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Monthly NewsletterUNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAPublished by the UN System in Nigeria. July 2007UN AGENCIESMillennium Development Goals - Mixed Progress on Half Way DownFAOIFADILOIOMUNAIDSUNDPUNDSSUNESCOUNFPAUN-HABITATUNHCRUNICUNICEFUNIDOUNIFEMUNODCWHOWMOhe 7th of July 2007 markedT the midpoint of the MDGs.Halfway to the deadline of2015. Nigeria and the rest ofthe world are taking stock ofwhere it stands on the MDGroad map. According to theMDG Report 2007 released byUN Secretary-General Ban Kimoonon 2 July, there has beenclear progress in many areastowards implementing theMillennium DevelopmentGoals but overall, success isstill far from assured. The eightMDGs which provide theminimum standard fordevelopment are designed tofree millions of people fromextreme poverty. Theirultimate success will dependon whether Nigeria and otherdeveloping countries remaincommitted to achieving them,and on developed countriesmaking good on their aidcommitments.In the foreword to the report,the UN Secretary-General said,“The world needs no newpromises. It is imperative thatall stakeholders meet, in theirentirety, the commitmentsalready made at the three highlevelconferences: TheMillennium Summit, the 2002Monterrey Conference onFinancing for Development,and the 2005 World Summit.”In an earlier exhortation, MrBan Ki-moon said, "We willhave time to reach theMillennium DevelopmentGoals - worldwide and in most,or even all, individual countriesMr. Salil Shetty, standing, explaining a point at an MDG CampaignStrategy brainstorming workshop at the UN House, Abuja.-but only if we break with q u a n t i f i e d , t i m e - b o u n dbusiness as usual. We cannot progress in eradicatingwin overnight. Success will extreme poverty; achievingrequire sustained action across universal primary education;the entire decade between now promoting gender equality andand the deadline. It takes timeContinued on page 2to train theteachers, nursesMillennium Development Goals - mixed Mixed Progress progressand engineers; toon half Half way Way down Downbuild the roads,UNIFEM Consultative Workshop in Akwa Ibom,schools andEnugu States on UNIFEM/OSIWA SEEDShospitals; to growIntegration Project (UNIFEM)the small andUNFPA calls for Male Involvement in Maternallarge businessesHealth on World Population Dayable to create theUNHCR Ends Promotion Of Voluntaryjobs and incomeRepatriation Of Liberian Refugees On 30 June2007needed. So weUNFPA launches Reports on State of Worldmust start now.Population 2007 in LagosAnd we mustUNODC Launches Action Plan for Strengtheningmore than doubleJudicial Integrity and Capacity in Kaduna Stateg l o b a lNigeria celebrates International Day against DrugdevelopmentAbuse and Illicit Trafficking 26 June 2007assistance overUNODC Launches 2007 World Drug Reportthe next fewyears. NothingUNDP Hosts World Environment DayCelebrations 2007less will help toFAO In Fight Against Avian Influenza In Nigeriaachieve theGoals."Government Calls for More Efficient andEffective Enforcement of Ban of Smoking inThe Goals call forPublic Places - (WHO)UNESCO, Nigeria Signs Special MoU in Area ofCulture - (UNESCO)

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 1Millennium Development Goals - mixed progress on half way downempowerment of women; reducingchild mortality; improving maternalhealth; combating HIV/AIDS, malariaand other diseases; ensuringenvironmental sustainability; anddeveloping a global partnership fordevelopment. As in soccer, it is halftime for the MDGs, and governments,civil society and other stakeholdersare taking stock of the efforts towardsattaining the MDGs so far and what itwill take to reach the destined goal inanother seven and half years.In Sub-Saharan Africa, there hasbeen some progress in many of thegoals although overall, the regionlags behind other regions. Total netenrolment in primary education hasmoved up from 54% in 1990 to 70% in2005, but still below the average of88% for developing regions. On thechild health goal, there has beensome progress with percentage ofchildren of the age under two yearsvaccinated against measles andother diseases slightly inched up from57% in 1990 to 64% in 2005. But it isstill below the 75% in developingregions. Also maternal health haswitnessed a slight improvement in thesub-region; while in 1990 forty-twoper cent of deliveries were attendedby skilled health workers; the numberhas moved up to 45% in 2005.Women are gradually given morevoice in decision making going by theindicator of women parliamentariansthat rose from 7% in 1990 to 16.5% in2007, still low relative to otherdeveloping regions that stand at21.8% on the average. Also povertyand HIV/AIDS goals recordedmarginal improvements withpercentage of the very poor down to41.7% from 47%, and HIV/AIDSprevalence tapering off at just under6% in the sub-region.In Nigeria, the first half of the MDGtarget date witnessed strong politicalsupport towards the achievement ofthe Goals, especially at the federallevel. The previous administrationnegotiated a debt exit with the Parisand London Club of creditors, andcommitted to ploughing the gainsfrom the debt relief into specific MDGrelated projects. It also set up, withsupport from UNDP, an MDG Officein the Presidency. A PresidentialAdvisory/Monitoring Committee onthe MDGs was also established withthe active participation of civil societyorganisations.Half way to 2015, while havingmade some progress, Nigeria isclearly not on track to meeting theMDGs at the current pace. Thescoreboard indicates that for Nigeriato join the league of MDG heroes, thecountry would need to significantlystep up its pace. The 2006 MDGreport for Nigeria shows thatalthough the poverty percentageshows a decline from 65% in 1996 to54%, this represents more thanseventy million poor of