By Rita Iliya
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), an environmental NGO, has engaged women and hunters’ association within Kainji Lake National Park in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger on wildlife protection.

The NCF Project Coordinator in the state, Dr Stella Egbe, said that the one-day engagement session held at Borgu Youth Hall, New Bussa, was to create awareness among the park users for its conservation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the foundation focuses on preservation of natural resources and biodiversity in the country.

It works in collaboration with International Union of Conservation of Nature Save Our Species, co-founded by the European Union.

Egbe, also the Senior Manager, Species Programme, NCF, said the participants were women and hunters from Kainji, Wawa and Ibbi communities living around the park.

“The aim is to identify their challenges to come up with alternative sources of livelihood for them aside their dependency on the park that serves as our heritage and tourist sites.

“The major activities of people in these communities are farming, hunting, cutting of trees for firewood and cattle rearing which put pressure on the park and result in forest degradation,” she said.

The coordinator said that the park which is 5,000 kilometres square in size, currently houses lions, leopards and other vital animal species.

Egbe said that encroachment and degradation on the park would result in loss of species.

“To conserve the lions, leopards and other species, we had to interact with members of the communities, especially the women and hunters, for an alternative means of livelihood to reduce conflict and dependency on the forest.

“We are not saying that the hunters should not hunt, but they should not hunt lions and leopards. They should also not hunt other species of animals that are pregnant or with babies,” she said.

Hajiya Saratu Goni, Wife of the Conservator General, National Park Service, said the interaction would enable the participants have alternative sources of livelihood for their sustainability.

Zanna Lawan, the Park Conservator, represented by Usman Goni, the Park Warden, said the programme would enable the NGO to carry out its mandate effectively.

He said it would also help conservation as those who engage in tree cutting for economic purposes and hunting of vital species of animals would have alternative sources of livelihood.(NAN)

Edited by Chidi Opara/Ismail Abdulaziz

Mr Mubarak Ladan, General Manager, Kaduna Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency

By Tosin Kolade

Mr Mubarak Ladan, General Manager, Kaduna Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), on Tuesday pledged the agency’s commitment to improve access to potable water for its communities.

Ladan spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the sidelines of the ongoing National Retreat for States on the `Clean Nigeria: Use The Toilet’ Campaign in Abuja.

According to him, the state government has shown the highest political will by providing support for the agency to meet its targets.

He said the state was one of the seven states selected for the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, aimed at scaling up access to water, especially in rural areas.

“The selection is based on efforts and the political will that had been demonstrated in the past and the successes recorded in previous projects in the state.

“Twenty two out of the 23 local government areas in Kaduna have benefitted from different intervention programmes, the only LGA that did not benefit was Kaduna north, because it has no rural community.

“Our action plans are to scale up access to sanitation and water to the rural populace, and already we have set out our targets, and we have programmes coming in.

“Like the SURWASH Programme, we intend to use this programme to reach the less privileged, doing a scale of preferences to see that interventions reach those who are most vulnerable and under-served.”

He listed the challenges of insufficient funding, noting that the state government had shown the strongest political will, in spite of the global economic crises.

He called on relevant stakeholders to support the state in the actualisation of its target, saying there is need for additional funding from the organised private sector in WASH.

The general manager however, called on governments at all levels, to continue to give the needed support to agencies responsible for WASH in their various states.

While appreciating Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’i for his support to the programme, he called on all other state governments to emulate Kaduna’s efforts, towards meeting their set target of achieving the ODF (Open Defacation Free) Nigeria by 2025.

NAN reports that the SURWASH programme is a 700 million dollars credit World-Bank supported programme, being implemented some selected states.

They are Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Nyisom Fiyigon Dore

By Rukayat Moisemhe

The Lagos State Government says it is committed to developing a robust and resilient climate infrastructure, to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities from climate change on the state.

Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, gave the assurance during an interactive session between All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) on Monday in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu stated that his administration had made strong case for infrastructure to address climate change at the COP27 in Egypt.

COP27 is the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Lagos Governor stressed the need for the private sector to support the government in its bid to develop resilient climate infrastructure.

