The remediation (environmental clean-up) of Bagega, a community affected by lead poisoning, is rounding up. Located in Zamfara, Northern Nigeria, Bagega has a population of about 7,535, with about 1,500 children awaiting urgent treatment for lead poisoning.
Lawal
“The people of Bagega are quite happy remediation is turning out successful, thus allowing hundreds of children to get screened for lead poisoning,” said Hamzat Lawal, an official of the Follow the Money (FTM), a not-for-profit initiative of Connected Development (CODE) that advocated, tracked and visualised funds for remediation, health sustainability strategy and implementation of safer mining practice in Bagega.
“The Remediation of Bagega which started March 5, 2013 is 99 percent complete, while the 1 percent remaining is the covering of the landfills. This remaining part is critical for the end of remediation. To avoid re-contamination, all landfills must be closed up and we are hopeful that, by Friday, July 5, 2013, all landfills must have been closed,” said Simba Tirima of TerraGraphics Foundation, the major consulting partner for the remediation of Bagega.
It will be recalled that on January 28, 2013, the Federal Government of Nigeria approved the release of about N850 million from the Ecological Funds to be distributed amongst the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for the remediation of communities affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara State.
“Since April 22, 2013, 981 children are being screened, 941 children in Bagega are to be admitted into the lead poisoning programme, while 181 are undergoing lead chelation therapy already,” affirmed Michelle Chouinard, Head of Mission of Doctors Without Borders in Nigeria.
Lawal sated, “The FTM team, Bagega enjoins all stakeholders and civil society organizations (CSOs) to shift advocacy towards institutionalising safer mining in all mining communities in Zamfara.”
“Remediation is only a temporary intervention, the only long term sustainable solution to preventing such epidemic again is creating a local, workable, safer mining plan, one that benefits both artisanal miners and the government,” said Oludotun Babayemi, co-founder of CODE.
UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, and Executive Director of ECOWAS’ Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), Mahama Kappiah, examine Nigeria’s low carbon potential
Steiner
The lights are going on all over Africa, home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Overall, that is great news. Children can study at night without breathing harmful or environmentally damaging kerosene fumes; the sense of security in poor communities, where people live in fear when night falls, is hugely increased; productivity for businesses improves as they can stay open later; and commonplace fires, caused by fallen candles or spilt fuels, become rare.
However, unless energy efficient lighting is adopted, carbon emissions from an expected increase in electricity consumption of between 60-70 per cent by 2030 could lead to disastrous effects on efforts to fight climate change globally.
Few actions could reduce carbon emissions as inexpensively and easily as the phase-out of inefficient lighting and making sure that any new lighting uses environmentally sustainable technology.
West Africa has become the latest region to drive efforts to promote energy efficient lighting. A complete transition in that area could produce annual energy savings of 2.4 terawatt hours, approximately 6.75 per cent of total electricity consumption. The savings would be enough to supply the total annual electricity needs of at least 1.2 million households.
This decision came after Ministers representing the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting in Ghana last October adopted a regional energy efficiency policy on the occasion of the ECOWAS High Level Energy Forum of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative.
The ECOWAS member states agreed to eliminate inefficient incandescent lamps and adopt more efficient lighting, a move that would save the region an estimated US$220 million per year in energy costs. Lighting currently represents 20 per cent of electricity usage.
They are supported by en.lighten, a global project established to accelerate worldwide market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies. This initiative is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with leading global lighting manufacturers, Philips and OSRAM, and the National Lighting Test Center (China).
ECOWAS was designated as a pilot region for en.lighten’sGlobal Efficient Lighting Partnership Programme – an unparalleled voluntary initiative, now backed by 48 countries, providing support for policies and actions aimed at a coordinated phase-out of inefficient lighting. The Programme supports the global phase-out of inefficient incandescent lamps by 2016.
For West Africa, the strategy is being formulated in collaboration with ECOWAS’ Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) as part of ECOWAS initiative on efficient lighting.
Around 60 per cent of the population in ECOWAS countries does not have access to electricity. Replacing the millions of kerosene lamps, candles and flashlights used in countries in the region with modern solar lighting would provide an increasingly low-cost solution to reducing carbon emissions, indoor air pollution and health risks, and boost green jobs.
It is a further contribution to the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative and a way for developing countries to demonstrate in practical terms their commitment to a new universal UN climate agreement by 2015.
