Delayed climate change action will lead to a 4°C warmer world

The new chair of the group of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Prakash Mathema from Nepal, has urged Parties to show leadership to achieve real and substantial progress on the negotiation of a 2015 treaty and to close the mitigation gap before 2020.

“There is no more time to waste, so we need to stop going round in circles”, he said at the inauguration of first negotiation session.

Over the long and tedious journey of the climate change negotiations, the LDC Group has continuously stressed that they will be the most seriously hit by the impacts of climate change.

The effects are already being seen – we are all experiencing an increased number of droughts, severe storms, and floods. These events are increasing in frequency, magnitude and intensity, and worsening from day to day the quality of life of already vulnerable populations.

During their preparation of the Bonn talks, the group formulated their bottom line – start real negotiations now!

Delay in action against climate change is not an option for the group – delay will certainly lead to a 4°C warmer world.

 

The message from the group regarding the current negotiation is clear: “We must draw lessons from the past negotiations under this Convention, and implement urgent actions to address climate change. We should ensure that the outcomes of Durban are implemented as a matter of urgency. Without substantial progress to close the 8–13 gigatonne mitigation gap before 2020, the LDCs would not be prepared to accept a weak outcome.”

The sum of mitigation-related actions by all Parties should lead to an aggregate global emission pathway that is scientifically consistent with limiting warming below 1.5°C by the end of the 21^st century.

This calls for clear short-, medium- and long-term commitments which should be subjected to regular reviews, and be based on latest science.

Adaptation and climate resilience are the top priorities for the LDCs for which international support for technology, capacity building and finance is still inadequate.

If global emissions are not limited, our countries will be confronted with a situation where adaptation requirements will far exceed capacities even if all possible international support is provided.

“At a certain point adaptation will have its limits and in the long-term, mitigation is the best form of adaptation”, stressed Mr. Mathema.

Laboratory technologists in Ghana and Nigeria build capacity on soil and plant analysis

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and IITA organized a capacity development workshop for laboratory technologists from the national agricultural research systems of Ghana and Nigeria.

The training aims to improve the professional skills of laboratory technicians in soil and plant analytical laboratories in Ghana and Nigeria, and improve the capacity of the countries’ laboratories in soil and plant testing to enhance the quality of fertilizer recommendations to farmers.

The 2-week training covered areas such as quality control in soil analysis, data analysis and fertilizer recommendation, plant analysis and soil fertility management, modern trends in plant and soil analysis, safety in the laboratory and management of commercial laboratory, among others. Participants also developed country action plans.

Dr. Kenton Dashiell, a deputy Director-General at the IITA has reiterated the Institute’s commitment to capacity development across Africa. He said that the Institute would redouble its efforts towards building the critical human capacity that would fight hunger and poverty in Africa.

Prof. G.O. Adeoye of the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, called for greater attention to laboratory science.

In his presentation, “Equipment Selection and Environment”, Prof Adeoye gave a series of parameters to be considered when selecting equipment for laboratories. These include cost, speed of delivery from the manufacturers, quality, availability of installation and maintenance manuals, areas of installation and human resource to operate the equipment.

Mr Joseph Uponi, Project Manager with IITA, said that the training workshop was timely and it would contribute to food security. He noted that with the right knowledge and skills in soil and plant analysis, participants would be able to tackle the challenges facing their individual countries.

The training course had 10 participants from Ghana and 13 participants from Nigeria.

Striking university workers at KNUST reach consensus with management

Authorities at the KNUST have reached a consensus with agitated university workers over payment of outstanding allowances.

According to the members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), their hospital and overtime allowances have been in arrears for the past 30 months.

They have also been protesting new promotion procedures and their placements on the single spine salary structure.

Leadership of the Union has been meeting with management of the university, after staging a demonstration on Wednesday.

TEWU Chairman at the KNUST, Charles Arthur, says some of the grievances have been addressed.

According to him, management would be paying the overtime arrears over a four-month period whilst that of hospital allowance would have to be taken up with the national TEWU and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

Issues of promotion are however to be further discussed as a meeting scheduled for Friday.

Mr. Arthur has indicated that the industrial action is likely to be suspended after the scheduled meeting for work to resume on Monday.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Innovation Prize for Africa Announces 2013 Finalists

Ten African innovators have developed practical solutions to some of the continent’s most intractable problems. 

Chosen from more than 900 applications from 45 countries, the finalists for the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2013 provide practical examples of Africa’s investment potential. 

The IPA is an award founded by the African Innovation Foundation and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. It mobilizes African innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a total of US$150, 000 to winners who deliver market-oriented solutions for African-led development.

