Cocoa futures declined for the third consecutive day amid forecasts of rain in West Africa, reversing a weeklong rally driven by worries about dry conditions in major producers Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Maxar weather reports indicated that Western Ivory Coast experienced moderate to heavy rainfall on Wednesday, with light, scattered showers occurring in other areas.
“Ivory Coast growers expect harvest to begin next month, and the amount of rain the crop receives will determine the amount and duration of the harvest,” said Mark Bowman, senior global market analyst at ADM Investor Services.
“Producers would like to see more rainfall in the south, but that may take another week, which could leave southern regions stressed,” he cautioned.
The most actively traded cocoa contract dropped by up to 2.4% in New York and is on track for a 2.7% decrease for the week.
Despite this, cocoa futures have risen by more than 80% this year, largely due to concerns about dry weather, disease, and insufficient fertilizers affecting production in major growing areas. Recently, Ghana’s industry regulator reduced the country’s 2024-25 crop harvest target by 20% due to weather-related issues.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. S.K. Bagbin, has called for urgent and collective action to eliminate language barriers that have impeded socioeconomic growth within the West African sub-region.
He noted that while linguistic diversity in West Africa is culturally enriching, it often poses significant challenges to effective communication and collaboration among member states.
“Language should be a bridge, not a barrier,” he emphasized.
Speaker Bagbin made this appeal during a courtesy call by the Heads of the National Boundary Commissions of West Africa, led by Major General Emmanuel Kotia, Commissioner General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, in Parliament on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
The visit was part of the group’s inaugural meeting in Accra, aimed at establishing mechanisms for better implementation of border governance strategies within the ECOWAS Region.
The Speaker also addressed the issue of the unfair presentation of Africa’s size and its various countries. He pointed out that some African countries are larger than Europe and that addressing these misconceptions could enhance the continent’s global projection.
Speaker Bagbin found the meeting of the Heads of National Boundary Commissions of West Africa significant in tackling these challenges and called for broader collaboration and partnership.
He assured the Commission of Parliament’s support, particularly in the area of legislation, to ensure the success of their efforts.
The African garden egg, also referred to as the African eggplant, is a variety of eggplant extensively enjoyed across numerous regions in West Africa.
Characterized by its small size and typically white or green coloration, it bears a resemblance to a large egg in shape, hence its name. Garden eggs hold significant importance in African cuisines, appreciated for their versatility in various culinary preparations.
Nevertheless, certain garden eggs may possess a bitter taste. Overcoming this bitterness or identifying potentially bitter ones before cooking entails employing specific tips and techniques:
Selecting less bitter garden eggs
Color and Size: Typically, younger, smaller garden eggs are less bitter than their larger, more mature counterparts. Opting for firm and vibrant colors (usually bright white or green) might help in choosing less bitter varieties.
Skin Texture: Smooth-skinned garden eggs are often less bitter compared to those with wrinkles or blemishes.
Preparation techniques to reduce bitterness
Salting: One common method to reduce bitterness is salting. Cut the garden eggs into slices or the desired shape and sprinkle them generously with salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes to an hour. The salt helps draw out the bitter juices. Afterward, rinse the garden eggs thoroughly under cold water to remove the salt and the extracted bitter juices.
Soaking in water: Soaking sliced garden eggs in salted water can also help reduce bitterness. This method is similar to salting but can be a bit milder on the vegetable’s texture. After soaking for about 30 minutes, rinse the pieces before cooking.
Blanching: Blanching involves boiling the garden eggs briefly and then plunging them into icy water. This can help reduce their bitterness and soften them slightly, making them easier to cook.
Cooking methods
Combining with other flavors: Cooking garden eggs with strong flavors and spices can help mask residual bitterness. Ingredients like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs can complement and offset the bitterness.
Using these tips can help you enjoy garden eggs in various dishes without a strong bitter taste.
Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, addressed the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, revealing his plans to establish Ghana as a pharmaceutical hub in the West Africa sub-region by next year.
In a meeting held in Accra on Monday, Dr. Bawumia engaged with key stakeholders to elaborate on his vision for the industry and the country.
He emphasized his goal of leveraging Ghana’s comparative advantage to position it as a leading pharmaceutical hub in West Africa.
“The gains will be huge for Ghana and we have to do it because we have a comparative advantage,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“But first we need to support it with financial resources,” added the NPP flagbearer, stressing the need for strong political will and significant funding.
The NPP flagbearer also explained how his proposed tax reforms, including tax amnesty and flat tax rate for businesses, will help the industry.
In his quest to transform the pharmaceutical industry under his government, Dr. Bawumia identified the development of human resources, as one of the key areas he will focus on.
“There are many aspects if we want to be the best and human capital is one. Without that, we cannot be the best so we also have to invest in the training of pharmacists in Ghana,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“It should be possible for us to establish a pharmaceutical training centre to focus on training more pharmacists, which will impact positively on our quest to be the best in West Africa.”
As part of his government’s vision to support the training of pharmacists, Dr. Bawumia said his government will prioritise scholarships for students pursuing pharmacy.
The NPP flagbearer also spoke of the need for a pharmaceutical park in Ghana to boost the industry.
On the operations of pharmacies in Ghana, Dr. Bawumia gave an update on e-pharmacy – the nationwide online platform for pharmacies in Ghana, which he spearheaded its creation.
He said, so far, about 2500 pharmacies have been onboarded on the platform and he assured that the digitalisation of the pharmaceutical industry will be further strengthened under his government.
Ghana is poised to make history as a significant destination for hosting major events with the upcoming inaugural West Africa Music & Arts Festival in Accra.
This pioneering event, the first of its kind in the region, will unfold over four days, commencing at the iconic Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on Wednesday, June 19th, 2024 – coinciding with the official Juneteenth celebration in Ghana.
The festival is not merely a vibrant Music Industry Conference designed to unite industry stakeholders and educate the masses; it is also a celebration of the rich cultural heritage and artistic diversity of West Africa.
It will serve as a platform to showcase and educate on all aspects of the music industry. From electrifying performances by renowned artists to interactive workshops, master classes, and captivating art installations, attendees can expect an unparalleled experience.
“As co-founder of the West Africa Music & Arts Festival, I am thrilled to launch this groundbreaking event in Accra, Ghana.
“Our festival was birthed from the ideology of strengthening the connectivity of the diasporas and continuing the work of educating the masses about the Music and Entertainment Industries.
“This festival celebrates the vibrant cultural tapestry of West Africa and what it means to the world. In addition to energetic and interactive panels and master classes, we are showcasing the region’s rich musical heritage and artistic talent.
“Through music, arts, and community, we aim to foster unity, diversity, and creativity globally. This festival is not just about entertainment; it’s about creating meaningful connections and inspiring positive change.
“We invite everyone to join us in Accra for an unforgettable celebration of music, arts, and culture that will resonate far beyond the festival grounds,” stated Jasmine Young, MBA-Co-founder, Marketing Strategist, Professor and Music Industry Veteran.
As Ghana takes centre stage in hosting this festival, attendees can look forward to a diverse lineup of performances encompassing various genres like Afrobeat, Highlife, Hip Hop, and more.
Furthermore, engaging with Music & Entertainment industry professionals worldwide, participating in insightful panel discussions, and discovering emerging talent from across the continent are all part of the festival experience.
“This festival is more than just a celebration of music and arts; it’s a celebration of our shared heritage and identity as West Africans and the entire African Diaspora.
“It’s an opportunity to spotlight the astonishing talent and creativity within our shared culture and connect with audiences from Ghana and beyond,” stated Annabelle McKenzie, the Director of the Beyond The Return Secretariat.
The West Africa Music & Arts Festival is fully endorsed by the Ghana Tourism Authority and supported by Warner Records Africa – emphasising the festival’s dedication to promoting cultural exchange, fostering collaboration, and showcasing the best of West Africa.
“We are proud to support the West Africa Music & Arts Festival,” said Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority.
CEO of GTA, Akwasi Agyeman
“This festival not only celebrates our vibrant music and arts scene but also promotes tourism and economic development in our region. We eagerly anticipate welcoming visitors from near and far to immerse themselves in the beauty and creativity of Ghana.”
Arrangements so far is as follows;
Day 1 – Welcome / Opening Celebration @ Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
Day 2- Opening Plenary – Panel Discussions
Day 3-Master Classes taught by Music Industry Icons
Day 4-Travel and Tourism / African Association of Ghana Juneteenth Parade / Performances
Host Hotel- Labadi Beach Hotel https://labadibeachhotelgh.com/
Former Vice-President Jewel Howard Taylor of Liberia emphasized the obstacles encountered by young women in West Africa, including poverty, early pregnancy, and harmful cultural traditions.
She made these remarks at the commencement of the West Africa Adolescent Girls Summit held in Monrovia, Liberia. The summit convened 200 adolescent girls and boys from across the region, along with government representatives.
While acknowledging some progress, Mrs. Taylor expressed hope that the young attendees would be motivated to effect change in their respective communities.
Ame Atsu David, the regional co-director for Africa at the Global Fund for Children, highlighted the tendency to exclude young people from decision-making processes due to perceptions of inexperience or apathy.
Former Nigerian First Lady Aisha Buhari, in a recorded video message for the summit, underscored the significant challenges facing young women and girls, particularly due to traditional religious norms.
She cited “religious misconceptions” as barriers to girls’ access to formal education, often relegating them to domestic roles.
Minister of Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has announced the government’s commitment to establishing Ghana as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Hub for West Africa.
“We have implemented some fundamental digital initiatives to serve as the building blocks on which to propel sustainable growth in the digital economy we are building.”
“Initiatives such as the Mobile Money Interoperability platform, the Paperless Port system, National Identity Register, and Digital Property Addressing system have brought relief to our citizens and have propel the country’s digital agenda,” she said.
During the opening of the 12th Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) event in Accra, Minister of Communications and Digitization Ursula Owusu-Ekuful emphasized Ghana’s commitment to becoming the ICT Hub for West Africa.
The global event, organized by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and hosted in Ghana for the second time, brought together over 600 experts in the ICT sector to discuss leveraging digitization and technology for development.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful highlighted Ghana’s participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution, aiming to capitalize on its opportunities to transform the economy and lay a solid foundation for growth.
She emphasized the crucial role of digitization in 21st-century development, stating that development cannot occur without pursuing digitization in today’s world.
“We commenced our digital journey in 2017 with the Digital Ghana Agenda, a vision to leverage technology to deliver public services, promote transparency, efficiency, and easy access to all citizens irrespective of location,” she said.
Mr. Daniel Mumuni, Country Representative of the CRS, praised the Government for its digitization agenda aimed at enhancing accessibility and productivity.
He stated that the conference would delve into the ways ICT and data innovations are significantly improving the lives of millions of people and enhancing the impact of humanitarian relief, development, and conservation programs.
“We hope to also advance global knowledge exchange and build capacity on digital development to drive more impactful use of technology for good.”
“We are excited to be hosting this conference in Accra where over 700 people have gathered from different countries to the country,” he added.
Established in 2010, the ICT4D Conference has expanded annually to become a globally recognized and prestigious platform for NGOs, community-based organizations, private sector companies, governmental and multi-lateral agencies, investors, donors, academic and research institutions. It serves as a forum for exchanging experiences in utilizing digital technologies and learning from one another.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of coups in West Africa.
The President shared his sentiments while delivering the State Of The Nation (SONA) 2024 in parliament on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, emphasizing the destabilizing impact such political unrest have on the country.
President Akufo-Addo highlighted the recent coups in West African nations, including the military takeover in Burkina Faso and the political unrest in Mali.
He voiced his worry about the potential consequences for regional stability, economic progress, and democratic governance.
“There is indeed Mr Speaker a state of palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of West Africa, raising the spectrum of regional instability which we thought have banished. Unconstitutional changes in government in parts of Africa, especially in West Africa through a series of coup d’etat and military interventions in governance testify to an unfortunate democratic regression in the region.
“It is interest of democratic growth that this development is reversed as soon as possible and we in Ghana continue to give maximum support to ECOWAS the regional body of West Africa and the AU,” he added.
In the past four years, the West and Central African regions have witnessed a total of seven military coups, with four of the affected nations being members of ECOWAS, a regional organization aimed at fostering stability and cooperation.
The series of coups unfolded with Mali experiencing a coup in August 2020, orchestrated by a group of colonels against President Ibrahim Boubacar Kaita. In 2021, Mali faced a second military intervention, this time against interim President Colonel Bah Ndaw.
Guinea witnessed a coup in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022, and most recently, Niger fell victim to a coup when General Abdourahmane Tchiani seized power in July. Beyond the West African borders, Chad and Sudan also grappled with military coups in 2021.
Since the early days of gaining independence from European colonial rule, West African nations have grappled with persistent political and economic tensions, posing threats to their progress and stability.
In response to these challenges, the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) was established in 1975.
The current members of ECOWAS include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
A country in Africa has been declared free from malaria for the first time in 50 years.
Cape Verde got a special status from the World Health Organization (WHO) because it hasn’t had any local transmission of a disease for three years.
Experts say this is a big accomplishment.
Malaria kills a lot of people in Africa. In 2022, 580,000 people died from the disease in Africa, which is 95% of all the deaths around the world.
The sickness is because of a complicated germ that is passed on by mosquito bites.
Some places are using vaccines to prevent malaria, but the best way to stop the disease is to keep an eye on it and avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
Cape Verde, a tiny group of islands near West Africa, has worked for many years to improve its health care and make sure everyone can get diagnosed and treated for illnesses.
The surveillance officers have been finding and controlling cases of diseases early, and also getting rid of mosquitoes.
Cape Verde has a plan to control malaria. They provide free care and testing for people from other countries who come to visit or move there. They want to stop the spread of malaria from Africa to Cape Verde.
This success shows how many health professionals, collaborators, communities, and international partners worked hard and were dedicated to the cause. “Cape Verde’s Health Minister, Dr. Filomena Gonçalves, told the BBC that it shows what can be done when people work together to make public health better. ”
Dr Dorothy Achu Fosah, from the WHO Africa office, said her organization is happy with the results and with the fact that malaria has been eliminated from the country.
Health experts say that Cape Verde has done an impressive job in controlling and getting rid of a disease. Other small countries can learn from their success and see that their methods can be effective.
Malaria used to be on all of Cape Verde’s nine inhabited islands, but now it’s only on one island, Sáo Tiago. The last efforts to get rid of it are focused there.
