Day: July 2, 2024

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for adequate protection of the civilian population by peacekeepers, security personnel and humanitarian workers during conflicts to minimise casualties.

Mr Matthew Alao, Team Lead, Governance, Peace, and Security Unit, UNDP, Nigeria, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, during the inauguration of the Comprehensive Protection of Civilians Course 36/2024.

The exercise was being organised by Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAIPKC) and sponsored by UNDP and the Government of Japan.

Alao, who was represented by Mr Richard Olugula, said that civilians often bear the brunt of hostilities and uncertainties in conflict zones around the world, and stressed the need to ensure their safety, uphold their rights and dignities.

He said the course was designed to arm the participants with the tools and strategies necessary to navigate the complexities of protecting civilians in armed conflict.

‘As we inaugurate this course toda
y, let us remember that the true measure of our success lies in the positive impact that we create in the lives of those we are committed to protect.

‘The protection of civilians is not just a professional call to duty, it is a moral imperative.

‘By enhancing our capabilities to protect civilians in armed conflict, we are contributing to a more just and peaceful world.

‘I encourage you all to engage fully, learn from one another, and take this opportunity to build a sustainable network for your career and leadership’, he said.

Alao commended centre for the unwavering dedication and leadership in developing national and regional capacities for peace support operations at tactical level.

He also lauded the centre for organising the course for the good and security of civilians in armed conflict.

According to him, the invaluable partnership and support of the Government of Japan has continued to strengthen their assistance to the centre, and expand durable peace and security in the ECOWAS sub-region.

‘Our
study partnership underscores our shared commitment to fulfilling the Resolution 1265 of the United Nations on protection of civilians in armed conflict.

‘This course, which will run through to July 12, is a testament to our collective commitment to the realisation of the UN Resolution 1265 on protection of civilians in armed conflicts’, he added.

Alao disclosed that the course drew participants from the military, para-military agencies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and non governmental organisations in six West African countries including Nigeria.

According to him, the diversity, cadre and inclusion of the group of participants underline the importance of a united but robust approach to addressing the complexities of civilian’s protection in armed conflict.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Chairman of Nestoil Limited, Dr Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, has called for the enactment of Local Content Laws that are enforceable to build and protect local capacity.

Azudialu-Obiejesi made the call on Monday at a panel session on ‘Exportation of Local Capacity: Maximising Regional Opportunities” at the ongoing Nigerian oil and Gas conference in Abuja.

The 2024 NOG conference, scheduled to hold from June 30 to July 4, is themed: ‘Showcasing Opportunities, Driving Investment, Meeting Energy Demand’.

According to Azudialu-Obiejesi, making law is one thing, enforcement is another thing.

‘The Nigeria Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB) has done quite well but we still have setbacks due to how these laws are enforced,” he said.

Azudialu-Obiejesi said that effective implementation of laws was necessary to grow local capacity, while projects should be awarded to companies with proven capacity.

He called for a change in the implementation of the Nigerian content policy that allowed contracts
to be awarded to companies with lowest bid in spite of apparent lack of capacity to deliver the jobs.

According to him, if a country has enough capacity to make it a net exporter to African countries, it is paramount to address the factors limiting growth in country.

‘We can export the capacity in the oil and gas industry to other countries but exporting them means that we need to ensure that we will have those companies that are in Nigeria already developed.

‘The countries are expected to entrench all those capacities in terms of human resources, experiences, capital and equipment for export,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, Executive Secretary, National Action Committee (NAC) on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), said it was given the mandate to ensure that Nigerians benefited from the implementation of AfCFTA.

Represented by Oluseun Olutayo, a Senior Trade Law and Policy Expert, NAC, AfCFTA, Awolowo said the committee would inaugurate the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI ) in July
16.

‘The GTI helps to guide shipment through customs clearance, including reduced tariff treatment under the AfCFTA in the receiving AfCFTA countries.’

According to him, one of the core mandates of AfCFTA is harmonisation of trade in goods and services and Nigeria has high comparative advantage in this regards.

He said within the context of trade in services under the AFCFTA, four critical sectors have been identified and one of them was automobile, including the work of energy in the services.

