Bamboo for housing in Ghana – scientists explore technologies and challenges

Ghana’s scientific community is sharing ideas on technologies and challenges involved in the efficient and sustainable use of bamboo for housing in the country.

Bamboo is widely regarded as an excellent substitute for wood in housing. Its use in construction has potential benefits in terms of sustainable use of timber resources, economic savings in construction and high strength to material weight ratios.

However, bamboo housing in Ghana is relatively low, mainly due to lack of innovation and appropriate technology for processing local bamboo species.

The 1^st Bamboo Colloquium, sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) is on the theme “Bamboo Utilization for a Greener Construction and Future in Ghana”.

The aim is to build capacity for bamboo utilization in Ghana under the second phase of government’s action plan on the utilization of local raw materials in the building and construction industry.

The policy seeks to ensure that by 2015 at least 60 percent of indigenous raw materials are used in the construction of school blocks, market stalls, public toilets and affordable housing units.

Bamboo is one of the indigenous raw materials for the housing industry. Others include earth blocks, clay bricks, and pozzolana cement.

Dr. Yahuza Gomda, Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Ministry, has noted the increased use of durable local materials will reduce the import bill on building materials, retail capital, create employment for the youth and revitalize the environment.

“Government is really committed to this policy,” he said. “A lot of money has gone into training; a lot of people have been training on how to use the local building materials and a centre was built to train artisans at the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI)”.

Ghana faces an acute housing deficit of 1.7million units, especially in the urban centers – the cost of housing development is excessively high as most materials used are imported.

To reduce such cost, there is growing concern for the integration of bamboo as a material into building construction in Ghana.

This is spearheaded by the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (FORIG-CSIR).

Deputy Director of FORIG, Dr. Stephen Adu-Bredu says bamboo’s fast rate of growth is an advantage, hence the need to explore means to raise seedlings and sustain plantation.

“When you take trees, it takes 10-20 years before you get the product but bamboo 3-5 years you get a lot and the rate of growth is so fast – immediately you cut, it will be coppicing,” he observed.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Climate change could exacerbate drug smuggling and human trafficking

Climate change will cause an increase in drug smuggling, human trafficking and gun running, as “merchants of gloom” take advantage of desperate migrants fleeing across borders.

This is the view Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, Bangladesh’s foreign secretary from 2009 to 2012.

If sea levels rise, rainfall becomes more unpredictable and harvests fail in countries acutely vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, he predicts a rise in crime as more and more people seek to cross borders into neighbouring states.

Migration due to climate change could cause problems to state security as criminals take advantage of desperate migrants who are competing for healthcare, education and other resources in already overpopulated countries.

“Security does not mean conflict,” he told RTCC. “The moment you transport a person, there is a security issue. Are you having drugs moving across your border? Are you trafficking a human person? Are you doing gun running? It would have a serious security context for the states involved.”

Legal protection

The absence of any legal recognition for climate migrants makes such a situation appear all the more likely. The 1951 Refugee Convention contains no protection for those who have been displaced due to climate change.

In November last year, a man from the low lying Pacific island state of Kiribati lost his bid in a New Zealand court to become the world’s first official climate refugee. “Without state support, the problem risks going underground,” says Quayes.

As the problem of climate change worsens, the number of people looking to leave their homes will increase. Today, the UN predicts there are a total of 214 million migrants across the world, including those who have moved for social and political reasons.

A report by Christian Aid predicts that a further one billion people could become climate change migrants between now and 2050. Some of the movement will be seasonal, as people move from certain regions in the dry season or times of excessive rainfall.

Quayes said that leaders will fail to provide legal protection to the millions forced to flee their homes due to climate change if they continue to view the problem as merely a humanitarian crisis.

“People respond better when they see that an issue will impact security,” he said. “Climate induced displacement needs to be seen from the perspective of security so people see a need to act.”

Opportunity or threat

At a panel discussion at the Overseas Development Institute in London yesterday, experts discussed how to address the problem of climate change migration.

Dominic Kniveton, an expert on climate change migration at the University of Sussex, stressed that migration could be seen as a legitimate means of adaptation. He said it could be seen as “an option, not a threat” as families choose to leave their homes in response to the more incremental onset of some of the impacts of climate change.

“We’re looking at migration as a solution rather than as something that makes you a victim,” he said, adding that for some it could be one way of moving out of poverty. “It’s not a sign that you’ve failed – it’s an sign of a possible route out of increased stress.”