DrAchu from the WHO said that the country being made up of many islands is also a big reason for its success.
It’s easier to track the spread of the disease on an island compared to a big piece of land.
In Nigeria, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, many people move between countries, which makes it hard for one country to get rid of the disease by itself.
DrTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, said that Cape Verde’s success in fighting malaria gives us hope that we can use tools, including vaccines, to dream of a world without malaria.
Mauritius, an island nation in Africa, was the last country in sub-Saharan Africa to be declared free from malaria in 1973. Algeria, in the northern part of Africa, got this title in 2019.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called upon all political stakeholders, urging them to prioritize the resolution of disputes through the judicial system in the upcoming general elections this year. This plea underscores the importance of a fair and legal approach to address any election-related conflicts.
Emphasizing Ghana’s distinguished position as the most peaceful country in West Africa and the second most peaceful in Africa, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia underscored the significance of preserving this esteemed reputation. In his remarks, he stressed the importance of not taking lightly the country’s standing in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Highlighting the significance of the upcoming general elections in Ghana, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia pointed out that 2024 is poised to be a pivotal year. Amidst the tumult observed in neighboring countries, he underscored Ghana’s distinguished status as an oasis of peace.
“I don’t think it just happened by coincidence; I believe God has His hand on Ghana, and we should continue to pray to maintain peace and stability in Ghana,” he remarked.
Speaking during the crossover service at Action Chapel International, Dr Bawumia underscored that while political actors may harbour differences, the 2024 general elections should not result in any form of instability.
“In Ghana, when we have difficulties and disagreements over elections, we go to court and we settle the matter in court.
“We will settle it that way and we will go back and leave peacefully and this is how I expect the 2024 elections to go,” the Vice President said.
The flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party emphasised the need for Ghanaians to remember the country in their prayers as it gears up for the upcoming general elections.
The World Bank has named Mr. Robert Taliercio O’Brien as the Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in the Western and Central Africa Region, effective January 2nd, 2024.
Mr. Taliercio will be stationed at the World Bank’s Accra Office.
An American national, Mr. Taliercio has been part of the World Bank since 2000, initially joining as a Young Professional in the Africa region.
Over the years, he has held various roles such as Practice Manager, Lead Economist, and Country Economist in regions like East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and Africa.
His recent assignment was as the Regional Director in the Latin America and Caribbean Region for the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI) Department.
Before joining the World Bank, Mr. Taliercio served as a Lecturer in Public Finance at the Harvard Institute for International Development.
He also worked as a Manager for HIID’s Program on Investment Appraisal and Management and held a visiting professor role at the Bolivian Catholic University.
Mr. Taliercio’s contributions to public finance policy and administration have been recognized with service awards from the Ministers of Finance of the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
In his new role, Mr. Taliercio will focus on three key priorities: leading the Bank’s strategic dialogue with the designated countries, supporting the implementation of the Africa Region’s priorities, deepening policy dialogue and partnership with governments and stakeholders, and overseeing the delivery and implementation of the lending and non-lending portfolio.
Mr. Taliercio holds a PhD and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. His extensive work on public finance policy and administration has been featured in academic journals, books, and development publications.
President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his vision to make Ghana the center of excellent medical care in West Africa by 2030.
Speaking at the Median Physicians and Surgeons Awards, he strongly indicated that a substantial number of the Agenda 111 hospital projects are slated to be commissioned in 2024, which marks the final year of his administration.
“Thus far, the construction of 86 district hospitals, two regional psychiatric hospitals, and the western regional hospital are ongoing which are all at various levels of completion. The average completion rate of the 89 projects is 52 percent. With work at some of the sites at 70 to 80 percent complete.
“Beyond the building of these new healthcare facilities, my vision is to help make Ghana the centre of excellence of medical care in West Africa by 2030, Leveraging on Ghana’s favourable status as the most peaceful country in the West Africa sub-region, a beacon of democracy and a land of opportunities.”
President Akufo-Addo’s administration launched the Agenda 111 project, also known as the Ghana Health Infrastructure Project, with the aim of addressing gaps in healthcare infrastructure across the country.
The project encompasses the construction of 101 district hospitals in areas lacking such facilities, two psychiatric hospitals, seven regional hospitals, and the rehabilitation of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
The person in charge of Niger’s military has said no to letting the former president go free in return for lifting the sanctions on the country.
Ecowas, a group of countries in West Africa, offered to help after a meeting on Sunday.
It has asked many times for Mohamed Bazoum to be let go since he was put on house arrest in late July.
His family says they haven’t heard from him since he tried to escape from detention on 19 October.
On Sunday, leaders from Ecowas met to talk about the problems in the region. There have been military takeovers in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea in the past year, and there have been two attempted coups in other places recently.
Ecowas keeps asking Niger’s military leaders to bring back civilian government as soon as they can. The group said they would send soldiers and stop trading with the country, but it didn’t work.
On Sunday, the alliance joined with local and international partners to ask the junta to let Mr. Bazoum go
It also asked the military leaders to make the change to civilian rule happen faster. Right now, they plan for it to take three years.
Ecowas did not say how long a transition period should be.
Later today, the military leader of Niger, Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, told the state broadcaster RTN that Mr Bazoum will not be set free.
Gen Tchiani agreed to make the change happen faster, but didn’t say how much faster.
Ecowas said it will keep its penalties in place for Niger after the general spoke.
However, it said it would make a group to work with Niger’s military leaders on figuring out a plan for change. Depending on how those discussions go, the restrictions would slowly be lifted.
On October 19, Mr. Bazoum and his family, along with some other people, tried to use a helicopter to escape from being confined, but they were not successful.
Relatives said they last spoke to him the day before he planned to escape.
Since the takeover, the family members have talked about the “cruel” way they have been treated by the new military government.
The 2023 World Bank Annual Report’s growth projection for Western and Central Africa stands at 3.4% for 2023, showing a slight decrease from the 3.7% recorded in 2022.
However, there is an expected acceleration to 3.9% in 2024.
The 3.4% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is higher than the anticipated 1.5% growth projected for Ghana in 2023.
The World Bank report emphasizes that countries in Western and Central Africa are grappling with the complex impacts of various interconnected crises.
These include factors like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to elevated global commodity prices, particularly for essential commodities such as wheat and energy. Additionally, challenges stem from the effects of climate change and the rising levels of debt distress across the region.
“They also face rising food insecurity, driven by challenges such as fragility, high levels of poverty, environmental degradation, and low agricultural productivity”, it added.
Moreover, the World Bank, headquartered in Washington, has expressed concern that over 41 million additional individuals in the region face heightened risks of food insecurity, with approximately 29 million relying on emergency food aid.
In a broader context, the World Bank is actively broadening its collaborative efforts to bolster and advance Agenda 2063. This strategic framework is geared toward promoting inclusive and sustainable development across the African continent.
“We support regional infrastructure networks, economic diversification, trade and transport, financial inclusion, human capital, and the resilience of people and communities. We are also focused on addressing fragility in the Lake Chad, Sahel, and Gulf of Guinea regions”, it added.
During the fiscal year 2023, the World Bank greenlit a total of $12.0 billion in financial support for Western and Central Africa across 73 operations. This comprised $564 million in commitments from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and $11.4 billion in commitments from the International Development Association (IDA).
It’s notable that roughly half of these commitments were directed to nations grappling with issues related to fragility, conflict, and violence.
President Akufo-Addo has called upon members of the Parliament of ECOWAS to address the concerning trend of re-militarization within governance.
Additionally, he has urged the regional community to collectively tackle the attempted erosion of democracy by elite groups and the alarming threats posed to democracy by terrorist organizations and armed criminal gangs operating within the region.
Stating what he described as three serious threats to democracy in the region, President Akufo-Addo said, “Democracy in West Africa is in danger”.
He therefore said the regional fraternity “must work even harder to entrench the principles of democratic accountability in the citizenry.”
According to President Akufo-Addo, democracy in the region has been seriously subverted by “the attempted confiscation of democracy by elites, who engage, through legal antics, in the manipulation of constitutional rules and the subjugation of the institutions of the Republic with the sole aim of remaining in power.”
He added that another key threat is “the emerging re-militarisation of governance with the intrusion, once again, of the military on the political scene, who have neither consulted nor received any mandate from, the people on whose behalf they purport to act.”
The President did not hesitate to also mention “the wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs, who seek to establish zones of lawlessness and the absence of freedom” as another deliberate threat to the democratic stability of the region.
Referring to the great British wartime leader, Winston Spencer Churchill’s statement that “democracy is the worst form of governance, except for all the others”, he stated that “modern history has taught us that tyranny, oppression, and totalitarian government do not last long.
“No matter how a people apparently reject democracy and civil liberty, circumstances would always force them back to embrace them.”
President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that “we cannot run away from the fact that our Region is confronted with a difficult economic, political, social and security situation.
“As all of us know, despite the considerable progress made by the Community, in the areas of democracy, good governance and the rule of law since the early 1990s, which meant that, four years ago, all 15 leaders of ECOWAS States were democratically elected, we are, at the moment, witnessing a decline in our democratic credentials.”
President Akufo-Addo was addressing the 2nd Ecowas Parliamentary Seminar, in Winneba, on Friday, September 29, 2023, under the theme, “Challenges Relating to Unconstitutional Changes of Government and Presidential Term Limits in West Africa – Role of the ECOWAS Parliament.”
Describing the prevalent situation as bitter and implacable, he said, “Today, four ECOWAS Member States are led by military governments as a result of coups d’états.
“This sad and unfortunate development has created a state of palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of the region, raising the spectre of regional instability, which we thought had been banished forever.
“Equally abhorrent is the culture of violence and disputes that characterise the periods of electing some of our leaders.
Mentioning the election of Mohammed Bazoum in Niger as a recognition of the common will of the people, he said “That is why the coup against him is particularly tragic for the consolidation of democracy in our region.”
He that, “the only legitimacy for any leader is through a mandate that is given freely by the people in a fair, peaceful and transparent election.
“This is the most tangible and objective way to know and recognize the common will, which is the will of the people.”
That is why, he continued, “any attempt at the manipulation of opinion and of the rules of the democratic game for partisan political ends always leads to a loss of legitimacy, which is reflected in the social tensions it creates.
“We must distinguish between legality and legitimacy because our region will only experience genuine stability if our powers are imbued with both legality and legitimacy.”
“The true purpose of democratic governance is to obtain the objective of free government, shared prosperity and progress, equitable and accessible justice and lasting peace for the wellbeing of the citizenry, he added.
He called on the ECOWAS legislators to ensure that one of the expected outcomes is to help “us understand even better the root causes of democratic regression and political instability in the region in order the better to address them and speak against the extension of presidential term limits by some leaders to strengthen their grip on power.
“These actions tend to result in discontent amongst the populace, which create fertile grounds on which military interventions disingenuously feed,” he observed.
The ousted President of Niger has requested his release through an appeal to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court, according to his lawyer on Wednesday.
Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown by his presidential guard on July 26, has been held under house arrest along with his wife and child.
His Senegalese lawyer, Seydou Diagne, disclosed that he filed a legal complaint with the West African bloc’s court in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, on September 18.
The lawsuit invokes his “arbitrary arrest” and “violation of freedom of movement”, Diagne said.
“We request… in view of the violation of political rights, that the State of Niger be ordered to immediately restore constitutional order by handing over power to President Bazoum, who must continue to exercise it until the end of his mandate.”
ECOWAS, which imposed sanctions on Niger, has issued a warning that it may resort to military intervention in Niger if diplomatic efforts to reinstate Bazoum prove unsuccessful.
Niger’s coup occurred in a region plagued by violence from armed groups, following similar upheavals in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. In September, the three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States, signing a mutual defense pact to support each other against potential threats of armed rebellion or external aggression.
If the court rules in favor of Bazoum, Diagne stressed that Niger is legally obligated to implement the decision.
The leaders of Niger’s coup have expressed their intention to prosecute Bazoum, who was democratically elected, for “high treason and undermining internal and external security.”
On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) reiterated its support for ECOWAS’s stance and renewed its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Bazoum and his family.
EU foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali emphasized the EU’s position that it does not recognize authorities arising from the coup and affirmed Bazoum as the sole legitimate president of Niger.
These statements came after Niger’s military-appointed Prime Minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, summoned the EU ambassador to Niamey, Salvador Pinto da Franca.
A student rode a bike for 4,000km (2,500 miles) through West Africa, even though he was arrested and had to endure extremely hot weather. He did all of this because he wanted to get into his dream university.
Mamadou Safayou Barry started his journey from Guinea to Egypt’s well-known Al-Azhar in May, in the hopes of being accepted.
The 25-year-old rode a bicycle for four months through countries that were greatly affected by Islamist militants and coups.
He said to the BBC that he was extremely pleased to have received a scholarship once he arrived in Cairo.
The man, who is married and has one child, said that even though he couldn’t afford the Islamic Studies course at Al-Azhar or the flights to Egypt, he decided to take a risk and travel through Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Chad because he was inspired by the university’s good reputation.
Al-Azhar is a very important place for Sunni Muslims to learn about Islam. It is also one of the earliest, being established in the year AD670.
Mr Barry left his home to find out more about Islam, but he faced doubt and difficult situations in some of the countries he traveled through.
In Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, there are often attacks by terrorists on innocent people, and recent government takeovers have made the situation politically unstable.
“It is difficult to travel through these countries because they currently lack security,” he explained.
There are many problems in Mali and Burkina Faso, and the people there are very scared. In these places, people were looking at me like I am a bad man. “I saw lots of soldiers with their large weapons and vehicles,” Mr. Barry explained
He said that he was taken by the police three times without any valid reason – two times in Burkina Faso and one time in Togo.
However, Mr Barry’s luck changed when he got to Chad. A reporter talked to Mr. Barry and shared his story on the internet. This led kindhearted people to donate money for him to go on a trip to Egypt.
This means he didn’t ride his bicycle through Sudan because some areas there are currently in war.
He made it to Cairo on 5 September. His strong passion helped him get a chance to meet with the head of Islamic studies, Dr Nahla Elseidy. After talking to Mr. Elseidy gave him the opportunity to join Al-Azhar University’s Islamic Studies program. He also provided a full scholarship for Mr.
The dean posted on her social media accounts that the university wants to share its knowledge with students all over the world. This includes not only students from other countries studying in Egypt but also students studying outside of Egypt. Al-Azhar accepts students from every country, looks after them, and provides them with financial aid.
