Hot!
Collaborate and work together to Improve Intra-African Trade – Osinbanjo to African Countries
Prof. Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has urged African countries to collaborate, work together to improve intra-African trade.
He said this could be done by building infrastructure that connect the countries both digitally and physically.
He noted some of Africa’s accomplishments at the level of intra-African trade, stating that as much as 41 per cent of Africa’s machinery exports were traded within the continent.
Prof. Osinbajo also noted that 35 per cent of biopharmaceutical products and 30 per cent of industrial chemicals were already being traded as a measure of intra-African trade.
Speaking at the BOMA of Africa event on the sidelines of the Africa Union’s Mid-Year Coordinating Meeting held in Accra last Saturday, Prof. Osinbajo said it is in the best interest of Africa to improve trade among its member countries.
This year’s theme for BOMA of Africa, “From the Africa We Want to the Africa We Build,” encapsulates the essence of Africa’s journey. Through focused discussions on health, wealth creation, development financing, and governance, BOMA 2024 aimed to ignite new momentum towards realizing Africa’s continental aspirations. By spotlighting major projects and initiatives, the event aimed to foster a spirit of collaboration and determination.
Touching on Africa’s rich biodiversity, Prof. Osinbajo said the continent had high biodiversity reserves and the scale of natural capital to preverse centuries of ecological erosion and the unbridled carbon-laden industrialisation of yesterday.
Noting that there is a wave of brain drain that has hit African countries, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who previously served as Attorney General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, said Africa must create an environment that rewards the talents of its people to prevent movement of African labour to other continents.
“Labour is always going to find the place where it is best rewarded. Anywhere in the world, wherever labour is best rewarded, that’s where it’ll go. That’s why there are lots of movements all across the world. It’s, therefore, best for Africa to create the environment for rewarding talent,” Prof. Osinbajo said.
He said according to experts, as much as one quarter of the planet’s workforce was likely to be of African origin and of the youthful workforce in particular, as much as 42 per cent may be in Africa by 2050.
“according to him, an energetic pool of youthful talent fortified with fast-advancing artificial intelligence and the geoengineering edge of a world that is desperately in need of a new economic growth paradigm is an edge that the rest of the world ignores at great risk.”
“Integrate trade, digital transaction and work together to build a resilient, rich, prosperous economy and then people will stay and people will come from everywhere in the world to Africa. There’s no other solution,” he said.
With regards to Africa’s health development readiness, Prof. Osinbajo noted that during the pandemic, Africa, through the collaboration of Panavirus and the Africa CDC, brokered by AfroChampions, built and deployed the world’s first vaccine passport.
“The Panavirus platform digitally connected labs and hospital facilities, as well as pathogen genomic centres in 20 countries of Africa,” he added.
AUDA-NEPAD and AfroChampions, alongside other strategic partners, have hosted the annual BOMA of Africa event during African Integration Week since 2019. This year’s BOMA was aligned with the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, further cementing its significance on the continent’s commemorative calendar.
The BOMA of Africa has become a premier platform for showcasing the continent’s most inspirational achievements in unity and integration.
Convened at the highest level, the event aims to move beyond discussions to concrete actions, inspiring Africans across various fields such as science, technology, education, the creative arts, and entrepreneurship.
The 2024 BOMA of Africa is a strategic milestone on the path to achieving the Africa We Want. AUDA-NEPAD and AfroChampions reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the goals of Agenda 2063, setting a precedent for accountability, innovation, and unity across the continent.
Hot!
Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion
•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student
Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Director of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.
Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.
Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.
He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their families to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.
He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.
The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, including children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.
He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.
He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.
Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.
He explained that household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.
Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.
To address this, he urged appliance repairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua
Hot!
Small-scale miners schooled on health hazards of mining with mercury
Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants
Some Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the Ashanti and Central regions have been sensitised on the potential health dangers humans are exposed to with the use of mercury in gold processing.
The sensitisation which was organised by PlanetGOLD Ghana project was to raise awareness about the negative impacts on the use of mercury in mining activities.
According to the PlanetGOLD Ghana Project Coordinator, Mr Lovelace Sarpong, the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining pose health challenges that affects the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys; and may be fatal.
Some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that benefited from the exercise were Amansie Central, Asante Akim North, Amansie South, Amansie West, Bekwai, and Adansi North in the Ashanti Region, and Upper Denkyira East (Dunkwa-on-Offin) and Upper Denkyira West (Diaso) in the Central Region.
Additionally, he said inorganic salts of mercury were corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.
He stated that the PlanetGOLD Project has conducted several initiatives to raise awareness on reducing mercury exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold mining actors in the country.
It was to promote mercury-free mining practices in line with Ghana’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, support the formalisation of the ASGM sector while advocating the adoption of the CRAFT Code and responsible supply chains, and raise awareness on the availability of mercury-free alternatives.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area Head for Konongo, Mr Dawood Abbas, underscored the importance of government’s environmental regulations and EPA’s role in ensuring compliance within the ASGM sector.
He encouraged miners to prioritise environmental stewardship to gain community trust and secure a Social License to Operate (SLO) and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to enforce its commitments under the Minamata Convention.
BY Cecilia Lagba Yada
