South African returnees to trigger agriculture revolution in Oyo - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Oyo State Government has expressed readiness to empower its indigenes who are returning from South Africa as a result of xenophobic attacks through agriculture, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The state’s deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, who made the declaration on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, while receiving 30 indigenes of the state who were victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, said that the State would not just give them fish, but teach them how to fish.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the government of Oyo State had expressed its readiness re-orientate and re-integrate the returnees into the society as well as empower them based on their needs.

The statement read: “I want to assure you on behalf of the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, that you have no reason whatsoever to go back to South Africa or anywhere again.

“We are going to provide for you; we are here for you. The people that you left behind voted for us in your absence and we will tell them that they did not make a mistake.

“We are not going to give you money but we will provide for your needs based on your requests when we get your needs assessment through adequate profiling so as to cater for your needs.

“I welcome you back. You may not like this, I am happy to see you here. It is not that I like what happened to you. One of you said he left with nothing, but I tell you that is not correct. As far as you are alive there is hope and Oyo State is the hope you need because there is a new dawn in Oyo state.

“Because the state is going to create a lot of opportunities in the area of Agribusiness, you have a lot to do. For some of you who are interested in government work, thank God the state has not recruited yet, when the time comes and you have the prerequisite qualifications, you will be considered.”

The state government also enjoined the returnees not to go into crime or lose hope, as the Deputy Governor urged the returnees not to seek a return to any country for the proverbial greener pastures, adding that life would be better for them in the state.

He further said: “I want to urge you all to inform other Nigerians who are still residing in Saudi Arabia and other foreign lands to return home, because there is plan in place to revolutionise agriculture to create economic opportunities for residents and there will be better plans in abundance for the returnees in Oyo State.”
The state government proceeded to make cash provisions of N30,000 each available to the returnees as transport fare to their various destinations within the State, pending the assessments of their needs and further actions from the government.

Speaking on behalf of returnees, Mr. Lawal Bolatito, appreciated the efforts of the Oyo State Government and further appealed for empowerment and job opportunities for them.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Pix: Deputy Gov. Mr. Rauf.

Kwara flags off nutrition treatments for children, pregnant women - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Kwara State Government has flagged off a statewide campaign against chronic malnutrition in the state, with the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) officially launched to boost nutrition among children and women, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The ANRiN, facilitated by the Federal Government on Wednesday, is a World bank-assisted Project designed to encourage consumption of nutritious food/supplements among the citizens of the participating states, especially pregnant or lactating women and children.

“Our decision to key into ANRiN followed the unsavoury news that 238,171 out of every 696,405 children under 5 years of age in Kwara are stunted, a development that is an evidence of chronic malnutrition and a potent socioeconomic threat to the state,” Secretary to the Kwara State Government Prof Mamman Saba Jibril said at the flag off in Ilorin, the state capital.

Jibril represented Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the event attended by the Chairman Kwara State House Committee on Health and representative of the Kwara State First Lady, Abdulrasak Owolabi; representative of the Federal Ministry of Health Dr Kamil Soretire; Permanent Secretary Kwara State Ministry of Health Dr. Rhoda Ajiboye; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information and Communications, AbdulGaniyu Mustapha; representative of the World Bank, Sangeeta Carol Pinto; Magaji Are and representative of the Emir of Ilorin Aremu Zubair.

Jibril, who urged Kwarans to visit the primary health centres nearest to them to access the services, called the ANRIN a bold step to address malnutrition by increasing the utilisation of high quality and cost effective nutrition interventions among pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under the age of five (5) years.

“We are proud to say that Kwara State, which could have dropped out of the list of 11 states shortlisted for the intervention, is privileged to be on board because our administration promptly paid the first ever counterpart funds of N50m,” he said.

“This means that our pregnant women and children will benefit from ANRiN as the implementation of the project begins today across the 16 local government areas of the state. By this, our mothers and children, especially the under-fives, will henceforth have free access to an array of nutrition-related treatments across the Primary Health Centres in the state. There will be provision of micro nutrient powders, zinc/ORS to children, iron and folic acid tablets for pregnant and lactating women, high calories food for malnourished children, Vitamin A for children, malaria-preventing drugs to pregnant women, and deworming of children, among other benefits.”

Pinto, the World Bank official at the event, commended the government for keying into the programme, saying the partnership on ANRiN will go a long way in curbing child and maternal mortalities in the state.

Owolabi said the ANRiN programme would help halt the 50 percent countrywide child and maternal deaths on account of malnutrition.