Alex Randall from the Climate Outreach and Information Network said that there needed to be a conversation about the legal, moral and policy questions that arise from seeing migration as a means of adaptation.

“Migration can and, perhaps in the future, should be a positive way for people to adapt to some of the worse impacts of climate change,” he said.

“At the moment it’s very much framed as always being a tragedy, always being something that makes someone into a victim. That is often the case. When people are forced from their home during a disaster, certainly we need to be careful we don’t see that as a way of adapting. Clearly, that’s a maladaptation if you like.”

Quayes stressed that, for many, the question was now of forced displacement, rather than a choice to move away. He recalls a conversation with the now EU Commissioner Connie Hedegaard at the UN’s disastrous 2009 climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, when it was beginning to dawn on everyone that a legally binding climate deal was impossible.

“She was feeling let down, and she was asking what it all meant. As I sat there in Copenhagen, in the shades of Elsinore, I felt like Hamlet: to be or not to be? For us, that is the question. That is the question for the Maldives, for Vanuatu. It isn’t just a question of migration.”

By Sophie Yeo

African ministers chart path for agricultural transformation

African Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture are meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to chart the way forward for the next decade of agricultural transformation on the continent.

The African Union (AU) Joint Conference holding from April 28–May 2, 2014 aims to highlight the importance of agriculture as a vehicle for economic growth and poverty eradication.

This conference will also take steps towards finalising strategies that will catalyse African-led solutions for African problems through agriculture and the rural sector for the next 10 years.

The theme for the meeting is: “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.”

“Agriculture has been showing a growth performance of about 4% per annum over the last decade of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), this is indicative that agriculture and the rural sector are at the centre of the transformation agenda”, said AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Tumusiime Rhoda Peace during her opening remarks.

“The decision of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government to commemorate 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security and marking the 10th Anniversary of the Adoption of CAADP, provides us all with a unique opportunity to engage ourselves in an exercise of honest assessment and reflections of the progresses made thus far, the lessons we have learnt, and chart clear set of goals and targets for implementation in the next decade in a context of transformative agenda to get rid of hunger, malnutrition and poverty from our continent”, she added.

Officially opening the conference, Wondirad Mandefro, State Minister of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, represented by Mr.Zena Habtewold, the Ministry’s Director, Planning and Programming, said, “CAADP has played a crucial role in improving coordination among various players on agriculture strategy development and mobilizing resources to support development endeavours.”

 

The five day meeting aims to finalise consensus on strategic goals and improved coordination of programmes linking agriculture and rural development and strengthening policy and institutional capacities for advancing agricultural transformation.

Ghana must urgently implement the National Health Laboratory Policy

The absence of a national health laboratory policy and strategic planning mechanism is affecting laboratory management at all levels of Ghana’s healthcare delivery system.

A situation analysis carried out by the professional laboratory body and other reputable international agencies reveals that some significant progress has been made in strengthening the capacity of medical laboratory services to deliver quality services.

This follows the enactment of the Health Professionals Regulatory Bodies Act 2012 (Act 857) which is helping clean up the system of quackery in insist in best practices in medical laboratory practice.

But major challenges still exist in the country, according to the Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GABMLS).

President of the Association, Prince Sodoke Amuzu, says the inherent challenges are mainly structural and functional gaps constraining the ability of the laboratory to deliver quality services.

He has therefore charged the Ministry of Health to, as a matter of urgency, facilitate the launch and implementation of the National Health Laboratory Policy documents.

The documents have been shelved for more than a year after completion by the Ghana Health Service, initialed by the Centre for Disease Control, USA.

Prince Amuzu has also called on the ministry to consider the reconstitution of the Allied Health Professions Regulatory Council Board.

“Certain people on that Board are not qualified to be there; the number of the constituents is not up to what the law says it should be – they are seven the law is asking for nine; and you need to appoint a full-time Registrar,” he observed.

Speaking to Luv News at the 2014 Annual Regional Congress and Scientific Conference of the Association in Kumasi, Prince Amuzu noted that competing priorities in the health sector have traditionally relegated the laboratory to the low ranking and starved of resources.

Chief Executive of the Ashanti regional health directorate, Dr. Alexis Nang-Beifubah, has committed to liaise with interest groups to clamp down on illegal laboratory facilities and unlicensed practitioners.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

African Farmer free online game launched by Future Agricultures

A free, open source online game, African Farmer, has been launched by the Africa-based Future Agricultures Consortium and the University of Sussex, UK.

The game simulates the complex decisions and uncertainties faced by small-scale farmers living in Sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to challenge and engage students, development practitioners, and anyone interested in the challenges faced by farmers in poor countries.

