₦airaland Forum

The goal of The goal of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the health implications of development

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the Trans-national implications of health

Okonjo-Iweala on Health and Economic Development

With UK DFID Secretary, HE Priti Patel, discussing DFID's very effective support for innovative finance mechanisms to manage climate risk at ARC and health risks at GAVI.

Fighting Corruption

Developing nations have contributed the least to the climate change crisis through their carbon emissions, yet their often impoverished, vulnerable citizens are more likely to suffer its devastating impacts, including food insecurity, damage to marine communities, lack of access to safe water and displacement.

Left unchecked, increasing global temperatures and climate change impacts will only make this untenable and unjust situation worse, and ensure a widening chasm between the rich and poor in our world.

With the entry into force of the historic Paris Agreement last week, we have an unprecedented international commitment to change course, limit emissions and build a thriving net zero greenhouse gas emissions economy.

To achieve the true ambition of Paris, however, we must ensure that we prioritize efforts to provide vulnerable communities with access to the sustainable energy resources they need to achieve their fundamental right to development. Because solving climate change is, at its core, about upholding the human rights of people around the world.

A sustainable, resilient economy is compatible with growth in the developing world. We must focus not just on the transition, but on how we are transitioning. If effectively managed, building low-carbon, clean-energy growth economies across the global south will create millions of new jobs, engage young people, lift communities out of poverty, reduce inequality and improve health.

That’s why, of the many noteworthy components of the Paris Agreement, among the most significant was the pledge by wealthier nations to mobilize $100 billion in annual climate finance by 2020 to enable all countries and people to make the transition to a clean energy economy on the same timescale, while simultaneously preparing to adapt in order to manage already irreversible impacts.

The $100 billion in annual investments is a significant figure – and can undoubtedly help to move us closer to a just transition. But it’s not enough to protect lives and enable communities to survive and thrive without jeopardizing positive development in areas like education, infrastructure and healthcare.

Achieving net zero emissions, realizing Paris’ ambitious targets, and creating a climate resilient economy requires both public and private finance at scale. Effective mobilization of private investment, in particular, can help us to reach these critical financing needs, supporting the development of sustainable infrastructure for energy projects, urban development and effective land use management.

To make this transition inclusive, we must also ensure that the public sector has the resources it needs, by ensuring all companies pay their fair share of taxes. We need more companies to do the right thing, and recognize that their future success is inextricably linked to the success of their employees, and the communities in which they do business.

Tackling poverty and climate change go hand in hand. A green energy economy is a more resilient economy. New energy technologies in wind and solar, once seen as the provenance of rich countries, are gaining momentum around the world. According to a report by the United Nations Energy Programme, in collaboration with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, developing and emerging economies committed $156 billion to renewables in 2015. This is an increase of 19% from 2014 and an astonishing 17 times the 2004 investment levels.

As we make economies more climate resilient and less carbon-intensive by increasing access to low-emission energy and transport; energy-efficient buildings, cities and industries, let’s be sure that we increase respect for the rights and growth aspirations of the developing world. Closing the gap between rich and poor depends on it.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, B Team Leader and Former. Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Nigeria

At COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco with HE Dr Gerd Muller, Federal Minister for Development Cooperation, Germany and Madame Ingrid Hoven Director General Federal Ministry of Development Cooperation celebrating Germany's support of an additional $10 million for the African Risk Capacity, Africa's weather based insurance mechanism for African countries to manage climate risk.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on infectious disease

Investing in #Immunization saves lives, costs and wages.

Managing an economy

Investing in Africa

Youth has genius

Africa's untapped gift

NLC Trustee and Obi 0f Ogwashiukwu Professor Chukwuka Okonjo Receives Ghana’s National Award

Professor Chukwuka Okonjo, Obi of Ogwashiukwu and NLC Trustee on Saturday 29th October 2016 received the highest civil national award from the Government of Ghana.

The award was conferred on him by President John Dramani Mahama in recognition of his stellar and distinguished contributions to the country’s education system.

Professor Chukwuka Okonjo, father of the two-time former Minister of Finance, Dr. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria is a renowned Mathematician and Economist who worked for a long time in Ghana as a United Nations staff and later as a consultant to the Ghanaian Government.

He joined the United Nations System in 1974 as an official based in New York with his duty station at Accra, Ghana as the Director of the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana, Lego, Accra. He worked as a Professor of Economics at the University from 1974 to 1985 at a time the country was going through severe economic and political difficulties.
During that time Professor Chukwuka Okonjo installed the first African population information network popularly known as the Population Information and Documentation System for Africa (POSA) valued at $350,000.

He also created a 12 months Master of Arts (M.A) programs, 18 months Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and 36 months Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees in Population Studies at the University. Over 437 post graduate students successfully completed their studies under his leadership.

Professor Chukwuka Okonjo later left the United Nations in 1985 and worked as the Education Adviser to Ghana’s Minister of Education and Culture where he was instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing several reforms in the structure and organization of the Minister.

Some of the reforms include reducing the length of pre-tertiary education from 17 to 12 years, increasing secondary school admission from 26,000 to 260,000 and growing primary school enrollment at a rate of 12% per annum (twice the rate approved by the World Bank for Ghana).

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Professor Chukwuka Okonjo was accorded the National Service Award in June 1982 for the support he gave to the National Service Scheme of the Ghanaian Government.