the 140 millionNigerians. Net primary schoolenrolment is up at 84% and literacyrates improved to76% but quality is amajor concern. More girls are in andfinishing primary school, and therehas been a slight increase in thepercentage of women in politicaloffice to 6% as against a target of30%. The number of children dyingat birth is still extremely high at110/1000 live births, and the numberof children who do not live tocelebrate their fifth birthday is stillone of the highest in the world, at197/1000, as against a target of64/1000 in 2015. Eight hundredNigerian pregnant women out ofevery 100,000 die during labour, a farcry from the MDG target of75/100,000 live births and one of thehighest rates in the world. Thisshould be a cause of very greatconcern in the country. Malaria is farfrom being rolled back, but HIV/AIDSappears to be on the retreat with theprevalence falling to 4.4% from 5.8%in 2001.It was in this regard that Mr. SalilShetty, Director, UN MillenniumCampaign, visited Nigeria from 2through 6 July 2007 to discuss withgovernment officials, the UN CountryTeam, civil society and otherstakeholders on ways to take theMDG campaign forward. Indiscussions with the variousstakeholders, Shetty urged all theactors to come up with a holisticnational MDG campaign strategythat will vigorously push for a briskerpace towards 2015.The MDGs provide a commonframework for the entire UN systemto work coherently towards acommon end, and the programmesupport activities of the agencies aregeared towards helping the countrymeet the Goals. Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan created twobodies to help push for theachievement of the Goals - the UNMillennium Campaign, and theMillennium Project headed bynotable international economist,Professor Jeffrey Sachs, and whichpromotes the Millennium Villagespilot projects, two of which arecurrently located in Nigeria-Pampaida in Kaduna andIkaram/Ibaram in Ondo States. TheSecretary-General also asked theUNDP to be the coordinator in the UNsystem on the MDGs.At present, there is perceptiblenational and global optimism thatthese minimum developmentobjectives can be met with renewedcommitment despite the challenges.At the national level, Nigeria is finetuningits national developmentstrategy, NEEDS II, with a sharp eyeon the MDGs. The newadministration has given indicationsthat it will focus on people-centredpolicies geared towards creatingemployment and reducing poverty.Continued on page 32

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 2Millennium Development Goals Mixed Progress on Half Way DownThe UN Country Team, on its part, ispoised to give its full support to boththe government and civil societyorganisations in the efforts to reachthe MDGs as it draws up the next UNDevelopment Assistance Framework(UNDAF II) in partnership with thehe United Nations DevelopmentTFund for Women (UNIFEM) withsupport from the Open SocietyInitiative for West Africa (OSIWA)organized consultative workshops inAkwa Ibom on 10 July 2007 andEnugu on 12 July. These workshopswere aimed at effectivelycommencing an integratedempowerment project for women inAkwa Ibom and Enugu States. Theobjectives of the OSIWA/UNIFEMintegrated empowerment project areto empower women and women'sgroups to engage in transformingState Economic Empowerment andDevelopment Strategy (SEEDS) forwealth creation and the eradicationof feminized poverty.Both workshops generatedfeedback from participants on howUNIFEM and stakeholders canengage in SEEDS and Localgovernment EconomicEmpowerment and DevelopmentStrategy (LEEDS) processes in bothstates. The involvement of keygovernment partners such as theBureau of Statistics, SEEDS deskofficer, State Secretary ofGovernment, Ministries of WomenAffairs, Finance and Education andtheir contributions and willingness forcivil society participationdemonstrated openness for civilsociety participation on gender andwomen's rights.In Akwa Ibom, the CommunityPartners for Development (CPD)Government. Civil societyorganisations are actively involved indoing an MDG audit of the country,and will be delivering their verdict at astock-taking meeting towards theend of July 2007. Obviously, with allhands on deck, the year 2000 visionUNIFEM Consultative Workshop in Akwa Ibom, Enugu States onUNIFEM/OSIWA SEEDS Integration ProjectExecutive Director,Ms. Nse Udoh,maintained thatthere was a need toensure localownership in policyformulation and tofind out really if thepeople are beingconsulted. Shealso pointed outthat women in AkwaIbom had outgrownmicro creditprogrammes andwere very interested in more macroprogrammes.More so in Enugu, the Secretaryto the State Government (SSG) andthe former Head SEEDS Committee,Mr. Martin Ilo, said that, in order toreduce proportion of people livingbelow the poverty line and meet otherMDG goals, the Enugu State hadcommenced the development offour-point agenda: PhysicalInfrastructure; Economic Expansionand Employment; RuralDevelopment; Service Delivery andGood Governance, as a means toachieving sustainable povertyreduction by the enhancement ofhuman capabilities and livelihoodsthrough broad-based wealth creationand employment generation. Inaddition, the Civil ResourceDevelopment and DocumentationCentre (CIRDDOC) ExecutiveDirector, Mrs. Oby Nwankwo, also3of 189 world leaders to make theworld a better and more equitableplace for all may still become arealityTolulope Lewis-Tamoka Speaking during the workshopat Akwa Ibom Statenoted that there was need for jointGovernment/CSO (civil societyorganization) consultative forums inorder to build confidence ofgovernment on the importance ofpartnering with CSOs for effectiveimplementation of SEEDS.Participants at the workshopsagreed that NGOs could use SEEDSas an entry point to advocate forgender equality and elimination ofviolence against women. TheSEEDS document statedcategorically that the “governmentwill seek partnership with civil societyorganizations in its delivery andmanagement of social services.These organizations will be agateway to communities for theprovision of information andfeedback on government policiesand programmes”. Notable areas forpartnership include education,health and security, and genderempowerment