Mr Barry said he was “extremely happy” to have received the scholarship.
I was so happy, but I can’t explain to you how much. “I said thank you to God,” he explained.
Mr Barry said that he has forgotten about the difficult times during his expedition because he is now very happy to be able to call himself an al-Azhar scholar.
West African Sahel States, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, all currently under military rule, have signed a security pact on Saturday. This pact pledges mutual support in the event of rebellion or external aggression.
These three nations have been grappling with the presence of Islamic insurgent groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. Additionally, their relationships with neighbouring countries and international partners have been strained due to the recent coups.
The most recent coup in Niger exacerbated tensions between these three nations and the countries in the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOWAS has threatened to use force to restore constitutional rule in Niger.
Mali and Burkina Faso have committed to assisting Niger if it faces an attack. The pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States, states that any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more of the signatory parties will be considered aggression against all of them. The signatory states will provide assistance individually or collectively, which may include the use of armed force.
Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, announced the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States via his social media account, stating, “I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework.”
All three nations were previously members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint force, which also included Chad and Mauritania. The alliance was launched in 2017 to combat Islamist groups in the region. However, Mali left the alliance after a military coup, and Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum declared the force “dead” following Mali’s departure in May of the previous year.
Relations between France and these three states have deteriorated since the coups. France has withdrawn its troops from Mali and Burkina Faso and is engaged in a tense standoff with the junta that seized power in Niger. The junta requested the withdrawal of French troops and its ambassador, a request that France has refused to acknowledge.
Hugh Jackman recently became a big fan of Nigerian food after visiting a popular restaurant chain over the weekend.
The popular Australian actor, famous for his role as Wolverine in the Marvel movies, is now in London to shoot the next Deadpool movie. However, the production of the film has temporarily stopped because of the Sag-Aftra actors’ strike.
Hugh, who is 54 years old, is currently not busy with work. He is enjoying his time in the UK and recently decided to eat delicious food at a Nigerian restaurant called Enish.
The famous actor surprised the employees and customers at a restaurant on Oxford Street. His children suggested the restaurant to him.
A representative from the restaurant said that he went there over the weekend with his friends and they ordered a variety of dishes, including BBQ chicken for their appetizer.
For the main course, they had different dishes like jollof rice cooked with stockfish, yam porridge served with chicken, jollof rice with fresh fish, Ogbona soup accompanied by pounded yam and fried fish. They had Coke, Nigerian Fanta, and a big glass of Merlot to drink.
Yes, it’s true, Hugh tasted Nigerian Fanta and definitely enjoyed it.
The spokesperson said that it was the person’s first time trying Nigerian food. Their kids suggested that they go to that place. He liked his food and we saw him moving to the Afrobeats music in the restaurant.
‘He was a nice and friendly customer to have in the restaurant. ‘
Hugh made himself inconspicuous by wearing a cap and dressing casually in a T-shirt and jeans. But, he gladly showed his face and smiled for a picture that was shared on the Enish Instagram account.
In simple words, they wrote in the caption: ‘Hugh Jackman visited our Enish Oxford St branch this weekend and enjoyed some traditional Nigerian food. ‘
Enish’s fans really liked that Hugh enjoyed the food from West Africa. Some even called it “awesome” and one person said they love Hugh Jackman.
Another person on Instagram made a joke about someone needing to recharge themselves by eating fufu.
Now that Hugh likes the restaurant, there are many other places he can go to because the restaurant has branches in Brixton, Croydon, Finchley, and even Dubai. Additionally, a new store will be opening in Covent Garden on September 14th.
Enish, a company started by Olushola and Eniola Medupin in 2013, is now valued at £10 million.
Hugh has been seen at other restaurants besides Enish. In July, he went to The Waffle House in Norwich and had a big and indulgent meal. Hugh ordered a normal milkshake with cream on top and banana waffles. However, his main meal was unusual. Hugh chose waffles covered in cheese, mushrooms, and what seemed to be ground meat.
He wrote with his post: ‘I am enjoying a special meal just for myself. Oops I didn’t give any to others. ‘ “I don’t feel apologetic. ”
The actor from Les Miserables has a lot of free time because the filming for Deadpool 3, in which he acts alongside Ryan Reynolds, got delayed because of a strike among actors in Hollywood.
Ryan and Rob, who are famous actors, were spotted hanging out with local people at a football match of Wrexham FC last month. Ryan was able to get tickets because he is one of the owners of the Welsh football team, along with Rob McElhenney.
Marvel fans are excitedly waiting for Hugh to come back as Wolverine. He last portrayed the character in the movie Logan from 2017.
After a boat carrying migrants was discovered off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa, it is believed that more than 60 people are dead.
Video of the 38 rescues, some of whom were carried ashore on stretchers, showed that they included youngsters.
It is believed that almost everyone on board the boat, which was at sea for more than a month, was from Senegal.
To help stop more deaths, Cape Verde officials have asked for international action on migration.
Police informed the AFP news agency that the vessel was initially noticed on Monday. Although initial reports claimed the boat had sunk, it was later revealed that it had been discovered adrift.
A Spanish fishing boat saw the wooden pirogue-style boat some 320 kilometres (200 miles) off Sal, in the Cape Verde islands, and immediately contacted the authorities, according to the police.
Four children, ages 12 to 16, are among the survivors, according to an International Organisation for Migration (IOM) official.
The boat departed the Senegalese fishing community of Fasse Boye on July 10 with 101 people on board, according to survivors quoted by Senegal’s foreign ministry on Tuesday.
Nearly everyone on the boat had grown up in the area, according to elected official Moda Samb, who also noted that several local families were still awaiting word on whether their relatives were among the survivors.
The ministry declared that it was coordinating with Cape Verdean authorities to set up the repatriation of Senegalese people.
According to reports, the passengers also hail from Sierra Leone and, in one instance, Guinea-Bissau.
The survivors were being cared for, according to Jose Moreira, a health officer on Sal, with an emphasis on rehydration and tests for illnesses like malaria.
We are aware that migration concerns are global challenges that need for international cooperation, extensive discussion, and a worldwide plan, according to Health Minister Filomena Goncalves.
Most importantly, “we all – all the nations – have to sit down at the table and see what we can do” to prevent other maritime fatalities.
Safe migration routes, according to IOM spokeswoman Safa Msehli, are “sorely lacking” and provide “room for smugglers and traffickers to put people on these deadly journeys”.
According to reports, the group was aboard a boat resembling this one when 15 migrants drowned in an incident in July.
It’s possible that the survivors wound up in Cape Verde, but it wasn’t their original location.
The archipelago is 600 kilometres (370 miles) off the coast of West Africa and is a major migratory route to the Canary Islands, a Spanish enclave that many people view as a gateway to the EU. It is one of the riskiest voyages a migrant may take, according to the IOM.
As is always the case with irregular migration, exact numbers are difficult to ascertain, but at least 67,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands between 2020 and 2023.
Just over 2,500 people died during that time. The IOM notes that this number includes all registered deaths. The actual number may be far higher given the route’s erratic and covert characteristics.
What motivates people to leave their homes and take such a risky voyage, then? Poverty is frequently considered to be a significant issue. Many people view migration to Europe as a way to a better life and to send money back home to help their families.
But there are also other elements at work. A large portion of West Africa is becoming more insecure, and Islamist insurgencies and coups are making an already difficult situation even worse.
In Senegal, there have been reports of violent crackdowns by the government that resulted in the imprisonment of opposition figures. Despite the recent announcement that President Macky Sall would not run for a third term, emotions are still high.
Ultimately, there are just as many motivations to relocate as there are migrants. Each person has a unique drive and background. It appears that at least 60 of them met a tragic end in the Atlantic.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, participated in the ECOWAS meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday, August 10, 2023.
During this meeting, West African leaders discussed their next steps in response to the defiance of Niger’s military junta, which failed to meet their deadline for reinstating the ousted president.
However, experts suggest that the regional bloc, ECOWAS, might be running out of viable options as support for a military intervention wanes. (AP Photo/Gbemiga Olamikan)
In light of a military junta’s refusal to step down after seizing power through an undemocratic abduction of Niger’s president, West African nations have placed their armed forces on standby, prepared for a potential military intervention.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a coalition of 15 nations, convened on Thursday and issued a statement that strongly denounced the unlawful detention of President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger.
While the final decision entails the readiness of troops that could potentially intervene in a matter of weeks, ECOWAS underscores its ongoing pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis.
President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast confirmed his nation’s involvement in the operation, alongside Nigeria and Benin.
Ouattara informed reporters that the coup in Niger constitutes a “terrorist act” and highlighted that diplomatic negotiations with military leaders have so far yielded no progress.
“We cannot let this continue, we have to act,” Ouattara said. “We will not accept coup d’etats.”
Any military action could be dangerous for Bazoum. Military junta leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani has threatened to kill the abducted president if neighboring countries invade Niger.
Tchiani has refused diplomatic negotiations from the West, including officials from the State Department, and entrenched himself in power this week by appointing his own officials to lead the government.
The situation in Niger has quickly spiraled out of control since the coup in late July displaced Bazoum in the capital of Niamey. ECOWAS imposed a deadline on Sunday to release Bazoum, which the military junta ignored. Leaders instead closed all flights in and out of the country.
Tchiani has justified the overthrow by citing an economic crisis and soaring violence in the West African nation.
Some in Niger have supported the coup because of concerns about corruption during Bazoum’s administration, along with a compounding economic insecurity and violence crisis.
Two West African nations have also supported Niger’s military leaders, Burkina Faso and Mali. Their governments are military-led and suspended from ECOWAS membership. It’s unclear how both nations might respond to military intervention in Niger.
The African Union on Friday supported the ECOWAS activation of troops.
In a statement, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed “deep concern about the deterioration of the conditions of detention of President Mohamed Bazoum.”
“The Chairman of the Commission calls on the whole of the international community to unite all its concrete efforts to save the life and the moral and physical integrity of President Mohamed Bazoum,” he said.
Executive Director for the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Chukwuemeka Eze, has raised concerns about the possibility of more military takeovers in Africa if the ongoing situation in Niger is not effectively addressed.
The warning comes as tensions continue to rise in the West African nation.
Mr Eze in an interview on JoyNews, emphasised the urgent need for swift and comprehensive action to prevent the situation from escalating further, stressing that the potential fallout from the situation could have far-reaching implications for the stability of the region.
“We did our analysis and we felt that there could be two more [situations] if nothing is done in Niger and that’s not a trajectory that we want to go again. This is becoming very very very worrisome,” he added.
Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa, has been grappling with political turmoil in recent months. The concerns stem from a combination of factors, including political dissent, economic challenges, and social unrest.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has intervened in the situation and has ordered ‘immediate activation’ of the standby force in Niger to restore democracy.
Speaking on the development, the security analyst entreated ECOWAS to take decisive action in handling the crisis.
“I think the fundamentals for me is whether there’s an existing protocol that forbids the coup d’etat in West Africa and whether these countries actually have ascribe to it through their national government,” he said.
“The fact that we did not act in Burkina or Mali the way we should act, also tells me that lessons are being learnt,” he added.
The analyst’s earlier prediction hinges on the notion that if the situation in Niger is not adequately addressed, it could serve as a precedent for similar events in other parts of the African continent. Military takeovers have historically been a concern in various African nations, and the analyst’s warning underscores the need for regional and international stakeholders to engage diplomatically and collaboratively to mitigate the risk.
The stability of African countries is crucial not only for their citizens but also for regional peace and security. The analyst’s warning serves as a call to action for leaders, diplomats, and international organizations to work together to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Niger.
The junta in Niger has challenged a Sunday deadline issued by West Africa’s regional coalition, which demanded the reinstatement of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, warning of the potential for a military intervention.
Defence leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) established a strategy last week, contemplating the possible application of force to reverse the coup that occurred on July 26. This strategy outlines the methods and timing for deploying forces, thus heightening concerns of additional conflicts in a region already grappling with a perilous Islamist insurgency.
The coalition is keeping the details confidential, and any intervention would necessitate approval from the leaders of member nations. Although several options, encompassing both military and alternative approaches, are conceivable, each comes with its own set of risks.
Ground Invasion
ECOWAS has deployed troops to regions of unrest in the past; however, this action is unprecedented in Niger and occurs in a region that is seldom so divided.
According to security analysts, assembling the specifics of a large-scale operation could span several weeks, and the prospect of an invasion carries substantial risks. These risks encompass the potential for being embroiled in a protracted conflict and exacerbating instability both in Niger and throughout the broader region.
Coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani has experience, having previously served as a battalion commander for ECOWAS peacekeepers in Ivory Coast following a ceasefire between government and rebel forces in 2003. This background gives him insight into the nature of intervention missions.
Nevertheless, for some, the available options might seem quite limited.
“If they don’t go in, it will be a major problem of credibility. They have laid down a red line,” said Djiby Sow, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Dakar.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has told his government to prepare for options including the deployment of military personnel. Senegal has also said it could send troops.
But coup leaders in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali have expressed support for Niger’s junta, and other countries have their own security challenges.
Special Forces Operation
This option would involve a slimmer ground force that would be quicker to assemble. It would likely focus on seizing key security and administrative sites, rescuing Bazoum from house arrest and restoring his government, said Ikemesit Effiong, a senior researcher at SBM Intelligence consultancy in Nigeria. ECOWAS could seek intelligence support from U.S. and French forces inside Niger.
“The timeline would be shorter and the capability already exists in the region. An operation of that nature would be more realistic,” Effiong said.
Risks still abound, though. Foreign troops guarding sites in the centre of the capital Niamey could trigger violence in a city where hundreds have taken to the streets in support of the coup – and against foreign interference.
Aiding a counter coup
Niger is a huge, ethnically diverse country, and Bazoum won the 2021 election with 56% of the vote. It is not yet clear how much support various groups will give the new leaders.
Security analysts and diplomats have also noted apparent divisions among Niger’s armed forces, who may not all be united behind the coup.
Regional powers could exploit that.
“The only operationally feasible scenario I can imagine … would be in the form of more limited support for a ‘counter coup’ by Nigerien forces,” said Peter Pham, a fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank and a former U.S. special envoy to the Sahel region. “I don’t see them coming in without that local element.”
Take stock, maintain sanctions
In comparison to the juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali, which have assumed power within the past three years, ECOWAS has adopted a more assertive stance against Niger.
However, there remains the possibility that ECOWAS might choose to uphold sanctions, refrain from direct military intervention, and instead advocate for a return to civilian governance following elections. The junta has expressed its willingness to engage in discussions about this option, although a specific timeframe has not been provided.
Even this course of action carries inherent regional risks. Imposing sanctions could undermine Niger’s economy, a reality that holds particular weight for one of the world’s most economically disadvantaged nations. Such a situation might inadvertently fuel support for the junta and extremist groups that extend financial support and shelter.
The foreign ministry of Italy has urged Ecowas, the regional organisation for West Africa, to extend the deadline set for the coup’s organisers in Niger to restore ousted leader Mohamed Bazoum.
“Diplomacy is the only available option. Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister of Italy, said on Monday, “I hope that the Ecowas ultimatum, which expired last night, will be extended today.
After ignoring the deadline, the junta in Niger closed the nation’s airspace late on Sunday. International flights were either forced to make a diversion or return to their home country as a result.
The army asserted that it thinks two African nations have started making plans to invade Niger but provided no proof.
Since the deadline passed, Ecowas has not released any remarks.
Convenor for the #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has announced his determination to persistently challenge Ghana’s political establishment, even going as far as invoking the notion of a coup d’état.
The activist holds the view that the mere suggestion of a coup unsettles the politicians of Ghana’s 4th Republic, making it a powerful tool to keep them accountable.
He expressed his perspective by saying, “When I talk about taking legal action, they dismiss it as they control the courts. When I talk about organizing protests, they dismiss it as they control the police. When I talk about revolution, they dismiss it as the people are disorganized.
“But when I mention a coup, they arrest me. Why? Now that I see it’s the only thing that makes you anxious, I’ll continue to mock you corrupt individuals with coup references until the people gather their strength and rise up! Or until you develop high blood pressure from constant worry.”
Barker-Vormawor is currently facing accusations of conspiring to overthrow the government and has been formally charged with treason felony. His arrest in February 2022 was prompted by a social media post that law enforcement interpreted as a direct expression of intent to undermine the country’s constitution, potentially through a coup.
In recent times, the West African region has witnessed a series of coup d’état events, raising concerns about the potential expansion of such incidents in neighboring countries.
Nevertheless, Ghana’s Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, has categorically dismissed any concerns regarding a potential military takeover in Ghana. Nitiwul has underscored that unlike other West African nations such as Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Ghana’s Armed Forces are unwavering in their commitment to uphold the constitution.
He highlighted that the defense of the constitution takes precedence over any actions that could undermine it, including coup attempts.
A delegation from West Africa, tasked with mediating in Niger after last week’s coup, has left the country after only a few hours, with no visible signs of progress.
The mediators, appointed by the regional body Ecowas, were unable to meet with the coup leader or the deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum.
In response to the coup, Ecowas has imposed sanctions on Niger and has issued a threat to use force if Mr. Bazoum is not reinstated as president. Mr. Bazoum has called on the international community to assist in restoring constitutional order.
Moreover, Mr. Bazoum has warned that the entire Sahel region may come under Russian influence.
Late on Thursday, the coup leaders in Niger also criticized all military agreements with France. It is worth noting that French troops are present in Niger to combat Islamist extremists.
The second quarter saw a 56% decrease in the average monthly imports of gasoline into West Africa, according to statistics from Refinitiv Eikon.
According to Refinitiv statistics, June loadings from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub to West Africa decreased to 629,000 tonnes from 895,000 tonnes in 2017.
Loadings decreased from 1.5 million tonnes in July of last year to 627,000 tonnes in July of this year.
“The key point is that demand from West Africa is drying up,” said Refinitiv Lead Oil Analyst Raj Rajendran.
Since the removal of petrol subsidies on May 29, the demand for petrol from Nigeria has seen a reduction. Despite this decrease in demand, foreign refiners from Russia, the Middle East, and Europe are now in competition to increase their exports of refined petrol to Nigeria.
Last week, The PUNCH reported an 84% surge in the importation of petrol from Russia over the past year.
Data obtained by The PUNCH from Argus on Nigeria’s gasoline European trade overview indicates a significant rise in the share of Russian petrol finding its way into Nigeria.
In 2023, the volume of Russian petrol imported to Nigeria has reached 24,000 barrels per day, compared to 3,700 b/d in 2022.
This increase in direct Russian gasoline flows into West Africa commenced in January, with cumulative volumes growing from almost negligible levels in recent years to approximately 800,000 tonnes year-to-date, as reported by Refinitiv Eikon data cited by Reuters. Despite the growth, the overall volumes remain relatively small for now.
“One of Europe’s main markets for gasoline has shrunk, threatening to squeeze European refiners, after Nigeria removed fuel subsidies, which destroyed much of the country’s domestic demand and a regional market for smuggled fuel.
“North America and West Africa, with Nigeria at the helm, historically have been the top two destinations for petrol exports from Europe, which produces more gasoline than it uses, meaning its refiners rely on exports to support profit margins.
“A steady decline in European refining margins in recent years, as competition from the Middle East, the United States and Asia grew, was reversed when fears of fuel supply shortages boosted profits after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the report said.
According to Refinitiv Eikon data, benchmark profit margins for gasoline in northwestern Europe have remained steady at around $27 a barrel. These margins have been supported by factors such as demand from North America, a shortage of high-quality blending materials, disruption caused by low wave levels inland, and local refinery outages.
However, analysts anticipate that the reduction in petrol flows following the recent upheaval in Nigeria could add pressure on European refiners. The potential winners in this situation are likely to be newer Middle Eastern refineries.
Since the removal of subsidies, Nigeria’s petrol demand has reportedly declined by 28%. As a result, onshore gasoline stocks in the country have increased significantly, climbing to 960,000 tonnes from an average of 613,000 tonnes between January and June, as reported by Jeremy Parker of CITAC consultancy, which specializes in Africa’s downstream energy market.
Due to its inadequate domestic refining capacity, Nigeria heavily relies on petrol importation.
On Tuesday, August 2, 2023, the top UN envoy for the region highlighted the potential deterioration of the security situation in wider West Africa if the crisis in Niger remains unresolved.
The UN secretary-general’s special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, addressed reporters via video teleconference from Accra, Ghana, expressing concern over the unfolding crisis.
“The unfolding crisis, if not addressed, will exacerbate the deteriorating security situation in the region,” Leonardo Santos Simão, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York via video teleconference from Accra, Ghana.
Simão emphasized that failing to address the crisis in Niger could exacerbate the region’s already deteriorating security landscape.
Additionally, the situation will have adverse effects on the development and well-being of the population in Niger, where 4.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
As the head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Simão offered support for the efforts made by the Economic Community of West African States to restore democratic order in Niger.
He issued a warning that without appropriate measures, the risk of increased terrorism spreading throughout the region is highly likely.
On the same note, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern regarding the reports of the arrest of several members of Niger’s government. Guterres urgently called for strict adherence to Niger’s international human rights obligations and the prompt restoration of constitutional order.
The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are determined to continue providing vital aid to the vulnerable segments of Niger’s population.
To ensure the continuation of this crucial assistance, all parties involved must create a conducive operating environment.
In preparation for the full operation of flights from the new Tamale Airport Terminal starting on July 31st, 2023, a gradual migration process will take place.
As of Saturday, July 29th, 2023, all flights to and from Tamale Airport will be transferred to the new terminal to facilitate the operationalization of this modern facility.
The primary objective is to effectively manage the potential risks associated with transferring operations from the old terminal to the new one.
Airlines have been duly informed and advised to notify their passengers to arrive at the new airport terminal ahead of their scheduled departure times to avoid any possible delays.
The Phase Two (2) development of the Tamale Airport Project, which commenced in July 2019, encompasses the construction of an Airport Terminal Building designed to accommodate an annual passenger throughput of 400,000. Additionally, a Multi-Purpose Terminal, a 5km road network (located off Tamale-Bolgatanga Road), and other ancillary facilities are part of this significant project.
The remarkable features of the New Terminal Building include a VIP lounge, two (2) Boarding Gates, two (2) Self-Service Check-in Kiosks, eight (8) Check-in Desks, as well as airline offices and commercial retail areas.
To ensure ease of access to the airport, a completely new 5km Road Network has been constructed as part of the Project Design. Moreover, the Multi-Purpose Terminal, completed in 2022, was successfully utilized to facilitate the transportation of Hajj Pilgrims during the Annual Pilgrimage to Mecca in both 2022 and 2023.
The phased development of the Tamale Airport is a crucial step in the comprehensive plan to establish the facility as an alternative Airport to Kotoka International Airport, with the capacity to handle Wide Body Aircraft during emergency situations.
Ghana Airports Company Limited is deeply committed to providing world-class facilities and services, with the ultimate vision of positioning Ghana as the Preferred Aviation Hub and a leader in Airport Business within West Africa.
Meet Ibrahim Mahama, the Ghanaian business mogul and entrepreneur behind Engineers and Planners, a leading heavy-duty equipment renting company based in Accra, Ghana.
His company provides rental services to major mining companies operating not only in Ghana but also in other African countries, as well as serving road contractors. Upon his return to Ghana from England in 1997, Mahama noticed the pressing need for equipment in the country’s mining and construction industries. Recognizing the opportunity, he ventured into the equipment rental space to meet this demand.
His determination paid off when he secured a significant sub-contract to supply trucks to Razel-Bec for the construction of the Ako Adjei Interchange in Accra, marking a pivotal moment in his entrepreneurial journey.
“It is interesting. We didn’t even own the number of trucks that the contract required at the time but we still made do,” he told Emy Africa.
Engineers and Planners, founded by Ibrahim Mahama, has achieved remarkable success over the past three decades and has become the largest wholly indigenous mining and construction contracting company in West Africa, as well as one of the largest in Africa. Employing over 3000 people, the company has made significant contributions to the region’s economy.
Taking inspiration from renowned entrepreneurs like Aliko Dangote, Mahama has diversified his investments, venturing into agriculture with Asutuare Poultry Farms, a thriving enterprise that produces hundreds of thousands of eggs and 10,000 live broilers daily. He also owns Man Bosch Ghana (MBG) Ltd, a prominent retailer of MAN trucks and other heavy-duty equipment.
Not content with his achievements, Mahama launched Dzata Cement, becoming Ghana’s first wholly-indigenous cement manufacturer. The factory, which began construction in 2011, is expected to create 1,200 direct jobs and has a projected production capacity of 2 million tonnes of cement per year.
For his remarkable entrepreneurial exploits, Mahama has received worldwide recognition, including the prestigious 2018 African Achievers’ Award in London, where he was honored as the African Industrialist of the Year 2018. He has also been a recipient of the EMY Africa award.
Born in Piase, in Ghana’s Northern Region, Mahama hails from a prominent family background, with his father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, being the country’s first Northern Regional Minister under Kwame Nkrumah. His mother, Joyce Tamakloe, is from Keta in the Volta Region of Ghana, and he is the brother of Ghana’s former President, John Mahama. Despite his family’s background, Mahama attributes his success to taking risks, continuous learning, and establishing the right partnerships.
After completing his secondary education at Ghana Senior High School in Tamale, Northern Region, Mahama pursued further studies at the College of North London in the United Kingdom. He gained work experience at a property development company in London before returning to Ghana to embark on his entrepreneurial journey.
In addition to his business ventures, Mahama co-founded the Joyce Tamakloe Cancer Foundation, which raises funds for hospitals to support the fight against cancer in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo has stated that Ghana is ready to work with Portugal to find answers to the country’s problems.
During his state visit to Portugal, President Akufo-Addo made the statement while meeting with the Portuguese President.
He announced the signing of an agreement with the Portuguese government to provide intelligence assistance to Ghana in tackling extremism in West Africa.
“It is particularly significant for us that at this time when there is so much turmoil in West Africa emanating from the Sahel, we’ve been able to sign this defence cooperation with Portugal.”
“I assure President de Sousa that Ghana will continue to collaborate with Portugal to find solutions to challenges such as the eradication of widespread poverty, insecurity and human rights violation, terrorism and violent extremism,” he stated.
President Akufo-Addo embarked on an official visit to Portugal on Monday.
Subsequently, he is scheduled to travel to Italy, where he will serve as the keynote speaker for the European Corporate Council on Africa and Middle East (ECAM) Annual Summit from 23rd to 24th July. During his time in Italy, he will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to discuss matters of mutual interest between the two nations.
Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), Dr Kwaku Afriyie, has advocated for a new approach to farming and agriculture in general to help raise food production and alleviate West Africa’s glaring food insecurity.
Dr. Afriyie believes that more collaboration between the public and commercial sectors, particularly universities and research institutions, is vital to building an environment that fosters innovation and empowers farmers to achieve agricultural greatness.
He stated that securing food security in the whole subregion, including Ghana, remained a critical concern that demanded immediate attention and coordinated efforts from all parties.
Fostering collaborations, sharing knowledge, and supporting technology transfer, he says, are critical to ensuring farmers have access to the tools and skills they need to prosper.
“The role of science and technology in advancing agricultural production cannot be overemphasised.
We must leverage the power of scientific discoveries to help our farmers produce more while losing less, boost productivity, and improve livelihoods.
Dr. Afriyie made the announcement at the 34th ordinary session of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) Board of Directors meeting, which was sponsored by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Ghana last Tuesday in Accra.
Mansa Musa I, also known as Musa Keita I, was the tenth emperor of the Mali Empire, which was among the most prominent empires in West Africa. He is widely regarded as the richest person in history, with an estimated wealth exceeding $400 billion. His reign spanned from 1312 to 1337, and his opulence has earned him a place among the wealthiest individuals in recorded history.
Early Life and Rise to Power:
Mansa Musa I, born in 1280 in the town of Niani (now in Guinea), had a notable lineage as the son of Faga Laye, a revered leader of the Mandinka people and the founder of the Mali Empire. Additionally, he was the brother of Sundiata Keita, the renowned founder of the Mali Empire.
Mansa Musa I ascended to power following the expedition of Abu-Bakr II, who is said to have ventured across the Atlantic Ocean. Due to his immense wealth and military strength, Mansa Musa I was chosen as Abu-Bakr II’s successor.
Wealth and Achievements:
Mansa Musa I was known for his immense wealth and generosity. He was a devout Muslim who went on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 accompanied by a caravan of thousands of people and carrying a vast amount of gold, which he distributed along the way. This pilgrimage made him famous throughout the Middle East and Europe, where his wealth and power were widely noted.
