Day: May 14, 2024

A Grade 10 learner from Greenside High School in Johannesburg has earned the top spot in the provincial leg of the National South African Youth Water Prize (SAYWP) competition with his innovative approach to water resource management.

The 15-year-old, Yaseen Akhalwaya, was crowned the Gauteng provincial winner for his “Project Weatherman/HydroLogic” project idea.

Yaseen said he found the comments from the adjudicators insightful and he took notes on areas that require improvement, as he aims to secure the number one spot at the national level of the competition.

‘I am more than grateful to the department for the chance. The comments from the adjudicators provide valuable feedback and I took notes to help refine my work and increase my chances of securing the number one spot at the national level of the competition,’ Yaseen said.

Yaseen’s brilliant water and sanitation innovation idea won him a prize of R6000, a first-place trophy, and a bursary.

The second place went to Good Hope Secondary School with an
awareness project. The school walked away with a prize of R5 000 and a second place trophy.

The Greenside Secondary School also scooped third place with an awareness project and won a prize of R4 000.

Fourteen schools from Gauteng took part in this year’s SAYWP competition under the various categories, including awareness, invention and innovation.

Department coordinator: Water Support Service, Reshoketswe Malepe, expressed her gratitude for the support the programme has received over the years from the adjudicators, including teachers and schools, stakeholders, and the media, among others.

‘Active youth involvement in the water and sanitation sector is the only way to overcome the sector’s plethora of difficulties,’ Malepe said.

The competition is a vital component of Water and Sanitation Education Programme, which aims to educate learners and society on water resource management issues, including water use efficiency, water quality monitoring, protection of water resources, public health and hygiene aw
areness, and identification of invasive species.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Inquests into the deaths of prominent anti-apartheid activists Chief Albert Luthuli and Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge and civic leader Booi Mantyi have been re-opened by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, on recommendations from the National Prosecuting Authority.

‘With these inquests, we open very real wounds which are more difficult to open 30 years into our democracy, but none the less, the interest of justice can never be bound by time the truth must prevail,’ said the Minister.

Regarding Luthuli, who was also Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the department said official reports found that he was struck down by a train ‘but the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear to this day’.

An inquest was held in September 1967 and an apartheid era court found that he had died following a fracture to the skull but that the ‘evidence did not disclose any criminal culpability on the part of South African Railways and anyone else’.

‘As a result of representations made to the N
ational Director of Public Prosecutions which brought to the fore that in 1967, the inquest did not consider certain mathematical and scientific principles. This mathematical and scientific report reveal that it is highly unlikely that Chief Luthuli was struck by a train and died because of that.

‘Considering this information, amongst others, and the investigation done by the Truth and Reconciliation Unit of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, Minister Lamola accepts and agrees that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli,’ the department said.

Griffiths Mxenge

The anti-Apartheid activist and civil rights lawyer Mxenge died in 1981 and his body – with some 45 lacerations – was found at a sports field in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal.

Two years later, an inquest into the death was opened which, according to the department, ‘failed to ident
ify the perpetrators, despite clear signs of foul play, including evidence of surveillance on Mr. Mxenge’s office and the poisoning of his dogs’.

‘A thorough investigation was not done into the death of Mr. Mxenge. The Harms Commission and Truth and Reconciliation Commission revealed that orders to kill Mr. Mxenge came from Vlakplaas head Dirk Coetzee. Dirk Coetzee and his accomplices Nofomela, and Tshikalanga were granted amnesty for the murder of Mxenge.

‘There is new evidence that certain critical information was not presented to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the initial inquest, although the perpetrators were clearly identified. Minister Lamola accepts that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Mr Mxenge,’ the department said.

Booi Mantyi

Mantyi was killed on 16 June 1985 during an alleged altercation with Apartheid era police at De Aar in the
Northern Cape.

That same year, an inquest was held into Mantyi’s death with the outcome finding no one responsible.

The department explained that a fresh investigation ‘has revealed that an eyewitness who has not previously testified has been identified’.

‘Considering the above, Minister Lamola is of the view that it is necessary and in the interests of justice to request the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division to re-open an inquest into the death of Mr Booi Mantyi,’ the department said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says strategic alignment and collaboration with the private tourism sector are crucial in creating a robust regional tourism confederation across West Africa.

ECOWAS Commissioner, Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massaudje Toure-Liste, stated this at an ECOWAS strategic meeting with officials and stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday.

The event was aimed at aligning stakeholder strategies to foster their collaboration.

Toure-Liste, who was represented by the acting Director, Private Sector, Anthony Elumelu, said the meeting’s focus was to advance sustainable regional tourism, economic growth and preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

‘This meeting draws inspiration from the ECOTOUR 19-29 Action Plan, adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, envisioned to serve as our road map for promoting responsible tourism.

‘To ensure effective implementation, we have established a regional monitoring and control mechanism that involves the E
COWAS and UEMOA Commissions, public institutions, private stakeholders and local communities.

‘To this end, our technical meeting today centers around drafting the operational modalities for two critical tools.

‘They are the ECOTOUR 19-29 monitoring and evaluation mechanism and the ETAR. These mechanisms will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of regional tourism,’ she said.

The commissioner explained that the ECOTOUR 19-29 Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism would involve developing operational guidelines and appointing dedicated members or focal points to oversee its implementation.

‘Toure-Liste said, ‘Let us embrace this opportunity to shape the future of tourism in our region. Together, we can create a sustainable, vibrant, and culturally rich environment that benefits all.’

Also speaking, Folorunsho Coker, the Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), said domesticating the policy was crucial to its success, adding that the common goal was to grow tourism across ECOWA
S.

The NTDC boss also said that collaboration among all the stakeholders was critical at the moment, stressing that it was the season to collaborate, and not to compete.

‘So, the domestication of this policy is very important to its success. We have a common goal. Our goal is to grow tourism across ECOWAS. Once that is identified as our goal, the commonality of our goal makes us pliable, to collaborate.

‘It is the season to do joint marketing campaigns, not individual campaigns, from our hotels to our airlines, to our tourism assets across the ecosystem.

‘It is in the spirit of collaboration that we will grow our Pan African tourism,’ he said.

Coker also emphasized the importance of human capital requirements in modern day tourism, and called for training and the deployment of technology in order to achieve the desired success.

He urged African journalists to refrain from sensational reportage and instead embrace developmental journalism, adding that sensationalism was harmful to tourism.

‘Development
journalism allows the positive to be echoed. If we put a negative in, they (foreigners) will amplify it for us.

‘So, let us restrain from what is sensational and simply focus on what builds our tourism here,’ Coker added.

ECOWAS Programme Officer, Tourism, Madame Stella Drabo, said the major challenge facing the policy was the need for a single regional body for the private sector, which would work ‘hand-in-hand and one-on-one with the ECOWAS Commission.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The World Bank has urged states implementing the Sustainable Urban-Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme to explore better approaches for the benefit of the people.

The 700 million dollar- programme, is underway in Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, and Plateau.

Mr Vinay Vantukhur, World Bank’s Sector Leader, Sustainable Development Practice Group, made this call at a one-day Stakeholders’ Forum of the SURWASH programme in Abuja on Tuesday.

The forum was in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.

He stated that the programme aims to provide basic drinking water services to six million people, improve sanitation services for 1.4 million people, and establish 500 open defecation-free communities.

Additionally, 2,000 schools and healthcare facilities are slated to receive upgraded WASH services.

Vantukhur noted that the current progress has been sluggish, emphasising the need for a different approach.

He encouraged stakeholders to take ownership of
the implementation processes, noting the importance of innovation and exploring new strategies to achieve sustainable progress for the communities.

He highlighted the disparity between the set targets and the current achievements, underscoring the gap between goals and actual implementation.

