Browsing: World Bank

remittances to Kenya
  • Remittance inflows amounted to $385.9 million in February, compared to $309.2 million in February 2023, an increase of 24.8 per cent.
  • The cumulative inflows for the 12 months to February 2024 totaled $4.33 billion compared to $4.03 billion in a similar period in 2023, an increase of 7.5 per cent.
  • The US remained the largest source of remittances to Kenya, accounting for 54 per cent in February 2024.

Remittances to Kenya continued on a growth trajectory in February, latest Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data shows, as easing inflation in the United States saw the country maintain its position as the leading source of inflows.

This comes amid a positive projection for the year where World Bank has forecast a 2.5 per cent increase on inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya as leading recipients in the continent.

Remittance inflows in Kenya amounted to $385.9 million in February, …

universities
  • Eight Kenyan universities have been selected as part of the World Bank’s $55.8 million SME formalisation project.
  • In the World Bank plan, 267 young innovators’ students, 10 incubators, 10 accelerators, and 4 tech boot camp providers will be funded.
  • The SKIES initiative started with a call for applications that attracted a total of 142 incubators.

Eight Kenyan universities have been selected as part of the World Bank’s $55.8 million (KES7.5 billion) SME formalisation project to provide business development services to micro, small and medium enterprises. Kenya Industrial Entrepreneurship Project will implement the program through the Strengthening Kenya’s Innovation Ecosystem (SKIES).

The government, through SKIES, a subcomponent of the Sh7.5 billion (KIEP) project, seeks to streamline the delivery of professional business development services, thereby enabling innovators of small and medium enterprises to get the proper business training when required.

The absence of a uniform platform to oversee the start-up ecosystem in …

Tanzania's population
  • Tanzania’s population is expected to reach 140 million people by 2050.
  • The World Bank estimates that Tanzania’s population will double every 23 years.
  • Tanzania set to become one of Africa’s and the world’s most populated countries.

Tanzania’s population is expected to reach 140 million people by 2050 given the current high fertility rate of 3.0 per cent. At this rate, the World Bank estimates that Tanzania’s population will double every 23 years henceforth.

In its latest Tanzania Economic Update that was launched in the country’s port city of Dar es Salaam this March, the World Bank says when it comes to population control, the East African country is facing a delicate balance act.

On the one hand, Tanzania has managed to lower its mortality rates and raise its life expectancy but as a result, it is now facing the effects of high birth rates and, they are not all good.…

Africa debt crisis
  • As national debts grow, many African countries find themselves spending more on debt than on health.
  • IMF says the debt ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa surged to 60% from 30% of the countries’ GDP between 2013 and December 2022.
  • Kenya is for instance using nearly 60% of its annual revenues on paying debt obligations.

As the Africa debt crisis roils, over half of the countries have found themselves spending more money in servicing their loan obligations than even the amount they have budgeted for health services to their citizens.

This unfolding scenario is further burdening millions of their citizens who have little choice but to shoulder heavy tax burdens to settle mountains of debt.

Prof Danny Bradlow, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship in Pretoria, South Africa, captures the dire situation, stating: “over the  last three years (2019/22), more than 25 African governments allocated …

Nigeria's cost of living crisis
  • Nigeria’s cost of living crisis has been the worst in decades, exacerbated by worsening food insecurity and record inflation. 
  • The lack of enough resources has led to insecurity in Nigeria as people fight for scarce resources and food.
  • In response to Nigeria’s cost of living crisis, Tinubu announced a state of emergency in July and intends to begin grain distribution in the coming weeks.

Tinubu’s Reforms worsen Nigeria’s cost of living crisis

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is grappling with the worst cost of living crisis in decades and a worsening food security situation. A significant portion of the population is experiencing extreme food insecurity. After assuming power in May 2023, Bola Tinubu’s administration adopted bold but unpopular reforms that further strained the already-battered economy.

