Crackdown on protests and wave of arrests fuel tense election period in Bénin

Boni Yayi, Soglo and Ajavon

The wave of arbitrary arrests of political activists and journalists, and the crackdown on peaceful protests, have reached an alarming level in Benin, Amnesty International said ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday. 

Since February, security forces have dispersed peaceful protests using tear gas and batons, and arrested opposition officials. 

At least one person died during clashes between protesters and members of the security forces in February in the northern town of Kilibo. This follows the Electoral Commission’s decision to authorize only two political parties - both from the presidential camp- to stand in the elections and to exclude all opposition candidates’ lists. 

Local authorities have introduced blanket bans on protests in the run up to the elections, including in the town of Parakou and the departments of Collines and Zou.

GAVI Immunization Champion calls for State of Emergency in Healthcare

Dr. Awele V.  Elumelu, Founder and CEO, Avon Medical, vaccinating babies in Kuje community, Abuja

Though Nigeria accounts for less than 2% of the world’s population, nearly 10% of all new born deaths occurs in Nigeria, revealed Gavi Private Sector Champion for Immunisation in Africa, Dr. Awele Elumelu, during her keynote address at the official flag off of African Vaccination Week in Abuja, hosted by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). 

Nigeria has the highest number of unimmunized children in the world, estimated at 4.3 million children in 2018.

UBA rewards 20 more customers with N30m in Wise Savers Promo

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has rewarded another 20 customers who emerged winners in the second quarterly draw of the UBA Wise Savers Promo with N1.5 million each, bringing the total amount won by 40 customers so far to N60 million.

The electronic raffle draw which was held at UBA House on Thursday 18th of April, was witnessed by the Consumer Protection Council, National Lottery Regulatory Commission and Lagos State Lottery, Board.

Lucky winners who emerged in the second edition, cut across all regions of the country. They include Alli Abiodun Ganiu, Tari E Francis; Onah Joseph, Okwandu Faith Ezinne, Igwedinma Chiedozie Onyekachi, Mgbakor Edmund Eke, Nwokoye Adeseye Ifeanyichukwu and Achi Sheyin Micheal.

Others are Onyekwuluje Christiana Osho; Ibilola U Okeke; Amos Luka, Mukhtar Halima, Musa Abubakar, Olanrewaju Kolade David; Okongwu Hillary Chidinma; Loretta O Okodua; Adeyemo Biodun Adeola; Oyewusi Oyeyinka Abidemi;  Adeola O Adewumi and Anyanwu Vivian.

Food Security in the Sahel: TAAT launches out in Mali

Millet

As part of the plan to ensure food security in the Sahel, Sorghum and Millet Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is set to launch its activities in Mali.

Scheduled for 16-17 April, 2019 in Bamako, the launch forms part of African Development Bank’s plan to transform Sorghum and Millet in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad through the TAAT programme.

Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is a program initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative.

The main objective of the program is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA) including Sorghum and Millet.

FCPF/CSO capacity building program on REDD+ will encourage experience sharing, says CSDevNet

Dr Moses Amah, Nigeria's REDD+ Coordinator (PHOTO:CSDevNet)

The Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet) says the UN Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) National Capacity Building engagement meeting in Cross River State will encourage experience sharing.

The meeting is aimed at forming more strategic alliances in the REDD+ and climate change processes by engaging civil society organisations (CSOs) and forest dependent communities (FDCs).

Mr Atayi Babs, the National Network Coordinator of CSDevNet, a coalition of civil society groups, said this in a statement signed by Mr James Odey, the South-South Coordinator of CSDevNet on Friday, April 12, 2019 in Abuja.

The REDD+ programme is the UN collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries.

Tony Elumelu Hosts European Commission, Leading Development Finance Institutions and Think Tanks in Brussels

Tony Elumelu, CON engaging the distinguished audience at the convening on Africa’s economic transformation

At a time when Europe’s relationship with Africa is high on foreign policy and developmental agendas and with the European Union beginning to deliver on its 2017 External Investment Plan, targeted at attracting investment and job creation in Africa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation brought together leading stakeholders in the development finance sector, at a case study session in the EU capital, Belgium.

The convening demonstrated that Africa also had solutions to bring to the table and platformed the Foundation’s unique approach to catalysing entrepreneurship in scale across the continent.

Themed “A Convening on Africa’s Economic Transformation: A Case Study of the Tony Elumelu Foundation”, the event presented the results of the first five years of the Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme a unique programme, which has trained, mentored and seeded 4,470 African entrepreneurs with 3,050 newly announced to receive seed funding, and drawn over 200,000 applications to its 2019 cycle. 

