Nigeria, other African countries may not achieve MDGs––World Bank report

Gbola Subair, Abuja

President Umaru Yar’Adua

Half way to the 2015 targeted year for achievingthe Millennium Development Goals[MDGs], the World Bank has warned that most countries in Africa, including Nigeria , will fall short of meeting most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A new World Bank-IMF report released in Abuja said these countries would miss a set of eight globally agreed development targets with a due date of 2015.

While there has been strong growth in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and there could yet be significant progress in poverty reduction in the next decade, the bank said the region is still likely to fall short of the first goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015, with countries in fragile situations lagging the most. The report, titled, ‘the Global Monitoring Report: MDGs and the Environment—Agenda for Inclusive and Sustainable Development,’ emphasised that factors such as high commodity prices could further complicate prospects in the region.

Rising food and fuel prices lower the income of households that do not produce these products, causing poor people to eat less food, or cheaper, less nutritious food a significant risk in poor countries such as Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, which already have high under-five malnutrition and mortality rates. This notwithstanding, the World Bank noted that progress is recorded in several areas—for example, a recent leveling or reduction in the national HIV prevalence rates in many countries in Sub Saharan Africa, a steady increase in primary school enrollment since 1990, and a sharp increase in measles vaccination from 50 per cent in 1992 to 71 per cent in 2006—and the report calls for a redoubling of current efforts in these and other areas of development to multiply successes in the region.

“In this Year of Action on the MDGs, I am particularly concerned about the risks of failing to meet the goal of reducing hunger and malnutrition, the ‘forgotten MDG’,” said Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank. “As the report shows, reducing malnutrition has a ‘multiplier’ effect, contributing to success in other MDGs, including maternal health, infant mortality, and education.” The report calls for urgent action on climate change, which may worsen food insecurity in Africa. Diseases like malaria and diarrhea are also linked to environmental factors and climate change. African countries will need support to address the links between growth, development and environmental sustain ability.

“The report is a reminder of the huge challenges Sub-Saharan Africa faces in meeting its development and environmental protection goals,” said Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region. “One cannot be achieved at the expense of the other, and the time for vigorous, concerted actions is now.” To achieve the goals, the authors lay out a six-point agenda that prioritizes strong, inclusive growth; more effective aid; a successful outcome to the Doha round of trade talks; more emphasis on strengthening programs in health, education and nutrition; and support for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“This year’s high level meetings in connection with the MDG halfway point are an opportunity to agree on priorities for action and milestones for monitoring progress,” said Zia Qureshi, lead author of the report. Halfway to 2015, the bank observed the following While most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are off track to halve poverty and hunger by 2015, countries such as Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda are making solid progress toward achieving the MDGs. Africa’s economic growth has risen from 2.1 per cent in the 1990s to an average 5.6 per cent in 2003-07.

Challenges are greatest in a group of about 20 countries characterised by low or negative growth, and the challenges include enhancing security, providing private sector growth opportunities, and building basic government capacity to put international aid to good use. What Africa needs is a long period of sustained growth. · Aid to Africa has risen, although much of it is in the form of debt relief. Overall aid flows from DAC and multilateral donors to the region climbed to over $40 billion in 2006, representing an increase of $6.9 billion in real terms over 2005 levels and $12.4 billion over 2004 amounts. Aid remains essential for most countries in the region. New donors like China are growing in importance.

·Some countries in Africa have made strong progress in strengthening development strategies and institutional frameworks for implementation. Good candidates for scaled up aid include Burkina Faso , Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania; while Mali could use a moderate increase. · Ten of the 11 countries worldwide with under-five mortality rates over 200 per 1,000 are in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola and Sierra Leone . Only 2 of the 33 fragile states have achieved or are on track to reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015.

Nigeria, Belgium to parley on hydrocarbon emission

Sola Fadare, Lagos

THE Federal Government is making a proposal to co-operate with the Belgium government in the area of hydrocarbon emission in the atmosphere, because Nigeria ’s share of emission is also contributing to global environmental problems. The Minister of Energy (Petroleum), Mr. Odein Ajumogobia made the demand while receiving the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michel Dewez in his office recently.

Ajumogobia (SAN) stated that he recently visited Norway where the technology that enables the capture of the carbon emissions had been developed with the prospect of drastically reducing environmental pollution.The Minister added that the best thing for Nigeria is to maintain a balance between the production of enough oil for the sustainable development of the economy and significant reduction in carbon emissions, saying “it is in this area that Nigeria wishes to partner with Belgium , a country that has struck a good balance between economic development and environmental protection.”

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Fidelis Osamer, the Minister observed that the devastating effect of oil production on the environment had been of great concern to the government. He submitted that the government is willing to partner with any nation and/or organization that can assist in the reduction of carbon emission and other pollutants into the atmosphere, saying these emissions have affected the ozone layer and is currently causing dramatic climatic changes.

Earlier, Mr. Michel Dewez had said that because of the place of oil in the international community, Mr. Ajumogobia was the first Minister after that of Foreign Affairs that he had paid a courtesy visit. He said the relevance of oil is hinged on its strategic importance as “the blood of civilization” and its degradation of the environment.