Author: Giza Mdoe

• AfDB calls for increased financing for smallholder farmers in Africa.
• Agriculture Ministers back AfDB call for smallholder farmers’ financing.
• Less than 20% of African smallholder farmers use improved seeds.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is betting big on Africa’s smallholder farmers—but will this historic financial push be enough to break the cycle of rural poverty? The bank has unveiled plans for a $500 million risk-sharing facility – designated to unlock upto $10 billion in financing for small-scale farmers and agribusinesses across the continent.

Speaking at the High-Level Conference on Scaling Finance for Smallholder Farmers in Nairobi, AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina revealed that the bank is in final discussions with its Board of Directors to launch the initiative.

If approved, it could mark a turning point for millions of farmers trapped in subsistence agriculture—but skepticism remains. Will this funding reach those who need it most, or will bureaucracy and mismanagement …

• Tanzania has officially introduced Prof. Mohamed Janabi for WHO Africa Director candidacy.
• Prof Janabi is a member of faculty at Medical University of South Carolina, USA, and has over 83 medical publications.
• He speaks at least four languages including Russian, and Japanese.

Professor Mohamed Janabi has been selected by Tanzania as the country’s candidate for the post of World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa Region Director.

Prof Janabi is a member of faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina, USA, and is currently a special envoy to the Tanzanian President, as Senior Advisor on Health and Nutrition matters.

Following his nomination, he will be in the race to become the new WHO Africa Director following the death of regional director elect, Dr Faustine Ndugulile, on November 27, 2024.

The medic is a distinguished public health expert with  several decades of experience, and has held various senior positions in both …

• Laser-powered Taara Lightbridge, an firm owned by Google, is competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink to advance access to internet services in Africa.
• Taara is targeting some 860 million people in Africa who currently go without reliable internet access.
• Taara Lightbridge offers affordable, high-speed internet that rivals satellite broadband solutions.

As Elon Musk’s satellite internet services firm Starlink grows its footprint in Africa, rival Google’s Taara Lightbridge has stepped in for a share of the growing number of consumers in the vast continent.

Taara Lightbridge is the brainchild of Alphabet, the parent company of tech giant Google and is envisioned to become “a standalone company,” as it takes on Starlink “in the race to connect underserved regions with high-speed internet.”

Taara Lightbridge uses Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology to beam high-speed internet through light over long distances, unlike satellite broadband that Elon Musk’s Starlink uses.

The move into Africa’s …

• East Africa’s public transport sector, once synonymous with chaos and pollution, is now leading a quiet green revolution.
• From electric buses in Kenya to CNG-powered fleets in Tanzania, the region is ditching diesel for clean energy.
• Could this unexpected shift be the most defining leap to a sustainable future for urban mobility?

Across the populous cities and towns of East Africa, a quiet revolution is underway. The familiar roar of diesel engines is being replaced by the hum of electric buses, the whir of three-wheeled motorcycles, and the smooth glide of trains powered by clean energy.

Even Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is fueling fleets of buses and taxis, signaling a seismic shift as the region ditches oil for renewables. But here’s the twist: the unlikely hero of this green mobility transition isn’t high-tech startups, luxury carmakers or even woke government policymakers—it’s the public transport sector.

From Dar es Salaam to …

• Ethiopia is set to construct Africa’s largest airport at a projected cost of $7.8 billion.
• Set for completion in 2040, the airport will have the capacity to handle 110 million passengers a year and provide aprons for 270 aircraft.
• While AfDB has pledged ‘full commitment’ to fund the project, Ethiopian Airlines Group is engaging other financiers, including the EXIM Bank of China.

Ethiopia, home to Africa’s largest airline, has announced plans to build the continent’s biggest airport, set to rival global aviation hubs such as Dubai International and London’s Heathrow. Designed as a state-of-the-art airport city, the facility will have the capacity to handle over 100 million passengers annually, positioning Ethiopia as a key player in global air travel.

Already holding the title of Africa’s leading airline in passenger numbers, destinations, fleet size, and revenue, Ethiopian Airlines is now aiming for another milestone—constructing the continent’s largest airport. Additionally, Ethiopian Airlines …

• Did you know that the push to decarbonize the world requires immense volumes of copper? 
• Statistics show that the annual demand of copper could reach 50 million metric tonnes by 2050.
• However, large scale extraction of this vital mineral carries enormous cost to the environment.

Copper remains a vital mineral powering modern development, but its extraction comes at a significant cost to both the environment and economies.

According to the Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise and the Armourers and Brasiers’ Chair in Materials Science at Imperial College London, Prof. Mary Ryan, “Copper brought us out of the stone age, as an alloy, copper makes bronze and the latter is responsible for most all modern development.”

The scientist, in a report titled Mine copper without destroying the planet? she adds, “today, copper is the indispensable metal needed for almost all electrical wiring, plumbing, and industrial machinery… we owe a lot …

• Uganda’s booming second-hand clothing market supports thousands of livelihoods but generates massive textile waste, with up to 48 tonnes discarded daily, most of it ending up in landfills.
• While informal waste collectors and tailors repurpose some textiles, the country lacks structured recycling systems, exacerbating environmental challenges.
• The Uganda Circular Textiles Project presents a solution by promoting upcycling and a circular textile economy, which could create green jobs, reduce waste, and attract investment in sustainable fashion.

In Uganda’s Owino market, one has to muscle their way as stalls overflow with piles of second-hand clothing, with traders out-shouting each other to win bargain-hunters looking for affordable fashion.

From trendy jeans to branded jackets, the market offers a vast selection at prices that fit virtually every pocket. At the moment, Uganda is one of Africa’s largest importers of second-hand clothing, bringing in 80 million kilograms in 2023 alone, generating US$70.85 million in tax …

• Saudi Arabia’s Neom futuristic city estimated to costs in excess of $8.8 trillion.
• Neom features a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts.
• The city, which is powered by 100% renewable energy, is plagued by delays and cost overruns.

Neom, an ambitious fusion of architecture and ecology, is a futuristic city under construction in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province. Touted as an unprecedented mega-investment, it serves as a case study for policymakers in Africa, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of large-scale urban development.

According to a recent statement from Neom’s management, the project is set for completion by 2039. The name “Neom” blends the Ancient Greek prefix neo- (meaning “new”) with Mostaqbal, the Arabic word for “future.”

With an estimated cost exceeding $8.8 trillion—over 25 times Saudi Arabia’s annual budget—the new city is among the world’s most ambitious urban projects. Launched in 2017, it spans 26,500 km² and features …

• Tanzania to import 100MW of electricity from Ethiopia via Kenya.
• Regional power pools enhance power trade and reliability.
• Power trade builds regional integration, diplomacy.

Power trade—the import and export of electricity—is expanding across East Africa, with Tanzania now set to import 100MW of energy from Ethiopia.

The Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) will facilitate the import, aiming to reduce power losses and improve electricity distribution in the country’s Northern Zone. The government, in a recent statement, announced that this initiative aligns with Tanzania’s broader strategy to enhance energy efficiency and ensure a stable power supply nationwide.

By integrating into the regional power grid, Tanzania expects to optimize electricity distribution and minimize transmission losses. This move builds on previous power trade agreements with Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya, which have helped bridge energy shortages in border regions such as Rukwa, Kagera, and Tanga.

“This latest initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to …

• Aramco CEO says the energy industry should “abandon the fantasy of phasing out fossil fuels.”.
• At the moment, green energy solutions are too expensive for commercial viability.
• For Africa, while leaders welcome green energy investments, they continue to sign ambitious investments to explore oil & gas.