The Nation Newspaper

Tag: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

  • UNDP pledges support for Peace Commission Bill passage

    UNDP pledges support for Peace Commission Bill passage

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged its support to the passage of the National Commission for Peace Reconciliation and Mediation Bill currently before the National Assembly.

    A statement by Dr. Godwin Ichimi, Program Officer to Sen. Shehu Sani, sponsor of the Bill, in Abuja on Wednesday said Senate Committee of Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters would organize a workshop with UNDP on the bill.

    The bill has passed second reading and has been slated for public hearing.

    According to statement, the workshop will be organised to ensure that the bill enjoyed the confidence and support of citizens through useful inputs by way of position papers, memoranda and presentations.

    It said that workshop had been slated for Monday and Tuesday and was intended to strengthen civic participation.

    It also stated that the workshop would provide opportunity for deepening the scope for conflict prevention, peace building and post-conflict reconstruction and provide framework for a more coordinated approach for promoting peace.

    “The specific objectives of the workshop are to galvanize the perspectives of various key stakeholders in Nigeria on what should be in the contents of the draft bill.

    “This will be done through position papers, memoranda and presentations at the workshop and public hearing.

    “The workshop will also help to collate and analyse the position papers and memoranda presented by key stakeholders in Nigeria.

    “It will also help to organise a forum to share experience on best practice, benefits, and challenges of similar commissions in Africa.

    “It will equally provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to interact with the members of Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and aggregate key issues, concerns, challenges about the Bill.

    “It will further elucidate the benefits of establishing a National Commission for Peace, Reconciliation and Mediation in Nigeria and make useful recommendations to improve on the draft bill.

    “The workshop will include presentations, plenary sessions and syndicate sessions where participants will consider sections of the bill vis-a-vis related Acts of Parliament in other countries particularly Ghana, Kenya and South Africa,” it stated.

    The statement noted that the bill, when passed, would be a bold and pragmatic step towards proffering sustainable and predictable responses to issues that result into conflict and violence in Nigeria.

    It further stated that participants would be drawn from socio-political groups, experts on Peace and Conflict Resolutions, civil society organizations, traditional rulers as well as federal and state governments.

  • INEC receives applications for 95 new political parties – Chairman

    INEC receives applications for 95 new political parties – Chairman

    …May announce new parties this week

     

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received 95 applications for new political parties, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has said.

    Addressing Journalists Monday in Kaduna shortly after the opening ceremony of the Workshop to Review INEC Communications Policy, Prof. Mahmood said they have received applications from various intending political parties, adding that the applications will be looked into at a meeting of the Commission Wednesday in Kaduna and those successful will be announced soon.

    According to the INEC boss, “As at last week, we had received 95 applications for new political parties. At the end of this workshop, there is going to be a retreat on Wednesday to review the ongoing voters registration followed by a meeting of the Commission here in Kaduna. At the end of the meeting of the Commission, we will issue a release on the issue of parties.

    “I have said that we would be holding a mid-quarterly review of our activities and preparation as we head towards the 2019 general elections after every six weeks, by Wednesday, the mid-quarterly review will come up here in Kaduna on the ongoing continuous voters registration nationwide.”

    Speaking on the essence of the workshop held with the support if United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the INEC boss said, “While the current policy has served the Commission, it is obvious that a review is necessary as we prepare for the 2019 general elections. Such a review is significant in order to achieve four objectives; a comprehensive review of the policy to determine what worked and what needed to fine-tune.

    “Secondly, the need to examine the extent to which the policy has enabled the Commission to effectively communicate with the public. To determine the extent to which the policy has facilitated a more robust internal communication within the Commission and to appraise the effectiveness of a sustained stakeholder engagement between the Commission and relevant stakeholders.”

    Prof. Mahmood said since 2015 general elections significant changes have taken place in the political and electoral arena that should be taken into consideration in planning for the next general elections.

     

  • Nigeria ranked 152 in global human development index – UNDP report

    Nigeria ranked 152 in global human development index – UNDP report

    …says country records 13.1% improvement in last ten years

    Nigeria has been ranked 152 amongst the 193 United Nations (UN) member states in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) for 2016 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    The country is followed closely by Cameroon in number 153 and Zimbabwe in 154 position.

    The report places Nigeria below neighbouring Ghana which is placed 139, Gabon, 109, Zambia also in 139, Equitoria Guinea, 135.

    The report however showed a positive outlook for the country as it revealed 13.1 % increase in human development in the last ten years under review (2005-15).

    NDI indicates the number of people with access to education and other basic amenities. Human development is about enlarging freedoms so that all human beings can pursue choices that they value. HDI is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development
    The global report was officially launched on 25th, March 2017 in Stocklom, while the Nigeria version was launched Tuesday.

    According to the report, Norway tops the log as the number one country in the Hunan Development Index and it’s closely followed by Switzerland and Australia which came joint second, Germany on the fourth position and Denmark number five.

    Speaking at the public presentation of the Report in Abuja yesterday, UNDP Resident Representative, Mr Edward Kallon, called for an urgent action by the government to sustain the gain.

    “The report shows that between 2005 and 2015, Nigeria’s HDI increased from 0.466 to 0.527 – a 13.1 percent increase.

    “This is encouraging, but given the humanitarian challenges already alluded to, and the economic recession witnessed in 2016, there is an urgent need to design policies and programmes to ensure that the upward trend in human development is not reversed.

    “As the 2014 HDR aptly noted success is not automatic and gains are not necessarily permanent,” he said
    He noted that the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by the Federal Government outlined several medium-term policies and programmes that could keep Nigeria on a positive development trajectory.

    He said that the ERGP focused on restoring growth, investing in people and building a globally competitive economy.

    Kallon pledged the UNDP commitment to supporting both the Federal and State Governments in implementing programmes addressing the simultaneous eradication of poverty and signi ficant reduction of inequalities and exclusion in Nigeria.

    He described UNDP as the UN’s lead agency with a mandate to eradicate poverty, and promote sustainable human development everywhere in Nigeria.

    According to him UNDP has produced several National HDRs focusing on various issues defining development in Africa’s largest economy.

    He said that the reports would continue to shape policy interventions and public debate around many development issues affecting millions of people in the country.

    “The economic growth is necessary but not sufficient condition for human development; it is possible to achieve high levels of human development even with modest levels of growth.

    “What matters is the source and spread of growth; and how growth is managed and distributed for the benefit of everyone,” he said.

    He said that addressing the twin problems of economic recession and humanitarian crisis facing the country called for tough policy choices.

    “We should utilise the opportunity provided by the national launch of this report to promote policy dialogue, at both national and sub-national levels.

    “To enrich programmes aimed at implementing the ERGP and Growth Plan, the SDGs and AU’s Agenda 2063 to ensure that human development is realised for everyone and that no one is left behind,” he said.

    Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed in her remarks said the launch of the report was timely.
    She however warned that the current humanitarian crisis in the North East is capable of reversing the gain if not properly addressed.

    She said, “The downturns in 2016 occasioned by the weak growth of investment, trade and productivity as well as the humanitarian crises are capable of infusing a reversal trend if not curtailed early.

    “​It is common knowledge today that violent extremism is the greatest threat to human improvement, especially the achievement of inclusive growth as put forward by the UNDP’s principle of Universalism. Following the Arab Spring which was initially thought of as a Mediterranean issue, violent extremism has engulfed the Lake Chad region, taking its toll on lives and property in North East Nigeria. Over 14 million people are affected with 1.8 million internally displaced persons to carter for in the three most affected States.”

    She stressed that human development could also be elusive when there is insecurity and deprivation.

    “Human Development cannot be for everyone in a situation where 14 million people are insecure and deprived,” he said.

