


Nigeria Joins Forces with World Economic Forum to Fight Plastic Pollution
Public Engagement, World Economic Forum
* The Government of Nigeria will join the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership alongside Indonesia, Ghana and Viet Nam to advance national efforts to fight plastic pollution
* The partnership will bring together Nigeria’s leading policy-makers, business leaders, civil society organizations to formulate a common approach to bring system change to the circular economy
* The country aims to prevent further plastic pollution, to create jobs and increase business opportunities
* Learn more about the Forum’s work to address plastic pollution, https://globalplasticaction.org/
Geneva, Switzerland, 27 January 2021 – Nigeria will officially join the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), a platform that works with governments, businesses and civil society to translate plastic pollution commitments into concrete solutions.
The announcement emerges from a week of virtual dialogues during the Davos Agenda, a global summit where heads of state, CEOs, civil society leaders, activists and media have convened to choose bold and innovative solutions to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure a green and inclusive recovery in the years to come.
Nigeria is the largest economy on the African continent as well as home to one of the largest youth populations in the world. The pandemic has slowed economic activity in this diverse and entrepreneurial nation and contributed to a depressed labour market, creating highly challenging setbacks for human and economic development efforts.
Mismanaged plastic waste and unsustainable plastics production are commonplace in the West Africa region. Challenges include thin capacity and investment in waste collection and recycling, varying levels of awareness of sustainable practices among businesses and consumers, and the niche nature of innovative and alternative models supporting reduce and reuse. In 2018, Nigeria was estimated to have discharged around 200,000 tonnes of plastic waste into the ocean per year, while its annual plastics production is projected to grow to 523,000 tonnes by 2022.
In joining GPAP, Nigeria will work with the World Economic Forum to launch a National Plastic Action Partnership, based on a promising model that has been piloted in Indonesia, Ghana and Viet Nam. Its principal mandates will include creating and working with locally led, locally driven platforms, such as the Federal Ministry of Environment and the African Development Bank-coordinated Nigeria Circular Economy Working Group (NCEWG), to bring together the country’s most influential policy-makers, business leaders and civil society advocates. The goal is to deliver a national action plan for radically reducing plastic pollution, connecting high-potential solutions with strategic financing opportunities.
In Indonesia, the national partnership has launched action and investment roadmaps that could prevent 16 million tonnes of plastic leakage into the ocean, create 150,000 jobs, and generate $10 billion a year in revenue from investment in waste management, plastics substitution and innovative business models. Similar ambitious blueprints for action are under development in Ghana and Viet Nam and will be initiated in Nigeria on the partnership’s formal launch in early 2021.
“With this partnership, Nigeria is further reinforcing its commitments and efforts towards addressing plastic pollution and safeguarding the environment,” said Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Nigeria’s Environment Minister. “From co-founding the African Circular Economy Alliance and establishing a Nigerian/AfDB Circular Economy Working Group to joining the Global Plastic Action Partnership, Nigeria is determined to unleash the full potential of our young generation of innovative and passionate leaders so that we can work together towards a future free of plastic pollution and waste. We look forward to strengthening our engagement with the World Economic Forum on this effort and to formally launching the partnership in the coming months.”
“Amidst the myriad economic and social challenges that nearly every nation is facing, Nigeria has recognized plastic pollution as an urgent priority that cannot be sidelined,” said Kristin Hughes, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum. “Plastic waste and pollution are not issues that exist in a vacuum – they are deeply and intrinsically tied not only to the health of our environment but also the well-being of women and children, the livelihoods of communities and informal workers, the creation of new jobs and ways of working, and a nation’s ability to build a sustainable and thriving economy that leaves no one behind. We are honoured to support the Nigerian people in their fight to turn the tide on plastic pollution.”
Nigeria is also one of the founding members of the African Circular Economy Alliance, alongside South Africa, Rwanda, the African Development Bank, the UN Environment Programme and the World Economic Forum. The regional platform has mobilized a multi-donor trust fund of €4 million, which will fund circular economy entrepreneurs and initiatives with the potential to be replicated in African nations.
“The World Economic Forum is delighted to build on and strengthen its existing collaboration with the Government of Nigeria with this new partnership,” said Chido Munyati, Acting Head of Africa, World Economic Forum. “The transition to a circular economy will be a crucial part of Nigeria’s global recovery and addressing plastic pollution in particular will have a visible impact on its natural environment, quality of life and opportunities for young people. Through this partnership, we will see Nigeria make a clear case for why economic growth and sustainable development go hand-in-hand.”
About The Davos Agenda
The Davos Agenda is a pioneering mobilization of global leaders aimed at rebuilding trust to shape the principles, policies and partnerships needed in 2021. It features a full week of global programming dedicated to helping leaders choose innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery over the next year. Heads of state, CEOs, civil society leaders, and global media will actively participate in almost 100 sessions across five themes.
ISERAEL - NIGERIA i-FAIR 2020/21
“Transforming ideas into Inventions”
The Embassy of the State of Israel in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria & partnership with Skill-G Nigeria Ltd, Gregory University Uturu (Abia State), and DeNovo-isreal Ltd are honored to introduce the i-FAIR
The i-FAIR has been created to raise a generation of innovators, inventors and researchers in Nigeria by offering them a platform to transform their brilliant ideas into innovative solutions and launch their entrepreneurial dreams in the following fields:
* Agriculture & Food security
* Renewable Energy/ Environment Management
* Food technology
* Medical Devices/Simulation
* Social Responsibility
Benefits
Successful applicants are entitled to the following benefits, free of charge:
* A unique platform to transform ideas into inventions and develop working prototypes
* Free access and membership to a modern innovation center where they can work on and develop their ideas
* Access to a special certificate- course and mentoring by accomplished inventors, innovators and researchers from Nigeria and the State of Israel
* The opportunity to enter “Masschallenge Israel, 2021”
* The opportunity to pitch inventions and prototypes to investors for possible adoption, patronage and partnership
* An all-expense paid visit to the State of Israel, for inventors with the best prototypes and a chance for a Proof of Concept (POC) collaboration opportunity with leading Israeli companies (TBD)
Who Can Apply
Nigerian citizens over the age 21, with a minimum educational qualification of a bachelor’s degree from any field (preferably in the fields highlighted above) are encouraged to apply.
Duration and Deadlines
Applications are open and will be closed on October 31st, 2020. Afterwards, a team of experts will review the applications and select the best 50-100 ideas. The successful applicants will attend a three-day course from December 1st-3rd, 2020 at the Innovation Center in Abuja.
A team of experts from Israel and Nigeria will mentor/provide the successful applicants the tools necessary to develop their ideas into marketable products and prototypes. The grand finale where participants will make presentations of their prototypes to investors will be held between March 2nd-4th, 2021 at the Innovation Center in Abuja.
For additional information about the i-FAIR please visit: www.ifair-israelnigeria.comand for submission of an application please visit: https://www.ifair-israelnigeria.com/form-app/form.php
Plans For National Decarbonization Progamme
In continuation of the plan to develop a framework and functional secretariat for the National Decarbonization Programme, today, the Honourable Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, met with some stakeholders including Chris Newson, Joseph Ekiye, Jesse-Martin Manufor, Asmau Jibril, Rukayya Muhammed, Chioma Amudi, and Sandra Uzoho in his office at the Ministry's Headquarters, Abuja. It was quite a fruitful engagement.
Press Briefing by Honourable Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar On National Issues and Concern Relating to Environment Sector
PROTOCOL
Distinguished Gentlemen of the Press, I welcome you to this important Press Briefing. It is organized to brief you and the nation that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) has graciously approved the establishment of ten (10) additional National Parks bringing the total number of the National Parks in the Country to Seventeen (17). I will also brief you on the efforts of the Ministry in the Control of the second wave of the Covid-19.
2. The details of the new National Parks are as follows:
1. Allawa Game Reserve
Allawa National Park
310 km2
Niger
2. Apoi Forest Reserve
Apoi National Park
64.77 km2
Bayelsa
3. Edumenum Forest Reserve
Edumenum National Park
86.76 km2
Bayelsa
4. Falgore Game Reserve
Falgore National Park
920 km2
Kano
5. Hadeja Wetland Game Reserve
Hadeja Wetland National Park
320 km2
Jigawa
6. Kampe Forest Reserve
Kampe National Park
652.86 km2
Kwara
7. Kogo Forest Reserve
Kogo National Park
212.66 km2
Katsina
8. Marhai Forest Reserve
Marhai National Park
54.00 km2
Nasarawa
9. Oba Hill Forest Reserve
Oba Hills National Park
52.5 km2
Osun
10. Pandam Forest Reserve
Pandam National Park
244 km2
Plateau
3. To give credence and legal backing to this worthy cause, an Executive Bill will soon be presented to the National Assembly for further necessary action.
4. It should be noted that, the first National Park in Nigeria, Kanji Lake was created in 1979. This was followed by six (6) others spread across the country namely:
i. Kamuku National Park-Kaduna State
ii. Kainji Lake National Park-Niger and Kwara States
iii. Gashaka-Gumti National Park -Adamawa & Taraba States
iv. Chad Basin National Park-Borno and Yobe States
v. Okomu National Park-Edo State
vi. Cross River National Park-Cross River State
vii. Old Oyo National Park-Oyo State
5. The creation of additional National Parks in Nigeria has become imperative in view of the prevailing effects of climate change across the globe. This action is geared towards the United Nation’s policy of placing 25% of its member countries’ landmass under permanent vegetation cover for carbon sequestration to mitigate the effects of climate change and ameliorate other ecological challenges. It may interest you to note that Nigeria currently has 6.7% of her total landmass under vegetation cover which is grossly inadequate in line with global best practices. The creation of these Parks will no doubt, further create more employment opportunities, alleviate poverty in rural areas and ultimately enhance the country’s revenue profile especially now that Nigeria is seeking to diversify her economy.
