POLITICS
Research, Development, Panacea for Africa’s Economic Diversification – ECA
Sustainable industrialisation and economic diversification will occur on the African continent if African countries invest in research and development, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has declared.
Its Acting Executive Secretary, Mr Antonio Pedro, stated yesterday that such investments would help to harness technology for a green, inclusive and resilient Africa.
Pedro spoke at the opening of the fifth African Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum 2023 in Niamey.
The STI forum is a side event heralding the 9th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD).
The theme of this year’s Forum is “Accelerating development and diffusion of emerging technologies.
”“To build on the innovative spirit, we must strengthen the enabling environment.
“This will be done through informed policies, increased investment in research and development, and harnessing the support of the private sector more effectively.
“Africa should be at the forefront of a green transformation to accelerate growth, diversify economies and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063,” he stated.
The SDGs or Global Goals set by the UN in 2015 are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future’’
Pedro also stated that: “our key opportunity lies in the renewable energy market. Its market value in 2020 was estimated at 881.7 billion dollars and is projected to reach 1,977.6 billion dollars by 2030.”
He said ECA and its partners had completed the STI policy design and implementation guide which countries could use regardless of the policy implementation cycle.
In the statement, Niger’s Minister for Secondary and Higher Education, Research and Technology, Mr Habi Mahamadou, said STI was a cross-cutting theme that depended on policy framework, education, and infrastructure.
According to Mahamadou, the biggest challenge of STIs in Africa is lack of human and technological capacity.
“Countries need to strengthen their capacities in science, technology and innovation.
“Even though STI is key in achieving Africa’s development agenda 2063 and SDG agenda 2030, African governments are still lagging in their commitment to STI.
“STI can only be accelerated by human capital infrastructure development,” he stressed.
ECA Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management, Mr Jean-Paul Adam, said science and technology were “innovation catalysts”.
Adam said it was important for African countries to upscale what they already did in science and technology.
“we must have human capital development linked to the diaspora to transform innovation in Africa and leverage the opportunity provided by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
“African governments must have clear policies on science and technology, give tax incentives, and have measurable objectives in the development plan for effective transition from a consumer Africa to a producer Africa,” he said.
Mr Dimitri Sanga, Director, UNESCO Regional Office for West Africa, said it was important to have open science in Africa.
According to Sanga, there is the need to promote open access to publications and scientific data, transparency of peer review, and participatory science.
He added that UNESCO had developed the recommendation on open science.
“Member states adopted this recommendation in 2021, and we are working with them to implement it.
“I am optimistic about the results of our work, which shall contribute fully to enable Africa to be a resilient, green and prosperous continent,’’ Sanga said.
African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Mohamed Belhocine, said the commission had developed a plan for the education of women.
According to Belhocine, the plan will address women’s educational challenges and encourage more girls to undertake Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
STEM is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of education policy or curriculum choices in schools
Belhocine added that digital skills, science and technology were important to building digital transformation in Africa.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Ms Valentine Uwamariya, provided an update on the 4th ARFSD forum held in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2022.
Uwamariya said that four countries had joined the Alliance for entrepreneurs universities in Africa formed during the Forum.
“STI Forum has been organised in May 2023, and Africa will take a lead role.
“Collaboration centre for science and technology between ECA and the Rwandan government has been finalised,” she said.
Emma Theophilus, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology in Namibia, noted that funding for research and development, particularly in STI by countries, was still low.
Theophilus said that this, together with census on capacity on STI, needed to be strengthened in the systems.
The results of the two-day STI side event will feed into the work of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, which will begin from February 28 to March 2 in Niamey. (NAN)
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
The Senate yesterday charged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to urgently increase police and military presence in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State, with a view to forestalling the recurring clashes between suspected marauding fulani herdsmen and indigenous people, which has oftentimes resulted in loss of lives and property.
The Senate resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the need for the IGP and COAS to urgently curb the “senseless killings and maiming” of innocent indigenous peoples of Nimbo, Adani in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu state by bandits, which was sponsored by Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu) and co- sponsored by Senator Chukwu Kelvin (LP, Enugu) and Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West).
In the motion, Senator Ezea said that on April 7, 2024, five innocent farmers in Adani; a popular rice production community in Uzo-Uwani, were callously murdered by some bandits who invaded the community in the wee hours of the morning to commit the dastardly act.
He said on April 28, 2024, at about 2 pm, another attack was carried out in the same area where four innocent people in the farming village of Nimbo were gruesomely mowed down by bandits in an unprovoked attack that was reminiscent of the April 2016 Nimbo killings.
He recalled that in February 2016, Abbi community was the first to be hit by the same assailants where two people were gruesomely killed while 19 others were declared missing.
The senator noted that there was a major massacre in Nimbo community in the early hours of April 25, 2016, which left over 46 people dead and 14 persons injured, with their houses and other property completely razed.
He expressed worry that the killings did not seem to be isolated as their persistence indicated a pattern, saying that even with the 2016 killings, the authorities both at the state and Federal levels had not taken robust steps to mitigate the menace.
