Officials of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) who announced this said the vessel was carrying fuel and was sailing towards the open sea.

IMB said Nigerian authorities have been notified of the attack and are taking action.
According to IMB, the sailors locked themselves in a safe room to avoid harm by the attackers who are suspected to be oil thieves from Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.

The organization disclosed that the Gulf of Guinea where the attack took place has had 37 attacks on ships this year alone.

Naval sources told PTI that the attackers normally siphon oil from the ships and release them after a few days.
Last week, an oil vessel was seized by pirates, off the Coast of Togolese capital of Lome and released few days later near Nigeria with its 23 Russian crew members.

3,000 tonnes of fuel were stolen from the ship, MT Energy Centurion, owned by a Greece-based firm, Golden Energy Management.

AUTHOR: Paul Ohia
URL: www.paulohia.blog.com and www.paulohia.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: paulohia [at] yahoo.co.uk

It has also been cold, and rainfall is hardly expected, as it comes in very small amounts, or briefly. Rainfall and storms in Lagos, of recent, have not been friendly, it has induced floods that caused damages to lives and properties. It also contributes to traffic, with effects lasting over days.

A ‘no rain’ period at a time like this when rainfall was forecasted to peak, allow some suspicion into activities that may be ongoing to prevent rain. There was also a period of light rain last year, after a day of prolonged rain that ravaged the state in July. Continuous rain in that magnitude is obviously unbearable for the people and government, and it is just wise to have some stopgap for it.

High-winds-but-no-rain period during rainy seasons in the past, have sometimes come with major construction in Lagos & elsewhere. During the construction of Yaba-Itire road, it was experienced over the mainland area, and was partly experienced during the construction of Funsho Williams Avenue.

The current rain absence, in a period of construction, is redolent of possible manipulation techniques in use. Weather Modification is an act of intentional manipulation or altering the weather. It has a number of techniques, and can be used for rain, snow and storms, to induce, reduce or prevent them. It is famously used in China, and developed nations have programs or research on it.

Weather modification techniques deals with clouds, which for rain and snow, is a factor. Clouds are seeded (or filled) with particles in a process called cloud seeding. It can be done with rockets and planes, to load clouds with silver iodide or dry ice (liquid nitrogen), to have precipitation over rivers or chosen areas.

This process makes rain, fall from clouds, before those clouds get to a particular area. So rainfall can be induced over the Atlantic, to prevent it from falling in given areas that may be harmful to current construction work on third mainland bridge. China used weather modification during the Beijing Olympic Games, and as rain is yet to really fall in the London Games, you’ll never know.

Seniors in Nigeria speak of the possibility of weather modification in non-scientific ways, profiling certain cultural events that went without rain. This belief is predominant, and may be suggested by many as the cause for ‘no rain’ in Lagos. But doubts are there for any other method, aside scientific, that could hold off rain over an area for an extended period, reliably.

Nigeria may not have an issue with preventing rain, especially for a major construction work, but the issue the country may have is shrouding such programs in secrecy. Meteorologists and climate pundits in the academe, should have works on this, and see how it can benefit parts of Nigeria with drought or devastating downpour annually; because the construction folks may never let their secrets until prompted.

AUTHOR: David Stephen
URL: http://www.trpns.com
E-MAIL: Stephen [at] trpns.com

Maintenance work commenced last week at third mainland bridge, as directed by a top government official. It is scheduled for completion by November, and will see eight expansion joints replaced on both sides of the carriageways of the bridge. This maintenance work was initially scheduled to commence two weeks ago, but was postponed, possibly to put more things in place. This repair is coming at this crucial time when rain and floods is making motoring difficult.

Concerns of different sorts have been expressed, and press report of floods on alternative routes supports some. The government has pledged to reduce the traffic burden during this period with more control officers on duty, attention to suggested alternative routes and improved traffic monitoring reports to the public. This gives some confidence but complications will definitely come at certain times during the four months period.

Some people have presented arguments about the timing, they could be correct, but maintenance at this time, as said, is coming for the necessity. Traffic in Lagos has been a problem, with construction somewhere or not. Government continues to work to ensure that people enjoy free flowing traffic.

