The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • World Music Day: Seven inspiring quotes by Nigerian musicians

    World Music Day is observed on June 21 every year.

    It is a day when music lovers and enthusiasts come together to celebrate.

    The day is known as Fete de la Musique after a music festival that began in France in 1982.

    The first all-day musical celebration on the day of the solstice was originated by the French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, and by Maurice Fleuret.

    Music Day is celebrated in about 120 countries around the world including Nigeria.

    Below, are quotes from few Nigerian Musicians:

    2BABA

     

    ASA
    ASA
    Timi Dakolo
    Timi Dakolo

     

    NNEKA

     

    Banky W

     

    Wizkid

     

    EVA

     

    Read Also:  Nigerian media celebrate World Music Day

     

  • Budget: Projects cut and inserted by National Assembly

    President Muhammadu Buhari has listed projects which cost were reduced and new ones inserted in the federal budget by the National Assembly.

    The details are as follows:

    “a. The provisions for some nationally/regionally strategic infrastructure projects such as Counter-part funding for the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project were cut by an aggregate of 11.5 billion Naira.

    “b. Similarly, provisions for some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of 7.5 billion Naira.

    “c. The provision for Rehabilitation and Additional Security Measures for the United Nations Building by the FCT, Abuja was cut by 3.9 billion Naira from 4 billion Naira to 100 million Naira; this will make it impossible for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfill its commitment to the United Nations on this project.

    “d. The provisions for various Strategic Interventions in the health sector such as the upgrade of some tertiary health institutions, transport and storage of vaccines through the cold chain supply system, provision of anti-retroviral drugs for persons on treatment, establishment of chemotherapy centres and procurement of dialysis consumables were cut by an aggregate amount of 7.45 billion Naira.

    “e. The provision for security infrastructure in the 104 Unity Schools across the country were cut by 3 billion Naira at a time when securing our students against acts of terrorism ought to be a major concern of government.

    “f. The provision for the Federal Government’s National Housing Programme was cut by 8.7 billion Naira.

    “g. At a time when we are working with Labour to address compensation-related issues, a total of 5 billion Naira was cut from the provisions for Pension Redemption Fund and Public Service Wage Adjustment.

    “h. The provisions for Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and Special Economic Zones/Industrial Parks, which are key industrialization initiatives of this Administration, were cut by a total of 14.5 billion Naira.

    Read Also: Budget: My concern with changes by National Assembly– Buhari

    “i. The provision for Construction of the Terminal Building at Enugu Airport was cut from 2 billion Naira to 500 million Naira which will further delay the completion of this critical project.

    “j. The Take-off Grant for the Maritime University in Delta State, a key strategic initiative of the Federal Government, was cut from 5 billion Naira to 3.4 billion Naira.

    “k. About seventy (70) new road projects have been inserted into the budget of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. In doing so, the National Assembly applied some of the additional funds expected from the upward review of the oil price benchmark to the Ministry’s vote. Regrettably, however, in order to make provision for some of the new roads, the amounts allocated to some strategic major roads have been cut by the National Assembly.” he said

    He pointed out that another area of concern is the increase by the National Assembly of the provisions for Statutory Transfers by an aggregate of 73.96 billion Naira.

    “Most of these increases are for recurrent expenditure at a time we are trying to keep down the cost of governance.

    “An example of this increase is the budget of the National Assembly itself which has increased by 14.5 billion Naira, from 125 billion Naira to 139.5 billion Naira without any discussion with the Executive.

    “Notwithstanding the above stated observations, I have decided to sign the 2018 Budget in order not to further slowdown the pace of recovery of our economy, which has doubtlessly been affected by the delay in passing the budget.”

  • Budget: My concern with changes by National Assembly- Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed displeasure on some of the changes made in the federal budget which he signed on Wednesday by the National Assembly.

    Speaking before signing the N9.1trillion budget instead of the N8.6trillion he sent for approval, Buhari said “the logic behind the Constitutional direction that budgets should be proposed by the Executive is that, it is the Executive that knows and defines its policies and projects.”

    “Unfortunately, that has not been given much regard in what has been sent to me. The National Assembly made cuts amounting to 347 billion Naira in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to 578 billion Naira,” Buhari stated.

    According to him, many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation.

    He added that some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualized, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute.

    “Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.

    “As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.

    Read Also: Buhari reluctantly signs 2018 budget

    “Such examples of projects from which cuts were made are as follows:

    “a. The provisions for some nationally/regionally strategic infrastructure projects such as Counter-part funding for the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project were cut by an aggregate of 11.5 billion Naira.

