Sunday 29 January 2023

CoP 27: PRIORITIES FOR NIGERIA TOWARDS CoP 28

The Conference of the Parties (CoP 27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), was held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt from 2nd - 19th November 2023. The meeting had to be extended for 37 hours. There was a lack of agreement on the way forward beyond CoP 26 held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2022. On the 26th of January 2023, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in collaboration with the Coalition for Socio-Ecological Transformation (COSET), held a 'post-mortem' of CoP 27 at Denis Hotel, Abuja. I was a stakeholder at the event. After the deadline, the Loss & Damage concept was accepted in principle.

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the lobby of Denis Hotel just before the commencement of the conference

The following were the themes:

*Outcomes for Nigeria: How did we fare as a country?
*CoP 27: Challenges & opportunities for civil society in Nigeria.
*Outcome on 'Loss & Damage'.
*How CoP 27 fared in amplifying the voices of women & youth.
*How did the Nigerian Pavilion at CoP 27 fare?
*Priority areas for Nigeria towards CoP 28
L-R: Ken Henshaw (Environmentalist); Dr. Daniel Mann (Country Director, FES); Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & a participant

Some of the other participants were: Hauwa Mustapha, Damaris Uja, Suleiman Arigbabu, Olumide Idowu, Lauretta Boniface & Aliyu Sadiq...

Snippets of the deliberations:

*For sustainable existence on mother earth, humans need to stem the tide of anthropogenic (human induced) climate change (CC).

*The women and youth agenda for CoP should be articulated at home before Nigerians head for CoP. This admonition is for both government and civil society.

*The training of youth in Negotiation and Mediation skills for CoP should be stepped up. The Climate Incubation Hub & National Negotiation Academy are welcome developments. 

*The concept of 'Loss & Damage' (L&D) agreed to during Cop 27 should be further broken down. L&D recognises the fact that damage has been incurred on account of anthropogenic CC, which needs to be paid for. Who (countries, individuals, etc.) should be responsible for paying reparation? Should pollution continue just because culprits are owning up to the consequences of L&D? Who pays for unquantifiable/immesurable L&D like mental health?

*There should be both vertical and horizontal justice accountability. A country like Nigeria that's still uses fossil fuel and flares gas should consider horizontal responsibility in spite of the fact that historical responsibility makes the West also liable.

*The socio-ecological perspective of the L&D discourse needs to be expanded. 

Beyond CoP 27 and before CoP 28, Nigeria needs to further articulate her stand on L&D while tinkering with the possibility of taking horizontal responsibility for CC...

                                            Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (middle) & colleagues

Related Links

*The world is on course for a disastrous temperature rise of 3.2 Degrees Centigrade (DC) instead of 1.5. Global emissions need to be reduced by over 7 percent every year for the next 10 years to reduce the risk of worsening    https://bit.ly/3aVxdYw

*Cities using innovative solutions for floods and heatwaves    preventionweb.net

*Counting on nature, our most perfect asset    undp.medium.com

*Fossil fuels, air pollution and vital organs    bit.ly/3Etu5T7

*Mo Ibrahim on impact of climate change  (CC) in Africa and global CoP 27 talks    washingtonpost.com

*CoP 27: A lot of noise for nothing? Should Africa be rejoicing after the high level meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh?    theafricareport.com

*Of CC adaptation in Africa    thenationonlineng.net

*Even if Africa uses all its natural gas for power, it would contribute only 0.67 percent of emissions. Africa must have natural gas to compliment its renewable energy (RE) - Akinwunmi Adesina    http://bit.ly/3UHBkfI

*Transitioning from coal to RE: Indonesia's record-setting climate deal    rmi.org

*Urban development & NDCs: From national commitments to city climate action    http://bit.ly/3TCyE1M

*Countries could cut emissions by 70 percent by 2050, and boost resilience with annual investment of 1.4 percent of GDP - World Bank    http://wrld.bg/YrAm50Lto4L

*It's time for Climate Agenda for all the people of our planet    purispeaceforum.org

*By 2050, CC is estimated to create up to 86m additional migrants in Sub-Saharan Africa, 40m in South Asia & 17m in Latin America as agricultural conditions and water availability deteriorate across these regions (Source; Global Peace Index)    web.facebook.com/photo

*How artistes, innovators & thinkers are using their platforms across Africa to amplify solutions to the climate crisis    unfcc.int/event/cop.tv...

