Africa

Dr Angela Tabiri wants more African girls and women from less privileged backgrounds to study maths.

Dr Angela Tabiri wants more African girls and women from less privileged backgrounds to study maths.

Dr Angela Tabiri wants more African girls and women from less privileged backgrounds to study maths.

Woodlands in nearly every forested country face threats from climate-change-driven fires and deforestation pressures fueled by economic interests exploiting natural resources. Credit: Imran Schah/IPS

By Agus Justianto
BANTEN, Indonesia, Jan 10 2025 (IPS)

In Indonesia’s forests today, we can breathe a sigh of relief. At the conclusion of our dry season, during a time when climate change impacts are increasing in frequency and severity, there were no giant fires with plumes of smoke choking our region.

Tragically, forest fires have been burning elsewhere with increasing intensity, in the Amazon and even in New York City, as unprecedented droughts plague forests across the globe.

Indonesia was the first tropical forest nation to launch its tracking system, and only Ghana tracks its timber at a similar scale. It is one of the first steps required of countries that export timber to UK and EU markets, and ensures that our timber products, including furniture and paper, have been sustainably sourced and comply with all our legal requirements

The rise in global deforestation continues to be a focus of attention. But in Indonesia, which contains the third largest extant of tropical rainforest, the deforestation rates are still below the peak rates from 8-10 years ago despite climate impacts like El Nino systems and the continuing threat of large fires.

The importance of Indonesia’s progress is diminished if it remains unique. Woodlands in most every forested country remain vulnerable, to both climate-change-fueled fires as well as deforestation pressures from economic interests seeking to exploit the natural resources that forest lands contain.

Scientists have calculated that almost one half of all emissions from burning fossil fuels were absorbed by the world’s forests over the past three decades. The world is getting a better understanding of just how important forests are in the global fight against climate change.

Our experience starts with something that, though it may seem basic, too many countries suffer from: the need to stop criminal enterprises from decimating forests. Globally, illegal logging and other forest crimes generate an estimated US$100 billion annually—almost as much as governments provide for development assistance every year.

In 2011, about 80% of Indonesia’s timber exports were considered illegal, produced in violation of Indonesia’s own laws. That was a watershed moment, one that launched us on a path to manage our forests more sustainably.

We started first by instituting a temporary moratorium on new logging concessions in 2011 that became permanent in 2019. We then implemented a new system (called SVLK) that traces the route taken by every timber product for export, back to the forest where it was initially harvested.

Today, 80% of the production from primary productive forests are now certified for sustainability and all timber exports come from independently audited factories and forests, even those meant for markets beyond the UK and the EU which do not require such a system.

Indonesia was the first tropical forest nation to launch its tracking system, and only Ghana tracks its timber at a similar scale. It is one of the first steps required of countries that export timber to UK and EU markets, and ensures that our timber products, including furniture and paper, have been sustainably sourced and comply with all our legal requirements.

Strong forest governance has increased the value of national timber exports, and revenues are no longer lost to black market operations. Indonesia has seen a 19% increase in the value of timber exports to the EU, to about USD 1.4 billion, since the tracking system came online and exports to UK and EU began in 2016.

Access to UK and EU markets would not be possible without programs that work with Indigenous Peoples and respect their rights to manage their forests.

Our tracking system provides reports showing that the production of each shipment of timber for export complies with respect for their rights. Our support and collaboration with small- and medium-sized enterprises has increased business and trade with forest-dependent communities, providing markets for their bamboo, timber, wild foods, essential oil and spices.

This embrace of sustainability and respect for Indigenous rights, along with the rejection of criminal enterprises, can be embraced in any forest around the world.

The UK government in particular has been instrumental in supporting the implementation of these safeguards; its long-term support over the past two decades to forestry stakeholders in Indonesia through the Forest Governance, Markets and Climate programme helped put in place the new national system, enabling local communities to monitor against forest crime and strengthen management practices.

We look and see similar efforts growing in Liberia and Cameroon in particular as being worthy of continued support; they have made tremendous strides in combatting illegal enterprises and recognizing community rights. The many steps needed to meet the requirements of UK and EU markets are important but also require consistent funding and resources that can be difficult to locate during economic downturns in particular.

Effective management of the forestry sector requires an embrace of partnerships—with every community and entity participating in the supply chain as well as every market and each requirement for sustainability and transparency.