Tony Elumelu’s $100m investment in entrepreneurial philanthropy was held up as an example of how vital capital could be targeted efficiently and effectively, at African businesses best able to create significant economic and developmental impact.

Togolese Farmers Forum: TAAT highlights agricultural transformation

                      Togolese Agric Minister with Dr Mpoko Bokanga Head TAAT Clearinghouse at the forum (PHOTO: TAAT)

With more than 3.4 million hectares of land available, the Togolese government is worried that only 45% is being used presently.

The government is equally concerned that despite Togo’s natural comparative advantage in agriculture when compared to other countries, its inability to maximise technologies that will increase productivity and diversify into higher-value-added products has held back the sector’s performance and the country’s economic growth.

Togolese farmers forum

These and many more concerns dominated Hon. Noël Koutéra Bataka’s speech as the Togolese Minister for Agriculture, Animal Production and Fisheries declared opened today, the 11th National Farmers Forum in Kara, north of Togo.

CSDevNet Builds Capacity of Ondo Forest Communities on REDD+

The Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), a civil society group, says the ongoing Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degraded Forests (REDD+) National Capacity Building will reduce carbon emission.

According to a statement by Mr Pius Oko, the Project Officer of CSDevNet on Friday in Abuja, the engagement programme had both experts and the local communities in attendance.

The REDD+ programme is the UN collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is a market-based mechanism for achieving the effective reduction of carbon emissions from forests.

Senegal’s President pledges action on environment and women’s rights during second term

Senegalese President Macky Sall, said on Tuesday he would prioritise the environment, youth employment and women’s rights during his second term in office.

In an inaugural speech that followed an emphatic election victory in February, he promised “vigorous’’ environment action.

“I’m calling on everyone to shape a new Senegal: one with cleaner neighbourhoods, a zero-waste Senegal,’’ he said.

During Sall’s first term, Senegal’s economy grew more than six per cent per year as a modernisation programme produced a new airport, slick highways and a city built from scratch in scrubland outside the coastal capital Dakar.

Oil and gas production from new offshore fields is expected to keep the economy buoyant in the coming decade.

CSDevNet trains River Benue Community on Managing Water Source

The people of Angwan Jukun Community of Awe Street Makurdi, Benue State have been enjoined to protect their water source which is the River Benue and also manage domestic water use.

The call was made during an advocacy and training session held in the community to commemorate the 2019 World Water Day.

Organised by civil society actors under the auspices of Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet) in collaboration with Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI), Gender and Community Empowerment Initiative and Good Health Living Environmental Foundation (GOHLEF), the session comprised community leaders, women groups, youth and children.

While facilitating the session on protecting water source, Mr. Victor Asobo, Executive Director of Good Health Living Environmental Foundation (GOHLEF) advised the members of the community to desist from contaminating the river as they use the water for drinking, cooking and every other domestic activity.

Edo Govt earmarks 4,000 hectares of land for rice production

Edo Government says it has earmarked about four hundred hectares of land for rice production during the 2019 farming season as part of its ‘Agri-Preneur’ programme.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Godwin Obaseki on Agriculture, Mr Joe Okojie, disclosed this when he led technical partners of the programme on a courtesy visit to Edo Government House in Benin on Tuesday.

Okojie said that the state government started a pilot scheme of the programme last year with six hundred hectares in Iguoriakhi, Illushi, Warrake and Agenebode in the three Senatorial  districts of Edo.

He said that the success of the pilot scheme led to the expansion this year with 850,00 farmers to benefit on an average of five hectares per farmer.

Unilag graduates 77-year-old woman at 50th convocation

A 77-year-old female retired worker was among the 1,008 students of the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, who were awarded first degree on Tuesday at the institution’s 2017/2018 Convocation Ceremonies.

The convocation was the university’s 50^th.

The retiree, who did not want to mention her name to journalists, said that the achievement was her dream come true.

“I studied guidance and counselling and I am most grateful to God Almighty who made me to see this day.

”I won’t want to mention my name.  I know where I am coming from and what I am protecting.

“I am a retired officer. I have worked in a lot of countries around the world and also in Nigeria, where I finally retired,’’ she said.

She added that she went for the degree programme because she did not want to sit at home after retirement.

30 students emerge as UBA campus ambassadors

                      The Brand Ambassadors flanked by UBA Executives

United Bank for Africa Plc has unveiled 30 students as UBA brand ambassadors for 2019 in the third edition of its campus ambassador programme.

In a statement, it said the 30 students made up of 17 males and 13 females, chosen from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria, were selected based on a number of carefully-defined criteria including clear leadership and creative skills, as well as the keen ability to promote the UBA brand as campus ambassadors.