    “b. Similarly, provisions for some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of 7.5 billion Naira.

    “c. The provision for Rehabilitation and Additional Security Measures for the United Nations Building by the FCT, Abuja was cut by 3.9 billion Naira from 4 billion Naira to 100 million Naira; this will make it impossible for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfill its commitment to the United Nations on this project.

    “d. The provisions for various Strategic Interventions in the health sector such as the upgrade of some tertiary health institutions, transport and storage of vaccines through the cold chain supply system, provision of anti-retroviral drugs for persons on treatment, establishment of chemotherapy centres and procurement of dialysis consumables were cut by an aggregate amount of 7.45 billion Naira.

  • Buhari’s speech at the signing of 2018 budget into law

    “I would like to thank the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as all the Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members, for passing the 2018 Appropriation Bill, after seven months.

    2. When I submitted the 2018 Budget proposals to the National Assembly on 7th November 2017, I had hoped that the usual legislative review process would be quick, so as to move Nigeria towards a predictable January-December financial year. The importance of this predictability cannot be overemphasized.

    3. While the Federal Government’s budget represents less than 10% of aggregate yearly expenditures in the economy, it has a very significant accelerator effect on the financial plans of other tiers of government, and even more importantly, the private sector, which mostly operates on a January-December financial year.

    4. Notwithstanding the delay this year, I am determined to continue to work with the National Assembly towards improving the budgeting process and restoring our country to the January-December fiscal cycle.

    5. I note, with pleasure, that the National Assembly is working on the enactment of an Organic Budget Law, so as to improve the efficiency of the nation’s budgetary process.

    6. As I mentioned during the presentation of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, we intend to use the 2018 Budget to consolidate the achievements of previous budgets and deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.

    7. It is in this regard that I am concerned about some of the changes that the National Assembly has made to the budget proposals that I presented. The logic behind the Constitutional direction that budgets should be proposed by the Executive is that, it is the Executive that knows and defines its policies and projects.

    8. Unfortunately, that has not been given much regard in what has been sent to me. The National Assembly made cuts amounting to 347 billion Naira in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to 578 billion Naira.

    9. Many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation. Some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualized, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute.

    10. Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.

    11. As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.

    12. Such examples of projects from which cuts were made are as follows:

    a. The provisions for some nationally/regionally strategic infrastructure projects such as Counter-part funding for the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project were cut by an aggregate of 11.5 billion Naira.

    b. Similarly, provisions for some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of 7.5 billion Naira.

    c. The provision for Rehabilitation and Additional Security Measures for the United Nations Building by the FCT, Abuja was cut by 3.9 billion Naira from 4 billion Naira to 100 million Naira; this will make it impossible for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfill its commitment to the United Nations on this project.

    d. The provisions for various Strategic Interventions in the health sector such as the upgrade of some tertiary health institutions, transport and storage of vaccines through the cold chain supply system, provision of anti-retroviral drugs for persons on treatment, establishment of chemotherapy centres and procurement of dialysis consumables were cut by an aggregate amount of 7.45 billion Naira.

    e. The provision for security infrastructure in the 104 Unity Schools across the country were cut by 3 billion Naira at a time when securing our students against acts of terrorism ought to be a major concern of government.

    f. The provision for the Federal Government’s National Housing Programme was cut by 8.7 billion Naira.

    g. At a time when we are working with Labour to address compensation-related issues, a total of 5 billion Naira was cut from the provisions for Pension Redemption Fund and Public Service Wage Adjustment.

    h. The provisions for Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and Special Economic Zones/Industrial Parks, which are key industrialization initiatives of this Administration, were cut by a total of 14.5 billion Naira.

    i. The provision for Construction of the Terminal Building at Enugu Airport was cut from 2 billion Naira to 500 million Naira which will further delay the completion of this critical project.

    j. The Take-off Grant for the Maritime University in Delta State, a key strategic initiative of the Federal Government, was cut from 5 billion Naira to 3.4 billion Naira.

    k. About seventy (70) new road projects have been inserted into the budget of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. In doing so, the National Assembly applied some of the additional funds expected from the upward review of the oil price benchmark to the Ministry’s vote. Regrettably, however, in order to make provision for some of the new roads, the amounts allocated to some strategic major roads have been cut by the National Assembly.

    13. Another area of concern is the increase by the National Assembly of the provisions for Statutory Transfers by an aggregate of 73.96 billion Naira. Most of these increases are for recurrent expenditure at a time we are trying to keep down the cost of governance.

