Horticulture is fast becoming a viable option that is promising Tanzanian youths income within a short period. The National Strategy for Youth Involvement in Agriculture (NYSIA) for 2016–2021, is a government initiative operated through the Ministry of Agriculture. The vision of the scheme is to empower Tanzanian youths to participate fully in agricultural development, contribute to economic growth, and address the challenge of unemployment. Horticulture is, however, a field of agriculture that involves a short growing season averaging three months and offers quick yields and returns on investments despite the high rate of postharvest losses. It offers employment throughout each…
Author: Akanimo Sampson
For victims of atrocities in Darfur and their families, Human Rights Watch says the surrender of Ali Kosheib, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a major advance for justice. Kosheib (also spelt Kushayb) had been a fugitive from the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by government-backed militias in Darfur since 2007. Ali Kosheib voluntarily surrendered in the Central African Republic. On June 9, 2020, the ICC announced he was in court custody. The court indicated that the Central African Republic, Chad, France, Netherlands, and United Nations peacekeeping forces provided cooperation and assistance in his surrender.…
A new idea is currently emerging from international humanitarian agencies that seek to empower communities in Nigeria to tackle their internal displacement crisis head-on. On the global and national levels generally, the theme that dominates discussions on internally displaced persons is conflict-induced displacements. But environmental rights advocacy groups are insisting that there are linkages between oil-based environmental degradation and displacements in the Niger Delta. They are seeing displacement as a definite social condition that diminishes individuals and group capacity to pursue interests that may or may not involve relocation. Oil-related environmental problems – oil spillages, gas flaring, among others, are…
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State is likely to create a reserve fund to take care of unforeseen challenges as well as an economic advisory council in the state soon. These are part of the recommendations of a post-COVID-19 Economic Reconstruction Committee that was set up by the governor last month. The panel that was headed by the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, an economist has already submitted a142-page report to Governor Udom at the Government House, Uyo, the state capital. The Akpan Ekpo panel is also seeking the creation of a state bureau…
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is scaling up pressure on the government on the plight of 200,000 seafarers trapped on board ships around the world. The seafarers are being trapped because of measures to contain the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic. Referring to the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, ILO wants governments to adopt without delay all possible measures to facilitate crew changes and the repatriation of seafarers while taking steps to minimise the risk of contagion. More than a month after the global labour body issued warnings, at the end of April, about the plight of seafarers refused permission to leave…
A scientist with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has developed a more cost and time-effective molecular diagnostic tool that can accurately identify different subgroups of cassava whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci. The tool can be used in local laboratories in Africa that often lack expensive sequencing technologies. This innovation marks a major milestone in efforts to accurately characterise whiteflies, which transmit viruses that cause cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), major diseases that have wreaked havoc with Africa’s cassava crop over several decades. The combined damage resulting from infection with these two diseases is estimated to cause…
Guidelines for safeguarding biodiversity can help businesses adapt to shocks such as pandemics, says a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) economist. The seemingly good news is coming as the survival of smaller businesses in developing countries is seriously under threat because of the challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19. Lorena Jaramillo, an UNCTAD economist working on trade and environmental sustainability says some businesses are getting out of the woods. Interestingly, Salay Shae Saung, a small business making immune-boosting natural jujube and tamarind syrup in Myanmar, is showing resilience. It has kept its doors open and workers…
Amid the raging COVID-19 crisis, a trade and development report update by a UN agency has set out how South-South cooperation can point towards a better future. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Director of Globalisation and Development Strategies, Richard Kozul-Wright, says cooperation among countries of the South cannot substitute for the actions required by the wider international community but it can bring a degree of relief and support with recovery. ‘’As important, it can provide a blueprint for the kind of international coordination and cooperation that will be needed to recover better than after previous crises. With…
South Sudan is reducing its carbon footprint following a successful installation of a hybrid solar power plant in Malakal. Malakal is in Upper Nile State of South Sudan and a Humanitarian Hub. The plant which generates 900MWH of power and meets 80 percent of electricity demands in the Malakal facility, is managed by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The humanitarian hub is the base for 300 humanitarian workers from 34 humanitarian organisations in the area. Together those workers serve nearly 30,000 internally displaced persons living in the adjacent United Nations Protection of Civilians (PoC) site as well as…
In a seeming desperate bid to abort the strike action by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) billed to commence on Monday, the Federal Government says it is proposing N20 billion as hazard allowance for the doctors in next year’s budget. The 2021 Fiscal Approbation Bill is also expected to cover the issue of life insurance being demanded by the doctors. The Director-General of Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, made these facts known at an intervention meeting with NARD that was initiated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday. Also in attendance at the meeting…
