Climate Change: Dangiwa Advocates Fair Land Management Strategies

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa has urged African governments to prioritise inclusive urban planning and fair land management strategies as part of measures to combat the effects of climate change, urbanisation, and conflicts.

He spoke at the high-level Ministerial Africa Regional Workshop on the future of land administration in addressing urbanization, climate change, conflicts, and food security at the World Bank Land Conference held in Washington DC.

Dangiwa stated that the way Africa countries manage land in the future needs to consider everything from how cities are growing, to climate change, conflicts and ensuring food sustainability.

“In Nigeria, we have embarked on a comprehensive land reforms programme that aims to make access to land easy, accessible, and equitable. A couple of months ago, we set up a Land Reforms Task Team with the mandate to produce a comprehensive blueprint for these reforms.

“The team comprises sector experts, traditional institutions, and state governments who are custodians of the land. A crucial part of this initiative is the review of the Land Use Act of 1978, the governing law for land administration in Nigeria.

“The Act is obsolete, and we aim to review it. As part of the reform process, we also want to set up a National Land Commission to operationalise the law after it has been reviewed,”  he said.

A statement by Dangiwa’s spokesman, Mark Chieshe, quoted him as emphasing that the efforts are essential for the new government as they prepare the blueprint for implementation.

To address the broader challenges, Dangiwa highlighted the necessity of a comprehensive and holistic approach to land administration. He stated that inclusive urban planning and fair land management strategies must be prioritised.

This, he said, involves ensuring efficient land allocation and titling systems, as well as integrating informal settlements into formal urban frameworks to provide access to basic services and infrastructure for all citizens.

Furthermore, with climate change causing problems like desertification and flooding, the Hon. Minister stressed the need to invest more in sustainable land practices and resilient infrastructure. This includes planting more trees, adhering to green building standards, and incorporating nature-based solutions in city planning to reduce environmental risks.

Chevron Prepares for North Sea Exit after 55 Years

Chevron has said it is set to launch the sale of its remaining UK North Sea oil and gas assets, in a move that would mark the US energy giant’s exit from the ageing basin after more than 55 years.

The planned divestment, confirmed to Reuters, comes as Chevron prepares for the $53 billion acquisition of rival Hess which it previously said will include $10 billion to $15 billion in asset sales around the world.

The exit will be the latest step in a steady retreat of top oil and gas companies from the declining British basin which pioneered deepwater production in the 1970s, as they focus on newer assets around the world.

Chevron’s assets include a 19.4 per cent stake in the BP-operated Clair oilfield in the West of Shetland region, the largest in the British North Sea with production of 120,000 barrels per day.

BP has said it is considering a third development phase for the field, known as Clair South, which is one of the largest remaining untapped fields in the North Sea.

UK oil and gas production has dropped from a peak of around 4.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) in the late 1990s to around 1.2 million boed in 2023.

Chevron is also seeking to sell its marginal interests in the Sullom Voe oil terminal, as well as its stakes in the Ninian and SIRGE pipeline systems which are both linked to the hub, it said in a statement.

The sale could raise up to $1 billion excluding tax benefits, one industry source said. The process is expected to be formally launched in June, industry sources told Reuters.

It will not impact the operations of Chevron’s international headquarters in London or its technology centre in Aberdeen, the company said.

The exit follows a review of Chevron’s global portfolio as Chief Executive, Mike Wirth seeks to focus on the firm’s most profitable assets, Chevron said.

In 2018, Chevron sold its stake in the Rosebank field development to Equinor. A year later it sold many of its North Sea assets to Ithaca Energy. Other major oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Shell, have sold assets in the basin since the 2000s.