Thursday, July 27, 2017

Press Release: Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa [GIGGA] Network, July 27, 2017, Abuja Workshop.

Press Release

Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa [GIGGA] Network Abuja Workshop.                      Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory will host an international audience of policy makers, practitioners and academic experts in the field of the green economy, climate governance and low carbon development who are gathering for a two-day workshop on ‘Governing Inclusive Green Growth Agenda in Africa [GIGGA]. The workshop will hold at the Sandralia Hotel in the Jabi district of Abuja, from July 27-28, 2017.

Despite some flashes of green growth initiatives in parts of Africa, much of the continent is yet to embrace a coordinated and strategic approach to promoting the green economy.  At the same time, there are some people that question whether Africa, given its developmental stage, should even embrace the concept of the green economy.  So far there has been very limited academic literature and public debate about the green economy in Africa.  As a result there are many questions that remain unanswered. For example: What are the current greening activities taking place in Africa? What are the challenges, synergies and trade-offs associated with greening in Africa and how do these differ across countries? What is the impact of national green growth strategies on inequality and poverty in Africa? What is the primary motivation for African leaders and governments seeking to be front runners in this area; and, what are the reasons for reluctance among the slow/non-movers?  What are the environmental and social benefits of green initiatives? What are the critical capacity needs required to achieve scale?

In seeking answers to these unanswered questions, the United Kingdom [UK] Research Council, under the Global Challenges Research Fund, recently awarded a grant to help establish a Network on Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa [GIGGA]. The GIGGA Project which is led by Nigerian born Professor Chukwumerije Okereke from the University of Reading, United Kingdom intends to explore what the green economy means for Africa and how countries in Africa can benefit from green growth and investments in sustainable technologies driving low carbon development. The GIGGA Abuja workshop is part of the activities of this network and the effort to provide answers to these questions. Already the GIGGA inception meeting already held in Ethiopia (in March 2017). After the Abuja workshop, there will be will be two more meetings – one in Kenya scheduled for early 2018 followed by a wrap up workshop in Reading in June 2018.

The GIGGA Network comprises academics from four United Kingdom universities, academics from five countries in Africa and India, national and regional government institutions and departments, four research institutes and policy think tanks across Africa and credible NGOs/CSOs in Africa.           Some of the Nigerian members of GIGGA network include academics from the University of Nigeria, Nigerian Chapter of the Global Legislators Forum for a Balanced Environment [GLOBE Nigeria] and Schrodinger Greentech Limited [Abuja, Nigeria based Corporate Climate Change and Green Economy Consultancy]. 

The GIGGA Project has a three-man Advisory Board to provide strategic advice and facilitate engagement and global uptake. These include Dr. Desta Mebrata, former Deputy Regional Director of United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP]; Professor Paul Ekins, Director of the University College London [UCL] Institute for Sustainable Resources and also Deputy Director of the United Kingdom [UK] Energy Research Centre, and Professor Anthony Nyong, Director of Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank Group. 

In response to the manifold opportunities presented by the GIGGA Project, Professor Chukwumerije, GIGGA Project lead Researcher and Principal Investigator said: “I am delighted that GIGGA Abuja workshop will provide an excellent opportunity for intensive interaction among Nigerian policy makers, businesses, academics and a prestigious group of international audience, many of whom are leading experts in green growth planning and clean technological innovation. I am very confident that the workshop will yield insights that can help to promote sustainable green inclusive economy in Nigeria and Africa more broadly.”  In his reaction, Mr. Stanley Igwebuike Ijeoma, GIGGA Network Nigeria Representative/Abuja Workshop Coordinator said: “It is my honor to be hosting the GIGGA in Abuja and helping to bring together global opinion leaders on the green economy and low carbon development. I am very keen that Nigeria should take advantage of this Network to effectively pursue their vision of green growth and climate resilient development.” 

Please find more information about the GIGGA Network here: http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/projects?ref=ES%2FP006671%2F1,  

GIGGA Lead Researcher and Principal Investigator Professor Chukwumerije Okereke here: http://www.reading.ac.uk/ges/aboutus/staff/c-okereke.aspx and 

GIGGA Network Nigeria Representative/Abuja Workshop Coordinator Mr. Stanley Ijeoma here: http://climatestrategies.org/team/stanley-ijeoma/

Please follow the GIGGA Network projects, programs and activities on Twitter via @GIGGANetworker

Signed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
GIGGA Network Members
26th July, 2017