The Lagos government has LASTMA – Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. They also have traffic lights, recently built roads, a traffic FM, and benefitted from removal of traffic-causing-police-road blocks that the IGP prohibited nationally weeks back. Traffic on Apapa-Oshodi expressway, a perfect example of the problem, was tackled in May. Faulty road users there were dealt with, and things improved. The achievement of that gives so much hope for another in future, albeit significant traffic is returning to that route.

Traffic is one big issue in the state, and it robs government credits for development. Traffic stiffens engagements, troubles businesses, aids crime, reduces the quality of air, contributes to climate change, plugs road safety, adds to health risks, causes fatigue and makes time management more difficult. We all know that traffic solution is not mentioned during political campaigns, but the problem leaves the government in a bad light outside, even as people within ‘are used to it’. Traffic requires all round solution, with new ones and improvements to those in use.

Traffic reports through radio and social media are part solutions that should be further advertised and improved. These platforms enable people to get updates on traffic for routes that connect locations. They could help people before setting-out, they could also help people to change their plans or to change their planned form of transportation.

These platforms inform, and could also tell of why traffic is happening at a particular place and time, to quicken attention and action.  Good, but they don’t address solutions and may not favour at times if something happens on a recommended free flowing route –- usual in the unpredictable situation — and quick response stalls. Rapid response, proper oversight, regulation and compliance to road directives are best played by LASTMA.

These folks work hard and deserve credit for some improvements that have been seen in the past years in traffic. They, as public officers are included in government ranking of staffers, and face some challenges that many rail about for those in ministry. These guys have their issues, with news stories on disparaging acts of some. Some of them also have issues of being unskilled, for duties; there are issues of keeping up in this low per capita GDP economy and more. Things are not so easy, with a global recession and oil prices dipping, for an economy reliant on oil trade & several issues to table.

Attending to LASTMA better is desired, as some officials rumble for a better status, but may not be so easy. Improved status by the Lagos government to LASTMA is help for all. It is help to themselves, to the federal government, to the people, to LASTMA officials, to investors, to security, to the present and the future.

Having this is beyond donations, or symposiums for a few, or tough talk by top bureaucrats, or comments or abuses (as some believe); but improved welfare, structured training, more equipment, more officials, and complete overhaul of that system. Training them on common situations, improving reporting bottom up within the system and more is necessary if the government really wants to help all.

Prioritizing repairs of alternative routes, putting more traffic lights at points, rapid attention to bottlenecks either road repairs or blockades, developing suggestion channels that road users can submit what they think will help per route, road use instructions, more traffic technologies and seriousness will also reduce traffic in the state.

The center however remains LASTMA, with more officials, they can be spilled to alternative routes and also be available within meters on pikes during heavy traffic hours, to prevent/reduce new traffic origins within a large traffic. More officials can also monitor from within, situations and ensure that response, reports and updates on action are in sync.

More officials will ensure that work shifts are flexible, boosting commitment to duties while at work; more officials will also ensure that they are all available for regular trainings on what-to-do, how-to-do, when-to-say-what, who-to-call, when-to-ignore, when-to-arrest and what-to-observe.

New attention to the situation can be started with a small forum, where presentations will be made, and issues will be submitted. This will involve a number of people and the press. Action will follow after to further understand some things before the next meeting. Things that can be fixed will be fixed, before a major conference on traffic and complete action.

Repairs to third mainland bridge will bring attention to traffic around concerned areas, but traffic will continue as usual at other routes. Government, corporates, high commissions, those that love Nigeria, and individuals should please start something that can lessen this multidimensional torture.

Please read:

Lagos: Short term traffic solutions for the long term

AUTHOR: David Stephen
URL: http://www.trpns.com
E-MAIL: Stephen [at] trpns.com

Vice President Namadi Sambo and his South African counterpart, Kgalema Motlanthe signed the documents on behalf of the two countries with Motlanthe bluntly recalling that the two countries have been having a difficult time relating with each other recently.

“Both of us need a heart-to-heart talk inspired by the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood as Africans with a shared destiny, so that we surface(sic) home truths as a prerequisite to clear up any irritants that may be currently serving as a wedge between us,” said Motlanthe. He was, no doubt, referring to this year’s incident whereby some overzealous South African customs officials deported a planeload of Nigerians for what they termed as having the wrong yellow fever vaccination documentation which drew the ire of Nigeria which equally started deporting South Africans.