More than 16.2 million people are currently dealing with crisis levels of acute hunger in some of the world’s food crisis hotspots due to the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, 135 million people worldwide were already coping with acute hunger caused by conflict, climate shocks, and economic downturns, according to the 2020 edition of the Global Report on Food Crises, produced by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the European Union and 13 other partners. Another 183 million were at risk of being pushed into extreme hunger if faced with an additional stressor. As part of the revised UN Humanitarian Appeal…
The rot in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) appears to be worse than the anti-graft agencies could ever imagine. It also seems the forensic audit might not be able to uncover all the cans of worms in the supposed development commission. President Muhammadu Buhari last October ordered a forensic audit of the operations of NDDC from 2001 to 2019. The decision followed persistent criticisms of the operations of the commission. Amid allegations of an official cover-up, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaboshi, is currently calling for an independent investigation of all contract awarded…
The International Organisation for Migration has published a new, pioneering guidance for member states on the regulation of international recruitment and protection of migrant workers. Migrant workers can be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation during migration and employment due to factors including unethical recruitment, migration status, fear of deportation, or the inability to find alternative employment, particularly during the current COVID-19 crisis. The Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment: A Roadmap towards Better Regulation provides clear guidance to policymakers on how to protect migrant workers during recruitment, migration, and employment. It is designed to help develop comprehensive, multi-faceted approaches to promote ethical recruitment,…
Corruption appears to be fighting back mercilessly at the bruised Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Some political deep pockets that have been allegedly plundering the Commission are literally busy dancing naked at the market square. Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio, who dominated the affairs of Akwa Ibom State for eight years (2007-2015) with an alleged massive rip-off of the state is currently at dagger drawn with Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. Akpabio is firing at Nwaoboshi, the Senate Committee Chairman on Niger Delta for allegedly using front companies to defraud the supposed development commission. Nwaoboshi first opened the fire on Akpabio,…
Climate change is seriously threatening the agricultural sector of West Africa. It is forcing many to migrate in the search for complementary income or better opportunities as the livelihood of communities is under heat. In West Africa, agriculture represents 35 per cent of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is one of the main sources of employment for millions of people- up to 80 per cent of the population in rural areas. But, climate change and its effects, such as the unpredictability and instability of rainfall patterns, have affected the sector badly. In addition, health-related stressors such as COVID-19…
Two officials of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Robert Hamwey and Timothy Sullivan, want countries to pay equal attention to the menace of climate change. They are currently concerned about the earth’s climate, saying global attention is focused on COVID-19 battle. According to them, the world has paid considerably less attention this year to the ongoing changes in the planet’s climate. In a post on UNCTAD’s website, they argued that like the coronavirus pandemic, ‘’the climate crisis is an existential threat. And like the virus, greenhouse gases are invisible and remain ever-present in our natural surroundings.…
Weighed down by an unbearable debt burden of $35 billion to passengers for cancelled flights, airline operators are currently pleading with the authorities for a grace period. A UN top trade official says to date, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that airlines owe $35 billion to passengers. IATA is, however, advocating for governments to delay the requirement for immediate refunds and allow companies to offer vouchers for future travels or refunds once the COVID-19 crisis period is over. Already, 4.5 million flights are expected to be cancelled until June 30 as global lockdowns to contain the spread of…
The authorities in the United States are under intense pressure to address the worrisome fervent of racism rocking the country. A global rights group, Human Rights Watch wants them to take bold steps to address the structural racism driving mass protests across the country. ‘’The national, state, and local governments should enact and enforce meaningful police accountability measures, drastically reduce unnecessary arrests, and end the use of police to address societal problems related to poverty and health, which disproportionately target black and brown people. ‘’Instead, they should invest in real support for communities in need and programs designed to counter…
An independent group, Malaria Consortium, says it is aiming to reach an additional seven million children in Nigeria this 2020 by expanding to new states in a bid to reduce the coverage gap to around one million. In 2019, the group said it delivered Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) to 3.9 million children under five across 74 local government areas of the country. Across Nigeria, there was a coverage gap of approximately eight million children living in areas that could benefit but were not reached by an SMC campaign. Malaria Consortium explores beyond current practice, to try out innovative ways –…
Malaria Consortium, a group, says malnutrition contributes to nearly half of all deaths of children under five in Nigeria. According to the group, patients in rural areas often struggle to access treatment, as health facilities are difficult for them to reach. ‘’Our work has shown that with the right training and supervision, low-literate community health workers (CHWs) can identify and treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in their communities’’, it says. However, malnutrition is not properly addressed in guidelines for the integrated community case management of childhood illnesses in the country. While promising and cost-effective models exist, they have not been…
