Nigeria: Missing in UNITLIFE project

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Nigeria is dishearteningly missing in the top-four countries on the heels of rejigged launch of Sustainable Development (SD) initiatives by the General Assembly of the United Nations, to use revenues from extractive industries to support and fight against child malnutrition, writes REMMY NWEKE for NaijaAgroNet.

Preamble:

Malian president -ibrahim Boubacar Keita

Recently the Republic of Congo, Guinea, Mali and Niger jointly proclaimed a new fund for the fight against malnutrition as a levy from the extractive industries of their respective countries.

NaijaAgroNet reports that the announcement came at the launch of UNITLIFE, a new innovative financing mechanism that uses micro levies from extractive industries to increase resources for the fight against malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that under UNITLIFE project, participating nations with abundant natural resources will channel a small portion of revenues derived from the sale of oil, gas and mining into a UNICEF-hosted fund dedicated to improving child nutrition.

For example, the Republic of Congo will contribute $0.10 per barrel of oil sold by its national state oil company and other partnering countries are expected to follow although the figure at press time remained sealed.

Yoka Brandt of UNICEF

Wikipedia, an online open source encyclopedia, defines sub-Saharan Africa as the geographical area of the continent of Africa located in the south of the Sahara desert and politically consists of all African countries that are fully or partially located south of the Sahara, including Nigeria, which incidentally was missing in the founders of this project considering the population and expected influence it would have on Nigerians.

Historical Oil fields:

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Nigeria is known as an oil-rich and producing country since the discovery of the first oil in Oloibiri oilfield historically a town of oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Nigeria first commercial oil discovery was made at (Otuabagi/Otuogadi) in Oloibiri district by Shell Darcy on Sunday 15 January 1956 known in Bayelsa State.

For the Republic of the Congo it’s first oil may have surfaced in the 70s with the petroleum industry accounting for 89 per cent of the country’s exports in 2010. While Niger has a long history of petroleum exploration dating back to the 1970s and until 2011 when the petroleum industry of Niger was born with the opening of the Agadem oilfield and the Soraz refinery near Zinder.

Experts have predicted that by the end of 2015,  an estimated that 25 per cent of North American oil will be from Sub-Saharan Africa, ahead of the Middle East.

What is oil and minerals?

Equally, experts at Wikipedia described oil as any neutral, nonpolar chemical substance that is a viscous liquid at ambient temperatures and is both hydrophobic and lipophilic. Oils have a high carbon and hydrogen content and are usually flammable and slippery. 

On the other hand, a mineral could be described as a naturally occurring substance, representable by a chemical formula that is, usually solid and inorganic, and has a crystal structure. It is different from a rock, which can be an aggregate of minerals or non-minerals and does not have a specific chemical composition.

UNITLIFE, an innovative financing mechanism –UN:

For the United Nations (UN), this kind of funding was based on an innovative financing mechanism being launched only days after the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the United Nations.

The architect of the initiative and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development, Philippe Douste-Blazy, expressed his delight that a number of African governments accepted this idea “because we have already proven with the air ticket levy that innovative financing works and generates results. I also want to thank UNICEF for agreeing to host the initiative.” 

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of the Republic of Mali and one of the first supporters of the fund, expressed his satisfaction that Mali is one of the founders of this innovative financing mechanism based on the determination to scale-up the fight against child malnutrition in Mali and the region.

Chronic malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa – UNICEF:

The Deputy Executive Director at the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Yoka Brandt said that considering the chronic malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa which has affected over 1 in 3 children under the age of five, stunting their growth and threatening their cognitive capacity, thus limiting their opportunities in life, it has become imperative for this kind of mechanism.

“New and innovative financing mechanisms can make a big difference in the fight against malnutrition,” Brandt said.

President, Innovative Finance Foundation (IFF), Mr. Robert Filipp, who NaijaAgroNet gathered spearheaded the work on the fund design, said, it has real game changing potential. “If all countries with oil, gas and mines joined, we would have a real chance to eliminate malnutrition.”

So far, so good … but:

Earlier in the year, 2015, following the decision for UNICEF to host the agency for the proposed new financing initiative for Nutrition in Africa called UNITLIFE, the secretariat invited consultants according to the Director, UNICEF Public Partnership Division (PPD) Olav Kjorven, who approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) hinted that the design of the initiative is intended to replicate the highly successful UNITAID model which focused on micro-levy on airline tickets for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 

Kjorven explained that the initiative is to be funded through a proposed tax levy on oil and other extractive industries in selected African countries. These revenues, the director said, would be collected in a global pooled fund to finance nutrition programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, which is estimated to generate $100-200 million per year. 

This, NaijaAgroNet reports exceeds other expected international resource flows for nutrition, given stagnating Official Development Assistance (ODA) levels to Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Latitude of the Secretariat:   

The Secretariat to be located at UNICEF Headquarters, New York city, United States of America (USA), NaijaAgroNet learnt, will provide substantive and administrative support to UNITLIFE, support decision-making and overall leadership of UNITLIFE and serve as inter-face between the governing bodies and other stakeholders, including implementing organizations. 

NaijaAgroNet also notes that the principal functions of the Secretariat encompass administration, communications, partner coordination, and reporting results for UNITLIFE. Whereas the role of the Secretariat will be to carry out and manage day-to-day operations of UNITLIFE, including implementing the work plan of UNITLIFE approved by its Steering Committee, managing and coordinating relationships with partners and coordinating and facilitating technical support and advice to its governing bodies. 

The Secretariat can consist of staff and/or consultants hired by UNICEF as the host of the Secretariat, as well as secondments from other partners and staff of other partners under agreement with UNICEF. The Secretariat will be accountable to the Steering Committee, but its staff will be governed by UNICEF’s human resources policies and procedures.

Why Nigeria must join UNITLIFE:

NaijaAgroNet gathered from UNICEF officials in Nigeria that the Africa’s most populous country with a population of over 171 million, including 40 million children, although there have been some improvements in child nutrition, but malnutrition remains a major concern, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Communication Specialists at UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku recently confirmed to NaijaAgroNet that estimated 54,000 severely malnourished children exist in seven drought-affected, northern Nigerian states, including Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.

Raising the bar for malnutrition support:

NaijaAgroNet further reports that although financing commitments to nutrition have increased in recent years, around $50 billion are still needed over the next 10 years to reach the World Health Assembly target of reducing the number of children under the age of five who are stunted by 40 per cent by 2025.

The proposed levies from extractive industries in African countries have been described as a bold demonstration of African leadership to address the financing gap for nutrition in the continent. It is of high expectation that under the UNITLIFE initiative, the levies are expected to initially generate between $100-$200 million, about N39,806,000,000 billion a year, unfortunately without Nigeria, which claims to be the giant of Africa.

From all intent and purposes, every watcher of extractive industry on the continent expect that though Nigeria may not be at lead at all times, but at least should have been part of the founders.

It is therefore lamentable, as industry watchers look forward for a Minister of Petroleum that will reposition Nigeria within the shortest possible time in the scheme of things among nations, especially on the African continent, after a long wait by Nigerians for the list of incorruptible Ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigeria, as matter of fact should find a way of proactively working or positioning the nation in the right direction to ensure the dreams of its forefathers are not in vein.
 

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Africa middle class to create N198trn market by 2030 - World Bank

NaijaAgroNet:

The World Bank has said that by 2030, serving the food demands of Africa’s growing middle class alone will create a market worth $1 trillion about N198 trillion, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The president of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa and until last year, Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Agnes Kalibata who quoted the World Bank, said, “Agri-preneurs can own that market if we tap the two assets that should be an unbeatable combination: the world’s largest population of young people, and the world’s largest holdings of uncultivated arable land. In fact, our study found access to land could dramatically increase youth participation in agriculture, particularly for young women farmers”. 

Kalibata, NaijaAgroNet gathered, added that in many ways Africa is in an enviable situation. Two of Africa’s biggest challenges – its fight to achieve food security and its urgent need to find employment for its young people – can be transformed into its biggest assets.

