that a stronger Nigerian role in the global Shea market will particularly benefit rural Nigerian women.”
Thousands of women are engaged in picking and processing of Shea in rural communities across 21 states in Nigeria, and observers believe that improving the standard of production can lead to poverty reduction as the demand for Shea butter is increasing in the international market.
“USAID believes that, together, we can help Nigeria’s Shea industry to take advantage of the business opportunities that exist for this commodity,” Ms. Body stated, adding that “the U.S. is committed to supporting sustainable, broad-based economic growth in Nigeria. We believe that Nigeria’s agricultural sector will be the key area for that growth.”
“We are very proud of our support to the Global Shea Alliance that today has more than 350 members, today the Alliance spans the entire industry. The number of Alliance members is not nearly as important as the women’s groups who collect Shea; the exporter of Shea nuts and Shea butter in Nigeria and Africa, or the world’s leading specialty companies that use Shea in their products including global candy and beauty products.”
Appealing to practitioners in the Shea sector, the USAID Nigeria Director underlined the need for a standard procedure of processing to enable the marketability of Nigeria’s Shea appropriately at the right value.
“The Shea industry has been growing, but further growth is possible, particularly if those in the industry can create the economies of scale in production and marketing that will allow producers to add more value to their goods.”
“Producers need to be able to take advantage of regional and global markets, and process their products where it makes the most sense. I encourage you to be persistent in your efforts to build a stronger and more competitive Shea industry,” Body concluded.
In the June 21, 2015 edition of EnviroNews, this writer wrote an article titled “How to tame Lagos gridlock,” wherein some of the causes responsible for the daily traffic congestion in Lagos Mega were identified. Some solutions on how to ameliorate the problem were also proffered in the article under reference.
Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State. Photo credit: ecomium.org
Recently, it was reported in the media that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had embarked on the reorganisation of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) as part of the efforts to tame the city’s gridlock. The Governor, in October 2015, appointed a new Chief Executive Officer, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Mr. Kayode Olamkpe, as the helmsman of LASTMA. He sacked a couple of the management staff and injected new blood into the Authority.
The Governor gave the new CEO and his team of officials the directive that they must change the traffic situation in the mega city for the better. Mr. Olamkpe must bring his profound experience as a “super cop” to bear on the performance of the Authority he was appointed to superintend. Governor Ambode publicly declared that the present gridlock in Lagos was unacceptable; but not insurmountable (my emphasis). Hence, he solicited the co-operation of all stakeholders to combat the menace.
Another step in the right direction taken by the Governor in addressing the problem was the agreement he reached with the Tanker Drivers’ Union and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which also made headline news in the dailies. As reported, the executive of the Tanker Drivers’ Union had voluntarily agreed that its members would desist from parking their vehicles at unauthorised places on Lagos roads once the NPA provides designated parking facilities for their use. The NPA has promised to fulfill its part of the agreement within a stipulated timeframe so that the tanker drivers would commence using the authorised parking lots.
It was equally reported that some Local Government Areas (LGAs) within the city had constituted the Traffic Volunteer Corps (TVC) to complement the efforts of LASTMA in traffic management. This is a welcome development. It is hoped that the LGAs would be able to sustain the new initiative.
However, as much as Governor Ambode made valiant efforts to unchain Lagos from the firm grip of daily traffic lock jam, we are suggesting new creative approaches and desirable actions which are worthy of his immediate consideration and implementation being the Chief Executive of Lagos State.
We propose as follows:
Lagos should adopt Walk (Your City) concept
Walk (Your City) was the ingenuity/creative idea of an American urban designer and activist, Matt Tomasulo, based in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States of America, which unexpectedly became a “Global Movement” whereby cities are encouraged to adopt a “walking culture.” At the inception of the idea in Raleigh, North Carolina, Matt Tomasulo thought of how to make the city user-friendly and encouraged walking among the city residents instead of driving their cars very often. Tomasulo opined that: “a big obstacle to walking is this perceived barrier of a destination being ‘too far’; when in fact it is a walk-able distance.”
To correct this erroneous public impression, in 2012, Matt started a project code-named Walk Raleigh and created low-cost handy tools made up of 27 corrugated plastic signs which he posted on utility poles in three popular zones within the city of Raleigh overnight. The signs simply contained directional/walking distance messages of how long it would take to walk to nearby destinations within Raleigh such as a sporting arena, civic centre, school, train station, bus stop, government building (for example: city hall, museum), bank, historical district, popular monument and other places of interest for both local residents and visitors to Raleigh.
Walk Raleigh signs. Photo credit: Walk Raleigh, Matt Tomasulo, 2012
The signs caught the attention of Raleigh municipal administrators, who officially adopted the concept and incorporated it into its city-marketing strategy, by show-casing how walkable the city is. Walk Raleigh caught the bug among the city’s residents who now prefer to walk more often than driving. And with less driving, traffic congestion on the city roads reduced drastically. Added to this, Raleigh-ites are enjoying health benefits of walking, way-finding is easier and there are more people on the city streets fueling more social interaction and helping citizens becoming more engaged.
The novel idea of Walk Raleigh had since given birth to a “world-wide movement” known as WALK (YOUR CITY) with a dedicated website launched in November 2013. The website enables users to generate customised street signs in order to improve walkability of their cities’ neighborhoods. Cities across the globe have initiated their own fashion of the project. We now have Walk London, Walk Amsterdam, Walk New York, Walk Beijing, Walk Sydney, Walk Mexico, Walk Paris and Walk Moscow, among the most popular global examples. In essence, Matt Tomasulo, the originator of the creative idea, is a shining example of what is known in planning parlance as Tactical Urbanism. That is: direct action people can take without waiting endlessly for city leaders. In other words, he took a short-term action that precipitated a long term change in Raleigh in particular, and the world at large.
This expose is to draw the attention of the Lagos State Governor to what is trending about cities around the world and how innovative idea (with low-cost wayfinding signs) can be applied to solve urban problems. More often than not, cities are held back by Analysis Paralysis – too much studies never got implemented. Therefore, it is being suggested that Governor Ambode adopt Walk Lagos as a strategy to encourage walking among the residents of Lagos Mega City. If people imbibe the culture of walking to go to places that are walkable, instead of using their cars, there would be less vehicles on the road leading to drastic reduction in environmental pollution and cleaner air for people to breathe to stay healthy.
The trio of Ministries of Transportation, Physical Planning and Information should collaborate and agree on the templates of the signage to use and where such directional signs would be posted within the nooks and crannies of the mega city. For effect, Lagosians should begin to see in public places catchy sign messages such as:
7-minute walk to Lagos State Secretariat
10-minute walk to Sheraton Hotel
It is a 15-minute walk to the National Stadium
The Federal Museum is 25-minute walk from here
Freedom Park is 16-minute walk by foot
You can walk to University of Lagos in 14 minutes
The local airport is 17 minutes by foot
You are 22 minutes walking distance to Lagos Central Business District
Tejuosho Market is walkable in 23 minutes
These signs are to deliberately erase the erroneous perception of places being too far to walk by foot thereby boosting walkability in Lagos. By using this approach, government would consciously change people transportation choices for the better and create new opportunities for public participation.
Make Lagos streets pedestrian-friendly
To kick-start Walk Lagos, the LASG would need to urgently take certain actions to support and encourage walk trips. Such actions would include the provision of pedestrian infrastructure, sustainable public enlightenment campaign for attitudinal change and blanket prohibition of street trading. If walking on the streets of Lagos is to appeal to pedestrians, there must be conducive environment for them to do so. As presently constituted, most of the streets lack walkways for pedestrians. Motorists and other street users are always in competition for space on Lagos roads and in the process, traffic get disrupted, stalled and gridlocked. For Walk Lagos to be a successful campaign, the government, as a matter of urgency, must begin to rehabilitate most city streets where human traffic is high and retrofit them with walkways for the convenient use of pedestrians.
Ban street trading
The notoriety of street traders in Lagos is public knowledge. The traders are always in constant clash with officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI). There are also traders who display their goods on pedestrian walkways where they are provided, which should not be so. Both habits are condemnable and must be discouraged. The adverse effect on the free flow of traffic and the danger inherent in street trading should be intensified in the public enlightenment under this dispensation that the city is experiencing daily gridlock. Lagos might want to understudy Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, a sister African city, as a ‘model’ in how to curb street trading. The city was adjudged the most pedestrian-friendly city in Africa in 2013 by Future City, a quarterly periodical on planning in Africa. The walkways for pedestrians in Addis Ababa are free of obstruction because traders are strictly prohibited by law not to display their goods on the sidewalks. What we consider impossible in Lagos could be out of ignorance, but experience from an African city where street trading has been successfully banned by law can invoke a change of attitude among Lagosians.
LASTMA must change its modus operandi
Governor Ambode’s body language about the un-impressive performance of the Authority was very clear to discerning minds. Having overhauled the Authority and injected new blood, the Governor expects a change for the better. LASTMA officials require new orientation. The Authority will perform better by employing experienced personnel and must ensure that those hired with no experience are properly trained on the rudiments of traffic management before they are sent to the street to control traffic. Finally, there must be zero-tolerance for venality. Any officer caught in the web of corruption must be sacked with immediate effect to serve as deterrent to other unscrupulous officers. Need is often a prime driver of innovation. Lagos gridlock requires innovative and sustainable approach, not ephemeral solution. It is about time Lagos joins the league of global cities of Walk (Your City) movement.
By Town planner (Tpl.) Yacoob Abiodun (former Secretary, National Housing Policy Council, in Hayward City, California, USA.)
Nearly 40 Nigerian companies showcased their potential for offshore materials and services in the oil and gas industry at an exhibition held in Lagos by the deep-water subsidiary of Shell in Nigeria, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo.) The exhibition, the 4th in the series, aimed to raise the level of awareness in critical offshore oil and gas categories where local investment opportunities exist, and where Nigerian businesses are currently under-represented. Among the exhibitors at the 2015 edition were two companies, the Nigeria Machine Tools, and Kay Global, whose products are now being used in the oil and gas industry in the country.
L-R: Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo), Mr. Bayo Ojulari; Manager, Monitoring, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. William Arikekpar; and SNEPCo’s Finance Director, Ralph Wetzels, at the 2015 SNEPCo Nigerian Content Exhibition in Lagos, on Thursday, November 12, 2015.
“The annual Nigerian content exhibition has helped Nigerian companies to keep pace with the fast-evolving local market for offshore materials and services,” said Bayo Ojulari, SNEPCo Managing Director, in his opening remarks. “Looking back on the three editions, I’m happy to say that the event has provided a platform for the alignment of offshore industry demands with local capabilities, which has in turn promoted exchange of ideas and best practices among the indigenous service providers, SNEPCo and other stakeholders.”
Manager, Monitoring at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. William Arikekpar, commended SNEPCo for sustaining the exhibition since the first edition in 2012. He urged Nigerian companies to take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in offshore oil and gas operations.
SNEPCo’s Finance Director, Ralph Welzels, said he was happy to see many Nigerian companies exhibiting at the event, saying they must sustain the drive for excellence by improving processes and benchmarking against global standards.
The Nigeria Machine Tools attended the Nigerian Content Exhibition on November 11 having just successfully introduced some of its products, such as stud bolts and nuts, for use in offshore oil and gas exploration and production, after SNEPCo supported them with testing and certification. Also, Kay Global achieved a breakthrough when the backing of Shell led to the acceptance of the company’s locally manufactured personal protective equipment for use in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Shell companies in Nigeria, Mr. Chiedu Oba, said: “Shell companies in Nigeria will continue to support local manufacturers and vendors to bring them up to international standards. In doing this, we’re looking to see manufacturer suppliers who will make their mark on the international scene.”
SNEPCo helped to create the first generation of Nigerian deep-water oil and gas engineers and service providers when it commenced production at Bonga field in 2005, Nigeria’s first oil and gas project in more than 1,000 metres of water. Today, 90% of Bonga’s core offshore staff are Nigerian. SNEPCo has also led the way in providing financial empowerment and facilitating the transfer of knowledge and competences from global offshore service providers to local firms in exploration and production activities.
Hundreds of families are caught in a 22-year-long legal battle with Chevron over Ecuador pollution, with no end in sight, writes Priyanka Gupta, who reported from Ecuador on a fellowship from the International Reporting Project (IRP)
A contaminated water water body at the Ecuadorian Amazon region. Photo credit: rogerhollander.files.wordpress.com
It is exactly 22 years since the first class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the residents of the Ecuadorian Amazon region, known as the ‘Oriente,’ against Texaco in New York for allegedly causing environmental damage and increasing the risk of exposure to diseases like cancer among others.
The US company is accused of dumping toxic waste water carrying hazardous hydrocarbons and carcinogenic materials into the surrounding water bodies and rain forests, during its oil exploration and drilling operations between the late 1960s and early 1990s.
Hundreds of families have been caught in the legal battle with the US multinational energy company Chevron, which had acquired Texaco in 2001.
The company has denied any involvement and has called the allegations false.