Applauding the World Bank, Federal and the State Government for the project, he noted that the first 1000 days of the life of a child represent a critical period of their brain development, hence the need to access good nutrition to enhance their intellectual and cognitive capacities.

Ajiboye, for her part, noted that the government's giant stride in health sector is capable of achieving universal health coverage in the state.

She said the government's commitment to implementing ANRiN project will translate to huge relief for healthcare seekers.

Ajiboye commended AbdulRazaq for providing the state with a focused, goal-driven and purposeful leadership, a gesture she described as a sincere fulfilment of his campaign promises.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Sectorial Nutrition plan: CS-SUNN urges Lagos to invest N56b - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Arising from the 2-day harmonization training meeting organized by CS-SUNN, the Lagos State Government has successfully mainstreamed the State Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition into the State Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) ahead of the 2020 budget process, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

Executive Secretary, CS-SUNN, Mrs. Beatrice Eluaka, told NaijaAgroNet that the training was aimed at strengthening the capacity of Heads of Planning Units, Nutrition Desk officers, Planning Officers, Statisticians among others in all nutrition line ministries to mainstream strategies into the State Nutrition Strategic Plan of Action.

“It further sought to improve collaborations among personnel from these nutrition line ministries in preparing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) budgets and other nutrition related planning documents for the state,” she said in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet.

The Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Adetutu Abiola, who declared the training open, said it was apt considering the malnutrition challenge bedeviling the country. 

“One of the objectives of this training is to acquaint budget officers of line ministries on the importance of the multi-sectoral costed workplan in planning for nutrition programmes and projects and how to achieve the set targets in the domesticated policy documents”, said Adetutu. 

She therefore tasked budget officers to familiarize themselves with the policy documents and costed workplan as information from the documents will guide preparation of annual budgets of the line ministries.

In a presentation, the Secretary of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN) Mrs. Braheem O.C stated that malnutrition still remains a public health challenge in Lagos State and a silent crisis that imposes a staggering cost to the State’s economy. She revealed that the state government requires a total sum of Two hundred and eighty-four billion, eight hundred and twenty-six million, four hundred and ninety-nine thousand naira only (N284, 826,499, 000.ooK ) with an average annual cost of Fifty-six billion, nine hundred and sixty-five million, two hundred and twenty-nine thousand, eight hundred naira only (N56, 965,299,800. 00K) to implement the State Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition (2019-2023).

Earlier this year, the Lagos SCFN in collaboration with CS-SUNN had domesticated the National Policy on Food and Nutrition specific to Lagos state and developed the state multi-sectoral costed workplan.

The plan covers 6 core areas which include, Food and Nutrition Security, Enhancing Caregiving Capacity, Enhancing provision of quality Health services, Improving Capacity to Address Food And Nutrition Insecurity, Raising Awareness and understanding of the problem of malnutrition in Nigeria and Resource Allocation for Food and Nutrition Security at all Levels. It is expected that the plan if followed through will result in increased food production leading to a reduced rate of malnutrition, reduced Morbidity and Mortality among women and children and enhanced capacity to deliver effective and appropriate nutrition interventions in the state. It will further enhance the capacity to deliver effective and appropriate nutrition interventions and operationalization of budgetary provision for all Nutrition objectives and developmental plans and programmes across all line MDAs.

The validated policy will serve as a guide for the execution of programmes and projects targeted at addressing malnutrition in Lagos state.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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African annual MoodleMoot workshop goes to Abidjan - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

eLearning Africa has confirmed the hosting of the African annual MoodleMoot workshop at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire on 23 October, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The theme of this year’s pan-African eLearning conference, dedicated to examining the potential for using new communications technology to spread educational opportunity, is “learnability and employability”.

Millions of young Africans, who collectively are the continent’s richest resource, must be empowered quickly to maximise the potential of digital technology in education and employment. However, connectivity, an essential element in the virtual world, is still a major issue in Africa.

Moodle, a very popular open-source course-management system, is a game-changing innovation that responds to these needs. A MoodleMoot is a conference dedicated to Moodle users, developers and administrators. Many of the over 150 million users of Moodle around the world are now in Africa.