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterUNFPA calls for Male Involvement in Maternal Health on World Population Day11 July World Population Day 2007 At Sheraton Abujaorld Population Day wasWinstituted in 1989 as anoutgrowth of the Day of Five Billionmarked on 11 July 1987. It seeks tofocus attention on the importance andurgency of population issues,particularly in the context of overalldevelopment. The Day is markedaround the world with rallies,exhibitions and public awarenesscampaigns highlighting its theme.In order to commemorate WorldPopulation Day 2007, week-longactivities were undertaken incollaboration with the NationalPopulation Commission, otherGovernment counterparts and NGOs.Youths, men and women groupsrallied at six local government councils- Buwari L.G.A. Kuje, Gwagwalada,Abaji,Kwalli and Amac of F.C.T Abujato sensitize and create awareness onthe theme “Men as Partners inMaternal Health” in. A school debatefor secondary school pupils was heldat the National PopulationCommission Conference Hall, and apublic lecture was conducted as agrand finale at a hotel in Abuja on 11July 2007.The statement of the UNFPAExecutive Director on WorldPopulation Day was delivered by Dr.Ismaila Sulaiman, UNFPA AssistantRepresentative. In essence, themessage emphasized that maleinvolvement could make a substantialdifference in saving life and preservingthe health and lives of women andchildren. She called onmen who make mostdecisions in the family andin government where theypreside over policy andprogrammes that directlyaffect women and girls topartner in promotingmaternal health.Dr. Sulaimanexpressed that today toomany women die fromeasily preventablecomplications of pregnancyand childbirth, and thatevery minute one womanloses her life. UNFPAExecutive DirectorThoraya Ahmed Obaid wantsgovernment to commit more funds toreproductive health so that “Nowoman would die giving life” and inpromoting the right of every womanto enjoy a life of health, dignity andequal opportunity.”In a separate message, deliveredby Mr. Alberic Kacou, UN ResidentCoordinator in Nigeria, UnitedNations Secretary-General Ban Kimoonsaid, “as partners in maternalhealth, men can save lives.” Thesupport of an informed husband”, saidMr. Ban, “improves outcomes ofpregnancy and childbirth and canmean the difference between life anddeath especially in cases ofcomplications, when women needimmediate medical care. Asupportive father can play animportant role in the love, care andnurturance of their children”, theSecretary-General added.Other guest speakers thatpresented papers at the occasionwere Dr. Hadiza Galadanci,Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologistfrom Kano, and Professor O. A.Ladipo of the Association forReproductive and Family Health(ARFH), Ibadan.The lecture entitled “Maternalhealth situation in Nigeria and Men asPartners in Maternal Health” waspresented by Dr. Galadanci, givingexamples of the three delays thatcause maternal death and explaininghow men as partners have a role incorrecting or reducing the delays ateach of the levels, particularly the firstlevel of delay. The levels of delays sheidentified are:1) Delay in decision to access healthfacility when labour starts;2) Delay in reaching the facility afterthe decision has been taken; and3) Delay in receiving the appropriatecare from the health facilityShe gave statistics that 30-40% ofmaternal deaths occur at the firststage. Lack of Information andadequate knowledge about signs ofcomplications and danger signalsduring labour, cultural practices andrestriction of Women from seekinghealth care and accessibility areresponsible for the first level of delaywhile the second level of delay is dueto poor siting of health facilities, poorroad and communication network,poor community support. The thirddelay is attributed to inadequateskilled personnel, inadequateequipment and supplies and lack ofmotivations of staff.She called for adoption ofstrategies such as generating politicalpriority for maternal mortality, girl childeducation, community healtheducation, women empowerment,male involvement, and effectivereferral system to redress theidentified delays.Prof. Ladipo spoke on therationale for involving men inmaternal health and reiterated thatmen are frequently described as theforgotten reproductive health clients,particularly in family planningservices and child care. He addedthat when men are involved inreproductive health decisions andbecomes concerned about equity,both men and women are more likelyto communicate with each other,make joint decisions aboutcontraceptive use, discuss how manychildren they would like to have andbe actively involved in child rearingand domestic chores4