    14. An example of this increase is the budget of the National Assembly itself which has increased by 14.5 billion Naira, from 125 billion Naira to 139.5 billion Naira without any discussion with the Executive.

    15. Notwithstanding the above stated observations, I have decided to sign the 2018 Budget in order not to further slowdown the pace of recovery of our economy, which has doubtlessly been affected by the delay in passing the budget.

    16. However, it is my intention to seek to remedy some of the most critical of these issues through a supplementary and/or amendment budget which I hope the National Assembly will be able to expeditiously consider.

    17. I am pleased with the success recorded in the implementation of the 2017 Budget. A total sum of 1.5 trillion Naira has been released for the implementation of capital projects during the 2017 fiscal year. In response to this and other policy measures implemented, we have observed significant improvement in the performance of the Nigerian economy.

    18. To achieve the laudable objectives of the 2018 Budget, we will work very hard to generate the revenues required to finance our projects and programmes. The positive global oil market outlook, as well as continuing improvement in non-oil revenues, make us optimistic about our ability to finance the budget.

    19. However, being a deficit budget, the Borrowing Plan will be forwarded to the National Assembly shortly. I crave the indulgence of the National Assembly for a speedy consideration and approval of the Plan.

    20. The 2018 Budget I have just signed into law provides for aggregate expenditures of 9.12 trillion Naira, which is 22.6% higher than the 2017 Appropriation. Further details of the approved budget will be provided by the Minister of Budget and National Planning.

    21. I thank the Ministers of Budget and National Planning, the Budget Office of the Federation, and everyone who worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much to bring us to this day. However, the job is only partly done.

    22. I am sure you will remain committed to advancing our Change Agenda, not only in the preparation of the national budget but also in ensuring its effective implementation.

    I thank you and may God bless Nigeria.”

  • How we separated Yola conjoined twins – Prof. Abubakar

    Professor Auwal Mohammed Abubakar is the Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Yola in Adamawa State. The erudite scholar and surgeon have in the past operated successfully three cases of conjoined twins. On the 14th, May, 2018, Prof. Auwal led another   team of 26 medical personal including surgeons on a similar mission to successfully carry out the separation of Fatimah and Maryam, conjoined twins born six months ago in Maiduguri.

    In this exclusive interview with our Correspondent JOEL DUKU who was in Yola after the operation, Prof. Auwal takes us through the process of the operation; what was involved, how long it took for the preparation of the babies before the surgery, what were the risks and the organs the babies shared that needed to be separated among other things. He also bares his mind one the need for our professionals to believe in themselves and the political will of the government to drive healthcare delivery in the country to world standard.

     

    What informed your interest in these kinds of cases?

    These are very rare problems and any time they happen, they usually make the parents very anxious and agitated because of their very poor background. Some of them have few places where they could look for help and this is also a problem that tests the team work of the healthcare service.

    So what do you need to do first?

    In this kind of problem, you need to have good coordination in the different members of the team. All over the world, when you have conjoined twins, you will need to meet and assign roles and get the different parts of the teams to work together because if there is any problem of prolong surgery then you tend to have complications and as you know, there are many other successful separations in Nigeria so this is not the first time. One other thing is interest and that interest has to be proper and total interest. You need to have the interest of the patient, his background, his problem because you need to keep them very close so that you monitor their growth and attend to health issue that may arise. With that, you will determine the chances of success which is usually higher. This helps the team to get accustom to them and members of the team will be able to fine tune their plans. These cases are not common so we are very privileged to have them.

    How was this particular surgery done despite the fact that JOHESU was on strike as at that time?

    The doctors were all working. We had the surgical team and the anesthetic team and those ones are basically doctors so they were around. For the theatre nurses, we actually have contract staffs who are retired nurses with vast experience and many of them were around.  Some members of the striking workers even volunteered to join us and the lab was handled by lab scientists who are youth corps members and interns. We also had cleaners that didn’t join so they were part of us. We decided to do it because we didn’t want to lose time. The babies gained weight and their condition was optimal so we wanted to seize that time and thank God we did successfully.

    Read Also:http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/yola-conjoined-twins-discharged-from-hospital/

    How long did it take for you to prepare them for surgery?

    Six weeks. They were here for six weeks. At that time, we did the investigation, the CT scan, ultra sound and other radiological investigations. This was to establish the organs involved and the extent of their conjoining. We were able to successfully bring that out clearly. It also gave us opportunity to meet several times. In fact we also took the babies to the theatre at different times to rehearse positioning, what we need to do, where we need to keep this and that, etc.

