TVC News Nigeria reports that “the year 2022 has been fraught with a myriad of uncertainties. Education losses, global inflation, disruptions in supply chains, and other global challenges remind us that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to linger. In Nigeria, the Gross Domestic Product per capita was last recorded at 49, 69.22 US dollars in 2021, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP).” Notwithstanding, the year 2022 had a number of positive news.
Women made history at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was controversial before it even kicked off, but some progress has resulted. For the first time in the men’s tournament, three female referees were chosen to officiate the games: Stéphanie Frappart, Salima Mukansanga, and Yoshimi Yamashita.
Finland was declared the best country for media literacy
In the age of fake news, it’s important that people know how to critically evaluate the information they receive. Therefore, in 2016, Finland introduced media literacy training in schools. They became Europe’s most resistant nation to fake news. And in the Media Literacy Index 2022, they ranked number one. They were closely followed by Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, and Ireland.
The world surpassed one terawatt of installed solar energy capacity
A major renewable energy milestone was achieved, one that’s enough to meet the electricity demands of nearly every country in Europe combined. How does this impact Nigeria? In no way whatsoever. It is believed that Nigeria receives approximately 5mWh of energy from the sun. This is about 4000 times the crude oil production in a day and about 13000 times natural gas production, yet 70% of Nigerians don’t have access to electricity. With unlimited access to sunlight, Nigeria should be leading the renewable energy alternatives in Africa.
This billionaire set new standards in climate philanthropy
Yvon Chouinard, the owner of the multi-billion-dollar clothing brand Patagonia, donated the company to help fight climate change. This means that each year, the money they make after reinvesting in the business will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the crisis.
The rich in Nigeria who are mostly politicians fleece the common man and generally use poverty as a tool to keep the people down. Public hospitals are run down so they travel abroad for medicare. Public universities are in dire straits so their kids go to foreign universities. They drive expensive cars on bad roads that could easily be fixed with the public resources they squander on personal use.
A new low-cost rail firm launched in Europe
To tempt passengers into trains instead of planes, the Spanish operator Iryo will have services between Madrid and Barcelona starting at around €18 (about US$19). Electric trains produce up to nine times less carbon dioxide than planes.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recently visited Milwaukee in the United States to finalize the purchase of two of Talgo’s Series 8 train sets for the Red Line rail project in Lagos State. On the whole, sixty-two years after independence, Nigeria still struggles to operate part of the 3,505km of railway inherited from the British colonial masters amid failed numerous contracts. And although passenger revenue more than quadrupled in 2021 to N5.70 billion, while goods or cargo
revenue increased to N317.57 million according to the National Bureau of Statistics, insecurity, recently dealt the sector a bad blow.
In March 2022, over 900 people on board an Abuja-Kaduna train when it was attacked by terrorists along the route over were either taken captive or killed.
Germany hatched a plan to boost culture
To encourage people to spend more on concert and theater tickets, Germany will offer a €200 (US$210) voucher called the KulturPass to all those turning 18 next year. Other European countries, such as France and Italy, have similar incentives.
What happened to Nigeria’s National theatre? With over 250 ethnic groups diverse in manifold ways, the country’s immense cultural heritage often showcased through music, movies, writing, food, fashion, and dancing among other genres of arts remains an under-tapped mine that should put Nigeria’s economy on a global stage.
The National Arts Theatre believed to be the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria, has since lost its glory and potential as a means of non-oil revenue generation for the country. Built in 1976 as one of the four main venues of the historic Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), popularly known as ‘FESTAC 1977’, the facility like the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, has been turned into a meeting point for town unions of various tribes resident in Lagos State.
Did you know that Stevie Wonder stayed on in Lagos after the FESTAC ‘77 closed, and with Miriam Makeba organised a satellite link to receive his four Grammy awards for Fullfillingness’ First Finale live from the now-forgotten National Theatre? Did you know that that edifice once hosted musical extravaganzas including the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Roy Ayers, Skyy, Shalamar, Whispers, Third world, and Dynasty; stage events like Wole Soyinka’s adaptation of D.O Fagunwa’s Langbodo?
The world’s tallest wooden hotel opened
Located in Skellefteå, Sweden, the 20-story hotel is the world’s tallest wooden hotel. It has 205 rooms and is made of local spruce and pin. If sustainably sourced, wood can be good for the planet, because trees lock carbon away.
The world’s largest floating wind farm was approved to be built off the coast of the UK
Once completed, the floating wind farm will generate around 1GW of power. That’s enough for around 927,400 homes in the UK.
Back in Nigeria, the news broke in August that major international oil companies were planning some kind of large-scale investments that would make offshore wind a serious business that would open up opportunities for the country’s vast untapped wind potential. The majors were reportedly looking to boost offshore wind development not only to provide electricity for households but also to power offshore oil and gas platforms and produce green hydrogen. Nigerians are still expectant. Days before Christmas, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Sen. Adeleke Mamora, called for energy stakeholders’ collaborations to optimally harness the nation’s energy potentialities for development.
Credit for most of this report goes to http://The most positive news of 2022 (msn.com)