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterUNHCR to End Promotion of Voluntary Repatriation of Liberian Refugees on30 June 2007n 29 June 2007, the NationalOCommission for Refugees(NCFR), the Embassy of the Republicof Liberia and the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner forRefugees in Nigeria jointly signed inAbuja a communiqué declaring theend of the Promotion of VoluntaryRepatriation for Liberian Refugees.Out of the 6,000 Liberian refugeesregistered by UNHCR and NCFR, atotal of 2,112 Liberian refugees havebeen voluntarily repatriated.This decision was taken in duerecognition of the foundations forlasting peace, stability, national unityand reconciliation which wereestablished in Liberia with signing ofthe Comprehensive PeaceAgreement of 18 August 2003, theestablishment of a UN PeacekeepingLiberian refugees boarding a ship to go homeUNODC Launches Action Plan for Strengthening Judicial Integrity andCapacity in Kaduna State 2007two-day Integrity Meeting for theAdevelopment of an Action Planfor Strengthening Judicial Integrityand Capacity in Kaduna State wasorganized by the United NationsOffice on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)and the National Judicial Institute(NJI) in Kaduna on 27 and 28 June2007. The event was part of theimplementation process for the EU-UNODC-Federal Government ofNigeria project, “Support to theEconomic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC) and theNigerian Judiciary”. The goal of theproject is to complement the NigerianMission in Liberia (UNMIL) inOctober 2003 as well as thelaunching of a Disarmament,Demobilization, Repatriation,Rehabilitation and Reintegrationprocess of December 2003. Thus,the Government of the Republic ofLiberia as well as the internationalcommunity recognized the need todesign, plan and also assist in thevoluntary repatriation andreintegration of Liberian refugees inaccordance with internationalconventions, norms and practices.A series of activities were carriedout in order to enable refugees takeinformed decision, in recognition ofthe right of all citizens to leave andreturn to their country as a basichuman right enshrined in article 13(2) of the 1948 Universal Declarationof Human Rights andArticle 12 of the 1966InternationalConvention on Civiland Political Rights.On 22 June 2005, atripartite agreementfor the voluntaryrepatriation ofLiberian refugeeswas signed amongthe Governments ofLiberia and Nigeria asGovernment'sefforts to fightcorruption,economic andfinancial crimet h r o u g hstrengthening thecapacity of theEFCC, Training andResearch Institute(TRI), the NigerianF i n a n c i a lIntelligence Unit(NFIU) and otherContinued on page 6well as the UNHCR.In February 2006, theUNHCR formally5declared the commencement of thepromotional phase of voluntaryrepatriation of Liberian refugees.Other activities include the following:· Planning workshop on promotionof Voluntary Repatriation of LiberianRefugees;· State visit to Nigeria of PresidentEllen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia andher meeting with refugees in Abujaon 4 March 2006;· “Go and See” visit of refugees toreceiving communities in Liberia inApril 2006;· Mass information campaign inOru Camp and Lagos in April 2006;· Mass information mission fromLiberia to Oru Camp and Lagos inApril 2006;· Mass information campaign fromJuly to December 2006; and· Registration for the promotionalphase of voluntary repatriation whichended on 30 June 2007.The Communiqué also declaredthat following the end of promotion ofvoluntary repatriation for Liberianrefugees on 30 June 2007, Liberianrefugees who are not disposed toreturning home to Liberia areencouraged to take advantage of theLocal Integration processcommencing 1 July 2007L-R: The Chief Judge of Kaduna State, Hon. Justice Cudjoe, TheKaduna State Governor, H.E Arch. Mohammed Sambo and UNODCSenior Project Coordinator Mr. Anthony Buckingham at the Kaduna StateIntegrity Meeting.5

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 5UNODC Launches Action Plan for Strengthening Judicial Integrity andCapacity in Kaduna State 2007related institutions like the Judiciary.With enhanced capacities, theseinstitutions will effectively detect,investigate and prosecute financialcrime and promote relevant lawsthrough the judicial system of thecountry.The Kaduna meeting broughttogether about one hundredparticipants from the criminal justicesector (judges, magistrates, policeofficers and police prosecutors,prison officials, lawyers, civil societygroups, academia, youth leaders,court employees) as well as courtusers from different parts of the state.The Governor of Kaduna State,His Excellency Arch. MohammedNamadi Sambo attended theopening ceremony together with theChief Judge of Kaduna State Hon.Justice R. H. Cudjoe and her KatsinaState counterpart, Hon. Justice S. A.Mahuta. The UNODC Senior ProjectCoordinator and Mr. Oliver Stolpe(Rule of Law Section, UNODCVienna) were part of the UNODCteam that facilitated the meeting.The meeting came up with a fourpointStrategic Framework andAction Plan to Strengthen JudicialIntegrity and Capacity in Kaduna6State:1. enhancing access to justice,2. improving timeliness and qualityof justice delivery,3. enhancing accountability,independence, integrity andoversight, and4. Increasing Coordination in theCriminal Justice System.Concrete measures advocatedinclude public enlightenmentcampaigns on court use, or trainingof court staff just to mention a few.A similar meeting was organizedin Makurdi, Benue State from 21 to22 June 2007Nigeria celebrates International Day against Drug Abuse and IllicitTrafficking - 26 June 2007he 2007 International DayT Against Drug Abuse and IllicitTrafficking was observed throughoutthe country between 19 - 27 June2007. Ministries and agencies of theFederal Government, civilsociety groups, privatesector organizations andthe diplomatic communityin Nigeria jointlycollaborated with UNODCand the National Drug LawEnforcement Agency(NDLEA) to observe theday.The Nigeriaobservance drewattention to this year'sslogan: "Do drugs controlyour life?” but in generaldrug demand reductionand treatment wasunderscored as a majorpriority in the fight againstdrug abuse in the country. It wasclearly understood that withoutdemand there cannot be supply. Thecelebration was a vibrant start to theUNODC's three-year campaign ondrug control, focusing on drug abusethis year, drug cultivation andproduction in 2008, and illicit drugtrafficking in 2009.The week-long event whichbegan on 19 June with a pressThe UNODC Representative Ms. Dagmar Thomas with theNDLEA Chairman, Alhaji