The winners of the IPA 2013 will be announced at a gala dinner on 7 May in Cape Town, South Africa hosted by the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and the Sekunjalo Development Foundation.

The winner will receive US$100, 000 for the best innovation based on marketability, originality, scalability, social impact and clear business potential.  A runner up will receive US$25, 000 for the best commercial potential and another winner will receive US$25, 000 as a special prize for social innovation.  

“As global leaders gather for the World Economic Forum on Africa to discuss approaches to deliver on Africa’s promise, these innovators demonstrate that the best way to build Africa’s capacity is to invest in local innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, a co-founder of the African Innovation Foundation and the IPA. 

From Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and Tunisia, the IPA 2013 finalists are leaders in the areas of agriculture, environment, health, ICT and manufacturing.

"We see a strong trend emerging of innovations that have significant social impact for Africa," said Dr. Francois Bonnici, Director Bertha Centre for Social Innovation at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. 

The IPA honours and encourages innovative achievements that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency or cost savings in Africa.

The prize also encourages private equity investors, government and development leaders to invest across sectors and build a climate that fuels Africa’s economic growth. 

The call for applications for IPA 2014 will be announced in July 2013.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Developing nations put climate change at heart of plans

Representatives from governments in Africa and Asia have formed a network to support their efforts to factor climate change into their development plans.

The group developed its plans at the 7^th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change, which has ended in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Government Group Network on Climate Change Mainstreaming and Development includes members from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, The Gambia and Zanzibar – and will expand to include other countries.

The network exists to enable policymakers in countries at risk from climate change to share information and collaborate in ways that can strengthen their policies and plans by ensuring they consider how climate change could affect development.

The network has developed a framework for assessing and planning how to integrate climate into the business of national and sub-national planning professionals. The building blocks of the framework are political will, information and awareness, and resources for programmes and projects.

The CBA7 conference – organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS) -- brought together over 250 international practitioners, scientists, government and non-government policy and decision makers.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the conference with a strong call for rich countries to help poorer ones to adapt, but also pointed out that developing nations were already leading the way in adaptation.

“This year's event was especially important in bringing on board significant participation from governments, who now join the civil society based groups that have been mostly involved so far,” says Saleemul Huq, senior fellow in IIED’s climate change group. “This seventh annual meeting has demonstrated how far and fast the community of practice has grown over just a few short years.”

Conference delegates – and online participants who followed the conference over the internet –learnt about ways that people around the world are adapting to climate change in both rural and urban settings, and how governments can embed adaptation in all policy arenas.

“The conference was very useful both in terms of the things I learned that could be replicated at country level and through the interactive networking opportunities it created,” says Lamin Jobe from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs in The Gambia. “It has inspired me to advocate for mainstreaming monitoring and evaluation into our climate change planning and implementation processes.”

 

“Bangladesh has reasserted itself as the adaptation capital of the world,” says Atiq Rahman, director of BCAS. “The issues of climate, development and vulnerability of the poor must be central to future decision making process. There must be assured, adequate and sustainable financial resources for the poorest of the world impacted by climate change induced extreme events."

Next year’s conference will take place in Nepal and its theme will be ‘Financing Adaptation’.

Extractive industries can address conflict and build trust with communities – new book shows

Giant mining, timber, and oil and gas projects provide lessons in how companies can act to address conflict and build trust in communities their activities affect, according to a new book from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). 

This matters because there are many places, particularly in the developing world, where communities cannot rely upon legal channels to address their grievances about companies’ social and environmental impacts.

The work of the UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, has increased awareness about the potential of company-community grievance mechanisms to help fill gaps left by weak legal systems.

“Leading oil and gas, mining and forestry companies are starting to establish their own formal mechanisms to address and resolve local citizens’ grievances,” says co-author Dr Emma Wilson.

“Grievance mechanisms provide a channel for communities to identify concerns and for companies to address these concerns before they escalate. As part of an effective overall strategy to engage with communities, these mechanisms can help companies to build trust with stakeholders, reduce operational risks and enhance the way they manage project impacts and community relations.”

The book includes research from Africa, Asia, the Russian Far East and Azerbaijan that provides insights into how different grievance mechanisms are designed and what affected communities think about them.

“It is important that companies resolve grievances in a systematic way and that they have local staff on the ground who can engage appropriately and sensitively with communities,” says co-author Emma Blackmore.

“Companies can make use of the traditional approaches that local communities already use to make decisions and settle disputes. They can also support activities that build the capacity of government officials and communities to take part in a more informed and meaningful way. This book highlights some examples of how this has been done, and some of the challenges of such approaches.”

David Vermijs, independent advisor on business and human rights and the author of one of the chapters in the book writes: “A grievance mechanism is not just a mechanical process or a tool, but requires a change in corporate culture: a fundamental shift in how the company deals with conflict and stakeholder engagement.”

Writing in the book’s foreword, Caroline Rees, CCEO of Shift, who has worked closely with Professor Ruggie, says “this book makes an important contribution by bringing to light a range of powerful case studies of how companies, often with communities, have built grievance mechanisms that have both enjoyed a good measure of success and offered important lessons. The cases convey varying perspectives on the mechanisms they review, including the crucial perspectives of affected communities themselves.  Together, they offer valuable insights into the considerable challenges, and the equally considerable benefits, of effective company-community grievance mechanisms.”

University workers at KNUST demonstrate over allowances

University workers at the KNUST in Kumasi embarked on a demonstration on Wednesday in the second day of an industrial action to press home demand for payment of outstanding allowances.

They marched to the school’s administration where they met with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Otoo Ellis.

The parties later met to deliberate on grievances, but the meeting had to be rescheduled for Thursday.

According to the members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), their hospital and overtime allowances have been in arrears for the past 30 months.

They are also protesting new promotion procedures which they describe as alien as well as their placements on the single spine salary structure.

Chairman of the local TEWU, Charles Arthur says management of the university has been slow in responding to the welfare of the workers.

University Relations Officer, Vincent Ankamah-Lomotey, acknowledged some concerns of the workers have been on the tables of the authorities, but others are beyond University administration, especially issues on single spine placements.

He is hopeful a roadmap for payment of the areas would be reached at Thursday’s meeting.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Rural banks need operational paradigm shift not mergers – expert

The network of rural and community banks reaches million of depositors and thousands of borrowers, making it the largest group of licensed financial service providers in rural Ghana.

But the relatively high ratio of nonperforming loans and the continued operation of poorly performing banks remain issues facing the network.

According to banking expert, Nana Otuo Acheampong, the rural banks need to do more to generate profit for shareholders.

He observed that the rural banks are taking good care of depositors’ money but “in terms of profitability, there is still room for improvement; they can work harder and give their shareholders more profit than they are doing now”.

To avoid the risk of liquidating poor performing banks, there have been suggestions for mergers with strong banks to address the challenge of capital inadequacy.

But Nana Otuo believes the rural banks in their present standing are not ready for mergers. He told Luv Biz Report the rural banks can only submit to mergers when they become attractive.

“Before you even go into a merger, you polish yourself before you become attractive…so for you to become a merger target, then it means you’ve got to ready yourself and so they need to have a shift in paradigm, put their house in order and once they become attractive, if they feel the merger route is the way to grow and increase profit then why not; value will be in it and others will buy them”, he emphasized.

Rural and community Banks in Ashanti have been in a training session on best industry practices at the Osei Tutu II Center for Executive Education and Research (OTCEER) in Kumasi.

The training focused on empowering boards of rural banks to help shape the banks for the future, especially is complying with the Bank of Ghana’s rules and regulations.

“Part of the monitoring system that the regulator has in place is the completion of what we call Prudential Returns, where the Central Bank wants to know the assets and liabilities of the banks and how they’re taking care of depositors money”, said Nana Otuo.

The next phase of the training will target internal auditors of the rural banks to enforce compliance and assurance issues.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

GTBank introduces account for non-resident Ghanaians

Guaranty Trust Bank, in a bid to extend its services to Ghanaians in the diaspora has introduced a new product called the Non-Resident Ghanaian (NRG) Account.

This innovative product offers Ghanaians and their families living abroad the opportunity to open and operate a local bank account from anywhere in the world for savings, remittances, business and other purposes. Amounts saved could be used as collateral for a loan facility as well.

The Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Limited, Lekan Sanusi says “coming out with the NRG Account is in line with our new strategic focus to continue to bring our services even closer to all Ghanaians irrespective of their location worldwide”.

The NRG Account provides customers access to a wide range of banking products and services, including Current and Savings Accounts, Foreign Exchange Account, Foreign Currency Account, investment in Money Market instruments, eBanking services and card products such as MasterCard and Visa.

It can be operated in Cedi, Dollar, Euro and Pounds and statements of accounts are sent via emails and SMS.

Deposits are done through conversion of foreign currency to Cedi account via transfer from a bank account abroad. Cash and cheques can also be deposited into accounts by relations or other people instructed to do so on behalf of the customer at any of the Bank’s branches in Ghana.

Withdrawals can be made through the use of Visa and MasterCard cards, cheques and transfers via Internet Banking platform to GTBank customers and customers of other Ghanaian banks.