“We are committed to doing this because an attempt not to build the infrastructure has larger consequences for the economy and this is why at COP27, we made a strong case to build a strong and resilient climate infrastructure for the state,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also pledged his administration’s commitment to further activating the creative industry, scaling up technology and data investments under the THEMES agenda.

He added that the state would do more to provide critical transport, education and healthcare infrastructure across the state.

“We look to give citizens options on the transportation system via rail, water and road transport system.

“We have built over 1,000 classrooms under my tenure and there’s remarkable improvement in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) results.

“In healthcare, we handle COVID-19 pandemic well and we are rebuilding Macy Hospital to become a 10-floor hospital and have plans to build an infectious disease research hospital to handle any pandemic situation in the future,” he said.

The governor reiterated his resolve on inclusive development in all areas of the state to decentralise the centre of the city.

“We have several interventions that are deliberately aimed at pushing investments and development in form of education, infrastructure to Badagry, Epe and other areas of the state,” he said.

Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, noted that the current APC led administration inherited aging and dilapidated infrastructure, but had done a lot to turn the story of the country around for good.

The minister noted that roads connecting Lagos to other states were being attended to in half the time it had taken previous administrations to do same.

He added that the impact of the APC led government infrastructural strides on the job creation aspects and other components of the economy were without compare.

“Let us remember that at the beginning of the APC administration, we campaign about security, economy and corruption.

“At the federal level, the major problem we met was insurgency and terrorism, and now Nigerians are facing the other party that ran away from the problem and the one that confronted the problem.

“Do you want to go back to those that didn’t attend to them or those that have started the job.

“On infrastructure, we noticed that Nigerians were ‘japaing’ because of the quality of infrastructure, knowing that infrastructure builds the economy and the quality of life.

“We decided to address infrastructure to increase economic growth, so that the effect would be more felt with our well laid out economic plan and ways of optimisation of government revenue,” he said.

Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), said the APC led administration was committed to the universal call to action to end poverty.

She added that the call to action would ensure that all people irrespective of their agenda and status enjoys peace and prosperity.

She, however, emphasised the importance of government working with the expertise of private sector to ensure the success of and fast tract the goals of the SDGs within a short timeline.

“The APC government is also willing to ensure more social inclusion such as more women inclusiveness in its administrative make-up to engender the actualisation of the SDG on gender equality.

“The APC government is fairer to Nigerian women and they are ready to do more,” she said.

Mr Ben Akabueze, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, said the private sector would be well advised to take greater interest in public finance engagement and be more involved at the policy level.

He noted that the needs of government had grown very significantly over the period, particularly with population increase, but its resources had not grown enough.

Akabueze revealed that in 2016, government to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio was under eight per cent, but had grown to nine per cent against its 15 per cent goal.

He added that the country’s infrastructure stock, which was 15 per cent seven years ago, was currently at 35 per cent against the 70 per cent goal countries needed globally.

He, however, stressed that the country would have been in a worse state if the infrastructural choices were not made, even with hovering debt concerns.

“We understand the need to double growth rate for people to begin to feel the growth and to achieve double GDP growth takes action from both private and public sector.

“We require public investment in order of N350 trillion and while N50 trillion is to come from government, the rest is expected from private sector.

“What we are about is what government needs to do, to buy in the weight of the private sector,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Fabian Ekeruche

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has increased the salary of sanitation workers in the state by 20 per cent.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr Ibrahim Odumboni, disclosed this while meeting with the sweepers on Wednesday in Lagos.

Odumboni said that the governor had earlier promised to increase the sanitation workers salary at a recent rally organised by the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) in support of the presidential bid of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He told the workers that they would be provided with new work tools including overalls, boots, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), among others to enable them discharge their duties effectively.

Odumboni said that the government was committed to providing the necessary support for the sweepers to carry out their roles efficiently.

He urged the sanitation workers to ensure they perform their civic responsibility by voting at the forthcoming elections.

He appealed to them to spread the word to their neighbourhoods and to exercise their voting rights.

Odumboni added that the government was counting on them to make their voices heard through their votes.

He eulogised the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whom he said introduced the Private Sector Participants (PSP) operations and street sweeping schemes during his tenure as Lagos State governor.

Odumboni said Tinubu laid the foundation for effective waste management which the state was currently benefiting from.