Giade before the commencement ofactivities at the grand finale of the International Drugs Day inAbujaconference jointly addressed by theUNODC and NDLEA dwelt on thetheme for the Drugs Day and drewnational attention to the problem ofdrug abuse in the country. The 20thof June 2007 was the day set asidefor the destruction of narcoticexhibits. The ceremonial burning ofnarcotic exhibits was held at LongiBarracks, Aso Villa, Abuja. Onethousand four hundred fifty-eightkilogrammes (1,458 kg)of narcotics weredestroyed at the event,consisting of 1,421.90kg of cannabis, and 1.3kg of cocaine seized byNDLEA officials at theNnamdi AzikiweInternational Airport,Abuja.As a part of thecommemoratin of theDay, the Children'sSymposium on DrugAbuse was held on 21June. It wasparticipated by severalschools from within andaround the FederalCapital Territory. A representative ofthe students, Miss Nkechi Ogbwu,presented the fallout of thesymposium at the grand finale of 26June which included: Urgent need forContinued on page 7

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 6Nigeria celebrates International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 26 June 2007a change of attitude in everyindividual especially the youth;Parents should be good role modelsto their children. The children alsoadvised parents to eschew denial andseek help instead of sympathy in casetheir ward is abusing drugs.Schools were advised to haveclear drug policy to which parentsshould sign as part of the admissionrequirements for their children, andschools should endeavour toestablish drug free clubs to promote asustained drug education.Government was advised toalleviate poverty and remove alldestitute children from the streets aswell as strengthen the NDLEA.Students also called on thegovernment to enforce the sale ofprescription drugs through restrictedoutlets and out rightly ban anyproduct or advert that constituteproblem to the society. Drug testingbefore employment and posting ofdrug agents to schools should beincluded in the drug control policy, thestudents stated.Certificates were also presentedto participating schools by inviteddignitaries including UNODCRepresentative Dagmar Thomas,while the winner of the symposium,Federal Government Boys School,received a trophy from the NDLEAChairmanThe week-long activities climaxedon 26 June in a high profile event thatattracted dignitaries from all walks oflife. In his goodwill address, theSpecial Guest of Honour - Secretaryto the Government of the Federation,(SGF), Ambassador BabaganaKingibe through his representative,Dr. Babakure Kaigama, commendedNDLEA and UNODC as agenciesleading the fight against drugs inNigeria and globally. He reiteratedthe Government's commitment toensuring that NDLEA remain afocused, virile and dynamicorganization. The NDLEAChairman, in his address, noted thatdrug supply and demand control areinextricably interwoven, and thatdemand reduction is crucial toNDLEA in the battle against drugs.He spoke of a new genre of thinkinginculcated under his leadership,which has boosted the Agency'simage and credibility, fosteringmutual trust between the Agency andits international partners.Ms. Dagmar Thomas, UNODCCountry Representative, began herUNODC Launches 2007 World Drug Reporthe United Nations Office onTDrugs and Crime launched the2007 World Drug Report on theoccasion of the grand finalecelebration of the International Dayagainst Drug Abuse and IllicitTrafficking in Abuja. The Reportpresented by the UNODCRepresentative, Ms DagmarThomas, was received on behalf ofthe Federal Government of Nigeria bythe Chairman of National Drug LawEnforcement Agency (NDLEA), AlhajiAhmadu Giade.UNODC's World Drug Report was7address by acknowledging theexcellent partnership betweenUNODC and Nigeria through NDLEAand hopes to build upon this duringher tenure. Citing the message of UNSecretary-General Ban Ki-Moon forthe Drug Day observance, she statedthat “Drug abuse brings anguish andtorment to individuals and their lovedones……and eats away at the fabricof the human being, of the family andsociety.” She also drew from UNODCExecutive Director Antonio MariaCosta's 2007 message urgingsocieties to stay positive, resolvedand determined to succeed in alasting improvement of the drugcontrol situation in the world and helpthose who have fallen prey to drugabuse. Citing worrisome data ondrug use in Nigeria, sheacknowledged that the challenges indrug demand reduction bothnationally and globally are stillimmense, but stressed that withpositivity and determination, thebattle can be won. Mrs. Thomasconcluded her address by publiclypresenting the 2007 World DrugReport to the Nigerian publicfirst publisheda decade ago,in 1997.Originally donein three yearsintervals, it hasb e e npublished,since 2003, iny e a r l yintervals. Themain task ofMs Dagmar, UNODC Representative, presents the 2007 Reportto Nigeria through Alh Giade, NDLEA Chairmanthe World DrugReport is to provide an overview ofmarkets, i.e. opiates, coca/cocaine /developments in the main drugContinued on page 8

