SDGs: Civil society needs conducive environment to thrive

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos State Coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD), Dr. Adeshina Bello has called on the government at all levels to create a sustainable and conducive environment for the coalition to thrive in carrying out its mandate to the society, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking at a one-day coalition Sustainable Development Conference in Lagos, held at Justice, Peace and Development Centre (JDPC), Bello noted that the environment must be conducive for the members of the coalition including private sector, social sectors, academia, mass media and other stakeholders to ensure that sustainable development  goals are maximally achieved.

“I equally call on drivers of every sector of the economy to collaborate with the government to ensure rapid development today and forever,” he said.

Bello expressed optimism on the anticipated synergy emanating from the conference so as to drive rapid and lasting development not only in Lagos State, but in Nigeria and the world at large.

He pointed out that a conference like this is an indispensable platform or the state and national development and particularly at a period like this in the history of Nigeria.

“Hence, it is very vital for every stakeholder to identify the SDGs, streamline their activities toward maximally achieving the SDGs, identifying gaps, opportunities challenges and be ready to partner with other stakeholders to achieving abundant durable development in all spheres of life,” he urged.

The coordinator further listed the 17 items in the Sustainable Development Goals to include end poverty, end hunger, ensure good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, good jobs and economic growth.

Additionally, he listed industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production;  climate change action, life below water; sustainable use of ecosystem, forest and combat desertification; access to justice for all; and revitalize global partnership.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Everyone has role in environment says Guterres

NaijaAgroNet:

NaijaAgroNet:

The office of the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has declared that without a healthy environment, the world cannot be said to be working hard to end poverty or build prosperity, reports NaijaAgroNet.

In his message to mark the 2017 World Environment Day, Mr. Guterres said every human being has a role to play in protecting nature in all facet of life.

"Without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity. We all have a role to play in protecting our only home: we can use less plastics, drive less, waste less food and teach each other to care." Guterres asserted.

NaijaAgroNet, gathered that the theme for 2017, ‘Connecting People to Nature’, urges people to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and to think about how to be part of nature and how intimately people depend on it.

“It challenges us to find fun and exciting ways to experience and cherish this vital relationship,” the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) official statement enjoins.

Noting man is both creature and moulder of his environment, which gives him physical sustenance and affords him the opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth. In the long and tortuous evolution of the human race on this planet a stage has been reached when, through the rapid acceleration of science and technology, man has acquired the power to transform his environment in countless ways and on an unprecedented scale.

The United Nations, aware that the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue, which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world, designated 5 June as the World Environment Day. The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.

Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated all over the world, with every, a country is identified as the host of the theme with 2017 holds in Canada.

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WHO, FAO unveil roadmap to deal with highly hazardous pesticides

NaijaAgroNet:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have unveiled new guidelines aimed at reducing the damage done by pesticides that pose especially high toxic risks to human health and the environment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Sources from both organization, informed NaijaAgroNet that products with high acute toxicity account for high numbers of immediate poisoning cases, particularly in developing countries, while products with chronic toxicity effects may cause cancer or developmental disorders among growing children. 

NaijaAgroNet reports that in industrialized countries, such so-called "highly hazardous pesticides" may be no longer permitted or subject to strict use limitations, yet they often remain widely available in developing countries. 

“Even hazardous products are still permitted in industrialised countries can cause severe problems in the developing world, where use circumstances can be very different,” FAO source said.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that small-scale farmers in developing countries in particular often do not have, or use, the necessary protective gear and mostly use back-pack sprayers that pose high risk of exposure.

Therefore, both WHO and FAO pointed out that restriction on the use of such highly hazardous products often prove hard to enforce, leading to widespread use by untrained persons, warning that high numbers of poisoning cases, contaminated food and environmental damage could be the result.

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Africa CSOs canvass for more openness, inclusiveness in STC

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has canvassed for more openness and inclusiveness in the activities of the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Arising from the meeting of the African CSOs Working Group (AWG) at the on-going inaugural conference of the STC on Rule of Procedure held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the group called for a review of the Rule 14 on “Open and Closed Sessions.”

According to the chairman of the group, Mr. Martin Tsoukeu, in a working group report, said that Rule 14 should better be put the other way round by stating that all sessions are open but a decision could be made whether any of these shall be closed.

They also expected that STC-ARDWE recommends to the Ministerial Meeting to reconsider the idea of alleged abolishing of existing Ministerial conferences, in addition to the long-standing request submitted by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), with regards to their relationship with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The African Working Group urged that the STC on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment should be designed in a spirit that could make it an effective coordinating body, rather than a political representation organ.

