HEDA Seeks UN Intervention On Africa’s Energy Transition Drive

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has visited the deputy secretary general of the United Nations and chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, Ms Amina J. Mohammed.

HEDA is seeking effective action on Illicit Financial Flow (IFF) in 2023 as it impacts negatively on Africa’s ability to address climate change and plan for transition to clean energy.

The visit was part of the groups advocacy on energy security and climate change.

Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA recounted various activities it carried out in 2022 aimed at addressing the problems of climate change and threats it posed to sustainable development.

“We also implemented various engagement to assist governments in the fight against corruption and IFF as we are very much aware of its implications

on the planned energy transition and sustainable development generally,” HEDA said.

Detailing some of the engagements, Suraju, in a workshop titled: ‘Ramping Up Climate Information Service Delivery for Dry Season Farming: Averting a National Food Crises Post-2022 Flooding,’  said: “we engaged permanent secretaries at a high-level technical meeting organised in collaboration with NiMet in Abuja.

“In partnership with Oxfam in Nigeria, we also organised a forum titled: ‘Climate Justice Circle (CJC),’  with an over-arching theme: ‘on the road to COP27’ which was aimed at an equitable, inclusive response to various impacts of natural and human-induced effect of climate change and a just energy transition, as articulated by over 70 stakeholders physically and a host of others who joined online.

“The event featured no less than 37 experts including from among women, youth and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) who led discussions across 10 panel discussion and a plenary congress.

“This was followed by the post COP27 dialogue, a one-day event titled: “COP 27 Outcomes and Implications for Africa: An Assessment.”

Also recently, he said, he engaged critical stakeholders in Abuja on the need for International Anticorruption Court (IACC).

In December, as part of its tracking and document corruption cases, and rewarding uprightness, HEDA launched the 6th Edition of its ‘Compendium of 100 High Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria.’

“We also presented in the same month, the 5th Edition of the Gani Fawehinmi Impacts and Integrity Awards (GFIIA) which was chaired by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar who presented the Awards to various category of winners including the Outstanding Integrity Awards presented to to Pa Muibi Sonubi, a 90-year-old man who as a cab driver then, found and returned huge sum of money to the owner 40 years ago.

“In the Course of the year, the organisation did secured a favourable judgement against the office of the  minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, Holden in Abuja, when the court compelled the Minister to supply HEDA with the information it requested under Nigeria’s FOI Act, among others,” he pointed out.

On the food security front, HEDA said, it produced State-specific Seasonal Climate Prediction documents based on NiMet’s predictions, organised series of sensitisation workshops and radio programmes to support farmers.

“Indeed, it is noteworthy that the organisation cruised to victory on the frivolous charges against its Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja struck out the cyberstalking charge filed against him by the Nigerian government for lack of evidence,” the group said.

The organisation said it also engaged the issues of elections as it instituted Election Monitoring Situation Room during the Osun state gubernatorial election.