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 7UNODC Launches 2007 World Drug Reportcannabis and amphetamine-typestimulants. In addition, there is onechapter which deals with somespecific questions related toorganized crime and drug trafficking,investigating the organizationalstructure as well as the traffickingflows from Colombia via CentralAmerica and Mexico to the USA aswell as the organizational structureand the trafficking flows fromAfghanistan via Central Asia to theRussian Federation .The 282-page Report of this yearreinforced an earlier argumentpresented in 2006 that the drugcontrol measures are working and theworld drug problem is beingcontained. According to the report,'for almost every kind of illicit drug -cocaine, heroin, cannabis andamphetamine- type stimulants (ATS)- there are signs of overall stability,whether we speak of cultivation,production or consumption.Hopefully, within the next few yearsevidence to support this claim willbecome statistically and logicallyincontrovertible'. This, the reportadds, 'does not mean that the drugproblem has been solved or that wecan become complacent, especiallysince there are still 25 million problemdrug users in the world . But overall,we seem to have reached a pointwhere the world drug situation hasstabilized and been brought undercontrol'.Some of the encouraging signs asunderscored by the Report are:· Coca cultivation in the Andeancountries have continued to fall due tosignificant declines in Columbia· Production and consumption ofATS has leveled off, with a cleardownward trend in North Americaand, to a lesser degree, Europe· For the first time in years, there isno upward trend in the globalproduction and consumption ofcannabis· Drug law enforcement hasimproved as almost half of all cocaineproduced is now being intercepted(up from 24% in 1999) and morethan a quarter of all heroine (against15% in 1999).These positive development, theReport concludes, are attributable toseveral factors but of majorimportance is that the world seems tobe taking seriously the commitmentmade at the UN General AssemblySpecial Session in 1998 to enhanceaction to reduce both the illicit supplyof, and the demand for drugs by2008.In Africa, the situation is not totallya reflection of the global trend. TheReport warned that cocainetrafficking through West Africa isemerging as a serious problem asAfrica, primarily because West andCentral Africa are emerging asimportant transit zone for cocaineshipments destined for Europeanmarkets. The fear is further worsenedbecause seizures made in Africa (0.3% of global cocaine seizures) remainvery modest in comparison to thecontinent's potential scale oftrafficking flow. The Report adducedthat the seizure rate mainly reflecteconomic and institutional weaknessin the region. In addition, the Reportnoted an upward trend of cannabisuse in Africa. A total of 17 Africancountries reported rising levels ofcannabis use in 2005 and only 4countries saw a decline while fourother countries describe thecannabis situation as stable.Summarily, the report shows that:1. There is an emerging trendtowards containment with regard todrug production, trafficking and drugconsumption at the global level.2. Although drug policies have beenpartially successful, in order to movefrom a containment to a reduction ofthe drug problem, more needs to bedone.3. There is a need to restore and/orstrengthen the rule of law becausedrug cultivation thrives on instability,corruption and poor governance.4. There is the need to do more onthe demand side, notably with regardto prevention, treatment, andeventually, early detection ofpossible emerging epidemics asdrug production thrives on demand.5. The concept of 'sharedresponsibility' would have to beuniversally accepted andimplemented internationallybetween producing and consumingstates; regionally amongneighbouring countries; andnationally among all sectors ofsociety. All of us will have to assumeour share of that responsibility toimprove public health and publicsecurity across the world becausedrug control needs total globalcommitmentUNDP Hosts World Environment Day Celebrations 2007s Nigeria doing enough toIcomplement the global efforttowards mitigating climate change?The question was posed by Mr.Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, formerActing Secretary General, OPEC,Vienna, and Coordinator NNPC in apaper, titled “Nigeria's Vulnerability tothe Impact of Climate Change”, at thecelebration of World Environment8Day 2007, which was hosted by theUnited Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) at the UNHouse in Abuja on 14 June, 2007.Continued on page 9

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 8UNDP Hosts World Environment Day Celebrations 2007Special Guest of honour at theevent, and Vice President of Nigeria,Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, said thatalthough African countries, includingNigeria are emitting a very smallpercentage of the gases causingglobal climatic changes, Africans arethe ones who will greatly suffer theconsequences, which include watershortages, water borne diseasesespecially in tropical countrieswithout good sanitation, anddecrease in crop yield, with theattendant threat to food security. TheVice President who was representedby the Head of Service, Alhaji YayaleAhmed, further said that the policygoal of the government was to ensuresustainable use of our forests andprevent desertification throughextensive reforestation programmeand tightening control of fuel woodextraction from reserves, as well asensuring that gases are refined foreconomic benefits instead of flared.Participants at the event wereunanimous in their agreement thatclimatic changes threaten the abilityof the African countries includingNigeria to achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals and that Africa'svulnerability limits the effectivenessof development interventions. Theycalled for greater efforts in reducingthe rate of global warming at nationalIn the middle is Mr. Turhan Saleh, UNDP Country Director, to the right is Head ofService, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, who represented the Vice President at the event.and international levels.The need for sustainable nationaldevelopment to be anchored onenvironmental sustainability andsound environmental managementand given prominence in the NationalEconomic Empowerment andDevelopment Strategies II documentwas advocated. The need also tocreate an enabling environment forthe development of CleanDevelopment Mechanism (CDM)projects to attract investments anddevelop clean energy supplies andan enabling framework