Environment

Boat Mishap: Illegal Operators Cause Rising Death Toll
Africa, Environment, Nigeria, Safety, Transportation

Boat Mishap: Illegal Operators Cause Rising Death Toll

Over 17 persons have been confirmed dead in the boat mishap that took place at Mile Two in Lagos on Friday night. Around 17 persons were missing when a commercial boat capsized in the Mile Two water canal at 7:45 pm. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed this as of yesterday. NEMA’s coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye said two bodies were recovered on Saturday night. One was a 52-year-old man and the other a 20-year-old lady. Ibrahim further stated that 17 bodies have been retrieved from the Lagos lagoon so far since the boat accident occurred on Friday. Farinloye said: “17 bodies have been recovered so far from the Lagos Lagoon after the boat accident. Recovery search continues.” He also mentioned that the cause of the accident was due to illegal boat...
Distress as Fire Razes Tank Farm In Warri
Breaking News, Environment, Nigeria, Safety

Distress as Fire Razes Tank Farm In Warri

The fire outbreak at the tank farm of Matrix Energy Ltd left the people of Warri in distress on the evening of Friday. African News Today received reports that a massive explosion accompanied by a wildfire outbreak had occurred in the tank farm of Matrix Energy. The smashing explosion distorted Ifiekporo, Ubeji, and other close-by communities. see also: Eleven Newborn Babies Die In Senegal Hospital Fire A video of the incident was received by African News Today. At the time of filing this report, the cause of the outbreak is yet unknown, But it was speculated that the outbreak was caused by loading activities on the tank farm. Firefighters were said to be on the scene to put out the fire that encroached on the tank farm. The chairman of Warri South Local Government A...
Hundreds Evacuated Amid Renewed Flooding In South Africa
Environment, News, South Africa

Hundreds Evacuated Amid Renewed Flooding In South Africa

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province amid a high alert over renewed flooding. The province experienced deadly floods last month and still restoring damaged infrastructure and making plans to re-home people displaced after flooding last month, which was among the worst to have affected KwaZulu-Natal province in its recorded history. April's floods killed 448, with 88 still missing, left more than 6,800 homeless and damaged more than 25 billion rand ($1.58 billion) of infrastructure. Read Also: Climate Change Behind South Africa’s Devastating Floods Heavy rains have been pounding this weekend and the local administration is on high alert to prevent any loss of life. Local mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says no comprehensive report has b...
Drought Killed 70 Kenyan Elephants In One Year
Agriculture, Environment, Kenya, News

Drought Killed 70 Kenyan Elephants In One Year

Over 70 elephants have died in the last year as a result of the ongoing drought affecting all of East Africa, Kenya’s Tourism Minister Najib Balala has said. The animals were in Tsavo National Park, one of the country’s oldest parks. It is also one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves. The Kenyan authorities fear the ecosystem will experience more wildlife deaths if the drought continues. A number of giraffes have also died, said Mr Balala. Read Also: Elephants Killed 60 Zimbabweans this Year – Official "We have an abundance of wildlife but still every animal counts and we care if one goes down," he added. The Kenyan government is aiming to use an old dam to create water pans in the area to prevent further wildlife deaths. The drought in East Africa has also a...
Climate Change Behind South Africa’s Devastating Floods
Environment, News, South Africa

Climate Change Behind South Africa’s Devastating Floods

A report by the World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international group of climate scientists, released on Friday has found that climate change led to increased rainfall that caused devastating flooding in South Africa last month. It's one of the first reports on the devastating floods that hit KwaZulu-Natal in April – described as the worst in 60 years. The floods left more than 430 people dead, tens of thousands displaced and millions of dollars’ worth of damage. A team of scientists from South Africa, Europe and the US collaborated on a study to see what role climate change played in the recent floods and what lessons can be learned. The flooding occurred as a direct consequence of two days of extreme rainfall in the region, at unexpected levels. The WWA report says man...
Lagos Announces Closure Of Roads In Marina Friday for Shonekan’s Burial
Environment, Lagos News, Life, Transportation

Lagos Announces Closure Of Roads In Marina Friday for Shonekan’s Burial

The Lagos State Government has said it will be diverting traffic along Inner Marina to Outer Marina by Oando Filling Station due to the burial service of the late former Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan. The diversion will begin from 5.00 am till 6.00 pm on Friday, 4th February 2022. Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde explained that all adjoining and feeder roads leading to Inner Marina road to Nitel building would be cordoned off. He advised Motorists to utilize JK Randle street through Force road to connect Broad street and continue their journey as Inner Marina road/Odunlami Street from Outer Marina road will be barred from vehicular movement. See Also: BREAKING: Former Nigerian Interim Leader, Ernest Shonekan Is Dead In the ...
How Firewood Smoke Kills 90,000 Nigerians Annually – Minister
Environment, News, Nigeria

How Firewood Smoke Kills 90,000 Nigerians Annually – Minister

The federal government has said that more than 90,000 people, mainly women and children, die annually from smoke and other complications from firewood. The Minister for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, disclosed that 70 percent of Nigeria's population still depends solely on fuel wood in meeting their energy needs for cooking and heating. This was said at the 2021 Nigeria clean cooking forum with which was tagged, “Clean Cooking Energy for All in Nigeria – Achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).” According to Ikeazor, “If current policies are allowed to continue; by 2030, 60 per cent or more of all households in Nigeria will still be cooking with traditional biomass. Dependency on biomass for cooking and or heating purposes increases pressure on local natural resource...
Nvuna River contamination Causes Water Scare in Enugu as Govt Pays Fact-finding Visit
Environment, News, Nigeria

Nvuna River contamination Causes Water Scare in Enugu as Govt Pays Fact-finding Visit

 Mulls emergency boreholes for affected communities Following the directives of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, a government team led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Water Resources, Hon. Anthony Dubem Onyia and the Managing Director of EN-RUWASSA, Dr. Frank Omeje, yesterday, visited the Nvuna River that traverses four communities of Nomeh, Unateze, Mburumbu and Nkerefi in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state, on a fact-finding mission. There were reports that the Nvuna River, which is the major source of water for domestic activities in the four communities, has turned bloody and later blackish in colour, with accusations and counter-accusations pointing at bandits and fishermen. An Ethanol production factory located at Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu State, know...
FG Discovers Gold Deposits Along Abuja-Nasarawa Highway
Environment, News, Nigeria, Security

FG Discovers Gold Deposits Along Abuja-Nasarawa Highway

The Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has discovered gold deposits along the Abuja, Nasarawa axis through the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Project. The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, stated this in Abuja while hosting the Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State. According to a statement issued in Abuja by his media aide, Ayodeji Adeyemi, the minister assured his guest that the FMMSD would develop the mineral resources in Nasarawa. He noted that his ministry had resolved to avoid a repeat of the scenario in Zamfara (where bandits were mainly in charge of the gold mining) in Nasarawa State. He added that the NIMEP project, which had cost the ministry N15bn, generated many geoscience data that got foreign investors excited ...
Ministry of Mines Debunks Allegation of CBN Acquiring Gold From Zamfara Government
Environment, News, Nigeria

Ministry of Mines Debunks Allegation of CBN Acquiring Gold From Zamfara Government

The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has discredited claims that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bought gold from the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Head of Press and ublic Relations, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Etore Thomas. The statement titled, ‘Zamfara Gold: Putting the Facts Right’, said that the view by a few that some states in the country have the purview to utilise the natural resources within their area for their own use is untrue. It said that all mineral resources are on the Exclusive Legislative list as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). According to the statement, section 44(3) states "the entire property in and control of all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in,...