6. The seventeen (17) National Parks cut across the ecological zones of the country except the marine eco-system. National Parks are areas reserved and managed for conservation of wildlife and natural resources. The Parks contain several rich and diverse varieties of rare endangered species like Elephants, Gorillas, Giraffes, Monkeys, Golden Cats, Hippopotami, crocodiles etc and a host of plant species.
7. The functions of the National Park Service involve surveillance, patrolling, checking illegal activities of poachers in the Parks, enforcement of relevant international treaties and conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, public enlightenment on the protection and conservation of plants and animals, assisting researchers and searching, arresting and prosecuting offenders.
8. Some of the benefits of the National Parks include the protection of life support systems such as watersheds and water catchment areas. National Parks have great potentials for the development of research, particularly on agriculture, medicine and bio-technology. They also serve as field laboratories for Nigerian Universities and other tertiary institutions. The National Parks are Nigeria’s eco-treasure and have the potentials of contributing substantially to the National economy when fully developed as obtains in East and Southern Africa.
9. Gentlemen of the Press, as you are very much aware National Security is crucial to Protected Areas. It is also regrettable that most State Owned Forest Reserves today have become dens of criminal activities. Therefore, in a bid to further add impetus to the current fight against insurgency as well as other organized crimes such as kidnapping, cattle rustling, banditry amongst others, the creation of these National Parks will provide the much needed apparatus to ward off criminal elements living or looking for hide outs in those Areas.
10. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important at this juncture to note that in order to ensure maximum security and benefits of these National Parks enunciated above, Mr. President has also directed that the Federal Ministry of Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources as well as that of Interior should work together to ensure the attainment of the targets.
11. At this junction, it is necessary that we remind ourselves that Nigeria is witnessing a resurgence of COVID-19 Infection going by the records of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control. This resurgence, the second wave as it is known, is hitting Countries and Territories with varying degrees of impact. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, has been advocating to Nigerians to observe safety provisions in the Protocol for Corona Virus Disease control in the Country.
12. In the wake of the resurgence, the Federal Ministry of Environment has already begun Terminal Environmental Decontamination/Disinfection of Premises where COVID-19 cases have been recorded stemming out of requests from such quarters. We, as a Ministry are determined to continue to support the Federal Government’s coordinated response to the Pandemic. As previously done, the Ministry is poised to once again render qualitative services.
13. You will recall that the Ministry, being one of the Line COVID-19 Response Ministries, proactively mobilized the general public at the inception of the infections earlier this year, towards understanding the nature, mode of spread and control measures. In the whole, maintenance of sterility of Premises, Containments, Dwellings, Offices is the main objective of the Ministry’s Decontamination/Disinfection intervention in order for their users to be safeguarded from letting in the Virus and other microbes into their systems.
14. It is once more necessary to re-echo the need for Nigerian Citizens to adhere strictly to provisions of the COVID-19 control protocol as the main barriers of the virus spread. To this end, Hand hygiene, Respiratory hygiene, Avoidance of crowd, Physical distancing as well as terminal and concurrent decontamination/disinfection must continue to be adopted by all and sundry.
15. It is my firm conviction that decontamination/disinfection as acclaimed by international standards, is contributing immensely to the containment of the spread of Corona virus in Nigeria. I would like to appeal to Nigerians to embrace the safe utilization of Decontamination formulations and administration by engaging only licensed Environmental Health Practitioners for Decontamination/Disinfection Services as an efficient non pharmaceutical Corona control measure.
16. Against this backdrop, the Federal Ministry of Environment is thanking Mr. President for this giant stride which is targeted towards achieving wildlife conservation that is in tandem with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and addressing internal security. We also appreciate the efforts of government in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 in the Country. It is our prayer and hope that this second wave of the Pandemic will be promptly controlled effectively.
We are grateful to the Media for your continuous support and cooperation.
Thank you and God Bless.
REGISTERER EHORECON_HQ, DR. BABA YAKUBU MOHAMMED CHAIRMAN, COMMITEE OF REGISTRARS OF HEALTH PROFESSION, MOHAMMED IBRAHIM MAMI AND SECRETARY OF THE COMMITEE, ALIHU ABUDULAHI ANGARA ON A COURTESY CALL TO THE HON. MINISTER
Hon. Minister of Honourable Minister Of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Registerer EHORECON_HQ, Dr. Baba Yakubu Mohammed Chairman, Commitee of Registrars of Health Profession, Mohammed Ibrahim Mami and Secretary of the Commitee, Alihu Abudulahi Angara paid a courtesy call to the Hon. Minister
PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA RECEIVED BRIEFING FROM THE HON. MINISTER OF STATE ENVIRONMENT CHIEF SHARON IKEAZOR
President Commander In Chief Of The Armed Forces, Federal Republic Of Nigeria Received Briefing From The Hon. Minister Of State Environment Chief Sharon_Ikeazor On The Legal Framework For Climate Change, Nigeria Cop 26 Preparation And Conservation Of Nigeria's Biodiversity At The State House