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  • How Nigeria can fund newly adopted development goals, by UN chief

    How Nigeria can fund newly adopted development goals, by UN chief

    Nigeria may need to find innovative ways of funding the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it has been learnt. Unlike in the  past when the country received international aid to implement the Millennium Development Goals, that the country might have to look inwards to fund the global goals adopted by world leaders on Friday at the United Nations headquarters.

    Thomas Gass, an assistant secretary general of the United Nation, who spoke with The Nation at the United Nations Headquarters in New York said it was important for government of developing countries as Nigeria to ensure the flow of funding within the country to support the goals.

    “It is very clear that this new agenda cannot be paid for only by Development Corporations. It would be important that the developed countries raise their Official Development Assistance (ODA ) to 0.7 of Gross National Income (GNI)  and many countries are still far from that. Government needs to ensure that all the flows of funding within the country actually support sustainable development. They need to ensure that all the companies operating are paying their taxes properly and see to it that international companies do not  shift their profits to other countries where they don’t have to pay for taxes”, said Gass.

    Asked if the United Nations would compel developed countries to pay compensation to African countries hit by the effects of climate change, he affirmed that the organisation was working towards a green climate fund through which countries can be supported in adapting and mitigating the effect of climate change.

    “There is work on a green climate fund  through which countries could be supported in adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change but compelling countries to do something never works very well. We have lots of experience of that in the United Nations.  It needs to be about convincing them that is in the best interest of the whole community for everyone to be able to shoulder the weight that they can carry, and that weight is heavier for some countries that it is for others.  The importance of climate change is that every country participates in a way that is based on the solidarity between people and between nations.

    The UN chief also reacted to the insinuation that 17 goals might be a long list for developing countries than are faced with other constraints, stating that although countries may set priorities where they would start, it was important they have a commitment to achieve all the goals as the 169 targets are closely linked and indivisible.

    “It is a long list because the needs and aspirations of the people are very complex and diverse.  The global goals are a new contract between government and their people and therefore must include all the issues that people need.   Of course countries will set priorities where they will start but it is very important that they have the commitment to achieve all the goals at all the time”.

    Acknowledging the fact that countries in the Lake Chad basin facing the Boko Haram menace might have more difficulties in achieving the SDGs; he  hoped that the conflicts in the region could be resolved using the right approach and strategies, especially as the new goals points to some of the  root cause of the crisis, such as poverty and inequality.

  • Council welcomes UN’s adoption of 17 development goals

    Council welcomes UN’s adoption of 17 development goals

    The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) has welcomed the UN’s adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2030.

    This is contained in a statement by Mr Oseloka Zikora, Head of Communication of (AMCOW)  in Abuja yesterday.

    The statement, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the council welcomed the good news of all the SDGs, and in particular, Goal six solely dedicated to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

    “One hundred and ninety-three world leaders met at the United Nations General Assembly and approved 17 SDGs to replace the Millennium Development Goals which will expire in December 2015.’’

    It congratulated the water and sanitation sector community for celebrating the inclusion of a dedicated water security and sanitation goal, saying without water, these goals could not be achieved.

    It quoted AMCOW President Mr Amadou Mansour-Faye, as saying that the centrality of sustainable management of water and sanitation in ending global poverty and ensuring sustainable development was not up for further debate.

    “The benefits extend well beyond the water and sanitation domain to ensuring increased agriculture and food production, energy security, and better education for our teeming populations,’’ Mansour-Faye, Senegal’s Minister for Hydraulic and Sanitation said.

    The statement noted that AMCOW played a significant role in the global advocacy for a distinct Water Security and Sanitation Goal.

    Such role, it said, was based on the firm belief that this was primarily essential for ensuring secure, productive and sustainable water for all purposes, sanitation and hygiene interventions.

  • UN chief urges monitoring of Development Goals

    UN chief urges monitoring of Development Goals

    United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary General for Policy and Coordination Thomas Gass has urged Nigerians to engage their leaders on the implementation and monitoring of the soon-to-be-adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Gass spoke at an international news conference yesterday with a team of Nigerian journalists from the United Nations Information Centre in Lagos through a WebEx (video) link to New York.

    “The big change in moving from the MDGs to the SDGs is that this is no longer a deal between donor and receiving countries. The SDGs will become the basis of a new social contract between the leaders of Nigeria and the people.  The quality of debate and dialogue at the national level will determine to what extent the SDGs are to be monitored in Nigeria”, he said.

    The UN chief added that the yardstick for implementing the SDGs in African countries would be by the people mounting pressure on their government since it was targeted at addressing the causes of conflict and poverty.

     “We have realised in the last 15 years that the biggest progress was not made when one country puts pressure on another country but rather when the people of the country put pressure on their  government. This is why we are investing time in the media to ensure that when our heads of government come to New York in September, they will promise the citizens that this shared vision will be the basis of debate at the national level for the next 15 years and they will be held accountable.

    The UN Information Officer in Nigeria, Oluseyi Soremekun, told The Nation that the people  must be aware of the transition from MDGs to SDGs.

    “It is important to get people and members states to understand what the 17 goals and the 169 targets are so they can drive the monitoring and implantation in their countries,” he said.

  • Celebrating world literacy day

    Celebrating world literacy day

    The world marked the International Literacy Day on September 8. It is usually celebrated worldwide bringing together governments, multi and bi-lateral organizations, NGO’s, the private sectors, communities, teachers, learners and experts.

    The theme of the 2015 edition “Literacy and sustainable Societies” was dedicated to exploring critical links and synergy between literacy and future sustainable development goals.

    The general perspective of literacy is the ability to read and write, it however goes beyond that. The former United Nations Secretary General and winner 2001 Nobel peace prize, Dr Kofi Anan defines Literacy as “a bridge from misery to hope. It is a basic tool for daily life in modern society. It is a wall against poverty and a building block of development, Literacy is a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity.”

    With more than 4 billon literate people in the world, one might think the war against illiteracy has been won but that will be wrong.

    According to United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UN ESCO), 775 million people are considered non-literate of which 85 percent live in 41 countries, Nigeria inclusive.

    [ad id=”403656″]Every year, this occasion offers a chance for all stakeholders, governmental organizations and others to reflect on the Country’s literacy state and make efforts to ensure the realization of the national mass literacy project.

    The government however needs to try harder in curbing illiteracy in the country.

    When asked how the government has helped literacy in the country, Mr. Awonyifa Bala, Vice Principal of Oduduwa Secondary School, Mushin said; “Illiteracy is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into our society, although most children these days go to school but how about the adults. They are in some kind of fix so something should be done about helping uneducated adults go back to school. The government has done a lot, they plan but they lack supervision. So they should see that their education policies get implemented”.

    Also speaking with The Nation, Mr Taiwo, VP Academics of Ifelodun Secondary School, Papa Ajao, said; “Free education should be given to students in the country, they should also be motivated – Motivation in the sense that if they attend school, they wouldn’t need to buy biro and other writing materials. In some areas in the country, they believe western education is bad which is not supposed to be because it gives room for them to be deceived. Government has done well in planning but without supervision.’’

    The international literacy day was first proclaimed on November 17, 1965 and first celebrated in 1966.

     

  • Aid workers killed in Darfur

    Aid workers killed in Darfur

    Marta Ruedas, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, said on Thursday in Kigali that two men were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen on aid workers’ vehicle in Sudan’s West Darfur State.

    Ruedas said the attack on the vehicle which was carrying representatives of the State’s Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) took place on Tuesday in Kerinik locality, near the border with Chad.

    Ruedas said the aid workers were returning from a mission to ascertain whether guinea-worm disease is still present in Sudan.

    She said the men, a driver and a security official were killed instantly, while the two Ministry of Health staffers and a WHO doctor in the vehicle were unharmed.

