Former African Union Commissioner, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has called on African Businesses to foster Intra-Continental Trade in finished goods.
She said: “We need to trade in our own goods… so that in 50 years [when Agenda 2063 is due], we will be able to celebrate free trade and say, I can drive from Cape Town to Cairo and from Djibouti to Senegal.”
Her call comes as the continent implements the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free-trade area by number of member states, and a flagship project of the AU Agenda 2063.
Dr Dlamini-Zuma was speaking at a ceremony held by the Secretariat of the (AfCFTA) in Accra in her honour to championing the AU Agenda 2063 and gender equality.
“Trade is not about raw materials; our colonisers did that and they continue to want to buy raw materials from us. That’s ill, and should stop. It’s something we must work at and fast,” she said.
“Ninety per cent of our goods are transported across the Mediterranean. Who is in control of these processes?” she quizzed, adding that “this is something we must look at.”
She explained that when raw materials were exported, it was the higher-level of jobs that Africa exported, leading to the export of revenue at the detriment of its people and development.
“When we export raw materials, by the time it’s turned into a finished good, it’s probably 10 times or more expensive than the raw materials, and sometimes when they come back, most of us can’t afford them,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
She, therefore, urged businesses to shore up efforts to change such a situation, while encouraging governments on the continent to create the enabling environment for the success of AfCFTA.
On gender issues, the Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities at the Presidency in South Africa, said that: “Our continent cannot develop socially and economically and reach its full potential if we do not invest in women and give them opportunities to explore their potential.
Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, said, “it is important that we honour people once they’re still alive, and recognise their contribution while they’re still with us.”
Mr Mene said the Secretariat decided to honour Dr Dlamini-Zuma because she had contributed immensely in helping to build Africa, and introduced reforms in the AU.
“She ensured that when we talk about gender equality and equality of opportunities in institutions, such as the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU Commission, it’s not just a slogan, but we see the impact,” he eulogised her.
The Secretary General also acknowledged the effort of women, at the launch of the African Prosperity Network, during the 2023 Afeximbank Annual Meetings in Accra.
He said: “The principal architects of AfCFTA are strong women. We’ve found the moving train; a train that was started by strong women. A moving train whose foundation was already built by strong African women leaders.”
Mr Mene reiterated that the private sector remained critical in the actualisation of the objectives of the intra-trade pact to create jobs, engender innovations, and make Africa competitive on the global market.
He verbalised that the network of private sector that was being built under AfCFTA would create jobs for young Africans, spur on innovation, and put the continent on a path of competitiveness.
A Public Health Professor has stressed the importance of the public making deliberate endeavors to address the factors that contribute to the high prevalence ofnon-communicable diseases(NCDs) in the country.
During the 2023 Joseph S. Agyepong Distinguished Lecture on Public Health in Africa held in Accra, Professor Peter Lamptey emphasized the personal responsibility of individuals in controlling the alarming levels of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
He stated that the causes of these diseases are often attributed to the actions and inactions of those who suffer from them, highlighting the need for individuals to take control.
Professor Lamptey pointed out that while Africa still grapples with a significant burden of communicable diseases, there is a rapidly increasing prevalence of NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and mental health disorders.
Consequently, there is an urgent need to address the risk factors associated with NCDs.
The professor highlighted tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy dietary practices, and physical inactivity as some of the risk factors.
He stressed the importance of personal responsibility in disease prevention rather than relying solely on medical professionals and healthcare systems for cure.
In summary,Professor Lamptey emphasized the need for individuals to personally take charge of reducing the risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases and acknowledged the growing burden of NCDs in Africa alongside the existing burden of communicable diseases.
“We cannot rely on doctors or the health systems, the onus is on us,” he said.
Neymar Jr., a forward for the Brazilian national team, thinks that African nations have struggled to win the FIFA World Cup because their athletes don’t give as much as they do for their club clubs.
The Paris Saint-Germain player claims that in contrast to their South American counterparts, African players frequently lack the same level of passion when representing their nations on the international stage.
Neymar Jr. remarked that while some of the world’s best athletes are from Africa, they do not display the same zeal when wearing their national team jerseys.
He said, “Africa does not win a World Cup because African players play for Europe. It’s different with us Brazil, no matter where we are trained we prefer to defend the jersey of our country.”
“African players have talent, but they don’t show it for their national teams. African players don’t have much passion to represent their countries like South Americans, that’s why Brazil has 5 World Cups,” he said as quoted by FirstMag LeVrai.
Historically, the best performance by an African country in the World Cup has been reaching the semi-finals, achieved byMorocco in the 2022 tournament.
Other countries like Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon have come close to success by reaching the quarter-finals.
Director of research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr. John Kwakye, has cautioned investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anasagainst setting up people to commit crimes in a way to expose them.
Dr Kwakye says setting people up to commit a crime is unacceptable and should be condemned.
His comments come after Anas said that he would be releasing a documentary on corruption in Ghana before the 2024 general elections.
Anas said this exposé will shake the foundation of the country.
He said these while answering questions in an interview on whether Anas was a ‘terrorist’ as was recently said by a High Court judge.
Anas defended his methods and talked about corruption in Africa.
He said “The work that I am doing now might be the last before we get into the [2024] elections. But already the signs are very clear and I can tell you that the foundation would be shaken once again.”
“There are a couple of international ones that are about to be released. But this one, talking to you as a Ghanaian, I mean the foundation of Ghana would be shaken,” he is reported to have said.
Commenting on this in a tweet, Dr Kwakye said “If Anas isn’t interested in cashing in on the elections, he should wait to publish his documentary after not before.
“Anas shouldn’t think that he can hold the whole country to ransom. No one is without blemish in this world. He himself isn’t an angel. Anas should work to catch people who commit actual crimes. He shouldn’t set people up to commit crimes. That’s unacceptable and should be condemned.
The Brazilian leader will in August commence visiting eight African countries onwards with the aim of strengthening political and economic ties on the continent.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to make these two visits to strengthen economic and political relations with the continent, according to official sources.
Angola, Mozambique, Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sao Tomé & Principe are among the countries that the Brazilian leader is expected to visit.
His first tour is expected to coincide with the BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for August in South Africa, while the second could take place on the sidelines of the next African Union Summit, to be held in February 2024.
Brazil also plans to reopen its embassy in Sierra Leone and set up diplomatic representation in Rwanda.
Developing trade
It is clear that Brazil wants to expand its economic cooperation with the continent in line with President Lula da Silva’s South-South integration strategy.
During Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s previous terms in office, Brazil stepped up its relations with the continent. As a result, trade between the two sides increased sevenfold in a decade, from $4.2 billion in 2002 to $28.4 billion in 2012.
But the rapprochement between Africa and Brazil has taken a turn for the worse. The economic and political crisis that shook the Latin American country from 2014 onwards is no stranger to this.
Trade between the two parties has plummeted. In 2022, it was limited to 21.3 billion dollars, practically the same level as in 2010.
As part of their ongoing commitment to diversity and as a tribute to the genre, the Grammy Awards of the American music business announced on Tuesday that they will present a gramophone to the greatest African music performance at their next ceremony.
The new award covers a wide range of styles, from Afrobeat and Afro-fusion to Kwassa Kwassa and Ndombolo from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana drill, Afro-House and South African hip-hop, said the Recording Academy, which brings together music industry professionals, in a press release.
The category will reward “recordings that use the unique local expressions of the African continent”, the Grammys organisers added.
Long accused of not sufficiently reflecting the diversity and evolution of the music industry, the Grammy Awards have been seeking for years to broaden the range of styles and registers of awards. The category of best soundtrack for a video game was added in 2022.
Musicians from African countries, such as French-Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo (5 wins, 14 nominations) and Nigerian singer Burna Boy (one win, 6 nominations), regularly dominate the Grammy world music categories.
At the 65th edition on 5 February in Los Angeles, a trio led by South African DJ-producer Zakes Bantwini, a pillar of local house music, won thanks to a track in Zulu in the best world music performance category.
The 2024 edition will also honour two other new categories: best alternative jazz album and best dance pop recording. In 2023, 91 awards were presented in as many categories, including pop, rock, classical, hip-hop, gospel and country.
A recent research by the economic consulting firm McKinsey, indicates that the continent’s largest economies, including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, and Algeria, are expanding at the slowest rates.
“The growth in the past was driven by resources. We need to pivot now to productivity growth,” said Acha Leke, a senior partner with McKinsey.
The report showed that the performance of these economies had slowed the overall growth on the continent.
“If you look at growth over 10 years, it has grown at 3.3% which isn’t good when you look at population growth. But there is huge variation within Africa.”
The report added that the continent’s consistently growing economies have been driven by East Africa, Rwanda in particular. More recently, some countries in West Africa, such as Ivory Coast, have experienced a surge in growth.
As a result, Mr Leke said that 50% of Africans lived in countries that had grown above the average.
He said that future growth will hinge on strengthening intra-regional trade, helping Africa’s businesses increase in scale and skilling up the future workforce.
Thegovernmenthas begun a process to restructure the Internal Audit Agency’s (IAA) operations in order to increase independence, provide enough resources, and develop its technical expertise.
The move is also to focus on the Internal Audit function to ensure the prevention of financial irregularities in public institutions.
“Ghana’s strategy is to embark on an ambitious structural reform agenda aimed at reinvigorating private sector-led growth by improving the business environment, governance and productivity,”
The Director-General of the ISSUE, Dr Eric Oduro Osae announced this at the opening of the 9th Governance Forum of African Federation of the Institutes of Internal Auditors (AFIIA) in Accra yesterday.
The IIA Governance Forum, on the theme: “Innovate to sustain”, is a prelude to the 9th AFIIA Conference, which will open tomorrow on the theme, as “Sustainability through innovation”.
The forum offers a rare opportunity for sharing knowledge, insights and best practices in all the organisational processes and serves as an opportunity for benchmarking and collaboration with fellow professionals.
Code
Dr Osae told the forum that Ghana was developing a unified corporate governance code to guide boards and management of public sector institutions for improved governance.
“Ghana is also restructuring and repositioning the internal audit function to be more responsive to the needs of boards and management,” he added.
Dr Osae said the restructuring also included professionalisation of the internal audit function in the public sector and that required a good partnership between the IAA and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).
He said the IIA Ghana, the IAA and the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) had been collaborating to drive change in the public sector of Ghana “and it is yielding positive impacts.
“We believe other countries can replicate this collaborative approach and we are willing to share our experiences,” Dr Osae said.
He said the issue of new audit committee guidelines in 2023 to govern operations of audit committees and management showed “our commitment to improve governance in public institutions for efficiency and value for money in public spending.
“Since this forum targets participants with governance responsibilities, I advise board members and management to involve their internal auditors and audit committees at all levels of managerial decision making to enable them offer the best assurance and advisory services.
“That way, we can create sustainable competitive advantages that can support business growth and development,” Dr Osae advised.
Professionals
He said weak institutional structures and systems had the potential of derailing gains and success made through innovation and advised boards, management and all professionals to mainstream enterprise risk management in their operations.
He further advised them to identify risks associated with innovations and collaborate with key stakeholders to effectively manage those risks for sustainable growth and development.
Dr Osae said the development of Africa and the role of all professionals, particularly internal auditors in promoting good governance could not be overstated, adding that the African problems could only be solved by Africans, “so let us collaborate to develop common solutions to our common problems”.
He urged the participants to take opportunity of the forum to network, benchmark their practices with their peers and more important, be committed to supporting processes that helped “our organisations to create greater value through innovation.
“Together, let us build a stronger, more agile and more resilient organisations that are better equipped to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow,” he concluded.
French-Senegalese director, Ramata-Toulaye Sy, who is competing for this year’s Palm d’Or at the age of 25, debuted her first film, “Banel & Adama,” on Saturday May 20, 2023.
Born in France to Senegalese parents, she brought out this romance as a tribute to her African culture and also to fill a gap in the film landscape.
“All I wanted, little by little, was to really deconstruct, deconstruct this vision of Africa that we have, even on the place of women in relation to Banel. And that’s why she’s an unsympathetic character. She’s not the smooth, oppressed, black African woman who seeks help, who we expect. Banel, I know she’s very unsympathetic and a lot of people can’t like her and so much the better. It’s completely assumed and that’s also why we wanted to deconstruct all the codes we knew about cinema and Africa,” said Ramata-Toulaye Sy, a French-Senegalese director.
Banel & Adama is the story of a young couple whose love is put to the test by the traditions of their village, located in northern Senegal, on the border with Mauritania.
Ramata is now hoping that her film at this years Cannes festival will position her for better recognition.
“The competition, we didn’t expect it. We are in Cannes. We’re in competition, it’s a first film, it’s an African film, it’s an unexpected film. I know that in the articles, people always say “Who is she? We don’t know her”. But I know myself, I have been here for a long time. I work and have worked to be here. I didn’t just end up here yesterday, in fact. I studied film, I was at university, I went to La Fémis, I co-wrote features. So you didn’t know me. But today, you know me,” said Ramata-Toulaye Sy, a French-Senegalese director.
The daughter of Senegalese immigrants, Ramata-Toulaye Sy was born in the Paris region where she spent her entire childhood. It was on the benches of the Fémis, the prestigious film school, that she had the idea for Banel and Adama, the script of which she presented at her graduation competition in 2015.
She wrote it as a tribute to her family culture. But also to fill a glaring lack of representation in the film landscape.
A leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services in 14 African nations, Airtel Africa, has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at developing a stronger emotional connection with Africa’s youth.
The campaign includes a new strapline for Airtel Africa: ‘Reason to Imagine’. It is driven by the insight that in Africa, imagination is the only qualification that matters and showcases Airtel Africa’s role in harnessing this potential by delivering relevant solutions to consumers that enhance digital and financial inclusion.