In addition, AWG, Tsoukeu said, should be made to compliment the functionalities of the existing Ministerial conferences to be renamed or reconstituted, because Ministerial conferences have shown obvious effectiveness.

These, AWG emphasized should be maintained and fully capitalized on in the new STC operating format.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia +NEPAD CAADP CAADP 
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African youths advised to take advantage of rural areas

NaijaAgroNet:

The over 40 per cent of African population living in the rural areas, especially the youths, have been advised to take advantage of their environment by turning it into opportunities, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Head of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CADDP), Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu gave this advice in a chat with NaijaAgroNet at the on-going five-day inaugural meeting of Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He said, African youth are the backbone of everything  the continent has been trying to do with promising future which must be discovered for them to be able to claim it.

Also, he admonished the youth to desist from having the notion that only those living in the cities or urban areas could be successful in life.

“We have to stop moving from rural areas and increasing the number of people living in shanty towns in the cities,” he decried, adding that the expected transformation through agriculture could be achieved by the youth taking the bull by the horn and charting a new course for themselves via taking advantage of their rural environment.

“I believe in reversal of goals. Let the youth stay in the village where the possibility to create sustainable livelihood system for themselves and their families are possible through farming,” he said.

Dr. Yamdjeu underlined the need for member nations of the African Union to invest more in rural transformation and territorial development by way of reducing rural-urban migration. 

For him, CADDP through its Rural Futures; a framework that promotes transformation of rural areas in continent, already have thoughts on this, saying, for various African regions to be successful in agriculture, every factors militating against the sector must be brought to the table with solution proposed.

 “If indeed we have to encourage the youth into embracing agriculture, then rural areas have to be provided the opportunities that people are looking for in the towns, ranging from basic social services to agricultural financing,” Dr. Yamdjeu counseled.

  

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa

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Pix: Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu

Development partners reiterate commitment for Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

Africa’s Development Partners (DP) have reiterated commitment to the growth of the continent with regards to agriculture, rural development, water and environment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Making this disclosure at the inaugural conference of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment, the representative of the chairman of the European Union (EU) Development Partners Task Team, Ms Anna Burylo, said they are determined to support the aspirational goals set by the African Heads of State in the Malabo Declaration.

“… Our determination to work with you all, our African partners in the spirit of alignment, harmonization, transparency and coordination,” she said.

According to Ms Burylo who heads operations at EU delegation to AU, the inauguration of this Specialised Technical Committee (STC) reconfirms DP support and the place of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment in the global agenda.

EU Chairman reiterated that both at the global and African levels, DPs are committed to supporting the Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment sector.

“The idea of a Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition emerged back in 2008 in response to the food crisis placing such issues at the top of the international agenda,” she said.

For her, these partnerships have paved the way for initiatives such as L’Aquila, GAFSP, PARM or New Alliance ensued as well as voluntary guidelines on responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests; G20 food security and nutrition framework or voluntary principles for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems.

She pointed out that the recent endorsement of 2014 Malabo Declaration shows clearly articulated commitments on eradicating hunger, halving poverty, boosting intra-Africa trae and enhancing the resilience of production systems and livelihoods to climate change and other shocks, therefore, is a call to action for impact and sustaining the CAADP momentum.

 +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa

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FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries makes sector sustainable

NaijaAgroNet:

The Code of Conduct for responsible Fisheries has in the last two decades played a key role in making fisheries more sustainable, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The code made it possible by setting universal standards to guide governments and private actors in conserving and managing the world’s ocean resources.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that Fisheries ministers, experts and representatives of civil society groups and the private sector will gather in Vigo, Spain, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and discuss the state and future of global fisheries.

FAO is partnering with Spain’s Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Environment, and leading Spanish trade association Conxemar on a series of events at this year’s International Fisheries Stakeholders Forum taking place on October 8 to 9, 2015 where discussions will focus on the importance of responsible ocean governance for global food security.

Among other issues billed for discussion at the forum include: expanding role of fish farms, improving seafood safety and traceability, reducing food waste and illegal fishing, and sustainably harnessing marine resources for economic growth.

A press statement by FAO said session will explore ways to develop a global integrated approach to combat illegal fishing, including the role of surveillance systems and consumer awareness, global trends and trade regimes, along with issues of growth and sustainability, including food waste. 

Overview of world production in fisheries and aquaculture, implications for food security and nutrition, the role of scientific knowledge as tool for fisheries management for the future, are all part of a rolled out programme for the Forum, NaijaAgroNet.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 
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STC-ARDWE 5-day inaugural confab kick-off in Addis Ababa

NaijaAgroNet:

The five-day inaugual conference of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) has opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The meeting which would last till Friday, October 9, NaijaAgroNet reported, came to the fore following the adoption of the configuration of STC and its modalities of operationalization by the African Union Assembly of Heads of the State and Government.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that Specialised Technical Committees are made up of Ministry or senior official s responsible for the concerned specific sectors based on the area of competence.