    Ruedas, who strongly condemned the fatal attack, added that the assailants also stole the car.

    “Insecurity continues to hamper the operations of the courageous humanitarian workers in Darfur, where over 2.3 million vulnerable people need some form of humanitarian assistance.

    “Yet humanitarian workers are confronted by danger on a daily basis,” she said

  • UN to tackle climate change, others in Nigeria

    To tackle climate change and its effect on the environment and agriculture in the continent, the United Nation’s arm, Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), has launched an arm in Nigeria.

    This was sequel to the Second Africa Ecosystem-Based Adaptation  (EBA) for food security conference convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),  with the African Union Commission (AUC), African Centre for Technology Studies and other partners.

    At the conference, 1,200 delegates from across Africa adopted the Nairobi action agenda on Africa’s Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Food Security and the constitution of the Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), that established the EBAFOSA.

    According to Dr. Richard Munang, coordinator, Africa Regional Climate Change Programme  and UNEP, this was in conformity with article 16, which sets out the establishment of the EBAFOSA National Branches as well as Article 13, which establishes the bureau in the rules of  EBAFOSA.

    He said the Nigerian National EBAFOSA Branch has followed the constitution and its roles of procedures to establish the National Branch host and the National Bureau.

    He, however, listed the National Planning Commission (NPC) as the EBAFOSA host Secretariat  of the  National Branch.

    He listed the Nigeria National Branch EBAFOSA executives to include the President, Mr. Oyesola James Oluwagbemiga; Vice President, Women, Ms. Igbine Lizzy Nneka; Vice President,Youth, Mr. Abbas AbdulRafiu; Rapporteur, Dr. John Didacus Njoku and  branch host secretariat liaison, Dr. Faniran Sanjo.

    On the operation of the national branch, Munang said: “The spirit of the EBAFOSA constitution, the host institution and the bureau members under the guidance of the National EBAFOSA president working with everyone should ensure the national branch have membership composed of everyone, including government representatives, Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Industrialisation, Education, CSOs, NGOs, private sector, academia, youths, individual citizens and others.’’

     

    On the importance of EBAFOSA, the National President, James Oyesola said:

     

    “EBAFOSA  is the first every inclusive pan-African framework and platform, an institution with protocols – a constitution and rules of procedure adopted in an inclusive continental process – guiding its actions, that provides a platform for all stakeholders in a country – from governments and their agencies, the public sector, private sector, educational and research institutions, individual publics/citizens, CBOs, international intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, CSOs etc. to collaborate in a participatory way in developing and implementing policy solutions to upscale EBA-driven agriculture and its value chains toward ensuring sustainable inclusive growth in Africa.”

    He expressed that EBAFOSA seeks to combat food insecurity, climate change, ecosystems degradation and poverty in Africa using an innovative approach that decentralizes the development and application of the policy solutions in the least bureaucratic channel to ensure immediate results are recorded at the grassroots in an inclusive, participatory way towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Oyesola noted that EBAFOSA does not re-invent the wheel, but rather provides an optimized channel to implement existing and envisaged grandeur development plans for the continent.

    He added, “Consequently, its principal mandate is to support the implementation of the various continental and global blue-prints on food security and sustainable industrialization and development. Principally this includes the SDGs the AU’s Agenda 2063, the AMCEN Cairo Declaration on Natural Capital, Maputo and Malabo Declarations and related CAADP which recognizes EBA-driven agriculture as a priority mechanism for delivering the CAADP vision 2025 which includes objectives such as ending hunger in the continent by 2025, reducing post-harvest losses by 50%, and leveraging agriculture and Africa’s natural capital to achieve sustainable industrialization and inclusive economic growth.”

    As a member of the body, Oyesola explained that through fostering an inclusive approach that leverages the relative strengths of all levels of a diverse field of stakeholders, EBAFOSA ensures a wide range of benefits accrues to actors through mutual interactions of government, private sectors,educational and research institutions, Non Governmental Organisations, individual members as well as students.