The transition is underway, the challenge now is to maintain that momentum so that as the lights go on across Africa they go on in a way that builds another foundation towards a Green Economy and significant step towards the future we want and the future we need.
Nigeria alone could realize savings of over US$ 1.4 billion per year if a full transition to energy efficient lighting took place. For on-grid lighting, the shift to energy-saving replacement products for all of the major lamp types in the residential, commercial, industrial and outdoor sectors would result in a savings of 1.4 terawatt hours in annual electricity consumption which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of over 690,000 households. It would save 7 per cent of total national electricity consumption each year, equal to the power output of 2 medium (100 MW) power plants.
For off-grid lighting, Nigeria could avoid 2.3 litres of kerosene, 1.3 billion candles and 314 million batteries used for flashlights with a transition to energy efficient solar LED light sources. This is equivalent to over 17 million barrels of crude oil energy equivalent every year.
Between off-grid and on-grid lighting, the transition to energy efficient lighting for all applications in Nigeria would lead to a reduction of over 6.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
These significant carbon emissions could be reduced with the phase-out of inefficient lighting, as one of the most effective and economically advantageous ways to mitigate climate change for the country and for the world.
The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has joined hands with the International Centre for Energy, Environment & Development (ICEED) to build Nigeria’s capacity to provide scientific testing of stoves. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) to that effect was signed on Thursday in Abuja, even as ICEED made a commitment to support the establishment of the National Clean Cookstoves Development and Testing Laboratory at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Eleri
The collaboration will: develop technical standards for stoves manufactured or imported into Nigeria; provide testing and certification services related to stove technical quality, indoor air pollution, and energy efficiency; assist stove developers in improving skills for local stove design and construction methods; conduct research and development in collaboration with Nigerian and international research institutes and laboratories; and establish and strengthen linkages between the laboratory and the stove industry.
The joint initiative will likewise: maintain appropriate liaison with relevant regulatory and statutory agencies; support capacity building of other national research and development institutions in stove design and production; serve as a national demonstration center for clean cooking technologies; and carry out public awareness campaigns.
Head of ICEED, Ewah Eleri, disclosed in a statement that his outfit would support the ECN by providing equipment to enhance the capacity of the laboratory, as well as provide training and capacity building to enhance skills for ECN personnel and other relevant stakeholders.
He stated: “ICEED will also contribute to hosting workshops and knowledge sharing, as well as support ECN in strengthening its international partnerships.
“Together with the ECN and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, ICEED has supported the setting up of a National Committee on Technical Standards for Clean Cookstoves and Clean Cooking Energy. This is a demonstration of our commitment to ensure that only stoves of good standard are sold in the Nigerian market. And by hosting and leading the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, we are working with Nigerian and international partners to end cooking energy poverty in Nigeria.
“The long-standing relationship between ICEED and ECN is strong. We are very pleased with the forward looking leadership provided by Professor E.J. Bala, Director General/CEO of the ECN and the management and staff of the commission. Together, we can make energy services available, accessible and affordable to all Nigerians.”
According to Eleri, over 95,000 Nigerians die annually from smoke from cooking wood, described as the nation’s highest killer after Malaria and HIV/AIDS, with most of the victims being women and children.
“Clean cookstoves and fuels save lives, money and our forests. The sustainable use of wood makes the poor part of the solution to climate change. However, lack of quality standards and testing of imported and Nigerian-made stoves stymie the country’s efforts to expand the market for clean cookstoves and fuels in Nigeria. Other barriers include access to finance, an enabling policy environment and public awareness,” he added.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body established at the request of member governments in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to, among other provisions, assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
Pachauri
Chaired by Indian Rajendra Pachauri, the IPCC publishes special reports on topics relevant to the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty that acknowledges the possibility of harmful climate change. Implementation of the UNFCCC led eventually to the emergence of the Kyoto Protocol. The IPCC, whose membership is open to all members of the WMO and UNEP, bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific literature.
The IPCC provides an internationally-accepted authority on climate change, producing reports which have the agreement of all the leading climate scientists and the consensus of every one of the participating governments. It has successfully provided authoritative policy advice with far-reaching implications for economics and lifestyles.
The body has so far produced four different Assessment Reports and the fifth is in the works and will be finalised in phases from September 2013 to October 2014.