Senator Ezea expressed worry that if nothing very urgent and sustainable was done to put an end to the recurrent menace, people would begin to resort to self-help to ward off the criminal elements, stressing that “this might eventually lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, especially given the already challenging security situation in the region”.
He said that with the strategic location of Uzo-Uwani as a net producer of food in the country, the killings would have a significant impact on the nation’s food security as more and more farmers were now becoming afraid to go to farms for fear of being killed.
He said residents were abandoning their communities and relocating to urban areas, thereby, exacerbating the rural-urban migration crises in the country.
Senator Kelvin Chukwu (LP, Enugu)who seconded the motion added that the killing of members of the community was unacceptable, pointing out that there was need to put an end to the killings.
He said considering the strategic nature of the affected communities in rice production, there was the need to protect the residents from attack.
However, in his contribution, Sen. Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) said although he was a co -sponsor of the motion, he was disassociating himself from the fifth paragraph of the motion, which stated that the state and Federal governments had not taken robust steps to stop the killings.
Senator Ngwu said it was a misrepresentation of facts that the state and federal governments through the security agencies were not working hard to put an end to the attacks and killings and protect members of the communities.
According to Ngwu, the Enugu state Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah and the security agencies had visited the affected communities with relief materials, adding that the state and federal governments, together with the security agencies were doing everything possible to protect the people and end the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Senate in its resolution, urged the IGP, COAS and Director General of the Department of State Services to investigate, arrest and prosecute the criminal gangs to serve as a deterrent.
It also mandated its Committees on Legislative Compliance, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence to ensure compliance and proffer lasting solutions.
It further urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the victims to cushion effects of the unwarranted attacks.
POLITICS
Ebonyi LG Polls: EBSIEC Gives 3rd June Ultimatum for Political Parties to Conclude Primaries
By Godwin Okeh, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, on Wednesday gave 3rd June 2024 ultimatum for all political parties in the state to conclude their chairmanship and councillorship primary elections.
The Commissioner in-charge of Public Affairs in the commission, Chief Nnanna Nweze-Offor stated this while answering questions on the commission’s timetable for the Local Government Election.
According to him: “Political parties participating in the forthcoming Saturday 20th July Local Government election in the state must conclude their Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries not later than third June, 2024.
He noted further that the list of nominated candidates for the Chairmanship and councillorship position must be submitted to EBSIEC before the end of Monday 3rd June 2024.
Chief Nweze-Offor pointed out that political parties conducting primaries must invite EBSIEC to observe the primaries as required by the law, noting that the commission was poised to conduct a free, fair and credible election without bias for anyone or political party.
He pointed out that soon the commission will advertise for recruitment of adhoc workers for the election, adding that various trainings will be conducted towards a successful Local Government polls in the state.
Chief Nweze-Offor noted that the commission was working round the clock to ensure a smooth election and called on all to join hands with EBSIEC in the bid to give the people the best Local Government election in the state.
Daily Asset reports that the Local Government election in Ebonyi State is slated to hold on Saturday, 20th July 2024 across the thirteen Local Government Areas of the state.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji has called for an urgent financial investment in the Federal Teaching Hospitals across the country in line with the renewed hope agenda of the current administration for the betterment of the citizenry.
Magaji who led members of his Committee on a visit to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo said the need to allocate more funds in the health sector cannot be overemphasized considering the primary place of health institutions in the country.
He appreciated the Chief Medical Director and his management staff for showing interest in the growth judging by the tremendous achievements recorded within a period of one year.
He said that as head of the House Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, he will work with his members to ensure that more funds are made available to develop the needed infrastructure including the medical equipment to meet up with the expectations of the people.
“We are glad to be in Otukpo today to see things for ourselves. We don’t want to depend on second hand information on the true condition of the Federal University Teaching Hospital Otukpo.”
The Committee Chairman assured the management of full support of the Federal House of Representatives as appropriate incentives will be given through interface with other critical stakeholders in Abuja.
Magaji, who also observed that most of the Federal Teaching Hospitals were having almost the same challenges, advised the leadership team to accommodate all Nigerians irrespective of tribe including the host Community.
He however enjoined the Staff who he described as foundation staff to work as a team despite the working condition, “we have seen how the environment is looking and we will continue to monitor the progress. So as foundation staff, you all have the opportunity to write your name in gold”.
In his brief welcome address, the Chief Medical Director, Prof Silas Ochejele Commended the Federal Government for the establishment of the Teaching Hospital in Otukpo which has drastically changed the medical services narratives in the State.
Prof Ochejele also commended the Committee for undertaking pains to come down to Otukpo, ” the Hospital is very happy to have you here as we strongly believe that you’re coming to see things yourselves we go a long way in repositioning the Hospital for the betterment of the people’s health needs’
After the briefing, the House Committee inspected some of the ongoing projects and appreciated the efforts being made by the CMD particularly the level-playing ground provided to both staff and patients which earned them recommendation.
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