    “It also  provides opportunity for technical capacity building and partnerships, incubation of ideas, employment opportunities etc , as interactions are fostered across diverse sectors.

     

  • 70 pupils deliberate at UN confab

    70 pupils deliberate at UN confab

    For four days last week, 70 secondary school pupils from Lagos, Anambra, and Rivers states deliberated on issues of international importance at the maiden conference of The African FutureTrust Model United Nations (TAFMUN), a simulation of the UN General Assembly.

    Acting as representatives of various country members of the UN, they discussed and negotiated solutions to their ‘countries’ problems during the event holding at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Convener of the conference and founder, FutureTrust Initiative for Capacity Building (FTI), Dr Maureen Egbuche, said the participants, as a result of researches done on their countries and presentations and debates they made at the conference, would gain soft skills not taught in schools which would help them in future.

    “The ultimate aim is to prepare these children for the future. Today we are teaching critical thinking; negotiation skills. In participating in this conference, they take away these skills without even knowing it. Here you are representing a country that is not your native country. But after your research, you are suddenly at home discussing issues, being quite passionate about it, remaining in character of the country you have been assigned. And then you have to listen to views that may be opposing to what you generally believe in. But the thing is that at the last day of the conference all of you would have come up with solutions that are win-win for everybody,” she said.

    The teenagers’deliberation was  coordinated by a conference staff made up of university undergraduates who had participated in similar conferences in the past.

    Secretary-General of TAFMUN 2015, Eugene Uwiringiyimana, who read the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon’s goodwill message at the opening of the conference, is a student of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola.

    Chisom Ogbummuo, a 200-Level student of Political Science at the University of Lagos, acted as the Under-Secretary-General (Protocol).

    Of the value of the conference to the pupils, Chisom said: “It will go a long way for them. At present, I work for the UN and it is because I started activities related to this kind of conference as a student of Holy Child College,” she said.

    A teacher from the Federal Science and Technical (FSTC), Yaba, Mrs Adebanke Akano, who prepared her 24 delegates for the conference, said the conference would prepare participants to have a say in their future.

    In his message, Ban Ki-Moon hoped that the conference would influence the participants to support good international causes.

    “Through your participation in this Model United Nations, you demonstrate your concern for peace, justice, human rights and human dignity. I hope this conference will inspire you to be a lifelong global citizen who advances these common goals,” he said.

    Mrs Lawrence-Nemi
    Mrs Lawrence-Nemi

    In her keynote address, former Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, who was represented by the former Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr Richard Ofuru, counseled the participants to form Model UN clubs back in their schools to continue to harness the skills they learn. She recalled with pride how some pupils sponsored by the Rivers State Government to New York for the UN Youth conference returned with prizes.

    Dr Egbuche said 70 participants were chosen in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the UN this year.

    They were selected from the Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha; Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba; Atlantic Hall, Lagos; and Queen’s College, Lagos.

    Other are: Archdeacon Brown Education Centre, Port Harcourt; Community Secondary School Alode Eleme; Community Secondary School, Amadi Ama; and Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Port Harcourt.

     

  • Saraki for UN conference

    Saraki for UN conference

    Senate President Bukola Saraki will today lead the Nigerian delegation to participate in the fourth United Nations Conference of Parliamentary Heads holding at the organisation’s headquarters in New York, United States.

    This year’s conference, which will be opened by the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, will feature presentation of reports and debate on “placing democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development.”

    Other issues billed for debate include ‘Challenges facing Parliaments today’, ‘Parliamentary Oversight: challenges and opportunities ‘, while a bi-lateral meeting with Dr. Saraki is expected to be hosted by the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), Mr. Yuli-Yoel Edelstein.

    The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and selected Heads of Parliaments (GLOBE International Representation) are also expected to meet on the sidelines of the conference.

    The Senate President is billed to address the session of the world forum on Wednesday September 2 and later hold  a press conference immediately after the speech.

    Saraki is accompanied on the trip by Senators Andy Uba, Shehu Sani and Dino Melaye.

    Others on the entourage include Special Adviser to the Senate President on Economic Matters, Dr. Uchendu Okoye and Special Assistant on Public Partnerships.

    The Senate president and his team departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for New York on Saturday ahead of the conference which begins today and ends on Wednesday.

  • UN to adopt SDGs Sept 21

    UN to adopt SDGs Sept 21

    The United Nations (UN) will adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the successor programme to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on September 21, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on MDGs, Hajiya Amina Al-Zubair, said yesterday. The SDGs will be the new approach to tackling global development issues.

    She listed 17 goals that will drive the SDGs, including poverty eradication, climate change issues and their impact, human resource development, provision of quality infrastructure and social amenities.

    Others are provision of sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, inclusive education, achieve gender equality and empower all and women girls as well as ensuring healthy lives for all at all ages.

    Mrs. Al-Zubair said the SDGs would also seek to promote save and habitable environments, provision of “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all’’.

    The SDGs, she added, would also seek to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition through agriculture and reduce inequality within and among countries.

    The aide said other goals would promote peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice, combat desertification and halt biodiversity.

    “Furthermore, the SDGs will strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the local partnership for sustainable development,’’ said Mrs. Al-Zubair

    She also set a development agenda for President Muhammadu Buhari, with the management and development of human resources as a priority.

    Al-Zubair explained that the development of human resources, most especially women and girls, was key to driving national development goals.

    She also recommended the strengthening of “inclusive governance’’ and better a clarity of the funding and expenditure of the three tiers as adopted by the president to provide good governance.

    Besides, Al-Zubair advised Buhari to provide basic functional social amenities and infrastructure to enhance the lives of citizens.

    The aide also urged the president to curb corruption by plugging all the “leaking pipes’’ and improve security.

    According to her, Nigeria has crisis in the education sector in spite of the huge investments made by the government and development partners over years.

    While attributing the challenge to lack of genuine commitment, facilities and infrastructure, she called for a new approach to achieve desirable results.

     

  • UN sets agenda for Buhari

    UN sets agenda for Buhari

    The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday set a development agenda for President Muhammadu Buhari, with the management and development of human resources as a priority.

    The Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on MDGs, Hajiya Amina Al-Zubair, gave the advice during an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja.

    Al-Zubair explained that the development of human resources, most especially women and girls, was key to driving national development goals.

    She also recommended the strengthening of “inclusive governance’’ and better a clarity of the funding and expenditure of the three tiers as adopted by the president to provide good governance.

    Besides, Al-Zubair advised Buhari to provide basic functional social amenities and infrastructure to enhance the lives of citizens.

    The aide also urged the president to curb corruption by blocking all the “leaking pipes’’ and improve security.

    According to her, Nigeria has crisis in the education sector in spite of the huge investments made by the government and development partners over years.

    While attributing the challenge to lack of genuine commitment, facilities and infrastructure, she called for a new approach to achieve desirable results.

    The UN, Al-Zubair said, would adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Sept. 21, as a new approach to tackling global development issues.

    She listed 17 goals that would drive the SDGs, including poverty eradication, climate change issues and their impact, human resource development, provision of quality infrastructure and social amenities.

    Others are provision of sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, inclusive education, achieve gender equality and empower all and women girls as well as ensuring healthy lives for all at all ages.

    Similarly, Al-Zubair disclosed that the SDGs would also seek to promote save and habitable environments, provision of “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all’’.

    The SDGs, she added, would also seek to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition through agriculture and reduce inequality within and among countries.

    The aide said other goals would promote peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice, combat desertification and halt biodiversity.

    “Furthermore, the SDGs will strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the lobal partnership for sustainable development,’’ said Al-Zubair.