Tu esday, Octob er 18, 2011
THISDAY, Vol. 16, No, 6011,
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BusinessWORLD
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industry
French Expo to Unveil New Technologies for Environme~tal Protection
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FrenCh Expo, Po ll utec Horizo ns 20 I I , scheduled for November 29 to [k{:e mlx:r 2, in P".uis , Frallc~ will un ve il new tec hnolo gies for e nviron me ntal protection. The Ma nag in g Di rec tor, l'rolll osalo us N ige ria , tbe organ ise rs of N ige rian panicipan ts a t the expo, Mr. Akin Ald nbolll , exp lained Ih al Ihe g lobal f01\l111 was mainly fo r eco- Iec hnologies. He added thaI olht:r Ilre:l!i of e m phasis included energy perfonnance and pollulion treaunelll solutio ns. He noted Ihat ilCUS suc h as wate r, ai r, wast e, soils, risks and ne w e nvironmental c hal lenges recycling as well as e Xplo italio n , Ihe re use of wa ter , corporate: social responsibili ty and s uslaillllble so urc in g, clima te c ha nge , low c arbon eco nomy and bio-d i\'ersi ty would also be serio usly fellt ured in Ih e expo. He said the fo rthco ming shuw wau l.!. focus on three the mcs thaI re n ect professional conce nt s: innovllt ion , research and fi nance; optimi sing indus trial processes; ene rgy and c nergy pe rfo rmance: , Accord ing to hi m , so me 1,500 e xhi bitors were expecl.:u , !illying about 30 pe r ce nt o f thcse wo uld be 'non -
By Cm soe Osagie Frenc h and wou ld be: drawn from all around the world . '11tere wi ll also be ) 5 .000 visiting man ufacturers, officials from local and nati onal a utho riti es, environm.:nt , energy, constroCl"ion and agricultural profe!>Sio nals, as we ll as those involved in sales and dimioo tion ," he said. He pni nted o ut th ai thc three c ruc:i ~l the mcs we re treated in a fo rward looking way as a compleme nt 10 the trad it io nal preveQtion a nd m:a tmem sollllio ns, "POll11tcc Horiron has c hose n to s potli ght three themes tha t excite co nsiderable intereSI a mo ngst pro fessionals who arc already looki ng forward 10 the: major c halle nges of to morrow and who arc: worki ng to imple me nt Ihe provisions o f Prance 's new environme ntl aw ~ ," he said . "Specifically, the y ha ve c hose n 10 e m phasi se Re$ea rc h - Innovatio n· Finan ce: in order to mal<e Ihe show a real forum fo r clean lcehs and tOlal so h.iliuns fo r grtc n g rowl h. Nume rous stan- nps w ill be feat ured in all Ihe show's sec to rs and in the s pace ded ica ted to future IcclUlolog ies . This innovation show case bu ilt aroun d pro mis ing S M Es wi ll be
com pleme nted by lechnolo· gies that offer great pote nlia l fo r use in the environme nt man.ct:' he added . III his wo rds , ''These in clude bio tec hno logi.:s, s upercrilical n ui ds and membranes aod, for the fi rs t time , sat elli te a pplica tions presented in the ' Horizons
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''This ex hib itio n ' sp~ce will house a range o f COIII pe ti tiveness ce ntres, including the !3 ' Eco tcc h' centrt:s, researc h organisatio ns and
laboratorie ' , profess io nal assoc iatio ns a nd ne two rks , as wel l as vario u ~ aid , finance and ve nture ca pilal o rganisatio ns (A DEME , AN R , Oseo , bank) , "A s always , Po llUlec Hori rons wi ll act as an in<:ubator for in no va tion by selecti ng the lald l iunol'a· !lve produ cts or services , whet he r they have bee n an~Ln c(d in advance o r are be in g .~. pre se nled by exhibito r'S_'o n their s ta nds, in the ~~~ o f lalb g iven in
th e dedicated fo ro rn , during the va rious lherned broadcas ts from the TV Studio or al the pri ze g iv in g ceremo ni es fo r the vario us awa rds a nd tro phies:' Ak inbo lil. lidded . ~l e staled thm the forum would also highli ght bolh the vario us tec hnulogi es and the most approprillle fin ance IlIcch:mis ms. " What is more , and for Ihe first time. Po ll utec Horizons will be he ld in co nj unc tion with the European ecotec h-
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W 'Bank, IFe Provide
Mfordable Lighting to Rural Nigeria ;g'ui n g A frica, a joint lFe and World Ba nk programme, w hich makes c utt ing edge off-g rid lighting technology a .....t.ilable to tlk: e nergy pool' would be pa n ici pa ting in the Nigeria Altematil'e Energy &po from Octubcr 17 10 19 in Aooja. 111C prog ramme i£ mo bilising the pril".Ih: settor tu bui ld suslain.m le martell> thaI proI' id~ saf.:, afforduble and modem off-gri d lighting to co mmunit ies who :If<: not ),et co nlJe.:t<:d to lite grid . "Toda y, sola r and o lh er nlOdi:rn .1ff·grid lighting prod _ IIcts o ffer belli:r illu mi nati on, longer bom.:ry li fe, and wllrrdlltic:s" , a sta teme nt added. AC1."Ordi ng to World Bank . about 85 millio n people in Nigeria , nlOSt of d LC: m in m r.ll :tr<:.IlS, lx k .:h:c tric ity and rely on expcnsil'':, poJlllling ond dangerous fuel -based lighting SOlutio ns suc h as kerosene lamps. "We hal'e found that people in un-c: lc:cl ri fied rura l.areas in AfriL"lI pay un a\'erage )0 per cent morc: for kerosene for lighting d UlIl urban families, beca use they buy it in smaller quant ities. 111is is a typical cas.: of the "double penalty of pove rty" , where people who CUll least afford basic commooities pay the mos t fo r the m . "What Lighti ng Africa is doillg is 10 try alld lllII.k:e the Ill.lest ligh ting techno logy accessible to UIC hundreds of miUionli in Africa 's un ..::lcctri fied rural comm uni t i ~ a nd r<:p lat.: kerns<:.oe as a lighting SOU I'C\: by solar and OI.her clean
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sources" , Li ghting Africa Programme Manager, Mr. Anhur Njagi, :;.aid. World Ban k said the new products can intprove li ves by ex tending the worki ng hours for SITlil l1 businesses, give c hildren a c hance to study longer in thi: e vening in a safe and smoke- rree e nl'ironment, and red uce: in-door air pollution. It added that for rur'd.! , undecui ficd co mmun iti es, wh ic h had been heavily affect.:d by the ris ing price o f kerose ne ove r the past 15 mo nt hs switc hing fro m kerosene 10 mode m off-grid lighting products would red uce the ir ene rgy spenu ing. World Bank said many of the ne w lamps feature a mobile phOtk: charger, allowing millions of phone owners who are un·dectrifted to c hary.: their pho ne at IIl)me and save the 5075 nairu that they would OIherwise plly for charging their pho lll: at the loe-dl shop. "About 1.5 million people in Africa hal'C clCllJlCr, safer, bet· h:r lighting and im proved :access to energy with the support o t' Lighting Africa and its pallners. "The prog ramme works w ith manufact urers and distribut ors, consu nli:N, finalV:iai institu tions , dc:.\'eloprnent panlI':rs , and gove rn ments to help ma],; e mo dem off.grid lighti ng products with in the reach of luw il1COllle househo lds anJ small SMEs in Africa. The prog;.unmc: has hei:n pilOlcd in Ke nya a nd G hana , and is cxp:.md ing to Tanza niu, Eth iopia, Senegal anc.l ~'I ali ;' World Bani.: sa;rI
n" lugy eve nt , LeC leanttlCh, a ptogramme of mee tings featuri ng ui scus~ ions, th':lIl.:d st ow visits , pre.ental ion ~ o f in!CITtlltional stan-ups and a sr- ecial rc:ecption;' he said. Accoruing 10 him , anolher Ih:::me unanimous ly n:q UCS t· cO fo r the 20 11 show was the ol,timising of processes alld ut!1i ties add in g thaI the goal 0 1 Ilk!: shuw is to prt:Scnt all the. linl.:s in a c ha in Ih ~ t w luld enable th e perfo rnu oce o f mllnufa cturin g c(,mpanies to be imprO\\:d .
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/..Qgos Zonal CoorwlltJUJr, NiK~riml CoI/UlIlli lil;oli.o,1S Commissum , (NOCI AIr, OtedwJ.lI'1I N ...~h, Corporo~ Comlllu/UcDJums Ala/Ulgcr, AfTN, FUluni OnU1Jt/nmigw/, wid Ih~ AI~r DfUlui <IIw wgt r, AIr. I II/IOUIII Oboh, oI lh~ Dill'" of lI,t "n'; I Sim Regislruliofl RClYaru ;n Ulcus . .. nUlll1y PH OTO: u.. UIoaao
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NANTS Outlines Causes of Food Insecurity
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he Nat ional Associalion o f Nige ria n T rade rs (NANTS ) has outli ned the majo r issues co ntributing to food insec urity in the cou ntry. 111e association, in a s tutemenl, hig hlig hted d.:senificati on in Northern N ige ria , whi ch costs the cou nll)' about )50.000 hectares of amb le lands per year, as the major fac lo r co nt ributin g 10 food insec urity. NANTS said it was impo rIn nt 10 no te that in the 10 uo n hern stalq o f the country, eoc.h year, the desert ad vances anot her 600 melres furt her so uth . forci ng tens o f thousands of f.lnncrs and their ramilies 10 move off la ud th D! has become barre n. NAN'fS added th at dc: (urt$lII.tion on th (! o the r sidt:: has al so cost Ihe co unt ry Ol'er 60 per ce nt of its o rigin al fo rest co\'er, with the 60 per ce nt o f the r.:mai ning (o re st cove r do mi cil.:d in C ross Rive r S ta te at ris k. NANTS no red tha t land degr'.Idauon also contribu tes to food insecuri ty saying th at land degradalion is a dai ly occurrence in th e N ige r Delt a, as a res ult of oi l spill"ge , "And as if tha I is no t ello ug h, Ihe re mai ning arolble la nd in Ogo nila nd , R iv~rs State, is at ri s k of being 'g r.lbbed ' by Ihe gO\'emITM:l1t