We appreciate our new ten-year partnership with the UK that was just finalized and hope that the UK can establish new partnerships with other nations. If you build these partnerships, the benefits extend beyond profitability; society receives greater stability, greater trade, and positive benefits for the climate.

Agus Justianto, PhD, is Vice Chairman of Indonesia FOLU Net Sink 2030 and Chairman of International Peatland Center.

The money was recovered from Nigeria's former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and others.

Eric Chelle will be the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the Super Eagles, but what will the Malian bring to the role?

Eric Chelle will be the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the Super Eagles, but what will the Malian bring to the role?

Eric Chelle will be the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the Super Eagles, but what will the Malian bring to the role?

A tip-off leads police to a "human-trafficking ring" in a quiet suburb of the main city Johannesburg.

A tip-off leads police to a "human-trafficking ring" in a quiet suburb of the main city Johannesburg.

Oliver Chinganya, Director, Africa Center for Statistics. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

By Busani Bafana
ADDIS ABABA, Jan 10 2025 (IPS)

That one in three Africans will not be counted as countries failing to meet census deadlines is a huge setback for development planning.

With the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) looming, research reveals that Africa lags behind in meeting the crucial goals. A further challenge is that many African countries do not have accurate information about the socio-economic needs of their populations to better plan for development programs.

But there’s a way forward: investing in robust data and statistical systems, says Oliver Chinganya, Director of the Africa Center for Statistics (ACS) and Chief Statistician of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

African governments speak of the importance of data, yet the investment often falls short, Chinganya tells IPS. He underscores the urgency, pointing to Africa’s uneven participation in the UN-led census rounds since 1990. He warned that 376 million people risked not being counted if more countries did not participate in the census.

“Accurate and credible statistics are the ‘new oil’ that will boost national economic growth by helping governments to improve on their SDG targets as they can plan better in allocating development spending while keeping track of what they have achieved,” Chinganya told IPS.

Without accurate data and statistics, development planning is difficult for many African countries, who are forced to rely on statistics not generated from and by the continent, he said.

At the SDGs Summit in 2023, the UN launched The Power of Data to unlock the Data Dividend as one of the 12 high-impact initiatives to help scale up the SDGs. African governments committed to investing 0.15 percent of their national budgets in the statistics sector but few countries have followed this through.

IPS spoke with Chinganya, following the 11th meeting of the Forum on African Statistical Development (FASDEV), an initiative of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), which fosters connections among countries, partners and institutions that support statistical development.

Excerpts:

IPS: What are we really talking about when we mention data and statistics and why are they important in Africa’s development?

Oliver Chinganya: Data and statistics are very important; they are used for planning at different levels. It is not just the government that requires data these days but everyone. Before you go to the market to buy whatever you want, you always need data first of all for you to make decisions before buying—how much they cost and what you would require for these things to be brought home.

At the government level, similar decisions that you make at the household level are being made where the government is asking questions about what we need to plan for us to be able to develop. For instance, how many schools do we need, and what kind of curriculum do we need to put in place? What kind of roads do we need? What kind of production systems are required in the country? Different data and statistics are required to be able to inform decisions.

Statistics provide evidence for policies. They help establish goals, identify needs, and monitor progress. It is impossible to learn from mistakes and hold policymakers accountable without good statistics.

Good statistics are crucial for managing the delivery of basic services efficiently and effectively, and they play a crucial role in improving transparency and accountability. Statistics contribute to development progress, not just as a monitoring tool but also as a tool for driving the outcomes measured by the statistics. In terms of national development, statistics play a very important role.

IPS: How would you describe the state of statistics in Africa?

Chinganya: When one asks about the status of statistics on the continent, it’s a mixed bag, given that some countries are really making very good progress and some are not. For instance, in the 2020 round of population census, 39 African countries conducted their censuses. The rest of them were not able to conduct their censuses and by December 2024, one in three people had still not been counted on the continent. This is unfortunate and it has implications for service delivery and development.

At present, we have countries that have not been able to modernize their statistical systems. One of our main focuses right now is to see how we can help countries modernize and transform their national statistical systems. This means moving away from the traditional way of collecting data using paper-based systems to modernizing data collection using gadgets like tablets and mobile phones. We are helping countries to modernize and transform their national statistical systems. But even with that, a number of countries are experiencing challenges moving towards the process of establishing and using modernized systems. The biggest challenge is access to technology. Technology is driven by energy. Without energy, you cannot have efficient, technologically driven systems in a country. Having access to efficient Internet services allows countries to collect information using gadgets.

IPS: What achievements have been made and what challenges have been encountered?

Chinganya: African countries have made some really good progress in undertaking population censuses. In past census rounds, countries were taking two to five years to collect and disseminate the data, but with modernised systems, this has been reduced to 45 days in some of the countries. This is a big milestone.

ECA has introduced a statistical leadership program, which has led to changes across the continent. In this program, statisticians are kept abreast and introduced to ways of managing statistical systems, thus building their capacities across the board.

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) exposed the vulnerability of African national statistical systems both in their routine operations and, more particularly, in their data collection activities in the field. To respond to these challenges, ECA has enhanced the capacity of and has provided technical support to the Member States in producing and disseminating harmonized and comparable economic statistics and national accounts, following the international statistical standards.

IPS: What needs to be done to help those countries that have failed to conduct censuses, which you say will impact the SDGs?

Chinganya: For countries that have progressed toward the SDGs, they need support to accelerate their progress so that by 2030 they can attain those SDGs.

Governments must invest a little more in data and statistics. They should not wait for others, including development partners, to do it for them. This is their data. All governments acknowledge the importance of data. But if it is important, then they must put value on that which is important. What is required are resources, prioritizing, and ensuring that data and statistics are part of the national development processes by developing a national strategy for statistics.

IPS: The ECA has developed a roadmap for the transformation and modernization of official statistics in Africa for the period 2023 to 2030. What progress has been made in implementing this?

Chinganya: We have made a lot of progress. For instance, during the 2020 census round, countries used tablets to collect the data. That is modernizing. In other words, moving away from traditional ways of collecting data.

In addition, through the Consumer Price Index, data collectors can go online and look at the prices of consumer goods or go to supermarkets and scan the data. That is part of the modernization. Furthermore, countries are now using what we call administrative data. That is part of modernizing systems. The records at health centers or in hospitals are now being transformed into digital forms so that they can be collected digitally.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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The general sparked controversy recently with a social media threat to behead the opposition leader.

The general sparked controversy recently with a social media threat to behead the opposition leader.

Former Premier League and Nigeria striker Peter Odemwingie is now a golf professional with ambitions to boost the sport in his homeland.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

Press Briefing on Launch of 2025 World Economic Situation and Prospects Report at the United Nations Headquarters. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 10 2025 (IPS)

In the past few years, the world economy has made significant strides in mitigating inflation, unemployment, and poverty. Despite this, global growth has yet to regain its pace from before the pandemic.

This can be attributed to a host of issues that are plaguing the world, including climate shocks, armed conflicts and rising geopolitical tensions. These issues have disproportionately adverse effects on developing nations. It is imperative to come up with a solution that advances economic growth for all in order to get back on track with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Several structural factors, including high depth burdens, limited fiscal space, weak investments, and low productivity growth, continue to hinder the economic prospects for developing countries. Climate change and the geopolitical tensions pose additional risks,” said Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Li Junhua.

On January 9, the United Nations (UN) released a report titled World Economic Prospects 2025 that detailed the global economic situation as well as measures that can be taken to alleviate economic distress. According to the report, the world economy has remained relatively “resilient” over the course of 2024, despite extensive occurrences of climate-driven disasters and armed conflicts. Economic development is predicted to increase by 2.9 percent in 2025, which is virtually unchanged from 2024’s rate. This is still far below the rate of average economic growth recorded prior to 2020.

Major world economies, such as the United States, the European Union, and Japan, have experienced gradual economic recoveries in the past year. On the contrary, developing nations continue to struggle with high rates of youth unemployment, poverty, and inflation, all contributing to lower rates of economic growth.

Demographic pressures and increasingly high labour market demands have created bouts of unemployment among younger generations in developing nations. According to figures from the report, rates of youth unemployment remain a pressing concern in Western Asia, North Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Approximately 20 percent of young people in these areas are unemployed. High numbers of these populations rely on informal employment, which often yields low pay and few to no benefits. Due to limited fiscal space in these national economies, there have been lower rates of job creation and young people struggle to enter labour markets.

Most young workers still lack social protection and remain in temporary jobs that make it hard for them to get ahead as independent adults. Decent work is a ticket to a better future for young people. And a passport for social justice, inclusion and peace. The time to create the opportunities for a brighter future is now,” said Sara Elder, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Head of Employment Analyses and Public Policies.

ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo adds that “none of us can look forward to a stable future when millions of young people around the world do not have decent work and, as a result, are feeling insecure and unable to build a better life for themselves and their families.”