    How do you get to identify the babies since they are identical?

    That is why the rehearsing exercise is critical because you also have to identify the babies. In this case, one was called ‘Baby Red why the other one Baby Blue’. So we had color body for their drugs and everything and even the people handling them. If you look at the video, you see some red and blue. The baby on the left blue and the one on the right red. We also use R for red and B for blue. Because you don’t want to be confused.  Drugs were calculated half for each of them because their combined weight was close to 12kg so we give each of them drugs by 6kg.  This is very important because these are areas you can make mistakes.  You can over dose because it’s combined wealth. You have to divide everything carefully including the IV fluids. Even the teams and everybody knew that he or she is for baby blue or red for easy identification so there was no waste of time when we went into the operation. Each team already knew their roles and what to do. For the surgeons, we were together initially but when we finished the operation, we broke into two groups for the closure. I did closure with some of the team, and then Dr. Wabada did for the second baby with his team. After that they were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the recovery was very fast. We thought they will spend some days but after the second day they were ok and we just transferred them to the ward. The post operation recovery both anesthesia and surgery was very impressive beyond our expectation.

    How many hours did the surgery take?

    The surgery lasted for only four hours and we were done with everything.

    During investigations and scan, what were the likely risks you noticed regarding the organs that the babies shared?

    For these particular babies, it’s merely the liver. Luckily, the bile dots were separate and the main blood vessels were also not conjoined but they were so close so much that if you are not so careful you can just get into those big vessels and it will be catastrophic. Even the liver dissection was done carefully so blood loss was very minimal. The main challenge with this particular type is bleeding but with proper technique, we were able to avoid major bleeding. Though we had volunteers who were ready to give us blood but at the end we didn’t even use more than two units of blood because the blood loss was not so much.

    You said the babies shared liver, how were you able to apportion a fair share of the liver to both in the course of the surgery?

    There was a thin line of demarcation between the two livers so it’s difficult to say that you are dividing one liver but to the best of our ability, I think we tried to do that. The liver is one organ that regenerates so even if you remove a large chunk of it, it will still regenerate but in this case, we divided it equal and nicely sutured it back because there was challenge of leakage of bile and bleeding. We were tackling those issues in the process and luckily there was no complication from the division of the liver. In many of them, the conjunction of the liver is just small but here it was extensive from above down. Also from the lower part of the chest, some ribs bones called the xiphoid were joined and we divided that as well. The other problem we had was closure but in this case, the abdominal wall for both of them was well developed so we didn’t have problem with closure and there was also no problem with closure of the skin.

    How were you sure that the babies were not sharing other organs

    We were able to establish that even before the surgery because we gave one of the babies barium contrast and it did not appear in the other one.

     

    What do you mean by barium contrast?

    They swallow something that when you take x-ray it shows whitish. When we gave one, it did not show in the other.  Both intestines were just in the two places and what we needed to do was to push them back but they were not conjoined. The bile dots were separate, the intestines were separate. Each of them have their own guile bladder.

    Is there any medical risk that the babies may face as they grow?

    Not at all. As far as we are concern, they just need to continue with their immunizations. Otherwise, there is no risk at all from the surgery. They have normal function of any other organ so the risk is like any other normal baby.

    How many people were involved in this surgery?

    About 26 people. But I must say that everybody is important. We had cleaners, surgeons, anesthetists, ICU nurses. The number could be more but the main people are 26. Before the surgery we had people from the laboratory and radiology who helped in the investigation.

    What do you call this type of conjoined twins?

    This is omphalopagus. When you say omphalopagus is above the umbilical cord up to the lower chest. When it extends up the chest then is thoracopagus.

    Would you like to disclose the total cost of this operation?

    Well I don’t want to go into that. We didn’t even look at that. I felt these people needed help and the hospital took up the responsibility so we didn’t even look at that. Like I told you, they have been here for six weeks and now is more than three weeks post-surgery. It’s good to acknowledge the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Maiduguri and Adamawa German Medical Centre who did the CT scan free. We don’t have a CT scan here at the hospital. You can see they are still here.

    Is medical tourism outside the country for this kind of cases necessary?

    I think for most of them, people who may want to sponsor may also want to get some benefit from the travel because sometimes you see government or some organizations will want to take some responsibility. But like you know, there are many successful separations in the country. We have capable hands who will handle this. We may not have some of the highly technical gadgets but for the human resources we have them in abundance.

    As a surgeon, what first comes to your mind when you take a knife to perform an operation?

    The truth is, even in ordinary surgery, there is no surgery that a surgeon will want to do without his adrenaline going up. But with team, you are actually positive and looking forward to when they will be separated. For these babies, for most of the time they have been together but they cannot sleep on their backs until after they were separated and you could see the excitement even within the theatre. Everybody was happy. The joy was spontaneous especially that we broadcasted the operation live within the hospital for other people to watch. The thing with our country is for us to believe in ourselves and for us to equip our health institutions to the standard that we have like in other parts of the world. I believe if we give attention to health, we should be able to upgrade some centres – maybe at regional levels that we can find anywhere in the world. If you go to US and UK you find many top Nigerian professionals there.

    What do you lack here at FMC Yola?

    What we lack here is the modern imaging equipment machines.  CT, MRI and other radiological equipment. You can see that in this case, we depended on other facilities to do CTs. We need to upgrade other areas like; theatre, lab etc. we are doing well but we can do better.

  • Super Eagles now have Kilimanjaro to climb after losing to Croatia

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles had an unimpressive start to their 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign on Saturday in Kaliningrad with a 0-2 loss to Croatia.

    They now have the Kilimanjaro to climb to qualify for the knockout stage, having dropped to the bottom of Group D and facing next hard-fighting Iceland and later wounded Argentina.

    Coach Gernot Rohr lamented at the end of the game: “We’re really disappointed we lost this game. Croatia were the better team. We could have come back into it in the second half after we started very well before the penalty against us. We’re a young team, we’re learning and I hope in the next game against Iceland we will do much better.”

    The Super Eagles made a slow start into the game, holding off the charging Croatians and making flank runs which yielded no clear-cut advance at goal.

    The Croatians were tenacious, with Ivan Perisic’s shot flying over the bar in the 14th minute and Andrej Kramaric’s shot inches wide of the far side upright two minutes later.

    The game went a gear up, with the Eagles now pushing them back through flank runs by Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses, which came off good midfield build-ups.

    Croatia took the game in hand in the 32nd minute when Kramaric at the far side dived to head down a right flank corner kick.

    The ball hit part of Oghenekaro Etebo’s body to roll past goalkeeper Francis Uzoho’s hands into the net for the opening goal.

    Nigeria’s fightback was immediate but feeble, as Odion Ighalo failed to get the needed service from the flanks and middle, with Croatia just easily stifling their offensive moves.

    The Eagles continued with their languid and cautious display, and were not able to threaten the Croatians who were by now more confident and sitting on their lead.

    They forced Croatia into giving away a number of free kicks and corner kicks, but the Europeans were the more threatening offensively.

    The entry of Ahmed Musa, a 62nd minute substitute for Alex Iwobi brought hopes of something better, but the Croatians had a better luck as a penalty kick advantage widened their lead.

    William Ekong’s 70th minute infringement on Mario Mandzukic earned Croatia the penalty which Luka Modric scored by sending Uzoho the other way.

    It looked all over by then, with the Eagles now disjointed in their moves and the 71st minute entry of Kelechi Iheanacho for Ighalo not making any impact.

    Musa and Iheanacho did liven the Eagles’ attacking efforts thereafter, but with team captain Mikel Obi off for Simeon Nwankwo in the 87th minute, the game seemed ended as a contest.

    The handful of Nigerian supporters in the stadium’s 31,136 crowd only waited for the four minutes added to wear out as Croatia only threatened thereafter to add to the scoreline.

    The result meant Nigeria are at the bottom of their group after Argentina and Iceland had earlier drawn 1-1.

    Nigeria will now face Iceland in Volgograd on June 22 in their second match, while Croatia take on Argentina in the group’s other game.

  • In France, harnessing the (renewable) energy of citizens

    When an artist and a farmer in Brittany, Michel Leclercq and Jean-Bernard Mabilais, decided in 2002 that it would be a good idea to produce energy locally from renewable sources, they started knocking on doors and trying to get their neighbors involved. The response was quasi-unanimous: “Are you crazy?” Perhaps, but 12 years and 12 million euros (USD 14.2 million) later, the two Frenchmen realized their dream through a citizens’ project called Bégawatts. This germ of an idea for a citizen-led renewable energy initiative eventually grew into a nationwide movement piloted by an association called Energie Partagée (Shared Energy).

    Bégawatts, located amid gently rolling hills covered with fields and forests outside the village of Béganne, between Rennes and Nantes, is a wind farm with four turbines. It became operational in 2014 and now produces enough electricity to supply 6,250 households annually.

    Leclercq noted that the idea seemed insane at first, but “Then more and more people joined us and began to believe in it.” The personal implication of the locals was such that the driver of the truck delivering the first turbine was moved to tears by the warm welcome he received from the crowd awaiting its arrival.

    Energie Partagée came about after members of the group managing Bégawatts met with other French renewable energy players at a seminar in 2010. The organization now has two arms. Energie Partagée Association, based in Paris, provides advice and assistance to 270 citizens’ clean-energy projects all over France. Energie Partagée Investments, just outside Lyon, raises funds and finances selected renewable-energy projects.

    “The projects we support must be citizen-based, non-speculative and have strong local roots,” said Marc Mossalgue, communications director for Energie Partagée. “They must prove that they can generate electricity, be totally transparent and democratic, and keep transparent accounts. We also expect them to make a maximum effort in environmental education.”

    Energie Partagée Investments’ entry-level investment is only 100 euros to ensure that it remains open to all, with an expected return of 4 percent over a 10-year period. So far, 15.5 million euros have been raised and 11 million euros invested in 46 projects, producing energy through wind, solar, hydraulics and biomass.

    Manuel Chatain, a 24-year old student who is preparing for a career in corporate social responsibility, invested 1,000 euros in the fund and recommends it to friends and acquaintances because it “conforms to my values.” Another investor, Robert Rochaud, 63, of Poitiers, France, has gifted shares to his grandchildren. “I’m worried about their future,” he said. “If they ask me later what I contributed, I can look them in the eye.”

    Though citizen participation in renewable energy initiatives is well established in Germany and Denmark, “Energie Partagée is a pioneer in France,” said Andreas Rüdinger, an independent consultant and researcher with the Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationales. “It’s an indispensable player.” He pointed out, however, that although things are improving, citizens’ projects are still at a disadvantage in France because of complicated regulations and resistance from the military to wind farms. “If we are going to construct a new model for energy production, we need the means to succeed.”

    Bégawatts is the first wind farm in France built and managed by citizens. One of the beauties of this project is that the persistence of its founders and the lessons they learned as they dealt with myriad difficulties in realizing it – raising money (banks were initially unwilling to provide loans), dealing with legal and regulatory requirements, technical issues – were put to use to benefit other citizens’ projects. What at first seemed a wildly impossible idea, especially in a country where energy provision had long been controlled by the monolithic state-owned Electricité de France (EDF), became practicable, thus inspiring other such projects.

    Over the long term, each project has the potential to become a money-earner for its community. To fund Bégawatts, the initial 3 million euros came from a variety of sources: some 1,000 private investors, the Energie Partagée investment fund, local communities, etc., until banks finally came on board, loaning the project 9.3 million euros. The Bégawatts project is operated mostly by volunteers, though one paid employee helps advise the locals on how to reduce their energy needs.

    The electricity produced is sold to EDF under a 15-year contract with a guaranteed rate adjusted for inflation. Proceeds are used to pay off the bank loan. While the locals still get their energy from a utility company of their choice, they have the satisfaction of knowing they are contributing to the production of renewable power and will eventually have returns on their investment.

    There’s another advantage to citizens being in control. Since wind farms are not always well-received by local residents, who might object to the sound they make or the possible harm to wildlife, Bégawatts remains open to dialogue with neighbors and accommodates their requests – something that would be unlikely with a commercial wind farm operator. To ensure that wildlife is protected, a count is kept of dead bats found under the turbines. Another particularly French concern was the potential annoyance of hearing the turbines while having an evening aperitif in the garden. The solution: the association shuts one turbine off at cocktail hour.

  • Live Love Recycle, a « 100% social solution » to waste crisis

    Wearing a helmet, elbow and knee pads, his yellow security jacket reflecting the sun that has come out after a rainy afternoon, Ibrahim rides his e-bike through the chaos of traffic in Beirut. The young man might be dressed like a delivery boy, but he has nothing to deliver – rather, he collects. Ibrahim is one of 400 collectors of the Live Love Recycle project, which provides Beirut’s citizens with a free, on-demand service picking up recyclables.

    The Live Love Recycle initiative is more than welcome in the Lebanese capital, where waste of all kinds is thrown away unsorted in a single plastic bag, ending up either in coastal landfill likely followed by the Mediterranean Sea, or else being burned in the streets. So far, the Lebanese government has failed to create an efficient waste management system that would be both environmentally friendly and mindful of citizens’ health and well-being.
    Yet the Lebanese are no quitters.