unde r the guis.: o f fo reig n inves tme nt , witho ut co nshk rlitio n of the e ffects on the live lihood of members of the commun ities in qucstion," the assoc ialion added . It said Ihat fl ood ing in Lagos, Ibadan a nd o the r Sout h-west stales, whic h has killed hundreds o f llto pl.:, des troying propc n ic:s wonh billions, rende ri ng thousa nd s ho meless and de s troyi ng cro ps and funn lands is also a faclor 10 food insec urity. ~ LlInd grubbin g und re luted pra.; tices , arc fas t bc:coming a me nace, a nd if left unchec ked , will pose scrio us envi ron me ntal ll nd food sec u· ri l), problenlS in Ni ger ia," NANTS added , To c urb thes t: proble ms touching on the li velihoods o f mill illns o f N ige rians , Iht: _ association recommended a need for tree: planting exen:isc: and fore sl pro!ectio n to c urb the .:nc ro ac:hme nt o f Ihe desert o n 1I.r'.Ible lands, leading to disp lace ment of ru ral d .....elkrs and fanners , It calkd on tlle Na tio nal O il S pill D<: tt:c lion and Response A ge ncy ( NOSDRA) and ot her re levan t age ncies to \Io'm k towa rus ens uri ng th ut oil spills arc: prompt l), cleaned up , SO as to mi tigll te the destru clio n o f farms ,,00 waler resources in Ihe N iger D<:lta. " It is expedie nt thaI the
gove rn me nt take s ano ther loo k al the extan t u nu Use Act , in o mer 10 bri ng ~bout equity on ae. ~ to lond by lhe poor and vulnernble funn e rs'·, Ihe associatio n added. ·'Gove rnme nt shou ld loo k int o the me na.;e of the new la nd g rabbin g t r~nd in Nige ri a, wh.:n: Sia l.: govern ITM: nt s pr'dClicllll y hu nd ol'er communilY l ~nd s 10 foreign-' ers , t1 u:reby jeopardi sing Ihe livel ihoods of tho usands o f Nigeria ns. a nd L'O ntribu ling immensd y to poye rty a nd un e mp loy me nt ," NA NTS said. TIle liSsod:L1 inn a lso ap pealed to co nce rn.:d alllho ri ti<:s 10 ensur.: Iha t fa n l1 t:rs, especially s mall sc nle fam lers , r(ceil'e c redit, a t affordab l.: inte r.:s( rates, II); well as farm iroputs . und said Iha l portfolio farmers wi tlioul farm lli nds had sabo taged Ihe. cou nt ry 's agric sc ht:mt:S fur too lo ng. NANTS th us called o n government 10 cany o ut careful in\'Cstiga tions o n the benefi ciaries of its micro--c red it schemes, so as to ens ure th at Ihe rea l runners ;1l'C em pow ered . It said as Nigeri ajo ined the reM of the wo rld to mark World R:lod Day, Ih e Natioll.11 A ssociutio n o f Nigeria n Truden; (NANTS) ~nd other grou ps ond all ies in the Vo ices fu r Food Sc<: urity (VFS)
D ,mpaig ll wo uld be pan of Ih,: WFO eelebr'';lio ll , wi th thd r S rll.tll Scale Farmers o[liIJiting vwi ous agric ultur. al ptoduce alld bo untifu l harveil e WIl omillil. Stroll g ch~ l le llgd l\',ili taLing a~ai n S l l hdr pr,xluction envimn ment. '·In N i~e ri" , NANTS a nd Iht: \l FS ai lies s hull be part o f Ihe W FD eventS which wi ll lal e plac( fro l1l (ktober 10 16, with .>e ries o i acti v i l i~i r,mging fiom u se:nsit is utinn w~ l ~ . to a Pho to and Book Ex hibi ti on a l the Natio na l Fu acJ Rese rves Agenc y, 10 a qUII. '-OIIIp<:litiun, lu a ~y m po siLm an:! to cap it all , all A.gri cullLJ ra l j how und E;, hihi tio u li t Niltional A gric ultu ral s huw gro un d , Al .uJii- Kcffi Rood , Nasumwa S t:..tC' ," it udded. A.:cordi ng to NANTS , the pri ~ of rood had been 011 a ll up'~ard t r'~j.!ctory for $Otne lime now, pos ing 3 major Ihre;. t 10 fooJ s.ccuril Y in de n:lop ing countries, stre ssing thm the poor and Ih.: fa, me n; . who incide ntall y jlruduC<! this food , were the ha ..dc st l.it. " Whi l ~ we L-.: l.:br'.Ile Ihis y ~ ,lr's World Food Day, NA NTS ilnd the VFS ' are using this oppon unil)' 10 call o n Ih.: po liticians to reipeel thd r co mm itments made 10 flll-m.!rs dll ring Ihe pre-electio,l .:amp:.tigns;' Ihe lIliSOCia· lie ,) ,,;aid ,