This special Committees are responsible for preparing projects and programmes of the Union and submitting same to the Executive Council of African Union.

Equally they are expected to meet every two years in order to discharge the responsibilities vested on them by AU assembly.

This conference is organised by the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of AU in partnership with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA).

The rational, NaijaAgroNet gathered was based on fact that by end of September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly was expected to endorse the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals in addition to the 21st session of the UN Convention on Climate Change by December 2015 as well as the Malabo Declaration on Africa Accelerated Agriculture Growth and Transformation (3AGT) among others.

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ANEEJ accuses NNPC, Swiss partners of shortchanging Nigeria on crude swap deal

NaijaAgroNet:

The Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, has revealed that the interim crude swap between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and two Swiss partners were carried out at prices lower than the market rates, NaijaAgroNet  reports.

ANEEJ, a Non-Governmental Organisation working on oil and gas sector criticized the interim crude swap contract entered into with four companies by NNPC expected to last from October to December 2015, saying the process of engaging the companies falls short of the Provisions of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Act 2007.

Reports say two of the agreements are with NNPC Joint-Venture companies — one with Swiss trader Vitol called Calson and the other with commodities trader, Trafigura called Napoil. The other two are with non-incorporated Joint Ventures between oil major BP and Nigermed Limited and NNPC’s trading arm Duke Oil Company with Sahara Group, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

"We are further alarmed that  the  same Geneva companies Trafigura and Vitol  reported in the Bern Declaration Report of 2013 to have outclassed  their competitors in  opaque partnerships with the NNPC are the same companies that have been contracted by the NNPC for further oil swaps.

"We observe that the interim crude swap agreement is in sharp contrast with the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari determination to rid the nation's Oil and Gas industry and indeed all sectors of corruption responsible for the hemorrhaging of the nation into frightening poverty," the ANEEJ helmsman said.

In the press release, NaijaAgroNet  gathered, the NNPC had stated that only 16 firms would be engaged to serve as off-takers‎ for the 2015/2016 crude oil term contract‎ from the current 43.

According to the NNPC, the decision to prune the number of off-takers was borne out of the need to instill transparency and probity in the award of the annual Crude Oil Term Contract, but ANEEJ said it "wants the NNPC to take steps to end oil swaps in the country. Pruning them to 16 is a welcome development, but we want an end to oil swaps in Nigeria because it is the hot bed for oil theft and bleeding of the economy.

"The best measures to optimize the marketing of Nigeria’s crude oil and secure new market potentials is not to embark on oil swap deals but to ensure local refining of the crude and market the refined products both locally and internationally. We are happy that our refineries are working again, but they, including the new licensees  need to work optimally to meet both domestic  and international market needs," Ugolor stated.

Cyriacus Nnaji with correspondent report/GEE

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Pix: David Ugolor,

Germany doles out N2.39b to assist eight countries

NaijaAgroNets

Germany through its Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety has doled out $12 million, about N2.39billion to assist eight developing countries, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Under a new United Nations (UN) programme called “Integrating Agriculture in National Adaptation Plans programme”, Germany will through funding collaborate with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) to work with ministries of agriculture in Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Uruguay, Viet Nam and Zambia to incorporate agricultural sectors into National Adaptation Plans.

An FAO press release made available to NaijaAgroNet, said under the four-year initiative, countries will receive various types of support. FAO will offer policy advice and technical support to ensure that climate change adaptation priorities in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors are incorporated in this planning process. UNDP will engage with countries in managing climate risk, in planning and budgeting, and help them strengthen information systems, project formulation, and coordination between government institutions.

The initiative, NaijaAgroNet gathered, has immediate potential to link with and amplify existing programmes in the target countries and improve their prospects for accessing global funds for climate finance, such as the Global Environment Fund and the Green Climate Fund.

The Executive Coordinator UNDP Global Environment Finance Unit, Adriana Dinu, said, "Our food security in the decades to come depends on our collective ability to innovate and adapt to climate change. The agriculture sector is critical to every nation and is a lifeline for livelihoods. Therefore, FAO and UNDP have joined forces to support partner countries to integrate agriculture into National Adaptation Planning (NAP) processes."

While the Director of FAO's Climate, Energy and Tenure Division, Martin Frick, added ,"Ministries of agriculture, fisheries and forestry need to be at the table when countries develop and implement domestic policies to address climate change,"

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