The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have released employer guidance for measures to protect migrants during COVID-19.Migrant workers are a crucial part of the global workforce, accounting for 3.5% of the world’s population, according to IOM. Worldwide, micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rely upon migrant workers, including sectors providing essential commodities and services, as well as industries hard-hit by COVID-19.As the economic and human consequences of COVID-19 continue to shape local communities, businesses can play a decisive role in addressing the unique challenges faced by migrant workers.Migrant workers are susceptible to job loss,…
Author: Akanimo Sampson
In an open letter dated August 10, 2020 to President Muhammadu Buhari, 29 civil society and community groups wrote off the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), declaring that the commission has completely negated its mandate. Earlier in a statement, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) said anyone who truly opposes corruption will cringe at the fact that billions of dollars have been swooped in reckless spending spree in a few months without demonstrable impact on the Niger Delta. Following recent developments from the Senate probe and reports from NDDC, the media has been awash with absurd findings against the Interim…
Experts are currently urging people to take precautions when doing vigorous exercise. This is coming as evidence mounts that COVID-19 can damage the heart. Up to 30% of patients hospitalised with coronavirus infection have signs of cardiac injury, according to Dr. Sunal Makadia, health director of sports cardiology at LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, USA. The prevalence of heart damage in milder cases of COVID-19 is unknown. Still, experts worry about the potential for serious heart complications from engaging in vigorous exercise while infected with the virus. The American College of Cardiology’s Sports and Exercise Council recommends that people get a COVID-19 test…
In the next nine months, the world will be presented with the first opportunity to align the sustainable development agenda with global efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. That will be during the 15th quadrennial ministerial conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Tagged UNCTAD15, it will be holding in Bridgetown, Barbados from April 25-30, 2021. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, and UNCTAD Secretary-General, Mukhisa Kituyi, have signed an agreement for the hosting of UNCTAD15, officially setting off preparations for the landmark gathering of the organisation’s 195 member states. Prime Minister Mottley said…
Physicians and researchers are still working on developing new vaccine technologies to generate the most effective COVID-19 vaccines with the fewest side effects. This is as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is shining a bright spotlight on vaccine development and numerous vaccines racing through clinical trials. A new proof-of-concept study by researchers at the University of Chicago and Duke University demonstrates the potential for one such platform, using self-assembling peptide nanofibers tagged with antigens to prime the immune system against a potential invasion. Their research, published in Science Advances on August 7, 2020, showed that these nanofibers can induce an immune response and activate…
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for the Edo 2020 Governorship Election, Nyesom Wike, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be standing his administration’s anti-corruption fight on the head. He is, therefore, challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its supporters to show evidence where President Buhari announced that he has endorsed a man who is facing corruption charges. News portals at the weekend were awash with reports that President Buhari endorsed Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the governorship candidate of the APC. The President reportedly gave the endorsement on Friday when he received Ize-Iyamu who was led to the…
A seeming desperate bid by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State to pocket the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state is plunging the party into a crisis. The state congress of the party that was billed for Saturday was postponed.Members of the National Assembly from the state on the platform of the party have threatened to defect to rival All Progressive Congress (APC) if Ayade presses on with his seeming ambitious plot to control the recruitment process of the party for 2023.There is a worrisome cold war between Ayade and his predecessor, Liyel Imoke as…
Despite the COVID 19 mobility restrictions, migrants are still compelled to undertake risky journeys, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has said. IOM Mauritania Chief of Mission, Laura Lungarotti, says ‘’while we continue to provide humanitarian assistance hand in hand with the government of Mauritania and civil society, the need for predictable rescue and assistance procedures remains. This is all the more important whilst public health measures are still in place.’’ At the moment, IOM and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, are deeply saddened by the tragic death of 27 people off the West African coast between the Mauritanian city of Nouadhibou…
Human Rights Watch says the world reached an important milestone last week in the fight to end child labour. All 187 member countries of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have now ratified ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, committing to eliminate hazardous work endangering children around the world.Tonga’s ratification of the convention on Thursday marks the first time in history that a labour convention has achieved universal ratification. Ratification of ILO treaties catalyzes national reforms and translates to concrete change on the ground.‘’Global commitment to end child labour is sorely needed, as experts warn the Covid-19 pandemic could reverse…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says the warlike approach of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Edo State election is posing a very serious threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.Wike who is also the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for Edo Governorship Election warns, ‘’ours is still a fragile democracy.’’ While urging Nigerians to hold the APC and its candidate responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order in Edo, he adds, ‘’we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the international community to prevail on the APC to…
