Month: June 2024

CityBlue Hotels and National Museums of Kenya Announce Strategic Partnership

Mr Mohammed

The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and CityBlue Hotels (CityBlue) are proud to announce a new partnership to co-promote tourism and culture in Kenya. This alliance marks an exciting opportunity for sponsorship, co-branding, co-marketing and other forms of collaboration. NMK was established by an Act of Parliament, the Museums and Heritage Act 2006, as a multi-disciplinary institution whose role is to collect, preserve, study, document and present Kenya’s past and present cultural and natural heritage. This is for the purposes of enhancing knowledge, appreciation, respect and sustainable utilization of these…

67th Meeting of the GEF Council: momentum for people and the planet

Mr Mohammed

The 67th meeting of the GEF Council, the 36th meeting of the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF) Council, and the 2nd meeting of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) Council collectively adopted work programs totaling USD 736.42 million. The work programs will seek to bring global environmental benefits through activities addressing biodiversity loss, chemicals and waste pollution, land degradation, climate change, and international waters. Among other projects and programs, funding was approved for a Great Green Wall program established between the LDCF and GEF Trust Funds, a…

SPP, DCC Unveil Initiative To Rate, Rank Nigerian States’ Climate Governance Performance

Mr Mohammed

The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), in close collaboration with the Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja, has announced plans to officially launch the rating and ranking of the climate governance performance of Nigeria’s 36 states in July 2024. The statement was made on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the inaugural coordination meeting of climate change desk officers from Nigerian states, which was convened by the DCC. SPP President, Prof Chukwumerije Okereke, while presenting the state of play of the rating and…

A Model for African Producers: Wing Wah’s $2B Integrated Energy Project to Bolster Resource Monetization in the Republic of the Congo

Mr Mohammed

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 21, 2024/ — The Republic of the Congo has a goal of increasing hydrocarbon production to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and projects such as Wing Wah Oil Company’s Bango Kayo development will serve as catalysts for meeting this objective. The project is a strong example for how integration and scalability can be utilized to not only monetize resources but maximize production beyond the lifecycle of initially-tied in blocks. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – the voice of the African energy sector – conducted a tour…

Africa Offers Attractive Investment Opportunities for Japanese Firms, Say African Development Bank Leaders

Mr Mohammed

TOKYO, Japan, June 22, 2024/ — Africa presents a compelling investment destination for Japanese firms, with high growth potential and the African Development Bank’s strong support to manage risks, African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) leaders stressed at the Japan-Africa Business Forum in Tokyo. “Africa has huge private sector opportunities. The continent offers some of the highest returns globally,” said Prof. Kevin Chika Urama, Bank Group Chief Economist and Vice President, in a presentation highlighting Africa’s abundant renewable energy potential, and the need for strategic investments in green minerals and value…

Tanzania’s Foreign Ministry Launches the Construction of the Twin Towers in Kenya: Set to Redefine Nairobi’s Skyline

Mr Mohammed

The government of Tanzania has launched the construction of the Twin Towers in Kenya’s capital city,  Nairobi. This adds to Tanzania’s list of  real estate investment properties worldwide, as noted by the country’s foreign affairs minister, January Makamba. The monumental  real estate venture is expected between the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in Kenya and Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project, once completed, is set to redefine  Nairobi’s skyline while consolidating Tanzania’s diplomatic presence in Kenya. Currently, Tanzania has no on-site embassy, hence the launch of the ambitious project. Furthermore, Tanzania’s government hopes that the project will be a…

‘Nigeria spends $600m annually on palm oil importation’

Mr Mohammed

The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) has revealed that Nigeria spends $600 million annually on  palm oil oil importation. This was stated by Mr Alphonsus Inyang, the National President of the association, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja. Inyang criticised these expenses as detrimental to national development, suggesting that the funds could be better utilised within the economy if the  palm oil oil sub-sector received adequate attention from successive governments He highlighted Nigeria’s historical self-sufficiency in palm oil production, contrasting it with the current situation where…

Entrepreneur Mahmoud Bartawi on cooking up a startup success

Mr Mohammed

Mahmoud Bartawi founded Under500, a brand that was ultimately acquired by dark kitchen outfit Kitopi after raising $700m from investors Emirati serial entrepreneur Mahmoud Bartawi knows a thing or two about starting and exiting a business. In 2016, Bartawi founded Under500, a brand that pioneered selling healthy meals consisting of less than 500 calories. Fast forward to 2021 and Under500 was acquired by dark kitchen outfit Kitopi after raising $700m through investors, including SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2. In a recent interview with Gulf Business, Bartawi gives some tips to budding…

Mercy Ships Welcomes Presidential Visit on board, in Toamasina Harbor

Mr Mohammed

TOAMASINA, Madagascar, June 20, 2024/ — Malagasy president His Excellency Andry Nirina Rajoelina visited patients and volunteers on board Mercy Ships’ hospital vessel (www.MercyShips.org) to see for himself the lives being transformed. On Saturday June 15, the president along with Minister of Health Professor Randriamanantany Zely Arivelo, accompanied by a delegation with His Excellency, visited the Africa Mercy ® hospital ship in Toamasina. This marked the first time the Malagasy president has visited the ship during its current mission. Nathan Jansen, Managing Director of the Africa Mercy, said: “We were honored to welcome His…

Afreximbank and Africa CDC pledge US$2 billion facility in support of Africa Health and Pharmaceutical Products Manufacturing

Mr Mohammed

PARIS, London, June 20, 2024/ — African Export-Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or “the Bank”) (www.Afreximbank.com) and the Africa Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have renewed their partnership with a new cooperation agreement announced today on the sidelines of the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation in Paris, France. Through this collaboration, Afreximbank has committed a US$ 2 billion facility to the “Africa Health Security Investment Plan” to support the health product manufacturing ambition of the continent. This initiative will focus on the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) and…