“The NRG Account is an excellent characteristic of a business solution with reliability, convenience and safety in mind and we believe it will go a long way to further deepen our unrivaled customer delivery”, stated Mr. Sanusi.

GTBank presently operates from 23 outlets spread across six regions in the country, namely Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Brong Ahafo, Volta and the Northern regions.

Plans are advanced to expand services to the Central and Eastern regions.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

University workers begin industrial action in demand of allowances

Members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) at the Kwame Nkrumah Unoverity of Science and Technology (KNUST) have started an exercise that may see them staying out of post from Tuesday.

The industrial action is in protest of non-payment of some outstanding allowances for the past 30 months.

The workers are clad in red shirts and arm bands to signify their displeasure.

This comes on the heels of the recent strike to the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) which disrupted academic activities.

Chairman of the local TEWU, Charles Arthur says management of the University has been slow in responding to the welfare of the workers.

He said management for the past two to three years “have denied us our request to pay our overtime arrears, our hospital allowance arrears and also promotion; they have brought in something which is alien to our promotion procedures, then the placement of our members on the single spine [salary structure]”.

Mr. Arthur explains the action has been taken in the consideration of essential services and students who are due to start end of semester exams in few days.

“Now we’ve allowed the essential services to continue going on depending on the fact that they [management] will hear whatever we are saying so that within shortest possible time they’ll listen to us. If they refuse, we’ll have no option than to withdraw all of them”, he warned.

 

Full withdrawal of services will affect service delivery at the Tech Hospital and sanitation on campus.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Traditional rulers share knowledge in contemporary leadership

Contemporary issues in leadership form the basis of the third module of the ongoing service management and leadership training for traditional authorities in Ghana.

Since February this year, 30 chiefs and queens in Ashanti are being exposed to innovative ideas in the discharge of routine duties in their respective communities.

They are learning to better manage resources within their localities and to treat their subjects like customers.

According to Mamponghemaa, Nana Agyakoma Dufie II, the sessions have been beneficial in broadening the horizon of the traditional leaders in the management of local resources.

She is hopeful the programme would help re-orient chiefs to regard the position of queens as partners in community development.

“We’ve realized there are so many roles we need to play but they are mere rhetoric as being discussed here, they are not happening practically. We are hoping the role of queen mothers would be better appreciated at end of the modules, especially in areas of land administration”, stated Nana Agyakoma.

 

The Queen mother is confident issues of land litigation would be minimized with the active involvement of queens in land allocation.

She therefore wants the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to prevail on chiefs to partners their queens in advancing development in local communities.

The service management and leadership programme is run by the Osei Tutu Centre for Executive Education and Research (OTCEER) in Kumasi and funded by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Head of the Centre, Nana Otuo Acheampong, says the module on contemporary issues in leadership is critical for the traditional authorities in developing people and community skills.

Previous modules focused on Service Management and Innovation as well as ICT and Land Administration with the aim to enhance the role of traditional institutions in the country’s socio-economic development.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Sinapi Aba Trust to expand Youth Apprenticeship Programme

Sinapi Aba Trust is confident of receiving additional funding support from partners to expand its Youth Apprenticeship Programme (YAP), as a sustainable solution to mass youth unemployment in Ghana.

Through financial support from Opportunity International network, the scheme provides employable and entrepreneurial skills development to the youth.

Beneficiaries are equipped with training, tools and start-up capital for their income earning opportunities.

Over 1,800 young persons from seven regions have benefitted from the programme since inception in 2003, said Thomas Appiah-Mensah, Youth Development Manager for the Programme.

 

“Some of those who have graduated already have accessed the start-up capital and they’re now on their own; and the loan is very flexible, we give them a grace period of three months and they use eight months for repayment…on a whole, we have succeeded in creating this income earning opportunity for vulnerable youth in Ghana”, he said.

Apprentice under the program enroll in a three year project to acquire vocational skills in various marketable trades, including dressmaking, hairdressing, carpentry, wielding, plumbing, ICT, auto spraying and cookery.

The program is also designed to respond to the sexual and reproductive health needs of young persons, especially HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

The Programme would be expanded to all regions of the country, Mr. Appiah-Mensah told Luv Biz Report at the 13th graduation ceremony for some beneficiaries in Kumasi.

He believes additional support from government would help reach out to more employed youth.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

From polls to court – cooling waters after an election!

My third trip to Nairobi – the place of cool waters – may not have been so fascinating, except the excitement to acquire knowledge and skills in multimedia reporting from the Thomson Media Foundation.
 