Dr Nicholas Madu, Director of Water Supply and Support Services at the ministry, pointed out challenges facing the implementation of the SURWASH programme, noting a discrepancy between current investment and progress.

These challenges include; limited knowledge and capacity concerning programme implementation protocols, Interference from political leaders and frequent changes in critical appointments.

He also listed states’ insufficient prioritisation of WASH access due to inadequate funding, which didn’t align with Federal Government’s commitment and action plan.

Madu also stressed the importance of states and local governments taking ownership of public water infrastructure to ensure sustainability.

He noted the f
requent breakdown and abandonment of water infrastructure projects, emphasising the need for proactive measures to address these issues.

Abdulhamid Gwaram, the SURWASH National Programme Coordinator, said the progress achieved in implementing the programme has been overshadowed by population growth, with investment not keeping pace.

Quoting from the WASHNORM 2021 report, he highlighted that only 18 per cent of Nigerians have access to safely-managed sanitation services, underscoring the urgent need for a change in approach.

Gwaram emphasised the wide-ranging implications of inadequate WASH services on national development, including economic losses, health impacts, stunted child development, poor education outcomes, and loss of dignity.

While acknowledging the commitment demonstrated by states towards the sustainable development and progress of the SURWASH programme, he called for renewed dedication to address these challenges effectively.

Goodwill messages from Ukeme Essien of WaterAid Nigeria, Jane Bev
an of UNICEF Nigeria, and the representative of the Special Assistant to the President on Health emphasised the crucial role of partnership and intentional collaboration between government tiers.

They all underscored that effective and sustainable implementation of the SURWASH programme hinges on such partnerships.

The forum’s highlight was a discussion on the theme ‘SURWASH Programme 2022-2024: Which Way Forward,’ during which participants deliberated on the challenges and way forward in accessing safe drinking water and sanitation.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has urged music professionals and educators to promote professionalism and national development through music.

Abubakar made the call at the 19th Annual National Conference of the Society of Music Educators of Nigeria (SOMEN), hosted by the Directorate of Music, Nigeria Air Force, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The CAS was represented by the Chief of Administration (NAF), AVM Idi Sani, at the event.

The conference is with the theme, ‘Vision 2030 and The Musical Arts Education in Nigeria’.

He said the event aligned with one of the key enablers of his command philosophy which is, ‘Deliberate Training and Mission Oriented Force Development.

According to him, it is envisaged that this initiative will no doubt impact positively to further enrich the capacity of participants from various institutions and the military for efficient and effective service delivery.

Abubakar commended the society for noble ideas and key roles in setting standards in promoting mu
sic teachings and learning in schools with due considerations also for military and paramilitary training institutions.

He said the theme was apt in view of the usefulness of music as a valuable tool to achieving development.

‘It is my conviction that the import of this conference will engender positive ideas that will make significant impact on the society at large.

‘Let me therefore, enjoin all participants to deliberate on this forum to acquire more knowledge that will spout better approaches to effectively contribute the development of your various institutions and our dear nation.

‘Let me reassure you of our continued support toward ensuring that the capacity building initiatives for improved professionalism would be attained and effect on the development of education in Nigeria achieved with desired results,” he said.

The Minster of Education, Tahir Mamman, represented by Mrs Esther Obi, commended SOMEN for their effort in meeting the Vision 2030 concerning music education in Nigeria.

Mamman said
that the vision 2030 encompassed prioritising the development of music education programmes, nurturing talents, and promoting cultural heritage through music.

This, he said, could involve initiatives such as curriculum enhancements, funding for musical schools, and creating opportunities for young musicians to showcase their talent internationally by nurturing musical art education.

According to him, within Vision 2030, the power of music to enrich society, preserve cultural identity, and contribute to economic growth is highlighted.

‘We all know that music has the extraordinary power to transcend boundaries, unite communities, and inspire change.