    Mrs. Ahmed however commended President Muhammadu Buhari’ Administration for reducing the level of violence in the country.

    He noted, “the level of violence has been significantly scaled down but over 4.4 million people in the region need food, clothing and shelter. The Government of Nigeria has mobilised available resources to ameliorate the situation.

    Speaking on the report, she said it provided an independent and data-based analysis of why certain groups tend to be more disadvantaged and highlights the persistent barriers to achieving sustainable human development for all.

    She said it also came on the heels of the recently launched NERGP which she said would define the country’s economic trajectory for the next four years, by ensuring sustained, inclusive and diversified growth.

    “The Report comes as Nigeria works to actively implement programs aimed at meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, both at the Federal and State levels,” she said.

    The minister said Government was working proactively to address the current economic challenges facing the Nation, and to implement policies and programmes that promote human development.

    According to her the programmes would ensure that `no one is left behind’.

    “We will also strive to ensure that the disadvantaged communities receive the extra support they need. This includes those living in conflict affected areas, women and girls, and rural communities.

    “Government is striving to ensure that human development progress is more resilient to shocks, such as epidemics, economic challenges, conflicts.

    “This is being done through the development and implementation of sound policies and through social investment programmes,” she said

  • UN seeks urgent action on children starvation   

    UN seeks urgent action on children starvation   

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is calling for an urgent action from the Federal Government to implement necessary policies that will reduce starvation among children in the north east region of the country.

    UNDP Country Representative, Edward Kallon made the call Tuesday at the unveiling of 2016 Global Human Development Report, held in Abuja.

    The report shows that between 2005 and 2015, Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI) increased from 0.466 to 0.527 – a 13.1 percent increase.

    Kallon said though the current administration has made significant contributions but emphasized need to intensify efforts as 8.5 million people are in urgent humanitarian need while another 50, 000 children are severely short of food.

    He said: “We are all aware of the humanitarian crisis in the North-East of the country and the looming famine in that region. Although efforts by humanitarian development actors, under the leadership of the Government have yielded significant results, many challenges remain as an estimated 8.5 million people in that region are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance; over 5 million remain food insecure; and some 50,000 children are at IPC level 5 of food insecurity. The need for action, especially for the children, couldn’t be more urgent.”

    The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a set of standardized tools that aims at providing a common currency for classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity. The evidence-based approach uses an international standard which allow comparability of situations across countries and over time.

    “As the UN’s lead agency with a mandate to eradicate poverty, and promote sustainable human development everywhere, here in Nigeria, UNDP has produced several NHDR focusing on various issues defining development in Africa’s largest economy. These reports continue to shape policy interventions and public debate around many development issues affecting millions of people in the country,” he added.

    According to Kallon, the report launch was timely considering major challenges such as economic recession and humanitarian crisis confronting the country.

    He noted that even though the global under-five mortality rate had reduced between 1990 and 2015, with the sharpest decline being registered in sub-Sahara Africa and extended life expectancy by six years, the fall in the global prices of major export commodities such as iron ore, copper, crude oil, gold, cotton and cocoa since late 2014 has affected human development.

    However, the UN representative called for the development of ‘tough policies’ to address economic recession and humanitarian crisis in the country.

    “Economic growth is necessary but not sufficient condition for human development; it is possible to achieve high levels of human development even with modest levels of growth. What matters is the source and spread of growth; and how growth is managed and distributed for the benefit of everyone.

    “Addressing the twin problems of economic recession and humanitarian crisis facing the country calls for tough policy choices. We should utilize the opportunity provided by the national launch of this report to promote policy dialogue, at both national and sub-national levels, to enrich on-going programmes aimed at implementing the economic recovery and growth plan, the SDGs and Africa Union’s Agenda 2063 to ensure that human development is realized for everyone and that no one is left behind,” he said.

     

  • UNDP to support conservation of Onura Forest in Eleme

    UNDP to support conservation of Onura Forest in Eleme

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has confirmed plans to support the conservation of biodiversity of Onura Forest in Eleme, Rivers State.

    The Project Coordinator of the UNDP funded Niger Delta Biodiversity Programme (NDBP); Dr Matthew Dore made this know during a meeting with the Emperor of Alesa Eleme, His Royal Highness, John Nkpe.

    Eleme, the second largest city in Rivers state plays host to Nigeria’s first refinery and it prides itself as the bedrock of the Nigerian economy. The refinery features a never ending gas flaring which has never abated for decades. Adjoining this refinery is the Onura forest which hosts one the oldest deities of the Eleme thereby making it a sacred forest along with the rich biodiversity it bares.

    As an oil city, that rate of industrialisation without paying much regard to the environment has led to the gradual encroachment on the Onura Forest. According to the Alesa Eleme, “Forests have a massive role to play in the balance of nature as the increasing number of industries can only be protected by the forest which envelopes the community.”

    He further explained that “the crisis of climate change and depletion ozone layer as a result of human activities has made the need for environmental protection from forests more imperative in today’s world.

    “Nature has its role and human activities are distorting nature and nature is fighting back, therefore to strike a balance we must ensure that our forests are reserved not just for that but also to enable the survival of our tradition and culture,” he said.

    Onura forest is renowned for hosting diverse species of endangered turtles, some of which crawl out on the roads. The forest was also home to chimpanzees, crocodiles, pythons, monkeys, alligators most of which have disappeared, hence the call for the conservation of Onura Forest.

    Also speaking the Country Director, Center for Development Support Initiative (CDSI), Dr Mina Ogbabga noted that only 50 hectares of the forest are left untouched post industrialisation of Eleme adding that the community wants to retain the remaining forest.

    “This is the only natural body in this community that can help to mitigate and will eliminate the humongous amount of carbon footprint produced in Eleme as a refinery host,” she said.

    Dr Ogbagba commended the UNDP NDBP for its support so far, noting that since UNDP joined the battle to conserve the forest, the ignorance of preserving the forest in the local community has been defeated by the series of training, capacity building and awareness organised and funded by UNDP.

    The UNDP Community Biodiversity Action plan has helped the community and NGO to develop a robust action plan which drives all the actions that have kick-started the process of preserving the forest such as planting of more trees in the forest and across the community. “We also want to get the forest fenced with a barricade to ensure the preservation within its enclosure,” she concluded.

    The UNDP representative, Dr Dore promised to provide more support for the campaign, stating that the preservation of the forest cannot be under-estimated.

    He further added that UNDP will to seek to the preservation of Eleme turtles, survey the Onura Forest and get the forest gazetted as a property of Eleme community by the Rivers state government.”

    The Emperor again called on the international community to support the protection of Onura forest because “there are a lot of endangered turtle species in the forest and particularly trees that are thousands of years old are all being felled in the forest because of human activities.”

    “Forests are protected and reserved in countries all over the world, why can’t we conserved Onura forest in Nigeria as eco-tourism, which is now a major economy across the world. Countries without natural resources are using preservation of their nature to raise and earn revenue for their communities via forests such as these,” he said.

  • FG to link farmers, processors to ready export market for cassava chips

    FG to link farmers, processors to ready export market for cassava chips

    The Federal Government says it will assist cassava farmers and processors to create linkage markets to guarantee export and sale of cassava chips at the international market.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said this at an Agribusiness Supplier Development Programme (ASDP) meeting organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ibadan on Tuesday.

    Represented by Mr Auwal Maidabino, the Director, Planning and Policy Coordination in the ministry, Ogbeh said the linkage when actualised, would secure and inject more foreign exchange into the country.

    The minister, who said that in 2012 the country secured and supplied 2.2 million tonnes of cassava chips to China, which earned it over 534 million dollars, expressed regret that the business was not sustained.

    Ogbeh said the government would continue to provide improved yielding cassava stems, disease resistant varieties, access to finance and markets to improve the country’s current market share.

    He appealed to cassava farmers to improve cassava chips production and supply chain system to meet demands from other countries.

    “In order to facilitate the attainment of this objective, we have put institutional framework in place to promote agribusiness and investments.

    “We are working with donour agencies, financial institutions, and the organised Private Sector to build an agribusiness economy for food security, job creation and export for inclusive growth.

    “In view of the potential that abound for export trade in cassava chips, I urge you to take advantage of this to focus on cassava chips production, standardisation and training to meet with market export requirement,’’ he said.

    Dr Nelson Abila, an Agribusiness Specialist with the UNDP, said the meeting was aimed at bringing together stakeholders in the cassava value chain with a view to increasing productivity, expand profit gap and stimulate local economy along the chain.

    According to him, the meeting is also to encourage and promote more participation in the cassava value chain.

    Abila expressed concern over the dwindling market for the cassava produce at the international level.

    “ASDP is an initiative of the UNDP to make farming a business, improving the supply of agricultural products by farmers, contribute to the development of the nations’ economy,’’ he explained.

    Mr Tony Egba, a guest lecturer, said that Nigeria was the highest producer and local consumers of cassava produce across the world.

    In a lecture entitled: “The How of Cassava Chips Processing’’, Egba said that the best drying method for cassava was through sunlight.

    He advised farmers and processors to imbibe the right way for the drying and storage of the produce.

    Egba noted that low or high moisture content in cassava would introduce moles in them which would cause its rejection at the international market.

    The Country Manager of the Africa Commodities Exchange (AFEX), Mr Ayodeji Balogun, stressed the need for the provision of storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses and close the glut gap in cassava value chain.

    Some of the farmers called on the government to provide enabling environment and policies that would encourage farmers in the country.

     

  • ‎AfDB $800 million support for Agric underway – Adesina

    ‎AfDB $800 million support for Agric underway – Adesina

    …As Agric minister denies famine prediction

     

    The President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has disclosed plans to launch $800 million scheme to support the agriculture sector.

    Adesina said the initiative called the Technology for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) was part of efforts designed to encourage technological innovation in the sector.

    The AfDB president made this known at the opening of the African Economic Conference (ACE) organised by the bank in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Monday in Abuja.

    He said the scheme when implemented would reach 40 million farmers in one year.

    He added that another $24 billion would be used to support Nigeria’s agric sector to fight hunger and post-harvest loses.

    His words: “To take new agricultural technologies to scale, we are launching $800m initiative known as TAAT. It has a goal of reaching over 40 million farmers in 10 years. We must equally reduce the food system losses along the value-chain from the farm, transport, storage, processing and marketing.”

    The AfDB president called for a rapid and inclusive bottom up approach to addressing challenges facing the agriculture sector.

    He identified poor infrastructure and access to finance as major challenges, stressing that it became imperative to develop the Staple Crops Processing Zones (SCPZ).

    Adesina added that the initiative would also reduce post-harvest losses.

    The AfDB president urged African nations to invest in the SCPZ in order to create jobs, stressing needs to support private agro-allied firms through incentives and infrastructure.

    His words: “It is important to seek innovative approach to solving finance challenges. When I was the Nigerian agriculture minister, we started NIRSAL which increased lending to farmers by six per cent.

    “To drive agro-industrialisation, the role of finance is key so we are investing $24 billion into agriculture in the next 20 years.”

    In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh denied claims that the nation would face famine by 2017.

    The Minister said the Federal Government already mapped out plans to support dry-season farming that would discourage the presumed food shortage.

    He noted that about 10 dams would be constructed in States to support farm irrigation system.

    He said the country has 33 silo sites with capacity to store about 2 million tons of grains so Nigerians should not panic.

    Ogbeh said: “The threat of famine-I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. No danger of famine now. We are doing far better than we did a decade ago. But there is some panic. People are buying and storing. Our neighbours in the West, North and Central Africa are buying, they have always bought. So this is a challenge I am happy about.

    “It says to the farmer, there is a market for your produce. So we are not going to face famine. Government will make sure it doesn’t happen. The GES scheme is working.”

    On recession, he said, “stop buying rice. Eat what you produce, produce what you eat. We have water, irrigation, capacity so we should go into farming. We don’t have business importing foods.”

     

  • UN lauds FG’s efforts to eliminate corruption at ports

    UN lauds FG’s efforts to eliminate corruption at ports

    The Country Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abuja, Dr Pa Lamin Beyai, said that corruption undermined human development, democracy and reduced access to public services by diverting public resources for private gains.

    Beyai made said this in a message to a public launch of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Port agencies and Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) held on Thursday in Abuja to eliminate corruption at ports.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Beyai was represented by the Peace Development Advisor of UNDP, Dr Takwa Zebulon.

    Beyai said that when public money was stolen for private gain, it meant fewer resources to build schools, hospitals, roads and water treatment facilities.

    “When foreign aid is diverted into private bank accounts, major infrastructure projects come to a halt. Corruption enables fake or substandard medicines to be dumped in the market and hazardous wastes to be dumped in landfill sites and in oceans.

    “ First as part of our mandate as encapsulated in United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2014-2017 to strengthen public accountability mechanisms through the conduct of corruption risk assessment.

    “UNDP is glad to have been part of this process from inception. We believe that with effective system and an enabling environment, Nigeria’s corruption perception index can improve positively.

    “Nigerian Ports will not only render statutory services, but become the preferred hub for the sub-region,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Beyai as saying.

    He said that an efficient and effective port sector would positively contribute to the ease of doing business, adding that it could be a good source of revenue and act as a stimulant for the diversification of the economy.

    Beyai, however, commended the efforts of the Ports Steering Committee who had worked tirelessly since the launch of the Corruption Risk Assessment Report (CRA) in 2013.

    He said that without the committee’s commitment, the CRA report on the Port Sectors would have been consigned to the archive.

    Beyai said that UNDP would, therefore, look forward to seeing the maximum utilisation of the portal and the SOPs to make Nigerian ports user-friendly.

    Also the Ambassador of Denmark, Mr Torben Bettermann, commended the Nigerian government and the minister of transportation for performing an outstanding work by trying to eradicate corruption.

    Bettermann said that Denmark was an active player in corruption campaign in Nigeria.

    Also speaking the Head, Technical Unit on Government and Anti-Corruption Reform (TUGAR), Ms Lilian Ekeanyanwu, said that a Research, Monitoring and Evaluation unit was set up by government to respond to the critical needs for a rigorous approach to policy making.

    Ekeanyanwu, who was represented by Mrs Jane Onwumere, said that TUGAR dealt with policy making based on empirical data collection and analysis.

    She said that TUGAR had supported the anti-corruption agenda with knowledge products by connecting the dots and connecting different actors to build synergy.

    “We are proud today that this is our baby and that the corruption Risk Assessment Project that is our brainchild has come to frution.

    “We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this process to ensure that it achieves the desired objectives,’’ NAN quotes Ekeanyanwu as saying.

    The Acting Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Ahmed Abdul, said that launching of the SOP’s and PSSP was the climax of a four-year journey which started in 2012.

    Abdul said that some agencies such as; TUGAR, BPP, UNDP and Independent Corrupt and Anti-Corruption Reform Crime Commission (ICPC) were at the forefront of Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) project and pilot exercise in Nigeria.

    He said that the BPP was also in Ports CRA exercise and the development of SOP.

    Abdul said that BPP would continue in its determination to deliver its mandate of ensuring transparency, efficiency and competitiveness in government business.

    He said that CRA was aimed at strengthening preventive mechanisms by identifying areas that were prone to corruption.

    Abdul said that with collective collaboration with stakeholders as well as develop plan to strengthen transparency and accountability service delivery would be enhanced.