Africa4Nature Health Initiative (A4NHI)
Africa4Nature Health Initiative (A4NHI) was implemented in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in response to COVID-19. The initiative was initiated based on the linkages of the emergence of COVID-19 among other zoonotic diseases (such as Ebola and Lassa Fever) with uncalibrated interaction of humanity and nature. The initiative carried out a research on the nexus between COVID-19, Nature and Human Livelihood and came up with a report, “New Deal for Nature: Lessons from COVID-19”. Based on the outcome of the study, the initiative advocated for a new deal with nature that is aimed towards increasing the commitment to nature conservation and the protection of biodiversity (Phase I).
In line with the call by the United Nations on governments to build back better by developing a just and green post–COVID-19 economic recovery, the second phase of the initiative (Phase II) builds on its first phase. The initiative:
- analysed and raised awareness on the impact of COVID19 pandemic on development in Africa,
- campaigned on the need for African governments to develop just and green post-COVID19 recovery plans,
- explored, engaged, and communicated strategies that could be adopted in African countries to facilitate green growth on the continent post-COVID19.
However, realizing that the responses and recovery plans of many African countries focused on economic dimension of development with packages offered as “economic stimulus”. This follows a similar trend as other nations of the world as depicted in the figure below.
Therefore, third phase of the Africa4Nature Health Initiative (Phase III) advocated for an integrated policy approach and programme design that links public health, pollution abatement, climate action, biodiversity conservation, ecosystems integrity, socio-economic equity, and prosperity for a just, green and sustainable recovery an effective recovery from COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The initiative:
- increased campaign and advocacy on the need for African governments to develop just and green post-COVID19 recovery plans,
- increased awareness on the strategies that could be adopted in African countries to facilitate green growth on the continent post-COVID19.
- analysed Post-COVID-19 stimulus programmes in African countries,
- lauded relevant initiatives that are promoting green growth in Africa. This was focused on the Leaders Pledge for Nature initiative and advocated implementation, and, was the focus of many of the media reports from the initiative
- promoted recommendations for ‘Green and Just Recovery’ from relevant international initiatives, fora and report on green and just recovery in Africa. These include:
- Leaders Pledge for Nature
- WWF’s report on Green and Just Recovery report, “Africa in the context of COVID-19”, among other resources from IUCN, UNEP, IPBES and WWF
- explored, engaged, and communicated strategies that could be adopted in African countries to facilitate green growth on the continent post-COVID19.
Through research and engagements via TweetChats with high-level stakeholders, the initiative proffered diverse policy recommendations which have been featured in twenty-four media reports by leading newspapers within and outside Africa. Some of the stakeholders engaged via TweetChats include:
- Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, Director of United Nations Environment Programme (Region of Africa) and a former Minister of Environment in the Republic of Benin,
- Rose Mwebaza, Director of the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention Climate Technology Centre and Network (UNFCCC-CTCN)
- Steering Committee, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), the official Youth constituency of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, among other stakeholders.
The campaign, which was implemented for 19-weeks, reached about 6,200,000 people across African countries via social media and was reported in twenty-four (24) news stories in leading newspapers within and outside Africa which projected the impact of the initiative on practice and policy.
Summary of Outcome
| Phase I | Phase II | Phase III | Total | |
| Social media posts | 209 | 163 | 101 | 473 |
| Social Media Platforms | 3 (627) (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) | 3 (489) (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) | 4 (404) (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn | 4 (1,520) |
| Infographics and social media messages | 209 | 163 | 101 | 473 (1,520) |
| Impression | 4,124,091 | 1,458,651 | 607,722 | 6,190,464 |
| Post Engagements (Likes, Retweets, Shares, Comments) | 2,528,622 | 400,000 | 158,216 | 3,086,838 |
| News Publications (Media Reports) | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Duration | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| Based on the outcome of the research and engagements with stakeholders, ISNAD-Africa contributed to the revision of the draft of the African Green Stimulus Programme developed by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), African Development Bank and the African Union | ||||
See details about each of the phases of the initiative, the outcomes including links to their respective media reports:
All Media Reports on Africa4Nature Health Initiative
Phase I
Phase II
| S/N | Caption | Media Platform | Weblink |
| Mainstream Media Organisations | |||
| 1 | Stakeholders mull policies to mitigate post-COVID-19 economic challenges | The Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria | https://m.guardian.ng/business-services/stakeholders-mull-policies-to-mitigate-post-covid-19-economic-challenges/amp/ |
| 2 | Stakeholders mull policies to mitigate post-COVID-19 economic challenges | World News Monitor, Austria | https://world-news-monitor.com/business/energy/oil/2020/11/18/stakeholders-mull-policies-to-mitigate-post-covid-19-economic-challenges/ |
| 3 | Groups urge new policies to curb COVID-19 impacts on nature | The Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria | https://guardian.ng/property/groups-urge-new-policies-to-curb-covid-19-impacts-on-nature/ |
| 4 | UN, others fear for debt crisis, food insecurity in Africa | The Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria | https://guardian.ng/news/un-others-fear-for-debt-crisis-food-insecurity-in-africa/ |
Phase III
| S/N | Caption | Media Platform | Weblink |
| Mainstream Media Organisations | |||
| 1 | Stakeholders caution policy makers over post-COVID-19 recovery plans | The Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria | https://m.guardian.ng/business-services/stakeholders-caution-policymakers-over-post-covid-19-recovery-plans/amp/ |
| 2 | ‘Buhari, Leaders’ Pledge to Reverse Biodiversity Loss requires Political Will’ | This day Live Newspaper, Nigeria | https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/03/09/buhari-leaders-pledge-to-reverse-biodiversity-loss-requires-political-will/ |
| 4 | Buhari pledges to reverse lost biodiversity | The Nation, Nigeria (Tuesday March 9, 2021) | Online version to be available later. Printed Version annexed |
| 5 | Nigeria: ‘Buhari, Leaders’ Pledge to Reverse Biodiversity Loss Requires Political Will’ | All Africa (operates from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC) | https://allafrica.com/stories/202103090372.html |
| 6 | Nigeria: ‘Buhari, Leaders’ Pledge to Reverse Biodiversity Loss Requires Political Will’ | UNCBD News Platform, Montreal, Canada | https://www.cbd.int/information/news.shtml (a screenshot of this has also been inserted) |
| 7 | ISNAD-Africa, WWF partner to promote nature conservation , combat zoonotic diseases | Business Day Newspaper, Nigeria | Online version to be available later. Paper Version attached |
