Author: Giza Mdoe

U.S. President Donald Trump reversed his controversial tariff policy after intense pressure from Republicans, business leaders, and a tanking bond market. The tariffs had triggered global financial turmoil, job losses, and sharp stock declines before Trump finally admitted the need for flexibility. Though the markets rebounded after the pause, the episode exposed the impulsive and chaotic nature of the policy’s creation and execution. Trump tariffs took a dramatic turn this week, as President Donald Trump reversed course under a storm of pressure from Republican allies, business leaders, and even close confidants—all warning that his hardline trade stance was steering the…

Tanzania is intensifying efforts to shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture by tripling its agriculture budget and investing in new grain storage infrastructure. Recently, President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the construction of 28 rural warehouses and announced plans to boost national grain storage capacity to 3 million tonnes by 2030 to address food insecurity and reduce post-harvest losses. With an anticipated bumper maize harvest, Tanzania is also engaging regional trade opportunities while tightening export restrictions to protect local farmers and stabilize prices. Tanzania has reiterated its commitment to transitioning from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture. To achieve this ambitious goal,…

Precision Air, a Tanzanian airline, faces severe financial crisis, including a $26 million UK lawsuit over unpaid aircraft leases, government refusal for a bailout, and investor Kenya Airways reconsidering its stake. The airline is technically insolvent, with liabilities exceeding assets, massive losses, and struggles to repay debts, mirroring broader challenges in Africa’s aviation sector. Despite CEO optimism about recovery strategies, including cost-cutting and fleet upgrades, the airline’s future remains uncertain amid industry-wide turbulence and skeptical investors. After years of reported financial problems, Tanzania’s Precision Air is now facing legal action in the UK with reports indicating that the Tanzanian government…

Availability of mobile phones, internet increasing agriculture digitization. Smallholder farmers still lag in adapting digital solutions in farming. Policymakers urged to prioritize digitalization  interventions for smallholder farmers. Across Africa, a new era of agriculture is unfolding, driven by the rise of farming AI (artificial intelligence)—a powerful tool that promises to revolutionize food production and meet the demands of a growing population. Increasingly, farming Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ‘future present’ of agriculture development as rising number of smallholder farmers in Africa adopt various digital solutions to increase productivity. In a recent research that looked into rural farmers’ experiences and attitudes…

Promoting global governance reform top agenda in BRICS 2025 summit. Dedollarizing global trade remains key BRICS focus. Brazil to host BRICS annual summit in July. The 2025 BRICS annual summit will be held in Brazil, the trade bloc has announced. “This year, the BRICS summit will take place in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7,” the Brazilian government said in a press statement last week. According to the statement, Brazil will chair the bloc of developing economies through 2025 and it’s top priority will be promoting global governance reform. It will do this by promoting cooperation among Global South countries, says…

Dedollarization has more than economic ramifications. China, Russia are slowly dropping dollar in their trade payments. To counter the wave, US President Donald Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on all BRICS countries. Dedollarization, the use of other currencies instead of the dollar for international trade, is gaining popularity among BRICS countries (and others), effectively undermining the dollar and threatening US global influence. Dollarization: How the dollar came into power Has the dollar always been the currency for global trade? The answer is a simple yet affirmative no. It is the World Wars (and very forward thinking lobbyists) that propagated the…

Critical minerals are vital for the green energy transition. The DRC is the world’s largest miner of critical minerals. DRC appeals to US to mine critical minerals and help stop rebel insurgency. Critical minerals are defining the green energy transition and the DRC is the world’s largest producer. Critical minerals copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and others including rare earth elements, such as lanthanum and yttrium are vital for the green energy transition. These minerals and metals are essential for emerging technologies powering electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and mobile phones among other modern digital devices and machines. “The country Democratic Republic…

By harnessing DRC’s vast cobalt reserves and Zambia’s copper wealth, a new joint project aims to create jobs, cut emissions, and position Africa as epicenter of green mobility. The DRC-Zambia transboundary Special Economic Zone is set to produce nickel, manganese and cobalt battery precursors. A BloombergNEF study established that the project was technically feasible and financially viable, at a cost of $2.7Bn. In a continent where competition and conflict often overshadows collaboration, two neighbouring nations are defying the odds—and history itself. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, who share a border fraught with regional tensions, are joining forces…

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…

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…