- The World Bank country Director for Nigeria Onno Ruhl has urged the country to device strategies on how best it would utilise the $200 billion at its disposal from clean technology fund. The fund has not yet been spent because the World Bank could not find any project available.
He said although the minister of environment has come up with a local strategy on climate, localisation of strategies towards climate change can bridge the challenge currently facing the world.
World Bank Regional Climate Change Coordinator, Rafaello Cervigni said climate change is a threat to development, and world assessment have been made on 25 percent children with malnourishment, 1.4 billion people in poverty, 1/6 without clean water and 1.6 billion without modern energy.
He said the current financing for adoption and mitigation on climate change is $10 billion, which is less that 5 percent of what may have been needed by 2030.
The Minister of environment, John Odey said the conclusion of the Copenhagen conference in December had stressed on the need for homegrown strategies to fight climate change. “Without relaxing in our effort to combat all environmental degradation, we are preparing to have a project on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation,” he said.
Africa’s most populous state has over 150 million people.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.