for thebusiness community to effectivelycontribute to address energy andclimate challenges was highlighted.The colourful event was attendedby top government officials andpolicy makers, members of thediplomatic community, privatesector, civil society organisations,school children and the media. Alsopresent at the occasion were theUNIDO Representative in Nigeriaand UNDP Country Director TurhanSalehFAO in Fight Against Avian Influenza in Nigerian 5 June 2007, a milestone wasOmade in Nigeria when the Foodand Agriculture Organisation (FAO)of the United Nations officially handedover Ultra Low Temperature Freezer(-80oC) and class 2 Bio-safetyCabinets to the management of theNational Veterinary ResearchInstitute (NVRI), Vom Plateau State.The equipment was procured by FAOthrough the European Union grantsfor the implementation of AvianInfluenza Disease SurveillanceStudy. The equipment meant forUltra Low Temperature Freezer donated throughthe European Union grant for the implementationof Avian Influenza Disease Surveillance Study.9storage and handling ofclinical specimens andH5N1 virus isolates werereceived by the ExecutiveDirector of NVRI, Dr. L.H.Lombin and other officialsin a press event.The officialdeclaration of confirmedcase of Highly PathogenicAvian Influenza (HPAI),popularly known as 'BirdFlu', in Sambawa farms inContinued on page 10

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 9FAO in Fight Against Avian Influenza in NigeriaKaduna State on 8 February 2006 bythe Nigerian authorities triggered aplethora of events geared towards thecontrol and containment of theepidemic insurgence.FAO in collaboration with UNagencies (UNDP, UNICEF, WHO)and international developmentpartners conductedcourtesy/advocacy visits to theconcerned ministries with pledges offinancial and technical assistance togovernment of Nigeria on the controlof HPAI.Within the first ten days of theoutbreak, the FAO provided logisticsupport for the technical experts thatcame from outside the country toprovide assistant to the Governmentof Nigeria. So far, since the outbreakof the disease in 2006, AvianInfluenza was confirmed in 84 LGAs(local government areas) of 24 out ofthe 37 States in the country.”However, to curtail the disease,FAO Nigeria developed two donorfundedprojects to support theNigerian Government's efforts incontrolling the HPAI and otherserious epizootic diseases onsustainable long-term basis. Theprojects are being funded byEuropean Union and USAID/UNDP.The projects are jointly managedby FAO technical experts andNigerian counterparts in the FederalDepartment of Livestock and PestsControl Services (FDL&PCS) withthe overall objective of transferringskills and knowledge to the national10counterparts over the period of theproject implementation.Over 204 surveillance agentsdrawn from Federal and stategovernments, Veterinary TeachingHospitals (VTHs) and NationalVeterinary Research Institute (NVRI)have been trained on field samplingprocedures, sample handling andtransportation and mapping and georeferencingof surveillance sites.Additionally, ten visiting laboratoryscientists from 5 VTHs have alsobeen trained on AI diagnosis at NVRIVom.Most recently, FAO engaged theservices of Dr. Tesfai Tseggai as theChief Technical Adviser for theUSAID/UNDP projectGovernment Calls for More Efficient and Effective Enforcement of Ban ofSmoking in Public Placeson-smokers in Nigeria haveNbeen called upon to stand up fortheir right to smoke-freeenvironments and be part of theenforcement of the ban of smoking inpublic places. The PermanentSecretary, Federal Ministry of Health,Mallam Ibrahim Talba made the callduring a media briefing to mark thisyear's World No Tobacco Day on 31May 2007. Mallam Talbadescribed the theme, Smoke-freeEnvironment, as apt and timely asthere was convincing scientificevidence that there is no level oftobacco smoke permissible or smokelevel that is not a risk factor for chronicdiseases. According to him, “it isestimated that hundreds ofthousands of people who neversmoked but lived with smokers diedeach year of diseases caused bybreathing second hand tobaccosmoke”.Nigeria, by Decree No. 20 of 1990,put a ban on smoking in public placesbut its enforcement has been aproblem. It was in this regard thatMallam Talba called on all Nigeriansto form tobaccocontrol networksa n d p u l lresourcestogether toachieve the goalof smoke-freeenvironments.Noting thatNigeria ratified theWorld HealthOrganization( W H O )FrameworkConvention onTobacco Control(FCTC) inOctober 2005 and is therefore a partyto the Convention, Mallam Talba saidthat the Ministry in collaboration withits stakeholders is working hard todomesticate the FCTC, which hedescribed as a powerful tool tocombat tobacco and the challengingapproaches of its industry.Mallam Talba condemned theStudents and judges at the debate to markWorld No Tobacco Day 2007tobacco industry which he said had“continued to put profit before the lifeof the people, its own expansionbefore the health of the futuregeneration and its own gains aheadContinued from page 11