Although global rates of inflation have trended downward in recent years, developing countries continue to face high levels of inflation in their economies. According to the Director of Economic Analysis and Policy Division at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Shantanu Mukherjee, the global rates of inflation were estimated to be six percent in 2024 and projected at 5.4 percent in 2025. These numbers are 1.5 times those for developing nations.

“That’s a sign of how severe the cost of living crisis is for most of us outside of this room. In 2024, if you look at the amount of public money that was used to service debt, the median country allocated 11.1 percent of its revenue. That’s more than 4 times the amount for the median developing country. Even among developing countries, there are variations with the least developing countries tending to be systematically worse in relative terms,” said Mukherjee.

Additionally, although global rates of poverty have declined significantly, extreme levels persist in Africa. Climate shocks, armed conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all caused widespread economic issues around the world, with Africa bearing the worst impacts. According to figures from the report, numbers of Africans living below the poverty line have trended upward in recent years.

Furthermore, in the world’s most conflict-affected states, such as the Gaza Strip, economies have seen considerable declines, with widespread poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and limited access to basic services becoming increasingly regular. According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), due to extensive warfare and damage to critical infrastructures in Gaza, the local economy has been decimated and approximately 69 years of economic progress have been erased.

To effectively foster global economic growth, it is crucial to tackle the climate crisis. According to the World Economic Forum, it is estimated that greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events will cut average global incomes by 20 percent. Additionally, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), if yearly emissions stay the same, countries will need to spend at least 387 billion a year by 2030 to combat climate-related damages.

Global cooperation is also essential in boosting global economic growth, especially for developing nations. To build a more sustainable future with lower carbon emissions, technologies must be set in place that foster the use of renewable energy sources. In the UN DESA report, it is stated that a new commitment was created by a group of developed countries to mobilize a fund of 300 billion dollars annually by 2035 to support the implementation of renewable energy infrastructures.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Credit: United Nations

By Shibu Thomas
NEW JERSEY, USA , Jan 10 2025 (IPS)

India has surged forward as the world’s fifth-largest economy and has now surpassed China to claim the title of the most populous nation. However, this rapid ascent is not without its challenges; rising unemployment and inflation loom large, threatening demographic dividend and its ambitious goal of sustaining a 7 to 8% GDP growth.

Projections indicate a staggering population of 1.7 billion by 2050, intensifying issues like employment elasticity, soaring poverty rates, urban congestion, environmental pollution, and the depletion of natural resources. These escalating challenges risk irreversible ecological damage, threaten the delicate balance of species and habitats and post serious ramifications for public health and sustainability.

Confronting sustainable development in this context, especially amidst the aspirations of a vibrant youth bulge, is an urgent and formidable task. A powerful and cost-effective solution lies in consciously reducing our human footprint. We must urgently integrate population planning into climate change initiatives and sustainable development goals to forge long-term policies that protect our planet.

This calls for incorporating population discussions into broader environmental strategies, empowering women through education and access to reproductive health services, and launching targeted initiatives in high-fertility districts by building collaborative networks among governments, NGOs, and local communities.

The demographic landscape of India is currently at a critical juncture, presenting significant challenges in managing its rapidly growing population. Over the past 50 years, India’s population has nearly tripled, raising serious concerns about the future. With 18% of the world’s population concentrated on just 2.4% of the land area, accommodating further growth is an urgent and unmistakable challenge.

This issue has sparked contrasting viewpoints within the country, with some unequivocally regarding the expanding working-age population as a demographic dividend, while others firmly perceive it as a potential crisis that demands immediate attention.

The current demographic trends in India paint a picture of urgency, demanding immediate action to address job creation. The unemployment rate is 8.5%, and 14.9% (MPI) are impoverished. There is a significant wealth disparity, with the top 10% holding more than 60% of total wealth, while the bottom 50% has experienced a decline in wealth.

The education system is under strain, with over 1.2 million children out of school in 2022-23, struggling to accommodate the expanding population. Urbanization is further burdening infrastructure and essential services. Public healthcare expenditure remains low at 2.1% of the GDP, highlighting the need for universal health coverage. The growing population places immense pressure on arable land, exacerbating land degradation and impacting the resource base.

Furthermore, the expanding population and increased affluence have led to a rapid surge in energy production and consumption, contributing to air pollution and global warming. These environmental challenges are significantly impacting public health and hindering sustainable development.

Despite advancements in agricultural productivity with the Green Revolution, a significant proportion of the population still grapples with inadequate access to proper nutrition, highlighting the urgent need to address food sustainability. The increasing population will continue to strain damaged ecosystems, reducing their resilience and elevating the risk of epidemics, soil desertification, and biodiversity loss.

India’s current demographic landscape is marked by a burgeoning working-age population 500 million, offering significant development potential in contrast to China’s diminishing population. However, India’s population growth may present challenges due to its relatively smaller land area and lower GDP than China.

While China’s one-child policy facilitated rapid economic growth, there are varying perspectives on India’s fertility rate, which has reportedly dropped below the replacement level of 2.1. Some advocate for population policies, while others question the necessity of such measures, citing historical resistance to India’s coercive population policies in the 1980s.

Despite a 7.2% growth rate in 2022-23, resulting in six million jobs, the working population increased by 10 million, leading to “jobless growth.” Although the fertility rate is declining, scientific models project that India’s population may not necessarily decrease due to “population momentum.”

Historical efforts in the 1970s and 80s aimed at promoting family planning through diverse media and public outreach initially showed promise. However, the efficacy of these initiatives has waned over time, leaving the challenge of unchecked population growth as a critical issue that remains to be effectively addressed.

The reluctance to address this matter is deeply rooted in political, religious, and cultural concerns. Rapid economic growth and advancements in science and technology have intensified human activity, making it challenging to control. Regulating human population growth is crucial for sustainable development, and historical evidence from the 1960s indicates that uncontrolled population growth leads to resource scarcity.

Failure to manage human populations may undermine afforestation and infrastructure development efforts. Additionally, unchecked unemployment, particularly among well-educated young men facing limited opportunities, has been linked to increased political violence.

India has established an ambitious objective to attain net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070, notwithstanding projections indicating a population surge of 2 billion. A 2024 UNDP survey reveals that 77% of Indian citizens advocate for more robust governmental climate action.

The I=PAT framework emphasizes that environmental impact (I) is influenced by population size (P), level of affluence (A), and technology (T). India’s middle class currently accounts for 31% of the population and is expected to grow to 38% by 2031 and 60% by 2047, increasing per capita consumption. It is important to note that the only variable that can be directly managed is human footprints (P).

Given the complex nature of the issue and the underlying social frameworks, concentrating solely on persuading individuals to adopt less environmentally detrimental behaviors is ineffective and potentially counterproductive. It is imperative to destigmatize and integrate population growth discussions into environmental dialogues.

Government, communities, and individuals advocating proactive measures should collectively shoulder this responsibility. Our focus should pivot towards modifying systems and structures to incentivize communities to voluntarily refrain from procreation for a year, thereby driving significant behavioral shifts on a large scale.

The government should prioritize high-fertility districts in overpopulated states, particularly in northern India, and urgently improve access to contraceptives and family planning services in these areas.

The state of Kerala exemplifies that birth rates are lower where women have access to education, healthcare, and the ability to control the number of children. Better-educated women tend to have fewer children, which also signals increased gender equality. Empowering women and their active participation in decision-making can significantly reduce population growth, offering hope for a more sustainable future.

In conclusion, the interplay between India’s population growth, environmental sustainability, and public health presents a complex challenge that requires immediate and strategic action. To address this issue effectively:

1). Integrate population discussions: Establish forums and partnerships that unite policymakers, environmentalists, and community leaders to incorporate population growth into broader environmental strategies.

2). Empower women: Invest in educational programs and enhance access to reproductive health services, particularly in high fertility districts, to enable women to make informed choices about their families.

3). Implement targeted initiatives: Develop and support government initiatives focused on reducing birth rates in overpopulated areas while promoting sustainable practices at the community level.

4). Foster collaboration: Encourage partnerships among governments, NGOs, and local communities to promote conscientious living and embrace eco-friendly practices.

The time is now to act with purpose. Collective decisions made today will determine the quality of life for generations to come. By adopting these recommendations, the nation can forge a legacy that ensures not just prosperity but also the well-being of every citizen.

Dr. Shibu Thomas; M.D.S, M.S. is an Independent Global Health and International Security Analyst based in New Jersey, U.S.A; an Alumnus of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University and Former Assistant Professor at Ajman University, U.A.E.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The strike took place on one of Benin's most well-equipped military positions in the north, authorities say.

The strike took place on one of Benin's most well-equipped military positions in the north, authorities say.