Author: Giza Mdoe

While others are still skeptical around the world, crypto currency is not only taking root in Africa but is now starting to bear fruit. The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced it launching its own national digital currency, the eNaira. This announcement makes Nigeria the first African country to have a central bank-backed digital currency. Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele says the currency will serve to accelerate financial inclusion in the country of over 213 million people. A lot of African countries are taking only baby steps towards allowing the use of cryptocurrencies and may are warning their public to be…

In June, the Voice of America reported that a bomb had gone off at a market in Tigray at about 1 pm, right when the market would be at its busiest time. At least 43 people were killed and dozens of others wounded.

This was June 22, a day after Ethiopia held its sixth national elections and a fortnight from the commencement of the second filling of the GERD.

Will fighting in Tigray deter Ethiopia’s GERD plans?

The report cited several African countries as the source of mukula rosewood feeding the world’s illegal market. The report points at several high government officials in the countries, including Zambia. The report also calls for instituting a zero export quota on mukula; however, two years down the road after the CITES resolution, much remains to be desired on a commitment to upholding the protection of mukula trees. 

The report raised serious concern about the implementation of the recent international protection granted to the threatened mukula tree by the CITES. 

As of the sitting of the CITES back in 2019, the EIA estimates that over 50 40-foot containers of mukula logs had been illegally exported every single month between 2017 and 2019, and that investigation focused on Zambia alone. 

African countries have dire shortage of energy supply and many cannot even meet their minimum required base-load, so why is a continent rich in uranium, so slow to use this clean energy source to meet its power supply needs? The answer lies in the world’s fear for nuclear armament, that is to say, should African countries be allowed to enrich uranium, they may also be able to arm themselves with nuclear weapons; at least that is the broad simplified query. So is it feasible to consider commercial nuclear power for say sub-Saharan Africa, especially in light of advanced nuclear technologies…

The government of Tanzania has received 1.3tri/- as Covid-19 relief package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Now the government has announced plans to implement a score of projects that will be financed with this fund in a move it says, will help the private sector’s liquidity. As part of its own fiscal policies to cushion the economy from the negative effects of the global pandemic, the government, through the Central Bank has also released another 1tri/- to commercial banks in a bid to increase their lending capacity. With these funds, the Central Bank released funding and IMF funding that…

Youth unemployment is a global concern but in less developed countries, it makes the difference between economic stability and retardation. For East Africa, youth unemployment endangers the future of the region, especially as the world moves more and more to a technology-based digital economy. The need to educate and create employment opportunities for youth is of more urgency now than ever before. For example in Tanzania, the national unemployment rate for 2020 was 2.6 per cent, a 0.2 increase from the previous year. However, when you look at youth unemployment the figure is much higher. According to the International Labour…

For the third year in a row, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park has been crowned the ‘Best National Park in Africa.’ Impressive and commendable, but is Tanzania capitalizing on this accreditation? The World Travel Awards (WTA) have recognized ‘the cradle of mankind’ as Africa’s top tourist destination. Tanzania, as a country, was voted the top tourist destination. To put it in WTA’s words; “Tanzania – with its national parks, wildlife and palm-fringed beaches – was voted Africa’s Leading Destination…” Such accolades should translate to having tourists visiting the park increase every year compared to other national parks on the continent and…

After major reforms that rocked its mineral and energy sectors less than a decade ago, mineral and energy-rich Tanzania is again doing an overhaul of the two sectors, this time not to short leash investors but rather, to ‘rebuild broken bridges.’ A key area that is slotted for a facelift is the very lucrative Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector which the country’s new Energy Minister January Makamba shortlisted as a sector of much interest that is yet to meet its full potential. The sector minister was firm, change is coming to the sector and since charity begins at home, for…

The country is nonetheless instituting economic reforms aimed at empowering the private sector and attracting foreign investment in abid to diversify the economy. Hopefully, this will create new jobs especially for the youth who are currently facing enormous unemployment in the wake of the pandemic due to the country’s reliance on tourism.

Notably, other than tourism, Cape Verde’s economy is very much service-oriented with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for three-fourths of the country’s GDP.

Since the country’s economy is heavily dependent on conditions in the eurozone countries, Cape Verde’s economic recovery is hinged on foreign aid as well as remittances. Currently, One UN is assisting Cape Verde to develop a national trade strategy designed to enhance its productive capacities.

This amount of vaccines may sound considerably large but in reality its not, its actually  only enough to vaccinate a mere 17 per cent of the population and that is way below the intended global year-end target of vaccinating 40 per cent of Africa’s population.

As such, this shortfall in vaccine doses is worsened by the misconceptions that are keeping the public from usurping even the few doses that have made it into the continent. Falling short of explaining why, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the COVAX facility has been forced to reduce the amount of planned vaccine deliveries to Africa.

According to the WHO, some 150 million vaccines that were intended for delivery to Africa this year will not make it. As a result, the continent is facing a shortage of more than 500 million doses.