Year: 2023

About Acceleration of Africa’s Reconstruction & Development

………. As Summit Session Holds  Via Zoom    Story: Mohammed A. Abu Amidst the geopolitical tensions and fragmentations, emerging new alliances and the evolutionary process the global financial infrastructure is currently going through, Dr. Alexander Chisango, President of the World Economic Congress has called on Africans to look inwardly in finding solutions to the continent’s myriad of development challenges rather than  banging  too much hope on others elsewhere. Dr. Chisango who was speaking during a zoom meeting on Thursday on the topic, “Discussion: Acceleration of Africa’s Reconstruction”, noted that, what…

Qatar announces Israel-Hamas truce-for-hostages deal that would pause Gaza fighting, bring more aid

BY JOSEF FEDERMAN AND JACK JEFFERY Updated 5:15 AM GMT, November 22, 2023 JERUSALEM (AP) — Qatar on Wednesday announced a truce-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas that would bring a four-day halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war, win freedom for dozens of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, and also lead to the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said it would announce within a day when the clock will start ticking on the truce, during which 50 hostages will be released in stages in exchange for…

African Development Bank, African Guarantee Fund Kick Off Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Finance Series in Kenya to Unlock Financing for Women-Led Enterprises

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 22, 2023/ — The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) through its Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative, in partnership with African Guarantee Fund (AGF) and in collaboration with the Office of the President’s Advisor on Women’s Rights, have inaugurated the 6th edition of the AFAWA Finance Series in Nairobi, Kenya. This 3-day event themed “Enhancing Financial Inclusion for Women”, running between 21-23 November, 2023, is a pivotal initiative aiming to revolutionise the financial landscape and foster an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, facilitating their growth…

From COP27 to COP28 – key factors for Africa ahead of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Opinion Piece By:Tshepo Ntsane, Sustainable Finance Transactor at Rand Merchant Bank  The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) represents an important international forum for countries to gather to discuss and address global climate change issues. However, to date these conferences have tended to be high level and process based, and COP 27 was no exception. – negotiations took place and some of the highlights included the historic establishment of the loss and damage fund which was seen as setting a precedent…

The President attends the official opening of the fisheries week

22 November 2023 | Fisheries President Wavel Ramkalawan was the guest of honour at the official opening of the fisheries week, which coincided with World Fisheries Day, November 21. The ceremony took place yesterday morning at the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA), Providence. The theme for World Fisheries Day 2023 is – Treasures of our Ocean Slogan – Harmony beneath the waves, sustainability in our hands, which resonates with the mandate and vision of all those in the fisheries sector. In his opening address, the Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy,…

Africa’s youth are more educated, less employed, and less politically engaged than their elders, Afrobarometer study shows

ACCRA, Ghana, November 20, 2023/ — Africa’s youth are more educated than their elders but are also more likely to be unemployed, according to Afrobarometer’s (https://www.Afrobarometer.org/) latest Pan-Africa Profile (https://apo-opa.co/46mmAb9). The study also shows that African youth are considerably less engaged than their elders in civic and political activities that could spur change, including voting in elections. One encouraging trend is a steady increase in young people’s contact with local leaders. Across 39 African countries surveyed in 2021/2023, unemployment is the top policy priority that 18- to 35-year-olds want their…

Unleashing the Power of Partnerships to Transform Healthcare in Africa

DAKAR, Senegal, November 20, 2023/ — By Dr. Ahmadu Lamin Samateh, Minister of Health, Republic of The Gambia. In the realm of medicine, there are pivotal moments that can forever change lives. For me, that transformative moment occurred two decades ago when my path intersected with medical mission teams in our country, including Mercy Ships (www.MercyShips.org), an organisation committed to delivering life-changing surgeries to those who need it most. Witnessing their surgical interventions and the profound impact on people’s lives ignited my passion to become a surgeon. I realised that the…

Vice President Afif attends the Inauguration of the New Maldivian President

20 November 2023 | Foreign Affairs The Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Ahmed Afif attended the Inauguration Ceremony of the new President of the Republic Maldives, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu which took place on 17 November 2023 at the Republic Square, Male. Following the Ceremony, the Vice President paid a courtesy call on President Muizzu at The President’s Office.  During the call, the Vice President congratulated the Maldivian President on his inauguration and wished him all the best in his tenure. The impact of climate change on…

About “Jollof Wars” during IATF2023 in Egypt

Story.Mohammed A. Abu A subtly spiced and smoky version of Ghana’s jollof rice prepared by Ghanaian Executive Chef Mr. Dediha George, gave him a win over his Senegalese Chef Mr. Abdoulaye Tamsir Ndir, and Nigerian Chef Mrs. Moyosoreoluwa Odunfa contestants. This was within the context of The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)’s launch of an African Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Programme under its Creative Africa Nexus Initiative (CANEX) as one of the major outcomes of its recently ended 3rd Intra African Trade Summit(IATF2023) in Cairo,Egypt. The CANEX African Gastronomy and Culinary…

Integrated and efficient Payment System for Africa Highlighted

Story: Mohammed Abu   The 2023 edition of Intra African Trade Fair(IATF2023) dubbed, the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement(AfCFTA) Marketplace has ended in Egypt with emphasis on not just an integrated but most importantly, an efficient payment system for intra African trade In a detailed response during a press conference on the final day of IATF2023, H.E. Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank, addressed the integration of payment systems among central banks in Africa. He highlighted the challenges and successes in implementing a unified…