₦airaland Forum

KINSHASA, Jul 26 2022 (IPS) - From the fall-out of the pandemic to the interlocking cost of living and energy security crises currently gripping the world, it has been fascinating to see the world’s richest governments bending over backwards to help fossil fuel companies.

Meanwhile households are battling a cost of living crisis while the climate crisis is raging on, threatening lives and livelihoods everywhere – from north to south.

After oil demand and prices briefly fell during the lockdowns of 2020, we’re seeing Big Oil enjoying unprecedented war-time profits, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drives up prices. Recall BP’s boss Bernard Looney crassly comparing his company to a “cash machine”.

This latest boon for fossil fuel companies makes the pledges from last year’s COP26 climate talks in Glasgow seem like a distant memory. Indeed, a £420m ($500m) deal for the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] has become increasingly useless in protecting its forests, with oil companies set to cash in and eventually paved the way for more forest destruction.

The DRC, home to most territory of the world’s second largest rainforest, prides itself in being a “solution country” for the climate crisis. However, the country, which already sees deforestation rates second only to Brazil, has already stated last year its intention to lift a 20 year ban on new logging concessions.

As of April this year, the DRC is set on trashing huge areas of the rainforest and peatland and – as of this week – it’s set to auction no less than 27 oil and three gas blocks.

Oil exploration and extraction would not only have devastating impacts on the health and livelihoods of local communities, but the oil driven “resource curse” raises the risk of corruption and conflict.

This auction also is sacrificing at least four parts of a mega-peatland complex, often labelled a carbon bomb, along with at least nine Protected Areas (contrary to denials by the Congolese Oil Ministry).

Following the enlargement of the auction this week, it also poses a direct threat to the Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site made famous thanks to a Netflix documentary on a previous campaign to keep the oil industry out of it.

Instead of steering us into a climate catastrophe, the international community must stop serving as the handmaiden of Big Oil. Instead, let’s see them focus on ending energy poverty by supporting clean, decentralised renewable energies. Whether it’s the cost of living crisis unfolding on our doorsteps or climate destruction sweeping the globe – the solutions are the same.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi must abandon the colonial notion of development through extractivism and look at its legacy in Africa, which has only deepened poverty and hardship for Africans. It has only served to enrich a small and closed circle of local beneficiaries and foreign nations.

It is telling that Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria, is also the one with the highest number of people suffering extreme poverty (just behind India) and with the highest number of people without access to electricity. Instead of following an economic model that hurts both people and nature, the DRC should resist pressures from greedy multinationals and prioritise connecting 72 million of its people to the grid.

You can bet Big Oil is salivating at the chance to seize yet more profits from climate destruction. Yet shamefully, none of the eight members who are part of the Central African Forest Initiative that is paying £420m of taxpayers’ money to protect DRC’s forests – the UK, the EU, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea – have uttered one word against this prospective oil auction.

That’s not surprising, given the “forest protection” deal does nothing to prevent oil activity in peatlands or anywhere else.

As Boris Johnson approaches his final weeks in office, his own environmental legacy and that of the COP26 risk being all targets, no action. Speeches are made and press releases are disseminated, while the rights of vulnerable people everywhere are being run over by short-sighted extractive industries.

Instead, I would like to see donor countries like the UK government, as host of the COP26 and one of the chief architects behind the DRC forest protection deal, to work with my country to move beyond the model of destructive extractivism and leapfrog towards a future of renewable and clean energy for all.

Waiting for someone to feed, clothe and shelter the basic civilian population.

At least keep food prices and diesel prices down.

NAIROBI — Economic and trade experts are calling on African countries to increase trade with each other and revive their agriculture sectors to overcome food insecurity and slow economic growth exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

The global food crisis has led to some 300 million Africans being food insecure. The crisis in Africa has multiple causes: persistent drought in eastern Africa, high food and energy prices, and the cutoff of wheat exports from Ukraine.

Speaking online to journalists Wednesday, Stephen Karingi, the head of trade at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, said African countries also share some blame for the situation.