The business sector allows anyone that has expertise in any of the services to actually maximise the advantage of AfCFTA,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), says it registered 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases in the ongoing cholera epidemic across the country.

The Director-General of the centre, Dr Jide Idris, said this during a news conference on the cholera situation on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that cholera is a severe diarrheal illness caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, and has remained a significant health challenge, especially in regions with inadequate sanitation and clean water.

It is, therefore, advisable to understand the disease transmission mechanism so as to curb its spread.

Idris said that as at June 30, Nigeria recorded 2,102 suspected cholera cases and 63 deaths across 33 states and 122 local government areas, with a case fatality rate of 3.0 per cent

The NCDC boss said that the top 10 affected states are Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Delta, with seven of these being in the south.

He said
that the National Cholera Multisectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), activated for this crisis, comprised subject matter experts who coordinate the response, ensuring effective resource mobilisation, surveillance, case management, and community engagement.

He said that the measures aim to enhance diagnostic capacity, treatment, and public awareness.

According to him, there are key prevention and response activities initiated by the agency.

‘Such activities include assessments in 22 hotspot states, distribution of medical supplies, technical support, training programmes and public health advisories,’ he said.

The NCDC boss said that in spite of strong political support and efforts, challenges like open defecation, inadequate toilet facilities, poor water and sanitation, waste management issues, and weak regulatory practices persisted.

He added said that the impact of climate change and flooding exacerbated the cholera situation in the country.

He said that there were efforts to continue to combat
the outbreak, with a focus on improving hygiene practices, enforcing public health laws, and enhancing healthcare workers’ capacity at state and local levels.

‘Only 123 (16 per cent) of 774 LGAs in Nigeria are open defeacation free. With Jigawa as the only open defeacation free state in Nigeria. More than 48 million Nigerians practice open defecation.

‘Inadequate toilet facilities and existing ones even in many government facilities not well maintained. Inadequate Safe water and poor sanitation,’ he said.

According to him, 11 per cent of schools, six per cent of health facilities, four per cent of motor parks and markets, have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

He listed its causes to include poor waste management practices, poor food, environmental and personal hygiene practices., capacity gap among health care workers at the state and LGA levels.

‘Weak regulation on construction of soak away and bore holes (some sunk close to water source and bore holes sunk in wrong location).

‘
Inadequate Implementation and enforcement of public nuisance law and other relevant public health laws.

‘Inadequate capacity at State level – delayed disease reporting and response action. Capacity gap among health care workers at the state and LGA levels.

‘Also, poor regulation of food vendor and commercial water supply on hygiene, weak regulation on sighting of boreholes and well, which are close to sewage or toilets pathways,’ he said.

He said that low knowledge and practice of basic hygiene such as hand washing and effect of climate change and flood was also a major cause of cholera.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, said that the cholera outbreak in the country came as a stark reminder that when the country failed to prioritise environmental sanitation, public health would be jeopardised and economy would be affected.

‘Nigeria is experiencing the adverse impact of climate change as evidenced by the shift in seasons, rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weat
her events like floods, droughts and heat waves with undeniable health consequences,’ Salako said.

According to him, the combination of climate change and poor sanitation, without doubt, poses a double jeopardy to the health of the planet and all creatures on it.

NAN recalls that public health experts have suggested comprehensive strategy to combat the cholera outbreak.

The experts also called for improved sanitation, access to safe water, proper hygiene, and better living conditions to address this recurrent and predictable loss of lives.

They advocated for the classification of cholera as a neglected tropical disease.

Cholera, a virulent but treatable disease, causes 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths annually worldwide.

Proper management keeps mortality under one percent, but it can rise to 60 percent if untreated.

Historically, cholera has shaped public health, from John Snow’s 1854 London outbreak response to the development of life-saving oral rehydration therapy by Hemendra Nath Chatterjee in 1
953. 9

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has tasked safety officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to ensure enhanced safety culture in all its activities and operations.

Abubakar said this at the NAF Safety Review Board Meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the actions or inactions of personnel could either help to propel or break the accident chain sometimes experienced in the course of NAF activities or operations.