‘Through your dedication and passion for music education, you are not only shaping the next generation of musicians, but also nurturing a culture of creativity and expression.

‘Let us also reaffirm our collective commitment to excellence, inclusivity, innovation, and continue to explore new horizons, break down barriers, and empower individuals of backgrounds t
o discover the transformative power of music,” he added.

The President of SOMEN, Dr Ikenna Onwuegbuna, said the conference stood as a beacon of knowledge, innovation, and collaboration, saying the global economies had shifted from commodity based to knowledge based.

Onwuegbuna said the workshops and panel discussions were designed to challenge their thoughts, extend knowledge, and inspire their spirits.

He encouraged all participants to engage fully, ask questions, challenge the ideas presented, and seek to forge new relationships and collaborations.

According to him, it is through interactions that innovation is born and academic communities thrive.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SOMEN is an academic and professional body established in 1999 for the development of Music Education in Nigeria, at all levels.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Abuja, May 14, 2024 (NAN) The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative has stressed the need to adopt organic agricultural practices to enhance food security in the country.

The Chairperson, EOA initiative National Steering Committee, Mrs Janet Igoh, said this at a 2-day sensitisation workshop on National Diploma Organic Agricultural Technology in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria and Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Igoh urged stakeholders to portray agriculture in the right perspective so that it would be appealing to the youths.

She said the lack of interest in agriculture by the youths was because farmers are always looking tattered in pictures.

‘That is not the prospect of agriculture, organic agriculture prep course that we are launching today will create employment.

‘The
re is always a saying that says, grow what you eat, use your crops or produce as medicine, not medicine as food.

‘Our young men and women can become farm managers, we can advocate for most of them to form cooperative and also help them seek funds’, she said.

Dr Jude Obi, National president, Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), said efforts by the association to bring organic agriculture into mainstream agriculture in Nigeria had been difficult.

‘We have developed a curriculum for teaching organic agriculture and getting a National Diploma degree through the support of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

‘Organic agriculture can feed us if everybody tries to produce minimally what he or she consumes, this is why the association is in the forefront of this.

‘We hope that the Colleges of Agriculture and Polytechnics will process these curricula and follow it up,’ he said.

Obi said the association was also raising awareness on participatory guarantee scheme for
organic agriculture.

‘We plead with those that want to implement this to register as members of the association so that we can work together to achieve this’, he said.

Also speaking, NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by Dr. Rufai Ibrahim, said the board had come up with a curriculum.

Bugaje said that the institutions have been granted approvals to commence the implementation.

He assured that the board hopes to see to it that the Higher Diploma level commences in a few years, since the curriculum had been tailored toward encouraging the adoption of organic farming.

Dr Umar Abdullahi, Technical Advisor to the Executive Secretary, Agriculture Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), said organic agriculture was a production that sustained the health of the soil, ecosystem and people.

‘Organic agriculture relies on the political processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than use of inputs.

‘The inputs we are talking about are fertilizers, chemicals; organic ag
riculture combines tradition, innovation, and science.

‘It is a system that relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs,’ he said.

Abdullahi said there was the need to take care of the environment by adopting appropriate products in protecting the environment.

‘Organic agriculture method will cleanse the soil of forbidding use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides.

‘Ecological nature of organic culture is capturing carbon dioxide from the soil thereby improving the environment, conserves energy and save money’, he said.

Mr Gbadamosi Oyewole, Coordinator, EOA initiative, West Africa said organic agriculture was a system which has all the components of ecosystem working together.

This, he said would sustained the health of individuals, communities, soil, plants and animals.

‘There are a lot of misconceptions about organic agriculture; some equate it to the use of organic fertilizers.

‘When we try to develop organic farming in the country, we have to bring experts from outsid
e the country to manage the farm.

‘To work with a farm manager, you have to use expert training to do that. That is our goal,’ he said.

Oyewole said that farmers and processors needed training and development to adopt organic practices and improve their productivity.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria