Author: Njenga Hakeenah

By strengthening East Africa’s historical ties, DRC’s accession to the community is vital. The accession of DRC will improve both economic and geopolitical ties inside the Community.

A total of five EAC Member States border the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan.

To that end, full membership in the EAC would benefit the people of DRC by allowing them visa-free travel to other EAC nations. In addition, the DRC will nominate nine members of the East African Legislative Assembly and justices to the East African Court of Justice, the Community’s judicial authority.

DRC’s eastern area, which relies heavily on the Dar es Salaam and Mombasa ports for its imports and exports, will benefit greatly from the country’s membership in the EAC, he said.

In terms of size, the DRC dwarfs all six EAC Partner States. DR Congo’s landmass is 2.4 million km2 in comparison …

Countries like China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia have already made significant investments in natural resources mining in Africa such as cobalt, lithium, copper, iron, and gold.

Africa’s top nickel producers are Madagascar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire.

China’s Tsingshan Holding Group is the world’s largest nickel producer and it has an enormous investment in Zimbabwe.

Tsingshan Holding Group, however, faces US$8 billion in trading losses from the Russia-Ukraine crisis due to expectations that nickel prices will go down. In Zimbabwe, the Chinese company is building Africa’s largest iron ore mine and steel plant. The project is expected to be the Southern African country’s largest employer. With the ongoing crisis, losses could put Tsingshan’s investment in Zimbabwe at risk.…

Implementing the AfCFTA fully will increase intra-African trade through the elimination of import duties. By just reducing non-tariff barriers, intra-African trade could double.

The implementation of the Free Trade Area will lead to an increase in intra-African freight demand of around 28% by 2030 in comparison to a scenario without its implementation. Specifically, demand for road, rail, maritime and air freight will increase by 22%, 8%, 62% and 28% respectively.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the modal share on rail would increase from 0.3% to about 7% with Africa requiring close to 2 million additional trucks, over 100,000 rail wagons, 250 aircraft, and more than 100 vessels by 2030, if the AfCFTA is fully implemented.

Aircraft demand to support trade flows within West Africa will increase by 13.2% by 2030 while trade between North and West Africa would increase demand for aircraft by 12.9%. Within …

Wachira’s dream was propelled by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw many schools closed and thus left many pupils with a lot of time in their hands.

To make the most out of the situation, Wachira kept himself busy fixing computers and other electronic devices for his peers so they could be able to learn online. He also conducted sharing sessions among underprivileged student communities in Kenya during the pandemic.

At the same time, Wachira completed advanced level training in robotics and various STEM disciplines under the mentorship of the STEM.org-accredited Unique World Robotics in Dubai.…

Covid-19, according to UNECA’s Vera Songwe, was evidence that Africa cannot be ignored if the rest of the world is to reap from the 1 billion-plus African population.

Speaking at the Global Leaders Debate: Investments in Sustainable Innovation for a Thriving Future, Songwe said that 60 million electric vehicles are needed by 2050 and the raw materials are in Africa. “The continent controls 30 per cent of the raw materials and the sector needs to be relooked at to see how to attract more investment in the sector.”

Due to MSMEs’ contribution to socio-economic infrastructures in both developed and developing countries during the transition from market-oriented economies, they remain an important part of the continent’s economy.…

With the reliance on imports, the little manufacturing activity in Sub-Saharan Africa disappeared as did the traditional path to development and reduction of poverty up until 2000. Textile mills, leather tanneries, ceramics factories and other manufacturing sectors were all casualties in Kano, Nigeria’s largest city. In Ethiopia, industrial parks were deserted, while South Africa’s shoe industry collapsed.

But there is a resurgence with the pattern shifting all across the continent.

In data from 51 countries, including 18 in Sub-Saharan Africa ranging from South Africa to Ethiopia to Nigeria to Kenya and Mauritius, the United Nations University notes that the continent is now in a better place for an economic renaissance.

The GDP of the 18 countries in the data provided by the UNU accounts for nearly three-quarters of the region’s total.…

Being a globally acclaimed property exhibition, IPS is the only top-class opportune event that remains committed to generating vast business opportunities for the real estate market and strengthening the emirate’s leading position as an investor-friendly city.   

From 24 – 26 March 2022, the real estate industry’s largest live-in-person exhibition will attract more than 20K visitors from over 40 participating countries. It will also gather leading real estate developers, top-tier investors, industry experts and professionals, under one roof where deals and transactions can be sealed instantly.

The International Property Show will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the umbrella of Expo 2020 Dubai. To be a part of this unique offering of the real estate market, you can register here or book a stand. If unable to attend in person, you can also virtually participate and benefit from the rich offering of the IPS.

Coming under the theme …

For African countries to meet the increasing demand for meat products as a result of sustained economic growth, expanding populations, urbanization, and shifting dietary preferences, more than just lip service must be offered.

The four pillars of growth on the continent are agriculture, political stability, commodities, and population. As a result of this, governments continue to provide little attention to agriculture and this has stifled its growth. Consequently, Africans have been denied the financial freedom they have craved for decades because of this stifled progress.

The poultry industry, for example, is forecast to increase at a steady pace and reach 11 million tonnes by 2030. With this increase, chicken meat production on the continent increased by 4.2 per cent last year, to 5.7 million tonnes.

The overall volume of meat produced increased by 2.4 per cent the year between 2013 and 2018.…

On March 8, Saudi and Emirati leaders snubbed US President Joe Biden over the Ukraine crisis.

Reports, according to the Wall Street Journal,  show that the White House unsuccessfully tried to build international support for Ukraine and contain a rise in oil prices. The Middle East and US officials quoted by the WSJ indicated that the calls were because of an increase in oil prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Saudi Arabia’s and the UAE’s authorities declined to speak with Biden.

Is the writing in the wall for the US now that it allies have become unresponsive in recent weeks?

In the first week of March, OPEC+, which includes Russia, refused to raise oil production.

OPEC+ consists of 13 OPEC members and 10 of the world’s major non-OPEC oil-exporting countries. The OPEC+ entity aims to regulate oil supply to set the world market price.…

Kenya has a meat deficit of 300,000 metric tonnes annually shortage making it hard to satisfy the country’s meat demands…