"Our food markets are experiencing a shock that is coming from outside the continent but why we are experiencing this shock is because we have very low intra-African trade in agriculture and agro-foods,” Karingi said. “If we had done better and unlocked the full potential of the agricultural sector, we wouldn’t be experiencing what we are experiencing today.”

Many African countries depend on two countries, Russia and Ukraine, for food and farm products. As the war continues and Russia continues to block Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, experts are urging African countries to work together to overcome the crisis.

Karingi said the continent needs to start implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area, which economists say has the potential to bring some 30 million people out of poverty.

“The AFCFTA is offering an opportunity to trade in value-added goods, agro-commodities,” he said. “It becomes easier for you to trade in wheat flour or maize flour or sorghum flour which is made from one country to another because again you have the same standard and rules of origin are agreed.”

Oliver Chinganya, the head of the African Center for Statistics at the U.N. Economic Commission, said Africa is financially vulnerable to the global crisis.

The commission said as of May of this year, 23 African countries had failed to address the food crisis because they were at high risk of debt distress or were in debt distress.

The commission is calling for financial institutions to give those countries greater debt-service relief.

Lilongwe, Malawi – Police in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe have arrested 75 people including human rights campaigners during a clampdown on protests against “selective justice” by the country’s judiciary.

The arrests followed a last-minute high court injunction that attempted to ban the demonstrations.

Police spokesperson Hastings Chigalu confirmed the arrests on Wednesday saying they were due to “lawlessness” and that people were looting and breaking into shops, smashing vehicles and blocking roads.

One of the protest leaders, Kingsley Mpaso, of Lilongwe-based civil rights group Human Rights Ambassadors, told the media his group was unfazed by the arrests and that protesters would fight on until justice prevailed.

The activists are demonstrating against what they call selective justice by the Southern African country’s judiciary in recent months. They cited the case of a teenager, Mussa John — who was given an eight-year jail sentence by a magistrates’ court for being found with cannabis. However, a prominent business executive reportedly found cultivating the plant in his compound was only given a fine by the courts.

This led to outrage as social media users pointed out the discrepancies in the rulings, causing protests and a high court review of John’s case.

As the heavily armed police tried to stop the hundreds of protesters gathered, the activists went on a vandalism spree, authorities said. Witnesses say the police sprayed tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Other grievances of the activists include a string of pending court cases including one involving Norman Chisale, a former bodyguard to former President Peter Mutharika, who has been accused of corruption after being unable to account for his enormous wealth.

Protesters are also angry over a delay in the prosecution of former lands minister Kezzie Msukwa, who has been linked to kickbacks for contracts worth more than $150m. Although President Lazarus Chakwera has suspended some top officials implicated in the scandal, the demonstrators demanded speedy public trials.

The protests went ahead despite a court injunction by a group of so-called “concerned citizens” just hours earlier, to stop them. Authorities also reportedly demanded a list of names of people to act as guarantors that the demonstrations would be peaceful.

But attempts to block the protests led to chaotic scenes, as people barricaded roads and burned car tyres in various locations of the city.

Information minister Gospel Kazako did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

Lilongwe-based lawyer and human rights activist Alexious Kamangila told Al Jazeera that the protest leaders satisfied all the legal requirements for holding demonstrations.

“The injunction against the demonstrations is unfortunate as it is unfounded at law,” he said. “The court has set new requirements that are not provided by our laws. For instance, the court cannot require the conveners to provide names of participants to be held liable when all the law requires are details for the conveners,” Kamangila said.

“How does the court expect the conveners to have the names of participants in advance when these are public demonstrations and people just show up on the day?” he asked.

Listen to the crowd

The government didn't do anything until it was exposed on social media, so what was it doing before that?

The World Health Organization (WHO) have teamed up with Stork Limited, developers of the popular free-to-play Goodville farm game adventure app, to create a new artificial intelligence in-game character to help players achieve and main physical and emotional well-being.

Goodville, available for download at the App Store and Google Play, is a classic farm simulation game blended with an “emotional well-being care app” where players can explore, renovate and customize their farms. It combines gaming industry expertise with a scientific approach to addressing mental health issues.

WHO features a new in-game character on Goodville named Florence, along with exciting expeditions and in-game events to help players better understand themselves by providing advice for achieving and maintaining physical and emotional well-being.