The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) comprises three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report. The Working Group I contribution on The Physical Science Basis is scheduled to be released on 27 September 2013 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 23-26 September 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Working Group II contribution on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, is scheduled to be released on or around 30 March 2014 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 25-29 March 2014 in Yokohama, Japan.
The Working Group III contribution on Mitigation of Climate Change is scheduled to be released on 12 April 2014 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 7-11 April 2013 in Germany. The Synthesis Report which synthesises and integrates materials contained within the Working Group contributions is scheduled to be released on or around 1 November 2014 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 27-31 October 2014.
Completed in 1990, the First Assessment Report (AR1) was issued in three main sections, corresponding to the three Working Groups of scientists that the IPCC had established. The report actually served as basis for the UNFCCC.
The sections were: Working Group I (Scientific Assessment of Climate Change), Working Group II (Impacts Assessment of Climate Change) and Working Group III (The IPCC Response Strategies). Among others, the report confirmed the natural greenhouse effect; stated that carbon dioxide (CO2) has been responsible for over half the enhanced greenhouse effect; and submitted that global mean surface air temperature has increased by 0.3 to 0.6oC over the last 100 years.
Published in 1996, the Second Assessment Report (AR2) was titled Climate Change 1995 and consists of reports from Working Group I (The Science of Climate Change),Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses) and Working Group III (Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change).
The reports were prepared by over 2,000 experts, and contain the factual basis of the issue of climate change, gleaned from available expert literature and further carefully reviewed by experts and governments. While Working Group I stated that carbon dioxide remains the most important contributor to anthropogenic forcing of climate change, Working Group II assessed whether the range of plausible impacts of global warming constitutes dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, while Working Group III provided information to help countries “take decisions they believe are most appropriate for their specific circumstances”.
Key conclusions of the Third Assessment Report (AR3), Climate Change 2001, state that emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols due to human activities continue to alter the atmosphere in ways that are expected to affect the climate; that there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities; that human influences will continue to change atmospheric composition throughout the 21st century; and that global average temperature and sea level are projected to rise.
The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of 2007 is considered the largest and most detailed summary of the climate change situation ever undertaken. It was produced by thousands of authors, editors, and reviewers from dozens of countries, citing over 6,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. It will however be superseded by the AR5 expected next year.
The headline findings of the report were: that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal”, and that “most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations.”
Thelandmark Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos is the latest of the numerous showpiece overpasses in the bustling city. It has been described as the nation’s first cable-stay bridge.
Lekki-Ikoyi bridge
Its striking 90m high pylon characterises the appearance of the 1,357m long bridge, which connects two districts of Lekki on the Lekki Peninsula and Ikoyi on the Lagos Island. The N29 billion (about $184.6 million) bridge will help relieve the depressing congestion in and around Victoria Island.
The genesis of Lagos’ bridges can be traced to very early in the last century, precisely in 1901, when Carter Bridge was built. It is one of three bridges connecting the Lagos Island to the Lagos Mainland.
At the time of its construction, this was the only bridge connection between the Mainland and the Island. The bridge starts from Iddo on the Mainland and ends at the Idumota area of Lagos Island.
The Carter Bridge was originally constructed by the British colonial government, prior to the Nigerian independence in 1960. After independence, the bridge was dismantled, redesigned and rebuilt during the late 1970s. The Alaka-Ijora Flyover, on the Iddo end of the span, was completed in 1973.
This was followed by the Eko Bridge, which is the shortest of three bridges connecting the Island to the Mainland. It starts from Ijora on the Mainland and ends at the Apongbon area of the Island. The lagoon section of the bridge spans a distance of 430 metres. The bridge and its landward extension of 1,350 metres were constructed in phases between 1965 and 1975. It serves as the preferred access point for vehicular traffic approaching Lagos Island from the Apapa and Surulere areas of Lagos.
In the bid to further ease the increasing stress resulting from commuters’ accessing the Island from the Mainland, the authorities embarked on the ambitious Third Mainland Bridge, which turned out to be not just the longest of the threesome (bridges connecting the Island to the Mainland), but in fact the longest bridge in Africa.
Third Mainland bridge
The 11.8km long structure takes off from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to the Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. Built by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the bridge was opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.
However, by 2006, several commuters reported that the six-lane bridge was vibrating noticeably, indicating that it needed urgent attention. As a result, remedial work was done on portions of the bridge, leading to partial closure of the bridge at different times. It now wears a new look from the last repair.