Nigeria imports food and fuel and was buffeted by rising commodity prices due to a glim global economic situation in the last two years. President Tinubu

Climate-smart agriculture
  • Agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change.
  • Without action, emissions from food systems will rise even further, with increasing food production.
  • Climate-smart agriculture offers a holistic approach to end food security.

It may surprise many that agriculture and its activities are, in fact, one of the leading causes of climate change. Agriculture is reported to be responsible for some of the highest emissions of greenhouse gases, making the sector one of the main contributors to global warming.

It strikes the environment with a double-edged sword, emitting greenhouse gases on one hand and destroying forests and marine ecosystems on the other.

According to the World Bank, agriculture is the primary cause of deforestation, threatening pristine ecosystems such as the Amazon and the Congo Basin. With the global population exploding, there is an inevitable need to increase food production, which can only be achieved by expanding agricultural activities.

This …

Egypt's economy
  • Egypt’s economy has recently been on life support as the national debt continued to mount.
  • The investments from Saudi Arabia and further funds anticipated from the World Bank and IMF will give Egypt enough cash to meet its debt obligations and maintain stability in its recently floated currency.
  • The significant official and bilateral support announced and marked policy steps that Egypt has taken will, if maintained, support macroeconomic balancing.

Egypt’s economy on life support

Egypt’s economy has recently been on life support as the national debt continued to mount. The Egyptian currency has weakened against the US dollar, with rising inflation rates close to 30 per cent, occasioning a capital flight. Moreover, the overlapping global shocks and the domestic supply of bottlenecks have adversely impacted the country’s economic activity.

Egypt has also suffered from rising global interest rates and soaring commodity prices in international markets. These overlapping factors widen the …

Diaspora remittances to Kenya
  • Official data shows that diaspora remittances to Kenya increased to $412.4 million in January 2024, compared to $372.6 million in December 2023.
  • This represents an 18% jump compared to similar month in 2022 as well as 10.7% month-on-month increase in inflows.
  • The cumulative inflows for the 12 months to January 2024 totalled $4.3 billion compared to $4 billion in the same period in 2023, an increase of 5.3 per cent.

Kenyans in the diaspora sent home more money in January compared to December, as the strong start of the year signals easing inflationary pressures, mainly in key sourcejock strap brock bowers jersey jordan max aura 4 nike air jordan 1 elevate low oregon football jerseys black friday wig sale best human hair wigs for black females latex hood custom stitched nfl jersey sit top kayak nike air max 90 futura jock strap jock strap air max 270 women alpinestars

Nigeria's economy
  • Like many other countries, the IMF has noted that Nigeria’s economy faces a complex external environment and wide-ranging domestic challenges.
  • External financing (market and official) is scarce, and global food prices have surged, reflecting the repercussions of conflict and geo-economic fragmentation.
  • Per-capita growth in Nigeria has stalled, and poverty and food insecurity are high, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis, according to the global lender.

Nigeria’s economy is not yet out of the woods, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indicated, with a potential economic crisis despite government interventions to improve the economy.

This is even as the country’s real GDP is projected to grow by three per cent this year compared to last year’s projection of 2.9 per cent.

Like many other countries, the IMF has noted that Nigeria faces a complex external environment and wide-ranging domestic challenges.

External financing (market and official) is scarce, and global food prices have surged, …

East African Data Centres rolls out $1.2Million solar investment
  • Solar energy, alongside wind power, has become the cheapest way to meet the growing demand for electricity, according to the World Bank.
  • World Bank’s Demetrios Papathanasiou says many developing countries have some of the world’s best solar and wind resources.
  • He expresses his optimism about the ability of global countries to tap into advances in solar energy and make dramatic gains.

Solar energy is expected to surpass coal as the world’s most available energy source by 2027. The African countries with the most immense global potential are critical drivers of this projection.

The World Bank, in its latest energy report update, says that of the nearly 675 million people who still live without electricity worldwide, more than 80 per cent, or 567 million people, live in sub-Saharan Africa.

It says that 2030 solar mini-grids could bring high-quality, uninterrupted power to 380 million people.

This is if governments and