“Games can impact people’s lives, and maintaining emotional well-being is one of the most important aspects, especially now, when the pandemic, conflict, and overall uncertainty have become part of our reality,” said Alexey Meleshkevich, Co-founder of Stork Limited. “Goodville is a non-obtrusive way for players to achieve and normalize their emotional well-being with in-game mechanics and daily psychological tests.”

Florence can improve emotional well-being and mental health
Working with WHO, Goodville programmed Florence with the latest information to provide tips and advice aligned with WHO’s #HealthyAtHome education efforts.

Mental Health: Improving an individual’s mental health and helping others who may need some extra support and care.

Physical Activity: The importance of physical activity for improving bone and muscle strength, increasing balance, flexibility, and fitness.

Healthy Diet: Eating a healthy diet supports immune systems and reduces the likelihood of developing other health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.

Stopping Smoking: For adult players, Florence provides information about tobacco cessation methods and tips to stop smoking to help people on their journey to lead a tobacco-free life.

“Public health events over the past couple of years have challenged our physical and mental health,” said Andy Pattison, Team Lead, Digital Channels, WHO. “Now, it is more important than ever to prioritize lifestyle changes that promote health and well-being, such as physical activity and healthy diets. We work with the technology industry and gaming companies, such as Stork Limited, to bring credible health content to people in the palms of their hands so that they can make better health decisions for themselves and their loved ones.”

Players answer a series of interactive questions, and then Florence tailors a response to address their needs. Then, with the player’s input, Florence draws from the best available science to create a personal plan’ while offering players support and guidance throughout the process.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/07/14/un-nigeria-not-on-track-to-attaining-sustainable-development-goals/

‘don’t give people fish, teach them how to fish’

In Nigeria, people know how to fish, they just need to be given the opportunity.

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Mathias Schmale yesterday said Nigeria currently lags behind in terms of reaching many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 targets.

The UN scribe said the country’s population of over 150 million has majority living on less than N370 per day, quoting data from the World Bank.

He said though lifting the people above the poverty line cannot be done quickly, the government must act within the short and medium term to ensure that vulnerable Nigerians were protected in an effective and innovative way including cash transfer programmes and other social protection schemes.

Speaking at the opening of the maiden Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) with the theme: “Rethink, Rebuild, Recover: Accelerating Growth for the SDGs”, which was hosted by the Sterling One Foundation in Abuja, Schmale said even though there are significant challenges to the attainment of the 2030 agenda, which was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Nigeria was already lagging behind before the dual obstacles.

This was just as the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, insisted that wealth generation and economic prosperity remained crucial to solving the poverty challenge in the country.

He maintained that government must promote economic growth by supporting the private sector to create jobs, adding, “as that growth happens, we must then take that part of the resources to attend to those left behind.”

Schmale, however, pointed out that about 100 million vulnerable Nigerians currently live below the poverty line, adding that, “We need to do things to protect them while backing the winner; there are successful businesses, there are successful government initiatives and so it is the right mixture of protecting the poor and backing the winners who are doing well for the country and the continent”.

The UN resident coordinator said given that Africa was predicted to have a staggering 830 million young people by 2050, the challenge was to create an enabling environment for them to reach their potential and become a blessing rather than a curse to the continent.

He said, “From our point of view, this should be viewed as a blessing rather than a curse for the continent – one that can power its economies and societies to greater heights.”

However, reaping the benefits of what is often referred to as the youth dividend is not guaranteed; the potential of young people must be cultivated and supported. Like all of us, the young also face the headwinds of challenging megatrends such as climate change, biodiversity loss, the fourth industrial revolution, and growing inequality.”

Schmale said, “It is imperative that support and subsidies aimed at making life more bearable for the poor really do reach them and that significant adjustment are made when they don’t.”

According to him, impactful development also required investment in quality education for all and affordable primary healthcare, pointing out that inclusive social impact could only be achieved through the right mix of sustainable economic growth, social protection, and a conducive environment that includes basic health and educational services for all.

He stressed that the government must identify truly transformative initiatives that would catalyse tangible changes in the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians given that Nigeria and the continent, in general, are currently tracking behind in efforts to attain the SDGs.