    The country’s 2015 waste crisis sparked massive protests and lasted for eight months, until the government finally introduced a temporary plan. However, it also enabled the creation of several alternative projects to deal with the issue. One of these was Live Love Recycle, launched by Georges Bitar, a member of Live Love Lebanon, an NGO that supports the environment, communities and culture. “In 2015, thousands of people protested against the trash crisis. It was a very understandable reaction. But at Live Love we do not like to complain; we prefer action. It runs in our blood,” explained the 30-year-old.

    Looking for ways to finance his project, he contacted the French NGO ACTED (Agency for technical cooperation and development), which eventually became a partner. He also reached out to the United Nations World Food Program, which now funds and supports the project.

    After months of paperwork, recruitment and training of collectors, the service started operations in Beirut on April 9, 2018. To gain access, a user must download the Live Love Recycle mobile application. Two clicks and a half-hour later, an e-bike comes to the doorstep to pick up the household’s recyclable waste (paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and cans).

    “I was already used to sorting my waste, but since I had to take it to the recycling center myself, I was less involved. Now that I’m using Live Love Recycle, I pay attention to waste sorting again,” explained Zeinab Ajami, who has used the service several times.
    Later, the collected waste gets delivered to another Lebanese NGO, arcenciel, for proper disposal.

    “What I like most about this job is that we contribute to protecting the environment,” said the collector Ibrahim. Like him, every one of the 400 recyclable material collectors is Syrian. Some of them willingly volunteer for extra unpaid hours, enjoying the friendly, family-like atmosphere at the Live Love Recycle’s control center – a warehouse where more than 50 e-bikes and four tuk-tuks are parked.

    Every day at noon, about 20 women recruited and trained for the project prepare hot meals for the collectors. They gather each morning in groups of six or seven at one of their homes and prepare more than 80 meal platters. Mirna Toutayo, a housewife and mother of three teenagers who cooks for Live Love Recycle, said the salary she receives “helps tremendously to cover the family’s expenses.”

    “Providing hundreds of job opportunities to women and people coming from vulnerable communities makes Live Love Recycle a 100% social initiative,” said Bitar, who is determined to continue on this path.

    Bitar is full of ideas for the future. But he is also aware that developing his project will take time. Working in collaboration with the Municipality of Beirut, he wants to start by setting up a dozen waste bins throughout the city, painted in the project’s colors. “With those bins, we can reduce the collection time and increase its pace until we are able to collect 20,000 bags a day,” he said.

    Bitar is optimistic about the project’s sustainability, while noting that “Ideally, the government should launch a similar initiative.” Hadi Mahdi, Live Love Recycle’s Operations Manager, added: “When a project is good, there is always a way to ensure its future.”

  • Leveraging the potential of media to end harmful practices

    Op-ed by Jaha Dukureh, Regional UN Women Good Will Ambassador for Africa and Activist

    The turn of the century has introduced media as a means of global connectivity. Depending on who is utilizing it, media channels may be unethical sources for false news, or it can be a way for families, friends and communities to connect. Recently, media is also being used as a tool for ending harmful practices against girls and women. In recent years, two of the biggest media campaign’s in the history of The Gambia have involved protecting the rights of girls and women, namely the campaigns to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and right after that, Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM).

    Utilizing media has always played a major role in the work my organization, Safe Hands for Girls, does. It’s been through media that our campaigns first gained traction and international recognition, and it has also been through media that FGM survivors have the platform to discuss what it means to be a survivor and what resources need to be put in place to support them and ensure that the practice of FGM no longer continues. Our number one tool of outreach and mobilization has been media. Throughout the years, we’ve hosted radio programs, plays, social media campaigns and media personnel training sessions just to name a few.

    There has been an increased use of social media amongst young people, and this medium has been a very relevant tool to share information. Social media has helped to disseminate information about previous and current projects on ending FGM, and it has also helped secure partnerships with other organizations and people we currently work it. It has served as a platform to run end FGM campaigns, and it has also been a means to dismantle outdated ideas that people have held about the practice. The use of social media is also a way to connect survivors with one another, so they may be able to support one another and also build on each other’s work.

    It’s been through media use that we’ve been able to have access to hard to reach target populations. One of our most successful programs, the Radio Listening Group targets older women who work in village farms and often don’t have access to our events or documents. These women had very little access to news about FGM because of the nature of their work and didn’t have time to listen to the radio by the time they got home. In order to reach them, we designed a radio program during their hours at the farm that talks about FGM. From there, we supplied each group with a mobile phone so that they have the opportunity to call into the show and discuss their views on FGM. Through this, women in those communities had the opportunity to talk amongst each other on why they were for or against FGM and what the myths and misconceptions they held about FGM were. This program inspired women within those communities to take lead in the advocacy process by arming them with knowledge on FGM and also the laws surrounding FGM. The program has led to an increased change in attitude about FGM, with more women looking at the practice less favorably than they did initially.