During his reign, Mansa Musa I helped to expand the Mali Empire by annexing new territories and establishing diplomatic relations with neighboring states. He also encouraged the spread of Islam throughout the empire and built many mosques and Islamic schools.
Mansa Musa I was also a patron of the arts and commissioned the construction of many impressive buildings, including the Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu, which is still standing today.
Death and Legacy:
Mansa Musa I died in 1337 and was succeeded by his son, Maghan I. He is remembered as one of the most influential and powerful African rulers in history and his legacy lives on today in many ways.
His pilgrimage to Mecca and the immense wealth he displayed during his journey inspired many leaders and traders across the world, and his legacy helped to establish the Mali Empire as one of the most prosperous and influential in the region.
His patronage of the arts and architecture also helped to establish a rich cultural heritage in West Africa that continues to flourish today.
A prestigious 2023 edition of the Global 2000 List by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) indicates that theUniversity of Ghanahas reached a noteworthy milestone by ranking among the top 6.1% of world-class universities.
This outstanding recognition solidifies the University’s position as the leading institution in Ghana and the second-best in West Africa.
The CWUR’s rigorous assessment process evaluated 20,531 universities worldwide, with only the top 2000 making it to the Global 2000 list. The rankings were based on seven objective indicators across four areas, which are, education quality, alumni employment, faculty quality, and research performance.
Scoring an impressive 69.1, the University of Ghana secured the top spot in Ghana. In the West Africa Region, the University of Ghana’s remarkable performance positioned it as the second-best University, just behind Nigeria’s University of Ibadan, which achieved a score of 69.5.
This notable achievement comes at a time that the University is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and is testament to the University of Ghana’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, innovative research, and holistic student development over its 75 years of existence.
The University’s impressive performance in key areas such as academic reputation, research output, faculty quality, international collaborations, and graduate employability, solidifies its reputation as an intellectual hub and provider of high-quality education.
Reacting to the ranking, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University, expressed her joy and attributed this success to the resilience, dedication and hard work of the faculty, staff, and students. She emphasised that this achievement reflects the University’s collective commitment to excellence and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.
The Premier University’s recognition as the leading institution in the country and the second-best in West Africa is a source of immense pride for the nation as it has long been regarded as a beacon of higher education. The University has and continues to nurture generations of leaders, scholars, and professionals who contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of Ghana and beyond.
With this remarkable milestone, the University of Ghana has firmly established itself as a leading force in academia, setting new benchmarks for higher education in Ghana in particular and West Africa as a whole. Background
Since 2012, the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) has been publishing the academic ranking of global universities that assesses the quality of education, employability, quality of faculty, and research without relying on surveys and university data submissions.
The ranking started out as a project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the aim of rating the top 100 world universities. It was quickly reported worldwide by universities and the media, and many requests were received to expand it. In 2019, the ranking expanded to list the top 2000 out of nearly twenty thousand universities worldwide, making it the largest academic ranking of global universities.
Details of the 2023 Edition captures the CWUR seven objective and robust indicators grouped into four areas to rank the world’s universities.
For Education, the assessment is based on the academic success of a university’s alumni, and measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have won prestigious academic distinctions relative to the university’s size and attracts 25% of the scores.
Employability is the second area assessed and is based on the professional success of a university’s alumni, and measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have held top positions at major companies relative to the university’s size which also attracts 25%.
10% of the scores are dedicated to Faculty, which is measured by the number of faculty members who have won prestigious academic distinctions.
On Research area, the assessment is focused on, Research Output measured by the total number of research papers (10%); High-Quality Publications, measured by the number of research papers appearing in top-tier journals (10%); Influence, measured by the number of research papers appearing in highly-influential journals (10%) and Citations, measured by the number of highly-cited research papers (10%).
Dr. Yakubu Akparibo, an aviation specialist, has recommended that government entrust the national airlines in the care of a private sector.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, he said that the profit made from aviation in recent times is not so much compared to previous times and there is the fear that government might run at a loss should it take the risk.
“I think at this point government should not put any investment in this airline and to me, even in the future I don’t think government should invest in an airline, they should leave it to the private sector,” he said.
“Now the profit margins in aviation is very small, it’s not like in the 80s and 70s, you know those days we didn’t have GSA and so many safety leverages and stuff, now profit margins are very small, he said. Leave new national airline to private sector – Expert tells government
Dr. Akparibo added that, when these state airlines are established, it could pave the way for state officials to use them freely for their official duties which could subsequently lead to huge debts.
“You know if it’s government-owned sometimes they probably would want to use it for official trips and travels and they may not pay and stuff and normally that leads to the airlines getting more debts and eventually bankruptcy so I think the government should leave the airlines to the private sector,” the expert indicated.
Speaking on the same show, retired international airline pilot, Michael Foli also said that instead of establishing a national airline, government should rather invest in domestic airlines to make them more efficient and reliable.2
“Government should rather divert its attention to helping domestic airlines, there was a time when domestic airlines were not being charged tax on the purchase of fuel, that was a way the government was encouraging domestic airlines,”
“I am not sure, I think this was in Rawlings’ era or Atta Mills’ era but now I am told by one of those operators that they pay full tax and it’s over-burdening their operations,”
“If a private company wants to set up an airline, sure it’s an open market, let them do it, let the government sit back,” Mr. Foli said.
Ghana’s new national airline, Ghana Airlines will commence operations in the third quarter of this year, 13 years after the country’s second state-owned carrier stopped flights.
The new name was announced by Finance MinisterKen Ofori-Atta during the 2023 budget presentation to the Ghanaian Parliament. Mr Ofori-Atta also stated that Ghana expects the airline to be operational in 2023.
Ghana’s Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda revealed that the airline would be based in Accra, Ghana and would operate routes to West Africa and future routes to destinations in Europe, North America and Asia.
The establishment of Ghana Airlines will bring the 13-year absence of a national carrier in Ghana to an end. This follows the collapse of former national airlines Ghana Airways in 2004, and Ghana International Airlines, in 2010.
B5 Plus Company Limited in Tema, the largest producer of steel in West Africa, was able to continue operating after facility managers paid GH20 million to settle a portion of their GH42 million debt to the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The ECG revenue mobilisation task force, which is headed by Laila Abubakari, Manager of External Communications, rejected a previous proposal by B5 Plus managers to pay the GHc20 million in installments.
Laila Abubakari claims that despite blaming the economy and the exchange rate for their inability to pay their bills, ECG is also having the same problems. As a result, the company decided to start a one-month revenue mobilisation exercise in an effort to pay off some of its debts.
The Electricity Company of Ghana has disconnected several customers as it embarked on a nationwide revenue mobilisation exercise which began on Monday, March 20, 2023.
In the Volta and Oti Regions, ECG officials visited customers like Volta Serene, Abutia Stone Quarry, UHAS, and HTU who owed electricity bills.
The company disconnected KFC for owing GH¢68,000, Ho Airport for owing GH¢63,000, GRA Office for owing GH¢55,000, CEPS training academy for owing GH¢80,000 and Ho Technical University for owing GH¢402,000.
However, Ho technical university paid GH¢200,000 after crunch talks with the ECG and has been told to settle the arrears by end of March 2023.
The exercise also saw some companies make payments like the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) which paid GH¢1 million out of GH¢1.4million.
The company is set to visit Ho teaching hospital, and theNational Communications Authority among others to retrieve about GH¢5 million within the Ho Municipality.
Energy Minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh says Ghana is ready to become the energy hub of the West African sub-region by leading the agenda for providing reliable and sustainable energy to stimulate socio-economic growth.
He made this known while speaking at North Africa and Europe Energy Exhibition and Conference (NAEPEC) still underway in Barcelona, Spain.
Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh said in order to achieve the vision of becoming the energy hub of the West African sub-region, the government has developed policies and strategies to ensure the smooth operations of the sector.
The Minister indicated further that the global energy transition presents Ghana and probably the entire globe, with an opportunity to improve on our existing policies and initiatives to foster the development of all sectors of our economies through the provision of affordable and reliable energy and importantly, improve on even the quality of the air we breathe.
Read His Statement Below
On Monday, 13th March, 2023, I asked investors and global energy decision makers gathered at this year’s North Africa and Europe Energy Exhibition and Conference (NAEPEC) still underway in Barcelona, Spain, to explore the several opportunities in Ghana’s energy sector for the mutual benefit of both Ghana and the investors.
Speaking on the topic: “Ghana’s current Energy Sector initiatives, the global energy transition, and opportunities available in Ghana’s near – term initiatives and projects”, the very first keynote speech of the conference, I indicated clearly, that Ghana stands as a beacon for the African continent with energy access of 88.75% and is ready to become the energy hub of the West African sub-region through leading the agenda for providing reliable and sustainable energy to stimulate socio-economic growth. This, I said, has made government develop policies and strategies to ensure the smooth operations of the sector.
I further rehashed that, the global energy transition presents Ghana and probably the entire globe, with an opportunity to improve on our existing policies and initiatives to foster the development of all sectors of our economies through the provision of affordable and reliable energy and importantly, improve on even the quality of the air we breathe.
Indeed, I also said that Ghana’s US$562.00 billion Energy Transition Framework aims to provide the optimal and sustainable pathway for fuel supply security, diversified energy mix and cost-efficient electricity generation with an estimated medium to long term average electricity generation tariff of US$4.5cents/kwh to accelerate the socio-economic development of Ghana
I told the gathering that, Ghana is endowed with critical metals such as lithium, manganese, iron ore, among others, which are essential for the manufacturing of clean energy technologies such as lithium-ion batteries for both power and e-mobility sectors. Ghana and the world as a whole, I said, must leverage on these resources to develop the needed green infrastructure and technologies through value creation along the entire mineral value chain.
As we continue to project Ghana positively on the international front, in the context of our abundant natural resources, strong democratic credentials, a tested Constitution and a thriving independent media landscape, backed by a sound legal and regulatory framework of the energy sector, I am optimistic that our engagements here will yield the needed results for the shared prosperity of our Ghanaians.
African women in the corporate world have shattered the glass ceiling and proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in leadership. These trailblazers are making their mark not only in traditionally female-dominated sectors but also in industries that are often seen as male-dominated.
A prime example of this is Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, a Ghanaian corporate law specialist who is the head of strategic partnerships for Africa at Microsoft.
Another noteworthy woman making waves is Carmen Kamgaing, the Africa vice-president in charge of distribution at Caterpillar, the world leader in civil engineering machinery.
Additionally, Anta Babacar Ngom Diack has been heading the Senegalese agri-food group Sedima since 2016.
In a region where women have historically been excluded from decision-making positions, these women are leading the way in sectors ranging from finance to mining and agri-food. With their expertise, drive, and vision, they are redefining what it means to be a leader in Africa and proving that women can make a significant impact in the business world.
This list highlights ten outstanding female managers from West Africa, recognizing their impressive achievements and celebrating their success as role models for the next generation of African women leaders.
#1 Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh
Nationality: Ghanaian
Microsoft’s Head of Strategic Partnerships for Africa
Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, a corporate law specialist, is the current head of strategic partnerships for Africa at Microsoft, the world’s leading software company with $198 billion in revenue in 2022.
Previously, she was the first woman to hold the position of Executive Director/Regional Manager of IBM for North, East, and West Africa, overseeing more than 40 countries on the continent.
Kyerematen-Jimoh’s outstanding career has earned her multiple awards, including the Global Impact Leadership Award from the U.S. African Women Forum and the African Achievers Awards.
#2 Carmen Kamgaing
Nationality: Cameroonian
Caterpillar’s Africa Vice President
Carmen Kamgaing, an engineer by training, is Caterpillar’s Africa vice president in charge of distribution. Leading a network of 150 cities across 50 countries and working with more than 15,000 employees and partner distributors, Kamgaing is responsible for ensuring Caterpillar’s position as the African continent’s leading construction machinery manufacturer.
As the leader in civil engineering machinery with a $48 billion turnover in 2021, Kamgaing faces rising competition in a rapidly growing African market. She relishes this challenge, stating that she is driven by action and results.
#3 Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu
Nationality: Nigerian
Amazon Prime’s Head of Content Acquisition in Africa
In August 2021, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu was appointed as the head of Amazon Prime Video’s content acquisition in Africa, positioning her as a key player in the company’s efforts to establish a foothold in the continent’s rapidly growing streaming market.
Drawing on her experience as the former director of West Africa operations for M-Net, a South African channel, Mba-Uzoukwu is spearheading Amazon’s efforts to leverage local audiovisual production and talent. By tapping into her expertise and insights, Amazon Prime Video is poised to become a dominant player in Africa’s burgeoning audiovisual industry.
#4 Delphine Traore
Nationality: Burkinabe
Allianz Africa’s Regional CEO
Delphine Traore, originally from Burkina Faso and an alumna of the universities of Pittsburgh and Boston, was appointed as the regional CEO of Allianz Africa on Nov. 1, 2021.
Allianz Africa is the African subsidiary of the German insurance giant.
Her rise to the top of continental finance comes at a crucial moment, as Allianz Africa announced in May 2022 a partnership with the African insurance leader, Sanlam, to establish a joint venture that will merge their assets on the continent, except for South Africa.
#5 Morin Oluwole
Nationality: Nigerian
Meta’s International Luxury Director
Morin Oluwole is an expert in business development and innovation who has held the position of international luxury director at Meta (the parent company of Facebook) since 2015. In this role, she oversees partnerships with luxury brands to help them engage customers in innovative ways online and shape the metaverse of the future.
Oluwole sits at the intersection of luxury and technology, leveraging her online audience to share insights on economic and commercial development, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and mentoring.
#6 Kate Fotso
Nationality: Cameroonian
Founder, Managing Director of Telcar Cocoa
Kate Fotso, known as the “queen of Cameroonian agribusiness,” is the founder and managing director of Telcar Cocoa, a company co-established with Cargill (a 49-percent shareholder).
In 2011, Fotso launched Coop Academy, a cocoa certification program that has involved over 30,000 cocoa farmers and has attracted investments from the International Finance Corporation, a subsidiary of the World Bank, in the Cameroonian cocoa industry.
As the president of the Syndicate of Cameroonian Cocoa Exporters, Fotso’s influence in the agribusiness industry is unrivaled.
#7 Busola Tejumola
Nationality: Nigerian
Executive Director of West African Content & Channels at MultiChoice
As the executive director of West African content and channels at MultiChoice, Busola Tejumola leads the development and execution of the company’s content strategy, driving its growth and results.