Other renowned persons who also received the honors include Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr., John Henry Martey Newman, Nana Ato Dadzie, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, Nana Kwame Akuoko Sarpong, Ato Kwamena Ahwoi, Joseph Henry Owusu Acheampong, Dr Kwabena Duffuor and John Sackah Addo.

#Africa on the Rise

Investing in Immunisations

#Africa on the rise

Financial inclusion of girls and women can be a tonic for the ailing global economy. At Women's World Banking Africa meeting hosted by Diamond Bank in Lagos, Nigeria. With Mary Ellen Iskenderian, CEO of Women's World Banking, Uzoma Dozie CEO of Diamond Bank, Mark Napier, and Ade Ashaye.

Managing success

Millions more children will be protected from 5 diseases thanks to a new vaccine agreement: http://ow.ly/6yBq305rHIA #vaccineswork @gavi

Release

weak institutions fester corruption

Learning Point

A celebration of outstanding leadership in a world that needs it
Matt Peterson | Oct 14, 2016

It’s been a tough week or two for the world’s women. First, no woman became UN secretary general. Then Donald Trump threatened to grab them by something that was heretofore unprintable. And now no women have won Nobel prizes. And yet there are women who have literally been running the world this whole time. The most prominent examples are marquee leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May, but they’re far from alone. Here are five other women on top of the world.

5. Federica Mogherini. The EU foreign-policy chief is a tough position. National leaders like Angela Merkel will always hold more sway in European politics. Nonetheless, Mogherini took over in 2014 at a time when external issues loom large for Europe: She was in the room for the Iran negotiations and has been out front on the refugee crisis. As Brexit negotiations sap the attention of EU politicians, her competence in handling external issues will matter even more. Another point in her favor: She managed to annoy far-right euroskeptics by showing emotion in public after the Brussels bombings. More of that, please.

4. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Nigeria’s two-time former finance minister is on something of a career break, having left office last year when a new president took over. But downtime is relative. Okonjo-Iweala is currently chairing GAVI, an international nonprofit that supports vaccines and immunizations. As finance minister, she led a massive debt write-off for Nigeria and generally worked to temper the country’s corrupt image. A runner-up for the top position at the World Bank, she likely won’t stay on “break” for long.

3. Fatou Bensouda. The International Criminal Court is arguably less than the sum of its parts. The idea behind it is important enough that that France can threaten to involve the court in the war in Syria. But in practice it is a deeply limited institution: The court can only operate in areas like Syria if the Security Council agrees, and its resources are scarce. In that environment, leadership matters greatly. Bensouda is only the second chief prosecutor in the court’s history. She has pushed forward its investigations despite intense political pushback, especially in Africa, where leaders have begun to flaunt the court’s mandate in its pursuit of leaders like Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir. Without leaders like Bensouda, France wouldn’t even have a cynical card to play.

2. Elvira Nabiullina. If all you knew about Russia was based on reports of Vladimir Putin’s aggressive adventurism, you might assume his government was packed with incompetent kleptocrats. They are there, to be sure, but at least one Russian agency is a model of professionalism: the Central Bank of Russia. It has earned that reputation largely through the work of Nabiullina, its governor. Russia’s economy is in long-term trouble, but Nabiullina has staved off crisis by aggressively pursuing an independent, technocratically sound monetary policy. Given that Putin tends to lash out in a crisis, we’ll put this in the win column for world peace.

1. Christine Lagarde. Start with a baseline of competent, effective management—not a given for the International Monetary Fund, considering how its previous managing director left office. Add to that the successful badgering of the U.S. Congress to accede to reforms that in some ways dilute American power by giving more authority to the developing world. Throw in a vigorous effort to keep growing China within the tent by including its currency in the official IMF reserve basket. Those would be sufficient achievements for most leaders, but Lagarde has gone further, using her bully pulpit to call attention to the refugee crisis, an area arguably outside her institution’s core competency. And despite the dangers of alienating a possible U.S. president, even Lagarde couldn’t avoid being drawn into the Trump controversy last week, calling for women everywhere to have their “dignity respected.” Doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

SOURCE: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/10/ranked-the-women-literally-running-the-world/504152/

21 Chibok girls released!!! Thank God! My thoughts with the families of the rest as we continue to pray for their freedom as well

Glad to see Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Girl Effect join hands to protect girls across Africa from cervical cancer with #HPV vaccines:

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/oct/11/10m-dollar-campaign-targets-cervical-cancer-girls-sub-saharan-africa-international-day-of-the-girl

With Axel van Trotsenburg, VP of Development Finance at #IDA2016 #IDAworks and his team, World Bank Annual Meetings. International Development Association resources changes lives for the better. Let's support IDA!

Discussing policies for green growth at the launch of the Sustainable Infrastructure Imperative report with Caio Koch-Weser, Chair, European Climate Foundation; Suma Chakrabarti, President European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; and Takehiko Nakao, President Asian Development Bank.

#NCE2016. The Global South can take the lead in greening infrastructure!

Philanthropies matter in strengthening health systems and saving lives.

Thanks to the Alwaleed Philanthropies, HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al-Saud for their strong support to GAVI.

GAVI commends the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid for their work in support of saving children's lives.

Thanks to HE Supervisor General, Dr Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah. Look forward to working together.

GAVI commends HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, for his personal commitment to saving children's lives in World's poorest countries.

GAVI and UAE at work together.

https://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395300742385.html