Hundreds of thousands of African migrants have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, chiefly by the closure of hundreds of air, land and sea border crossings which prevented them from moving to destination countries or returning home. Many, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), remain in dangerous conditions with little access to food, water and medical care. ‘’This is particularly true in Yemen, where an estimated 14,500 migrants are stranded. Many are at risk of detention and exploitation by traffickers and smugglers, in addition to stigma and xenophobia’’, the UN migration agency says. Consequently, IOM and partners from 27 humanitarian and development organisations and governments are appealing for $84 million to provide life-saving assistance to…
In spite of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growing by 5.8% annually on average, trade and investment in the Dominican Republic still remain insufficiently diversified. Interestingly, since 2010, the Dominican Republic has been the fastest growing economy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Though the country’s trading partners increased from 98 in 2000 to 147 in 2017, the United States still buys over 50% of Dominican exports, and the economy continues to specialise in commodities rather than more sophisticated products and services. Once the COVID-19 crisis eases, the Dominican Republic should craft new economic policies to optimise its productive potential…
Two noteworthy findings related to COVID-19 and patients with neuromuscular disorders have been uncovered. A University at Buffalo researcher made the finding in a literature review. The research shows that COVID-19 can bring on neuromuscular conditions in patients who previously had none and that the virus can exacerbate symptoms in patients with preexisting conditions and who are being treated with immunotherapies. The study, titled Neuromuscular Complications of COVID-19: A Review of the Literature, was conducted by Gil I. Wolfe, MD, Irvin and Rosemary Smith Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical…
European Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are facing a thorny choice in Iran, Menas Associates reports. Menas, a political risk consultancy has been helping multinational companies operate in the Middle-East, Africa, and other emerging markets since the late 1970s. According to Menas, European SMEs want to be able to benefit from opportunities offered by the Iranian market, ‘’but they need to attend to US and EU sanctions restrictions.’’ Under US sanctions, only SMEs have the potential to trade with Iran. While the EU remains relatively passive, Iran–China relations is strengthening and the European companies are in a challenging position. Obstacles…
Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has been fingered as a top insider of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that is blocking the country’s oil sector reform. In its latest intelligence report on Nigeria, a political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, hammered strongly on Malami. Disturbingly, Nigeria generated just 56% of forecast revenue from January to May. Prospects for the rest of this year and for 2021 are said to be ‘’little better – even without a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.’’ It appears vested interests inside the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) allegedly protected by the Minister of…
Viral hepatitis affects adults, adolescents and children in this region and also occurs as a co-infection in people with non-communicable and communicable diseases. Among people living with HIV, globally 4 million people have HIV-hepatitis co-infection. Undetected and untreated, these patients are also at risk for liver disease undermining the gains of the HIV response. In Africa, HBV is predominantly transmitted in the perinatal and childhood period and from mother to child; whilst unsafe injection practices both in health facilities and community account for the majority of hepatitis C infection. Intravenous drug use is an emerging concern for HCV transmission in Africa. According…
Somalia’s Ambassador to West Africa and Special Envoy to Iran, Muhammed Hussein Abukar, is among 11 other Somali nationals who safely returned to their country after nearly six months of being stranded in the Islamic Republic of Iran due to COVID-19 global movement restrictions. Their return was facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Special Envoy on Migrant’s and Children’s rights in Somalia. Mohammed, a 20-year-old from Mogadishu had been in detention for over a year by the time his family reached out to IOM for support…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has opened fire on the troubled Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), accusing the interventionist agency of squandering public funds on partisan political schemes for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike who is insisting that the Commission has deviated from its original mandate of developing the vastly neglected oil and gas region of Nigeria, says NDDC has become a cash cow for politicians. The outspoken Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor said NDDC wasted N10 billion it would have committed into a tangible development of the oil region, to fight against his re-election bid in 2019.…
COVID-19 is hampering progress in eliminating hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030, less than 10 years away. According to a new modelling study conducted by Imperial College London in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO), disruptions to the hepatitis B vaccination programme due to the pandemic could have a serious impact on efforts to reach the targets of the global strategy. Under a worst-case scenario, with high levels of disruptions of both the birth dose and childhood HBV immunisation (by 60% and 20% for one year respectively), as well as a delay and slow recovery in the expansion of the…
A new study has found how schools that were shut around the world as a safety measure against the COVID-19 pandemic can reopen. The study that was led by the Yale School of Public Health says to safely reopen institutions of learning, pupils and students need to be screened for the virus infection every two or three days. The COVID-19 pandemic has however led to severe financial stress for both hospitals and physician practices, raising serious concerns that many may either close or be purchased by larger organisations. Such consolidation is well-recognised to lead to higher prices. Whether it will…
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is currently working with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to identify ways in which it can improve Tibet’s electoral processes, build the capacity of its elected representatives and foster effective communications. CTA which is the name for the government-in-exile is preparing itself for a transition and is working to develop sustainable democratic institutions that can continue to champion the cause of the Tibetan people. NDI is, however, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organisation that has supported democratic institutions and practices in every region of the world for more than three decades. Since its founding in 1983, NDI…
Constitutional and human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, is calling for a forensic audit of Akwa Ibom State finances even as he is alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration under the watch of Governor Udom Emmanuel has committed criminality against the peoples of the oil state. PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus on Saturday in Uyo, the state capital, inaugurated a 1000-seat capacity party secretariat executed by the Udom administration. The governor said the facility was completed with 100 percent direct labour, pointing out that it would have been unfair if the party did not have a secretariat in a…
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is current assisting Morocco to fight the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic with “SALAMA at Work” initiative. It is a follow-up to Operation SALAMA which ended in June. The “SALAMA at Work” initiative continues efforts to raise awareness about COVID-19 prevention. The initiative is also removing barriers to care and support services, promoting healthy behaviours, and calling for safe and inclusive working environments that ensure respect for women’s rights, dignity and equality. When the pandemic arrived in Morocco in March, alarm spread through the country. At the start of the pandemic, many were very worried about…
A civic group, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) has faulted Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, on the ongoing probe of loans taken by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Social Action’s Communications Officer, Peace Agbo, in a statement this Monday alleges that the loan deal violates Section 25 of the Debt Management Office (DMO) Act which requires National Assembly’s approval on terms and conditions surrounding any loan. ‘’To aggravate the issue, the Federal Government signed the loan agreement which will require Nigeria to waive immunity on its sovereignty if there is a default in payment of the loan’’, the group…
Children in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s polluted oil and gas region, are among 800 million others around the world who are being poisoned by lead from water and air pollution. The United Nations on Thursday warned of this in a special report on the “massive and previously unknown” health crisis. Nigeria has one of the world’s worst records on environmental protection, with massive oil spills in its oil and gas region occurring frequently. Government’s equivocal pledges to commit funds to clean up the devastation in the region, and stop gas flaring have been largely unmet. Childhood poisoning is a common…
The multi-billion naira Magugate scandal at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the unending contract scams cum spurious payments at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are all national disgrace for Nigeria, the organised labour has said. While the suspended Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, will soon be facing trials on a multiple fraud charges, labour says revelations at the ongoing National Assembly probe of NDDC and the collapse of its Acting Managing Director are nothing but a national disgrace. Apparently disturbed by alleged elastic corrupt activities going on at the ministries, agencies and parastatals in Nigeria under…
A South Sudanese social worker at a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-supported women-friendly space, Poni Rose Modo, says Intimate partner violence is worse with the COVID-19 situation. “Women suffer in the hands of their partners. Intimate partner violence is worse with the COVID-19 situation”, she says. Modo works at a facility located inside a camp – known as a Protection of Civilians (POC) site – in Bentiu, which is home to more than 111,000 displaced people. Since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in South Sudan in April, more than 2,000 cases of the illness have been recorded. Tensions are rising within…
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State is currently under heat about how his administration blew up N3.00 billion on COVID-19 pandemic.The Forum of Civil Societies Organisation (CSO) in the state is demanding an explanation from the governor how the amount was spent. The Udom administration claimed during a recent update given on the COVID-19 situation in the state that the government has so far spent N3.00 billion to fight the disease.But, Chairman of the civil society organisations forum, Harry Udoh, is questioning how the amount spent was arrived when only 1,103 persons have been tested for COVID-19 in the…
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says some of the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic are not having a positive impact on the environment. Estimates by the UN trade agency, however, indicate that coronavirus lockdowns around the globe have led to a dramatic five per cent drop in greenhouse gas emissions. While launching the 2020 edition of its SDG Pulse, on July 8, UNCTAD warned that the COVID-19 crisis is pushing critical economic, social and environmental development targets beyond reach. UNCTAD’s online annual update tracking progress on a range of indicators of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals…
The fight against the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria is being boosted by the United Nations and the European Union (EU). Nigeria has taken delivery of its second batch of medical supplies worth N26 billion. They were purchased with UN Basket Fund for COVID-19 response, aimed at strengthening the national response by further providing the much-needed protection, especially for frontline health workers. The news is coming as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports that the country recorded 462 new confirmed cases of the virus and one death on Friday. ‘’Till date, 43151 cases have been confirmed, 19565 cases…