“Our youth can become the labour force and brain trust that harvests the wealth of that $1 trillion food market. Only then can we watch the narrative of African agriculture transform, from farming as drudgery and a struggle to survive to farming as opportunity and a business that thrives,” he said. 

This week hundreds of agriculture experts from the public and private sector will converge on Lusaka, Zambia, for the 2015 African Green Revolution Forum. A key priority of the meeting is to move aggressively to incorporate Africa’s soaring youth population – the 226 million people between 15 and 24 who have made Africa the world’s youngest continent – into efforts already underway to embrace our family farmers as the focal point for Africa’s economic transformation, NaijaAgroNet learnt. 

Information monitored on THE STAR site said, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, found that lack of land, extension services, credit, quality farm inputs, machinery, markets and other impediments are preventing agriculture from providing jobs on and off the farm for a youth population that accounts for 65 per cent of the total population in Africa. More than 10 million youth enter the labour market annually. 

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Ousmane Badiane, Eric Kaduru win 2015 Yara Prize

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director for Africa, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Dr. Ousmane Badiane and the Founder  and standing Chief Executive Officer (CEO), KadAfrica, Mr. Eric Kaduru, will be honoured with the 2015 Yara Prize in a ceremony  today in Lusaka, Zambia, NaijaAgroNet.

The Yara Prize Committee selected the two prominent African laureates for their work related to African agricultural development, food security and the continent's green revolution. Both laureates have, through their personal commitment and special efforts, translated ideas on the development of African agriculture into impactful results in their respective areas of work.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the 2015 awards recognize effective entrepreneurial work, which has helped build communities of resilient young women actively engaged in commercial farming and honor African thought leadership, which has been instrumental in transforming the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme  (CAADP)  agenda from a mere concept into decisive actions.

The President/CEO, Yara, Svein Tore Holsether, said, "Africa needs to do more to foster entrepreneurial agriculture and the interests of women and youth in agriculture.  More smallholder-oriented policy changes are needed to meet growth and poverty alleviation targets in rural areas. In 2015, the Yara Prize honours the two leading African change agents with transformational power. I wish to extend my personal congratulations to both laureates."

Mr. Kaduru is awarded the prize for his vision, his great courage and commitment to changing the lives of young out of school girls in Uganda. Through his comprehensive approach to passion fruit farming, he has managed to strengthen these girls' belief in themselves as entrepreneurs. Mr. Kaduru's passion for engaging African youth in agriculture as a positive and sustainable livelihood is exemplified through the fact that in less than two short years he has partnered with more than 1,500 out of school girls (aged 14-20) to begin their own passion fruit farms, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Dr. Ousmane Badiane is awarded the prize for his important leadership role and influence on strategic debate and collaboration in Africa on agriculture and food security. Dr. Badiane is a first-class scholar and leading authority on African development with 30 years of professional experience in economic and agricultural development. Dr Badiane has been instrumental and played a pivotal role in the shaping of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP agenda from concept development to implementation.

The Yara Prize for an African Green Revolution seeks to contribute to the transformation of African agriculture and food availability, within a sustainable context, thereby helping to reduce hunger and poverty. The Yara Prize is based on nominations of candidates who are carefully evaluated by the Yara Prize Committee. The Yara Prize consists of USD 60,000, which will be split between the laureates.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Pix: From left: Mr. Eric Kaduru,Dr. Ousmane Badiane

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Exclusive: Experts found water in Mars

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester, Mr. Tim O’Brien, has explained the possibility of finding water in the Mars, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury and was named after the Roman god of war, the Mars is often referred to as the "Red Planet" because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance.

According to the Media Relations Officer, University of Manchester, Mr. Sam Wood in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet quoted Prof. O’Brien as trying to explain why finding liquid water on Mars is such an important discovery and the essence.

Prof. O’Brien noted that this effort is truly an exciting discovery, even as scientists know there are features on the planet which suggest flowing material.

“What we were not sure about was whether this was water,” he queried.                           

However, Prof. O’Brien pointed out that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has now studied the signature of this material and they could see that it looks like briny water.