Jigawa State that is sitting in the heart of Northern Nigeria, is the most ‘’severely affected’’ of all the 36 states of the federation by malaria, says Malaria Consortium. Before the COVID-19 lockdown took hold, the first of a new kind of ‘town hall’ meeting took place in several local government areas – Dutse, Ringim and Kafin Hausa in March. The meetings provided people from these communities with a platform to share their opinions about malaria prevention and control. The meetings were attended in large numbers, with many eager to engage with the conversation and spur further progress in their…
Fairtrade International, a global group that is concerned with decent working conditions and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries, is making a strong case for farmer cooperatives. It says when farmer cooperatives are better managed and member-focused, they are more sustainable business partners and farmers’ incomes rise. This, according to it, is the theory behind an intensive programme for Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. The group has released the initial results of the intensive programme… The Fairtrade West Africa Cocoa Programme was launched in mid-2016 to strengthen Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives as membership organizations…
An Italian energy major, Eni, that is operating an offshore oil terminal in Bayelsa State, has run into trouble with its host community. Brass, a coastal community in Bayelsa is demanding remediation on their environment and economic damages to their canal by the Brass Crude Export Terminal for the past 48 years. The community lawyers from Ntephe, Smith and Wills, a reputable law firm, made the demand in a letter dated May 25 to the Managing Director of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). NAOC is a subsidiary of Eni operating the offshore oil terminal along with some onshore oil block…
The Green Economy Coalition says it is standing in solidarity with black communities in the US, the UK, Europe, and around the world in the fight against systemic racism, social marginalisation and economic inequality. The Coalition makes bridges between business, civil society and government. It stimulates debate, dissent and dialogue as well as build collective positions with its members. ‘’We tell the stories of change. We track the transition. We bust economic myths. We champion the voice of the excluded. We challenge the status quo. We hold decision-makers to account’’, it says. In response to the death in police custody…
Human Rights Watch, a global rights group is currently demanding reparations for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in the United States. The agitation is coming 99 years after a white mob killed several hundred black people and destroyed a prosperous black neighbourhood. In a report released at the weekend, the rights group says the state and local authorities in Tulsa, Oklahoma should provide reparations for victims of the Tulsa racial massacre. ‘’They should promptly develop and carry out a comprehensive reparations plan, in close consultation with the local community, to address the harm caused by the massacre and…
A global rights group, Human Rights Watch, is calling on governments at all levels to focus on helping the most vulnerable with educational, healthcare, and social programmes to ensure each person live a life of dignity with a fair chance to reach their potential Speaking against the backdrop of the worrisome racial killings in the US, the rights group says, ‘’it is impossible not to be appalled watching the video of a Minneapolis police officer with his knee on George Floyd’s neck as he gasps for his life and finally loses it. ‘’No one should ever be subject to such…
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State says Nigeria’s economy will take a dramatic turn for the better when the Ibom Deep Seaport comes on stream. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor has accordingly lauded the Federal Government over moves to ensure the speedy realisation of the deep seaport project. He also commended Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, and all the relevant federal regulatory agencies for working tirelessly with the state government to actualise a vision that will transform the economic fortunes of the entire country. He also commended the Technical Committee on the Realisation of Ibom Deep Seaport, led by…
Eket, the second-largest city in Akwa Ibom State after Uyo, the state capital, erupted in a mass protest on Wednesday following the controversies around the sudden death of the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ibanga Bassey Etang. The late NDDC chief was a former President-General of Afigh Iwaad Eket, an influential socio-cultural group in Eket, the base of the American oil giant, ExxonMobil. Etang died last week Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The management of NDDC is, however, blaming his death on COVID-19, a claim that is not flying in some…
Closed borders and mobility restrictions occasioned by the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic have seen hundreds of thousands of people, among them women and girls trapped in precarious situations. Migrants are being forcibly returned, stranded in transit, denied assistance due to restricted access to territories, and held in detention – simply because of their migratory status – despite enormous risks to their health. Without a doubt, COVID-19 is presenting critical challenges for humans everywhere. Restrictions on human mobility are exposing many people on the move to significant risks, impacting their human rights and well-being, impeding collective response to the pandemic, and threatening…
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), a global group that is boasting of representing two billion Christians all over the world has taken on the United States over alleged ‘’severe racial injustice’’ in the country. Some 42,000 churches in the US on the platform of National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) had earlier condemned in strong terms the alleged orgy of racial injustice in the country. NAE said in a statement, “recent events surrounding the wrongful deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and George Floyd in Minnesota illustrate severe racial injustices in the United States. “[We] lament the…
