Alison-Madueke is alternative OPEC President

NaijaAgroNet:

The Minister for Petroleum, Princess Diezani Kogbeni Alison-Madueke is the alternative president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), NaijaAgroNet can confirm.

This, NaijaAgroNet also reports offers Nigeria the privilege to deputise the incumbent president from Libya at the OPEC meetings, in spite of the schemes by Iran to turn the table.

Sources close to OPEC and exposed by The Wall Street Journal were reported as quoting an OPEC insider saying this “could end a long-running leadership standoff at the cartel, but which could also be controversial at home.”

The report also exposed that Nigeria’s delegation at OPEC has stepped up lobby for Alison-Madueke to get the OPEC topnotch job, stressing that Petroleum ministers from other OPEC countries are “reportedly divided over new Nigerian leadership pitch” and that Alison-Madueke faces resistance from the Arab member nations.

Further NaijaAgroNet inquiries showed that OPEC has been bedeviled with internal wrangling and divisions as it looks to nominate a new leadership. Abdulla Salem el-Badri, the group’s long-standing secretary general, had been due to step down two years ago but the group could not decide on a replacement. Iran has for years coveted placing one of its own senior oil officials at the head of the group’s secretariat in Vienna – a move that Saudi Arabia has vigorously opposed.”

NaijaAgroNet gathered that last December, Alison-Madueke was named OPEC’s alternate president at the caucus’ 164th session in Vienna, Austria, which means that Mrs. Allison-Madueke could deputise for the Dr. Abdel Bari Ali Al-Arousi, who is the Minister of Oil and Gas of Libya elected president of the conference for another year from January 1, 2014.

Nigeria became full member of OPEC since 1971.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum Resources represents Nigeria as the alternate President of the OPEC Conference.

Born on December 6, 1960 in the city of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Alison-Madueke holds BArch, Howard University, Washington, DC (USA), MBA, Judge Institute of Management, University of Cambridge, UK, 2003, and has worked for Charles Szoradi Architects, Washington, DC.

She was a project engineer, American Interior Builders, Inc., Washington, DC and Coordinated designs for Furman Construction Management, Inc., Rockville, Maryland; Project Manager, Howard University, Washington, DC where she also worked as member, Planning and Development Team, Howard University, Washington, DC before returning to Nigeria to join Shell Petroleum Company Lagos as the Head of Project Unit, Estate Development Division.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke continued to progress within Shell Corporation as she was elevated to Head of Corporate Issues Identification & Management Department, External Affairs Directorate, Shell Petroleum Company, Lagos; Senior JV Relations Adviser for Strategy and Planning, Shell Petroleum Company; Lead Ventures Relation Adviser, Shell Petroleum Company, Lagos, Nigeria; External Affairs Director, Board of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria.

In July 2007, she was appointed Minister of Transportation; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, December 2008 and till date serving as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, since April 2010.

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Pix: Princess Alison-Madueke

70% of world population without social protections - UN

NaijaAgroNet:

Aftermath of the global economic crisis, it has been discovered that over 70 per cent of the world population is without proper social protections, says United Nations labour agency, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), reports NaijaAgroNet.

ILO in an executive summary of the report made available to NaijaAgroNet.urged governments to scale up investment in child and family benefits, pensions and other public expenditures.

Sandra Polaski, the Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) made this disclosure, saying that the global community agreed in 1948 that social security and health care for children, working age people who face unemployment or injury and older persons are a universal human right.

“And yet in 2014 the promise of universal social protection remains unfilled for the large majority of the world’s population,” she lamented.

Equally, NaijaAgroNet gathered that as many as 122 governments were contracting public expenditures in 2014, of which 82 are developing countries, according to the findings of the World Social Protection Report 2014/15: Building economic recovery, inclusive development and social justice.

“The case for social protection is even more compelling in these times of economic uncertainty, low growth and increased inequality,” Ms. Polaski noted, adding that it is also an issue that the international community should embrace prominently in the development agenda following the Millennium Development Goals deadline in 2015.

At the beginning of the 2008-2009 economic crisis, at least 48 high- and middle-income countries put in place stimulus packages totalling $2.4 trillion that devoted roughly a quarter to social protection measures.

This support “acted as an automatic stabilizer that helped the economies to regain balance and protected the unemployed and vulnerable from economic disaster in the countries where it was extended,” according to the report.