The ‘Reason to Imagine’ campaign highlights Airtel Africa’s status as an enabler of young people’s dreams and ambitions, whatever these might be. To this end, the campaign seeks to celebrate the energy, creativity, and innovation of Africa’s young people.
Airtel Africa’s Group Chief Commercial Officer, Anthony Shiner said, “It’s a well understood fact youth are central to achieving Africa’s potential. More than 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25 – and empowering this new generation is transformative for the future of the continent.
“Through this campaign, we are reaffirming Airtel Africa’s commitment to advancing the progress of Africa’s young people by providing the connectivity to turn every situation into an opportunity.” The ‘Reason to Imagine’ brand campaign is Airtel Africa’s most ambitious yet. It comprises a series of television commercials and a combination of market-specific print, online, outdoor and mobile creative executions.
The current title sponsorship of The Voice Africa is an example of how Airtel Africa is giving the youth a reason to imagine by partnering with The Voice to bring the show to the continent. The Voice Africa showcases exceptional African musical talent in a show that also features a high-profile panel of coaches and TV hosts. One of the 100 selected talents will eventually be crowned ‘The Voice Africa’ in a live show that is currently airing on free to air TV stations across the continent and Airtel TV.
This is one of the initiatives that Airtel Africa has invested in to promote youthful talents and expertise in education, sports, and the innovation sectors.
Airtel Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries in Africa, primarily in East Africa and Central and West Africa. Airtel Africa offers an integrated suite of telecommunications solutions to its subscribers, including mobile voice and data services as well as mobile money services both nationally and internationally.
The Group aims to continue providing a simple and intuitive customer experience through streamlined customer journeys.
The government, lawmakers, giant corporations, and startups in Japan are keen to invest in Africa.
As a delegation from the African Development Bank Group led by President Dr Akinwumi Adesina visited Japan to showcase the enormous investment opportunities on the continent, the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, was leading his country’s charge with a tour of four countries, namely Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique.
In Japan, Dr Adesina accompanied by three Vice Presidents, Dr Kevin Kariuki, Dr Beth Dunford and Solomon Quaynor, and Executive Director Takaaki Nomoto, held a series of meetings with senior government officials including the Minister for Finance Shunichi Suzuki, Vice Minister for Finance Masato Kanda and the Director General in the Ministry of Finance Atshushi Mimura.
They met with the top leadership of global mega brands including Mitsui & Co Ltd., Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation and Toyota Tsusho, as well as Japan’s leading business community, the Keizai Doyukai, that brings together more than 1000 business executives.
The result of this high-level engagement could see Japan’s net Foreign Direct Investment to Africa rebounding to pre-Covid19 levels when it amounted to $10 billion compared to $6 billion in 2021.
In this write up we take a look at what the companies are looking for and a keynote message delivered by Bank President Dr Adesina. MITSUI & CO LTD
One of the largest investors in Africa, Mitsui & co Ltd, announced plans to resume the construction of the multibillion-dollar Mozambique LNG project which was stopped in 2021 following an insurgent attack on the facility in the country’s northern region of Cabo Delgado.
A combined deployment of the Mozambican army, troops from Rwanda and members of the South African Development Community (SADC) has since brought the situation under control.
“The security situation has been significantly improved. We want to restart construction work in summer,” announced Koji Asanuma, General Manager, Mozambique Project Dept(link is external).
He said preparatory work was continuing and they will soon be contacting lenders to kickstart construction.
The African Development Bank has invested $400 million in the project.
Mitsui & Co Ltd has five 5 offices in Africa: Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique and South Africa.
In addition to Mozambique’s LNG project, the company has also invested in Mozambique’s Nacala Rail and Transport project and Egypt’s Refining Company. It’s involved in renewable energy projects in Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. TOYOTA TSHUSHO:
Toyota Tshusho Corporation is one of the front-runners among Japanese companies doing business in Africa. It is present in all 54 countries with businesses covering automobile, pharmaceutical, beverages and energy. Across the continent it employs about 22,000 people.
The Executive Vice President of Toyota Tsusho Corporation Toshimitsu Imai said the company is looking for more projects for wind power in North Africa, solar energy in West Africa and Geothermal in East Africa. Globally it is aiming to generate 10 GW.
The company is keen to discuss with the Bank the possibility of investing in Green Hydrogen. It’s carrying out studies in South Africa, Kenya and Egypt. “We will come to the Bank to discuss financing,” said Imai.
In terms of local manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, Imai saw possibilities in South Africa which has a huge automobile industry or DRC which has some of the world’s largest deposits of minerals needed for lithium-ion batteries.
The Toyota Tshusho Executive Vice President also expressed interest in the Africa Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation, an Africa-led and Africa-centered initiative that will significantly enhance the continent’s access to the technologies that underpin the manufacture of medicines, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical products. MITSUBISHI CORPORATION
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Meeting with Mitsubishi Corporation
The company is present in 11 countries in Africa: Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa. Tanzania and Tunisia. Since entering the African market in 1954, Mitsubishi Corporation has spread its investment wings mineral and metal resources, automotive & mobility, natural gas, food industry and power solutions.
During a meeting with Dr Adesina, it was clear Mitsubishi Corporation is hungry for more. It’s Senior Vice President Tetsuya Shinohara, said the company had limited activities on the continent.
“Africa is a tough region,” he said, “We are figuring out areas to invest in, in the future. We are asking for suggestions about the way to follow.”
The Deputy General Manager for Global Strategy and Coordination Department Jun Fujino said there are stereotypes about doing business in Africa because of political instability, unpredictability of regulatory frameworks and that the consumer market may take too long to develop. SUMITOMO CORPORATION
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Bilateral Meeting with Sumitomo
Another large Japanese general trading house, Sumitomo Corporation with investments in mineral resources, energy, chemical & electronics, real estate, media & digital, transportation & construction system is eager to expand its business on the continent.
“We want to grow together,” Masayuki Hyodo, President and CEO, Sumitomo Corporation said as discussions with the Bank delegation begun, adding, “We have started new business in Egypt, and we want to expand further.”
And the response was commensurate. “You are in the right place,” Dr Adesina told Mr Hyodo, “You are with the right partner. On infrastructure, we are trying to expand in green infrastructure in terms of roads, water and digital. We are trying to mobilize $10 billion to invest in green infrastructure.”
Sumitomo has offices in Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa. ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Roundtable with the Private Sector
During the visit, the Bank delegation held roundtable discussions with about ten Japanese companies and Venture Capital funds operating in Africa. The discussion focused on new technologies related to energy and decarbonization such as next-generation solar power, hydrogen/ammonia, and storage batteries. They also discussed how Japanese technology and innovation can contribute to solving social issues in Africa. The roundtable featured a presentation by the Bank’s Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth, Dr Kevin Kariuki.
The second session featured Japanese entrepreneurs and investors with interest in the agriculture sector.
They were joined by venture capital companies to highlight the significant role startups play in the development in Africa. The session had presentations from two Bank vice presidents – VP for Agriculture, Social and Human Development Dr Beth Dunford, and Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization VP, Solomon Quaynor.
The roundtable discussions culminated in a keynote address by Dr Adesina. The roundtable discussions were organized by Keizai Doyukai and the United Nations Development Fund. Keizai Doyukai, a private, non-profit and nonpartisan organization that brings together nearly 1,400 top executives of some 1,000 corporations.
Participating firms included:
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation: has invested in generation of thermal and hydropower projects across 10 countries.
Hitachi Energy: another global technology leader with significant investments in generation of renewable power including hydrogen. It has a presence in more than 20 countries with main hubs in Cairo and Johannesburg.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd: a manufacturer of motorcycles, aerospace and defense equipment, robots, gas turbines and other industrial products.
Tsubame BHB: is a startup company involved in the production of green ammonia fertilizer for small-scale farmers in Africa.
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Visit of Tsubame BHB
NEC Corporation: began operating in Africa in 1963 delivering technologies behind establishing national ID and biometric authentication systems in South Africa, laying telecommunication infrastructure such as the 6,200-km-submarine cable between Angola and Brazil.
Kepple Africa Ventures: launched in Africa in 2018. It is the largest Japanese Venture Capital fund based in Nigeria and Kenya. It led 15 Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Yamaha to make direct investment into African startups.
Degas Limited: is a startup company based in Japan and Ghana where it is providing agricultural inputs, knowledge and digitalization support to 3,000 farmers.
Uncovered Fund: established in 2019 in Tokyo, has invested in 26 African startup companies particularly those that provide financial services essential for daily life and economic activities, sales promotion of retail stores, logistics in distribution and supply and urban transportation. It’s based in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Bilateral Meeting with AAIC
The Asia-Africa Investment & Consulting (AAIC): aims to invest in fast-growing companies within the healthcare sector in Africa. Among other activities, it is investing and managing agribusiness in Rwanda via the Rwanda Nuts Company.
Sasakawa Africa Association activities go back 36 years when it was established by Japanese Philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, Nobel Laureate Dr Norman Borlaug and former US President Jimmy Carter.
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo:Bilateral Meeting Sasakawa Africa
The association focuses on agriculture and especially smallholder farmer development in 12 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. President Makoto Kitanaka spoke about the association’s increasing use of technology in the delivery of its services. Dr Adesina meets with University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo is investing in startups, with more than 400 already up its sleeves. Wassha, one of the startups associated with the University of Tokyo has developed an electrical power service business to reach people in rural Tanzania who do not have access to electricity. Beneficiaries rent LED lanterns which are offered on a Pay As You Go system.
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Bilateral Meeting with President of the University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo President Dr Teruo Fujii and Dr Adesina discussed ways their two institutions could collaborate including the possibility of establishing a joint Japan Africa Entrepreneurship program. This would bring together venture capital funds, establish joint businesses and establish a staff exchange program between the University of Tokyo and selected universities in Africa.
The two leaders also spoke about the possibility of collaboration between the University’s School of Pharmacology and the Rwanda-based African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation
The Bank delegation also held meetings with Japanese Bank of International Cooperation(link is external) and Japanese International Cooperation Agency(link is external) which signed a $350 million funding agreement with the Bank to support Africa’s private sector.
Before his departure Dr Adesina met with diplomatic representatives of more than 30 countries in Africa. He shared with them the achievements the Bank had made over the past seven years and the urgent need to attract more foreign direct investments to Africa.
AfDB President’s visit to Tokyo: Reception for African Development Bank, African Diplomatic Corps (ADC)
Following the five-day roadshow to showcase Africa’s enormous investment opportunities, the message was clear: The door and the road to Africa for Japanese investors is wide open!
Meet Justin Irabor, the founder of Kainene vos Savant, a super-intelligent chatbot rivaling ChatGPT. He created his chatbot after enrolling as a student at the International University of Applied Sciences in Germany while working on the side.
He soon realized how challenging it was to combine schooling with work. Justin was studying for his master’s program online and at one point, decided that he needed a study partner to make his academic life less complicated.
However, the schedule of his study partner did not work out for him – they both had conflicting timelines.
“My master’s program is online, and the challenge with that is that you need a study partner, otherwise you’re never quite sure how much of the study material you’ve consumed,” he told How We Made It In Africa.
“This was quite challenging because combining daily activities with school meant you have to synchronize with a lot of people. Sometimes I’m at work and my study partner is also at work. It created conflicting timelines.”
This led him to experiment with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2022. He created two chatbots and a third which became his study partner. He later shared his success story on social media, pricking people’s interest.
He purchased an open AI model and trained it with his textbooks to create a study partner and tutor to assist him in understanding specific factors in his academic work.
“I created Kainene vos Savant when I needed a study partner. I fed her my materials, asking her to explain parts of my textbooks that I didn’t quite get. It was an early model at this point, and while it wasn’t great, it was adequate and did the job,” he told How We Made It In Africa.
According to Justin, he gave his AI Chatbot a female name because he wanted to depict women as intelligent peers with high IQs. In his view, AI female assistants can do more than perform basic things like scheduling emails or turning on your phone, citing Alexa and Siri.
“However, the intelligent assistants are mostly male, like IBM’s Watson, a skilled chess player who helps with surgical procedures,” he noted. “This allowed me to flip the narrative because Kainene is your intellectual peer.”
“You wouldn’t ask her to send an email on your behalf. She is someone who, in some circumstances, is likely intellectually superior,” he continued. “I did some research in terms of pure IQ and found Marilyn vos Savant. I liked Vos Savant and picked that as the last name for my AI chatbot, and Kainene is a name I have loved for a very long time. Besides that, AI is within the spelling of Kainene. It’s fitting.”
Today, Kainene has thousands of Nigerian users on Telegram who rely on it for daily tasks and prompt information. Users are even comparing Kainene vos Savant to ChatGPT because of how relatable it is and how it is reducing their workload.
Though users are currently restricted to Nigeria, Justin is working on expanding access to users outside Nigeria.
Private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini, Jubilee House’s sole alternative now is to sue Al Jazeera for failing to withdraw and apologize for statements against President Akufo-Addo in its Gold Mafia documentary.
The presidency had issued a seven-day ultimatum to Al Jazeera to retract and apologise for alleged misrepresentation of the President in the documentary which exposes corruption, gold smuggling and money laundering on the continent of Africa.
Al Jazeera has responded it is unable to grant the wishes of the presidency, because it has done no wrong.
Speaking on Top Story on Joy FM, Samson Lardy Anyenini explained that because the president did not question the ethics of Al Jazeera but rather called them out for intending to malign the President’s name, a commission will not be the forum to go to.
Mr Anyenini said that the court becomes the place to prove the media house intended to slander the president “once you couch the complaint in the manner of defamation. In this case, they actually say it’s malicious defamation, which means there was clear intent and malice, to do what they did. They knew it was wrong and untrue but proceeded to publish.”
Mr Anyenini added that “Now the judicial authorities are very clear that when it comes to the online or the cyberspace, the law is that where the publication takes place and for the purposes of a defamation claim, where the relevant words are heard or read, so it doesn’t matter if you’re in Ghana or not once your publication was read in Ghana, a party that is affected has a right at law to take you on.”
A letter signed by Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante on April 25, stated; “I am instructed by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to demand formally that Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera”) retract immediately and apologise for airing an inaccurate and unfair documentary that contained spurious and unsubstantiated allegations against the President and the Government of Ghana.”
However, Al Jazeera, in its reply on Thursday, May 4 to JoyNews’ Kwaku Asante’s email requesting a response to the demands by the presidency, said it does not owe the president nor his office any apology since it did not allege the issues raised in the letter from Jubilee House demanding the retraction and apology.
Meanwhile, Mr Anyenini noted that although there is a law in Ghana hindering people from suing the President while he is in power, there may not be any that stops him from taking the legal route, especially in this defamation case.
“The President can take up the suit in any part of the world but more conveniently in Ghana and when he wins, the question remains how do you enforce the judgment? We have a way of enforcing a foreign judgement, as long as there is what we call the reciprocity kind of agreement,” Mr Anyenini said.
He explained that “You are allowed to register that judgment and enforce it. I suppose that where Al Jazeera is physically located, it will be the case that the same rules will be invoked and applicable to enforce a judgment against them.”
Background: How Ghana appeared in Al Jazeera’s ‘Gold Mafia’ documentary
Early on in April, Ghana popped up in a damning investigative documentary conducted into some of Zimbabwe’s gold smuggling and money laundering syndicates.
In the concluding episode, undercover journalists posing as Chinese gangsters interact with one of the key players, Alistair Mathias to help clean a supposed dirty money.
‘Gold Mafia’: We have responded to Akufo-Addo’s letter – Al Jazeera
Mr Alistair who is described in the piece as a Financial Architect told the reporters posing as criminals that he had a track record of successfully orchestrating such syndicates.
Essentially, he is said to be instrumental in designing money laundering schemes for many corrupt politicians in Africa.
Alistair named Ghana as one of the countries where he had executed similar schemes, alleging associations also with the President.
Mr Mathias added that he used to be the biggest smuggler in Ghana at one point, raking out about $40 million to $60 million worth of gold a month from the West African country.
During the documentary, Alistair outlined his modus operandi to the undercover journalists suggesting that the most important credential of his operations in Africa comes from the trust that some dubious politicians have in him to keep their siphoned resources safely tucked away.
He revealed that in doing this, the politicians involved do not keep assets in their own names, but rely on proxies.
Citing government infrastructure as an example, he indicated that he is able to take huge contracts on behalf of Ghanaian politicians, inflate the cost and subsequently split the profit afterwards.
“In Ghana, I take tenders, road construction, procurement, supplying different things, oil, this that. There, all the politicians get taken care of, indirectly because it allows me to do all my other stuff freely.” ‘Gold Mafia’: We have responded to Akufo-Addo’s letter – Al Jazeera
He explains further in the documentary;
“For example, Ghana government, Mathias Holdings, I get the contract. I subcontract it to you, $100 million contract. Ghana government pays me $100 million. I give it to you and you say it’s $80 million” he told the investigative reporters who secretly recorded the interaction.
In this scenario, the outstanding $20 million out of the inflated $100 million is shared per an arrangement reached between Alistair and the said politician. ‘Gold Mafia’: We have responded to Akufo-Addo’s letter – Al Jazeera
“I’ll have an arrangement with them and they get 15… I’ll probably get 5 million,” he added.
“I keep all of it in Dubai. Whenever they want it, they just tell me and I send it.”
Vice President,Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged African leaders not to give up focus of the fourth industrial revolution.
He believes that modern technology and artificial intelligence have the potential to change African economies.
In an interview with the Africa Policy Journal, Dr. Bawumia stated that Africa cannot continue to fall behind and that the continent must actively engage in the fourth industrial revolution by leveraging technology advancements to accelerate socioeconomic growth.
“We were left behind in the first, second and third industrial revolutions, but we should not be left out in the fourth industrial revolution. I think that artificial intelligence applied properly will be a big boost to Africa to help us leapfrog and help us catch up in many areas. I think that AI should be seen as a tool to assist us”, he said.
Touching on key areas of transformation, Dr. Bawumia noted that health, education and agriculture should be critical areas for the digitization revolution on the continent.
“I see three main areas that we in Africa can use AI; health. If we have many doctors and nurses using ChatGPT 4 to ask questions, they can get very accurate answers in providing healthcare. We already have drones supplying essential medicines, vaccines blood supplies to remote areas in saving lives.”
“These are practical benefits of AI, and we need to embrace it. Also in education, it is not everywhere we have teachers but with these tools, we can get teachers. The same can be said with agriculture. So, I think that if we focus on some of these areas, Africa can always benefit.”
With the introduction of sophisticated technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and advanced automation, the fourth industrial revolution has the potential to increase productivity and efficiencies.
“In terms of these technologies, Africa comes to the table with no legacy systems. We can find many areas to leapfrog that the developed countries will find difficult to follow. So, we should not use the developed countries as a measure. We have to chart our own course because they have a different set of facts on the grounds from us. So, we shouldn’t be intimidated.”
The Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UASC) has stepped up efforts to reduce the rising transportation costs in the shipping and logistics sector, a development ascribed to the high cost of doing business at African ports.
According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa has transport costs that are, on average, 50% higher than those in other parts of the world. These prices account for a sizeable share of the total cost of commodities.
To address the issue, the UASC’s Committee of Experts on Transport Costs on 25th and 26th April 2023 converged in Ghana to discuss and exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore ways to reduce the cost of transportation in international cargo. The move is to ultimately help in improving the competitiveness of member states to mutually benefit port service providers and shippers with the role out of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
The meeting held at the Ghana Shippers’ House in Accra was the third in a series of meetings by the Committee after which a report will be submitted to the General Assembly of the UASC for consideration in May 2023.
Chairman of the Standing Committee of Experts on Transport Costs Mr. Abayomi Adewuyi of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council explained that the terms of reference for the two-day Committee meeting included a careful analysis of the factors resulting in the high cost of transportation of goods as well as recommendations to address them.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) Ms. Benonita Bismarck updated the committee on measures being taken by the government of Ghana to address the incidence of high transport costs in international trade.
“Initiatives aimed at improving the transport infrastructure in the country include the expansion of our seaports, construction and expansion of airports and international highways. We are also working towards improving our regulatory environment to reduce bureaucracy, human interfaces in trade transactions and to eliminate illegitimate charges at our ports, to reduce the cost of doing business”, she noted.
Participants of the meeting of experts were drawn from the Secretariat of the Union of African Shippers’ Council and six (6) member states namely Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Togo, Senegal and Ghana.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice president, claims that Africa’s continued reliance on basic commodities is hindering its economic development.
Dr. Bawumia says the situation is forcing many African governments to manage crises due to external shocks.
Speaking at the Harvard University’s Africa Development Conference in the United States over the weekend, Dr. Bawumia said African countries must shift from raw material production to value addition.
“The reliance on primary commodities has made African countries vulnerable to external shocks. As a result, the focus of economic management by successive African governments since independence has been crisis management as a result of factors such as an increase in oil prices, collapse in commodity prices, debt unsustainability, macro-instability and so on.
“Governments have by and large not focused on the underlying system that underpins economic activities and economic growth. Our focus has always been on managing crisis of one nature or the other,” the Vice President said.
Dr. Bawumia further urged, “Our generation needs to break the shackles of the impossibility mindset and embrace the mindset of possibility! It is time for us to figure out the best ways to be masters of our destiny, to chart our own path and develop on our own terms. It is possible!”
On Monday April 17, 2023 fierce fighting between the army and a potent opposition force known as the Rapid Support Force (RSF) entered its third day in Sudan’s beleaguered capital.
Both organizations seek to take over the nation. Numerous people have died as a result of the rivalry between the two generals, and countless more are now in fear.
Engineer Ahmed recounts: “I was asleep. Suddenly I heard a lot of big sounds like bullets, rockets. I don’t know what is it.” […] “I can’t leave the house. It’s very dangerous outside.”
Since the infighting between General al Burhan who heads the army and General Hamdane Daglo who leads the RSF, broke Saturday (Apr. 15), airstrikes and shelling intensified in parts of Khartoum and the adjoining city of Omdurman.
The RSF grew out of the Janjaweed militia, formerly active in the Darfur region of the country and was later labelled a regular force.
Allies turned enemies now accuse each other of starting the fighting, and both claim the upper hand by declaring control of key sites, including the airport and the presidential palace — none of which could be independently verified.
“You’ve got two highly armed forces who want to seize power. They’ve both paid lip service to the idea that they would respond to the Sudanese revolution by transferring power to civilians. But that has always proved elusive,” the former UK ambassador to Sudan William Patey, analyses.
“‘I suspect the we’re going to see more fighting until either both sides.”
The Arab League and the African Union on Sunday (Apr.16) held emergency meetings asking for the end of hostilities and a return to a political solution.
Speaking from Japan, the U.S Secretary of State called for a ceasefire.
“…….. We’ve also been in close touch with partners in the Arab world, in Africa, in international organizations,” Anthony Blinked said.
“There is a shared deep concern about the fighting, the violence that’s going on in Sudan. The threat that that poses to civilians, that it poses to the Sudanese nation and potentially poses even to the region. There’s also a very strongly shared view about the need for generals Burhan and Hemedti to ensure the protection of civilians and non-combatants, as well as people from third countries […]”.
Despite a humanitarian pause announced on Sunday afternoon, heavy gunfire was heard in central Khartoum and dense black smoke could be seen.
The World Health Organization warned that “several” of the capital’s nine hospitals receiving injured civilians “have run out of blood, transfusion equipment, intravenous fluids and other vital supplies”.
Doctors and humanitarian workers are sounding the alarm: under normal circumstances in Sudan, households are only supplied with electricity for a few hours a day. In some areas of Khartoum, it has been completely cut off since Saturday (Apr. 15), as has running water.
Lover Esegragbo took control in Sierra Leone on April 29 through a military coup and Melvin Strasser became the youngest president of Africa in 1992. His 25th birthday had just passed three days prior to this.
Capt. Valentine Strasser became a leading member of a group of six equally young fellow officers who overthrew President Joseph Saidu Momoh and established a military junta called the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC).
How Valentine Strasser became president at 25
The young military officer, who was born on April 26, 1967, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and had enlisted in the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces (RSLMF), probably never imagined being the world’s youngest leader and founding leader of the NPRC at the age of 25.
Events that unfolded landed him these huge opportunities.
The young and ambitious Strasser had then been dispatched to the eastern district of Kailahun to deal with a rebellion and insurgency that was led by a former army corporal who was fighting against the legitimate government of Momoh.
As things heated up at the war front, Strasser and his colleague soldiers ran out of supplies such as boots and other necessary military equipment.
Their numerous appeals to the Sierra Leonean government to get them these items fell on deaf ears, coupled with the frequent delays in their salaries.
According to a face2faceafrica.com report, on April 29, 1992, Strasser led a team of young soldiers to march in their combat gear from Kailahun to the State House in protest of their conditions.
Reports say that the appearance of the soldiers in the capital shocked many, with President Momoh even being forced to flee the country into exile in Conakry, Guinea.
This created a power vacuum, and Strasser and his men took advantage of that; they seized power, formed the NPRC and made Strasser its leader and Head of State.
Young people were so elated to have Strasser in power, with the belief that he had come to fight for their cause.
Strasser’s youthfulness, however, became his doom, according to records. Right after coming to power, he pursued the rebel war against rebel leader Foday Sankoh and made it one of his top priorities. But he was not successful.
He was further accused of killing 29 unarmed Sierra Leoneans six months after coming into power, as well as the torturing of several other unarmed civilians.
His reign did not last as long as he would have expected.
In January 1996, after nearly four years in power, Strasser was ousted in another military coup, this time coming from his own NPRC members who were not satisfied with the way he handled affairs.
It became a sad event for his rule.
Valentine Strasser’s Leg Sadly Amputated in Ghana
In a July 4, 2019 report, it said that family sources of the former president in Sierra Leone confirmed that Valentine Strasser’s left leg, which had been tormenting him for many years, was, unfortunately, cut-off for medical reasons.
This took place at a hospital in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
Reports say the surgery was only done in Ghana as a last resort because Valentine Strasser could not be taken to the United States or Europe for advanced medical treatment, as advised by doctors, where his leg could have survived the sad amputation.
“Unfortunate that a former African leader who needed further medical assistance to prevent amputation could not receive it due to the lack of financial help,” a surgeon in Ghana is reported to have said.
Where is Valentine Strasser?
After his overthrow in January 1196, Strasser left for the United Kingdom, where he studied law at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.
For reasons unknown, he stopped his studies after a year and left for the Gambia in 2000, only to have his entry to that country denied.
He then moved back to Sierra Leone where he reportedly lived a rather poor life, unlike that of a a retired leader.
It is, however, unclear where his current whereabout is, although there are reports that he is under house arrest in Sierra Leone.
Management of NewmountAfrica has revealed that no fatalities have been recorded in the Ahafo South Mine lab fire incident which occurred on Sunday, 9 April 2023.
“We are relieved that the incident did not result in any injury or fatality to the workforce who remain our most important resource. Everyone is safe and back to work,” Alex Annin, General Manager, Ahafo Mine said in a statement issued by the miner bearing the signature of Mr Samuel Osei, Manager, Communications & External.
“The regulatory authorities have visited the incident scene and have commenced Investigations. We await the results to understand the cause of the fire and determine the next steps. Safety remains our topmost priority and we look forward to applying the lessons learned from the investigations to avoid a repeat incident,” Mr Annin added.
