Connect with us

National News

Environment Ministry have strategies for nine priority areas-Ikeazor 

Published

on

Environment Ministry have strategies for nine priority areas-Ikeazor 

Environment Ministry have strategies for nine priority areas-Ikeazor 

The Ministry of Environment has said the strategies have been developed along the nine priority areas of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking at the meeting of the 15th National Council of Environment in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor said: “In fulfilling our mandate, the Ministry has developed strategies along the nine priority areas outlined by the current administration.”

She noted that the priority areas are: Build a thriving and sustainable economy; Enhance social inclusion and reduce poverty; Enlarge agricultural output for food security and export; Attain energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products and expand transport and other infrastructural development to achieve agriculture and food security and ensure energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products by/through taking targeted actions. 

She said: “In fulfilling this mandate, the Ministry is accelerating the implementation of the Ogoni Clean-up through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP). 15.3 Hectares of polluted land has so far been remediated into arable land suitable for agricultural activities in Ogoniland; currently on-going is the construction of six water supply schemes with a capacity of supplying 2400 cubic meters (m3) of portable water per day to communities across the four LGAs of Ogoniland.”

Ikeazor said “to realize the environment of our dreams, it is imperative to consistently tackle these environmental challenges which includes climate change, deforestation, desert encroachment, loss of biodiversity, flood and erosion, environmental pollution amongst others.”

The Minister who said the theme for the 15th Council of Environment is: “Appraisal of the Emerging Challenges and the opportunities in the Environment Sector: A call for Actions towards the Environment of our Dream,” said it was arrived at to reflect the current realities.

She noted that the Ministry is also accelerating the implementation of the Great Green Wall Programme, through its Agency, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), which was established principally to reverse land degradation and desertification by supporting local communities in the sustainable management and use of natural resources to reduce poverty, enhance food security and promote sustainable livelihood. 

Also Read: India reaches a billion COVID-19 vaccination milestone

She disclosed that the Agency has cumulatively increased the total average of arable land recovered from a baseline of 90 hectares in 2019 to 4,792 hectares by second quarter of 2021. It has also increased the number of trees (Orchards and Woodlots) Planted from 1,080,000 to 5,612,400. 

She also disclosed that the Federal Department of Forestry and Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) has also increased the vegetation cover from the baseline of 155,200 trees in 2019 to 635,840 by the second quarter of 2021.

She noted that: “We have actively collaborated with the private sector to create a large number of well-paying jobs for Nigerian youths. The Ministry has been able to create 74,413 direct and indirect jobs through the implementation of various people oriented projects and programmes as of the second quarter of 2021. A total number of 25,263 persons classified as the rural and poorest of the poor have received various livelihood enhancement training and support and have gone ahead to make a decent living for themselves.”

She reiterated the nation’s commitment to the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan of universal access to energy by 2030; zero carbon emission by 2050; and industrialization to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth. Nigeria

Environment Ministry have strategies for nine priority areas-Ikeazor 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National News

Budget Defence: NHRC Promises to Tackle Emerging Human Rights Challenges

Published

on

Budget Defence: NHRC Promises to Tackle Emerging Human Rights Challenges

By: Michael
Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has presented its 2024 budget performance and defended its proposed 2025 budget before the Joint Committees on Human Rights of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The budget presentation which held at the National Assembly Complex, highlighted the Commission’s efforts to address pressing human rights issues amidst growing economic challenges and human rights concerns in the country

Speaking during the session Chaired and Co-Chaired by Senator Adegbomire Adeniyi, Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Hon Peter Makinde, Chair House of Representative Committee on Human Rights, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, provided a comprehensive breakdown of the Commission’s ₦5 billion allocation for 2024.

Ojukwu, who stated that the budget achieved an unprecedented 99.9% implementation rate, including the construction and completion of eight state offices across the country, emphasized that this achievement was remarkable given the Commission’s limited resources.

The Executive Secretary justified what the proposed N8 billion appraisal for the Commission for 2025 fiscal year, which represents an increase from the previous year, would be used on.

He said the proposed budget aims to address emerging human rights challenges such as terrorism, communal conflicts, insurgency, natural disasters like floods, and the rising cost of operations due to inflation and an increased payroll.

Ojukwu said: “The proposed budget will strengthen the Commission’s capacity to address pressing human rights issues in Nigeria.”

He revealed that “the proposal includes funding for the establishment of more human rights offices across the country to improve access to the services of the Commission, especially in states where our services are not felt,” insisting that these efforts are essential for enhancing the Commission’s independence and effectiveness.

“This proposed budget reflects our determination to create a more inclusive and just society,” Ojukwu said, adding that: “It will enable us to expand our reach, respond swiftly to human rights violations, and engage effectively with communities to promote awareness and accountability.”

He however appealed to lawmakers to consider increasing the proposed budget from ₦8 billion to ₦19.55 billion, explaining that the growing volume of complaints, which stood at over 2 million annually and the cost of investigating each case is straining the Commission’s resources.

He said: “For instance, investigating a single case costs approximately ₦8,000. To investigate 2 million cases effectively, the Commission would require ₦16 billion. The current allocation of ₦8 billion is grossly inadequate to meet this demand.”

Members of the Joint Committees commended the NHRC for its strategic focus and commitment to its mandate. While some lawmakers sought clarifications on specific aspects of the proposal, which the Executive Secretary addressed, some consequently raised their concerns.

If approved, the proposed allocation would represent a critical step towards addressing persistent human rights challenges in Nigeria, including gender-based violence, child rights violations, and police brutality, public inquiries on various investigative panels, etc.

The National Assembly is expected to conclude deliberations on the budget proposal in the coming weeks.

Budget Defence: NHRC Promises to Tackle Emerging Human Rights Challenges

Continue Reading

National News

VP Shettima Decorates Newly Promoted Police Officers in His Office

Published

on

VP Shettima Decorates Newly Promoted Police Officers in His Office

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday decorated five police officers from his security detail with their new ranks following their recent promotion by the Police Service Commission.

The officers promoted included Idowu Olatunji who moved to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) from Superintendent of Police. Adamu Barma was elevated to Superintendent of Police (SP), while three officers – Rufai Mohammed Bello, Usman Abubakar, and Yanas Zidon – were all promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

At a brief decoration event at the Presidential Villa, Vice President Shettima praised the officers’ dedication to duty while reminding them of the increased responsibilities that come with their new positions, just as he assured them of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the development and welfare of all security agencies.

He said, “Today’s event is a recognition of your dedication and hard work but with promotion comes greater responsibility as the President is proud of the work and sacrifice you make for all Nigerians.”

The Vice President emphasised the importance of maintaining professional standards, urging the officers to remain above reproach and stay committed to the core values of the Nigeria Police Force.

He also expressed gratitude to the Police Service Commission for their swift approval of the promotions.

VP Shettima Decorates Newly Promoted Police Officers in His Office

Continue Reading

National News

Roadmap for Mangrove Conservation and Protection Underway- FG

Published

on

Roadmap for Mangrove Conservation and Protection Underway- FG

By: Michael
Mike

The Federal Government has disclosed ongoing plan to develop a roadmap for the conservation and protection of mangroves in the country.

Speaking at a parley with journalists in Abuja, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change Secretariat, Dr Nkiruka Maduekwe, said a roadmap which will outline key priorities for Nigeria in mangrove conservation, reforestation, afforestation, and protection is in the offing.

Maduekwe, who is also the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change, explained that the roadmap aligns with the mangrove breakthrough initiative launched at COP27 and the Secretariat’s 2025 theme, which is to amplify nature-based climate solutions.

She further explained that the roadmap will also focus on identifying the necessary actions, setting clear goals, and developing a strategic investment plan to ensure effective implementation and long-term sustainability of environmental initiatives.

She noted that the world has identified that mangroves are important because you are talking about livelihood, coastal resilience, improving the livelihoods of the community members, amplifying nature-based climate solutions. “We’re starting with the mangrove technical site visits to the nine states in the Niger Delta because we’re talking about coastal resilience,” she revealed.

Maduekwe said: “We are going to the mangroves to see for ourselves what the status is and what we need to do as a country to further firm up our adaptation in that area. One of the things that is going to come out from the technical visit is the roadmap. We’re developing a roadmap for mangrove conservation and protection for the country.

“As part of the technical site visit, we’re having a town hall meeting in Calabar, Cross River State. Significantly, Cross River is the first state to have adopted the climate change law and they have a green economy commission. We found it important that we have the town hall meeting in the first state that has been able to warehouse the Climate Change Act. So, we’re having a town hall meeting on February 4th this year.”

She said that the town hall meeting will bring together teams from various states, including Commissioners of Environment, international partners, and stakeholders, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for financing mangrove conservation and protection in Nigeria while focusing on identifying grant opportunities.

She added that: “The mangrove site visit and the town hall meeting are part of our preparatory efforts towards the event we’re having in March in Lagos State, which is a symposium on the intersection between arts, climate change, and the mangroves, and then have the art exhibition on March 5th.

“When you’re talking about the Arts day and the environmental day, our focus is working with all stakeholders to focus on planting trees. We know that Nigeria is dealing with accelerated reduction of our forest cover, so planting trees will also enforce that as well, and that is also part of the nature-based climate solution.”

She said the mangrove breakthrough initiative aims to raise $4bn in sustainable finance, focusing on mangrove conservation, afforestation, and protection, adding that: “Nigeria is aiming to be part of that $4bn, and that’s why we’re having the roadmap. One of the challenges we have identified about mangrove afforestation, conservation, and protection is the absence of a policy document.

“Recently, Indonesia has received finance from the World Bank to develop and to do mangrove conservation, but that’s a loan. I’m looking at how Nigeria can warehouse climate finance grants, so Nigeria must have a strategy document, and that’s what that roadmap is about.”

Roadmap for Mangrove Conservation and Protection Underway- FG

Continue Reading

Trending

Verified by MonsterInsights