Author: Akpan Akata

Road accidents are still responsible for 1.3 million annual deaths and 50 million injuries all over the world, but the United Nations has a Global Plan to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. This plan aims to inspire national and local government, as well other stakeholders who can influence road safety (including civil society, academia, the private sector, donors, community and youth leaders, and other stakeholders) as they develop national and local action plans and targets for the Decade of Action. Vision for the plan Mobility is integral to nearly every aspect of our daily lives. We step from our…

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Burkina Faso, the landlocked West African country is facing a multitude of challenges with severe impacts on a wide range of human rights of its people, so says United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Concluding a four-day visit to the country, she notes that Burkina Faso is facing the on-going threat of violent extremism, climate change and humanitarian crises, stressing also that her fact-finding mission was “a testament” to the state’s openness the promotion and protection of human rights, in collaboration with the UN. This is even as more than a million people in the country have been displaced from…

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UN trade and development agency, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its latest report says although the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on maritime trade last year was less severe than expected, the knock-on effects will be far reaching and could transform the sector. Maritime trade contracted by 3.8 per cent in 2020, but later rebounded, and is estimated to increase by 4.3 per cent this year, according to the report. UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2021reveals the outlook for the medium term remains positive but subject to “mounting risks and uncertainties”, such as unprecedented pressures on global supply…

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Violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has continued to take a heavy toll on children. A new United Nations report on the situation in the country says children are suffering a spike in grave violations since the end of 2020. The report on children and armed conflict in CAR highlighted that between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2021, 1,280 children suffered one or more grave violations, with girls accounting for more than 40 per cent of all victims. While most were committed by armed groups, five per cent were attributed to the national armed forces, FACA. UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, says “the security situation in the Central African Republic has rapidly worsened in recent months and…

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At 16, Ghada (not real name), a mother of three children was illiterate, with no work experience, no job prospects.  She is one of seven children herself. She had been married off at 12 years old by her father, a farm day labourer. According to her, “my family is poor. He accepted the first proposal for the marriage that came to him, not only for me but for my sisters, not caring that we were only children.” Like in many poor Yemeni families, her father saw her marriage as one less mouth to feed. Despite Ghada’s protests, she was forced to…

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A report by Global Trade Review has forecast that illegal land grabs will be increasing as demand for food and materials rise, pointing out that expropriation of land to make way for commodities is posing risks to corporates and investors as well as the environment. Established in 2002, Global Trade Review is a world-class independent publishing and events company, offering a one-stop shop of news, events and services for companies and individuals involved in global trade. According to it, thousands of people are illegally forced from their homes every year for miners and farmers to produce commodities, such as palm oil and cobalt, that…

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Menas Associates’ monthly intelligence report on the Sahara region, Sahara Focus, says if the security deal between Russia’s Wagner Group with Mali goes ahead there could be profound implications for the Sahel, the Maghreb and West Africa. Menas, a political risk consultancy, reveals that It will also be a major strategic setback for France, the European Union (EU) and the West. Continuing, the intelligence report says it will increase the political instability of the wider region, and particularly if Wagner gets involved in training and equipping an elite force of the indigenous Polisario forces seeking to remove the Moroccan occupiers from…

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United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, says Ethiopia is at risk of a catastrophic humanitarian situation if all parties involved in the escalating conflict in the country’s Tigray do not stop fighting immediately. The UN rights chief’s appeal followed the declaration of a broad state of emergency in Ethiopia, amid reports that Tigrayan forces had made further advances into the neighbouring Amhara region, and other news reports of shelling of the Tigrayan capital Mekelle, by Ethiopian Government forces. “The risks are grave that, far from stabilising the situation, these extremely broad measures – which include sweeping powers of…

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For the anti-land grab movement in Uganda, It has been a decade since thousands of people fled their homes in fear for their dear lives. It was a nadir in their lives – the land grab was the lowest moment for the peasant communities. Arrests, charges, malicious prosecutions, convictions, and imprisonment followed.  Amidst all these, incarceration was inevitable for the poor and unrepresented accused to pave way for the tree planting company owned by Chinese “investors.” Despite the forceful and violent evictions of their peers, some of the smallholder farmers have stayed put. Though the fear of an inhumane eviction…

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In the next 19 years, the world will be facing the worse form of the worrisome climate crises currently making life unbearable on Earth. Governments around the world are awash with their plans to increase fossil fuel production to at least 2040. Sadly, in spite increased climate ambition and net-zero commitments, governments are still planning to produce more than double the amount of energy from fossil fuels in 2030, than the amount that will limit global warming to the Paris Agreement level of 1.5°C. That is according to the 2021 Production Gap Report by leading research institutes and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Like Nigeria and…

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Apparently spurred by the growing support of his pro-groups, Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio, is currently considering to join the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Spokesman of South-South Front (SSF), John Harry, says they are ready to support Akpabio for the 2023 presidential race because the minister has made an effort to provide greater autonomy to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). At a meeting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, to discuss 2023 politics, governance and its broader impact on democratic institutions and norms, they accused some cynics in the country of trying to…

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Banana export is currently growing in Cameroon. Last September, 20,471 tons of the fruit was exported according to figures made available by the Banana Association of Cameroon (ASSOBACAM). This is happening as Kenya closes a deal on subsidized farm inputs. Nakuru County Government has endorsed a deal with One Acre Fund and Apollo Agriculture, intent on creating financing and providing subsidised farm inputs to over 4,000 small holder farmers within the unit. The adeal between One Acre Fund, an American non-governmental organisation, Apollo Agriculture, a local agricultural financing company and Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration hopes to finance farmers who own…

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Problems in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are currently on the scale of Yemen and Syria. United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, David McLachlan-Karr, says around 10 million people are already in dire need. But, a lack of funding is leaving humanitarians with a stark choice over who to assist since the conflict in the troubled African country is on “such a massive scale.” In the continent, the country has the highest number of internally displaced persons, a large refugee population of 500,000, and is experiencing multiple crises, including in education, funding and healthcare. McLachlan-Karr, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for DRC, says the situation has led to “repeated epidemics of cholera, measles…

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The Federal Government of Nigeria and all the authorities at the state and local government levels now have a greater obligation to guarantee the citizenry a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. This implies that governments at all levels have to increasingly tackle the menace of desertification in the North, gully erosion in the East, and oil pollution in the Niger Delta. This is because the Human Rights Council has for the first time, recognised that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right. In Resolution 48/13, the Council is calling on states around the world to work together, and with other…

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Amid the Horn of Africa’s worsening security situation, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says the prioritisation of the region’s stability is timely. In Somalia, a political crisis has been unfolding since the country missed two election deadlines. Al-Shabaab attacks continue. In Ethiopia, the political transition that started in 2018 has resulted in civil conflict. Sudan faces an uncertain political transition characterised by competition between military and civilian political actors following the coup that toppled former president Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Instability within South Sudan’s unity government, exacerbated by recent infighting in Vice-President Riek Machar’s party and sporadic violence, threatens to…

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Iran’s new Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani, has been profiled as a hardliner by Menas Associates, a political risk consultancy. Bagheri Kani is a former diplomat and was Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) from 2007 to 2013 under hardliner Saeed Jalili. In its Iran Strategic Focus, a monthly intelligence report on the country, Menas Associates says he is closely affiliated with the hard-line faction and took on the role of Jalili’s campaign manager in the 2013 presidential election. According to the intelligence report, ‘’Bagheri Kani is the son of the senior cleric and…

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Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi, has outlined the way out of Nigeria’s multiple ethic, religious, political and economic crises. He is suing for continued tolerance. For the civil defence chief, continued tolerance of one another’s differences and mutual co-existence as a people who are united in diversity and reselient in the face of daunting challenges, is the way forward  for the troubled country’s survival as a unified entity. He is advocating for a renewed mindset and provision of actionable intelligence to keep Nigeria safe and peaceful for all to live and thrive, noting that…

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In many countries of the world, weather and economic issues are are affecting quality and price of the global onion market. While extreme summer heatwaves across much of North America reduced the size of the harvest, in South Africa, heavy rain and humidity during the growing season early in the year, flooded  the market with onions of less than desirable quality. In Europe, the Dutch onion export is limited by a lack of logistical options rather than quality or quantity issues, and prices in the UK are on the rise in line with increased input costs, which are not expected to…

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Maria Cavazos of MC Produce based in Montreal, QC says Brazilian mangoes which started shipping from week 35, will go until the middle of this coming October. After many years of experience in the Mexican market as the manager of a citrus producer/distributor, combined with five years in Growers Relations with a company in Montreal, the decision to start her own company was a natural transition for Maria Cavazo. With strong relationships all across Mexico and South America, as well as Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica and Honduras, MC Produce is positioning itself as a direct distributor of fresh produce…

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There are currently high hopes for increasing domestic production of kiwifruit in South Africa as local kiwi harvest will start in February next year. Kiwi imports are a little bit slower than usual but sales are fairly good, says a kiwi importer. At the moment, kiwis are imported from New Zealand until October/November, when it switches over to Europe until April; kiwis are imported all year round. Locally, there is a buzz around the kiwi industry which is growing quite well. Imports might reduce to some degree when local volumes increase in coming years. The availability of plant material is…

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Chilean Citrus Committee has launched a programme with a shopping rewards app, Shopkick, to educate and inspire shoppers online and incentivise Chilean citrus purchases at the store level. The programme which took off on August ending, will run through September 20 with Chilean lemons, mandarins and navels all in bountiful supply. Chilean Citrus Committee is however, an organisation belonging to the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association AG (ASOEX). It is made up of the country’s main citrus exporters and represents 75% of Chile’s citrus exports. Chile’s citrus production and export is made up of clementines, mandarins, oranges, lemons and grapefruits. In…

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United Nations reproductive health agency, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)says in Bhutan, sexuality education is currently among teachings by monks. Bhutan, a historically remote kingdom is a south-central Asian country located on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas. It became less isolated in the second half of the 20th century, and consequently the pace of change began to accelerate. With improvements in transportation, by the early 21st century a trip from the Indian border to the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu, that once took six days by mule can now be made in just a few hours by car along a winding mountain road from…

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Thirty-one-year-old mother of four, Ami Campini, says she is lucky to be alive. She was seven months pregnant with her fifth child when she and her family moved from the northern part of Guinea-Bissau to the Quinara region in the southwest where they own farmland for the start of farming season. In Guinea-Bissau, is a small country in West Africa with a history of political instability since its independence in 1973, better maternal health outcomes are sometimes a miracle. Its economy is based mainly on agriculture and fisheries, and to some extent on forestry and livestock. Guinea-Bissau is highly vulnerable…

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After a two-month holiday, global food commodity prices led by strong gains in the international price quotations for sugar, wheat and vegetable oils rebounded rapidly in August. Except in Nigeria where food prices are climbing upward, for two consecutive months they were on a decline around the world. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported so on Thursday. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 127.4 points in August, up 3.1 percent from July and 32.9 percent from the same month in 2020. The index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities. The FAO Sugar Price Index rose…

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Due to the end of the summer vacations, there is a high demand for avocados in Germany.Currently, avocados from various countries of origin such as Kenya, Peru, South Africa and Colombia can be found on the German market. Kenyan avocados show a slightly lower quality, as they have not always developed satisfactorily in the ripening chambers, reports a major trader. While Peruvian avocados continue to dominate the summer season, which will end in the next two to three weeks, avocados from Israel, in turn, are not expected until late October with the “Pinkerton” and “Ettinger” varieties or in November with…

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United Nations human rights experts are exerting intense pressure on the authorities in Afghanisatan, as they charge the country’s new rulers to live up to their promise to fully protect the rights of women and girls in the country. The charge is coming as lifesaving medical supplies reached the country by air on Monday. It is the first UN shipment to arrive since the Taliban takeover more than a week ago. World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the successful airlift meant that it could “partially replenish” health facilities’ reserves and ensure that services can continue, for now. Some 12.5 metric tonnes of…

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Tomato growers in Ghana are being introduced to varieties that will resist disease just as in Canada, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be returning for a live event in February next year. The Convention will be returning to the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario on February 23-24, 2022. “Our goal is to assist the industry move forward by bringing together exhibitors, speakers and attendees safely under one roof once again at the state-of-the-art Scotiabank Convention Centre”, the organisation says. The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention (OFVC) is an annual gathering of horticultural crop producers involved in…

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New organic innovations are being displayed in some industrialised countries of the world. This is happening as dogs are being also trained to sniff out potato crop diseases. Potato growers from the state of Maine might have a quicker way to protect their crops from dangerous diseases, thanks to a passionate dog trainer and her animals. Farmers typically are limited to visual detection of common potato diseases – such as potato virus Y and bacterial ring rot – which is not visible until after potatoes have a serious infection. While potato virus Y is not dangerous for human consumption,…

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Avocado growers in Tanzania are seeing in this soft fruit a potential to combat poverty just as in South Africa, citrus export this year is confirming a sustained growth in the industry. As South Africa’s 2021 citrus season is approaching the end, it has become clear that there was export growth, even during these challenging times for South African. Apart from the COVID-19 situation, in July, the country experienced civil unrest expressed through looting and burning of small and big businesses. About 40 000 businesses, including shops, cargo trucks and warehouses, were affected. Also in July, the country’s state owned…

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Spokesperson for Jiaxing Guxiang Co., Ltd., Manager Gu Xiang, says this is just the time of year when Tunisian seedless pomegranates from Huili enter the market.  Recently, he talked about current conditions and future trends in the Chinese pomegranate market. Huili in Sichuan, an important production area of Tunisian seedless pomegranates, enjoys a subtropical climate with sufficient rainfall, large temperature differences between day and night, and abundant sunshine. The unique geographical and meteorological conditions in this area are excellent for the cultivation of pomegranates. The Tunisian seedless pomegranates from Huili have a thin fruit peel, a lustrous color,…

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