Trending
- Will Tanzania’s new truck assembly plant revive old coal mines?
- Communications Authority of Kenya needs $820M for digital superhighway goals
- Youth Unemployment in Kenya: The Role of Vocational Training
- New $900,000 initiative aims to boost sustainable trade in Tanzania
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) pride in its African roots
- AIM Global Foundation pushes for stronger Gulf-Africa trade partnerships
- Investment opportunities in South Sudan’s emerging gold industry
- Family planning drive in Kenya gets 450,000 self-injectable contraceptive doses from UK
Africa
- In Africa, a staggering 1.2 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities.
- Lack of clean cooking facilities is one of the main causes of deforestation in Africa.
- AfDB funding is a major step along the road to saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children each year.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has pledged $2 billion over the next decade towards clean cooking initiatives in Africa, marking a huge stride in the effort to save the lives of 600,000 people, predominantly women and children, each year. This commitment aims to address the health hazards associated with traditional cooking methods that rely on charcoal, wood, and biomass, which contribute to severe respiratory illnesses and environmental degradation.
At a summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Paris, AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina announced that the Bank would allocate 20 per cent of its energy project financing to promoting …
- Across Africa, gender inequality in marriage, divorce, custody, and property rights is perpetuated by sex discrimination embedded in both legal systems and customary laws.
- Discriminatory family laws have profound impacts, increasing the risk of sexual and gender-based violence for women and girls.
- Laws in Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tanzania still allow child marriage.
Discrimination against women and girls remains widespread in family laws across Africa, according to new research by Equality Now. An analysis of 20 African countries reveals that gender inequality in marriage, divorce, custody, and property rights is perpetuated by sex discrimination embedded in both legal systems and customary laws. Despite some significant legal reforms, progress has been slow, inconsistent, and hindered by setbacks, lack of political will, and weak implementation.
The report, “Gender Inequality in Family Laws in Africa: An Overview of Key Trends in Select Countries,” highlights how overlapping and …
- Kenya’s Green Jobs Potential will be key in preserving the country’s natural heritage and combating the challenges posed by climate change.
- PS Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime warned that the transition to green economy has far reaching implications for the world of work
- Green jobs are becoming a crucial driver of sustainable development in Kenya,
Stakeholders in the environment conservation sectors are deliberating on ways to unlock Kenya’s potential as a global hub for digital work and green jobs. The government, jointly with Jacob’s Ladder Africa, International Labour Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Children’s Fund, are in talks in Nairobi to align government priorities with the demands of the green job market.
Kenya National Green Jobs and Skills Development Workshop, brings together stakeholders from government, academia, private sector, finance, and youth-led groups to address the critical need for green jobs and skills development in …
Three significant news items went on the global wire on 25th February 2021 as follows;
- Liquid Telecom, a member of the Econet Group that has laid more than 70,000km of fiber optic cable across Africa[1], raised $840M financing package (US$620M bond and a US$220M equivalent term loan in Rand). This was Liquid Telecom’s second bond issue and it was 5.5 times oversubscribed with JP Morgan Chase & Co, Standard Chartered Plc and Standard Bank Group Ltd as joint global bookrunners[2].
- Convergence Partners, a leading Pan African Private Equity fund[3] entered into an agreement with Nasdaq listed Inseego (INSG) to acquire 100% of their subsidiary Ctrack’s operations in Africa and the Middle East[4].
- Ecobank Nigeria, the largest country operations of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), issued a London listed $300M bond that was 3 times oversubscribed[5] and drew significant international
A mineral-rich continent, with a fast-growing economic potential and a considerable population stands a chance to become a predominant global hub for trade and investment. Africa’s growth potential has been mainly driven by a significant surge in investment, as indicated by the African Development Bank. As opposed to consumption expenditure driving economic growth, industry players and governments have realised the long-term benefits of investment to the growth of African economies. A longevity approach to a sustained growth of the African continent as a whole is the thrust of Agenda 2063 of the African Union, propelled by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. …
For the first time in the 25-year history of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) an African woman is set to take over as Director-General. Three women were shortlisted amongst the final five and ultimately two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the top position; no woman had ever made it to this stage in the history of the institution. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the obvious front-runner after her South Korean rival withdrew and the US reversed its previous opposition to her taking the leadership role of the body. There may still be some impediments but the future for African women is bright! …
Africa’s financial potential has become an interesting prospect for emerging market investors. Three decades ago a proposal to invest in Africa would have been considered ridiculous, but this is no longer the case. In fact, between 2006 and 2011, the continent was registering the highest returns on FDI at 11.4 percent, even higher than Asia at 9.1 percent, while the global average was 7.1 percent. To add to that according to the World Economic Forum, since 2000 “half of the world’s fastest-growing economies have been in Africa. As western markets mature and foreign investments saturate in Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and India, Africa is fast becoming the most lucrative investment destination. The inefficient African markets are an excellent source of excess returns, given the level of perceived risks. …
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) on Thursday, February 25 launched an Ecommerce Booster Program targeting at least 2000 Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
The program will be realized through funding from the European Union and UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Development Office.
TradeMark East Africa, a leading aid for trade regional body in East Africa will support the program, while the technical support for this program is being provided by Amari Consulting Ltd.
Types of businesses targeted
Businesses with little or no digital presence are being targeted for training and on-boarding to e-commerce platforms to ensure MSMEs can increase and diversify their revenue streams during this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
As COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause disruptions in the global and regional value chains, it has become clear that e-commerce is an important tool and solution for businesses and
consumers.
E-commerce can support small businesses in reducing their costs and …
The African Union will run the year 2021 under the theme: Arts, Culture, and Heritage: Levers for Building Africa We Want. The Theme’s focus is on the arts and creative industry’s transformative power.
This is in line with the theme of the United Nations. The year 2021 had been declared by the UN as the year of the creative industry. This comes in recognition of the power of the arts to bring people together and the earning potential within this industry.
The latest African Union summit held on saw a change at the helm of Africa’s coordinating organ. Replacing the South African president as the AU chair, the leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo will take over as the new chair of the African Union.
President Felix Tshisekedi will take the helm of the African Union for the year 2021. His focus will be on the artistic and creative …