Sambo said Nigeria was open to greater involvement of South-African investors in the areas of infrastructure development, mining and solid mineral exploration, value chain in agriculture, oil and gas as part of efforts towards the objectives of vision Nigeria’s 20:2020.

His words “the outcome of our work today including the signing of MoUs and agreements would hardly yield the desired result without the political will to implement our decisions. That is why we must follow up on the signed agreements to facilitate the desired economic and technical cooperation to stimulate growth, job creation and development of our industries and economies”

The March deportation incidence amongst other issues underscores the cold rivalry between the two countries and the rancorous way a small misunderstanding could trigger a bigger diplomatic confusion.

Another issue at stake which was highlighted by some subtler incidents on the sidelines of the summit in Cape Town is the race to lead the African Union Commission where Nigeria is the biggest backer of the incumbent Gabonese chairman, Jean Ping. Nigeria is also mobilising other West African countries to vote for him for a second term. But South Africa has its own candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who is the country’s home affairs ministers.

For this position, a stalemate is expected during the next AU meeting in July because the suspicion between the two countries is very pronounced. Whereas South Africa feels that Nigeria lacks the will power to reform the AU Commission, Nigeria is afraid that South Africa would use the position to consolidate its power over the entire continent.

Curious enough, the two Vice Presidents avoided discussions pertaining to this issue but Sambo could not escape an inquisitive journalist who pushed the question to him after the meeting.

He gave a cryptic response that Nigeria would back South Africa in any quest to occupy international positions including at the United Nations and the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) interpreted the response out of context to mean that Nigeria has shifted its stance to support South Africa for AU Commission Chairmanship. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gbenga Ashiru swiftly clarified the position stating that Nigeria remains behind Jean Ping.

Nigeria and South Africa have been trying to occupy a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council and if the position becomes viable, only a country from Africa would be elected to the position.

Though the United Nations reform which would make this position possible is still a long way off, none of the two countries appears ready to give up the chance if it becomes available. Then Nigeria will argue that it is the most populous country but South Africa would also contend that it has more money and stable economy, But for now, the position is more of a theory a little far away from certainty.

At present, the most rancorous issue between the two African countries is the economic relations. Nigeria produces oil and has the potential to become an economic giant but all have been stalled by poor leadership and corruption. South Africa prides itself on being the biggest economy and beckons on foreign investors to take advantage of its stability. But South Africa’s growth is slowing drastically and it is predicted that it would be under 3 per cent by the end of the end of this year whereas Nigeria is looking at 7 per cent growth or more. In fact, it has been predicted that Nigeria’s economy should outperform South Africa’s by 2015.

However, one must not overlook some other common reservations by both countries. For Nigeria, the incursion of South African companies like DStv, Shoprite, MTN etc keeps profits moving out to South but for South Africa, the issue of immigrants both legal and illegal from Nigeria keeps it vigilant.

Nigeria tries to implement strict visa regimes for firms from South Africa while citizens of the former who go to the latter’s High Commission for travel documents face difficult hurdles.

The aforementioned notwithstanding, analysts believe that collaboration will be mutually beneficial.

According to Simon Allison of Daily Maverick, there was a promising hint of this kind of cooperation at this week’s meeting, with a deal for South African to start importing more Nigerian oil and liquid fuel. South Africa needs a new supplier as it is likely to observe American sanctions on Iran, and Nigeria is more than happy for a new customer – especially one that brings guarantees.

“This trust is a good start. If it could be extended to other areas – the AU race, for example, or a waiver of visa requirements – the two countries would be an unstoppable combination and a powerful driver of African development.” he said.

In his opinion, both countries are making mistakes. “While their calculations make sense, it’s only because they’re based on the wrong premise: that it’s a winner-takes-all, zero-sum game and that there can be only one African “superpower”. But it’s a big continent, and there’s plenty to go round.” he said.

AUTHOR: Paul Ohia
URL: www.paulohia.blog.com and www.paulohia.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: paulohia [at] yahoo.co.uk

The report launched few days to the Rio+20 Summit points out that efforts to eliminate the production and use of substances that deplete the ozone layer, removal of lead from fuel, increasing access to improved water supplies and boosting research to reduce pollution of the marine environment happen to be the only goals of possible 90 to record progress.

According to the report, although many sub-national, national and international instruments now in place are contributing to environmental improvements, there is evidence, however, of continuing deterioration in many places and for most of the global environmental issues reported on in GEO-5.

Amina Mohamed, deputy director, UNEP said in Nairobi that from the national perspectives, the economic and social pillars the world over overshadows the environmental agencies and ministries and the outlook report would not have shown anything less.

She pointed out that at micro level, the environmental ministries the weakest of all ministries. “They are often underfunded and command least attention of any government the world over,” she said.

She added that at the global level, UNEP pales in the shadow of such organizations as WHO and UNDP.

She hopes that the upcoming Rio +20 will bring attention on this issue and help raise the environmental pillar to be at par with the other pillars.

The global inertia on effective environmental policies are played out in Africa, a continent with the youngest and fasted growing population.

According to the report, weak governance means that the complex web of interwoven issues are not being dealt with.

For example, the number of drought disasters rose by 38% between 1980s and the 2000s leading to crises in the Sahel and East African regions.

Equally, says the report, Africa’s risk of flooding has more than doubled since 1980 and its coastal region is at greatest risk from projected sea-level rises.

The coastal cities of Accra, Ghana, Doula, Cameroon, Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Luanda, Angola for example are all adversely affected by industrial pollutants.

Oil spillage and discharge from amrine transport present major management and regulatory challenges, especially for oil-producing countries such as Libya and Nigeria.

The report says that while other regions have met the goal to reverse deforestation, over the last ten years, Africa has lost more than three million hectares of forest annually.

Also, according to thereport, the particulate matter, the air pollutant with greatest impact on human health is highest in Africa where there is little access to cleaner stoves and fuel causes significant health impacts.

“If the current trends continue, if the current patterns of production and consumption of natural resources prevail and cannot be reversed and decoupled, then governments will precide over unprecedented levels of damage and degradation,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director who was represented by Amina.

Africa has a clear position on how the global environment needs to be restructured, said Dr Desta Mebratu deputy director, UNEP Africa Regional Office.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

The meeting, which came in the sidelines of the ongoing World Health Assembly, was the first annual face-to-face gathering of representatives from the 22 focus countries since the launch of the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive in 2011.

The African ministers were joined by Indian Health minister to share their ideas and experiences on four focus areas related to the implementation of the Global Plan: Financing and political ownership; quality of care; community engagement; and human resources.

During her welcoming remarks, the Director General of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan emphasized the full commitment of her organization towards the success of the Global Plan. “This is an ambitious, noble and achievable cause,” said Dr Chan. “It is also a great opportunity to make progress towards the integration of health services in countries.”

In 2010, an estimated 390 000 children were born with HIV. However, with access to comprehensive HIV services the risk of transmission can be reduced to below 5%.

In response to this, the UNAIDS and the President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) convened partners to develop a global plan to stop new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keep their mothers alive. The plan focuses on the 22 countries in which 90% of new HIV infections in children occur, 21 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.

“By uniting our forces across boundaries, institutions and communities, we will leverage this historic opportunity to welcome the first generation born free of HIV by 2015,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “By building bridges between the movements of AIDS, maternal and child health and women’s movements, we will quicken the pace of this race towards zero.”

Speaking about innovative methods of funding, Zimbabwe’s ‘AIDS Levy’ was praised as an example of a sustainable national initiative to mobilize resources for the AIDS response.

“Even though no one likes to pay taxes, people are recognizing the utility of the AIDS Levy given the results achieved in the AIDS response,” said Zimbabwean Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Henry Madzorera.

Namibia’s Minister of Health and Social Services, Richard Kamwi, also explained how his country is rapidly increasing its domestic contribution to the overall resources allocated to the AIDS response.

Since the launch of the Global Plan at the 2011 High Level Meeting on AIDS, great strides have been made in reducing HIV infections among women of reproductive age and expanding access to antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women living with HIV.

However, progress is not being scaled up as quickly on meeting the family planning needs of women living with HIV, preventing maternal mortality and ensuring that all children living with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy. All of which are key elements in the global plan to achieve zero new HIV infections in children.

“We have the knowledge and the tools to ensure that all children are born HIV-free and that their mothers are healthy,” said United States Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby.

“Countries are at the forefront of efforts to achieve this vision, and as partners, we are firmly committed to their success.”

The President of the 65th World Health Assembly emphasized the need to raise awareness among communities to ensure that both men and women have access to HIV services for their own health and to prevent HIV infections in children.

“Women still face stigma and discrimination when found HIV positive,” said the Health Minister from Côte d’Ivoire, Thérèse N’Dri-Yoman. “Women will not disclose their status and therefore won’t access HIV services unless communities provide them with the support they need.”

The integration of services to provide better quality of care for women was also stressed as a key element by several countries.

In Tanzania, for example, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Hussein Mwinyi, reported that currently all family planning services integrate HIV services and vice versa. Similarly, the Government of Ghana has issued a policy to provide free family planning to all.

Botswana, one of the most advanced countries in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, has integrated HIV services in all health settings providing antenatal care to pregnant women. “We are doing everything possible to bring health to people,” said Botswana’s Minister of Health John Seakgosing.

Countries like Burundi, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo reported efforts to increase the capacity of health care providers with initiatives such as nurse-driven antiretroviral treatment programmes, expanding service delivery outlets and promoting decentralization.

The Deputy General Manager of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Debrework Zewdie, noted that 15% of the funding for HIV prevention goes to the elimination of new HIV infections among children. However, she highlighted that the Global Fund is demand-driven and that countries must request the funds.

The countries involved include Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

Thousands of volunteer advocates, celebrities, medical experts and some of the country’s most influential voices joined together recently with the United Nations Foundation in launching Shot@Life campaign, a first-of-its kind campaign to build awareness, raise funds and advocate for the millions of children around the world who do not have access to life-saving vaccines.

“More than 100,000 people, including world-renowned photographer Anne Geddes and some of the most influential online moms, are activating their networks across the U.S. and around the world to take action to save and improve the lives of children. From Los Angeles to New York and Seattle to Miami, thousands of Americans are rallying to get life-saving vaccines to children in developing countries who need them most. Their time, their voices, and the money they are raising sends a powerful message that Americans understand the value of vaccines and are ready to rally on behalf of millions of moms and their children worldwide.” - Devi Ramachandran Thomas, director of the Shot@Life campaign.

The campaign aims to reduce child deaths from diseases such as diarrhea, measles, pneumonia and polio, by encouraging Americans to learn about, advocate for, and donate vaccines.  The campaign was established as national call to action to rally the general public, members of Congress, and civil society partners to work together and save a child’s life, one every 20 seconds, just by expanding access to vaccines.  The Shot@Life campaign and it’s supporters seek to raise $20,000 by Mother’s Day to help the United Nations provide immunizations to 1,000 children under the age of 5 years-old.

The idea of saving a life is always important and the thought of letting someone…a child…die from something that is so easily preventable is shocking enough.  However but the issue of vaccinations is greater than they even appear on the surface.  Vaccinations are a human right and they vital to our global development and security.  The failure to vaccinate children in developing countries creates ripple effect that pulls at more than our heart strings in developed nations.  By vaccinating children across the globe the rate of child disease and mortality will decline, leading to lower birth rates and lower medical costs to treat illnesses that create debt and deplete family resources.  All of this will then  see that children more likely to attend school regularly and finish, while will allow more mothers to work, thus increasing family incomes that then allow the entire community to prosper.  These effects then aid to the decrease in civil conflicts, which are caused by the desperation of poverty, which then will lead to more sustainable and peaceful individual communities, which then ripple to the rest of the country and across the globe.  Therefore giving a child a ‘shot at life’, gives us all a shot at a better life.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

………Critical improvements necessary to help scale up vaccine access,

While the nation has made progress on child survival in recent years, Nigeria is still responsible for one out of every eight child deaths worldwide. The country is second only to India in number of annual child deaths, many of which result from diseases that can be prevented with vaccines. Recent projections from Decade of Vaccines Economics (DoVE) show that by achieving 90% coverage with vaccines for the five leading childhood diseases – including Hib, pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, measles and pertussis – Nigeria could save more than 600,000 lives over the next ten years and add $17 billion to its economy.

The study – Landscape Analysis of Routine Immunization in Nigeria (LARI), which was conducted with the collaboration of the government of Nigeria and Solina Health – identified high-impact solutions in the areas of financing and vaccine security, transportation, cold chain technology, performance management, advocacy, leadership and demand creation that together have the potential to significantly improve vaccine access. Currently, access to and availability of vaccines varies widely among the country’s 36 states and vaccine stock-outs remain common, particularly in the poorest and most remote areas.

“Nigerian government leaders have made major improvements in routine immunizations over the past three years,” said Dr. Orin Levine, Executive Director of IVAC. “But the full promise of immunization and its economic benefits won’t be fully realized until vaccines reach every Nigerian child.”

Some of the specific solutions proposed in the LARI study include the establishment of government basket funds for local immunization programs; transportation contracts and ongoing vehicle maintenance to improve delivery from state cold stores to community clinics; provision of solar refrigeration and satellite cold storage units to keep vaccines at a viable temperature despite challenges involving distance and power outages; mid-level management training to staff responsible for vaccine delivery; and text message reminders and incentive programs such as conditional cash transfers to parents to improve vaccine uptake and timeliness.

“This is a defining moment, one in which we must take decisive action to put an end to deaths from preventable diseases, especially among our very young,” said Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo, President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria. “The only way to fully realize Nigeria’s economic potential is to ensure that our children have the chance to become healthy, productive adults, and that won’t occur until all of our children have access to routine vaccination.”

As part of the LARI study, field interviews were conducted throughout eight Nigerian states in 2011, with a wide variety of stakeholders including state and local government representatives, clinics, parents and others throughout eight Nigerian states. The states were selected to represent the diversity in levels of performance and success in improving immunization coverage.

“Given the significant burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in Nigeria, improving routine immunization coverage would reduce child mortality and accelerate progress towards the MDG 4 target,” said Chizoba Wonodi, MD, MPH, DrPH, Epidemiologist at IVAC. “With this report, policymakers will have the information they need to scale up vaccine access and save lives in Nigeria.”

Underscoring both the need for action and Nigeria’s push for improvements in vaccine coverage, key government leaders will gather in Abuja, Nigeria on April 16-17, 2012 to address critical gaps in vaccine delivery and consider steps to achieve universal vaccine coverage for all Nigerian children. More information on the Nigeria Vaccine Summit can be found at: http://nigeriavaccinesummit.org/.

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com

The summit has been largely successful in the past, evident with adopted programs listed in past communiqués. The summit is necessary to position Lagos, the main commercial city of Nigeria, to contribute more towards Nigeria’s long term economic target.

Lagos is with a population nearing 20million, and is ailed by burgeoning growth that is quicker than accommodative developments. Lagos is clearly working in certain areas, but there are others that seem so complex. The mass transportation / traffic situation mix is a big challenge to the state and solutions directed at them are not enough.

Transportation is amongst topics up for discussion at the summit and will be laid again for solutions. Transportation in Lagos via road is a problem that needs a summit to itself. Traffic, rudderless mass transit operators, insufficient law enforcement officers and lack of adequate infrastructure makes road transportation in Lagos a mega challenge.

Joining all the elements of road transport in Lagos for solution may result to achieving nothing, but having each element studied and prepared for solution before deployment, will see transportation become more comfortable, and engagement-friendly than we have it.

Traffic will probably be the first and the best start, with solutions lined up and pursued to scale it down, before others like restructuring sitting arrangements in mass transits and queues are restored for people awaiting buses. Smart traffic technologies will help in traffic solutions, but enforcement in our situation requires that sites are manned to nab and correct offenders.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) is the gateway to transportation and related issues in Lagos. Their experience, encounters and reports can give a face to restructuring transportation in Lagos. Restructuring LASTMA is the beginning, before LASTMA can effectively plunge traffic and restructure transportation in Lagos.

LASTMA is doing a good job and their contribution in seen in ease of traffic under different conditions. LASTMA’s good to the public in their service is usually contradicted by excesses of some officials who get in the news for bad reasons. Some of these and experience with road user show that certain things are lacking for those folks, with respect to regular trainings, bottom-up communication and welfare.