    Another crucial aspect of using media to influence change, has been changing the language being used to report on FGM and other sensitive topics. The importance of training media personnel on socially conscious and survivor centered methods of reporting cannot be overstated. In 2017, Safe Hands for Girls hosted the FGM Media Awards to recognize significant efforts made my individual journalists and media houses who reported on FGM and did so factually and holistically. This was done to encourage reports to hold themselves at higher standards and to ensure that the information being spread on FGM would be beneficial in ending the practice.

    If used the right way, media may be the most powerful tool we have in ending harmful practices against girls and women, such as FGM. We have only scratched the surface, but I look forward to a future where people are more interested in stories being told with a socially conscious lens, that centers survivors and the work of activists instead of whether a celebrity has gained weight.

  • Safe water in a ceramic pot

    One by one, the pupils of Bright Little Angel Primary School rush toward a blue and white water dispenser, colorful plastic cups in hand. The dispenser, a “Purifaaya,” is one of four that stand at different corners of the school. Since this primary school in Nakawuka, in the Wakiso District of Uganda, lacks a canteen, this free drinking water is essential. “We emphasize the importance of drinking water because we want the pupils to get used to it,” says Basajja Kirinya, the school principal.

    According to WHO, more than 800 million people around the world lack access to clean water. In Uganda, water-borne diseases remain a leading cause of infant mortality for children under age five. The World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program notes that diarrheal diseases from poor sanitation and time spent fetching water cost the country more than USD 170 million every year.

    Before a good Samaritan donated the Purifaaya water dispensers to the school, its pupils drank mostly boiled water. “At times, the water would still be hot by lunchtime or we would find ourselves leaving it out in the open to cool. The Purifaaya changed much of this,” says Kirinya.

    The Purifaaya is manufactured in Kampala by a US-based social enterprise, Spouts of Water. Its co-founder, Kathy Ku, spent a summer in Uganda and was struck by the lack of access to safe water, so she partnered with fellow Harvard student John Kye to create the organization in 2012. In July 2015, Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment determined that Purifaaya was 99.9% effective and its water safe for consumption.

    Unlike most other systems that provide safe water in developing countries, the Purifaaya has a ceramic filter inside the plastic dispenser made entirely with local materials: clay, sawdust and a thin layer of silver nitrate to enhance bacterial removal. This ceramic pot permits water to trickle through, maintaining its taste and scent, while trapping viruses, pollutants, and organic and inorganic materials larger than half a micron. Its gravity-based filtration process allows a flow rate of up to three liters per hour.

    Spouts of Water employs 35 local workers at its factory while developing a vast network of partnerships to ensure distribution and reach everyone regardless of economic status or location. For a single family, a complete set of Purifaaya sells for 100,000 Ugandan shillings (USD 27). Spouts of Water aims to provide safe water to at least 10 million Ugandans who still lack access to it, and has started supplying neighboring Congo, too.

    While all Purifaaya filters are the same size, they come in two different sized dispensers – one with a 20-liter capacity, purchased mostly by families, and another with a 65-liter capacity for companies or institutions. Since November 2015, more than 1,600 filters have been distributed to schools thanks to a partnership program with the NGO Save the Children, ensuring safe water for roughly 30,000 students.

    Annet Nakibinge, a counselor in Nakawuka, is one of 110,000 Ugandans who have gained access to clean drinking water since Spouts of Water was launched – she has been using the Purifaaya for five months. With a family of nine, she notes that boiling water every two days was both costly and time consuming. “Before we acquired the dispensers, we would boil water and strain it,” she explains. “We consume about 10 liters every two days” – or about one dollar’s worth of charcoal in a country where some 10 million people earn less than $1.25 a day.

    The major sources of water in Nakibinge’s area are a well and a borehole. But with the well usually contaminated due to frequent use, people turn to the borehole for water instead, which appears clean yet often contains metallic objects and bits of rust.

    Nakibinge has been instrumental in ensuring that more families in the area acquire the dispensers. She helps organize meetings where locals learn about the importance of clean water. At these meetings they receive a 15 percent discount on the purchase of a Purifaaya and can pay for it in monthly installments.