Newmont Africa is Ghana’s leading gold producer and operates two gold mines: the Ahafo Mine in the Ahafo region, and the Akyem Mine in theEastern region.
It is in the process of establishing a third mine, which is currently at the Project Stage – the Ahafo North Project.
The company is a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation, the world’s leading gold business.
Commercial production at Ahafo and Akyem began in 2006 and 2013, respectively, and currently has about 6,700 employees, directly and indirectly across its operations.
Newmont is actively involved in exploration activities across the African continent, and globally.
Will France on April 25, still be able to export grains to Africa? The government wants to instill confidence, but producers and merchants are worried that they won’t be able to apply an insecticide (phosphine) in direct contact with the grains, which would force them to lose access to their longtime clients.
“There is nothing to worry about for our exports,” French Foreign Trade Minister Olivier Becht said on Tuesday, while his Agriculture counterpart, Marc Fesneau, underlined the major role that France would continue. to stand for global “food security”.
The government was questioned by several deputies on the consequences of a decision by the French Health Security Agency (Anses), dating from October 2022, which does not authorize, from April 25, the use of PH3 insecticide (or phosphine ) in the fumigation of the holds of ships only on condition that it is not “in direct contact with cereals”.
“If no decision is taken, on April 25, we will no longer be able to export to countries such as Togo, Cameroon, Algeria, or Egypt, which require in their specifications fumigation in direct contact with grains,” Eric Thirouin, president of the Association of French Grain Producers (AGPB), told AFP.
Food Safety
“We are up against the wall. Belgium, Germany, and all the other European countries have reauthorized the use of direct fumigation, except France. This means that the 4th largest wheat exporter in the world may no longer be able to deliver to its customers. , which would have a serious impact on food security, and on the trade balance of France” where cereals weighed “11.5 billion euros” in 2022, he underlined.
Well aware of the issues, the government explained that it was seeking a “legal” solution to circumvent this constraint. “France will continue to export cereals. It does so within the framework of European law which allows derogation from the ban (…) at the request of importing countries”, indicated Marc Fesneau.
“There are still legal clarifications to be made, but I can guarantee you that by April 25, decisions will be made so that exports can continue,” said Olivier Becht.
Fumigation
Until now, insecticide tablets have been placed directly on grain shipments. Although it is technically possible to perform the fumigation indirectly by placing the tablets in a box or pierced pocket, this process is refused by certain third countries, which consider that they do not have the capacity to reprocess packaging considered to be toxic waste.
For Synacomex, the exporters’ union, it was ANSES’s decision that caused this deadlock, because the agency “restricted” the marketing authorization (MA) requested by the Dutch company UPL Holdings Coöperatief UA which markets PH3.
Contacted by AFP, ANSES said it had only responded to the file sent by the company UPL.
“We have not banned phosphine (a gas that can be dangerous for humans in the event of inhalation of massive doses, editor’s note). We have deemed the files submitted by UPL to be compliant. But all the tests on the residues ( of insecticide) sent by the applicant related to a protocol where the product is never put directly into the grain. We have therefore only validated these protocols, “ said Charlotte Grastilleur, deputy general manager of the pole, to AFP. ANSES-regulated products.
European law
“On February 21, the company UPL even explained to us that it was not claiming the use at the heart of the grain (direct fumigation, editor’s note) because its results of analyzes concerning (pesticide) residues would be non-compliant. European regulations,” she added.
ANSES explains that it can only review its decision in the event of “new scientific fact”, which is not the case here.
In this situation, estimates ANSES, one of the avenues would be to rely on European law which authorizes exceeding maximum residue limits in certain cases for export, independently of the MAs issued at the national level.
Ten migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who were trying to enter Europe illegally perished after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunisia, according to the Tunisian coast guard on Wednesday.
“Seventy-two migrants were rescued and ten bodies were recovered after the sinking of the boat on Tuesday” off Sfax in east-central Tunisia, National Guard spokesman Houssem Jebabli told AFP, saying the dead were nationals of sub-Saharan African countries.
In a statement, the National Guard said Tuesday to have foiled “two operations of illegal crossing of maritime borders”, that off Sfax and a second in the north of the country.
In total, 76 migrants including only four Tunisians were rescued
In addition to the ten dead, “between 20 and 30” other African migrants are missing after the shipwreck off the coast of Sfax, told AFP the spokesman for the local court investigating this drama, Faouzi Masmoudi,
Twenty-seven migrants from sub-Saharan Africa had died or are missing after two other shipwrecks Friday and Saturday off Tunisia.
At the end of March, the bodies of 29 other migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were recovered after three separate shipwrecks off the coast of Tunisia.
Tunisia, whose coastline is less than 150 km from the Italian island of Lampedusa, regularly records attempts by migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries, to leave for Italy.
The departures intensified after a violent speech on February 21 by Tunisian President Kais Saied, who denounced illegal immigration.
Saied said the presence in Tunisia of “hordes” of illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa was a source of “violence and crime” and a “criminal enterprise” aimed at “changing the demographic composition” of the country.
After this speech, a significant portion of the 21,000 sub-Saharan Africans officially registered in Tunisia, most of whom were in an irregular situation, lost their jobs, usually informal, and their housing overnight as a result of the campaign against illegal immigrants. Most African migrants arrive in Tunisia and then attempt to immigrate illegally by sea to Europe.
On Friday, the National Guard announced that it had rescued or intercepted “14,406 people, 13,138 of whom were from sub-Saharan Africa, the rest being Tunisians,” in the first three months of the year, more than five times the number recorded for the same period in 2022.
The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has urged African countries to lead in opposing the promotion of homosexuality, citing same-sex unions as a serious threat to human reproduction.
“Africa should provide the lead to save the world from this degeneration and decadence which is really very dangerous for humanity. If people of opposite sex stop appreciating one another then how will the human race be propagated?” he asked, according to an article dated April 2 and posted on his personal website.
Museveni was speaking to a delegation of Members of Parliament from over 22 African countries and the United Kingdom.
The MPs were in the East African country for a 2-day first ever Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty that ran under the theme ‘Protecting African Culture and Family Values’.
The delegation led by a Ugandan MP, Sarah Opendi, during a courtesy call, thanked Museveni for his firm stand against homosexuality.
The Conference which was also attended by medical experts enlightened participants on the causes of homosexuality and possible remedies to the vice.
President Museveni noted that initially the practice that was thought to be a deviation from the normal is more dangerous than drugs. He therefore sought the identification of the focal point of homosexuality as it is neither genetic nor hormonal, a statement posted on his website noted.
Uganda’s parliament recently passed an anti-LGBTQ+ bill which is yet to be transmitted to the president for assent into law.
Museveni has stated his readiness to convene a meeting with lawmakers and take steps to sign it into law once he receives it. The legislation has roundly been criticized by development partners and the United Nations as draconian.
Growth across Sub-Saharan Africa remains sluggish, dragged down by uncertainty in the global economy, the underperformance of the continent’s largest economies, high inflation, and a sharp deceleration of investment growth, a World Bank report said Wednesday.
In the face of dampened growth prospects and rising debt levels, African governments must sharpen their focus on macroeconomic stability, domestic revenue mobilization, debt reduction, and productive investments to reduce extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in the medium to long term.
Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to slow from 3.6% in 2022 to 3.1% in 2023, according to the latest Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s April 2023 economic update for Sub-Saharan Africa. Economic activity in South Africa is set to weaken further in 2023 (0.5% annual growth) as the energy crisis deepens, while the growth recovery in Nigeria for 2023 (2.8%) is still fragile as oil production remains subdued. The real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of the Western and Central Africa subregion is estimated to decline to 3.4% in 2023 from 3.7% in 2022, while that of Eastern and Southern Africa declines to 3.0% in 2023 from 3.5% in 2022.
“Weak growth combined with debt vulnerabilities and dismal investment growth risks a lost decade in poverty reduction,” said Andrew Dabalen, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa. “Policy makers need to redouble efforts to curb inflation, boost domestic resource mobilization, and enact pro-growth reforms—while continuing to help the poorest households cope with the rising costs of living.”
Debt distress risks remain high with 22 countries in the region at high risk of external debt distress or in debt distress as of December 2022. Unfavorable global financial conditions have increased borrowing costs and debt service costs in Africa, diverting money from badly needed development investments and threatening macro-fiscal stability.
Stubbornly high inflation and low investment growth continue to constrain African economies. While headline inflation appears to have peaked in the past year, inflation is set to remain high at 7.5% for 2023, and above central bank target bands for most countries. Investment growth in Sub-Saharan Africa fell from 6.8% in 2010-13 to 1.6% in 2021, with a sharper slowdown in Eastern and Southern Africa than in Western and Central Africa.
Despite these challenges, many countries in the region are showing resilience amidst multiple crises. These include Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who grew at 5.2%, 6.7%, and 8.6% respectively in 2022. In the DRC, the mining sector was the main driver of growth due to an expansion in capacity and recovery in global demand. Harnessing natural resource wealth provides an opportunity to improve fiscal and debt sustainability of African countries, but the report cautions that this can only happen if countries get policies right and learn the lessons from the past boom and bust cycles.
“Rapid global decarbonization will bring significant economic opportunities to Africa,” noted James Cust, World Bank Senior Economist. “Metals and minerals will be needed in larger quantities for low carbon technologies like batteries—and with the right policies—could boost fiscal revenues, increase opportunities for regional value chains that create jobs, and accelerate economic transformation.”
In a time of energy transition and rising demand for metals and minerals, resource-rich governments have an opportunity to better leverage natural resources to finance their public programs, diversify their economy, and expand energy access. The report finds that countries could potentially more than double the average revenues that they currently collect from natural resources. Tapping these fiscal resources in the form of royalties and taxes while continuing to attract private sector investment requires the right kinds of policies, reforms, and good governance. Maximizing government revenues derived from natural resources would offer a double dividend for people and planet by increasing fiscal space and removing implicit production subsidies.
A French minister has once more called for the protection of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons.
The French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, promised to continue advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ persons wherever she is during a news conference in Accra.
Zacharopoulou who is on an official visit to Ghana told journalists at the April 3 press conference that protecting the rights of such people is a core value of France and the European Union t large.
“In my country and in the European Union, we promote human rights and of course in my Ministry, we have an ambassador to promote LGBT rights, so what I can say is that this is our values.
“… and wherever I go in Africa, I will continue to say that we have to respect all of us, the LGBT community, this is a question of human rights and I always say that,” she said.
She is the latest visiting politician to make pronouncements on same-sex relations at a time Ghana is nearing the passage of an anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
Last week, US Vice President Kamala Harris made similar comments about LGBTQ+ rights being human rights.
She made the comments at a joint press conference with president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of her three-day official trip that brought her to Ghana and onwards to Tanzania and Zambia.
Currently, over 30 African countries have bans against same-sex relations, with presidents of Kenya and Uganda and other top politicians in both countries stating open opposition to the orientation.
Ghana’s bill if passed into law, the bill would outlaw all forms of support for the LGBTQI+ community and propose jail terms for individuals who engage in same-sex relations.
The U.S. vice president’s week-long journey through Africa is now over. On her three-leg trip, Kamala Harris met with the leaders of Tanzania, Ghana, and Zambia.
She made an effort to strengthen and recast American relations with the continent if the influence of other foreign powers was a concern during her tour.
On Saturday April 1 2023, she emphasized significant advances made in that direction.
“My visit has convinced me more than ever, that we must all around the globe appreciate and understand the importance of investing in African ingenuity and creativity. The type I have seen during the course of this trip,” she said.
“In my meetings with the presidents of Ghana and Tanzania, and here in Zambia, we have launched new initiatives to strengthen our business ties. We have also advanced our work to support democracy and good governance on the continent, which will invariably create greater stability, predictability, the type that businesses require and need to invest,” she added.
“In each of these engagements. It has been clear there was a strong desire from leaders on this continent, from young entrepreneurs on this continent to increase investments on this continent.”
Digital access to Africa’s economy
If Harris acknowledged some places on the continent lead the world in digital solutions, she laid out an agenda for partnerships in digital solutions as she pointed to discrepancies across Africa. For these, she vowed U.S support.
“[…] In other places on the continent, we see that there is a lag and that there are many who lag behind and we must be clear about the challenges presented to close these gaps and then commit to take action because solutions are within sight and within reach.”
The United States have ramped up efforts to reengage with African countries after last year’s US-Africa summit. President Joe Biden said he intends to visit this year as well.
“President Biden, through these initiatives, has pledged to work with the United States Congress to invest $350 million and to facilitate nearly half a billion dollars in development financing, to make sure that people across the continent can participate in the digital and global economy.”
After speaking during a roundtable discussion with business and philanthropic leaders in Lusaka, Kamala Harris departed for Washington.
Harris’ visit is the latest in a string of visits to Africa by high profile U.S officials.
Concern over TikTok seems to be spreading in some circles.
Particularly when it comes to data security, governments in the West are starting to take action, but so far there hasn’t been much official commentary in Africa.
The captivating design of the app has swept the globe, and North America is no exception.
The endless scrolling, the quickfire nuggets of information, the algorithm that seems to know what you want to see better than you do, serve to draw the user in. Before long, seconds turn to minutes, which can then turn to hours.
A TikTok-induced headache might then follow, in which things are only understandable as long as they are presented in meme form.
But resisting this onslaught might be fruitless and we, on the continent, should be paying attention.
The 2022 Reuters Institute Digital News Report showed Africa to be a priority market for TikTok, with ever more young people using it to get the latest news.
The social media app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is now offering support and a platform for creators across Africa who are beginning to find a voice that has been excluded elsewhere.
They are challenging the more mainstream narratives about the continent and presenting the world with a different view.
Image caption,Tanzanian Tiktokers Kili and Neema Paul have become well-known in India
However, concerns have been expressed in many parts of the globe over its security features.
TikTok has recently been in the firing line, not least from US lawmakers who grilled CEO Shou Zi Chew for over four hours in what was described as a “Congress showdown”.
The focus was over suspicions that user data gathered by the app could be accessed by the Chinese government.
Fears over TikTok are not exclusive to the US – several countries are now banning the use of the app together with other social media platforms on government employees’ phones because of insufficient data security measures.
Waihiga Mwaura
There is the feeling that while data security is an issue, TikTok should not be the sole focus of attention”
But there has been silence from African governments. No country on the continent has yet taken measures against TikTok.
Speaking to some experts here in Kenya, there is the feeling that while data security is an issue, TikTok should not be the sole focus of attention.
Kennedy Kachwanya, chair of the Bloggers Association of Kenya (Bake), reminds us of the accusations that UK-based Cambridge Analytica harvested user data in Kenya to help manipulate the outcome of elections in 2013 and 2017.
The company, which has now folded, said in 2018 that it was employed as a marketing agency and was simply using social media to help its client to win.
“The issue of Cambridge Analytica was highly discussed in the US and UK but what they did in Kenya for example, back in the 2013 election was barely mentioned,” Mr Kachwanya says.
“It is my feeling that Kenya and Nigeria were the testing grounds for them before the big use in the US and UK.”
For him allegations of what Cambridge Analytica could do indicated how user information could be used by third parties, either for commercial purposes, interference with the democratic process or to help with state surveillance.
There are also allegations that anti-TikTok headlines reflect the concerns that its rivals are losing market share.
James Wamathai, also from Bake, believes the targeting of Tiktok is fuelled by American hysteria and propaganda.
The digital strategist says that “US companies collect way more data” and argues that they are frustrated as they appear to be “unable to compete with TikTok”.
There is also another concern over the safety of users and the potential for them to be exposed to inappropriate material.
Gift Mirie, a manager at a Nairobi-based digital firm that handles social media influencers, closely followed the session with the TikTok CEO at the US Congress. He was surprised at how the 40-year-old was so forthcoming with information about the inner workings of the platform.
His greatest issue however was that guarantees that Shou Zi Chew made about the safety of American teenagers were not extended elsewhere.
“We’ve seen how African youth quickly jump on global trends – what is the consideration for their safety in this algorithm protection plan?” Mr Mirie asked.
Image caption,TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told US lawmakers about protection for young Americans, but what about youth elsewhere?
This week also saw a Senegalese lobby group, known as Restic, appeal to the regulator there to help control what young people can see.
“Unfortunately, the content on TikTok is very violent and some features in this context are not allowed by our traditions here in Africa,” Resitc’s Moustapha Diakhate told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.
“We definitely want to see how we protect our kids who interact with this social media.”
All those I spoke to felt that data security and online safety should be a top consideration – regardless of where the parent company of the social media app in question is based.
They challenge African governments to demand the same guarantees from technology companies that their counterparts in the West are receiving.
Data that is freely offered up by users can be used for innocent marketing purposes. But in the wrong hands, whether that is an overbearing state or a foreign power, the information could be used for something more nefarious.
Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia are countries in the Horn of Africa and will require more than $2.68 billion to fulfill crucial sectoral requirements over the next four months as a result of the severe drought in the area.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), a regional organization, made an urgent request for humanitarian assistance on Wednesday to provide individuals suffering from drought with basic necessities like water, food, and pasture.
Dr. Workeneh Gebeyehu, the executive secretary of Igad, claimed that the region’s capacity to feed its people adequately has been severely hampered by the protracted drought, which has been characterized by five consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall.
“The consequences of the drought are terrible in some pastoral and agropastoral areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, and has resulted to severe water and pasture shortages, one million displaced people, over 10 million livestock and wildlife deaths, reduced crop and livestock production, all of which are increasing food insecurity,” he said.
Shorter than normal season
Igad says that despite heavy rainfall recently recorded, there are signs the season might be shorter than normal, bringing lingering effects in the three states.
“Forty-seven million of our brothers and sisters are highly food insecure and some risk dying of starvation. Seventy percent of these 47 million people live in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. This is why we solemnly call on the international community to help us prevent a major humanitarian disaster by committing requisite resources to save lives and livelihoods in the short-term, and continue investing in resilience building in the medium and long-term,” said Dr. Gebeyehu.
Somalia is the most affected and needs $1.6 billion to provide food and non-food items to the communities affected by drought and internally displaced people in the next four months whereas Kenya requires $378 million to provide food, water and vaccination to the affected counties until October 2023.
Timely and effective responses
Igad, in its report this week, indicates Ethiopia needs $710 million to provide support to key sectoral needs until August this year.
The regional body says member states are also working on strengthening disaster risk governance capacity to ensure timely and effective responses to drought and other disasters in the region.
“Our recovery will require resources and time, and we must work to prevent future disasters from having such severe impacts. Igad has outlined mid to long-term priorities to make the region more resilient and sustainable,” said the Igad boss.
More than merely skin deep, tattoos In Africa and body marks are visible. But, when we imagine tattoos, we typically see them on people with white complexion or caramel (African American) skin.
We have recently started accepting exquisite handprints and wonderful body artworks created for African black skin.
Tattoos In Africa are a crucial component of African makeup, just as the tribal hair on the continent. Several African tattoo designs have profound symbolic implications and are of great importance to our diverse culture.
For millennia, African tribes have decorated their bodies with various body tattoos and artworks. Often, they included body painting, shaving, and piercing.
We’ll talk about the origins and significance of African tribal insignia in this post.
The Origins of African Tattoos/Tattoos In Africa
Amazingly, traditional African tattoos have existed for thousands of years and have a broad range of symbolic meanings, including wearing of them to ward off evil spirits, display accomplishments, and express allegiance to certain tribes or organizations.
There are a few significant exceptions to the general lack of comprehensive research on African tattoo culture and history.
First discovered as simple ink drawings on mummified female corpses from about the year 2000 BCE, historical tattoos In Africa were first discovered by anthropologists.
Anthropologists hypothesized that these ladies employed their tattoo marks to promote fertility and youth. This happened as a result of the tattoos’ designs and locations on the bodies.
These patterns were found on the abdomen and pelvis of the women who had them. The oldest tattoos found on men date only as far back as 1300 BCE.
The ancient goddess of battle and weaving Neith was considered to be represented by them.
In addition to Egypt, mummies from other African nations have also been discovered to contain tattoos, many of which are believed to have been made to express dedication to sun worship.
On the face, arms, legs, and navel area, they typically discovered extremely straightforward tattoos with straight lines or circular designs.
In the past, many people in North Africa, particularly in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco, had African body marks.
Yet, in more recent times, Islamic civilizations in North Africa have started to see the act of getting a tattoo or another type of engravement as disrespectful and impure.
So, some tribes in these areas create temporary tattoos using henna designs. In actuality, Muslim women are encouraged to use henna to color their nails as a sign of their femininity. Some ladies also use it to tell a man’s hands from a woman’s.
This custom is also gaining popularity right now and has unquestionably established itself as a key component of Islamic brides’ bridal makeup.
Yet, henna decorations have also been used to decorate women’s bodies as part of social and holiday festivities going back as far as 9000 BCE in ancient Egypt, particularly in the context of fertility and marriage ceremonies.
It’s important to keep in mind, though, that henna art is not a genuine tattoo. Tattoos last a lifetime. Henna, on the other hand, just rests momentarily on the skin’s surface.
Henna may also be used to color hair, nails, silk, leather, and wool.
The usage of traditional African tattoos is still widespread in North African communities, including those in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, according to literature from the 20th century.
Sub-Saharan Africa: `Tattoos In Africa
Scarification is the most typical form of tribal body modification in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this instance, sharp objects are used to produce cuts into the skin that are deep enough to leave a lasting mark.
They would cut off patterns and forms from pieces of skin so that when the skin recovered and scarred, it would leave a permanent shape or pattern.
The primary goal of scarification varied depending on the location. Yet, the majority of people think that scarification—especially when it was applied to the face—made the wearer less appealing to the spirit of death.
The procedure of skin scarification, however, is terrifying. It can also be risky since people often die if they don’t receive prompt treatment for infections they get from puncture wounds due to a lack of aftercare.
Yet, the Sahel area, which extends from Senegal to the Red Sea, is where scarification is most noticeable.
The Fulani are one of the Sahel’s tribes with the most tattoos. They are the largest tribe there by a similar margin.
The usage of these tribal tattoos is thought to have expanded during the Atlantic Slave Trade, despite the lack of information on the number of tribes, historical eras, and genuine importance of African body markings.
It was rumored that tribal members who were transported as slaves had markings on them to help rescuers or freedmen recognize them.
These tribal tattoos were also created so that, when a person relocated to a distant country, their identities, ethnicity, religious connections, social rank, life events, and accomplishments would not be lost.
Soon, slave traffickers and masters caught on and started classifying their slaves according to their African body marks.
They could command high wages for slaves who wore these markings designating them as brave. Also, the African body tattoos aided in the arrest of runaway slaves and the need that slaveowners to pay taxes.
More recently, the cicatrization procedure—which involves scarification and tattooing—has been the focal point of these traditional African tattooing techniques.
Hence, the cicatrization technique would entail both skin-cutting to form the scar tissue and tattooing to provide a very black look using ash or soot as the color pigments.
These wounds are frequently reopened in order to put pearls and stones beneath the skin for a more pronounced and elevated look.
The process of cicatrization is employed as a ceremonial rite of passage in many cultures.
As boys reach puberty, they would receive those markings, and a few years later, as they near adulthood, the wounds would be reopened to add the pearls and stones.
Traditional African tattoos with additional symbolic meanings
As was previously stated, tattoos In Africa are also used in many African communities to establish social rank and hierarchies.
Within their social groupings or tribes, those with very simple tattoos (simple lines and forms) or those without tattoos are seen as low-ranking.
High-ranking officials, such as Chiefs, on the other hand, would demonstrate their status as prominent figures by donning extensive and complex African body marks.
Naturally, a person’s fundamental tattoos will be altered as they rise in rank to become more intricate and elaborate.
It’s crucial to understand that not all tattoos are ceremonial, tribal, or religious. Many people today just get tattoos for aesthetic reasons.
Tattoos In Africa, however, may undoubtedly be regarded as one of the tattoo culture’s richest beginnings.
Due to the fact that we no longer produce plain markings but rather artworks that depict African history and culture, African tattoos are becoming increasingly popular nowadays.
Investigate the meaning of the tattoo the next time you meet someone with one. Perhaps there’s an interesting tale behind that stunning design.
In any case, Africa is a sizable continent with a totally distinct culture. Be aware that a single African tattoo design may represent something quite different in one place than it does in another.
Source:
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
US Vice PresidentKamala Harris‘ speech upon her arrival at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Sunday, March 26, 2023:
On behalf of the president and our entire nation, we bring you greetings and we are looking forward to this trip and the very important relationship and friendship between the people of the United States and those who live on the continent of Africa.
I’m very excited about the future of Africa. I’m very excited about the impact of the future of Africa on the rest of the world, including the United States of America. When I look at what is happening on this continent and the fact that the median age is 19 years old and what that tells us about the growth of opportunity, of innovation, of possibilities, I see in all of that great opportunity, not only for the people of this continent but the people of the world.
Especially when we understand that by the year 2050, we believe one in four people on earth will be on the continent ofAfrica. The partnership between this continent, its people and the people of the United States and reinforces the work that we will continue to do together. Be that on addressing the climate crisis, to supply chains to our work together on international rules and norms.
In particular, on this trip, I intend to do work that is focused on increasing investments here on the continent and facilitating economic growth and opportunity specifically in the areas of economic empowerment of women and girls. Empowerment of youth. Entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, and supporting the work that must be done to increase food security, including adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis.
I look forward to my meetings with President Nana Akufo-Addo, President Suluhu Samiya and President Hichilema. We will build on the previous meetings I have had with each of them to strengthen democracy and good governance, promote peace and security, build on long-term economic growth, and strengthen our business ties.
I also look forward during this visit to meeting with entrepreneurs and artists and students and farmers to witness firsthand the extraordinary innovation and creativity that is occurring on this continent and inspiring the world. We have a lot of work ahead of us. And again, I’m so very excited to be here and I thank you all for the very warm welcome.
Although Ghana’s debt to the IMF remained constant at $1.70 billion in January 2023, it has however been ranked the most indebted African country to the IMF.
According to the Fund’s Quarterly Finances ending January 31, 2023, Ghana’s outstanding loans to the International Monetary Fund stood at 1.278 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDR 1.278 billion) at the end of January 2023, equivalent to $1.708 billion.
This is out of Africa’s total loans outstanding of SDR 16.15 billion to the Bretton Woodinstitution as of January 31, 2023.
The country has, however, so far repaid SDR 53 million, equivalent to $75.7 million to the IMF.
Ghana’s loan exposure to the Bretton Woods institution is classified as concessional lending. Concessional loan comes with a low-interest financing.
Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya were ranked 2nd and 3rd in Africa with the largest outstanding loans of SDR 1.142 billion and SDR 1.015 respectively to the Fund as of January 2023.
They have also received a disbursement of SDR 304 million and SDR 239 to boost their balance of payments.
Sudan and Uganda were 4th and 5th respectively with their exposure to the Fund estimated at SDR 992 million and SDR 632 million. Uganda has also received a disbursement of SDR 180 million to aid its fiscal economy.
The rest of Africa was indebted to the tune of SDR 10.1 billion to the IMF. The African countries have so far received disbursement of SDR 1.25 billion post-Covid-19.
Putin stated on Monday that if the Black Sea grain agreement is not extended in May, Russia will give grain to African nations gratis.
Speaking to participants at a Russia-Africa parliamentary conference, Putin noted that only a small portion of the deal’s unblocked grain exports had made it to the continent and that it was in Africa’s best interests if Russia met its conditions for the deal’s renewal.
Moscow further declared that it would not consent to extend the grain agreement past May unless problems with the Swift financial messaging system are fixed and additional restrictions are lifted.
On its website, the Russian foreign ministry said Moscow had decided to limit the deal’s extension to 60 days, until May 18, over what it called “a lack of progress… on normalisation of domestic agricultural exports”.
A world where a mother has to choose between medications for her health or education for her child is an unjust world.” This quote on Gregory’s LinkedIn page is an insight into the mission of mPharma, an innovative technology-driven health inventory and retail pharmacy company operating in nine countries; Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, Gabon, Rwanda, Malawi, and Uganda.
The company is building a community of pharmacies across Africa to provide easier and better quality healthcare service to the millions of people on the continent.
Gregory Rockson is the co-founder and CEO of mPharma, its inventory management system is used in over 850 pharmacy stores in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, Gabon, Rwanda, Malawi, and Uganda.
The company is working to improve access and affordability of high-quality drugs for patients across Africa. It has 155 hospital partners, 850 pharmacies and drug stores, and over 2 million patients. Its intervention in the healthcare industry has helped over 400,000 patients purchase high-quality medicine at a cheaper cost.
mPharma was founded in 2013 by Gregory Rockson, Daniel Shoukimas, and James Finucorie as a pharmacy offering high-quality medical and pharmaceutical supplies in Ghana. Within a few years, the healthcare business has expanded to nine African countries, with its headquarters in Ghana, and is building a scalable drug inventory management using the Airbnb model to enable vendor-managed inventory for healthcare providers in Africa.
Gregory and his co-founders are focused on building an Africa with good health by developing a tech system for medical practitioners and medical offices to leverage in solving challenges in the provision of good healthcare. mPharma’s objective is to connect patients, hospitals, and pharmacies; to enable doctors, hospitals, and patients to know the exact location and availability of medicines for better access.
By increasing patients’ access to drugs at reduced costs while sustaining quality, mPharma is continually improving health interventions, bridging gaps in healthcare provision, and bringing vital services closer to communities through online and offline channels.
The company launched ‘bloom,’ a flagship software product defined as the operating software for the modern African pharmacy. It extends beyond most hospital software used in easing workflows and capturing data, as well as tablets or computing. It is directly tied to mPharma’s core value proposition of vendor-managed, data-driven, diverse management, data management, and e-commerce services; and is an interface that enables pharmacies to connect to mPharma and offer value to their patients.
In recent months, mPharma is strategically diversifying its assets and expanded operations with the acquisition of a 55% stake in Vine Pharmacy in Uganda, and a franchise agreement with Belayab Pharmaceuticals in Ethiopia. It acquired Halton’s pharmacy in Kenya and a majority stake in Nigeria’s HealthPlus.
In July 2022, mPharma launched ‘Facility Insight,’ an optimized customer-centric product designed to aid clinical decision-making. The easy-to-use online platform generates real-time accurate data 24/7, including sales, profits, product reports, and other insights. The new system provides information to aid well-informed decision-making for pharmacy management.
Gregory Rockson is a Ghanaian who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Government from both Westminster College and the University of Copenhagen. He studied Policy and International Affairs at Princeton University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Ghana.
Aside from mPharma, he is the Executive Chairman of ‘Vine Pharmaceuticals,’ and also the Executive Chairman of Holtons Limited, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Africans in 2020 and 2022 by the New African Magazine.
A Ghanaian serial entrepreneur with a history of profitable businesses, Jesse Ghansah, has emerged as a key disruptor in the fintech sector by proposing creative ideas that are revolutionizing the continent’s financial sector.
Ghansah’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2014 when he co-founded three startups, which unfortunately discontinued after two years.
However, in 2016, he gained global recognition for his media company, OMG Digital, which was accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator program. OMG Digital, which owned OMGVoice and Bitnode, became known as the “BuzzFeed of Africa.”
Jesse Ghansah launched Float in 2020 to address African SMEs’ financing and cashflow issues.
After departing from OMG Digital, Ghansah shifted his focus to fintech, recognizing that financing cash flow problems presented a substantial hurdle for African small and medium-sized enterprises.
His unwavering commitment to solving these cash flow issues drove him to co-found Float (previously known as Swipe), a San Francisco-based fintech startup that provides flexible credit lines to cover cash flow gaps for SMEs in Africa, in January 2020.
Float’s innovative solutions have transformed the way businesses in various industries, including fintech, retail, manufacturing, e-commerce, media, and health, operate.
With a 26-fold increase in payment transactions, the startup has enabled hundreds of businesses to access more than $10 million in credit spending and cash advances.
With $17 million in funding secured from investors, Float is set for expansion in the fintech space
In recent times, Float has garnered the attention of institutional investors, leading to a successful seed funding round of $17 million in 2022.
The funding included a $7-million equity investment and a $10-million debt financing, with Cauris Finance leading the debt financing and JAM Fund and Tiger Global co-leading the equity financing.
Thus far, the funding round’s proceeds have been directed towards bolstering its cash management systems and launching new credit solutions tailored to specific industries.
Additionally, the company is utilizing the funds to expand its operations in Ghana and Nigeria, as well as introduce its services in Kenya and South Africa.
Ghansah’s entrepreneurial journey is a remarkable illustration of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. Despite experiencing setbacks with three previous startups, he persisted and successfully established a thriving media company.
By bridging the financing gap for SMEs and supplying much-needed liquidity to millions of businesses across the continent, Ghansah and his team are paving the way for a more robust and sustainable African economy.
With his focus now on Float’s expansion plans, he is poised to make a significant impact on Africa’s financial technology industry.
Ghana’s move to restructure its local currency and overseas debt is weighing on banks from Africa to the UK.
Four of Africa’s biggest lenders — Standard Bank Group Ltd., FirstRand Ltd., Absa Group Ltd., and Nedbank Group Ltd. — collectively set aside 4.87 billion rand ($267 million) to account for the losses, impairing as much as 57% of local and onshore dollar-denominated debt holdings. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Plc set aside $160 million.
A rare move to restructure local debt — bondholders exchanged 87.8 billion cedis ($7.1 billion) of notes that paid an average of 19%, with bonds returning as little as 8.35% — have resulted in losses for financial institutions. Ghana is restructuring most of its public debt, estimated at 576 billion cedis, to finalize a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
“We dealt with the risk, because as we see it, while there’s a potential for a better outcome, there’s also potential for a worse outcome,” Absa Chief Financial Officer Jason Quinn said in an interview. “So that’s why we took a position to impair those extensively.”
Absa’s unit in Ghana, its third-largest lender by assets, booked 2.7 billion rand as impairment, including 2.2 billion rand for sovereign bonds, and another 500 million rand to cater for other government-related exposures. The lender maintains that its unit remains well capitalized.
Standard Bank, which runs the fourth-biggest lender in Ghana by assets, said it’s ready to re-capitalize the business should they need to, even though the Ghanaian unit’s balance sheet is a “fortress.” The lender holds as much as 2.6 billion rand in Ghanaian bonds.
“It is unfortunate where they find themselves,” FirstRand CEO Alan Pullinger said in an interview earlier this month. “The debt sustainability just wasn’t there and when you are over-geared, you eventually run out of cash and you have to call a default.”
President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government plans to start “substantive” discussions with international bondholders and their advisers in coming weeks, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Feb. 16. The nation targets cutting its liabilities from an estimated 105% of gross domestic product in 2022 to 55% by 2028.
The costs to local lenders will only be known later given the stock exchange allowed them to delay releasing financials.
Africa’s second largest home of crocodile has completely dried up due to failed rainy seasons.
Lake Kamnarok in Kenya’s Rift Valley was once home to 10,000 crocodiles, second to Lake Chad in holding capacity.
But the ox-bow lake has been shrinking over the years, largely due to fluctuations in weather systems.
It has also been draining its water to a nearby river through a natural fissure, according to local reports.
Crocodile carcasses are now scattered on its cracked floor. The few remaining crocodiles have relocated to nearby private dams, a resident told NTV television station.
He said they are worried of increased human-wildlife conflict because of encroachment.
A report released by IATA 2022 Airline Safety Performance, the skies over Africa are safe, but there are still issues with the overall aviation operating environment.
Although there were fewer turboprop accidents in 2022 than there were in 2021, four of the five fatal incidents last year resulted in the deaths of the crew and passengers on board.
Although sectors flown by turboprops represented just 10.6% of the total, turboprops were involved in 36% of all accidents, 80% of fatal accidents, and 16% of fatalities in 2022.
Six regions showed improvement or no deterioration, in the turboprop hull loss rate in 2022 when compared to the five-year average. “Accidents are rare in aviation. There were five fatal accidents among 32.2 million flights in 2022. That tells us that flying is among the safest activities in which a person can engage. But even though the risk of flying is exceptionally low, it is not risk-free. Careful analysis of the trends that are emerging even at these very high levels of safety is what will make flying even safer,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director-General, said.
The sub-Saharan Africa region, along with Latin America/Caribbean, however, saw an increase in the turboprop hull loss rate in 2022 when compared to the five-year average.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director-General, said: “Both sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America saw increases in turboprop accidents last year. Introduction and adherence to global standards (including IOSA) are key to reversing this trend. The priority for Africa continues to be implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS).”
At year-end 2022, some 28 African countries (61%) had an Effective Implementation (EI) rate of ICAO SARPS of 60% or greater, unchanged from 2021. Increased attention is being placed to address the critical elements of the ICAO SARPS.
“This year’s report, for example, tells us that we need to make some special efforts on turboprop operations in Africa and Latin America. Safety is aviation’s highest priority, and our goal is to have every flight take off and land safely regardless of region or aircraft type,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Today inSomalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, more than eight million people require food assistance and around 332,000 “urgently need food, otherwise their lives are at risk”, said UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado.
A full eight in 10 of the displaced are women and children, the UNHCR official continued, while UN migration agency, IOM, warned that failed rains and conflict in Somalia, “could force tens of thousands of people” to seek refuge in major cities and towns, particularly in Baidoa and Mogadishu where IOM projects that approximately 300,000 people could be newly displaced by July 2023”.
In an appeal for $137 million to maintain vital humanitarian programmes this year, UNHCR’s Ms. Sarrado said that well over three million refugees and internally displaced people have already been forced to leave their homes in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Struggle to survive
Survival is a struggle for these uprooted communities, amid scarce water sources, hunger, insecurity and conflict. They need safety and assistance, just as much as host communities do too, the UN agency insisted.
“While famine has so far been averted in Somalia, mostly due to a stepped-up humanitarian response, people continue to battle life-threatening food and water shortages resulting from massive losses of harvests, livestock, and income,” Ms. Sarrado explained.
Price to pay
The UNHCR spokesperson warned however that prices of essential foodstuffs and other commodities “remain at an all-time high, out of reach for many. The dangerous confluence of climate and conflict in the region is worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.”
In Somalia alone, since the start of the year, 288,000 people have become internally displaced, because of conflict and drought, UNHCR data shows.
More than 180,000 refugees from Somalia and South Sudan have also crossed into drought-affected areas of Kenya and Ethiopia, the UN agency noted.
In Ethiopia’s Somali region – itself already suffering deeply from drought – nearly 100,000 people have arrived in Doolo in recent weeks, after fleeing conflict in the Somalia’s Laascaanood area.
Desperate testimony
In Kenya’s Dadaab camps, UNHCR also reported the testimony of a 60-year-old woman from Somalia who said that she had endured three decades of conflict in southern Somalia, but that it was extreme hunger that forced her to flee for her life.
“Most of the newly displaced might never go back to their places of origin because the land can no longer provide, and insecurity will only increase as competition for the already scarce resources grow,” IOM said in an alert for the record 3.8 million people now displaced in Somalia. “As a result, entire families will be born and raised in informal settlements amid unsuitable living conditions.”
Humanitarian action
As part of its response, UNHCR plans to provide more basic relief items including emergency shelter and household items for new refugee arrivals and displaced people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Water trucking supplies will be increased, while additional boreholes will be drilled and existing water and sanitation systems refurbished.
Cash assistance will be prioritized for the most vulnerable to help them supplement their own food needs, while also encouraging traders to make food and other necessities available.
Health facilities will also be supported to step up nutritional assistance for women and children through high-nutrient feeding and medical treatment for related diseases.
“This additional assistance and protection is required urgently…to save millions of lives,” said UNHCR’s Ms. Sarrado, who noted that last year’s appeal garnered less than half of the required amount needed to respond to the drought.
France’s new Africa plan, launched by French President Emmanuel Macron, calls for more local personnel to administer its facilities while reducing the number of French troops on the continent.
It happens only a few weeks after Moscow offered to provide more military assistance and training to nations in West Africa.
As more international countries compete for influence on the continent, Mr. Macron unveiled the new approach prior to a four-nation African visit.
French military installations in Africa, according to President Macron, are remnants of the past.
Yet, he asserted that his nation shouldn’t be held responsible for the defeat of extremist organizations in the Sahel.
French forces, who had been fighting against militants in the region for more than a decade, pulled out of Mali last year after the country invited in the Wagner group.
Mr Macron described the group as the life insurance of failing regimes.
French troops were also asked to leave Burkina Faso in January amid a growing anti-France sentiment.
Mr Macron’s newly unveiled strategy is meant to redefine France’s relationship with Africa as competition from Russia and China grows.
How are elections held with almost 93 million voters? It turns out with a lot of trouble, headaches, delays, and technological problems.
In Africa’s largest democratic exercise, some Nigerians continued to cast ballots more than 24 hours after polls closed.
Nigeria has 176,606 polling locations, and voting took place without incident in the majority of them.
However, it was overshadowed by numerous reports of errors, difficulties with the technology, as well as assaults and voter intimidation at certain polling places.
A CNN team in Lagos saw voters still trying to find a way to cast their ballot Sunday at a school in Lagos where two polling units didn’t get to vote in Saturday’s elections.
In the capital Abuja, voting continued until late on Saturday, as voters used car headlights to help themselves see.
When a CNN team visited some polling units, dozens of voters were still waiting to cast their ballot. In parts of Lagos, voting went on well into midnight.
The election is one of the most hotly contested contests since the end of military dictatorship in 1999, and the two-party system that has dominated Nigerian politics since then is facing an unprecedented threat.
The frontrunners are Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling APC party, Atiku Abubakar from the PDP and Peter Obi from the lesser-known Labour Party.
Obi, 61, has gained in popularity and is seen as the third force candidate that could emerge as leader.
Many of his supporters, mostly first time voters, who registered in huge numbers to vote, complained of attempts to suppress their vote.
At one polling unit in Lekki, Lagos, several people were attacked.
Dr. Chidi Nwagwu told CNN: “I arrived at around 10am. Polling materials were late and we set up to start voting. Some thugs arrived and started hitting people with chairs. I was hit several times with a chair. There was a doctor who helped us. A lot of women were attacked, including a pregnant woman. She was knocked to the ground and they smashed her phone.”
Alicia Gberikon said: “There was harassment and if you had a phone that was a crime. People were beaten and had their phones smashed. It was very scary.”
Yiaga Africa, a non-profit civic group that deployed 3,836 observers across the country said it was disappointed with the elections. “There’s a sense of disappointment, quite frankly, with the way this process has gone. Clearly, we’ve not overcome and resolved, perennially our logistical challenges with elections,” Samson Itodo, Yiaga’s Executive Director told CNN.
This was supposed to be the year that the electoral commission would provide real-time results via its new portal, iReV.
Yiaga said it was concerned that as of Saturday 10pm local time, when results were known from thousands of polling units, they had not been uploaded to the electoral commission’s voting portal.
“It raises a lot of questions about the entire process because it deviates from the guidelines for the elections. But it also casts doubt on the integrity of this entire process,” Itodo said.
“To make matters worse, the commission is not speaking or has not spoken to Nigerians.”
The chairman of the electoral commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu briefly addressed the country at a media briefing on Sunday where he explained the collation process but did not address the issues around results transmission.
Yakubu reported there were pockets of violence across the country and electoral machines known as Bimodal Voter Accreditation system (BVAS) were lost in some of those disruptions.
Produce stores have recently been empty due to poor harvests in Africa and Europe, bad weather, and transportation issues.
The number of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers that customers can put in their baskets and carts is capped.
One shopper who attempted to buy 100 cucumbers was turned away by shop staff.
Therese Coffey today warned the Commons that disruption could last for weeks.
She told MPs: ‘I am led to believe by my officials after discussion with industry and retailers, we anticipate the situation will last about another two to four weeks.
‘It is important that we try and make sure that we get alternative sourcing options. That is why the department has already been in discussion with the retailers.
‘It is why there will be further discussions led by ministers as well, so that we can try and get over this and try and avoid similar situations in the future.
‘Even if we cannot control the weather it is important that we try and make sure the supply continues to not be frustrated in quite the way it has been due to these unusual weather incidents.’
Experts have told Metro.co.uk about the multitude of reasons behind the situation supermarkets are facing.
Yesterday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer added that ‘food security is national security’ and that his party would commit to ‘buying, making and selling more in Britain’.
But, in the Commons today, Ms Coffey took aim at the rival party’s stance.
Therese Coffey has warned disruption could last for a month
She warned Labour to ‘be careful about making sure that we continue to have confidence in the food supply chain’ as shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon asked a question on the issue.
Bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe have left shelves bare of tomatoes and are hindering the supply of other fresh produce.
Asda has introduced a customer limit of three on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries, and Morrisons said it would be introducing limits of two items per customer across tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers from Wednesday.
The NFU president told delegates yesterday that ‘the clock is ticking’ for the Government to get inflation under control so farmers can produce food more reliably and protect the country’s food security.
Minette Batters said: ‘It’s ticking for Government to start putting meaningful, tangible and effective meat on the bones of the commitments it has made.
‘Commitments to promote domestic food production, to properly incentivise sustainable and climate-friendly farming, to put farmers and growers at the heart of our trade policy, to guarantee our food security and to back British farming and British food.’
A recent evaluation of the continent’s largest nations by Henley & Partners with New World Wealth has described South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya as the G-5 Wealth Markets in Africa
The five countries accounted for 50% of the total wealth in Africa (private wealth held by individuals in each country, including their assets and fewer liabilities).
The total private wealth in South Africa amounted to $651 billion, $307 billion for Egypt, $228 billion for Nigeria, $125 billion for Morocco, and $91 billion for Kenya, indicating that South Africa has more than twice the number of millionaires in any other country. South Africa and Egypt have the highest number of billionaires in Africa (five billionaires each), while Nigeria has three billionaires.
In the top ten wealthiest cities in Africa, South Africa alone accounted for four cities (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Umhlanga, and Pretoria). The top ten cities came from Southern Africa (four cities), Northern Africa (two cities), and West Africa (two cities), while Central Africa and East Africa have a city each.
The four Southern African cities topped the list with a combined private wealth of $475 billion, the two North African Cities have $171 billion, and the two West African cities have $132 billion. In all, the combined private wealth of the ten wealthiest cities in Africa amounted to $858 billion, while the total Private Wealth in Africa amounted to $2.1 trillion.
The catalyst for Wealth Growth
Some of the factors that drive wealth growth in a country include adequate safety and security, ease of doing business, media freedom, freedom of speech, Rule of Law, ownership rights, effective economic plans and policies, a well-developed financial system, effective stock market, stable banking system, low level of government intervention political stability, low income, and corporate tax rates, and wealth migration.
Below are the ten wealthiest cities in Africa by total private wealth.
Johannesburg (South Africa)– Total Private Wealth ($239 billion)
Johannesburg is the wealthiest city in Africa, with a total private wealth of $239 billion. There are about 16,000 High-Net-Worth-Individuals (HNWIs) living in Johannesburg. Johannesburg has about 840 Multi-Millionaires, 34 Centi-Millionaires, and 2 Billionaires.
Cape Town (South Africa)– Total Private Wealth ($131 billion)
Cape Town is home to many exclusive suburbs, luxury vacation destinations, top-most lifestyle estates, and holiday resorts in Africa. Total private wealth in Cape Town is $131 billion, comprising about 6,000 HNWIs, 420 Multi-Millionaires, 25 Centi-Millionaires, and 1 Billionaire.
Cairo (Egypt)– Total Private Wealth ($128 billion)
Situated along the Nile River, Cairo remains one of the renowned historical cities in Africa. Egypt has robust financial, telecommunication, retail, and tourism industries. Total private wealth in Cairo is $128 billion comprising about 8,200 HNWIs, 440 Multi-Millionaires, 29 Centi-Millionaires, and 4 Billionaires.
Lagos (Nigeria)
Total Private Wealth ($97 billion)
The City of Lagos has the largest population in Africa. It is the economic hub of West Africa, with a vibrant economy and lifestyle. Lagos has robust oil and gas, telecommunication, financial, retail, tourism, and transport industries. The private wealth in Lagos is $97 billion with about 5,500 HNWIs, 290 Multi-Millionaires, 17 Centi-Millionaires, and 3 Billionaires.
Durban and Umhlanga (South Africa)
Total Private Wealth ($60 billion)
Durban is the third-largest City in South Africa, with many HNWIs combined with the residential towns in the north of Durban – Umhlanga, La Lucia, and Ballito, which have affluent individuals also. The combined private wealth stood at $60 billion. Durban and Umhlanga have about 3,700 HNWIs, 230 Multi-Millionaires, and 11 Centi-Millionaires.
Nairobi (Kenya)– Total Private Wealth ($48 billion)
Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and the economic hub of East Africa and among the fastest-growing cities in the world. High-class residential areas in Nairobi include Runda Estate, Lavington, Kitisuru, Karen, and Muthiaga. Financial services, real estate, tourism, media, clothing, processed foods, and beverages are the major industries in Nairobi. Total private wealth in Nairobi is $48 billion. Nairobi has about 5,400 HNWIs, 260 Multi-Millionaires, and 12 Centi-Millionaires.
Pretoria (South Africa)– Total Private Wealth ($45 billion)
Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa and the fourth South African City on this list. The major economic activities in Pretoria include engineering, food processing, financial services, diamond mining, and education services. Pretoria has about 2,600 HNWIs, 110 Multi-Millionaires, and 2 Centi-Millionaires.
Casablanca (Morocco)– Total Private Wealth ($43 billion)
Casablanca is the second North African City on this list, with a total private wealth of $43 billion. Casablanca has about 2,500 HNWIs, 120 Multi-Millionaires, and 13 Centi-Millionaires. Casablanca is a port city, the largest city in Morocco, and the commercial hub of Morocco.
Accra (Ghana)– Total Private Wealth ($35 billion)
Accra is the capital of Ghana and the second West African City on this list, with a total private wealth of $35 billion. Accra has about 2,400 HNWIs, 110 Multi-Millionaires, and 4 Centi-Millionaires. Manufacturing, marketing, finance, insurance, transportation, real estate, and hospitality are some of the industries in Accra.
Luanda (Angola)– Total Private Wealth ($32 billion)
Luanda is a port city, the largest city, and the capital of Angola, with a private wealth of $32 billion. Luanda has about 2,000 HNWIs, 90 Multi-Millionaires, and 3 Centi-Millionaires. Major industries in Luanda include manufacturing, petroleum, food processing, and transportation.
For a better understanding, Billionaires are individuals with a wealth of $1 billion and above. Centi-millionaires have a wealth of $100 million and above but below $1 billion. Multi-millionaires have a wealth of $10 million and above but below $100 million. Millionaires (HNWIs) have a wealth of $1 million and above but below $10 million. Affluents are individuals with a wealth of $100,000 or more but below $1 million.
The Clover Climate Alliance has elected Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, a member of parliament for Wa Central, as its climate envoy for Africa.
According to a statement by Clover Climate Alliance, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, who is one of the longest-serving members of parliament will see the execution of the Alliance’s mission to mobilise, incentivise and empower 100 million Gen ‘Z’ and Millennials (worldwide) to be Carbon Neutral by 2030.
In a citinewsroom.com report, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo will be working on several initiatives to raise awareness and build an army of youth from Africa for climate as the global community prepares for the upcoming COP28 Summit in Dubai.
At a press conference in COP27, Clover Climate Alliance announced the launch of the pilot US$100 million Clover Climate Fund; a climate investment fund to be domiciled in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM).
Dr. Rashid Pelpuo is currently President of the African Parliamentarians Forum on Population and Development (2022-2025).
Since 2005, Dr Pelpuo has been a Member of Parliament and had served as the Deputy Leader of the Parliament of Ghana and an elected Member of Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa.
He was appointed Minister for Youth and Sports in Ghana and also served as Minister for Private Sector Development. He is also a Member of the Government Economic Management Team.
For over 20 years, Dr. Pelpuo has been working for the growth and development of young people in Africa.
Prof. Samuel AtoDunan, CEO of COA Research and Manufacturing Company Limited, has been selected for the worldwide humanitarian peace award.
The award which aims to honour outstanding personalities for their contributions to peace and conflicts resolution as well as poverty eradication is being given by the united international peace and governance council of Africa.
Prof. Ato Duncan who is also the president general for the center of awareness global peace mission was recognized for his immense contributions to world peace.
The renowned businessman, philanthropist and researcher has been holding series of lectures on peace and effective leadership to check poverty.
He allocated $2 million towards a global peace campaign and missions last year in a five-year strategic plan to promote world peace.
The impact of the initiative was to end world violence, by targeting the campaign through traditional leaders, youth groups, and thought leaders in society with much focus on the political class.
The International Peace and Governance Council Incorporation, organisers of the award was established for Diplomatic Missions to contribute to the acceleration of Peace, Good Governance and Poverty Eradication across the globe.
The organization is in partnership with various United Nations organs and Associations for project implementation.
It aims to consolidate and strengthen efforts of organizations and individuals around the world to handle Civil and ethnic conflicts, inter-state wars, terrorism, poverty eradication among others.
The Centre for Democracy and Socio-economic Development (CDS), a nonpartisan research tank that views democracy as a foundational principle for growth, has argued that fighting corruption should be a key component of government’s framework.
To mitigate corruption, CDS said, deterrence is of great essence.
Such a measure would send a strong message to potential wrongdoers about the latent consequences of their misbehaviour and inaction, it added.
In order to fight corruption, CDS Africa suggested to the government that “There is the need for Government to establish a system that rewards appropriate behavior and penalizes corrupt behavior in the public sector.
“All citizens must understand they have a role to play in the fight against corruption. Citizens and public sector workers must immediately report any suspicions of bribery or corruption to mandated agencies and institutions,” a report released by Dr. Frank Bannor and Dr. Abena Boateng, Senior Research & Policy Analyst and Director of Research for CDS Africa respectively, said.
CDS Africa was reacting to the 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) which shows a dire situation as most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Ghana failed to make progress in reducing corruption.
The top performers in the region are Seychelles (70), followed by Cabo Verde (60), Botswana (60) and Rwanda (51), whereas Burundi (17), Equatorial Guinea (17), South Sudan (13) and Somalia (12) have the lowest scores, according to the 2022 CPI released today by Transparency International (TI).
In terms of trends, the 2022 CPI reveals that from 2012 to 2022, 25 countries significantly improved their scores.
The SSA region recorded the highest percentage of countries (28% – 7 out of 25); Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Seychelles and Tanzania experiencing significant improvements in their scores. Conversely, 31 countries significantly declined in their scores since 2012. SSA represents 10% (3 out of the 31 countries – Lesotho, Liberia and Mali) of countries with significant declines in their scores.
Ghana with a score of 43, ranked 8 th out of 49 countries in SSA which were included in the index, alongside Benin (43), Senegal (43) and South Africa (43).
Ghana for the 3rd consecutive year, scores 43 out of a possible clean score of 100 and ranks 72 out of 180 countries and territories included in the . This score, reflects a lack of progress in the country’s fight against corruption.
CDS Africa notes that corruption poses great risk to Ghana’s economic development. Economic inequality is made worse by corruption, according to empirical evidence. A one-unit rise in corruption causes a 0.15 to 1.5 percent decline in GDP per capita. Petty corruption, in particular, has an impact on citizens’ perceptions of corruption in a country because it interferes with their daily lives and undermines public trust in democratic processes, government legitimacy, and state institutions.
CDS Africa recognises that, until 2012 the CPI was computed between 0 to 10. A lower value of 0 indicated a high level of corruption while a higher score value indicated a lower level of corruption. However, the story wasn’t any different with this methodology as Ghana’s best score was 4.1 which was recorded in 2010 (see Figure 2 in the attachment).
Similarly, CDS Africa observes that Ghana isn’t doing any better even with a change in the CPI methodology from 2012 till date where countries are now ranked based on a score of 0 to 100. With reference to this approach, a country is deemed very clean as its score increases on the CPI and, highly corrupt with a lower score. Data available from 2012 to 2022 shows that Ghana’s highest score was recorded in 2014, where the country obtained 48 out of 100.
A rescue operation is under way across much of southern Turkey and northern Syria following a huge earthquake that has killed more than 2,300 people.
The BBC’S Focus on Africa radio has spoken to several Ghanaian students who are living in nearby cities which were affected by the earthquake.
Ibrahim, a Ghanaian student living in Konya, together with his partner and one-week old baby, says that he is thankful to be alive after the earthquake struck.
“It was in the dawn when we heard the shaking of the land. We tried to gather the family and take them out of the house. I feel very sad and very sorry.”
Focus on Africa also spoke to Ghanaian student Nasser Abdallah, who is studying in Adana, 150 miles (241km) from Gazientep – the city closest to the epicentre.
“Early in the morning I was working on my laptop and all of a sudden I saw my laptop started to shake. It started from a mild shake to a very heavy shake.”
“We have been told that no one should enter their house until further notice.”
Southern African countries dominated the continent’s growth markets and wealth in 2021, experiencing the fastest growth compared to 2020.
Total private wealth in Africa was $21 trillion between the first quarter of 2021 and the last quarter of 2022. This included 136,000 approximations of millionaires with net assets of at least $1 million each, 6,700 approximations of multi-millionaires with net assets of at least $10 million each, 305 approximations of cent-millionaires with net assets of at least $100 million each, and 18 approximations of billionaires with net assets of at least $1 billion each.
Nigeria’s total private wealth stood at $228 billion, with many multi-millionaires, cent-millionaires, and three billionaires. Morocco’s total private wealth stood at $125 billion, with many multi-millionaires, cent-millionaires, and two billionaires.
Algeria, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania have one billionaire each with many multi-millionaires and cent-millionaires, while Ghana, Kenya, and many other countries have many multi-millionaires and cent-millionaires. South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria make up about 56% of Africa’s wealth (wealth of individuals).
As the wealth reports for 2023 are gradually emerging, let’s take a look at the top African countries with the highest number of billionaires.
A summit on food security across Africa has heard calls for the continent to feed itself, rather than relying on aid or imports.
The current African Union chairman – Senegalese President Macky Sall – told the meeting in Dakar that Africa had huge potential that was not exploited.
According to the head of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, two-thirds of the world’s uncultivated arable land is in Africa.
He said Africa can and must feed itself.
#IsDB President Dr. Al Jasser among African Head of States and Prime Ministers gathered in Senegal for the opening of #AfricaFoodSummitDakar2, to map out plans to unlock Africa's potential in feeding itself and to further position the continent as the breadbasket of the world. pic.twitter.com/NdbIewT90a
Tens of millions of people in East Africa and the Sahel region face hunger because of drought, conflict and a rise in the cost of food and fuel.
Leaders attending the meeting have been urged to re-commit to a pledge agreed two decades ago to devote 10% of government budgets to agriculture and rural development.
Principal Policy Advisor of the Economic Commission of Africa, Joseph Atta-Mensah has called for the removal of the VISA requirements among African countries.
According to him, the free movement of people on the continent is necessary to propel the economic growth of Africa.
Mr Atta-Mensah called for this rectification when discussing the topic ‘Africa Prosperity Dialogues: All you need to Know” on Accra-based Asaase Radio.
“You know, we fear each other and I don’t know why. We always use security as an issue to prevent people from coming but I think if there is a total collaboration among our security forces, to have data on someone [that can be done].
“Because just as there are bad people, there are good people who want to do good business to uplift the continent. So what we need to do is remove the VISAs completely, not VISA on arrival. And that can be done by having a common African passport. ECOWAS does it, we can do it and put on it African Union,” he noted.
Mr Atta-Mensah further urged business owners in Ghana to embrace the newly-established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which has its office situated in the country.
According to him, the onus lies on the business owners to take full advantage of it.
“Businesses always complain that government is not giving them the policies to operate but in North America, businesses are the ones who lobby for policies. “The African Continental Free Trade Area belongs to businesses so they should embrace it other than say that they are not been included because at the end of the day, they are the ones going to do the trading anyway.
Accra, now has the largest photography library in all of Africa, housing more than 30,000 books.
According to theguardian.com, the Dikan Centre library was founded by Ghanaian photographer and filmmaker Paul Ninson.
The report indicated that the Dikan Center is the first of its kind in Ghana and that it comprises a photo studio as well as classrooms that provide space for workshops and a fellowship programme for African documentarians and visual artists.
The library also has an exhibition space that will host regular shows with Ahennie, a series by the late Ghanaian documentary photographer, Emmanuel Bobbie, being the first to be hosted.
The report also indicated that the library was crowdfunded with the support of the author of Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton whom Paul Ninson met while living in New York.
The over 30,000 books in the Dikan Centre include those of pioneering black photographers, such as Gordon Parks, who was the first African American photographer to have a staff position at Life magazine. In addition to publications including National Geographic, there are rare books, including one signed by Stephen Hill, who was governor of Gold Coast, as Ghana was known before independence, dated 1852.
The report also indicated that Paul Ninson started collecting photography books while schooling at the International Centre of Photography in New York.
“I started buying African photo books, with the idea of sharing them with young photographers back home, but as my collection grew, it dawned on me that I could create a library dedicated to photography and visual education, so I started reaching out to booksellers for donations. I also received donations from private galleries and collectors,” theguardian.com quoted Ninson.
After a slow start to Qatar 2022, Africa’s five representatives delivered the continent’s finest World Cup in history.
A record seven wins in the group stage – with all five sides winning at least one game – was enough to propel two teams, Morocco and African champions Senegal, to the knockout phase for only the second time, and first since 2014.
The Atlas Lions added icing to the cake by becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals, ultimately undone by 2018 champions France.
After suffering its worst World Cup just four years ago, when Africa failed to reach the second round for the first time since 1982, the continent has rebounded in spectacular fashion.
“I’m delighted with the standard of African football because for many decades now, we’ve been talking about the development of African football and when their time will come – I think their time has come,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
So what exactly did the continent learn from Qatar 2022?
‘The Miracle of Morocco’
Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat was one of the players of the tournament with his unending energy in midfield
It was the African story of the World Cup – unfancied Morocco nearly going all the way. They topped their group, beating Belgium and Canada before dispatching Spain and Portugal to finally reach the last four.
Appointed in August, Coach Walid Regragui recalled outcasts, brought in youngsters and nurtured a spirit that made the Atlas Lions one of the top four teams in the world.
“We are much more of a family, more of a club side than a national team,” said Regragui. “I think that’s what’s given us this great strength.”
“The whole world is proud of this Moroccan team. We showed desire, played hard and have given a good image of Morocco and African football.”
Prior to Morocco’s sensational run, Africa – which officially finished fourth – had never gone past the quarter-finals, with only Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) having reached that stage before.
Door ever wider for female officials
Salima Mukansanga – the first female fourth official in World Cup history – ushers on Kylian Mbappe during France’s shock loss to Tunisia
For the first time in World Cup history, three women were among the 36 selected for the elite group of referees with three more acting as assistant referees.
Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga, Stephanie Frappart of France and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita were the refereeing trailblazers, even if only Frappart made history when officiating a game in Qatar from the middle.
Nonetheless, Mukansanga achieved her own piece of history when becoming the first female fourth official at a men’s World Cup in France’s 4-1 defeat of Australia, prior to handling three more games, two of which included Tunisia.
Having been the first woman to referee a men’s Africa Cup of Nations clash in January, the 34-year-old’s elevation provides yet further inspiration for the next generation of African officials, with Fifa saying it is selecting the best referees regardless of gender.
“It means you’re going to open the doors for other women, especially in Africa,’ said Mukansanga.
“The opportunities are there – it’s up to us to take them.”
Africa is slaying giants again
Vincent Aboubakar exited Qatar in sensational style, scoring the goal that beat Brazil before ruefully smiling at his red card for taking his shirt off in celebration
Africa is no stranger to sinking defending champions, with Cameroon and Senegal beating Argentina and France in 1990 and 2002 respectively, but it had been some 20 years since such a feat.
On this occasion, Tunisia ensured their early elimination finished on a high after stunning a weakened French side thanks to veteran Wabhi Khazri’s strike.
“Of course we are disappointed to be going out – because we didn’t do enough in the first two matches – but we have made the Tunisian people proud,” the Tunisia captain said afterwards.
This seismic shock was soon followed by another as Cameroon became the first African side to ever beat five-time champions, and tournament favourites, Brazil at the World Cup.
Vincent Aboubakar’s 93rd-minute goal was not enough to keep the Indomitable Lions in Qatar, as with the Tunisians, but he delivered a weighty punch about the state of the African game.
“I didn’t even realise it was such a historic victory,” admitted coach Rigobert Song. “My players should be congratulated and they’ve shown they could have done better. We are going to keep working to improve.”
‘Home support’ in the Middle East
Moroccan fans hold up a replica of the World Cup during their historic Qatar 2022 campaign
The continent’s North African teams enjoyed massive support in Qatar, where there are sizeable Moroccan and Tunisian communities already, with the fans making a real difference to their team’s fortunes.
After Tunisia’s opening game – a hard-fought and gutsy 0-0 draw with Denmark – coach Jalel Kadri was appreciative of the tumultuous backing.
“The fan factor was very positive for us, it mentally gave us a great lift,” he said.
Nonetheless, it was ultimately Morocco’s supporters who made the biggest impression and who were, behind champions Argentina’s legions of fans, the second-best followed.
Tens of thousands joyously descended on Qatar as the Atlas Lions roamed further in the World Cup than any African or Arab side before.
“This is a night I’m going to tell my children and grandchildren about,” supporter Soufiane Megrini, who had just witnessed the quarter-final win over Portugal, told the BBC.
Ghana recruitment yet to bear fruit
New Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu scores in the Black Stars’ 3-2 win over South Korea, the 2010 quarter-finalists’ sole win in Qatar
Ghana squeaked into the tournament with an away goals win over Nigeria in the World Cup play-offs but it was clear they needed more quality ahead of the World Cup itself.
So alongside technical director Chris Hughton, they set about persuading players with Ghana heritage to join the project – with defenders Mohammed Salisu and Tariq Lamptey and forward Inaki Williams among those coming in.
Recruiting players with dual nationality after World Cup qualification itself raised questions in Ghana both before and after the finals, especially with the Black Stars exiting in the group stages – even if they did at least gain revenge on their 2010 foes when helping knock out Uruguay.
“Football is beautiful, sometimes it is ugly – it was ugly for us today,” said coach Otto Addo after the costly loss. “I’m very sure we will learn from this.”
Yet Addo soon resigned, leaving behind a World Cup squad built for the future with 12 players aged 23 or under – including Brighton and Hove Albion’s Lamptey and Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo.
There is none finer however than one of Africa’s outstanding youngsters – Mohammed Kudus, 22 – with the attacking midfielder’s class shining through and resulting in two goals in Ghana’s solitary win.
African champions’ costly lack of depth
Senegal celebrate Ismaila Sarr’s penalty strike against Ecuador
Senegal were dealt a massive blow when star striker Sadio Mane – named the world’s second-best footballer two months ago – had to withdraw on the eve of the finals through injury.
It handcuffed Aliou Cisse’s carefully-laid plans, since the coach clearly had no replacement anywhere near the same level – despite the best efforts of Ismaila Sarr, who scored twice, Bouna Dia and Iliman Ndiaye, who is one to watch.
The final group game win over Ecuador secured a second knockout appearance twenty years after their first but without Everton’s Idrissa Gana Gueye, who was suspended, and fellow midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, injured in the group stage, the Teranga Lions struggled to contain England and crashed out.
“In all countries in Africa, there is a real sports policy in place,” said Cisse after the Round of 16 exit. “We have to keep that up if we want to win these tournaments.”
Having gone further than ever, the continental confidence collected in Qatar has prompted Morocco’s inspirational coach Walid Regragui to say a first African title is less than two decades away.
