World Malaria Day 2018: AMMREN applauds African countries on free malaria by 2020

NaijaAgroNet:

As part of the 2018 World Malaria Day, the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), has applauded some five African countries aiming to eliminate malaria by 2020, reports NaijaAgroNet.

AMMREN Executive Secretary, Dr. Charity Bika, applauded Egypt and Morocco which have been malaria free since 2000 as well as Algeria, which achieved this feat in 2016.

The network also acknowledged five African countries, namely, Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros, South Africa and Swaziland, which have been identified as most likely to eliminate malaria by 2020.

April 25, 2018, Accra - World Malaria Day is here again to bring stakeholders together in the hope of winning.

Describing the fight against malaria as fight against one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, Bika said that each year, 25th April has been set aside as the World Malaria Day to highlight efforts to control malaria and celebrate the gains that have been made.

Equally, she said, since 2000, the world has made historic progress against malaria, saving millions of lives. However, half the world still lives at risk from this preventable and treatable disease, which costs a child’s life every two minutes.

As the world commemorates this year’s World Malaria Day, the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), made up of a group of African journalists and scientists leading a malaria advocacy agenda, “it is also gratifying that Algeria, Comoros, Madagascar, the Gambia, Senegal, and Zimbabwe have also been honoured this year by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance for leadership in scaling down malaria cases.”

As said by her, “we all look up to these shining examples of countries that are making progress in the fight against malaria.”

AMMREN further urged countries such as Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya to double the malaria control efforts to ensure they join or at least get close to the ranks of countries at the elimination stages by 2020.

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Onshore wind power now affordable, solar to halve by 2020 - Study

NaijaAgroNet: 

The cost of generating power from onshore wind has fallen by around a quarter since 2010, with solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) electricity costs falling by 73 per cent in that time, according to new cost analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), reports NaijaAgroNet.

The IRENA study, NaijaAgroNet reports, highlighted that solar PV costs are expected to halve by 2020, stressing that the best onshore wind and solar PV projects could be delivering electricity for an equivalent of USD 3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), or less within the next two years.

Also, NaijaAgroNet reports that global weighted average costs over the last 12 months for onshore wind and solar PV now stand at USD 6 cents and USD 10 cents per kWh respectively, with recent auction results suggesting future projects will significantly undercut these averages.

According to the Executive Summary of the study, onshore wind is now routinely commissioned for USD 4 cents per kWh. The current cost spectrum for fossil fuel power generation ranges from USD 5-17 cents per kWh.

The Director-General at IRENA, Adnan Z. Amin, was quoted as saying, “This new dynamic signals a significant shift in the energy paradigm. These cost declines across technologies are unprecendented and representative of the degree to which renewable energy is disrupting the global energy system." 

The study, NaijaAgroNet gathered was recently released on the first day of IRENA’s Eighth Assembly in Abu Dhabi on ‘Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017’ highlights that other forms of renewable power generation, such as bioenergy, geothermal and hydropower projects in the last 12 months have competed head-to-head on costs, with power from fossil fuels.

The findings, NaijaAgroNet reported, had noted that by 2019, the best onshore wind and solar PV projects will be delivering electricity for a USD 3 cents per kWh, significantly below the current cost of power from fossil fuels.

NaijaAgroNet equally reports that for IRENA, competitive procurement practices together with the emergence of a large base of experienced medium-to-large project developers competing for global market opportunities, are cited as new drivers of recent cost reductions, in addition to continued technology advancements.  

“Turning to renewables for new power generation is not simply an environmentally conscious decision, it is now – overwhelmingly – a smart economic one. Governments around the world are recognizing this potential and forging ahead with low-carbon economic agendas underpinned by renewables-based energy systems. We expect the transition to gather further momentum, supporting jobs, growth, improved health, national resilience and climate mitigation around the world in 2018 and beyond,” Amin said.  

Further, NaijaAgroNet reports that IRENA study underscored that auction results are signaling that offshore wind and concentrating solar power projects commissioned in the period between 2020-22 will cost in the range of USD 6-10 cents per kWh, supporting accelerated deployment globally.