Tejumola joined MultiChoice in 2014 and has held various positions, including head of strategy and ideas and general director of production. Tejumola and her team notably relaunched the popular show Big Brother Naija, contributing to MultiChoice’s position as the most beloved storyteller from Africa.
TV5Monde’s Director of Distribution, Marketing and Commercialization
Denise Epote, a renowned journalist and influencer, is the director of distribution, marketing, and commercialization at TV5Monde and PCA of TV5MONDE USA and Latin America.
With more than 23 years of experience in TV5’s Africa department, including four years as Africa director of the future TV5Monde, Epote has successfully managed marketing and distribution for the channel in 48 countries.
#9 Benedicte Janine Kacou Diagou
Nationality: Ivorian
Group Chief Executive Officer at NSIA
Benedicte Janine Kacou Diagou, the daughter of Jean Kacou Diagou, founder of the New Inter-African Insurance Company, is leading the way as a worthy successor to her father, heading one of the most prominent bancassurance groups in the WAEMU zone.
#10 Anta Babacar Ngom Diack
Nationality: Senegalese
CEO of Sedima
Since 2016, Anta Babacar Ngom has been at the helm of Sedima, the Senegalese agri-food group founded by her father, Babacar Ngom. Under her leadership, the company has diversified its activities beyond poultry farming to include real estate and construction, acquisitions of other companies, flour milling, and a lucrative franchise contract with KFC.
International Mother Language Day was first established byUNESCO in 1999, and was formally endorsed by the United Nations in 2002 as a component of its broader effort to protect all languages.
Every year on February 21, the day is observed to highlight the significance of protecting and fostering the usage of mother languages in all areas of human development.
This year’s theme is “Multilingual Education: a Necessity to Transform Education”.
In a world where most countries are challenged in some way by migration, it is essential to focus on multilingual education to enable societies to develop the best kinds of education for development.
Most developing countries with a history of colonisation have had to decide what their official language would be: whether an indigenous language or a language of the colonial era.
All 16 countries in West Africahave an official language tied to their colonial history (English, French, Portuguese Creole). However, some countries have a widely spoken indigenous language, such as Akan in Ghana and Hausa in Nigeria, that can be regarded as a shadow national, indigenous language.
The language of power
Ghana has 81 indigenous languages, which are spoken by roughly 30 million people. Of these, 11 languages (Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Dagaare, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Fante, Ga, Gonja, Kasem and Nzema) are taught in schools. English is the sole language of instruction beyond lower primary level in government basic schools.
Research by Grace Afrifa et al published in 2019 showed that the English language “exudes so much power and prestige in Ghana”. It is seen as the “language of the elite and the gateway to success”.
Previous research by Kofi Agyekum in 2009 and Jemima Anderson and Gladys Ansah in 2015 shows that English is fast becoming the language spoken at home among many Ghanaians, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. The Population and Housing Census (PHC) of 2010 shows that 20.1% of Ghanaian children below the age of 11 can speak only English. It is worth noting that urban dwellers are more inclined to shift to English than rural dwellers, who are generally more conservative.
The 2021 PHC shows that about 96% of the literate population is literate in English. Roughly 90% of the literate population in the Greater Accra Region can read and write Asante Twi, Ewe and Ga. It shows further that about 45.8% of the literate population aged six or older can write two languages, English and a Ghanaian language being the dominant tongues.
Ghana’s National Literacy Acceleration Programme (NALAP) was implemented across 20 districts as a pilot project in the 2009/2010 academic year to facilitate a comprehensive and innovative multilingual approach to education. The programme sought to teach children from kindergarten to lower primary in the indigenous language common to their school’s locality. The aim was to help children acquire skills in any one of the 11 main indigenous language and to improve understanding and academic performance. Research by the educational psychologist Tuntufye Mwamwenda in 2014 shows that NALAP recorded tremendous improvement in the learning abilities of children who took part in the programme.
This supports theories which suggest that when children are taught in their indigenous language, they understand better because they have acquired more vocabulary in the language from home and interaction with other speakers in the community. The current language policy promotes a transition from the indigenous language as the sole medium of instruction in lower primary school to English. This means children get to learn a second language (English) using their first language as a base.
Research shows that children who are supported to master their mother language “tend to encounter fewer problems with regard to speech, listening, reading and writing when it comes to learning a second language”.
Valuing heritage
Many children in urban and peri-urban homes watch cartoons in English at home after school and at the weekend. Preschool children learn children’s rhymes in English from TV and phones/tablets. This extends the usage of English from school to home. It leaves children with little time to interact with others in their indigenous language.
One question that comes to mind is this: is it possible to produce cartoons with indigenous characters from folk stories who speak Ghanaian languages? Can such cartoons be promoted on national and private television and online platforms?
As an element of cultural heritage, language is an integral part of cultural identity, history and traditions. For instance, a study of the English language involves studying the grammatic and other features of the language as well as literature in English. This has helped to spread English culture across the globe. Similarly, a conscious effort to give priority to indigenous Ghanaian languages will help preserve Ghanaian culture and help Ghanaians understand it better.
The argument comes that Ghanaian languages have a limited vocabulary to describe complex concepts. My question is, what prevents us as a people from creating new words to describe these complex concepts? Just as the English language borrows words from other languages to describe concepts, dishes and so on that are not indigenous to its culture – think kwashiorkor, pizza, rendezvous, kindergarten and ballet – indigenous Ghanaian languages can also borrow from other languages for enrichment.
Picture courtesy USAID
As the government implements language policies to improve education in schools, what can we do to make learning easy for our children and also preserve indigenous languages? Some suggestions:
Parents should make a conscious effort to teach their children their mother tongue at home, especially in urban and peri-urban communities. I was born to an Nzema father and an Akuapem mother. That makes me Akan but gives me two different dialects. My siblings and I missed out on learning Nzema because Daddy was almost always busy with work and Mummy was a housewife who did petty trading. Quite the same story for most adults of my generation. We got to learn only Akuapem as our mother tongue. Daddy tried to speak Nzema with us when we were much younger but he stopped at a point because he was mostly away from home. In our adult years, we are Nzemas by name but Akuapem in practice. I am married to an Akuapem woman. We both love to speak what I call “Twinglish”, a fine blend of English and Akuapem Twi. We decided that we would speak Akuapem Twi with our children at all times. This has been helpful. We make a conscious effort to speak as much Akuapem Twi with our children, although Twinglish finds its way in there often when we are speaking with each other. To make their Akuapem skills better, they get to spend holidays with their grandparents in the countryside. Their Akuapem Twi is always improved by the time they return. I noticed that when they bring a school assignment home, we are able to help them through it using Akuapem Twi and English. This helps them to understand the concepts better. Our children (the eldest is six years and the youngest 18 months old) speak and understand both English and Akuapem Twi quite well. If they run short of vocabulary in either language, we are always available to help them out.
I have noticed over the years that many musicians, especially those who do gospel, are incorporating indigenous languages into English to gain more international appeal and at the same time share our rich culture. Artists such as Joe Mettle, Celestine Donkor, Diana Hamilton and Wiyaala are doing an amazing job in this regard. The same can be said of pop artists such as Kuami Eugene and KiDi, who use pidgin English and patois French mixed with Ga and Twi. This should be encouraged more widely.
Media houses such as Asaase and Citi FM, which are generally anglophone radio stations, have indigenous languages beautifully incorporated into their main morning shows and other programmes. These are ways we promote the speaking of Ghanaian languages and let the public know that it is okay to speak English fluently and also speak an indigenous language fluently with pride.
I remember when I was in primary school back in the 1990s, we were punished for speaking “vernacular” – that is, our indigenous language. This caused a measure of fear of speaking vernacular in school even as we struggled to express ourselves properly in English. English not spoken properly attracted teasing by colleagues and sometimes punishment from teachers. This discouraged some pupils from speaking at all in school. It affected their sense of self-confidence and self-worth. The situation is better now, but it can be improved. Beyond the school environment, we need to appreciate that people who do not speak English are fully capable of expressing valuable ideas in their indigenous language.
Language is an important part of our heritage. It would be such a breakthrough to have a national policy which acknowledges, in addition to English, at least one indigenous language as an official language that could be used across all levels of education as a medium of instruction. It is never too late to start.
Guyanese artiste Keshia Thomas, known in showbiz circles as Kaiya, has touched base in Ghana, West Africa, to explore the deep culture of her original homeland and reconnect.
According to the Loversrock and Pop star, coming to Ghana confirmed to her that she has a spiritual connection to Africa and Ghana.
“The first day I stepped foot in Ghana, I felt like I have arrived in my homeland. We the people of Guyana are not so close to our root unlike the people of Barbados and Jamaica, so I am trying to get connected to my homeland country,” Kaiya noted.
An artiste under the management of Linmart Media Solutions, she paid a courtesy visit to the Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the Presidency Mr Akwasi Awua-Ababio.
The Diaspora Affairs director expressed happiness at her visit and said Ghana remains the gateway to Africa. He noted that the continent’s doors are open to welcome her children who are lost and want to return home.
The Barbados-based singer and her management also visited the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Akwasi Agyemang.
Messrs Agyemang and Awua-Ababio urged the ‘So Nice’ hitmaker to use her influence through music to attract more Guyanese to reconnect with Africa especially Ghana in this season of ‘Beyond the Return: A Decade of Renaissance’.
The GTA boss also remarking to Kaiya that her “coming at this time and wanting to collaborate with Ghanaian artistes is timely,” also revealed that “government has plans to bring all agencies together from the Caribbean to collaborate with Ghana in the areas of film, music and other arts to promote the tourism and culture of Ghana and the Caribbean.”
While in Ghana, Kaiya aims to collaborate with Ghanaian artistes and also shoot music videos for her songs ‘Love Portion’ and ‘So Nice’.
The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has praised Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for leading Ghana’s digitalisation drive.
Annoh-Dompreh was reacting to news of Ghana being ranked number one in the 2022 Digital Competitiveness Index in Anglophone West Africa.
Ghana scored 66 percent on the index, half a percentage point more than Cape Verde, which was ranked second-best. Nigeria completed the top three with a 65 percent score.
The index was compiled by the pan-African think tank Digital Foundation Africa, and it measures and ranks which of the West African states is implementing and adopting good digitalisation policies while mapping the growth of its digital development sectors for socio-economic transformations.
The index was compiled using about 10 variables, ranging from mobile money and online transactions, to digital infrastructure and policy implementation.
“The Ranking would guide ECOWAS states in their approach in the implementation and development of the digital sector hence translating into how citizens transact and use digital in their daily lives. After the release of the index, activities will be held to engage governments and other stakeholders per country to help in the direction and future of the digital sector,” parts of a statement announcing the 2022 Digital Competitiveness Index read.
Reacting to the development in a tweet shared on January 24, 2023, Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, described Bawumia as an economic and digitalisation genius.
His tweet was a retweet of a feat as shared by a pro-NPP activist. He captioned his post, “The Economic & Digital Messiah.”
He stated that more waste management and recycling rules, as well as stronger producer duties, among other things, will be required to survive in the circular economy, even though policy making takes time to complete.
Olu Raheem was speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the ‘Plastic Recycling Transformation in Ghana – World Circular Economy’ forum, said it requires a wholesale transformation of the plastics system and can only be achieved by bringing together all links in the chain under a shared commitment to act.
According to him, Finland as a partner is ready to collaborate; and he urged businesses and organisations to demonstrate a will to act on plastic pollution.
Records show that an industry-wide circular approach to the global plastics sector has the potential to create 700,000 jobs and generate savings of US$200billion per year.
The Finland Ambassador to Ghana, Leena Pylvanainen – also speaking in an interview, noted that the circular economy portends huge potentials for Ghana, while adding that her country is keen on exploring partnerships between the two countries on it.
Among other objectives, she said transforming the way people think about plastic waste – seeing it as a resource and seeing it as full business potential – remains a key priority.
“It is about seeking synergies and forging partnerships. At the government level, Finland and Ghana have partnered at the World Trade Organisation. We worked together on bringing circular economy onto the WTO, and it is a cooperation we are very keen to continue.”
Several local stakeholders at the event acknowledged the need to rethink plastic, both to make use of its value and prevent it from damaging the environment.
The Chairman and Founder of Block Solutions, Markus Silfverberg, said the circular economy provides an opportunity to innovate, drive superior business results and better customer loyalty as well as job creation.
Block Solutions uses bio-fibre and recycled products to produce blocks for construction; and Mr. Silfverberg plans to construct 10 factories across Ghana.
By so doing, he said, they are cutting down their carbon footprint by 90 percent and also creating about 800 jobs with the establishment of these factories – and in the area of waste-picking as well.
Finland was the first country to adopt a national circular economy roadmap in 2016, the ambassador stated.
An emerging way for companies to combat waste and help consumers get the most out of their products is now referred to as the circular economy – the products stay in use for longer, then the idea is to recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.
United Nations officials announced on Friday, 18 November, a second shipment of Russian fertiliser will go to West Africa after a first attempt was blocked in European ports because of sanctions imposed due to the conflict in Ukraine.
The move follows talks between Moscow and the UN .
Secretary General of UN’s trade and development agency UNCTAD, Rebeca Grynspan, told journalists: “There are around 300,000 tonnes of fertiliser in the different European ports.
“The first shipping will get out of a Netherlands port going to Malawi, the vessel is loading right now. And the date that has been established for the vessel to go is on the 21st of November, to Malawi through Mozambique.”
As part of the implementation of the two agreements signed on 22 July in Istanbul to ensure unhindered access to food and fertiliser from Ukraine and Russia, the WFP earlier announced it would facilitate the donation of 260,000 tonnes of fertiliser by the Russian fertiliser company Uralchem-Uralkali to the neediest countries in Africa, with Malawi as its first destination.
Grynspan added: “Beyond Malawi, with the help again with the donation from Uralchem/Uralkali, the intervention of WFP, and the help of the World Bank and France, we hope that the next destination of the fertilisers will be West Africa. That has been very affected by the affordability crisis of fertilisers.”
Agricultural products and fertilisers do not fall under the sanctions against Russia, but because of the risks linked to the conflict in the Black Sea, shipowners no longer wanted to hire their ships because they could not find insurance.
After intensive discussions, Russiaand the UN have established a framework for insurance, financial transactions and other matters which is compatible with the three existing sanctions systems (US, UK and EU) put in place following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
Last week, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed on 22 July between Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the UN allowing Ukrainian grain exports from Ukrainian ports, was extended for 120 days from 19 November.
Some of the richest men in the world today are tech billionaires and business leaders from the West and China. However, the title of “richest man who ever lived” goes to a little-known ancient ruler from a part of the world that is more often associated with poverty than with unimaginable wealth.
Mansa Musa was the king of the large Mali Empire in 1312. He took the throne when his predecessor, Abu-Bakr 11, who Mansa Musa had been a deputy for, went missing while looking for the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Musa took over as leader during a hard time when European countries were being destroyed by never-ending civil wars and a lack of resources. The Mali Empire, on the other hand, was thriving because it had a lot of gold and salt and other natural resources.
Under this leader, the empire grew to cover a large part of West Africa, from the Atlantic coast to Timbuktu, a trading center in the middle of the country, and even some parts of the Sahara. Just like the area he controlled grew, so did his money and wealth.
The rest of the world didn’t fully understand how much wealth King Musa controlled in his land until 1324. Musa was a religious Muslim who lived in a kingdom where most of the people were also Muslims. He went on pilgrimage to Mecca, but he didn’t go alone.
Musa went to the Holy Land with a caravan of tens of thousands of soldiers, slaves, and heralds. They were all dressed in expensive Persian silk and carried golden staffs. Even though there is a lot of disagreement about how many people were in his group, the convoy that went with him was a big deal. It included camels and horses carrying hundreds of pounds of gold.
This show of wealth caught the attention of the people who lived in the areas he traveled through, since such a large caravan would be hard to miss. When he went through Egypt, he had an effect on the people that would last for more than a decade.
When he got to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and was forced to meet with al-Malik al-Nusar, the ruler of Cairo, his true character was shown. Ancient historian Shihab al-detailed Umari’s writings say that Musa was met in Cairo by a junior official of al-Nasir, who invited him to meet with other royals. Musa turned down the offer, saying he was just on his way to the holy land to make a pilgrimage.
His reason became clear as time went on. He didn’t want to see the sultan because he would have to kiss the ground and the sultan’s hand. After much doubt and persuasion, he finally agreed to the meeting.
During the meeting, Musa still wouldn’t kiss the sultan’s feet, and things didn’t go well until he gave in to tradition and kissed the sultan’s feet. But because he was in Egypt, he shared his huge wealth with the people who lived there. He also bought from local traders and gave them gold in exchange.
Then, news of Musa’s wealth spread to all parts of the world, not just in Africa. Even after he had died, which was between 1332 and 1337. By the end of the 14th century, Musa was shown on the Catalan Atlas of 1375, which was an important tool for sailors in medieval Europe. Abraham Cresques, a famous Spanish cartographer, made the atlas. In it, Musa was shown sitting on a golden throne with a golden sceptre, crown, and gold nugget in his hand.
From the huge amount of natural resources he controlled to the growth and development of the communities he left behind, Musa was a true legend whose wealth dwarfs that of today’s billionaires. Even by today’s standards, it’s hard to say what his wealth was like.
The Dagbon Traditional Council has passed a resolution to stop the use of weapons at festivals, funerals and other social gatherings following an emergency meeting with security stakeholders.
The decision comes after the traditional council expressed concern about the proliferation of small arms in the town.
Speaking to Asaase News, the executive secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Afi Yakubu, outlined the implications of using unregistered weapons.
“In Ghana, we are governed by laws, it is not everybody who can go out and go to the market and buy a gun. That is why we don’t have gunshots displayed all over the place,” Yakubu said.
“There is a criteria to own a gun in Ghana and it is determined by a law that was established way back in 1962,” she said.
The Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, who doubles as chairman of the security council, said that conflicts elsewhere in Africa have escalated because of the rapid spread of illegal small arms and other light weapons.
“Let me emphasise that conflict in the West Africa and Sahel regions have escalated and in recent years, due to uncontrolled proliferation of small arms that are illegally found in the hands of the youth.
“As a council it is about time, we gave advocacy roles in educating the youth and general public on the dangers of illegal arms and the acquiring of them. The potential of disturbing the peace and stability in the region in particular and Ghana as a whole.
“I wish to make a passionate appeal to all stakeholders to make illegal sales, trafficking of small arms and light weapons to the citizens in this region unattractive,” Yakubu added.
Criteria for owning a gun
According to Yakubu, “If you want to own a gun, you have to be 18 years and above. So, it means that those we’ve been seeing carrying weapons around may be going against the law.
“You must be of sane mind. Are you physically fit to operate the weapon? Do you have a clean criminal record?”
General Manager for Unilever, West Africa, Carl Cruz has reiterated the need to develop the youth who are expected to play critical role in the future of every country.
He said youth development remains a priority area particularly for the company which uses its resources in helping shape young minds as it is linked to the very existence of the company.
Carl Cruz was speaking to Joy Business in Tema at Unileader session dubbed “Journey to the boardroom” with some Unilever student ambassadors from selected tertiary institutions.
“This session forms part of our plans to groom the youth for the future by spending our time, effort and resources to do our part. It is important because this group would play a significant role in future of the industry here in Ghana,” he said.
The session which centered on leadership allowed participants and virtual audience ask questions relating to leadership, career, academic background, family, challenges, West African market among other areas.
With three decades of working experience, Carl advised the students to take advantage of the unprecedented interconnectivity and be able to adapt to changes as the world transitions.
“You should always keep learning regardless of the experience you have. To be able to do this, I must unlearn what I know to be able equip myself with the competencies, capabilities that is required of me,” he added.
Having risen to the boardroom through various functions in the company, he noted that successes over the years have certainly not been without challenges and failures.
The company is looking forward to succeeding in West Africa as done in India, Philippines and other markets.
“One of our goals is to discover our greatness in West Africa, specifically in Ghana, expand our portfolio and increase our positive impact to consumers here”
“And of course in the communities we operate in such as the plantation in the Central region, much more investment to come and bringing capabilities that are required to make bigger impact in the life of the Ghanaian consumer,” he continued.
Asked what could take West African market to compete with India, Carl Cruz responded that the market’s population of over 400 million inhabitants provides an opportunity if factors impacting business such as foreign exchange, depreciation and improving supply lines are dealt with.
One other important question that came up during the session was how the company was responding to inflation across the globe.
To this, Carl Cruz indicated Africa strategy from 2020 was volume led but in 2021 inflation kicked in and for 2022, the strategy shifted from being volume led to price led which is a temporary shift in focus to protect their viability.
Human Resources Director for Unilever Ghana, Michael Otchere Duah was excited at the outcome of the session.
“We see a different trend anytime we organize this programme looking at the quality of questions the students asked. Such sessions expose the students to various issues which help build their confidence in the end”
“Such sessions help spot talents and bright minds which we are able to track their development in school and through that they fit into our recruitment funnel into the future”, he explained.
Mechanical Engineering student and brand ambassador for Unilever Ghana at Ashesi University, Ernestine Sogah shared what she took away from the engagement.
“ There is the need to always embrace change as the world is evolving. Do not let your past glory interfere with your future goals”
She encouraged others to look out for future opportunities having being an intern in the past.
For Public Relations student at Ghana Institute of Journalism and brand ambassador for Unilever Ghana, Vincent Amedzake, the programme helped put his mind at ease considering Carl Cruz’s experience in the corporate world.
“The challenges he faced helped him become better version of himself and this will go a long to help me after school. One must also be ready to learn and unlearn when it becomes necessary. He also taught us how to listen to others”
Meanwhile, Human Resource Business Partner, Functions for West Africa, Paul Agbai advised the students to take advantage of the opportunities presented them including Unileader sessions, Idea Trophy among others aimed at equipping them for the future.
The Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO) has joined efforts to improve royalty payments and collections due the state from the mining sector in Ghana.
EOCO has thus become the newest member of a group of related agencies in the extractive and minerals sub sector led by the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).
MIIF is the statutory body that receives royalties on behalf of the state, manages the equity interest of Government of Ghana in large-scale mining companies. The Fund subsequently invests these dividends and royalties on behalf of the people of Ghana.
The Inter Agency collaboration is borne out of a framework to enhance the collection of royalties, expand the royalties net and streamline communication on royalties’ payments especially from non-gold mining sector such as salt mining, sand winning, limestone, granite, and quarrying.
Strategic collaboration
The collaboration which was initiated by MIIF in December 2021, has improved the efficiency in collections of non-gold royalties through collaborative efforts of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) which is responsible for the collection of royalties on behalf of MIIF, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) which assesses standards and accurate production measurements of minerals and the Minerals Commission (MINCOM), the regulator of the mining sector.
The Inter-Agency committee comprises officials from the Minerals Commission, the regulator of the sector, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, welcomed the inclusion of EOCO to the Inter-Agency. “The inclusion of EOCO” Mr Koranteng indicated “adds a new dimension to this all-important initiative and we will leverage on their expertise and infrastructure to help identify and collect royalties from these mineral types”.
Results so far
“Payments of Royalties from quarries since we started this Inter-Agency Collaboration in December 2021 have gone up by over 100%. For the first time in Ghana’s history, Sand Winners who had never paid royalties to the State are now making good their commitments and paying royalties.
“The Salt and Limestone sectors are performing above 200% on pre-November 2021 figures. We could end the year at circa GHc 30 million which was lost to the state previously” Edward Koranteng said.
The collaboration is also yielding reconciliation of data, collection of data and information sharing much quicker. We are dilating on the same information and adopting a singular multifaceted strategy because we are all in one room thinking about solutions and efficiency.
“This helps us to leverage our experiences for innovation. For example, through this inter-agency, the business development unit of MIIF has built a geo-mapping system covering most of the non-gold minerals.
“We are working together, with the relevant laws and mandates leaving no room for exploitation by those who want to take advantage of the system by deliberately living in the crevasses. This is the true benefit of working together” Koranteng added.
EOCO’s role
The Economic and Organized Crime Office established by the Economic and Organized Crime Office Act, 2010 (Act 804) is a specialized agency to monitor and investigate economic crimes and on the authority of the Attorney-General prosecute these offences to recover the proceeds of crime and provide for related matters.
“It has as part of its mission; detecting, investigating, preventing and prosecuting all serious economic and organized crimes in Ghana. The non-payment of royalties offends the law.
“There are instances where some of the practices of companies in the mining sector border on clear attempts to evade their payment obligation through very complex schemes.
“What EOCO further brings to the Inter- agency is a law enforcement muscle and also the ability to detect and investigate these practices” Koranteng said.
The Executive Director of EOCO, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah stated that, “EOCO has a mandate to investigate crimes and prevent the occurrence of same”.
“To be able to do this we need to better understand the mining sector to enable a full deployment of our resources, collect and package evidence professionally and to protect data collected.
“This is what we bring to the Inter Agency Framework”. We are excited to be part of an all-government collaboration.” The EOCO boss said.
About MIIF
MIIF is a sovereign minerals fund mandated by the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018, (Act 978) as amended, to maximize the value of dividend and royalties’ income accruing to the Republic of Ghana in a beneficial, accountable and sustainable manner and to monetize Ghana’s mineral wealth in a manner which would bring long term value to Ghana.
MIIF also has 100% ownership of Agyapa Royalties Company, the only state-owned gold royalties company in Africa. MIIF has plans to list Agyapa on the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange.
MIIF has invested in the Toronto, Frankfurt and now Ghana listed Asante Gold Corporation which has just opened the lucrative Bibiani gold mine and is on the verge of acquiring the Kinross Chirano gold mine in Ghana.
The acquisition will create one of the largest gold mining companies in West Africa. MIIF is also planning to invest in lithium and other upcoming gold projects.
LC Waikiki, a leading fashion retail brand globally, continues its expansion in Ghana and has opened its second store at the Achimota Retail Centre in Accra. This comes after the brand opened its first store at the Junction Mall in Accra last year.
The store openings in Ghana by the fashion retail giant form part of its plan to expand further in Africa in line with its mission, ‘Everyone Deserves to Dress Well.’ In the new store which covers an area of over 900m², the customers can find LC Waikiki’s special collections with wide choice of for men, women and children.
LC Waikiki’s Country Manager, Aziddin Zidi, speaking on the opening of the new store stated: “Ghanian market is one of most attractive market in Africa thanks to it’s economic potential, population and location in West Africa. It is a proud moment for us to open this store today as it signifies progress in LC Waikiki’s Africa growth strategy.
The two stores in Ghana makes us the second country in West Africa where LC Waikiki has expanded its brand following its success in the East African market and we are very happy about that. We are targeting more stores and more cities to be closer to our customers wherever they wish to find us.
Regarding our goals; we are planning to open our next store in Kumasi and we are aiming to be on 2 cities with 5 stores by end of 2023. From this day onward, our promise to the Ghanaian market is to provide them with quality and fashionable items and never will we go back on this promise.”
Globally, the Turkish brand continues its operations with more than 1200 stores in 56 countries, 357 different cities on 4 continents and 57,000 employees. LC Waikiki’s target is to have more than 1500 stores all over the world in the next few years. The company reported that they have had 530 million items sold in 2021.
From this day onward, our promise to the Ghanaian market is to provide them with quality and fashionable items and never will we go back on this promise.”
Founded in 1988 and initially established in France, LC Waikiki has been operating in Turkey since 1997 with the aim of making fashion accessible to everyone. Its mission has always been ‘Everyone deserves to dress well’. For 34 years, LC Waikiki has continued to expand both nationally and internationally with 57,000 employees worldwide and more than 1,200 stores in 56 countries, in 357 cities around the world.
Rachel Décoste landed in West Africa’s Republic of Benin in August 2018, anticipating an important journey of self-discovery, but not predicting the extent to which the trip would change her life.
On her first day exploring Benin, Rachel asked a passerby for directions. Two weeks later, Rachel and the stranger were engaged. Within six months, they were married.
Rachel grew up in Ottawa, Canada, the daughter of Haitian parents who’d immigrated to Canada in the late 1960s. As an adult, Rachel relocated to Washington DC for college, later working for a bipartisan tech program associated with the United States Congress.
Rachel loved this job, she loved the diversity of Washington and loved working in public service. When her US visa was up for renewal, Rachel, then in her early 40s, figured she’d work remotely for a few months before returning to DC.
But rather than working from Canada, she hatched a plan to set up her desk further afield.
Earlier that year, Rachel had submitted her DNA to an online ancestry site. Rachel had long known she was the descendent of enslaved Africans, but until she got the results, she hadn’t known where her forebears had lived. Now, she had a list of countries where she had roots: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, Ghana and Benin.
“DNA tests for a descendant of enslaved Africans has very deep significance for us,” Rachel tells CNN Travel. “Even though it’s not a precise science when you get the map of where your ancestors came from, it’s an emotional journey.”
Rachel arrived in Benin towards the end of her five-month remote working trip. She’d already visited the other countries on her list, and her African trip was shaping up to be an extraordinary journey of self-discovery. Nevertheless, Rachel didn’t know what to expect from Benin.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I could find Benin Republic on a map before this,” she says.
She booked a room in a bed and breakfast in the port city of Cotonou, planning to stay there for two weeks — working from the B&B and exploring the country in her spare time.
Following a couple of days settling in, Rachel ventured out for the first time. She planned to visit Ouidah, once one of the most active slave trading ports in Africa. She expected this would be a moving and thought-provoking experience.
“I’m sure that one of my ancestors passed by there, just because of my DNA test,” says Rachel.
Exiting her room, Rachel searched around for the manager of her bed and breakfast — she was looking for guidance on how best to travel to Ouidah.
“She’s nowhere to be found. And then I look for the security guard, and the security guard is on break.”
Rachel figured her next best bet was asking a passerby outside, so she opened the gates and glanced around.
The first person she spotted was a man about to get on a motorcycle, parked just outside.
Rachel greeted the stranger in French — as a French Canadian, French is her first language and it’s also the official language of Benin — and politely asked him how to get to Ouidah.
“You have to go to a certain intersection downtown, where all the bush taxis are,” explained the stranger. “You find the taxi going to your destination, you pay for your seat, and then you’ll get there.”
He started passing on directions to the intersection, but then, realizing they were a bit complicated, changed his tune.
“If you want. I can bring you there, it’s about 10 minutes away,” he suggested, gesturing to his bike.
It was about 9 a.m. Rachel was wary of trusting someone she didn’t know, but she decided she was unlikely to come to harm in broad daylight. She agreed.
“I take a chance, hop on the back of his motorcycle, no helmet,” she recalls.
Traveling together
Honoré and Rachel explored Benin together.
The motorbike-riding stranger was Honoré Orogbo, a single father and business owner in his thirties who’d lived in Cotonou all his life and just happened to be passing by that morning.
When Rachel opened the bed and breakfast door, Honoré had just finished eating some breakfast he’d grabbed from a nearby street kiosk.
From the outside, Rachel’s accommodation wasn’t obviously a B&B. Honoré says he assumed she was the owner of the house. It was only when she asked for directions that Honoré realized Rachel was a visitor.
When Rachel and Honoré arrived at the taxi rank in Cotonou city center, they realized the one heading to Ouidah was pretty empty. Honoré explained it would be some time before it departed — the driver wouldn’t leave until the taxi was full.
Rachel was disheartened. She didn’t have time to wait around — she wanted to spend the whole day in Ouidah without feeling rushed and to safely return to Cotonou before sundown.
Sensing her disappointment, Honoré came up with a suggestion. He had a friend in Ouidah he’d been hoping to visit — while he hadn’t been planning to go that day, he could, he had a day off.
“I’m like ‘Cool. I’ll pay for gas. Let’s go,’” recalls Rachel.
Just over an hour later, they arrived in Ouidah.
“He shows me how to get back — where the bush taxes are that I can get back that afternoon — and he shows me where the Slave Museum is. And I’m like, ‘Okay, good to go. Thanks, sir,’” recalls Rachel.
But before they were due to go their separate ways, Rachel asked Honoré if he wanted to get brunch. She wanted a bite to eat before she started her tour — and extending the invite to Honoré felt like the polite choice, he’d gone out of his way to help her, after all.
Honoré agreed, touched by the gesture. The two sat down to eat.
Rachel was aware that she was a woman traveling alone, and while Honoré had been nothing but polite and respectful, he was still a stranger, so she told him she was married.
She also didn’t share details of her job or her life in the US. But she did explain how she was hoping to travel around Benin over the coming days.
She asked Honoré if he had any friends or contacts who worked as chauffeurs or tour guides, and who might be interested in escorting her around over the next couple of days. She figured that might be easier than relying on taxis.
Honoré contacted a tour guide friend, but he was fully booked
“So I said, ‘Well, how about you? Can you be my escort? You helped me out this morning, can I just pay you to do that for three days?’” recalls Rachel.
“No, I’m not a I’m not a tour guide,” said Honoré. “I don’t know my country’s history by heart, and that’s not what I do.”
Rachel backtracked. She didn’t really need a tour guide — there would be experts at all the historical sites she planned to visit — she just needed a ride.
After a bit of back and forth, Honoré agreed to drive Rachel.
“When she insisted, I said ‘Why not?’” Honoré recalls today.
He wanted to help Rachel, Honoré says. She seemed like a “good person,” based on the way she’d approached him, the way she’d asked him questions and the way she’d invited him to brunch.
The two agreed Honoré would drive Rachel around for the next few days, starting that day in Ouidah, and Rachel would pay him for his services.
Growing closer
Here’s Rachel at Ganvie Lake Village in Cotonou, Benin.
For the rest of the week, Honoré took Rachel to Benin’s most important sites.
Touring Benin was a powerful experience for Rachel. She says visiting the slave fort, inside Ouidah’s Museum of History, “is a pilgrimage that every afro-descendant should visit to remind us of the cruelty that our ancestors survived.”
“I didn’t know this before going there in person, but if Las Vegas was taking bets on the survival of enslaved Africans, the odds of my being alive today would have been slim to none,” says Rachel. “I am a walking, talking miracle. I am the ‘one percent.’ I owe it to those who didn’t make it to live my best life.”
While traveling around Benin, Rachel and Honoré talked. While Rachel still didn’t disclose many details about her personal circumstances, but she found herself opening up to Honoré about her thoughts and feelings. Honoré opened up in turn.
“First conversations were about learning about myself, my family, my situation, who I am, who I really am,” he says.
“We were very open and very candid because we were strangers and we’ll never see each other again,” recalls Rachel.
She remembers being touched when Honoré explained that he didn’t have a new model of motorcycle because he put all his money towards his son’s education.
“He says ‘I’d rather have my kid have those opportunities than drive a fancy motorcycle.’ And I thought, ‘Wow, those are the values of my parents.’ I saw myself in those values,” says Rachel.
In one of their many conversations, Honoré mentioned his brother was a tailor. On their fourth day together, Honoré took Rachel to a market to help her buy fabric that his brother could make into a dress.
Rachel was overwhelmed by the choice — so much so that she asked Honoré to pick his favorites. He opted for two pieces of colorful, bright Ankara fabric. The third option was a white, gray, lace style, called lessi. Rachel loved it, and figured the resulting dress could be “appropriate for a baptism or some kind of special occasion.”
Honoré’s brother made clothing for Rachel and Honoré out of the fabric he picked for her at the market.
In one of their many conversations driving to Benin landmarks, Honoré mentioned to Rachel that he would usually travel to Lomé, the capital of the neighboring country of Togo, when he and his friends wanted a night out.
Rachel was intrigued.
“I can’t guarantee that I’ll ever come back here. This is a once in a lifetime trip where I’m getting paid while I’m working in a foreign country. I want to take advantage of every opportunity,” she remembers thinking.
“So I said, ‘Well, I have to go back to work this week. But next weekend, if you’re willing, I could get two hotel rooms and we could go to Togo together.”
The following weekend, Honoré took Rachel to a poetry slam night in Lomé, followed by a bar with live music. They stayed out all night.
“We’re dancing. It’s just pure joy,” says Rachel.
It was around this time that Rachel started to feel things shift. She felt comfortable around Honoré in a way she’d never felt before.
“We get along great. He laughs at my jokes,” she recalls thinking. “I had a bit of a meltdown a couple times — which I’m not proud of — where he didn’t freak out, because usually angry Black women scare people. But he took it all in his stride.”
Rachel even briefly met Honoré’s son.
Rachel and Honoré, pictured here on a beach in Cotonou, grew closer and they soon realized they had feelings for each other.
She described the situation in an email to one of her close friends back in Ottawa.
“I think I think this person should be my husband. But am I crazy? I’ve known this guy for a week. Is that stupid? Tell me if I’m crazy,” she wrote.
Her friend wrote back: “Rachel, you are not a stupid person. You have good judgment. You are a good judge of character. If he’s the one, grab him.”
For Honoré, the trip to Togo was a turning point too.
“I think it’s that night that the lightning struck,” he says. “It was not lightning but it was a feeling of love. I think that’s where the feeling of love started.”
Rachel only had one more week in Benin before she was set to return to North America. She decided she had no time to waste.
“I told him that I really wasn’t married. And he was very happy to hear that. And we got together,” she says.
“I was kind of surprised,” says Honoré now. “I thought a woman like that would probably have a husband.”
“Next day I saw her differently,” he adds. “Not like a tourist but my soulmate. That’s how the relationship started. Step by step.”
For the remainder of Rachel’s time in Benin, Rachel and Honoré spent as much time together as they could.
Long distance engagement
Honoré and Rachel often wear clothing made from matching fabric, a Benin tradition.
On the evening of Rachel’s departure, Honoré recalls sitting with her on a beach. He was enjoying the moment, but also considering Rachel’s impending return to Canada, and what it meant for their burgeoning romance.
“We were facing the ocean. In my head, I was thinking ‘the past two weeks that I’ve spent with you, I have no regrets. We had a great time together. I was really happy to meet you.’”
The two talked about the future, and if and how they could make a long-distance relationship work. They realized they were both equally committed, and so they decided to get engaged, and that Honoré would relocate to North America.
It was a big decision. They’d only known one another for a couple of weeks. And for Honoré, emigrating had never been a goal. It would be a big change for his son. But Honoré says he decided to “follow my instincts, to follow my heart.”
Meanwhile, Rachel quit her life in DC and went back to Canada. Rachel says her friends were shocked, but supportive and happy when she told them about the whirlwind romance. Her parents were more skeptical, she says. But they came round when they met Honoré and saw how in love he was with their daughter.
Rachel returned to Benin six months later, in January 2019, for her wedding to Honoré. She wore the dress made from the white lace fabric Honoré had picked for her in the market the summer before. It felt like fate.
Here’s the couple at Canadian wedding celebrations.
Meanwhile, the couple planned a Canadian wedding celebration for the following year, navigating Honoré and his son’s immigration journey in the meantime.
“I took the time during the separation to start preparing myself mentally and psychologically for a big move,” recalls Honoré. “I had to think about the huge life change that was going to be ahead of me, the cultural differences. I know people who went to the Americas and it wasn’t necessarily easy.”
Honoré also prepared his child for the move.
“I explained to him that, ‘My son, we will go to a different country and we will start over together. With time, you will have new friends, you will have new cousins. You will have everything you wish for. everything that you have here you will have over there, in time.”
Canadian reunion
Today, Honoré and Rachel live in Canada together. Here they are pictured at Niagara Falls.
Honoré and his son arrived in Canada in the middle of winter.
“It was really really really cold,” he recalls. “I just didn’t understand how cold it could be outside. Because the cold of Africa is a whole different kettle of fish, than the cold in Canada.”
Still, once Honoré was kitted out with Canada-appropriate boots, coat and mittens, he started adapting to life in a new country.
Rachel and Honoré say they were over the moon to be together. The months apart waiting for Honoré’s visa approval had been long.
Honoré’s son settled in very quickly, and Rachel adapted to becoming his stepmother, a role she says she loves.
“I’m embracing the challenge and the joys of motherhood,” she says now.
“It’s not easy when you’ve been single since forever to adjust to having to share your life. But he’s a good kid.”
Today, Honoré and Rachel live in Ottawa. Rachel works as a diversity and inclusion expert, while Honoré is studying.
Here are Honoré, Rachel and their son in Ottawa together
Rachel and Honoré are also bringing up their son together, and run a business selling warm, Canada-winter-appropriate pajamas with African prints, called Woke Apparel.
The pandemic put a stop to their big Canadian wedding celebration plans, but they enjoyed a small ceremony in summer 2020.
Reflecting on their journey together, Honoré says their story makes him consider that “sometimes you shouldn’t force fate.”
He sees meeting Rachel as “destiny” but considers moving across the world to be with her as proof of the importance of trusting your gut.
“Just follow your heart,” he says. “Follow your heart with reckless abandon.”
As for Rachel, she says their love story is a reminder to her that “it’s never too late.”
“You’re not too old to just travel alone by yourself, in a country that you don’t know, where you don’t know anybody. You’re never too old to find love. You’re never too old to become a mother.
There is no expiration date on opportunity. And grab life by both hands. If I can do it. You can.”
The board of directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has approved a total of US$250 million for five member states to boost the oil and gas, energy, road infrastructure and agricultural sectors of West Africa.
The beneficiary countries are Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
The approvals are part of the intensified efforts by EBID to invest in key sectors to spur up post-COVID pandemic recovery and mitigate the impact of the Russian – Ukraine war on the member states of ECOWAS.
This was disclosed by the president and chairman of the board of directors of EBID, Dr George Agyekum Donkor at the just ended 79th session of the board of directors of the bank.
In his opening statement, Dr Donkor observed that the impact of the COVID pandemic and ongoing Russian – Ukraine war have left many economies in tatters.
He indicated that the current market conditions have compelled investors to seek premium on investments in sub-Saharan Africa thereby increasing the cost of capital.
According to the president of EBID, this has resulted in dampening economic growth, wide-spread balance of payments deficits, unfavourable terms of trade, depletion of central bank international reserves, fiscal deficits, and debt distress.
Therefore, Dr Donkor stressed the need for EBID, as the financial arm of ECOWAS, to deepen its financial intermediation in all the critical sectors of the member states to assist them to recover from the economic challenges.
Present at the session was the vice-president of the ECOWAS Commission, Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, who lauded the tremendous impact of EBID’s interventions in the sub-region and assured the bank of the commitment of the new administration of the ECOWAS Commission to collaborate and support EBID in its multifarious activities especially in the area of resource mobilisation to transform the ECOWAS Communities.
ABOUT EBID
ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) is a leading regional investment and development bank, owned by the fifteen (15) ECOWAS Member States, namely, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Based in Lomé, Togo, the bank is committed to financing developmental projects and programs covering diverse initiatives from infrastructure and basic amenities, rural development and environment, industry, and social services sectors, through its private and public sector windows.
EBID intervenes through long, medium, and short-term loans, equity participation, lines of credit, refinancing, financial engineering operations and related services.