Abubakar also called for the emplacement of appropriate actions to break the accident chain, so as to enshrine a good safety culture that transcends all levels in the NAF.

According to him, it is vital to thoroughly examine all the safety issues arising from the meeting and come up with objective and innovative ideas to enhance safety in the Service.

‘While we all know that safety is a collective responsibility, this board is primarily accountable for safety administration in the NAF.

‘Accidents are the results of a sequence of events, beginning with deliberate decisio
ns taken and NAF cannot afford to pay lip service to issues relating to safety,’ Abubajar said.

He said the Service regarded safety as one of its core functions, and reiterated commitment towards developing, implementing and reviewing policies to ensure that all activities were conducted in a safe and conducive environment.

According to him, NAF will intensify efforts to enhance safety as it continues its transformation into, ‘an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments’.

He assured that more interesting and auspicious days were ahead for the NAF in view of the Federal Government’s commitment to equip it with modern platforms.

‘The need for a proactive and enhanced safety culture is thus critical in ensuring that their usage are maximised’.

The Chief of Standards and Evaluation, AVM Micheal Onyebashi, said the board, being the apex body of the NAF Safety Management Structure, organised the biannual meeting to deliberate on
major policy, resource allocation and regulatory issues relating to safety.

Onyebashi said the board was required to give direction and guidelines that would ensure the entrenchment of a healthy safety culture in the NAF.

According to him, the NAF has since commenced the introduction of safety education at all NAF entry points and training institutions as directed in the last safety board review.

He said the board also leveraged the online learning infrastructure at the Air Warfare Centre, to sustain an appreciable level of safety education across the NAF.

Onyebashi said there was need for the board, commands and units to work assiduously towards ensuring safety standards were maintained in all NAF activities, especially with the induction of additional platforms.

He urged the board to proffer strategies and ideas that would enable the NAF to experience continuous improvement in safety in all its operations.

In a paper presentation entitled: ‘Senior Managers’ Role in Organisational Safety Management Sys
tem,’ Dr Iteke Chukwunonso of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said that managing safety entailed managing risks reactively and proactively as well as predictively controlling risks to an acceptable level.

He said that safety management should have a business like approach and be woven into the fabrics of an organisation until it becomes a part of their culture.

He commended the NAF for its exceptional safety standards and enjoined its leadership to continue to retain the responsibility and accountability for safety.

Chukwunonso also emphasised the need for NAF leadership to promote open reporting through non punitive disciplinary policies while encouraging incentives for promoting safety.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) on Tuesday declared a state of emergency on production in oil and gas industry.

The NNPCL has also called on all players in the industry to collaborate towards reducing the cost of oil production and boosting production to target levels.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, stated this in Abuja at the ongoing 23rd edition of the Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference and Exhibition holding from June 30 to July 4.

‘We have decided to stop the debate. We cannot afford to negotiate further, we have declared war on the challenges affecting our crude oil production.

‘Our biggest interest is to produce more oil and gas in spite of oil theft and other challenges.

‘We have the right tools. We know what to fight. We know what we have to do at the level of assets. We have engaged our partners and we will work together to improve the situation,’ he said.

Kyari said a detailed analysis of assets revealed that Nigeria could conveniently pr
oduce two million barrels of crude oil daily without deploying new rigs, but decried the inability of players to act in a timely manner as major impediment.

He said obstacles to effective and efficient production such as delays in procurement processes and old pipeline network were affecting the industry.

He said NNPCL would replace all the old crude oil pipelines built over four decades ago and introduce a rig sharing programme with its partners to ensure that production rigs stayed in the country.

This, he said, would be a medium to long-term measures aimed at boosting and sustaining production.

He expressed commitment to investing in critical midstream gas infrastructure such as the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline to boost domestic gas production and supply for power generation.

On Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Kyari said the NNPCL had keyed into the Presidential CNG Initiative drive.

He said in conjunction with partners such as NIPCO Gas, NNPCL had built a number
of CNG stations, 12 of which would be commissioned on Thursday in Lagos and Abuja.

The Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Mr Mohamed Hamel, in an address, also advocated for natural gas infrastructure and penetration for energy stability and security.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria