Page 46, THISDAY, Vol. 16. No. 5832
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
PropertyNEWS
Low Fertilizer Imperils REDD Implementation Says Study ow fertilizer use drives deforestation in West Africa, · imperils the implementation of the United Nation's initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDO) says a new study by researchers at the lliadanbased International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (llTA) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Reducin~ Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDO) is an effort to create a financial value for the··carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from foreste ands and invest in low-<:arbon paths to sustainable development. "REDD+" goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. It is predicted that financial flows for greenhouse gas emission reductions from REDD+ could reach up to US$30 billion a year. This significant NorthSouth flow of funds could reward a meaningful reduction of carbon emissions and could also support new, pro-poor development, help conserve . biodiversity and secure vital ecosystem services.
come from deforestation. The findings should be taken into consideration in producer both in terms of discussions around efforts output and numbers of proto reauce emissions from ducers, followed by Ghana, deforestation, say Nigeria, and Cameroon researchers. Instead of conwith these four countries sidering complicated stratenow accounting for 70 per!9e$ involving monetary or cent of global cocoa supply. m-kind transfers to farmers The study, cocoa prOducor communities for altering tion in West Africa's their land use behavior, Guinean Rainforest region REDO funds could be used doubled between 1987 and to incentivize and promote 2007, but most of this agricultural intensification increase was fueled by effurts that would lead to clearing forest areas resulthigher rural incomes, ing in farge losses of biodigreater food security, .a nd ver;;ity and high carbon avoided emissions through enusstons. . _. _ ,'. the· achievement· of· higher . The Guinean Rainforest . agricultural yields . .' ..' -:(GRF) of West Africa, identi''"The limited use of fertilfie<4>ver 20 yeiU"S ago as a global' biodiversity hotspot, nad reduced to 113,000 km2 at the start of the new millennium, which was 18 percent -of its original area, according to the report. The principal"driver of this environmental change has been the expansion 01 low-input smalllioider agriculture that depends on environmentally destructive practices like slash-and-bum and land clearing. . Researchers at ITfA fuund that increasing fertilizer use on cocoa-timber farms would have spared roughly 2 million hectares of tropiail forest from being cleared or severely degraded. On average, farmers are usin~ less than 4kg of total nutrients per hectare in the
Researchers in the study published online this week m the peer-reviewed joumaJ Environmental Management call for greater focus on 'fertilizers for fO!!"5t' miti&ation in West Africa to unprove food security, protect biodiversity, and reduce emissions from deforestation. According to the researchers, cocoa production in West Africa is an important commercial. sector and a source of" uvelihoods fur about two million households in the region. For the last 20 years Cote d1vo4e has been the largest
The study suggests that farmers coula have achieved the same outputs without rampant deforestation through the intensified use of fertilizer and agrochemicals coupled with improved crop "husbandry. According to llTA, by doing so farmers would have doubled their incomes and helped to avoid deforestation and degradation on 2.1 million hectares and in the process, this would have generated a value of over 1,600' million dollars on 1.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions that would not have
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Stories by Bennett Og/Iifo
izer may have been lo&ical technology to sustainably intensify production is availin 1960, when West African able ana has achieved populations were only 25 percent of todays leveLS and impressive cocoa yield furestland was still relatively increases on a limited scale in parts of the GRF. abundant. That choice is no longer. tenable in a context According to the authors, where only 15 to 20 percent funding support for reducof the GRF remains," said ing carDon emissions due to GoCkowski. deforestation ahd degrada''"There are no longer any tion (REDO) to mitigate c1ifrontier forests in West mate change as discUssed in Africa for future generations the Copenhagen Accord to exploit," he said. offers the potential of signifStrategies to reduce defuricant new public resources estation and conserve biodifor needed investments in agricultural research and versity in West Africa must fOcus on transforming agriextension and market infracultural practices from tradistructure to support the - tional ···t",·mooern'· science"'- ··transformationof-traditional based methods.- ," . . agriculture 'in West Africa. "Fertilizers for forest" The value of avoided carbon
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ing the envisaged doubling of yields. A sigrUficant proportion of REDD+ funding should be used to increase the adoption and level of fertilizer use in a "fertilizers for forest" mitigation program. ''"There is a risk that REDO interventions are only implemented within the forestry sector, while extensive low input agriculture, the fundamental Clriver of deforestation in the region and the root cause of most rural poverty,.gets neglected. This would De a mistake," said Gockowski.
region.
• Fair1l-ade Complex in Ahuja, developed I1y Afribank Estate Company Limited, S1ibsidiary of Afribank Nigeria PIc
Afribank Estate Delivers Abuja FairTrade Complex IT ibank Estate Company Limited, subsiiliary of Afribank igeria I'"lc has virtually completed the second phase of its fascinating FairTrade Complex in Abuja, leaving few finishing touches. Meanwhile, purchasers of shops in Phase I
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have since taken possession of their shops. Located within easy reach at 22, Kigoma Street (opposite the NAFDAC Headquarters) in tl}e Wuse Zone 7 District of Ahuja, Fair Trade Business Complex is a unique brand, a rrux of shops, offices,
FMBN, EXIM BANCORP Plan Social Housing Federal Government expressed its willingness to rartner Exim Deve ~_ment Corporation (EIJC) of the United Slates of America on the provision of mass housing m the country. Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien stated that he was happy that the discussion which started at the early part of his administration was coming to fruition with the readiness of the team to invest into the country's housing using their technology from the US. . _~,. 'I had discussed earlier with the President of your cOJ"?Oration, Mr. Joseph KIem last y~ar on this proposal since you had Deen here," said Essien while welcoming senior officials of the bank fiom Orhndo, Horida, who visited his office in :,,~uja .in ~mpany of the
dioxide (C02) emissions are conservatively estimated at $565 per hectare for achiev-
From Dele Ogbodo ;nAbuja
Federal Mortgage . Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr. Girnba YauKumo. The Minister stated that "government is very kl!en aoout your proposal to built mass houses especially fur the low income earners in the country. As at that time, the issue of availability of land was more of a kriotty issue as we haven't had access to land which we couldn't have given to you to start the project." He said "At this time we are in a position to offer land to you to commence construction. Because we are in' hurry to provide houSes for Nigerians particularly the mass.housing design. He said Wlth FMBN as the financial partner in Nigeria, EDC should move in by bringing their equipment ; ... 40 .....
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mence operation. "We our business here in Nigeria; would encourage you to to develop mass housing. We make the funds available as are very glad to have the soon as possible but while opportunity to go into busidoing that we would also ness with Nigeria and I encourage you to move the believe that this agreement, a equipment into the country Memorandum of and start the construction Understanding (MoU) which you had promised would have been signed us." He said the company withFMBN." can start th~ mass housing Aleksic added that they programme m any part 01 hope to start very soon so the country as it shoUld not that we can bring our factory be restricted to Lagos or to produce and the comF'any Abuja alone. Reassurmg the would prefer to produce investors of government here in Ni~a ratfter than cooperation, he said, '1 want importin& mto the country. to assure you that we are He explamed that the techopen and ready to work with nology is a new technology your organizations. The earand -designed for buildiitg lier you settle down the betmass housing. He added "By ter fur both parties." . . the time go into operation . In a remark, the leader of we hope to provide employthe delegation to Nigeria'Dt: .. ment Tor Nigerians. It is a M AlekSic stated that the combination' of European bank was in Nigeria to seek and US technology. "It is possible way orestablishing interesting to be to develop Its business which he building of mass housing . described as a global conand office buildings that will in?u~e ~ospitals,"hotels and g1~~;rate., . . " .,
eateries, banking and purpose-built spaces. The company explained in a statement issued and signed by its Head of Sales and Marketing, Mrs. Horence Ize-Iyamu that sh0p'ping spaces were still available for outright sale in Phases 1 and Phase II at the rate of N500,OOO.OO per square metre. Also available are two units of eatery with furnished food court that has an Ice Cream Parlour for lease at NI20,OOO.OO per . square metre for each full package of eatery. There are Video Arcade and Banking Space for long lease at N60,OOO.OO per square metre. There are also a few units for ATM spaces and a Sports Bar lViewing centre. The Second Phase offers 30 larger office spaces of varying sizes between 40-60 square metres. Also availaole is a warehouse space of about 380 square metres either for outright sale of the unexpired interest or long lease at a negotiable rate 01 N40,OOO per square metre. The compfex was finished excellently. with vitrified floor tiles, P.O.P skimmed walll ceiling. The roof cover comprises partly long span aluminum ana partly dome . shaped <larnpalon reflective rooling system. There is prepaid electricio/. metering to eliminate inadence of exorbitant
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connected with internet, intercom and telephone system. To prevent fire outbreak is a well detailed fire detection and fighting system. The landscape is enthralling, consisting of luscious lawns, exotic flowers and ornamental trees. The complex which is paved entirely on the unbuilt area IS confined within a dwarf perimeter wall fence wi th burglary proof inlaid and with street ligh~ to illuminate the comprex at night. To boost electricity suI>ply in the complex is a deaIcated PHCN transformer. Three standby genera tors of 500KVA, 100KVA and 350KVA capacities had earlier been installed prior to the commissioning of the First Phase. Delayed responses in change-over operations are eliriUnated with an auto change-over system. There is safe, drinking water from a plant-treatec:fboreholet!cility. Security of lives and property IS guaranteed round the clock through a central security system that is enhanced with COY camera to complement ·the human efforts of eagle-ey~ personnel. The comp1ex IS already enjoying efficient services bemg provided by' Messrs AlphaMead Facilities & Management Services Lirnitea, the facility man...........__ .... , ..l.. ... ....... _ _ I ......,