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 10Government Calls for More Efficient and Effective Enforcement of Ban ofSmoking in Public Placesof sustainable development ofcountries”.The WHO Regional Director forAfrica's statement on World NoTobacco Day 2007 was presented byDr. (Mrs.) Lola Sadiq, WHO NigeriaDisease Prevention and ControlOfficer, on behalf of Dr. Peter Eriki,the Country Representative.In the statement, the RegionalDirector, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambonoted that most of the countries in theAfrican Region have legislation thatprohibits smoking in public places butthat effective implementationremained a problem. He thereforecalled for concerted efforts to ensureeffective implementation of suchlegislations, as simply enacting a lawagainst smoking is not enough.Dr. Sambo also called onGovernments to take legal measuresto make all workplaces and enclosedpublic areas 100% smoke-free, asonly legislation guaranteeing overalland efficient protection for everyUNESCO, Nigeria Sign Special MoU in Area of Cultureworker and the general public isacceptable.The commemoration of World NoTobacco Day also involved theyouths, as it featured a debateamong secondary school students.The finale, held on 1 June 2007, wasbetween the Nigerian TurkishInternational School and the ReginaPacis Girls Secondary School, bothin Abuja, which debated on the topic,“Merits of tobacco use are more thanthe demerits”. Students of the ReginaPacis Girls Secondary School, whoopposed the motion, won the debateor the first time, UNESCO andF Nigeria have signed a SpecialAgreement on Culture. The signingof this agreement - a Memorandumof Understanding (MoU) - will providethe much needed financial andpolitical goodwill for the implementationof cultural activities in Nigeria.Announcing the official signing ofthe agreement to culture stakeholdersduring theWorldCultureD a ycelebrati o n sorganizedby theFederalMinistry ofDirector and CountryRep. of UNESCO in Nigeria, Culture,Mr. Abhimanyu Singh Tourismand National Orientation in Abuja on21 May 2007, the Director andCountry Representative of UNESCOin Nigeria, Mr. Abhimanyu Singh,stressed that UNESCO wouldundertake to provide assistance tothe Government through staff advise,support from the Abuja office and decentralizationof regular programmeresources by the UNESCO CultureSector as well as by assisting in themobilization of extra-budgetaryfunds from interested donors.The agreement was signed on 17May 2007 by the Director General ofUNESCO, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura,and both the incumbent and previousPresidents of Nigeria: PresidentUmaru Yar'Adua and Chief OlusegunObasanjo. It came with a selfbenefiting funding budget of threemillion US dollars by Nigeria to helpaccelerate the development ofactivities enumerated in the MoU.The agreement contains specificareas of collaboration envisaged tobe pursued between Nigeria andUNESCO in the domain of culture,thereby complementing the alreadyexisting provisions for education andnatural sciences.UNESCO will provide assistanceto the Nigerian Government in theconsolidation and finalise therevision of a national cultural policy.This policy shall build on the growingrecognition of the need for nationalpolicies, to give greater recognition tocultural diversity and interculturaldialogue, by firmly anchoring the role11of culture in sustainable developmentpolicies and activities atnational level, and provide appropriateand coherent linkages withrelevant initiatives at the sub regionaland regional levels in Africa.Specific areas for whichUNESCO will undertake to renderassistance to Nigeria including themobilization of requisite extrabudgetaryresources are as follows:A) Awareness-raising and CapacityBuilding -- This will include a widerange of activities involving stakeholders,local and national decisionmakers with regard to the culturaldiversity and its corollary,intercultural dialogue for socialcohesion in a pluralistic society likeNigeria. It will also include thecreation of a UNESCO Chair onCultural Dialogue.B) Collaboration with the SlaveRoute Project -- This activity will seekto reinforce knowledge on culturalinteraction and exchange havingoccurred within the slave trade.UNESCO will render support to theNigeria National Committee whichContinued from page 12

UNITED NATIONS IN NIGERIAMonthly NewsletterContinued from page 11UNESCO, Nigeria Sign Special MoU in Area ofCulturehas been set up to pilot and coordinatethe slave route project in thecountry.c) Promotion of the inscription ofNigerian heritage sites on the WorldHeritage List -- This will includetraining of national professionals inthe identification of suitable sites andin the preparation of satisfactorynomination dossiers.D) Museums and Capacity Building --A proposal has been developed forthe building of a HeritageConservation Complex in Jos. TheComplex if developed will serve notonly Nigeria but the West Africanregion.E) Support and development ofcreative industries in Nigeria especiallycrafts and design, promotion ofcreative cities in the country as wellas cultural festivals to enhanceAfrica's regional integration – Thisactivity will also link with the RegionalCentre for Craft Development in PortHarcourt designed to develop craftproduction, tools/equipments as wellas market research and feasibilitystudies. Special focus on women craftworkers and their management andmarketing skills will be furtherexplored.*****F) Support for conducting a feasibilitystudy and establishment of anInstitute for African Cultural andInternational Understanding -- ThisCentre will seek to integrate amongothers the archive and collections ofUlli and Georgina Beier who arepioneers and catalysts of theOshogbo School of Arts andPainting. The possibility of establishingthis centre as a Category IICenter under UNESCO's auspiceswill be actively pursued.G) Support to the implementation ofthe 2003 Convention onSafeguarding the Intangible CulturalHeritage, especially drawing onNigeria's rich and invaluableresources in that domain -- Activitiesalready being pursued in this areaare the Establishment of a LivingHuman Treasures Project in Nigeria,the Safeguarding of the Ifa HeritageProjects and efforts at identifyingBest Practices to SafeguardEndangered Nigerian Languages.The implementation of this MoUwill be subject to review within twoyears of its signatureThis Newsletter is published by the United Nations Communications Group Nigeriaand edited by the United Nations Information Centre, 17 Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.Tel: 234-1-2694-886. E-mail: uniclag@unicnig.org.