But from 2010 onwards, many governments reversed course and embarked prematurely on fiscal consolidation, despite the urgent need to continue supporting vulnerable populations and stabilizing consumption.

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LDC Group says urgent action needed on climate change

NaijaAgroNet:

The Chairman of the Least Developed Countries Group at the UN climate change negotiations, Mr. Prakash Mathema has said that the latest science tells us that we could limit global temperature increases to a level that will save the poorest countries in the world, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He told NaijaAgroNet that all that is required is the will to do it, adding that “if we don’t act urgently the world’s poorest will suffer.”

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the two new reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in the last three months, present alarming realities for the world’s poorest.

“Extreme temperatures, rainfall and drought, increase in aridity, more intense tropical cyclones, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification are among other adverse effects of climate change,” he said. Pointing out that these effects will lead to declining crop yields, undernourishment, injury and ill-health, and a number of other socioeconomic and development challenges.


“It is still technically and economically feasible to limit temperature increases to below 1.5°C, but only if we all work together to resolve the climate change problem. If some countries advance their own interests and ignore the need for international cooperation, then we are doomed,” he said.


The LDC Group, further said, has arrived in Bonn, Germany to continue discussions at the UN on reaching a universal, legally-binding agreement on climate change and called for urgent action to ensure that we reach a new legal agreement in Paris by December 2015.


“Governments must make substantial progress in their talks in the period leading up to this date. We hope that we will have a negotiating text to discuss in the major climate change meeting later this year in Lima, Peru. This means that this June session of climate change talks is critical. We cannot be delayed by procedural discussions. We must put our heads together and start writing a new agreement,” he said.

Mathema insisted that as a sign of commitment to addressing climate change, the LDC Group is already choosing low-carbon and climate-resilient development pathways; to show that everyone has a role to play.


“We stand ready to engage proactively and progressively in the negotiations for a new agreement. We have demonstrated our leadership as the ‘moral voice’ in difficult negotiations. We sincerely hope that all nations will join us in this quest. Reaching a strong conclusion in Paris is crucial for us; it is about the very survival of our communities and future generations. If there is no progress, we stand to lose the most,” Mathema said.

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AstraZeneca unveils health research grant in Nigeria

NaijaAgroNet:

The AstraZeneca Nigeria Research Grant has been unveiled in Nigeria for health affiliated research, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The grant, NaijaAgroNet gathered  is an initiative to facilitate research in both communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in this West African country and follows closely on the recent successful launch of a comparable venture in Kenya earlier this year.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that over the next three years, AstraZeneca plans to invest a total of US$300 000 (US$100 000/year) in a variety of research projects in Nigeria, with the aim of building medical capacity in the country, providing support to both experienced medical academics as well as medical academics embarking on a career in research.

Karl Friberg, AstraZeneca’s Country President for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, informed NaijaAgroNet the intention was to fund 5-7 projects per year. 

“Prevalence/epidemiological, pharmaco-economic and health outcomes data are vital if we’re to understand the disease burden in Africa. The Grant will make possible the studies needed to provide such data,” Friberg said.

The focus in Africa on infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria is now broadening to include NCDs like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (e.g. hypertension) and asthma. “We know these conditions are increasing rapidly in Africa, but we’re unable to quantify the extent of the problem,” he continues.

 “We need local data to know what we’re dealing with – so that we can partner with governments to address matters earlier in the disease process and avoid the higher downstream costs that come with treating advanced disease states.”

The Nigerian government is especially concerned about the increasing NCD burden. “The Minister of Health is interested in establishing a national stroke and cardiovascular disease prevention programme, but is dependent on hospitals coming up with good-quality representative data on the prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors,” says Friberg. Over and above the Grant, AstraZeneca is therefore also funding a project run out of the capital, Abuja, to assess the prevalence of these risk factors.

The study involves 5000 subjects and is being undertaken in partnership with the National Hospital Abuja. It represents an investment of an additional US$100 000 and is currently under way. “We’re proud to feel that even before the official launch of the ‘Grant’, we’re already helping to meet Nigeria’s health needs,” observes Friberg. “By supporting the programme, AstraZeneca is positioning itself as the partner of choice in raising awareness, early detection and appropriate management of major cardiovascular risk factors. This will be to the benefit of all stakeholders – the hospital, the patients/community and AstraZeneca.”

The key aim of the ‘AstraZeneca Nigeria Research Grant’ is to build capacity and capability to conduct research in Nigeria. “We hope to build the next generation of academics in Nigeria by assisting them to undertake clinical trials, have their research published and present their findings internationally. For science to deliver value, data need to be shared and challenged as the findings become known, understood and used constructively.”

AstraZeneca believes that pharmaceutical companies need to move beyond their traditional roles and form partnerships to create a meaningful difference in the health of a nation. Friberg feels that the ‘AstraZeneca Nigeria Research Grant’ is a reflection of the company’s commitment to the country and to Africa as a whole. 

“When all is said and done, it’s about making a difference to the patients themselves. I have great hopes and expectations that this initiative will produce many high-quality research projects that will provide crucial insights into Nigeria’s disease profile, especially with regard to NCDs. And once we have this information, AstraZeneca will continue to work together with the Nigerian government to address these matters.”

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Pix: R-L: Tarek Rabah, Area Vice President , Middle East& Africa,AstraZeneca Nigeria, Professor Folashade Ogunsola, Provost College of Medicine, University College Lagos, Karl Friberg, Country President, South Africa & Sub-Sahara Africa, AstraZeneca Nigeria and Jude Abonu, Country Manager, AstraZeneca Nigeria at the grand launch of AstraZeneca Scientific Research Trust Grant in Nigeria held in Lagos yesterday- 19^th February, 2014

Falling Walls Conference 2014: Scientists heads to Berlin

NaijaAgroNet:

Over 20 renowned scientists have confirmed participation in the forthcoming Falling Walls Conference 2014, slated for November 9 in Berlin, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Most of the speakers, organisers say already confirmed their participation.

One of the scientists, NaijaAgroNet was told expected to thrill the conference is the bioengineer and psychiatrist Karl Deisseroth (Stanford University) who is one of the founders of optogenetics, a method through which genetically modified cells, which could be selectively activated and deactivated using light signals.

“Applied to neuroscientific research, Deisseroth’s process provides a new and highly detailed view of brain activity and a valuable insight into neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and depression,” the organisers said in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet by Lucie Menz of Falling Walls Foundation gGmbH.

After promising developments in recent years, immunotherapy is offering new hope in the fight against cancer. Novel approaches successfully stimulate the body’s own immune system in such a way that it can break through a tumour’s local protective barrier, detect cancer cells and finally destroy them. Suzanne Topalian from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is one of the leaders in this field of research and will be speaking at the Falling Walls Conference about her studies, which have substantially contributed to the development of new therapeutic applications.

Christof Koch, Chief Scientific Officer at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle is world-renowned for researching one of the most controversial problems in neuroscience – the question of the physical basis of human consciousness. Based on information theory – and using new techniques and imaging technologies to track the activity of individual brain cells – Koch is attempting to unveil the mystery of consciousness by scientific explanation and measurement.

The Falling Walls Conference was first held in 2009 to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and has now developed into a highly acclaimed platform for international research. The conference is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Helmholtz Association, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and numerous other academic institutions, foundations and companies.

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Non-Smoking in Public: Lagos hosts advocacy meeting for stakeholders

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos State government and partners Tuesday hosted a one-day advocacy and sensitization campaign for stakeholders at a meeting in Ikeja-Lagos, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, NaijaAgroNet also gathered was in compliance to the recently introduced non-smoking law in public places in the state.

Some of the speakers include Dr Yewande Adesina, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Engr. Rasheed Shabi, General Manager/CEO, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Mr Sola Dosunmu, Head, Regulatory Affairs, British American Tobacco (BAT), West Africa.

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L-R: Dr Yewande Adesina, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Engr. Rasheed Shabi, General Manager/CEO, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Mr Sola Dosunmu, Head, Regulatory Affairs, British American Tobacco (BAT), West Africa at a One-Day Advocacy and Sensitization Campaign/Stakeholders' Meeting on Lagos State Non-Smoking in Public Places Law, in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday.

Fear in Owerri over Lion’s escape from Zoo

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Fear may have become another name for the capital of Imo State, Owerri, following the announcement that a Lion has escaped from the Zoo on Monday, reports NaijaAgroNet.

NaijaAgroNet reports that the Imo State Police Command was quoted by sources as saying there is fear among the citizens in the state, mostly within the Umuoma, Umualum, and Umudibia rural communities as the lion escaped from a zoo situated along Nekede road in Owerri.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the zoo management confirmed the incident but warned on vigilance of the citizens, even as they promised to arrest the situation.

In a related development, the Police has withdrawn earlier announcement on the missing Lion, saying it was a false alarm.

Daily Sun quoted the Police spokesperson, Mr. Andrew Enwerem as having withdrawn the earlier announcement.

“We heard about the escape of the Lion and quickly sent a patrol team to the Zoo but on getting there it was discovered that the said Lion did not escape but it was just a false alarm from one of the staff who had been arrested,” Enwerem said.

The General Manager of the Zoo, Mr. Francis Abioye was also said to have reconfirmed that it was false alarm.

“It was a false alarm raised by one of the security men at night, no Lion has escaped. It is unfortunate people have been calling me from everywhere, we are deeply sorry for the panic it has caused,” Mr. Abioye was also quoted as saying.

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Earth Observations Group want data into decisions, launches worldwide competition

NaijaAgroNet:

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has launched its ‘Appathon 2014,’ a global competition to develop mobile “apps” to help people make smarter decisions about the environment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Competitors from over 15 countries NaijaAgroNet gathered are competing for $20,000 in prizes being offered by the United States (US) Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of the contest.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and organizations that envisions “a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained earth observations and information.”

Currently, NaijaAgroNet reports that GEO membership includes 89 nations and the European Commission, and 77 participating organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in earth observations.

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‘Perceived alcohol adverts breach regulatory code’

NaijaAgroNet:

Majority of the United Kingdom (UK) public perceive alcohol adverts to breach the Advertising Standards Authority's Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) Code suggesting that the current regulatory system for UK television is inadequate, research from The University of Manchester shows, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Researchers from TUM also informed NaijaAgroNet that they surveyed 373 adults, aged 18-74 years, showing them one of seven adverts that had been broadcast in the previous month on leading commercial television channels.

Among them, about 75 per cent of the participants rated the adverts as breaching at least one rule from the BCAP Code rules in all seven adverts, the study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism. 

NaijaAgroNet gathered that rules about alcohol being presented as contributing to popularity or confidence, and implying that alcohol is capable of changing mood, physical condition or as nourishment were seen as being breached by over 50 per cent.

The team led by Professor David French, noted that previously, research in the United States (US) and Australia have found non-industry experts perceive television adverts to be in breach of their country’s code.

“We wanted to find out whether this was also the case in the UK. Overall, we found three in four participants perceived the adverts to breach at least one alcohol-specific rule in the BCAP Code,” he declared.

Equally the research discovered that about £100million is spent on television adverts for alcohol each year with advertisers arguing these promote brand loyalty but don't influence the amount of alcohol that people drink.

Previous studies, NaijaAgroNet was told, have found that the greater volume of alcohol advertising that young people are exposed to, the earlier they start drinking and the more frequently and heavily too.

“Over half of participants perceived breaches of the rules which prohibit advertisements from implying that alcohol can contribute to popularity or confidence or that it was capable or changing mood, physical condition or behavior,” part of the executive summary stated.

The Manchester team further told NaijaAgroNet that the sample of people questioned, at the city's main railway station, was representative of the adult population (aged 18-74 years) in terms of age and gender, but might have under-represented people from rural locations, low socio-economic groups and ethnic minorities.

“Despite these limitations, which the team argues future research should address, the results suggested a need to review the current code,” he said, stressing that their results suggested that the UK alcohol and advertising industries design advertisements do not appear to comply with the letter or the spirit of the BCAP code.

"Many adverts allude to themes such as youth culture, immoderation and social and sexual success, although many may not explicitly show them. The results of the present analysis, along with the comparatively small number of breaches judged by the ASA, indicate that co-regulation of UK television alcohol adverts is ineffective and requires further consideration.

"It also suggests that only a minuscule proportion of members of the public who perceive adverts as containing elements that breach the BCAP Code actually report them," he submitted.

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Addressing risk: A condition for African farmers' investment and growth

NaijaAgroNet: 

In Africa, various risks such as climate change threaten the livelihoods of millions of rural producers. This presents major impediments to increasing productivity and investment in the agriculture sector and the entire agri-value chain.

Yet the origin of the risk management is recorded in African history. More than ten centuries BCE, Egypt, according to the Bible, was aware of the need to create public stocks to face starvation. This is even how Joseph, a Jewish slave turned administrator assured his power from Pharaoh and secured the domination of Egypt on the neighbouring peoples. In Sub-Saharan Africa, according some traditions, the village chiefs in the twentieth century were responsible for maintaining two years of consumption before successive droughts which undermined this principle of insurance.

The most exposed rural populations include pastoralists, smallholder farmers and female farm owners. People are more exposed to production hazards in arid and semi-arid areas. When there is a crisis, they are often forced to decapitalise their assets to weather the storm, after which they find themselves even more vulnerable to other shocks. Increasing occurrences of abnormal or unusual weather conditions attributed to the effects of climate change, along with market instability, exacerbate risks for populations.

Usually, risks in agriculture are categorized in climate shocks such as drought and floods which are increasing in frequency and intensity under climate change trends, and related pest outbreak and crop disease on one hand, all these factors affecting production; price volatility, market and institution failure on the other hand knowing that such risks have escalated since the 2007-2008 food crises.

Compared to any other industry, market prices in agriculture are too volatile to be predictable and ensure visibility on income expectations. This   leads to under-investment from part of the farmers. Financial institutions may find extending credit to farmers, grain and livestock traders and millers or processers a risky venture if prices are volatile, and may therefore increase substantially the cost of borrowing. Spiking and excessive volatile food prices also create speculation and stock retention, leading to artificial scarcity in urban areas or total market disruption in rural areas. Nevertheless there are different options which can be combined in managing price risks, among which warehouse receipt systems, commodity exchanges, contract farming, grain stock management and price and tariff policies to name a few.

All types of risks have discouraged agricultural investment and technology adoption for decades, and they legitimately become a major concern. Thus, over the recent years, the importance of adopting a risk management approach for building resilience is rapidly rising to the top of the international development agenda.

Guided by the Sustaining CAADP Results Framework 2014-2024 for the agricultural transformation for the next decade, the AU declared  2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security. Five priority sub-themes were identified from which “Building resilience of Africa’s agriculture through integrated risk management” to place the foundation for building strong and resilient agri-food system..

Mainstreaming risk management tools and policy instruments in the implementation of CAADP is a long term strategy departing from short term humanitarian interventions which are usually undertaken to address agriculture and food crises. It intends to build resilience all along the agriculture value chain. FAO’s definition of resilience includes 3 components: 1) in the short term and at individual level, it questions the capacity to bounce back after a shock; 2) in the medium and long term and at individual and systemic level, it relates to the capacity to adapt to a changing environment; 3) at the policy level, it addresses the transformative capacity of an enabling institutional environment.

Cognizant of the importance of coordinated actions towards building resilience at household, community, national and regional level, various platforms have recently been initiated by Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and donor partners, among which the IGAD Regional Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Platform, the Global Alliance for Resilience for Sahel and West Africa (AGIR), the SADC Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis Programme, and the Africa Adaptation Knowledge Network, can be highlighted.  Even though these initiatives are providing valuable platforms to bring together partners and stakeholders including AU Member States, the AUC, NPCA, RECs and Development Partners in building resilience, it is of paramount importance that a voluntary common framework be agreed upon so that building resilience and capacity to reduce vulnerability to better withstand crises and shocks can be more effective.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD Agency has developed an initiative for supporting regional economic communities and countries in managing risk in Agriculture. This initiative is aimed at mainstreaming risk management strategies into CAADP implementation. It consists of a holistic approach considering increased resilience of rural producers and processors as the appropriate avenue for addressing risk factors and allowing them to increase their level of productive investment in a continuous and sustainable manner. 

Once fully developed at the regional and national level, the initiative will provide to rural producers and processors, the appropriate tools for preventing, mitigating, and transferring risk. It will therefore allow building assets, strengthening livelihoods hence contributing to agriculture transformation.

The expected significant outcomes of the Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture about risk management and resilience building is a renewed commitment on two specific points: 

That countries and Regions formulate and implement policies and regulations to enhance risk management tools effectiveness focusing on creating a more predictable market environment and insurance mechanisms that may be adopted in particular by smallholder farmers and address climate change and gender challenges; and

That NEPAD ensures deeper policy coherence by mainstreaming climate change adaptation and risk management strategies into National and Regional Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans and promotes a Continental Framework on Integrated Risk Management in Agriculture.

*Contributed by Abiola Ajayi, communication officer with NEPAD

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