“IRENA projects that all renewable energy technologies will compete with fossils on price by 2020,” he said.

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Nestle reiterates commitment with Maggi making difference towards 2020

NaijaAgroNet:

The Nestlé Central and West Africa has reiterated commitments towards 2020 to help people cook the difference with Maggi, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Business Executive Officer Culinary for Nestlé Central and West Africa, Mr. Dominique Allier, gave this reaffirmation on the company’s commitment at the recent Nutrition Forum in Dakar and attended by stakeholders from across West and Central Africa.

He disclosed that the iconic Maggi brand is on a mission to support home cooks with healthier and tastier choices, by simplifying ingredients lists, reducing salt and increasing micronutrient fortification.

“With 4600 food portions around the world prepared every second with Maggi, Nestle believes that these changes will have a positive impact,” he said.

He also pointed out that the company is committed to reshaping Maggi’s products to emphasize the use of familiar and common ingredients that people know and have at home.

‘’Consumer expectations are changing, they want products with common ingredients they know, minimal processing, natural or organic and ideally locally produced. Our company has a role to play in contributing to the needs of the society,’’ Allier said.

He stressed that Maggi is reorganizing its supply chain to privilege local sourcing of ingredients; even as a careful selection of each ingredient will uphold the quality of Maggi products and meet the homemade cooking standards of consumers around the world: trusted, tasty and good for consumers.

Nestlé is also continuing to lower salt in the Maggi range. This will contribute to help people in their efforts towards reducing their salt intake and meeting WHO recommendations on reducing risks associated with high blood pressure.

Fortification is a means Maggi uses to help prevent malnutrition in countries where daily consumption of essential micronutrients is lacking. In 2016, Nestlé provided 65 billion of fortified servings in Central and West Africa out of which Maggi delivered over 100 million iron fortified cubes daily to 78 million households in Central and West Africa.

He explained that in Central and West Africa, fortified Maggi stock cubes and other products are known as a staple for many households, Maggi “Simply Good” summarises the commitments of the iconic brand to help cook the difference.

In addition, to the strong commitments on improving ingredients, he said, Nestlé in Central and West Africa will highlight nutritional challenges by engaging with government authorities, civil society and consumers.

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Pix: Dominique Allier, Business Executive Officer Culinary for Nestlé Central and West Africa

SUN Movement Strategic roadmap 2020 for launch in September

NaijaAgroNet:

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement has advanced plans to launch its strategic roadmap 2020 in the month of September, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The launch, NaijaAgroNet gathered would form part of the inauguration of the SUN Movement’s new Lead Group at the UN General Assembly in New York on Assembly in New York on 22 September, 2016.

Disclosing this, the interim coordinator, SUN Movement, Mr. Tom Arnold, told NaijaAgroNet, pointed out that it would be a moment members strive to connect all every member to join the event and engage with the Lead Group via webinar.

According to him, the SUN Business Network, for instance, is also organising an event in New York on August 20 to highlight business commitments to nutrition.

This meeting, he revealed will be a prelude to Ministers of Finance from partnering countries, presenting their scale up plans to accelerate actions on early child development and stunting reduction will be held during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington in October.

Arnold further said that the SUN Movement Lead Group, Networks and Secretariat will support SUN country stakeholders in efforts to engage with Ministries of Finance ahead of this important meeting and in follow-up initiatives focusing on resource mobilization.

Just as he said, the 43rd session of the Committee for World Food Security will take place in Rome between October 17 and 21 with a focus on “Making a difference in Food Security and Nutrition.”

All SUN Countries and SUN Stakeholders, he said, are encouraged to participate to share their experience and to contribute to defining policy guidance which promotes convergence for food security and nutrition.

The Micronutrient Forum, Arnold said will be held in Cancun during the month of October from 24 through 28, where there will be an opportunity to convene SUN stakeholders, especially those from Latin America, for experience sharing.

With the SUN Movement Secretariat, we are dedicated to ensuring that you and your countries can make the most of these significant opportunities to bring political attention to nutrition, and galvanise finance for effective action.

“Given this busy agenda for nutrition actors across the Movement, in order to maximise attendance at the SUN Movement Global Gathering and offer an innovative and content rich opportunity for sharing and learning, the SUN Movement Secretariat will organise the Global Gathering in late February 2017,” he submitted, assuring that information to this effect will follow shortly on its location and logistical aspects of the event.

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Investing in girls’ education, impacts child marriage - UNICEF

ITRealms:

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has identified investing in girls education as a step capable of impacting on child marriage, even as they are partnering with some other international agencies to ensure that 1 million more girls are in school by 2020, reports ITRealms. 

UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough made this disclosure at the 2015 commemoration Day of the African Child with the theme “25 Years after the Adoption of the African Children’s Charter: Accelerating our Collective Efforts to End Child Marriage in Africa,” describing the theme as timely.

According to Gough, UNICEF is helping the government to address the challenge of ensuring all children especially girls have access to quality education, especially in Nigeria.

Lamenting that child marriage has increased in Nigeria, UNICEF noted that the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS 4) 2011, showed that there is a five per cent increase in the number of girls married before age 15.

“It was 13 per cent in 2007 and MICS 2011 indicates it is now 18 per cent,” UNICEF said. 

Child marriage, as said by UNICEF official, denies children the attainment of their human rights as children. 

“It erodes the child’s rights to life, good health, education and dignity.  Studies link child marriage to maternal mortality, school drop-out, Virginal fistula (VVF) condition and malnutrition among others,” a press statement endorsed by Geoffrey Njoku of UNICEF Nigeria read.

Equally, UNICEF, he said, believes that investments in girls education and getting more girls into school delays marriage and impacts the incidence of child marriage. 

ITRealms that the Girls’ Education Project, funded by the UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) and implemented by UNICEF, aims to get 1 million more girls into school by 2020, while at the same improving the quality of education. 

The project, UNICEF pointed is helping to train female teachers through the female teachers’ service scheme and deploying them to rural areas, where the predominance of male teachers deters many parents from sending their girls to school. 

“Another intervention under this project is the conditional cash transfer scheme provides cash to girls to help defray some school-related costs like textbooks, uniforms and others.  The project, aims to encourage parents to send their daughters to school. It is expected to reach more than 50, 000 girls this year in Sokoto and Niger States. 

“Getting girls into schooling, and remain in school is particularly important in a country where 10.5 million children are out of school, and more than 60 per cent of them are  girls. It is a win for everybody and has an impact on child marriage,’ Gough said.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

 

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IABC targets N31.9 tn investment by 2020

   Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

Indian and African investments are targeting the sum of $200 billion, about N31,930 billion from bilateral trade by 2020, to consolidate on the relationship and also work out a plan for currency stabilisation.

These decisions were taken during the recent visit of Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Anand Sharma to Johannesburg to attend the third India-Africa Trade Ministers and India-Africa Business Council (IABC) meeting in which plans to chart out a course of action for food security for its population, trade and economic cooperation in various sectors including infrastructure and energy were made.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that Sharma also took up with the African Trade Ministers the issue of food security and the urgent need to protect the livelihood of both urban and rural poor in the developing and least developed countries.

He explained that India-Africa trade has crossed $70 billion about N11,184,588,132,348.95 in 2012 and is expected to reach $100 billion about N15, 977,988,713,653.12 by 2015 and called for fast tracking the process on the proposed free trade pact with the 19-nation Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

“We are aiming at $200 billion about N 31,930,009,419,352.78 bilateral trade with the African nations by 2020 and strongly feel that this can be achieved without any difficulty,” Sharma said.

NaijaAgroNet  also got the hint that the WTO Bali round of negotiations, scheduled for December, formed part of the discussion, with India making it clear that it would not compromise on the livelihood of poor and marginalised sections covered under the Food Security Programme, even as members expect a successful outcome to ensure the continued credibility of WTO as an institution.

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