On 3 May, Benin's National Assembly ratified ILO Convention 182, which prohibits the worst forms of child labour, PANA reported. 15 May. Up to 30,675 people have been affected by drought in Zinder, according to NGO and government reports. It said cereal stocks were low and prices had increased by 50 percent in March. Niger has asked Morocco to help it make rain so as to end the drought, AFP reported state radio as saying on Tuesday. President Mamadou Tandja made the appeal during an official visit to Morocco last week.
Artificial rain is created by spraying salt crystals into clouds.
The crystals capture water vapour and become heavy, resulting in rain. Rash of oil spills in the southeast A rash of oil spills coupled with communal and industrial disputes have disrupted crude oil production by three transnationals in the Niger Delta, southeastern Nigeria, industry sources said on Friday. US multinational ExxonMobil Corp's Nigerian subsidiary shut its Qua Iboe oil export terminal on Thursday after it was besieged by protesters from the local Eket community who accused the company of neglect. Another US company, Chevron Corp, reported on Thursday that a faulty valve on one of its pipelines had caused the leakage of an estimated 140 barrels of crude near its Escravos operational base. In the 10 most affected African countries, the labour force is expected to decrease by 10 to 26 percent by 2020, FAO says.