Activists and lawyers representing the community say the remediation process carried out by Texaco to remove toxic waste from open pits and wells did not fix the problem, instead more than two decades later, saying a simple drill under the surface reveals mud-soaked in oil.
In 2013, Ecuador’s highest court imposed a fine of $9.5 billion on the company, upholding an earlier ruling by a local court, holding it responsible for pollution in the Amazon.
The case is now caught in international tribunals and class actions suits in several other countries. For the families of Lago Agrio, it has been a long wait for “justice”.
Ken Wiwa, the son of human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, says in this article published in The Guardian of London, that Nigeria’s Ogoniland still looks as devastated by oil pollution as when the junta executed his father 20 years ago. But, according to him, the carbon economy seems to be reaching a tipping point at last. Wiwa was a Nigerian government adviser from 2006 to 2015
Ken Wiwa. Photo credit: AP/Mary Altaffer
Twenty years ago today my father and eight other Ogoni men were woken from their sleep and hanged in a prison yard in southern Nigeria. When the news filtered out, shock and outrage reverberated around the world, and everyone from the Queen to Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela condemned the executions.
What I recall of the long days and sleepless nights afterwards was the slogan that caught on with my father’s devastated friends and supporters; we were united in a determination to ensure that “his death must not be in vain”. So has anything changed?
Nigerian government finally sets up fund to clean up Ogoniland oil spills
The trite answer is yes and no. Back in 1994 Ken Saro-Wiwa and scores of Ogoni men were arrested, detained without charge for six months, tortured and denied access to lawyers, doctors and family. When they were finally brought to court, they were arraigned before a military tribunal and accused of murder.
The late Ken Saro-Wiwa
That it was a kangaroo court is no longer in dispute. The trial and execution were consistent with the way Nigeria’s military regimes summarily dealt with people they regarded as a threat to their authority. A UN fact-finding mission led by eminent jurists vigorously condemned the process, and John Major, Britain’s prime minister, described the trial as “fraudulent”, the convictions as a “bad verdict”, and the executions as “judicial murder”.
Despite several aborted attempts to reconcile the victims and perpetrators, my father and the other men remain convicted criminals in Nigeria’s legal books. More worrying is that, although the military junta that killed my father is long gone, Nigeria’s civilian government has yet to come to terms with a man and a community whose story stands as enduring testimony to the consequences of reckless and unaccountable oil production.
My father went to the gallows an innocent man. He loved his country but refused to remain silent while his land and his people were being exploited. His real “crime” was in exposing the double standards of Shell, who had been quietly drilling oil for years in Nigeria, earning good profits for its shareholders but leaving the host community wallowing in levels of pollution that he described unflinchingly as “devastation”, pointing out that the operations in Ogoniland betrayed Shell’s own global standards.
If my father were alive today he would be dismayed that Ogoniland still looks like the devastated region that spurred him to action. There is little evidence to show that it sits on one of the world’s richest deposits of oil and gas.
And yet the impression that nothing has changed is deceptive. For a start the Ogoni’s claims of pollution against Shell have been vindicated. Shell always bristled against my father’s accusations, insisting, without any apparent sense of irony, that he was being emotive.
In 2006, however, the Nigerian government invited the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) to assess the in Ogoniland and the Niger delta. Among its sobering findings was the conclusion that . Although the report was not comprehensive, it represents the most detailed and evidence-based analysis of the situation in Ogoni. In one community, researchers reported that surface water contained 900 times acceptable levels of cancer-causing benzene. Unep even recommends that Nigeria establish a community cancer registry.
Although the Unep report was delivered in August 2011, the implementation of its recommendations is proving to be a political, fiscal, legal and administrative challenge to the government. I can attest that, despite its skittish hypersensitivity to criticism of its Ogoniland operations, Shell has repeatedly told me it is (£650m) that Unep recommended to kickstart the cleanup. However, my community is still waiting for social justice, with gathering impatience.
Only time will tell whether this process will deliver. Nigeria has plenty of challenges beyond Ogoniland. Many of these arise because our leaders lack the courage to right the wrongs of the past. While we are busy applying plasters to fundamental malfunctions, these efforts could be superseded by seismic shifts in law, in technology and in public opinion.
Sometimes it seems as if 10 November 1995 was another era. In some ways it was, and in others it feels like it was just yesterday. Between the disabling nature of his death and the enabling tests of time, one thought still sustains me: it is the old idea that the arc of the moral universe may be long, but it still bends towards justice.