“Technically, Moodle offers us exactly what we need,” says Dr Bruno Tran, the CIVA Vocational Training Expert from AfricaRice in Benin, which is part of the ‘One World, No Hunger’ initiative – funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. “For us, it means we can reach a larger audience despite the limitations of internet connectivity in rural parts of the country.MoodleMoot Africa 2019 will convene with a focus on encouraging collaboration and promotion of Moodle best practice. At the workshop, participants will engage in a full day of learning, practical dialogue, and sharing of ideas with Moodle experts and practitioners, including Moodle's CEO and Founder Martin Dougiamas. He sees many benefits in these gatherings: “MoodleMoots are the place to recharge your practice:  discover the state of the art in online learning, meet peers using Moodle in other institutions, and share your discoveries in an open, inclusive environment”.The highly interactive workshop will also provide Moodle users with a unique opportunity to share their personal Moodle stories with other enthusiastic members of this large global community.

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UN Climate Action Summit: IRENA urges leaders to build climate response around renewables - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

Public and private sector leaders are being urged to double annual investments in renewable energy to keep the world well below 2°C of warming, says a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. 

With just 11 years left for action to limit the effects of climate change, annual investments of USD 4.3 trillion in the energy sector until 2030 is the world’s most practical and readily available climate solution.

Annual renewable energy investments for the next decade need to double from around USD 330 billion to nearly USD 750 billion per year until 2030.

The findings form part of a new climate investment report by IRENA that highlights how cumulative global energy investments must pivot overwhelmingly towards low-carbon technologies including renewables. More than USD 18.6 trillion of planned fossil-fuel investments by 2050 need to be redirected to hold the line called for by the Paris Agreement and reaffirmed by the recent special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Despite the urgency, current investment patterns show a stark mismatch with the pathway necessary to ensure a climate-safe future. Together, renewable energy and energy efficiency, along with deeper electrification, can deliver 90 per cent of the energy-related emission cuts needed under the Paris Agreement.

“It’s possible to limit climate change and meet the world’s growing energy demand by rapidly accelerating the speed at which we deploy renewable energy," said IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera. “Only an energy transformation driven by renewables will allow us to meet the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. Renewables are the only ready and available instrument we have to hold the 1.5°C line over the next 11 years.”

"In meeting climate goals, we can also boost economic growth and deliver on sustainable development with renewables,” continued Mr. La Camera. “But there is an urgent need to rethink long-term energy investment decisions to ensure they lead us to the sustainable future we need. Doubling investments in renewables offers us a tremendous opportunity to improve health, create jobs, deliver economic opportunity and tackle climate change. No other solution is as plausible.”

Transforming the energy system with renewables offers a more cost-effective path than climate inaction. Every dollar invested in the energy transition will offer returns of up to three to seven times in improved human health, lower climate related expenditure and reduced subsidies.

But accelerating renewable energy deployment requires policies that create an enabling environment to unlock investment and encourage economic development, the new report concludes. IRENA will work closer to the ground, facilitating projects and assisting countries in building attractive investment frameworks for renewables. The Agency will also enhance cooperation with the private sector, international financial institutions and multilateral organisations.

