NII COMMEY HANDWRITING

At COP29 in Baku, I had the opportunity to moderate two insightful side events: the West Africa Climate Café, organised by WASCAL in partnership with AGRHYMET and the Centre Climatique Régional pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest et le Sahel (CCR-AOS), and the official launch of the report on West African Governments' progress on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The report presents an in-depth analysis of climate ambitions in the region, providing valuable insights for state and non-state actors. As someone deeply involved in climate communication, I find this kind of data-driven reporting crucial. Why? Because effective climate action begins with information, clear, accessible, and compelling enough to drive decision-making at all levels. One key takeaway from the report is that West African nations are stepping up their climate commitments. Every country in the region has either strengthened existing targets or introduced new ones, demon...

  As I approached Araba, a sachet water hawker at the Odawna bus terminal, I was met with a sight that would take me a bit longer to delete from my memory. She was a young mother, with a 7-month-old baby strapped to her back and another life growing within her. She was seated in her own world, oblivious to the blistering sounds of the ghetto blaster near her. On her head was a bucket of sachet water, balanced effortlessly. Her eyes craved for more sleep which might have eluded her all night. But they were eyes that told a story of unyielding resilience. Soon, we were lost in a casual conversation. I discovered that Araba's life had been an odyssey of pain, abuse, and neglect. Her marriage, once a promise of love and companionship, had morphed into a nightmare of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. With a courage that uplifted her fragile frame, Araba shared her story of escape from the fangs of her predator "husband" and finding solace on the streets of Accra....

  As a continent with everything pointing to the fact that it is the worst hit in terms of climate change, it is expected that African leaders would take the bull by the horns and find practical solutions to this menace. So, what happens next after the Conference of Parties   (COP 29 )here in Azerbaijan? In the spirit of genuine progress, can we imagine our leaders not waiting for the next grand gathering to unveil their plans? Why does it take a global event for our leaders to remember the importance of sustainability? Have we really reached a point where a delegation of well-heeled politicians strutting across international stages is the only way to stir the pot of change? Maybe it’s time to look within our borders. After all, every nation brims with untapped potential, unique perspectives, and local wisdom. Instead of hopping into COP events with an air of entitlement, expecting the developed world to hand over cheques simply because the Paris Agreement whispers promi...