*Infra-credit's guarantee supported by UK-funded climate finance blending facility mobilises first green certified local currency debt issue for off-grid solar rural electricity project in Nigeria    https://bit.ly/3TmBfg5

*Reaching 1.5 DC: A vision for the future    chatamhouse.org

*How not to talk to Africa about CC - PMB     washingtonpost.com

*Youth fight for climate justice & survival    allafrica.com

*Africa can lead world's transition to a low carbon future    theafricareport.com

*UNSG: Humanity has a choice - cooperate or perish. it's either a Climate Solidarity Pact or a Collective Suicide Pact    un.org

*UNSG: CoP 27 announced on action plan (7th November 2022) for an EWS against climate disasters    un.org

*Elite cheer Climate Extremism: Biden & UNSG encourage extremism    michaelshellenberger.substack.com

*The science is clear. Any hope of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 DC means achieving global net zero emissions by 2050. But that 1.5 DC goal is on life support, and the machine is rattling - Antonio Guterres    un.org

*De-coupling & fragmentation of the multilateral trading system is not the answer to the climate crisis. World leaders must unite with the WTO @ CoP 27 in laying a trade road map for a just response - NOI  ft.com/content/227444

*CoP 27: African activists must demand a new 'internationalism' on the '4 horsemen that Meteorologists call the 'Climate Endgame' - Conflict, Food shortages, Extreme weather & Vector bone diseases  theafricareport.com

*Micronutrient resilience & CC    https://lnkd.in/eSSw-3ZU

*Nigeria's focus @ CoP 27    thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-focus

*Why small scale farmers need more climate funding    weforum.org 

*Brazil's Presidential election result could affect the planet's future    nytimes.com

*World close to irreversible climate breakdown, warn major studies    theguardian.com











 




  

Sunday 22 January 2023

KDI's ELECTION DATA DASHBOARD

The first 'High-Level National Dialogue on Electoral Violence Mitigation' was held by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), on the 19th of January 2023 at Abuja Continental Hotel (Former Sheraton Hotel). The parley was to support non-violent electoral processes during the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria. I was a valued stakeholder at the event, where the 'Election Data Dashboard' was launched. The discussion was around the state of electoral violence and the future of Nigeria's elections.

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the lobby of the hotel just before the commencement of the dialogue

In my intervention, I pointed out that 'prebendalism' (money politics) is the bane of politics in Nigeria. When an individual spends billions of Naira to 'secure' the ticket of a Political Party to run for a particular post, if/when he/she is eventually 'elected' into office, the first assignment would be to 'recoup' what was spent! Hence the wheel of corruption keeps turning. I also talked about the below par space for for the female gender to participate in politics. The 'feminisation' of poverty is a major drawback for women.

Some of the participants at the discourse are:

*Santiago Stalker - Country Director, International Republican Institute (IRI)

*Dr. Ayibakuro Matthew - Governance Adviser, FCDO

*Usman Alkali Baba (Represented) - Inspector General of Police

*Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa - Independent Conflict Transformation Strategist/Gender Specialist & Former Director, Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja

*Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya - Board Member, KDI/Panelist

*Ms. Ene Ede - Board Member, KDI/Gender Activist

*Ms. Ndi Kato - Spokesperson for the Labour Party PCC/Panelist

*Mrs. Lynda Bala - First Vice President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA)/Panelist

Other documents published by KDI and disseminated at the dialogue were:

*'Know The Figures' - Analysis of candidates & political parties in Nigeria's upcoming 2023 general elections

*Advance: Women's Political Participation in Nigeria

*Understanding Voters: Dynamics behind voters' behaviour & experience

The comments made by the speakers can be distilled into the following points:

*More technology should be deployed in the electoral process, so that citizens would no longer need to gather at polling stations on election day. We should eventually reach the stage when we can conveniently vote from our bedrooms. This may take some time because of the level of illiteracy, poverty and internet penetration of the rural and semi-urban areas. But there was optimism that we'll get there some day...

*Threat analysis by the Armed Forces is constantly going on in Nigeria. This needs to be stepped up towards the elections.

*There should be stricter penalties for electoral malfeasance and related crimes. Impunity must stop!

*There should be specialised media reportage of elections and indeed the electoral process.

*Cyber-policing of comments and behaviour that relate to the electoral process should be stepped up.

It is expected that the dialogue would be:

*Disseminated to relevant stakeholders - Government, the organised private sector, CBOs, CSOs, etc.

*Credible inputs into subsequent reform the electoral law and policies.

*Support electoral planning.

*Increase public awareness of electoral violence and accountability for same.

*Advocate non-violence in elections.

*Solicit stakeholders' commitment to non-violence in elections.

*Disseminate KDI's long term electoral violence data & Election Security Risks Assessment & Violence Hotspot Report.

The beauty of this parley is that quantitative analysis informed the discourse. An example is that in May 2022, the level of violence Nigeria was highest. Why was that? The Party Primaries were held then, and the level of desperation by candidates and their supporters to secure Party tickets resulted in monumental violence.

Kudos to Bukola Idowu (Executive Director, KDI), Sarah Tama (Programme Manager Elections, KDI) and the rest of the formidable team for a successful outing... 


 


 

Friday 20 January 2023

HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION COALITION (HTC): PUTTING HEALTH ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA IN NIGERIA

 Health is created at home. Sickness takes you to the hospital for repairs - Dr. Garuba.

Dr. Garuba was one of the panelists. He made the above statement, which captured the mood of the conference held at the Rainbow Event Marquee, Abuja on the 13th of January 2023. The theme was: HTC repositioning the health sector & creating the pathway to an effective health system...

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Sen. Dr. Aliu Sabi Abdullahi (Representative of Sen. Kashim Shettima)

The conference was convened by Dr. Jide Idris, (former Commissioner for Health, Lagos state), while the co-convener was Dr. Salma Anas Ibrahim (former Commissioner for Health, Borno state). The former highlighted the giant strides in the health sector under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos state while the latter intimated the audience with the fact that in spite of insecurity in Borno state, Sen. Aliyu Shettima, improved the health sector while he was Governor. Both Tinubu and Shettima are the presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria.

Photo L-R: Dr. Salma Anas Ibrahim (fmr. Commissioner for Health, Borno state & Co-convener), Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, Sen. Dr. Aliu Sabi Abdullahi (Representative of Sen. Kashim Shettima) & a journalist

There were four sub-themes:

*Political economy of health in Nigeria: Lessons learnt from putting health on the political agenda
*Building a resilient health sector for emergencies & displaced persons/Sustainable health systems at the state level
*Mobilising domestic resources for health/Financing Nigeria's UHC aspirations
*Addressing Nigeria's healthcare infrastructure deficit: A proposal to rapidly re-build Nigeria's health infrastructure stock

Some of the participants were:

*Dr. Jide Idris - Convener/Fmr. Commissioner for Health, Lagos state
*Dr. Salma Anas Ibrahim - Co-convener/Fmr. Commissioner for Health, Borno state
*Dr. Osagie Ohanire - Minister for Health
*Dr. Pamela Ajayi - President, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria
*Dr. Ikechukwu Odikpo - Director (Medical) PCC
*Dr. Tunde Ayeye - CEO IFS Group
*Dr. Mohammed Lecky - Fmr. DG NHIS & INEC Federal Commissioner
*Dr. Shuaib Faisal - DG NPHCDA
*Sen Dr. Lanre Tejuoso - Pro Chancellor University of Lagos
*Dr. Chika Offor - Chair, Health Sector Reform Coalition
*Comrade Alli Abana - Community Health Expert
*Dr. Femi Ogunremi - CEO Monitor Healthcare
*Dr. Akin Abayomi - HC Health, Lagos state
*Dr. Ngozi Onyia - MD Paelon
*Pharmacist Erelu Munair - Pharmacist
*Dr. Obinna Onwujekwe - Health Economist
*Dr. Gafar Alawode - DGI Consult
*Dr. Ejike Oji - SSA Health & Human Services to Minister, FCT
*Dr. Tunde Ipaye - Fmr. Commissioner of Health, Ogun state
*Mrs Njide Nidili - MD Pharm Access Foundation
*Prof. Nasir Sambo - DG, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)
*Dr. Walter Olatunde - Social Infrastructure Consultant
*Ms Vivianne Ihekweazu - MD, Nigeria Healthwatch
*Prof Akin Mabogunje - President, National Postgraduate Medical College
*Mrs Fola Laoye - CEO, Iwosan
*Hon. Juliana Bitrus - Fmr. Health Commissioner, Borno state
*Dr. Yemi Johnson - CEO, First Cardiology Consultants
*Dr. John Okoh - Founder/CEO Renal Dialysis Centre

Some of the issues discussed were:

*UHC is a sine qua non for guaranteeing the average citizen in Nigeria support for various kinds of illness. The target should be UHC by 2030.

*There should be continuous improvement in healthcare

*There should be coordinated emergency medical service.

*Lessons learnt from putting health on the front burner need to be continuously documented.

*3% of the national budget allocated to health in Nigeria is very poor. Botswana is 6%, while the UK is 12%...

*Paying at the point of care is a dis-service to the citizens.

*Government should be an enabler of resilient health services in the private sector.

*There should be robust plans/template for tackling healthcare during emergencies: pandemics, insurgency, war, climate change, etc. IDPs need to be taken into account. The Health System should be a continuum, don't wait for the next pandemic. Never waste lessons learnt from a crisis.

*The health paradigm should involve other relevant Ministries, Parastatals, and indeed the private sector.

*UHC via the HTC would ensure that medical tourism by Nigerian patients is kept to the barest minimum.

*There is the need to deploy more technology for solving problems in the health sector. Artificial Intelligence (AI), including robotics and Open AI/GPT-3 should be used.

*We need to horizontalise erstwhile vertical programmes in the health sector.

*Fertility rate should be reduced.

*Continuous Research & Development (R&D) in the health sector. There should be a separate fund apart from TETFUND to take care of health research.

The consensus was that with health on the front burner of the political agenda, the citizens have a better deal as regards solution to health challenges. Always remember that building health at home is an incremental process of daily healthy habits. We should not wait to fall ill before realising the importance of health. Health is wealth, indeed...The conversation continues...