In support of the UN Secretary General’s call for decisive climate action, IRENA has launched a campaign that underpins renewable energy as a practical climate action solution. In co-operation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Agency’s “Lead the change. It’s possible with renewables” campaign aims to inform about the potential of renewable energy technologies and in turn encourage concrete climate action.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Health: Oloibiri attracts PPP for Nigeria - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The first phase of the Oloibiri Health Programme (OHP) was recently inaugurated and comprises of the remodelled General Hospital, Kolo; Water Treatment Plant; Hybrid Solar Powered System; Medical Laboratory Equipment at the College of Health Technology, Otuogidi and the Dental Chair at the Demonstration Clinic, Otuogidi (one of the 14 OHP network of facilities). Over 17,000 people and 20 Communities have benefited from the programme over the last three years, in addition to training of 117 facility and community health workers and business mentorship to 100 entrepreneurs. In 2015, GE Healthcare and Shell Companies in Nigeria (Shell) signed an MOU to establish the comprehensive healthcare project in Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA), Bayelsa State. “The OHP is an expansive initiative being implemented in three phases. As part of the first Phase, the General Hospital Kolo will serve as a referral hub providing 24 hours service with linkages to five Health-for-Life Centres and 13 Ward Health Centres. The second phase projects consists of Oloibiri Health-for-Life Centre, a Ward Health Centre, and a Knowledge Management and Research Centre to be completed by the end of October 2019.The third phase will be the establishment of the pilot Ogbia Community Health Insurance Scheme that will anchor the sustainability of the OHP and will deliver healthcare services using a network of facilities. This is expected to start in December 2019.” Said Mr. Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria. The OHP is a transformational health intervention programme championed by Shell as part of its Social Investment Programme, and in commemoration of the centenary celebrations of Nigeria delivered by GE Healthcare from February 2015 to August 2019. Other key programme partners include Bayelsa State Government/ Ministry of Health, Ogbia Local Government Area, Federal University Otuoke, and World Bank/International Finance Corporation. “Strengthening healthcare systems at the primary and secondary levels is key in accelerating Nigeria’s vision for Universal Health Coverage,” said Eyong Ebai, General Manager, GE Healthcare West, Central & French Sub-Sahara Africa. “The OHP is an excellent example of the impact collaborations in the healthcare sector can attain, in driving sustainable healthcare solutions and access to quality and affordable healthcare for all across the country.” Mr. Ebai added that with over 40 years of operation in Nigeria, GE Healthcare was focused on partnering with public and private health providers to support the country’s sustainable healthcare development. The OHP through targeted efforts seeks to strengthen the existing health system, promote world class service delivery and uptake, establish a learning and operations research institute, and enhance social determinants of health within communities. The programme has taken a more holistic and unique approach by addressing challenges across the entire health system in a given population, with a wider scope including infrastructure upgrade, capacity building and training, availability of drugs, health insurance, strengthening data and overall health information management. It also has an explicit focus on social determinants of health which are outside the health system but have huge impact on the health of individuals and communities such as employment, water, sanitation and hygiene, electricity among others. “In the next decades, economic growth in nations will be driven by the extent of human capital accumulation. This is why I am particularly proud of the launch of this programme, because it prepares the people of Ogbia LGA for the challenges of the next century. Human capital development cannot become a reality if the people lack basic healthcare needs, education, skills and capabilities” Said Dr. Olumide Okunola, Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank/International Finance Corporation. He added that Oloibiri, which was where Nigeria first discovered oil in commercial quantity over six decades ago, has made another first in the country by attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The Permanent Secretary Bayelsa State Ministry of Health, Dr Inodu Apoku KSC said, “The OHP is a good example of how as a state we are fast-tracking achievement of UHC through collaborations with private, development and other stakeholders as part of our Bayelsa State Strategic Health Development Plan. This will help ensure our citizenry have access to comprehensive, appropriate, affordable quality essential health care through revitalization of Primary Health Care.” The attainment of UHC for both Nigeria and Africa at large requires continuous innovation of health systems at both primary and secondary healthcare levels. The success of the OHP in particular demonstrates the critical role of the private sector as a source of funding for universal access to a guaranteed package of health services at an affordable price and for provision of services which is used to leverage public financing. Health for all is possible through deliberate public and private collaborations in scalable initiatives such as the OHP, geared towards improving the quality of life for the citizens.  Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Shell decries crude theft, vandalism in Niger Delta - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

 

With a daily loss of about 10,000 barrels of oil from its pipelines to crude oil theft, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has cried out for help from government, communities and other stakeholders to stem the incessant attack on oil assets in the Niger Delta.

“These are critical national assets with 55 percent government interest and they produce the crude oil that accounts for over 90% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange and the bulk of government revenue. Hurting these assets means hurting the nation’s revenue, the economy of the states, the health of the people and the environment,” SPDC’s General Manager External Relations, Igo Weli, said on Monday at a media workshop on Pipelines Right of Way Encroachment and Vandalism held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital city where the company has its headquarters.

“Crude oil theft on the pipeline network resulted in a loss of around 11,000 barrels of oil a day in 2018, which is more than the approximate 9,000 bbl/d in 2017, Weli said, adding that since 2012, SPDC had removed more than 1,160 illegal theft points on its joint venture pipelines in the Niger Delta.

In its June 2019 monthly report, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation which controls Nigeria’s 55 percent interest in the SPDC JV said there was a 77% rise in oil pipeline vandalism and that 106 pipeline breaches were recorded in June, up from 60 in May.

Weli said SPDC was concerned about the lives and safety of those involved in pipeline vandalism and crude theft just as the company was concerned about the environment. “As a responsible organisation, we put safety first and have constantly made this appeal to those involved in crude theft in the Niger Delta to stop destroying their land and heritage from the spill and pollution arising from their activities.”

He described crude oil theft and artisanal refining of stolen crude as criminal acts “that are not only against the law but are also capable of mortgaging the future of the community.”