LASTMA needs to be catered for with some of the submission in the research draft titled Lagos: Short Term Traffic Solutions for the Long Term. Some of the submissions include a 12 months expansion and reorganization that will engender a new LASTMA that is born to handle evolving traffic in Lagos.

The LASG have the power for this, with a good start to come from its 6th  economic summit later this month. Presentations of this forte and more that present a way through will be needful, with solutions that are exactly applicable to the environment.

With a restructured LASTMA, and some more programs, traffic will slowly wind down across all routes in the state. After the projected traffic-reduction success, transportation can now be laid to be restructured. Mass transit buses will be required to carry a maximum number of sitters per row, as applicable to the kind of bus.

Mass transits buses and passenger-seeking cabs will also be required to always drive on the service lane, because of their fitful stops. Standings in big buses will be allowed if limited to a specified number, no matter the crowd at the park. Buses will be required to ‘look good’ to comfy passengers and kill the wretch looks it makes Lagos wear in some photography.

Due collectors for mass transit buses will also need to be organized in the way they collect their dues, and how to position themselves, because some of their assaults result in rashness of bus operators. There is also the need to have more traffic signs that will automatically instruct operators of dos and don’ts on routes across the state.

These suggestions and more are necessities if Lagos is thinking to reform road transportation. Infrastructure and enforcement will aid this, and bet is on LASTMA to power it. A smaller taskforce group within LASTMA can oversee this, but will need to be the new LASTMA.

Talking transportation at the summit without engaging some of the realities presented here may leave action to another future, because 2012 is one relative to the past and presents an opportunity to make some difference. Lagos can overcome its transport / traffic challenges, if willing.

AUTHOR: David Stephen
URL: http://www.trpns.com
E-MAIL: Stephen [at] trpns.com

Nigeria in the past few days has experienced a series of heatwave that runs from sunny afternoons through the night. This has drawn government’s attention, leading them to give safety tips to the people and emergency helplines in the case of accidents.

The heatwave also meant more, than at other times for people with power shortages in certain areas, making the impact felt during their night rest. This shot rumblings about the heatwave up and led people to conceive some reasons as the cause of the heatwave.

Climate change topped other reasons, from many who spoke about the matter to the media. Climate change is believed by many in Nigeria to be responsible for most weather anomalies in recent times and alarm is raised by ‘concerned’ people about risks it holds for the country and its environment.

Climate change was also tied to the storm that wrecked parts of Lagos in February, and it is tied to the intensity of rainfall this year, as predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. Climate change is a global problem and Nigeria can only do a little with regards to solving it (mitigation) but can do more with regards to adaptation for safety of its people and environment.

The Lagos government as one of those showing the most concern to this, holds an annual summit on climate change, to submit directions in that year for climate change in Lagos and in Nigeria. The summit draws its theme from experiences in Lagos and their relation to climate change.

The one for this year holds next week from 10th – 12th and the theme is Vulnerability and Adaptability to Climate Change in Nigeria: Lagos State Agriculture, Industry and Health Sectors in Focus.  The theme covers aspects that have not been the focus of past summits and new directions Lagos seek to improve in relation to climate change.

The knowledge and level of Lagos in the area of climate change is massive, and expectation by now, for Lagos on this, has grown beyond local lines to what should make Lagos be called on for related matter elsewhere, and should also let Lagos structure its local climate change challenges for simple and complex solutions to be adopted from the short to the long term respectively.

Geoengineering, a topic now considered, hotly, in developed economies as a way to plug global warming through artificial means, should begin to get talk time in Lagos environmental forums and summits. Issues like agriculture, health, traffic, industries, and the way they affect climate change should also be in discussions for an outlook to plunge them in the possible future.

Climate change or changing climate is a challenge facing Lagos and its hold as Nigeria’s economic racer. The coming summit will send attention to the themed areas, for solutions, but major challenges Lagos face from climate change and poor adaptation will remain.

The Lagos government has the vantage to spread solutions thoroughly to more areas, even without a summit of this magnitude. With forums and non-media moves, Lagos can see beyond climate change.

AUTHOR: David Stephen
URL: http://www.trpns.com
E-MAIL: Stephen [at] trpns.com