Similarly, the Lagos State Government has commenced preliminary work on the Fourth Mainland Bridge, a 26-kilometre infrastructure designed to link Ikorodu to the state’s economic hub in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
Impression of the proposed Fourth Mainland bridge
Estimated to gulp a whopping N160 billion, the bridge will provide access from the hinterland to Victoria Island, which is expected to reduce traffic on the ever-busy Third Mainland Bridge and other bridges linking the Mainland to the Island.
An impression of the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge that incorporates pedestrian walkway and a market on the first level
Amid criticisms from the ruling party (Peoples Democratic Party – PDP) bordering on the Lagos government’s perceived insincerity towards the execution of the project, the authorities have maintained that the bridge will be realised.
From illustrations released by government, the bridge (tagged “The People’s Bridge”) will feature two levels – the upper one for vehicular movement and the lower for pedestrian movement that incorporates a daily market facility.
But attention is currently focused on the new cable-stay bridge, which some quarters consider a variant of the suspension bridge.
Though it appears to be the longest, the Lekki-Ikoyi bridge is not the continent’s first suspension bridge. Indeed, South Africa holds the record, with more than six suspension bridges.
One of the oldest bridges was constructed in 1898 and is known as the Levey Bridge. The bridge was constructed in Tsomo, South Africa. The main cables are wire suspension.
The next bridge is the Centurion, which is a crossing bridge at The Centurion Mall. It also uses wired cables for its suspension. It is a very important footbridge in that region. The Johannesburg footbridge in South Africa as well as the footbridge in Pretoria has suspension systems.
The Bloukrans Bridge also known as the Afrikaans Blue Ridges is one of the arch bridges, which were constructed near the tropical rainforest called Nature’s Valley in Western Cape, South Africa.
Completed in 1984, the bridge spans 216m over the Bloukrans River. It is on record as the highest single arch bridge in the world.
The Nelson Mandela Bridge located in Johannesburg, South Africa was constructed in 2003 and the idea was to link Newtown with Braamfontein, both of which are very important business centres in Gauteng. The other objective was to provide an uplifting and modern vista for the city.
Twenty journalists from Nigeria and nine other West African countries on Monday commenced a weeklong capacity building/training on water financing and protection within the sub-region.
Coulibaly
The workshop, which is holding in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Global Water Partnership for West Africa (GWP/WA) to strengthen the capacity of media professionals; sensitise on economic tools for sustainable management of natural resources; and provide support to the production of quality information that will lead to greater mobilisation of stakeholders around the financial needs of different activities in the water sector.
Workshop organisers explained that, by subscribing to the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations member states committed themselves to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015.
According to them, “At the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002, was made the additional commitment for 2015” to have the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation.
Communications Officer of GWP/WA, Sidi Coulibaly, in a statement explained that the international community has begun to realise the importance of better management of water resources and is committed to promote Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a priority.
He said the pressure of population growth weighs on the resources, adding that, in spite of recent efforts, there are still regional deficiencies in coordination, governance, legislation and financing of the water sector.
He explained that risks related to water such as floods, droughts, conflicts and waterborne diseases are not controlled and that the potential of water in West African region are still under-exploited in the area of hydropower, irrigation and ecotourism.
“In addition, many countries in West Africa suffer from high rainfall variability that their infrastructures and management capabilities are insufficient to mitigate. This problem hampers their development and their efforts to fight against the poverty.
“Given these facts, it is clear that a lasting solution can be sought through better governance and a more adequate funding of the water sector. The effort to produce must be that of all the stakeholders, so it cannot be solved if all its members, cities, regions, NGOs, civil communities, management services, companies, banks, multilateral organisations, and not only the states of North and South, accept to change deeply their behaviours and approaches. Everyone must redouble efforts including financing, projects management and often their relationship with environmental conservation,” he stated.
Coulibaly stressed that it is necessary to create a multi‐stakeholder response to the financial needs of different activities in the water sector, with a view that water resources are used and managed in a fair and sustainable way to reduce poverty, the socio‐ economic development, regional integration and environmental protection.
He mentioned that it is also important to use new approaches, new economic and financial tools, such as payments for environmental services, to help ensure the proper protection of the resource.