The challenge for players is to manage a farming household in a village, as they make decisions on what to grow, what to buy and how to feed a family – and see the results of those decisions.

African Farmer presents players with a range of challenges, from food prices, diets and work, to more unpredictable chance events like weather and disease.

 

The game is available in two versions. One is a multi-player game, ideal for classrooms and workplace training where a group is guided through the game by a ‘game manager’. The other is a single player game, which can be played by anyone in a standard Internet browser.

Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa is complex and varied. While the African Farmer game does not aim to cover every aspect of rural life, it will encourage players to discuss the issues in an engaging way, alongside more standard textbooks or educational materials. In doing this, it builds on a growing tradition of interactive games used in development studies.

 

African Farmer develops ideas from the educational board games Green Revolution, developed in the 1970s by Graham Chapman and Liz Dowler; and Africulture, developed in the 1980s by Graham Chapman, Janice Jiggins and Henk de Zeeuw.

African Farmer was created by developers from the Department of Informatics at the University of Sussex and researchers from the Future Agricultures Consortium. It was supported by the UK Department for International Development through a grant to Future Agricultures, with additional support from the UK Economic and Social Research Council through a grant to the STEPS Centre.

 

The game is open source, so anyone wishing to develop or adapt the game can download the source code on GitHub.

Ghana fails to deploy its trained environmental health graduates

The Local Government Workers’ Union (LGWU) is not pleased with the government’s failure to deploy graduates of the country’s Schools of Hygiene, three years after completing their courses.

According to the Union, the long delay in posting the over 500 Environmental Health graduates is a waste of State resources invested in training the students “because they are not employed to contribute their quota in improving the environmental sanitation in the cities, towns and villages”.

General Secretary of LGWU, Joe Boahen, has passionately appealed to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and other concerned ministries to make a definite public pronouncement on the fate of graduates.

“We must emphasize that the situation does not speak well of Ghana’s status as an emerging middle income country, because there was no clear policy as to when these Environmental Health officers will be given their appointment letters. In case their services are not needed, then it would be better to suspend the training of more students so that they do not add onto the number of graduates currently at home,” he said.

 

Mr. Boahen says the resources committed into the training at the Schools of Hygiene should not go down the drain.

“The clarion call on Ghanaians to change attitude in keeping clean environment to help reduce the incidence of malaria and other preventable ailments cannot bring about the desired result, when the country appears to be wasting valuable human resource because graduates of the Schools of Hygiene have remained unemployed,” he emphasized.

The LGWU sees the development as a great disservice to Ghana since no meaningful development can take place in an environment of filth.

The School of Hygiene graduates have however been asked to exercise restraint while the issue of delay in their employment is being addressed.

 

“The union will do its best to champion their interest, so they should not do anything that will undermine any negotiation to find permanent solution to their unemployment issue”.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

SSNIT Kumasi gears up for biometric registration exercise

The Social Security and National insurance Trust (SSNIT) is introducing a new application system to automate its core business activities.

Under the initiative known as operational business smile, employers and all existing scheme members will be biometrically registered and given smart cards.

Kumasi Area Manager of SSNIT, Allandu Azu says the exercise which begins next month would be carried out in five phases at employers’ premises, SSNIT branch offices and other designated areas agreed by SSNIT and pensioners.

The first phase involves the registration of active members of 54 years and above, inactive members and pensioners, followed by active and inactive members of 50 years and above.

Active and inactive members below 50 years will have their turn in the third phase with a mop up to cover members who are not captured in the first three phases.

Students in tertiary institutions and informal sector contributors will be registered last. The exercise is meant to facilitate quick verification of member identity, eliminate multiple registration and minimize fraud.

Members will be given 12-digit social security numbers instead of the existing 8-digit numbers and card holders will be able to access information at designated points, described by officers as information kiosks.

“Identification is very important so that nobody can impersonate, especially when it comes to claims,” said Mr. Azu, adding that the biometric data will ease accurate and prompt payment of claims.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Ten ways to secure social justice in the green economy

The International Institute for Environment and Development in collaboration with CAFOD has published guidelines that policymakers can follow to improve the social outcomes of green economy strategies.

The guidelines illustrate how a failure to address social justice can increase living costs and cause job losses for disadvantaged groups.

Policy debates around the green economy concept tend to focus on climate change and economic growth but ignore the impacts on society, particularly on people living in poverty and their dependence on natural resources.