Also speaking SPDC’s General Manager, Safety and Environment, Chidube Nnene-Anochie, noted that illegal refining and third-party interference with pipelines were the main sources of pollution in the Niger Delta. According to Nnene-Anochie, in 2018 alone, “third party interference caused close to 90% of the number of spills of more than 100 kilograms from SPDC JV pipelines.”

Represented by SPDC’s Compliance Monitoring Lead, Temitope Ajibade, Nnene-Anochie said no spill was acceptable to the company. “A key priority for Shell companies in Nigeria remains to achieve the goal of no spills from our operations. No spill is acceptable, and we work hard to prevent them. However, SPDC cleans and remediates areas impacted by spills from its facilities irrespective of the cause.”

On the measures taken by the company to stem crude theft, she explained SPDC had enhanced its community-based pipeline surveillance while promoting alternative livelihoods through Shell’s flagship youth entrepreneurship programme, Shell LiveWIRE. “Between 2003 when Shell LiveWIRE was launched in Nigeria and now, the programme has trained 7,072 Niger Delta youths in enterprise development and provided business start-up grants to 3,817.

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L--R: Senior Research Adviser, Social Performance and Social Investment, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Kenneth Nweke; Compliance Monitoring Lead, Temitope Ajibade; External Relations Manager, Alice Ajeh; General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli; Encroachment Management Lead, Ucheoma Amechi; and Right of Way Lead, John Okojie, at a media workshop on pipeline vandalism and encroachment in Port Harcourt …on Monday

African Green Revolution Forum 2019: AfDB, partners relaunch platform - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The African Development Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have relaunched a platform to assist African agriculture ministers and other key stakeholders to promote strong growth in agricultural production and value addition in their countries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The partners launched the new Leadership for Agriculture (L4AG) Forum on 2nd September 2019, during the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF).

Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who delivered the keynote address told attendees the platform was an important tool for learning lessons from each other, “but most importantly, to help move us to a more dynamic agriculture.”

“Countries spend so much money on food subsidy programs and would like to see better yields. At the end of the day, we would like to have a clear program to address agriculture efficiently and sustainably,” said Dr. Martin Fregene, African Development Bank Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry.

“Agriculture has to be private sector led, and it is expected to reach $1 trillion dollars…therefore the government should reduce investment risks and improve management of policy environment to ensure that agriculture thrives,” Fregene added.

This year’s AGRF brought together more than 2,000 policy, decision makers and technocrats from Africa’s agricultural sector.

The L4AG Forum is a unique platform for public and private sector leaders to interact learn from each other and strategize on how to overcome challenges hampering agricultural and economic growth on the continent.

The new L4AG will seek commitment on solutions. As such, future forums will be tailor-made to directly respond to demand by countries – focusing on what countries are really struggling with to implement effectively and get desired results.

During a series of presentations and roundtable discussions, participants shared experiences challenges and opportunities in various ICT-led agricultural subsidy distribution programs as well as lessons learned in implementing programs proven to increase crop yields, farm productivity and incomes for farmers.

Nick Austin, Director of Agricultural Development with the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said the organization is committed to supporting governments create an enabling environment to develop broad-based agricultural plans, despite the challenges posed by planning and monitoring.

He said: “The needs and priority of countries can vary but we can learn from one another and avoid mistakes of the past. We need to seek insights, find solutions, understand what works, looking for a module for success and avoid the usual pitfalls.”

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Time to Make Energy Work for Africa - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

It is long past time that we made energy work for Africa. It is past time that Africa’s natural resources benefited Africans; that every African had access to electricity; and that the wealth created by oil and gas would lead to the sustainable development of African economies.

Certainly, much needs to be done to make these dreams a reality, and the continent’s top leaders in the energy industry will gather in Cape Town on October 9-11 in Africa Oil & Power 2019 to drive the conversation forward and #MakeEnergyWork.

Thankfully, success stories and opportunities abound.

The incredible story of Senegal, for example, stands as a roadmap on creating a transparent government; building the needed infrastructure to support future development; creating an attractive regulatory framework to bring in much-needed FID and new investment; and for using the oil and gas sector to spur new growth.

The country, led by H.E. Macky Sall, the President of the Republic of Senegal, has seen tremendous growth in the last decade, consistently ranking in the top ten fastest-growing economies in the world. Government reforms, led by Sall, have improved Senegal’s image both domestically and abroad, encouraging a string of new investment in oil and gas, electricity, roads, fisheries and tourism.