The IUCN and GWP/WA, through the initiative for Poverty Reduction and Environmental Management (PREMI) are saddled with the role to inform, educate and advocate dialogue between stakeholders who can facilitate sustainable practices and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the exploitation of resources.
The concept of shared value entails policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. Shared value creation focuses on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress. The concept rests on the premise that both economical and social progress must be addressed using value principles. Observers believe that the concept has the power to unleash the next wave of global growth.
Indeed, an increasing number of companies known for their hitherto hard-nosed approach to business have begun to embark on important shared value initiatives. Some of such organisations include: Google, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Unilever and Wal-Mart.
According to experts, ways companies can create shared value opportunities are: by reconceiving products and markets; by redefining productivity in the value chain; and by enabling local cluster development.
Michael Porter and Mark Kramer, both of the Harvard University in the US, distinguish between creating shared value (CSV) and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
They claim that CSR programmes focus mostly on reputation and have only a limited connection to the business, making them hard to justify and maintain over the long run.
In contrast, they add, CSV is integral to a company’s profitability and competitive position, leveraging the firm’s unique resources and expertise to create economic value by creating social value.
It is believed that opportunities to create shared value arise because societal problems can create economic costs in a firm’s value chain. Excess packaging of products and greenhouse gases are costly to both business and the environment.
Wal-Mart, for example, was able to address both issues by reducing its packaging and rerouting its trucks to cut 100 million miles from its delivery routes in 2009, saving $200 million even as it shipped more products. Innovation in disposing of plastic used in stores has saved millions in lower disposal costs to landfills.
Energy use throughout the value chain is being reexamined, whether it be in processes, transportation, buildings, supply chains, distribution channels, or support services. The British retailer Marks & Spencer’s ambitious overhaul of its supply chain, for example, which involves steps as simple as stopping the purchase of supplies from one hemisphere to ship to another, is expected to save the retailer £175 million annually by fiscal 2016, while hugely reducing carbon emissions.
Heightened environmental awareness and advances in technology are catalysing new approaches in areas such as utilisation of water, raw materials and packaging, as well as expanding recycling and reuse.
For instance, by 2010, Coca-Cola had reduced its worldwide water consumption by nine percent from a 2004 baseline, representing nearly halfway to its goal of a 20 percent reduction by 2012. Also, Dow Chemical managed to reduce consumption of fresh water at its largest production site by one billion gallons – enough water to supply nearly 40,000 people in the US for a year – resulting in savings of $4 million.
More recently, firms have been outsourcing to suppliers in lower-age locations. Some are beginning to understand that marginalised suppliers cannot remain productive or sustain/improve their quality.
Nespresso, one of Nestle’s fastest growing divisions, has been practicalising this idea. Nespresso combines a sophisticated espresso machine with single-cup aluminum capsules containing ground coffees from around the world. Offering quality and convenience, Nespresso has expanded the market for premium coffee.
Most coffees are grown by smallholder farmers in impoverished rural areas in Africa and Latin America, who are trapped in a cycle of low productivity, poor quality and environmental degradation that limits production volume.
To address these issues, Nestle redesigned procurement, working closely with its growers by providing advice on farming practices, guaranteeing bank loans, and helping secure inputs such as plant stock, pesticides and fertilisers.
Nestle established local facilities to measure the quality at the point of purchase, which allowed it to pay a premium to better beans directly to the growers and thus improve their incentives. Greater yield per hectare and higher production quality increased growers’ incomes, and the environmental impact of farmers shrank. Meanwhile, Nestle’s reliable supply of good coffee grew significantly. Shared value was created.
In Nigeria, officials of the organisation insist that operations are aimed at minimising the environmental impact of food production and optimising environmental performance across the entire value chain.
During a facility tour conducted by DevComs Network, Nestle CEO Dharnesh Gordhon notes that the company continuously reduces its carbon footprint by ensuring efficient use of energy for manufacturing operations.
DevComs Network director Akin Jimoh says his outfit’s involvement in CSV media capacity building is part of efforts to achieving a more relevant professional development of journalists and media practitioners in a manner that they can contribute meaningfully to national development.
“We want a media that addresses issues rather than cover events. This is the second CSV activity encompassing key areas in nutrition, water, agriculture, rural development and environmental sustainability. And there is a role for everyone beyond the usual jamborees of event reporting,” he discloses.