He added, “Before the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Nigeria was already lagging behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“So the importance of this event is to take time to rethink, recalibrate, revise on how to get there and I think the way to get there is all about collaborative partnerships between the private sector, government, employers, and trade unions.

“And also to do two things, one is to protect the vulnerable. There will always be people who lose out and currently, almost 100 million people in Nigeria live below the poverty line. So we cannot talk about economic growth and think that those 100 million will quickly be lifted out of poverty.

“I think the spirit is there, the abilities are there – it is a very educative society and they just need to be given the opportunity. And you know the famous saying that ‘don’t give people fish, teach them how to fish’. In Nigeria, people know how to fish, they just need to be given the opportunity.”

Speaking further, Suleiman however, noted that the summit had been able to appreciate the concept of, “using investment to drive social impact to the fore, the same way we have all kinds of summits trying to promote business development; we want to bring people together who are trying to surf for the SDGs and make them work together.”

He said, “I think it is important for us to recognise that for us to solve poverty, we have to also solve for prosperity. It means Nigeria must pay attention to the things that would lead to the growth of wealth as well because it is from the wealth that is created from higher productivity that we will have the resources for those that are being left behind.

“A lot of people would meet here for the first time, some have met before, they will start working together while some are already working together and they will accelerate what they are doing. There is a place to bring government, NGOs, private sector, businesses together to solve the same problem.”

His mother donated all the family's money to the religious group, so that he could not go to college despite his good grades.

This has to do with the use of dollars to import quality motor petrol in large quantities.

If the government can improve the gas infrastructure and boost youth employment, it will give Nigeria a big boost.

I'm afraid there will be more and more bandits.

When will the security problem be solved?

Residents of the communities in Bashar District in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau have cried out against the incessant attacks by kidnappers and bandits in the area.

They complained that the criminal elements were terrorising their communities and giving them sleepless nights.

The Village Head of Kampani Zurak Community, Dahiru Adamu, described their condition as ”unfortunate and sad”.

He said that the kidnappers usually operated on Fridays and would always ask for half a million naira ransom or more.
”Our communities are becoming ghost towns because our people are moving to safer places,” Adamu said.

Another resident, Abubakar Yusuf, said that the situation had affected farming activities in the area.

According to him, farmers are no longer safe in their farms and this situation can lead to famine, if not checkmated.

He said the people had so far lost 300 cows to their assailants.

What kind of home?

On World Press Freedom Day this year, the US president, Joe Biden, said: “The work of free and independent media matters now more than ever.”

He was just saying it, look what happened to Julian Assange...pure hypocritical

Pls say sorry to the bike

Former U.S. President Donald Trump Friday sharply criticized the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, in his first appearance since the committee began its public hearings.

Speaking to a gathering of religious conservatives in Nashville, Tennessee, Trump said, "Let's be clear, this is not a congressional investigation -- this horrible situation that's wasting everyone's time.”

“This is a theatrical production of partisan political fiction that's getting these terrible, terrible ratings and they're going crazy," he added.

The hearings have laid out how the attack on the Capitol occurred and Trump’s role in it by inviting his supporters to come to Washington and “fight like hell” to keep him in office.

so fast

Children should be educated in schools, not working in factories.

June 12 marks World Day Against Child Labour – an annual event to raise awareness of the economic and social consequences of child labour on children.

Around the world, at least 160 million children above the age of five – nearly 10 percent – are involved in child labour.

According to the UN, children are classified as child labourers when they are either too young to work, or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development.

The largest share of child labour around the world is in the agriculture sector, accounting for 70 percent of children aged 5 to 17 in work.

Africa has the largest number of children in hazardous work, with 41.4 million five- to 17-year-olds working in risky conditions followed by Asia and the Pacific (22.2 million), Europe and Central Asia (7.9 million), the Americas (5.7 million) and Arab states (1.9 million).

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/12/infographic-how-many-children-are-forced-to-work

Waiting for someone to improve Nigeria's gas industry

America probably knows what I ate and how many times I went to the bathroom yesterday.

Nigeria's gas industry still has a long way to go, especially in the middle and downstream infrastructure.