Author: Opinion

Africa appears to have narrowly escaped the level of devastation that COVID19 is wreaking in the global north with China as its entry.[1] As if the virus followed the global supply chain to destroy it.[2] The global supply chain links China to the global north before connecting to Africa[3] so by the time the virus got here African leaders shut the borders – that is the saving grace despite the doom’s day prophecies of Bill Gates.[4] Africa got it right this time around without the help of the western saviors which begs George Ayittey’s famous quote “Africa is poor because she is not free”.[5]

According to the IMF[6] and WorldBank[7], Africa would experience her first recession in 25 years, but it would not be as severe as the global north.[8] Her recovery in my view could be fast-tracked by four mega …

Global emphasis on ‘stay at home’ orders has affirmed the strategic position of housing as the frontline defence against spread of the novel coronavirus.

Having a roof over your head has never before been critical in providing protection against contracting and spreading a virus as it is now.

Housing is today helping to keep many from the deadly bug by allowing populations meet essential requirements like physical distancing and quarantine for those infected in COVID-19.

In Kenya, where fixing housing deficit is still a pipe dream, many households are exposed to the dangers of the pandemic especially the poor living in informal settlements.

Currently, the recommended social distancing is a mirage, an unimaginable luxury for slum dwellers who live in already crowded areas where large families are forced to share a single and quite smaller rooms.

For instance, picture out how two-thirds of 4.4 million would achieve social distancing on …

This article aims to highlight the challenges and implications of COVID-19 in the agricultural sector using current industry trends and outcomes to forecast the impact of the pandemic on agricultural value chains and consumer behaviour in the short, medium and long term.  Most importantly, however, this report proffers actionable innovations and systems that can be adopted and scaled up to negate the effects of the pandemic on food supplies to urban areas and industrial processors in Nigeria.

WHERE WE ARE NOW:

Short term (1-3months)

• Disruption of supply chains due to inter and intrastate border closures. An example being the pileup of trucks on the Kano-Kaduna road due to shutdowns on what is a key route for national grain distribution.
• The stock of grains does not seem to be hampered but there is a risk it will if the current situation persists for a period longer than 3-4 months. The

In the wake of Covid-19, the co-operative sector which is a key driver in Kenya’s economy has not been spared in experiencing the devastating shock waves caused by the pandemic that continues to ravage the world at an alarming rate. Savings and credit co-operatives (saccos) make up about 45% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with an asset base of over Ksh1 trillion, mobilized savings and deposits in excess of Ksh732 billion and a loan portfolio of Ksh700 billion. In addition, the sector employs more than 500,000 people whilst necessitating self-employment especially through lending.

The Ministry of Co-operative Development estimates that 80% of Kenya’s population derives its income either directly or indirectly through co-operative activities. In a recent report by the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) Kenya has the largest co-operative movement in Africa and is ranked in 7^th position globally, making it very pertinent in the economic …

The Covid-19 world pandemic has disrupted our lives in a way most can only fantasize about. It has not spared any sector and some are even making a kill from it. Talk of the entrepreneurial spirit in this country!

The same cannot be said of the insurance sector, however. For starters the insurance industry has stated that Covid-19 is not coverable because it falls under pandemics which are an exclusion in a typical insurance cover. A pandemic has to be defined by World Health Organisation (WHO) as such for it to qualify as an exclusion in an insurance product. Few insurance policies cover pandemics despite the potential for disaster, because the risk is not well understood and also difficult to price. But going forward there is a huge interest from companies looking for protection against business interruption suggesting that pandemic policies are the next big thing in commercial insurance.

When …

It is not secret that South Sudan relies on oil to fuel most of its economy and state coffers, and that the revenue of such oil is dependent upon its export via pipeline to Port Sudan.

As a result, oil cooperation between both countries is at the centre of key economic activity: Sudan’s economy benefits from transit fees paid by South Sudan, and South Sudan’s economy benefits from Sudan’s oil export infrastructure. While one doesn’t go without the other, oil prices instability disturbs a tricky balance put in place between both countries.

In December 2016, as oil prices had fallen drastically below $40 dollars a barrel, the Agreement on Oil and Related Economic Matters (AOREM) between Sudan and South Sudan, known popularly as Cooperation Agreement, was due to expire, and Transitional Financial Arrangements (TFA) fees of $3.02bn due to Sudan were not yet fully paid, the two sisterly countries, mindful …

By Julia Greenland – CEO, In Their Hands

Living in Africa, I have watched the explosion of COVID 19 in Asia, Europe and America like a horror movie. We watched as country after country introduced social distancing measures too late and thousands of cases emerge. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking – what will happen when it reaches us, with our small number of ventilators and millions without running water?

So, like everyone else, I have been relieved to see East Africa’s governments respond quickly – closing schools, limiting entry and restricting movement.

Yes, we are doing the right things, implementing preventative measures – but we must be prepared for the unexpected consequences of CODIV 19. After all this isn’t the first time African countries have faced widespread school closures and an economic slow down due to an outbreak.

In Sierra Leone, a UNDP study found a …

By Eric Osiakwan

When I postulated the digital economy in Africa in 2013 as a precursor to becoming a fulltime angel investor and subsequently writing about its KINGS in 2016, it never crossed my mind that in 2020 COVID-19 would be the SPEEDING agent. Who could have predicted COVID-19 except Bill Gates who alluded to a viral outbreak in his 2015 TED talk whiles George Bush and Barack Obama were more accurate in prospecting 2020 as the year? However, none of them envisaged the extent of this epidemic which has pretty much collapsed the capital markets and slowed down the economies of many countries with many of us at home – literally trying to survive the pandemic.

Policy action
African leaders took the major decision to declare a lockdown and, in some cases, daily curfews for fear of the virus spreading and overwhelming the (in some cases non-existent) healthcare …

It goes without saying that during a crisis such as the pandemic the world is currently facing; clear, consistent and concise communications can be an effective tool in curbing the spread of diseases such as COVID-19. But innovative communication has always been an Achilles heel for leaders in a crisis, and Africa is no exception, says political campaigner, Madelain Roscher, CEO of Status (Pty) Ltd.

“Giving credit where credit is due, some African leaders have stepped up with regards to taking decisive action to stop the viral spread of the Coronavirus by partially or wholly placing their countries in lockdown and shutting borders for trave and trade. But without proper communication on how to mitigate the spread of the virus, Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases will continue to rise,” says Roscher.

According to the 2019 Global Health Security Index, which ranks countries across the globe on their pandemic preparedness, using …