The sweepers expressed their gratitude to the governor and promised to redouble their efforts in cleaning the state.

They also promised to stand behind the governor and Tinubu at the polls.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Vivian Emoni

The Environmental Rights Action (ERA), an NGO, has expressed concern as Nigeria has remained a dumping ground for solar energy materials, thereby, causing environmental crises across the country.

The Continental Board member of Africa Coalition for Sustainable Energy Access (ACSEA), Dr Godwin Ojo, said this at a Stakeholders Validation and Training Workshop on Sunday in Abuja.

The workshop which was focused on renewable energy system, was organised by Lift Humanity Foundation (LHF), an NGO, in collaboration with other stakeholders.

Ojo, who also expressed worries over high level of deteriorating state of technology in the country, said that access to the technology was very low and has become a challenge for Nigeria.

He said that releasing of emission from dirty oil, gas and other energy products was advancing climate change and global warming.

He added that the best way to tackle the issue was through a strong collaboration among national international communities.

According to him, Nigeria has access to solar energy from the sun, but cannot harness resources due to bad condition of the technologies in the country.

“The reason is that our indigenous technology is deteriorate the issue is about technology advancement, our technology is not function well.

“In industrialised countries, the technology is advanced and are working effectively because they are being maintained.

“While in Nigeria, it is still very low to access because they are very few, and most of them are in bad shape,” he said.

Ojo called on government at all levels, private and other relevant stakeholders to intensify effort to ensure a strong assessment of renewable energy governance in the country.

He said that the stakeholders were advocating for centered energy transition system, adding that everyone should be involve.

“We are asking for a different modern of energy system where you and I who are end users can benefit.

“Individuals, private sectors and government of all levels should be involve to ensure a diversify energy system, energy is in the hands of everyone,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of LHF, Mr Pius Oko, said that the workshop was a training for researchers especially Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Oko said that the training was focused on how data could be assessed and accessed, using more proffer methodology for the renewable energy governance in the country.

According to him, we want to find means of having an inclusive way of having a renewable energy policies in Nigeria and that is the essence of the workshop.

“We are bringing multi stakeholders together to validate this, already we have been on the process of providing a report since last year.

“The report was finalise this year, we feel that it is a process and the process is an inclusive one, thereby, making sure that everybody is a stakeholder in this system.

“That is the essence why we are bringing everyone together – the policy makers, the CSOs,and the media so that they will have an understanding of renewable energy in Nigeria.

“We have engage other relevant stakeholders for strong advocacy to ensure that the implementation of the energy renewable initiative is effective especially to rural communities and the states,” he said.

Mr Okon Ekpenyong, Director of Linkages, Research and Consultancy, Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), said that the initiative would promote energy sector in the country.

Ekpeyong said that the commission was strongly supporting the programme.

Mrs Jennifer Ekele, Technical Officer, represented Ekpenyong.

Also, Dr Robert Onyeneke, from Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State, emphasised the need for effective training and retraining of stakeholders on renewable energy.

Onyeneke said that the training and capacity building programme would support in developing strong skills and provide knowledge in the sector. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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dited by Vivian Ihechu

By Augusta Uchediunor

Digital energy multinational, Schneider Electric, says existing technologies can reduce carbon emissions by 70 per cent and engineer a healthier energy world for humans across the world.

Microgrids Expert, Schneider Electric, Teina Teibowei, spoke with   journalists on Schneider’s aim for upscaling the energy world, at an Innovation Summit in Maryland, U.S., a statement said on Friday.

The event was attended by Schneider Electric Group Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, and top pioneer companies in the microgrid space.

It addressed how industry experts, through software and technologies, are making the digital, electric world a reality, and organisations across the world can accelerate digital transformation by choosing the right technologies to achieve a wide range of sustainability goals like microgrids.

Teibowei said carbon emissions from the power sector in Nigeria reached around 11.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2020 but could be reduced using technologies like microgrid.

“With the recent sustainability dilemma facing the world; rapid transformations in technology across all sectors, and the tripled advancement of cars, computers, phones, and daily technologies relied on, there is an ever-increasing demand for more energy than the 20th century technology for technological power advancement.

“Microgrids are self-contained electrical networks that draw from on-site energy sources and can operate independently of the grid.

“They offer straightforward solutions for elevating energy resilience and clean energy.

“Thus, they are a key 21^st -century solution for powering 21st century technologies.’’

Teibowei also shared some sustainable approaches to providing resilient and clean energy.

Teibowei shared a core point for organisations wishing to adopt microgrids in Nigeria, on the use of Energy-as-a-service funding model for seamless project execution.

“The Energy-as-a-service model limits technical and operational risk, while delivering on reliability and cost-effectiveness.

“ Schneider Electric is strong with an extensive network of partners in West Africa to deliver on this solution.”

Babajide Ogunlesi, Regional Product Application Engineer, Schneider Electric, also spoke.

According to him, the use of microgrid is participating in the resolution of the energy challenge in Nigeria by paving a sustainable path to the electrification, as well as providing innovative energy solutions to drive cost-efficiency for homes and organizations.

He also mentioned a key point to note when building a microgrid, which is to start with a right sized microgrid design to optimise cost efficiencies as there is no one-size-fits-all microgrid.

“It is essential to right-size at the design phase of the microgrid for it to deliver measurable energy-cost efficiency.

“Factors to consider are the specific load to power, the load requirements at any given time and the demand sources.

“Taking the time to design the solution properly avoids ending up with an under or over-sized microgrid.

“The goal is to tailor a solution that is just right for the user’s energy needs.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Schneider Electric leads with a purpose driven focus to provide energy and automated digital solutions.

The solutions are for efficiency and sustainability in every home, industry, infrastructure, data center, by combining energy technologies, real-time automation, software, and services. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

Presentation of 2023 Seasonal Climate Predictions in Abuja

By Gabriel Agbeja

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted earlier than long- term average rainfall onset dates across the country in 2023.

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika said this on Tuesday in Abuja in his keynote address at the unveiling of 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and other Publications.

According to the agency, the rainfall onset date is predicted to be earlier than the long-term average in most parts of the country.

“However, parts of Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa and Yobe in the North and Cross River, Ebonyi, Imo and Rivers in the South are likely to experience a delayed onset.

“The onset dates for parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos are likely to be near than long- term averages.

“The onset is expected to start from the coastal States of Bayelsa, River and Akwa Ibom in early March and around June/July in the northern states such as Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno,” it said.

On rainfall cessation dates, NiMet predicted an early end of season over parts of the South comprising Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and the eastern parts of Ogun and Lagos States.
“Parts of Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi States are also predicted to have early end of season when compared to long term average conditions.

“However, an extended rainfall season is predicted over parts of Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu, Anambra, western Ogun and Lagos State.

“The cessation is anticipated earliest in September over parts of Sokoto and Katsina States, while it would occur much later in December over most parts of the coastal region,“ it said.

NiMet forecast length of growing season in most places  to be near long- term average, except for some parts of  northern states like Katsina, Jigawa and Kano where shorter than  long -term average length of  growing season was anticipated.

According to NiMet, rainfall amount over the country in 2023 is predicted to be average to above average in most parts of Nigeria.

“However, the prediction shows that parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna States and FCT are likely to observe below average annual rainfall amount.

“Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi, Benue, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States and FCT are expected to have 1190 mm to 1590mm of rainfall, while Bayelsa, Akwa- Ibom, Delta and Cross River are predicted to record annual rainfall amounts of 2700mm and above,” it said.

NiMet anticipated temperature to be generally above the long- term average across the country.

It envisaged both daytime and night time temperatures to be warmer than the long- term average over most parts of the country in January, March and May.

The agency, however, predicted cooler than long -term average day and night times in February.

“On dry spell, mild to moderate (8-16 days) dry Spell is predicted to occur in April 2023 in the South after the onset is established.

“Furthermore, following the establishment of onset in the North, a severe dry spell that is likely to last between 15 to 21 days or longer is predicted in June to early July in parts of the Northern (Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Borno, Kano) and central states.

“A moderate dry spell is predicted over Niger, Nasarawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Benue, Kogi and the FCT,” it said.

NiMet predicted a mild dry spell over Ekiti, Edo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ogun and Imo states in July. (NAN) (wwwnannews.ng)

Edited by Benson Iziama/Ali Baba-Inuwa