Dr. Ifeyinwa Ogo (Photo AfCFTA UNPD)
“Geographic diversity of Africa has implications for products, access to markets, infrastructure, production approaches and everything as anyone might choose to do on the continent.”
A Palestinian herder takes sheep to a rehabilitated cistern for water. (Photo :©FAO/Marco Longari)
Animal health is important to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but greater investment is needed to evaluate the impact, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and partners said in a report published on Thursday.
Independent UN human rights experts on Thursday called on authorities and political candidates standing in next month’s general election to foster an enabling civic space to ensure the vote goes ahead peacefully, and prevent violence.
Amina Mohammed presenting her addresses (UN Photo/Mark Garten
The development of Africa was spotlighted at a key UN meeting on Wednesday, with attention focused on advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063.
Elfreda Dennice Stewart being decorated
“I recall the civil war in Liberia vividly,” says Elfreda Dennice Stewart, a United Nations Police (UNPOL) officer serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). “My parents managed - with many sacrifices on their part - to put me through high school during a time of great turmoil in my country, following which I started doing a number of jobs to help out financially.”
Erwin Bollinger (Photo SABC)
The unfolding demographic boom in many Sub-Saharan African countries is to transform the region’s economy into one of the largest and most dynamic in the world according to Ambassador Erwin Bollinger, Head of Bilateral Economic Relations and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements.
Rising COVID-19 cases are not only putting further pressure on already stretched health systems and workers but also triggering an “increasing trend of deaths”, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists recently at the regular weekly press briefing.
As Mozambique looks to move on from its violent past, a UN-led programme is supporting efforts to reintegrate former combatants, and give them a chance to lead productive, peaceful lives in their communities.
Verena Utzinger delivering her welcome address (Photo SABC)
The President of Swiss-African Business Circle, (SABC) Verena Utzinger has posited that an estimated working age (15 – 64) population of Africa put at over 800 million provides economic opportunities for the continent whose youths “represent a transformative economic force as innovators, problem-solvers, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders of the continent.
Five years ago, the World Bank made a commitment to financially support the Ugandan government in the acquisition of quality telecom infrastructure. With more than half a billion dollars in financing disbursed, the country has equipped itself with technical means for the digital economy.
L – R: Nigeria’s Amb. Baba Madugu, MIFA’s CEO Rita Kobler- Emiko, and Wil City’s President Hans Mäder
The Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Baba Madugu has said, “Rita Kobler-Emiko, Founder, and CEO of Specialized office for Migrants, Migrantenfaschstelle (MIFA) Wil, Switzerland has made Nigeria proud.”
Michael Rheinegger Managing Director Swiss-African Business Circle (SABC)
Preparations for the hybrid AFRICA BUSINESS DAY 2022 which will take place on the 30 June 2022 in Baden at the Trafo Event Center (registration HERE) are well on track. Over 300 participants are expected representing a variety of sectors from more than 30 countries.
The Department of Water and Sanitation has reiterated that the Shongweni Dam, located west of Pinetown, in KwaZulu-Natal, has not collapsed.
(Togo First) - Just like in June 2021, the Togolese government, following its recent decision to increase the price of petroleum products, has established a new tariff schedule for intra-urban and inter-urban transport of people and goods.
(Togo First) - During their latest council, on April 10, Togolese ministers issued a draft decree covering procedures related to the provision and execution of public-private partnerships (PPPs).
(AfDB) - African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina arrived in Dubai today at the start of a three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates.
(BOLLORE) - From March to December 2021, Bolloré Logistics Malawi implemented the transportation for the Golomoti Solar project, by conveying an all-inclusive shipment of 221 TEUS of solar panels, batteries and equipment from China to Malawi. Relying on its expertise in this field, Bolloré Logistics was able to be part of a historic project, in producing the first solar utility-scale grid-connected battery energy storage system in East Africa.
Belief, determination and patience are the key ingredients that a pharmaceutical company invested in South Africa has consistently used over the years.
Nearly 20 Kenya-based companies have been blacklisted by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in less than two years over fraud and quality concerns in projects funded by the multilateral lenders, according to an official statement seen by APA in Kigali last Friday.
Some 40 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s people are under the age of 15, making them potential future fintech customers at a time when smartphone penetration, still under 50 percent, is rising sharply [File: Adetona Omokanye/Bloomberg]
Fintech startups drew more than 60 percent of all venture funding that flowed into Africa last quarter.
President Buhari and Mr. Antony Blinken
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed appreciation to the United States for allowing Nigeria to procure military hardware to fight terrorism in the country and the training given to the Nigerian military.
(Ecofin Agency) - Following the previous dip of remittances to sub-Saharan Africa by 0.4% in 2019 and 12% in 2020 due to the pandemic, things have improved this year. According to data from the World Bank, money sent home this year, by sub-saharan Africans in Diaspora has amounted to $45 billion. This is 6.2% higher than last year.
The Young Activists
Young activists have been swapping inspiring stories at a UN-partnered youth summit last week about how they’ve driven positive change for their communities and the environment – and how everyone can do the same.
The international community must step up support to Madagascar, where more than one million people in the south are facing severe hunger, top UN aid official there said last Thursday in a renewed appeal for solidarity and funding.
The plan by the Federal Government to sanction eligible Nigerians who refuse COVID-19 vaccination and the cholera epidemic, which has been silently growing nationwide since beginning of the year are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers recently.
(Business in Cameroon) - Chinese company Yousheng Cement Co Ltd is currently finetuning the establishment of a new cement plant inside the port area in Douala. The information was disclosed by Nana Aboubakar Djalloh, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Environment, in a release inviting the population to the public sittings, on August 30-September 4, 2021, at the Joss II Government Primary School in Douala, in the framework of the project’s environmental impact assessment.
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Rampaging miners
While strides have been made to ensure gender equality over the years, work is continuing to accelerate these actions. “In terms of the landscape, I can proudly say that South African women have been as a result of democracy, taking part in decision making processes and structures. We have women ministers; we have women in top management and women who own businesses. I think in 1994, this was not imaginable. The advent of democracy has made it possible for us to thrive,” says Charlotte Lobe.
African authors are not too well known in Switzerland especially the female authors as I have learned, even by the people who have a general interest in Africa or business in/with Africa.
To circumvent liquidation, proactive engagement with creditors at the early stages of financial distress is imperative
It is well documented that the COVID-19 pandemic is taking its toll on businesses. Commerce in most sectors is fighting to keep their doors open, grappling with creditors to avoid winding up proceedings and its far-reaching implications.
The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment soars, but UN agencies and partners insist that, if effective measures are put into place, the amount of plastics discarded every year can be significantly cut, or even eliminated.
1) Pollution driven by huge increase in mask sales
The promotion of mask wearing as a way to slow the spread of COVID-19 has led to an extraordinary increase in the production of disposable masks: the UN trade body, UNCTAD, estimates that global sales will total some $166 billion this year, up from around $800 million in 2019.
Dr. John Nkengasong and Commissioner Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil
Everyone knows by now that due to a combination of leadership, environment, social ecology, demographics and as yet unknown biological and other factors, Africa has been spared the worst of the havoc that COVID-19 has wreaked on other parts of the globe and was predicted to do here too.
Tamer Farouk
As the pandemic continues to influence how organisations operate and behave, African businesses need to adapt its workforce and technology considerations
Achare Takor
In response the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of Cameroon decided on a number of fiscal measures to support Cameroonian businesses and households
With every industrial revolution comes shifts to social, economic, environmental and political systems, paving the way for transformative changes in the way we live and work.
Preliminary findings of two Marburg virus cases have prompted Ghana to prepare for a potential outbreak of the disease. If confirmed, these would the first such infections recorded in the country, and only the second in West Africa. Marburg is a highly infectious viral haemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease.
Nigeria's Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami (pictured), announced that the government is working to launch a program to train 1 million developers in the country over the next 18 months.
The Universal Postal Congress has re-elected Switzerland to the Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council of the Universal Postal Union. Delegates confirmed their confidence in Switzerland in the elections at the 27th World Postal Congress in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The Universal Postal Union will be headed by Masahiko Metoki from Japan beginning from 2022.
(Ecofin Agency) - Authorities in Senegal are exploring ways to boost the cotton industry after the sector delivered poor performances in recent years. The Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA) unit based in Tambacounda announced it is currently developing new varieties to improve both the productivity and the quality of the fiber.
[Leadership] United Nations (UN) Women and Association of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN) have decried poor investments in community systems to drive and prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS.
[UCT] The University of Cape Town's (UCT) recently launched Carbon Footprint Assessment Report for 2020 and 2021 reflects the direct impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on its carbon emissions. An "unprecedented time in UCT's history", the pandemic reduced campus activity and saw carbon emissions decline sharply to below those of 2012, when consistent reporting began.
[Namibia Economist] The Ministry of Health and Social Services this week launched a revised National Medicines Policy (NMP) to guide and develop pharmaceutical services in the country to meet the requirements of locals in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.
[Leadership] "We live on water; it is part of our culture and defecating on the water is the only option we have left, as we cannot afford to buy improved sanitation facilities, the son of the Baale of Adogbo Village, Makoko Water Community in Yaba Local Government Area (LGA), Lagos state, Taiwo Shemede told LEADERSHIP during a visit to the community.
[Observer] The current tripartite crisis of food insecurity, climate change, and pandemic outbreaks like Covid-19 and Ebola underscores that Uganda needs a robust and resilient public health system now more than ever.
[New Dawn] The National Aids Commission (NAC) has called on the government here to repeal all existing HIV-related discriminatory laws, regulations, and policies.
[Afropop] Afropop Worldwide's executive producer, Sean Barlow, recently interviewed Yusuf Mahmoud, the creator and director of Zanzibar's acclaimed Sauti za Busara (Swahili Sounds of Wisdom) Festival, East Africa's premier music festival. Yusuf invited readers to join him for a special celebration for the upcoming 20th anniversary of the festival set for Feb. 10-12 in the open air Old Fort--a UNESCO World Heritage site--in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Yusuf is fond of saying "The best place to
[ANGOP] Luanda -- Angolan Musician Gelson Caio Manuel Mendes, also known as Nagrelha, member of the musical group Os Lambas, will be buried on Tuesday (22), at 11:00 am in the Santa Ana cemetery in Luanda Province, said the vice governor of Luanda for Political and Social sector, Manuel Gonçalves.
[New Times] Last week, musician Uncle Austin accused some DJs of not playing Rwandan music, calling them 'ambassadors of foreign music' because their playlists are dominated by songs of foreign musicians.
[Ghanaian Times] Kasoa -- Getty and Friends, a gospel artiste in collaboration with Heavenly Praize, a duet, on Sunday held a musical outreach programme at the Central Baptist Church, Kasoa in the Central Region.
[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Oromo singer Damiso Mosissa has gone missing after spending more than a year in police custody, a family member told Addis Standard, adding that his families were unofficially informed by a member of Oromia police that the singer was killed. They accuse Oromia security forces of extrajudicially killing him, the family member added.
[SAnews.gov.za] The management of the South African Police (SAPS) has congratulated Warrant Officer, Thapelo Molomo, for being crowned the Idols Season 18 winner.
[Leadership] Oyo State government has threatened to sanction school principals of recently delisted schools by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) for examination malpractices in the state.
[Ghanaian Times] The New Juaben South Municipal Assembly (NJSMA) has inaugurated a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities for Ellen White Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Basic school in Koforidua.
[Premium Times] With the suggested scheme, he said, the government can pay a certain percentage of tuition to provide more Nigerians, access to tertiary education.
[This Day] Umuahia -- Renowned banker and economist Mr Alex Otti has decried the standard of academic content and training students are exposed to in the Nigerian university system, making them less competitive after graduation.
[Nile Post] Parenting is a very fulfilling journey. It carries agony and ecstasy in equal proportions. The agony for many sets in when their children start schooling. That's when the pressure, depression and hypertension set in. They then remember to cut back on expenses and deprive their homesteads of essentials.
[Leadership] It is estimated that Nigeria now has about 20 million out-of-school children, if the latest global data on the subject by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is anything to go by. The number, it is pertinent to point out, constitutes 10 per cent of the country's 200 million population and should not be ignored.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Kenyans will only need to dial star 254 hash, to access Hustlers Fund starting Thursday, following its official launch by President William Ruto
[Independent (Kampala)] Kampala, Uganda -- Uganda Tourism Board is participating in this year's IBTM, the biggest Marketing Incentives Conferences and Events (MICE) expo in the world from November 29th to December 1st, 2022, in Barcelona, Spain.
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[The Herald] Zimbabwe and Malawi yesterday concluded the Third Joint Tourism Technical Committee (JTTC) meeting meant to assess progress on the areas of cooperation agreed to by the two governments.
[New Times] When RwandAir started flying to London 5 or so years ago, I shared my excitement and optimism through this esteemed publication. I shared how people used to traverse many geographical territories to reach this beautiful land of ours. I wrote how I felt it would open up new opportunities, a new market for Rwandan products, new connections, new networking opportunities between Rwandans, the British people in particular and Europeans in general.
[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- On Saturday, December 10, 2022, Liberia tourism sector will come alive as the Country hosts LIBFEST, the first annual and national all-inclusive tourism festival celebrating Liberia's amazing beauty, sites, resources, events, and discoveries.
With Germany in the midst of an energy crisis brought on in part by the war in Ukraine, Christmas lights and Christmas markets have become a subject of debate.
An album that made music history; a King of Pop cast out of the pop music Olympus. DW's Silke Wünsch looks back — with a mix of enthusiasm and unease.
Launched in 2000, Pantone's Color of the Year creates an annual buzz on the pop culture calendar, setting the tone for fashion, decor, print, and even Post-its.
French bread has found its way onto the UN culture agency's intangible heritage list. The honor is a crumb of comfort for France's traditional bakers, for whom cheaper competition is on the rise.
Singer, songwriter and keyboardist McVie, who enjoyed a long tenure in the rock band Fleetwood Mac, has died at the age of 79.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the world "cannot tolerate" the food crisis caused by Russia's war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainians vowed Russia "will pay" for the Soviet-era famine.
[Ghanaian Times] Women have been urged to increase gender diversity at all levels to promote their empowerment in the country, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, has stated
[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- An assertion, attributed to Madam Massa Kandakai, Montserrado County's Chief Female Traditional Leader, that the practices of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) will continue unless "2,000 Zoes" are paid to stop the tradition, has been strongly condemned.
[GroundUp] "The government has failed me and so many other families" says mother of gang victim
[Ghanaian Times] Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on Friday handed over a 14-seater water closet toilet facility to the Dawhenya Methodist 'A' Basic school in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra region.
[This Day] The United Nations (UN), has scored Nigeria low in the the area of women participation in politics.
[The Conversation Africa] South Africa has notoriously high levels of violence against women. The latest police figures show that 10,818 rape cases were reported in the first quarter of 2022. The country has among the highest rape incidence in the world.
Germany needs hundreds of thousands of new skilled workers, and Olaf Scholz's government is planning a host of reforms to make it easier for them to come. But the political debate will be tough.
Opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova has been moved to an intensive care unit of a Belarus hospital. She was arrested in 2020 after leading protests against Alexander Lukashenko.
The United States are through to the last 16 of the World Cup. They secured a 1-0 win through forward Christian Pulisic, sending home an Iran team who have left a lasting impression on the tournament.
French President Emmanuel Macron is on a state visit to Washington. This week's visit should mark the end of a quarrel between the two countries, and could also underscore a certain Franco-German entente.
French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in the US for his first state visit hosted by President Joe Biden. Presenting a united front on Ukraine is at the top of the agenda.
With Germany in the midst of an energy crisis brought on in part by the war in Ukraine, Christmas lights and Christmas markets have become a subject of debate.
[Leadership] President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday called for more vigilance and tightening of security around borders to check the increasing number of arms, ammunition, and other weapons from the Russia and Ukraine war in the Lake Chad Basin.
[Vanguard] President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict and other violent situations in the Sahel region of West Africa had compounded Boko Haram terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin.
[SAnews.gov.za] People living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) who collect their medication from government clinics have the option of collecting their medication from a Post Office collection point.
[allAfrica] The majority of political associations in Puntland issued a joint communique following a consultative meeting on the controversial municipal election. A communique was issued by Puntland political actors in the capital Garawe. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the upcoming election and challenges ahead.
[Scrolla] President Cyril Ramaphosa may face impeachment after an independent panel investigating his involvement in the Phala Phala Farmgate saga found that he has a case to answer.
[Daily Maverick] The Section 89 Independent Panel report on the burglary that took place at President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in February 2020 -- has been handed to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. In his submission which is included in the final report, Ramaphosa questions the charges brought against him and pokes holes at the evidence brought forward by opposition parties like the African Transformation Movement.
A Swiss company has built what is being called a giant water battery deep under the Alps that provides an energy storage capacity equivalent to 400,000 electric car batteries. It could be a game changer.
[Vanguard] The Federal Government has approved the commencement of 14-working-day paternity leave for federal civil servants.
[Vanguard] Abuja -- Though Nigeria has supported the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU's, unnecessary and thoughtless eight-month strike, the dust has yet to settle. Life is returning to the campuses, but only just; academic tranquility can be felt. Hardly were the classrooms thrown open before lecturers began another round of chapter protests, this time, over the pro rata payment of their October salaries.
[Vanguard] As non-oil exporters repatriate $4.98bn
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- With just a few hours to the official launch of the much-talked about Hustlers Fund, Kenyans are about to witness the fulfilment of one of the major elections pledges made by President William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza team.
[Premium Times] In many states, petrol is sold for as high as N270 at filling stations, while the product is barely available in Abuja and Lagos.
Iran are threatening action with FIFA after social media posts from the US Soccer Federation depicted the national flag without the Islamic Republic's emblem. This comes ahead of the nations meeting at the World Cup.
Portugal are into the last 16 after a 2-0 victory over Uruguay. Bruno Fernandes scored both to give Portugal their first World Cup win over a South American nation since 1966, but Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the opener.
The suspension of first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana for 'disciplinary reasons' has reverberated around the squad. Cameroon secured a point against Serbia in Onana's absence, but must beat Brazil to progress.
The striker question has long haunted Germany, but after Niclas Füllkrug's goal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, an answer appears to have been delivered. But what does it mean for Thomas Müller?
FIFA could hardly have selected a more experienced official to become the first woman to referee a match at the men's FIFA World Cup. Stephanie Frappart has shown that she is completely comfortable on the big stage.
On Thursday, Stephanie Frappart will become the first female referee to officiate a men's World Cup match when she takes charge of Costa Rica vs. Germany. One of her assistants, Neuza Back, has worked in Qatar before.
[Ghanaian Times] Yara Ghana, a leading fertilizer solutions provider in the country, has launched a programme to reward retailers of the company's products
[Govt of SA] President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open and deliver the keynote address at the special-edition Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) that will focus exclusively on Green Hydrogen.
[Ghanaian Times] Over 50 small scale business owners in the Upper West Region were on Friday, given hands on training on creating and effectively using social media and other digital platforms for business activities.
[Ghanaian Times] The Managing Director of Access Bank Ghana PLC, Mr. Olumide Olatunji has indicated that the Bank will be receiving funds from Development Bank of Ghana (DBG) for on-lending to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as long-term loans.
[Ghanaian Times] The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed hope that the roll out of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project will address key socio-economic hurdles facing people in the northern part of Ghana.
[Ghanaian Times] A total of 15 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) from the Western and Ashanti regions have been allocated an amount of GH¢2. 3 million to expand and scale-up their businesses.
[allAfrica] Cape Town -- Construction of Amazon's Cape Town Headquarters Gets the Go-Ahead
[Independent (Kampala)] Kampala, Uganda -- From November 22-24, the 4th edition of the annual Uganda Innovations Week (UIW) kicked off in Kampala, organized by Start-up Uganda, with hundreds of participants from the private sector, government, and other fields participating both physically and online.
[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- UK Royal Academy for Engineering has announced that Ethiopian mechanical engineer and innovator, Fikru Gebre Dinkumbab, is among its shortlist of 15 African entrepreneurs for the 2023 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
[Premium Times] The three Nigerians are part of a group of 16 African innovators, spanning 10 countries, who will compete for the £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Three Startups have won the Sh1.1 million seed grant to kick-start their ideas into commercial projects during the South Rift Innovation Week Hackathon Challenge.
[African Union] 24 years old Kingsley Job Obasi (Nigerian), is the winner of the African Union Youth Essay Contest on "Industrialization and Innovation in Africa". His essay, titled "Manufacturing: The Key to Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Development in Africa," articulates how manufacturing can unlock the economic prosperity of the African continent to create a sustainable future for its people. He argues that when backed by policies that promote growth, manufacturing encourages economic development by providing op
[The Herald] PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday laid foundation stones for the construction of three transformative buildings at Gwanda State University (GSU) as the institution positions itself to champion development through research and innovation in agriculture and mining.