The outlook for the country’s oil and gas sector, led by Sall, is bullish, with two of the world’s most-watched projects -- SNE oilfield and the Great Tortue/Ahmeyim gas project -- moving forward. Both are expected to start producing export revenues in the early 2020s.

H.E. Sall, winner of the prestigious “Africa Oil Man of the Year” award during the 2019 Africa Oil & Power conference, has certainly provided Africans with a strong example of leadership and cooperation. We are honored to recognize and support H.E. Sall’s achievements and continued efforts at Africa Oil & Power.

At Atlas-Oranto, we are proud to be leading pioneers in the sustainable development of Africa’s energy sector, ensuring growth in countries like South Sudan, where we are honored to operate Block B3; in Equatorial Guinea where we operate Block I and in Nigeria, where we operate OML109. In total, Atlas-Oranto is active in 11 countries in Africa and we are committed to working with the governments and communities of these countries to ensure our operations meet the highest standards of energy development. In Equatorial Guinea, for example, we are currently investing $350 million into the country’s gas monetization and backfill project.

At Atlas-Oranto -- Africa’s largest privately-held, Africa-focused exploration and production group -- we have faith in Africans, and we invest heavily in frontier markets so that the continent as a whole can continue to grow. We know first-hand what it takes to get new investments off the ground and how to grow small-to-medium enterprises. It takes boots on the ground, as well as understanding and coordination with our brothers and sisters around the world.

Indeed, with new investment opportunities on the horizon and a new drive to cooperate across borders, now is the time to spur this sustainable growth in Africa with energy as the catalyst.

At Africa Oil & Power 2019, many of these opportunities will be featured, including the ongoing licensing rounds in Equatorial Guinea and Angola; the launch of the South Sudan licensing round; and more.

For three days, over 1,200 of Africa’s foremost thought leaders, industry experts, private sector executives and government officials will gather together to discuss the incredible role of technology in Africa’s energy sector; the rise of renewables; the incredible upstream opportunities from South Africa to Senegal and the need for cooperation.

*By Prince Arthur Eze/Editor

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Ekiti moves to curb perennial flooding - NaijaAgraNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi on Saturday disclosed that his administration has commenced dredging of major water channels in the state in a bid to prevent perennial flooding in the state, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Governor Fayemi disclosed this in a chat with journalists shortly after inspecting flooded areas in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Ikere-Ekiti Eporo and Ogbese.

Several communities were affected by flooding following Friday night’s heavy down pour. These include: Oke Osun in Ikere Ekiti, Olujoda zone 1 (Ado Ekiti), Ureje (Ado Ekiti), Elemi Afao road Ado Ekiti and Ogbese in Ise-Orun local government.

Dr Fayemi who empathized with the victims of the heavy flooding which overran some bridges and flooded some homes and farm lands promised government’s support for the victims, adding that his government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that perennial flooding is completed curbed in the State.

He assured that government would provide succour for those who were rendered homeless by the flood.

While warning citizens against indiscriminate disposal of waste in the drains, the governor urged them to imbibe the maintenance culture and desist from acts that are capable of endangering the society. He added that anyone caught disposing waste in the drains would face the wrath of the law.

Fayemi stated that government had desilted blocked drainages in virtually all parts of Ado Ekiti, the State capital so as to give room for free flow of water and forestall flooding, but lamented that some citizens have not stopped dropping refuse in the drains.

“This government prioritizes the welfare of citizens. We cannot fold our arms and watch people lose lives and property to flood. This was why we embarked on the de-silting of blocked drains and the dredging of blocked waterways. For us as a government, we are committed to a safe environment. Just a few days ago, I got a call that Ureje bridge along Poly road in Ado was affected by a heavy rain that fell on Tuesday, and as a responsive government, I directed the Commissioner for Environment to see what could be done to address the menace.”

“While we have filled up the areas eaten up by erosion with heavy stones to prevent the Ureje bridge from caving in, we are also considering some lasting solutions. But our people too have critical roles to play in ensuring that we have a safe environment. It is unacceptable to dump refuse in the drains. Once the drains are blocked, flooding is certain to happen. Whoever is caught dumping refuse in the drains will face the wrath of the law”, he said.

At Ogbese, the bridge had been overrun by flood and had sacked residents living close to the river bank.

The governor interfaced with members of the community said the flood was not unconnected with the lackadaisical attitude of the contractor handling the construction of Ogbese dam.

Governor Fayemi immediately went to the dam and summoned the contractor to his office on how to control water from the dam and preventing it from causing needless flood.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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