He described this as good evidence that there is water involved, but added that what is unknown yet is where the water is coming from.

“Is it seeping up to mix with salts on the surface to make the briny water? Or it this water coming from the atmosphere, as it does on Earth?” Prof. O’Brien asked with excitement.

He was optimistic that the really interesting thing is what this means for life on Mars, which goes to state that millions of years ago conditions on Mars were similar to what “we have on Earth now.”

He emphasized that the presence of liquid water increases the possibility that there could be some microbial life forms still on the planet, though in itself it is not evidence for life.

“All life as we know it needs water, now we have found water on Mars there could be life. They have found a key prerequisite for life but not life itself” O’Brien affirmed.
 
 +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)
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Zero hunger, key for realization SDGs

ITRealms

 

The Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) José Graziano da Silva has told world leaders at United Nations headquarters that zero hunger is the only guaranty for  realization of the entire set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Information from FAO stated that fourteen of the 17 new SDGs are related to FAO's historic mission, the Director-General noted, adding that the second goal - which is "to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture" - must be urgently pursued as rapid progress on that front is the key to the other goals, he added

"We have given ourselves an enormous task,that begins with the historic commitment of not only reducing but also eradicating poverty, hunger in a sustainable way. We can only rest when we achieve zero hunger," Silva said.

NaijaAgroNet recalledthat the SDGs follow and expand on the Millennium Development Goals, established in 2001 and ending this year, which set a hunger reduction target that was met by more than half of the countries monitored by FAO. But nearly 800 million people still suffer from chronic undernourishment.

A majority of the world's poor and hungry live in rural areas, and improving their livelihoods is the core challenge.

He also reminded world leaders that in the next 15 years an additional investment of 160 dollars, about N31,848per year per person living in extreme poverty is needed to end hunger, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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4 African countries route support for extractive industries to fight malnutrition

NaijaAgroNet:

Four African countries have agreed to use revenues from extractive industries to fight against child malnutrition, reports NaijaAgroNet.

These countries include the Republic of Congo, Guinea, Mali and Niger today announced a new fund for the fight against malnutrition. 

This was made known in New York today to NaijaAgroNet at the launch of UNITLIFE; a new innovative financing mechanism that uses micro levies from extractive industries to increase resources for the fight again malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Under UNITLIFE, participating nations with abundant natural resources will invest a small portion of revenues derived from the sale of oil, gas and mining towards a UNICEF-hosted fund dedicated to improving child nutrition. For example, the Republic of Congo will contribute $0.10 per barrel of oil sold by its national state oil company.

“This is the first fund based on an innovative financing mechanism being launched only days after the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the United Nations,” said Philippe Douste-Blazy, the architect of the initiative and an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development. 

“I am delighted that a number of African governments accepted this idea because we have already proven with the air ticket levy that innovative financing works and generates results. I also want to thank UNICEF for agreeing to host the initiative,” Douste-Blazy said.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of the Republic of Mali and one of the first supporters of the fund, said: “I am very pleased that Mali is one of the founders of this innovative financing mechanism because we want to scale-up the fight against child malnutrition in our country and in the region.”

“Chronic malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa affects more than 1 in 3 children under the age of five, stunting their growth and threatening their cognitive capacity, thus limiting their opportunities in life,” said Yoka Brandt, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. “New and innovative financing mechanisms can make a big difference in the fight against malnutrition.” 

Robert Filipp, President of the Innovative Finance Foundation (IFF), who spearheaded the work on the fund design, said, “This fund has real game changing potential. If all countries with oil, gas and mines joined, we would have a real chance to eliminate malnutrition.”   

Although financing commitments to nutrition have increased in recent years, around $50 billion are still needed over the next 10 years to reach the World Health Assembly target of reducing the number of children under the age of five who are stunted by 40 per cent by 2025.  

The proposed levies from extractive industries in African countries are a bold demonstration of African leadership to address the financing gap for nutrition in the continent. Under the UNITLIFE initiative, the levies are expected to initially generate between $100-$200 million a year. 

@Isaac Oyimah/GEE +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Naija AgroNet  @UN
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