Browsing: United States

African governments must consider strategies to optimise the effective use of imported oil. The optimisation will reduce net oil import proportions to minimise expenses. More generally, African nations must explore these strategies to minimise their reliance on oil as their only energy source.

Reducing oil consumption by shifting to renewable resources represents a long-term or short-term solution. In contrast, if Africa is to benefit or gain from the imminent possibility of an increase in oil prices, these few oil-producing nations must expand their crude oil production and refinery capacity.…

Policymakers must advocate for pooling resources to support the most affected, particularly in Africa. They can financially support and share land restoration and climate adaptation technologies. Collaborations to expand inclusion that can attain a new paradigm in climate change mitigation.

The leaders of the major polluting nations and donor countries, as well as the leaders of African nations—must commit to implementing policies, allocating resources, and taking the necessary actions to address the deteriorating climate situations globally.…

Due to globalization, countries worldwide are increasingly interdependent. This is why a conflict between two countries in Europe will cause ripple effects that the rest of the world feels. On this basis, the World Bank projects that economic growth in 2022 will slump. Not slow down but slump. The choice of words is intentional.

Malpass now believes that the world is in for several years of above-average inflation and below-average growth. This projection will most likely lead to destabilizing consequences for low- and middle-income economies. These low- and middle-income countries are largely on the African continent. Stagflation which the world last saw in the 1970s, will have a devastating effect on countries in Africa. Most countries in the continent do not have the resources like Germany to muster multibillion Euro or multi-billion United States dollar packages to subsidize the economic plight of their citizens.

World Bank forecasts a sharp downgrade …

Rising costs have remained a critical issue in the aftermath of the outbreak. Data from the World Bank/NBS Nigeria – COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey 2020 reveals that food prices rose rapidly following the pandemic. In March and April, basic food commodity prices increased by 17.2 per cent and 18.37 per cent, respectively. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the rise remains the highest in two years.

Recent findings based on comprehensive and long-term monthly food price data have revealed considerable price rises for all chosen food categories during the pandemic. Imported rice and wheat costs, for example, have climbed by 41% and 21%, respectively.

Wheat prices surged by 21% nationally, with considerable increases in price dispersion across markets when the epidemic began, and prices continue to grow.

Wheat is the main component of bread and other products such as noodles, pasta, semolina, and other Nigerian pantry staples. …

Nigeria’s Access Bank and the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have signed a commitment letter for a $280 million financing to assist in tackling the gap in financing for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).…

• The government of Mozambique has ordered retailers of food products to label in Portuguese all their products sold in the country before the end of July 2022
• Portuguese is the official language of six African countries, including Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea Bissau
• Rita Freis said that this is the last year that the government will grant a tolerance for traders to label food products in Portuguese

The government of Mozambique has ordered retailers of food products to label in Portuguese all their products sold in the country before the end of July 2022.

Rita Freitas, the national inspector at the National Inspection of Economic Activities (INAE), announced this during a training seminar on the legal system of package labelling of food products.

Portuguese is the official language of six African countries, including Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe …

Many exports from Ghana to the US benefit from duty-free tariff preferences under the American Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. Exports from Ghana to the US that have enjoyed AGOA preferences include yams, apparel and cocoa (beans, powder or paste).

Ghana has exported US$131 million worth of yams to the US since 2012, avoiding a standard import duty of 6.4 per cent under AGOA. Cocoa exported to the US has amounted to US$2.5 billion over the last two decades.

Miss Rosa Whitaker, the President and the CEO of the Whitaker Group (TWG), is significant to the success of AGOA in Africa, facilitating the export of over 9,000 agricultural and manufactured goods to the United States.

Whitaker advocates for African countries to research what the US market is demanding and be alert to new opportunities. She pointed out the success of Ghana’s cocoa …

• The trio bought bitcoins worth KSh5 billion (US$43 million) in the UAE, the United States and several other European countries, including at Kenya’s crypto exchange platform, BitPesa
• The three Nigerians were linked to Ksh25.6 billion (US$220 million) moved into Kenya between October and November 2020
• The Nigerians involved in the scandal are Mr Olubunmi Akinyemiju, Mr Eghosasere Nehikhare and Mr Olufemi Olukunmi Demuren
• From the US-based exchange Binance, the three bought cryptocurrencies worth $36,353,728 (Sh4.2 billion). They also went ahead to buy bitcoins worth $7,246,582 (Sh839.5 million) from Busha

On April 27, 2022, a report of a multi-billion dollar money-laundering syndicate surfaced from the asset recovery agency drawn from the financial crime and investigation unit, involving top companies and directors from both Nigeria and Kenya.
The culprits are said to have used bitcoin to secrete their transactions. According to a statement filed by European investigators, the Nigerians involved in the …

Afriex processes over US$5 million in monthly transfers. In comparison, Wise company transfers a monthly average of US$5.2 billion. However, Afriex has grown its customer base by 500 per cent in the last half a year, with half of its active users using the platform more than once a week.

Afriex makes money by arbitraging the currency and crypto exchange rates when a customer transacts. The startup raised a US$1.3 million seed round in May 2021 and has just closed a US$10 million Series A round at a $60 million valuation.

The financing was co-led by Sequoia Capital China and Dragonfly Capital, with participation from Stellar Foundation, Goldentree and Exceptional Capital, among others.…

During the meeting, the two discussed several regional and global issues of concern. The Vice President emphasized the importance of the world standing together in support of international rules and norms, including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.

The most outstanding issue, though, is the Open Skies Air Transport Agreement.

Suluhu and Harris said they are looking forward to the entry into force of the agreement, which establishes a modern civil aviation relationship between the United States and Tanzania. They agreed that the agreement coming into force will promote increased travel and trade which will help spur economic growth between the two countries.

The US government notes that expanded travel and trade, improved productivity, more employment and economic growth have all been a result of the Open Skies accords, which have boosted the number of international passenger and cargo flights between the United States and other countries.…