The ten recommendations draw on a review by IIED and CAFOD of diverse national experiences. The review’s case studies show how inclusive green policies can both benefit society and protect the environment. 

Fishing exclusion zones and hunting restrictions, for example, may protect the environment but, if designed without social concern, can push people who depend on these resources further into poverty.  

“It would be dangerous to assume that green policies will automatically help to tackle poverty,” says Kate Raworth, visiting fellow in economics at IIED and co-author of the paper. “Indeed, without care, they could well do the opposite.”

The guidelines are intended to help steer policymakers towards integrated strategies that promote both social and environmental goals.

Established examples of such approaches include:

·        India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which guarantees poor people – particularly women and ethnic minorities – 100 days’ work per year building community assets

·        South Africa’s Working for Water Programme, which employs 25,000 people each year to clear invasive species from waterways.

More ambitious still are policies that tackle the drivers of poverty and inequality whilst also greening the economy. Bangladesh’s Solar Homes Programme provides electricity to two million rural homes and empowers women as technicians to install and maintain the systems. IIED is tracking such innovations along with the Green Economy Coalition, of which it is a founder member.

The guidelines are for all stakeholders involved in the transition to a green economy, including national policymakers and international players such as UN agencies, development banks and donor agencies.

Among the recommendations are:

·        Look for opportunities to both achieve social benefit and protect the environment

·        Seek ways to tackle all areas of poverty including health, education, income, living standards, security and resilience

·        Consider ways to protect the environment beyond reducing carbon emissions

·        Involve local communities and minority groups and recognise the agendas of more powerful players

 

·        Be aware that some economic methodologies and pricing instruments can often overlook long-term social benefits

“Policymakers risk missing the chance to tackle poverty through the design of their national green strategies,” says Raworth. “These guidelines draw on a wealth of diverse country experience to ensure that any green transition is also a just transition.”

New technologies support farmers create fodder market in Ghana

Agricultural researchers are introducing new technologies for local farmers to access fodder from their farms to feed their livestock and sell supplies to others.

Fodder – animal feed – is any agricultural foodstuff mostly used to feed domesticated livestock – such as cattle, goats, sheep, chickens and pigs.

Under the integrated crop-small ruminant production system in West Africa, Ghana’s Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is researching into the production, storage and marketability of fodder.

This is in line with the goal to increase agricultural productivity for poverty reduction and enhanced food security.

According to Animal Scientist on the project, Dr. Christopher Antwi, the new technology would enable farmers access quality feed for livestock production.

“The farmers do complain about the bulkiness of the fodder coming from the farm to the homestead, so we try to develop this technology which will reduce the cost of transportation,” he said.

Dr. Antwi says the technology is simple and cost-effective, involving a rectangular box – 75cm x 50cm – stuffed with fodder materials, compressed and tired with a rope to reduce the bulkiness.

“In the dry season, we don’t have enough fodder for feeding, so these would be back-up for the farmers to feed; so if other farmers see the bills in colleagues’ homes, they’ll buy to feed their animals,” he stated.

The project seeks to develop and strengthen the crop –sheep and goats value chain in the sub-humid tropics of Ghana and Benin and semi-arid regions of Gambia and Mali.

Agricultural Economist, Jonas Osei-Adu says there are opportunities in fodder marketing, especially in the northern parts of Ghana.

“When you grow cowpea or maize, how do you make use of the leaves to feed your animals? Economically, it’s going to increase farmers’ income because instead of buying special feed for your animals, you’re going to get feed at very cheap price and sometimes you don’t have to buy because you’ll get them direct from your farm to feed your animals,” he noted.

Some Ghanaian farmers are recording 50-200 percent increase in crop yield under the innovative project that integrates crop and small ruminants for sustainable production.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

IITA plans higher women representation in agricultural research

Increasing the quota of women in research transcends the clamor for gender mainstreaming; it is all about improving productivity and efficiency, says IITA Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga.

He says the need to increase the population of women in IITA is driven by the productivity of women staff which had proven to be above their male counterparts over the years.

Citing an instance at the Threshing Building— a unit involved in the threshing of crops such as maize, soybean, cowpea, and rice―Dr Sanginga said out of a workforce of over 100 in that unit, 30 percent are women, but in terms of output, they account for more than 70 percent.

“Another example that comes to mind is the IITA Women’s Group that is involved in charitable programs including donations to orphanages, community development, and the provision of scholarships,” he said.

The Director General described the women workforce as productive but yet to be fully tapped resource.

Making the vision a reality

But more than increasing the numbers of women, Dr Sanginga said that he envisioned more women in management of the Institute in the years ahead.

He called on women to come out of their shells and aspire for higher positions.

“You need to be excellent in whatever you are doing... You need to be innovative,” he said.

But like elsewhere, challenges abound that limit the performance of the women folk. For instance, several young working mothers have children and husbands to take care of. For many, taking higher positions that would compromise the care of their children is a non-starter.

 

Another challenge is the cultural perception which sees women as weaker vessels and has cast a shadow of an inferiority complex on women, especially in the African context. In this wise some women see some jobs as “no go areas for them” and in some cases the Human Resources Unit is compelled to invite only men as women don’t apply.

This is why Dr Sanginga charged the women: “Apply for positions... Don’t be shy.”

Delivery is key

As positive sentiment across several organizations to increase the quota of women grows, several organizations have different propositions to address this challenge of low populations of women.

In IITA, the key is for women to muster more courage than ever before and participate in project execution to ensure that IITA meets its delivery goals. “If we are able to meet our delivery targets, I will not hesitate to employ more women. But if we fail to meet our project execution targets, we will have no option but to downsize,” Dr Sanginga said.

In less than 2 years, IITA has doubled its annual budget and there are still prospects for growth.

Dr Sanginga said the energy from the women is needed now to ensure that the Institute meets its obligations, emphasizing that “if you (women) take care of IITA, IITA will take care of you.”

In response to the call for greater participation of women and to be able to fill top management positions in IITA, some women called for policies that would enable them to further their education while at the same time keep their jobs and take care of their babies.

“We need to further our education,” Mrs Kafilat Odesola, IITA Scientist, said, emphasising that such opportunities would not compromise research, “because women can multitask and do a hundred things at the same time.”

The women staff set up a committee to map out an implementation strategy to increase the workforce of women, and advise on matters relating to staff promotions in IITA.

The committee, which has strong institutional backing, plans to raise the number of women staff by 50 percent over the next 3 years. 

IITA boss wants governments to tap agriculture for job creation

The Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga, has called on Governments to make use of the potential in agriculture to create wealth and jobs.

In his address delivered to stakeholders at the Oyo State Economic Summit, Dr Sanginga said there were opportunities for the youth to start small businesses in seed production, input supply, weed control, and processing, among others.

He explained the youth could also be farmers and use modern methods that reduce the labor required, raise yields and increase income.

Citing the example of the IITA Youth Agripreneurs model, Dr Sanginga said that there was the need to change the mindset of the youth.

The Youth Agripreneurs project – the first of its kind in the CGIAR—engages young people from various educational disciplines and through mentoring and training transforms them into agripreneurs.

Dr. Sanginga noted that making agriculture a business is at the core of the program.

“This project has so far been successful and we need to scale up,” he said.

National Coalition on Mining questions Dr. Aubynn’s appointment as head of Minerals Commission

The National Coalition on Mining (NCOM) has called on President John Mahama to reconsider his decision to appoint Dr. Tony Aubynn as Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, a body mandated by law to regulate and manage the minerals sector in the national interest.

The Coalition describes as “shocking” the appointment of Dr. Aubynn, stating that “the appointment points to a pattern of capitulation by the Mahama government to the interests of foreign mining capital”.

The National Coalition on Mining is a grouping of CSOs, community groups and individuals who work for the respect of human rights in mining and optimal national and citizens’ benefit from the country’s mineral resources.

The full text is reproduced below:

Champion of transnational mining companies

Dr.  Aubynn is a citizen of Ghana. However, our call, shock and concerns arise from the fact that Tony Aubynn is a champion of transnational mining companies.  Until his appointment, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines in which position he consistently defended the interest of transnational mining companies. 

There is a record of his pronouncements in defence of these interests which are not only diametrically opposed to the optimisation of national benefit from the country’s non-renewal mineral resources but raises questions about his capacity to discharge the responsibilities as head of the Minerals Commission impartially and equitably.

A striking example of his defence of corporate interests has been his role in the campaign in Ghana and around the world against efforts to raise royalties and taxes paid by the mining companies. At a time when gold prices had risen astronomically (from $400 in 2003 to almost $1900 in 2011) and government wanted to introduce legislation to capture a lot more of the share of this bounty, the Chamber of Mines, fronted by Dr. Aubynn, resisted this move. This was based on the palpably false claim that the industry was overtaxed.

In seeking to deflect the demand for a greater national share of mineral earnings, the Chamber tried to make itself the champion of a greater community share of royalties.

Worrying pattern

Dr. Aubynn’s appointment comes soon after President Mahama used the 2014 Davos World Economic Forum to make public his government’s capitulation to the mining companies. It was there that he announced that in response to their pressure the government was shelving its plan to impose a windfall tax aimed at increasing the public share of mineral earnings.

Is it unreasonable to assume that Dr. Aubynn’s appointment to head the Mineral Commission does not only underline the influence of the mining companies in the corridors of power but also means that they now have a firm ally in charge of the key public body overseeing the mining sector?

The context of Dr. Aubynn’s appointment makes the President’s decision even more shocking and worrying. The decision of the Mills government to raise mineral royalties and review the most unfair mining contracts placed Ghana in a global and African process where mineral rich countries, from Australia to Zambia, were taking steps to increase national earnings from increased global mineral prices.  Domestically a mining contract renegotiating committee chaired by Professor Akilagpa Sawyerr has been set up and has been working with the close support of the Minerals Commission. 

Over the past few years Ghana has been an active participant in the development of the Africa Mining Vision and the formulation of steps for its realisation. Mr. Ben Aryee, the ousted CEO of the Minerals Commission, distinguished himself as Ghana’s representative in these processes and also earned the respect of his peers for his intellectual contributions. Across the world mining companies mounted a campaign against steps which they denounce as “resource nationalism”.

The negative attitude of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, expressed by Dr. Aubynn, is our local experience of this corporate resistance to change.

Unfit for purpose

Given Dr. Aubynn’s long standing defense of the interests of transnational mining firms we doubt his capacity to be impartial, equitable and lead the drive towards the optimal use of Ghana’s mineral wealth for the benefit of its people.  We have serious doubts about Dr. Aubynn’s ability to serve the national interest as CEO of the Minerals Commission, especially at this juncture when the whole of African continent is moving to break with the mining regimes that subordinated national to corporate interests. 

Given his history as a champion of mining corporate interests we wonder how Dr. Aubynn can effectively head a state organization which should be ensuring that the mining industry develops better environmental and social sensitivity, and that the country derives maximum benefit from its mineral assets and also be a leading voice in the ECOWAS and Africa reform process.

Is it unreasonable to fear that the Commission under his leadership will prioritise the interest of the companies for whom he has been such an energetic mouthpiece?

Over the past few years the National Coalition on Mining, communities and other civil society organisations have been working with the Minerals Commission to improve interaction and mutual confidence between mining policy makers and society towards reducing the negative impacts of mining while improving the contribution of the sector to national development and citizens’ benefit. 

A lot of work remains to be done in this regard. The appointment of a defender of corporate mining interests to the important office of CEO of the Minerals Commission is not a good signal for the health of these collaborative relations.

Sustainable cattle rearing in Ghana under threat

The beef you may be enjoying today is probably from processed cattle from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Only a small quantity of meat Ghanaians consume is from the Northern part of the country.

Local breeders however fear Ghana will not be able to breed cattle locally in the next two decades if the current land tenure system pertains.

Kofi Adu Domfeh reports...

Please find audio link below:

https://soundcloud.com/kofi-adu-domfeh/sustainable-cattle-rearing-in-ghana-under-threat 

Yaa Asantewaa Rural Bank to list on the Ghana Alternative Market

The Yaa Asantewaa Rural Bank could be one of the early birds in the Ashanti region to get listed on the Ghana Alternative Market.

The Ghana Stock Exchange has lowered cost and introduced incentives to make the stock market attractive to SMEs.

Investment advisors are particularly entreating rural banks and microfinance companies to turn to the Alternative market to access long term financing.

Yaa Asantewaa Rural Bank, which started operations less than two years ago, has expressed interest to go onto the market.

“The alternative market gives us a brighter opportunity,” says Samuel Addo Otoo, Board Chairman of the Bank. “We’ve opportunity and even gone beyond Ghana by having interactions with institutions in South Africa and Dubai trying to bring capital in; so if the opportunity is there for us to assess it locally, I think it is a brighter time”.

The Bank has the target of opening eight branches within the next five years, in addition to the current two.

Mr. Otoo believes the listing on the stock exchange would enable the bank quicken its expansion drive.

He however entreats the Ghana Stock Exchange to shorten the application process “and also be able to come out with a way of making the process quite simple and accessible by all institutions, especially start-ups that are viable to succeed in the future”.

SMEs with high growth potential can raise Gh250,000 minimum capital on the Ghana Alternative Market.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh