Environment
World Water Day: Dangote Group, Others Make Case for Underground Water Protection
Kunle Idowu, Abeokuta
A case has been made for extractive industries to prioritize the protection of groundwater in a bid to preserve the environment for the benefit of all.
To do this, businesses were urged to deliberately incorporate the protection of groundwater in their operational designs and sourcing of industrial production facilities.
These were part of the submissions by the Head of Community Affairs and Environment, Dangote Cement Plc, Engr.
Tukur Lawal in his presentation to stakeholders in sustainability Ecosystem during a webinar to mark the 2022 World Water Day, hosted by the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre in collaboration with Dangote Cement Plc and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).Tukur explained that Dangote Cement had always engaged in the global best practice in this regard, pointing out that “some of the best practices by Dangote Cement Plc, include the Dry Cement Production Process, recycling and reuse of 20% of water at the company’s Ibese plant in South West Nigeria, as well as channeling of treated water to farmers in the surrounding communities,” a development he said had benefitted about 143 farmers in Zambia.
The virtual event, which had in attendance stakeholders from across Africa, was in line with this year’s theme ‘GroundWater: Making the Invisible Visible’ and it centred on the fact that groundwater is only 3% of the world’s fresh water and yet the largest and most widely distributed source of freshwater.
In her opening submission, Dr. Igazeuma Okoroba, the Head of Sustainability, Dangote Cement Plc, said the web forum was organised to raise awareness and promote collaboration in the sustainable use of groundwater, which is an essential resource for everyone.
UNEP Water Specialist, Mr. Patrick Lumumba M’mayi, who delivered a presentation on the theme, emphasized the need for collaboration and partnership between Communities, Academia, Government and Businesses to tackle groundwater pollution and drive sustainable management of this precious resource. “The question then becomes: How much do we invest in this resource so that it’s available for our use today and remains available for our generations yet unborn?”
Mrs. Oreva Atanya, Manager, LBS Sustainability Centre also admonished the participants and stakeholders to leave with a sense of collective responsibility. “While organisations like UNEP work based on requests from governments, companies in the extractive industry should also ensure they adhere to the highest environmental standard. NGOs and citizens have a duty as well.”
According to Kaine Chinwa, a scholar and participant at the panel discussion, it is important that Africa finds solutions locally to mitigate groundwater pollution which is already prevalent around the continent, especially in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.
World Water Day is to commemorate human reliance on water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. The day also brings attention to the actions needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which stipulates “Clean Water and Sanitation for All by 2030”.
This year’s theme ‘groundwater’ puts a spotlight on the hidden water resource which is of critical significance and increases the awareness of the importance of taking care of our groundwater.
Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with nearly 51.6Mta capacity across Africa. A fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer, the company has a production capacity of 35.25Mta in its home market, Nigeria.
The Obajana plant in Kogi state, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 16.25Mta of capacity across five lines; the Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12Mta; the Gboko plant in Benue State has 4Mta; and Okpella plant in Edo state has 3Mta. Through its recent investments, Dangote Cement has eliminated Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement and has transformed the nation into an exporter of cement serving neighbouring countries
LBS Sustainability Centre brings together theory and practice on sustainability, builds leadership skills and supports constructive dialogue and collaboration between business, government, civil society and academics to find solutions to critical sustainability challenges.
The Centre achieves its mission through conducting research that is academically rigorous and policy-relevant; delivering courses on sustainability management in Executive Education, MBA, and custom programmes; and hosting business action platforms to enable constructive dialogue and collaboration between business, government, civil society and academics to find solutions to critical sustainable development challenges in Nigeria.
On the other hand UNEP, since its inception in 1972, has been the global authority that sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Environment
Prolonged Public Holidays Come with Negative Economic Effects on Citizens – Anambra Residents
Anambra residents have slammed the additional day approved by the Federal Government for the Muslim faithful to celebrate the 2024 Eid-Ei-Fitr, saying this will have negative effects on the economy.
The Federal government had early declared April 9 and 10 as Muslim-Ummah for the successful completion of a month’s spiritual rejuvenation.
Reports says that residents of Anambra capital city believe that the additional day which they did not plan for will result in economic hardship to the citizenry.
Most respondents believe that people had planned to resume their economic activities instead of wasting their time staying at home doing nothing..
Former Chairman, Awka Chamber of Commerce, Chief Felly Akosa, described the additional day to the two days approved earlier as “unfair to the economy of the country as people were unprepared for the additional day.
Akosa said that although it is right for the Muslim faithful to celebrate their holiday after a month-long fasting, the process needs to be carefully planned for in place of the additional rest day which could inhibit business activities.
Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, National Vice President of Igbo Apex Social Cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said the policy would cause huge economic waste as businesses are put on hold,
He advised that, in future, a proper and well planned programme needs to be in place before declaring a public holiday for any celebration that will be national.
“Our economy and other sectors are not very healthy,” and it would, therefore be appropriate to plan well to avoid declarations that will hamper the citizens’ welfare.
Mazi Christian Beluchukwu, a business man in Awka, described the extension of the Eid-El-Fitr public holiday to Thursday, April 11, as an added hardship for the citizenry.
Beluchukwu said that any public holiday for three days, April 9 to 11, to celebrate any feast in the country is an economic loss to the nation.
He said that it was best to stick to the two-day national public holidays as this gives room for the people to plan their activities very well.
He stated that his wife went to a public hospital on Tuesday and was unattended to because there was no doctor on seat to provide medical attention.
“She resorted to visiting a private hospital which cost extra money which the public hospital is expected to handle at a reasonable cost. (NAN)
The Jos Water Services Corporation (JWSC) has said that the World Bank fund received would be used to boost water supply to Bukuru and environs in Jos South Local Government Area.
Mr Apollos Samchi, the Managing Director of the corporation, said that N1.7 billion would be expended on the rehabilitation of water treatment plant, over head steel tank and laying of pipes to homes of consumers.
Samchi, who disclosed this on Friday in Jos, during a two-day capacity building workshop, said that the projects were expected to be completed in four months.
Reports says that the workshop organised for contractors has at its theme: “Implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans for Projects in Jos South.
The MD said that the projects would ensure steady provision of potable water to residents in Gyel and Kurgiya in Jos South Local Government Area.
He said the treatment plant when rehabilitated would pump out 5,000 cubic litres of water daily.
The MD further stated that the reticulation exercise would cover residents who weren’t initially connected to public water supply in the area.
Samchi said that the essence of the workshop was to ensure that the contractors were trained to develop adequate measures and controls to minimise and mitigate potential environmental and social risks that could adversely affect the project implementation.
He called on all the contractors handling the projects to ensure that they adhered to the environmental and safety standards and deliver within the specified timeframe.
In his remarks, Mr Jonathan Malann, the Plateau Project Coordinator, Sustainable Urban, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (SURWASH), also advised contractors to adhere to the environmental and safety standards as provided by the World Bank.
The Federal Government had received $700m financing from the World Bank to ensure that all its people have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services.
The seven participating states are Plateau, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, and Kaduna.(NAN)
The Gombe State Executive Council (SEC) has approved payment of N389 million as compensation for residents that would be affected by the gully erosion control project at Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical and its surrounding communities.
The Commissioner for Finance, Gombe State, Malam Mohammed Magaji, stated this at the end of the SEC meeting on Friday in Gombe.
Magaji said the payment, which would commence immediately, would be for individuals and organisations along the gully erosion site.
He said almost 1000 persons were expected to benefit from the gesture.
According to him, the compensation is part of the requirements of the World Bank, which specifies that such payments be made to property owners.
Magaji said the payment would also be made to ensure seamless resettlement of affected persons.
“The beneficiaries are in hundreds, almost a 1,000 people; there is compensation for houses, and also for business premises.
“There is also stipends for the elderly living around that area so that they are able to have good livelihood,” he said.
The commissioner for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Maigari, also said the SEC approved upgrade of the five mega senior secondary schools in the state to sustain improvement in the education sector.
Maigari said the upgrade would be carried out based on the needs of each of the schools.
She stated that infrastructure in some of the schools were already being upgraded to global standards.
“We have seen construction of toilets, installation of solar-powered light, construction of roads, school clinics, boreholes and many more,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Nov. 23 signed a N12 billion contract with Triacta Nigeria Ltd. for a 21-kilometre gully erosion control work in six communities within Gombe metropolis.
The project is under ACRESAL project, a World Bank-assisted project to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in northern Nigeria. (NAN)
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