As matter of fact, the exceptional moments of a Science Safari in Kenya’s South Rift with my Maasai brethren in 2009 have yet to get its match. http://kadafricana.blogspot.com/2009/10/journey-to-kenyas-south-rift-valley.html

But I arrived at interesting times in the politics of Kenya – the inauguration of the fourth and youngest President in the political history of the East African Nation and significantly the reign of the son to the country’s revered first President, Jomo Kenyatta.

Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto – the pair tagged as UHURUTO by local media – took office after the Supreme Court of Kenya swiftly dealt with an election petition by the main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who contested election rigging. The Court asserted that the election was free and fair, paving way for Uhuru to become the new President of Kenya!

Kenyans welcomed the new leadership with joy and pride in their new found democracy, especially after the bloody experience of the country’s 2007 Elections in which many people perished and power-sharing become the practice of governance.

For some Kenyans however, their democracy has become ‘a tyranny of numbers’ as was posited by a colleague journalist and I heard American civil rights activist, Rev. Jesse Jackson on Kenyan TV emphasizing that “democracy does not guarantee success but opportunities”. I really had no time to put these statements to test…

Not much to expect as I went about town engaging the mood of the people in the President’s first week in office… the city centre of Nairobi has been its usual self – hustling and bustling with heavy vehicular traffic. Very good posture for productivity – no more politics, elections are over, time to get to work!

Amidst the peace of heart of the everyday Kenyan, I had the thoughts of my beloved country at heart.

In 2009, when I first arrived in this country, Ghana was a BIG name! The pride of being a Ghanaian was lived and I was celebrated everywhere I stepped my foot – all because my country had become a beacon of hope for Africa politics, especially after the 2008 polls.

But soon the stables have turned; long before I set forth on my journey, the Kenyan judicial experience was on the lips of all in Ghana. The question has been….how were they able to deal with the election petition within two weeks?

“The greatest criticism about Ghana was the fact that the Supreme Court didn't have a time limit to make a judgment of the Presidential petition…In as far as we look up to Ghana as a role model, I think this was one area that people faulted the Ghanaian system”, a colleague journalist told me as I swallowed the criticism bitterly.

With the Ghanaian 2012 Election petition still swimming in the Supreme Court, I can only watch from afar, thanks to yet another Kenyan example for live telecast of proceedings.

Now, as I went about town enjoying the scenery of Nairobi, I was attracted to the giant statute of Jomo Kenyatta at the Kenya International Conference Centre (KICC)… just beside this statue sits the Supreme Court of Kenya, where the infamous election verdict was declared!

I looked deep into the eyes of Jomo and he seemed to be telling me ‘the judges have done a good job for my boy Uhuru to taste the throne and I’m happy that the woman I love has lived to serve as mother and wife to two presidents’. I simply love Africa, I told him!

The job of the journalist demands that you continuously broaden your horizon and the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) provided a great atmosphere for learning and recreation. Thanks to TrustMedia facilitators, Matt and Corinne for tolerating 12 African journalists in shooting videos, editing and presenting multimedia reports.

My last night at the Nairobi Safari Club Hotel was yummy with the experience of tasting camel and crocodile amidst good drink, music and amazing cultural performance by the Safari Cats.

Indeed life can be tasty but risky! But should we fear to take risk, especially in experimenting with the unknown? My mind wondered as I zoomed back to my motherland…

Thoughts of Kofi Adu Domfeh

Government cautioned against crowding out private sector finance

The Ghanaian government is crowding out the private sector in accessing finance through the issuance of treasury bills and bonds, a major worry expressed by industrialists.

Commercial banks today find it more profitable and risk-free to lend to government than to individual businesses.

The Ghanaian economic and financial environment has therefore become attractive enough for banks to make excessive profits without lending to the public – the cost of lending for private businesses therefore keeps shooting up.

Deputy Minister designate for Finance, Ricketts Kweku Hagan, at his vetting this week posited that the country’s high interest rates charged on loans is an attribute of deficits in government’s expenditure.

This is a major worry to industry, especially local manufacturers, who have had cause to prevail on the government to tread cautiously.

 

Robert Kwaakye Nketia, Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions, particularly wants the government to heed to the automatic adjustment of fuel prices, which allows periodic price reviews for effective planning.

“If they do that it would mean that government will not ask money from the banks to finance its projects”, he said. “But if the government does not do that, always the government will go to the banks for money and lending to the government is safer but if they stop that then money will be available to industry to also tap in to grow”.

Mr. Nkatia has been speaking to Luv Biz Report at a forum to dissect provisions in the 2013 national budget statement, organised by the International Federation of Economic Journalists (IFEJ).

 

According to him, the Ghanaian economy should be on sound footing if government had factored most proposals of the AGI into the national budget.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh