Category: AFRICA

Boosting Ghana’s Industrial Development: A Strategic Approach-(By:Charles Dzradosi)

Former Secretary,Avetime-Vane Citizens Association First Edition published in the Evening News of July 4th 2001 Introduction After a sharp contraction of 1.7% in 2023, Ghana’s industrial sector rebounded with a strong 7.1% growth in 2024, driven by mining, manufacturing, construction, and electricity. The 2025 Budget has projected a modest 4.8% growth in 2025. The 2024 performance, compared with the projected growth for 2025  has been the subject of some debate among analysts, but no clear reasons have been offered to explain the low projections. Even though there are various theories…

Afreximbank breaks ground on historic state-of-the-art Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in Barbados, first outside Africa

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 25, 2025/ — African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com/), Africa’s leading Multilateral Financial Institution, made history today when it broke ground on its first-ever state-of-the-art Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in the Caribbean, marking a pivotal moment for trade relations between Africa and the CARICOM region. The US$180 million Barbados AATC, the first to be established outside Africa, is an authentic icon of trade embodying the ambition, resilience, and influence of leading commercial cities in Africa and the Caribbean that serve as dynamic focal points for commerce, fostering…

Ethiopian Airlines Group and African Development Bank sign Letter of Intent for financing of world-class Abusera International Airport

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 25, 2025/ — The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Ethiopian Airlines Group have signed a Letter of Intent for the development of the East African nation’s planned Abusera International Airport Project. The $7.8 billion project aims to address increasing passenger and cargo demands, reinforce Ethiopia’s position as a leading aviation hub, and stimulate regional economic growth. Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group Mesfin Tasew Bekele signed the Letter of Intent with African Development Bank Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo,…

Piloting Cedi-Naira Currency Swaps Fintech Solutions

By: Mohammed A. Abu Ghana’s Central Bank (Bank of Ghana) has denied some earlier local media publications that it had licensed MTN Ghana to conduct cross-border transactions with MTN Nigeria. The bank under its Sandbox programme to study emerging Fintech innovations, has rather approved Brij Fintech Ghana, a licensed Payment Service Provider(PSP) to conduct a limited testing of BrijX-a B2B Currency Swap Platform,it said in a Public announcement in Accra,Thursday. The platform the Bank said, is built to act as a digital marketplace that collaborates with banks, mobile money operators…

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Sweeps IJGlobal and Global Capital Awards with Hat Trick of Major Wins

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has been honoured with three prestigious accolades, further underscoring its impact in shaping Africa’s financial landscape. At the IJGlobal Awards 2024 held recently in London, AFC was named Guarantor of the Year, Africa, and also received the Market Innovation Award, Africa.  The following evening, AFC was recognised with the African Deal of the Year at the Global Capital Syndicated Loan Awards in London. The trio of awards showcase AFC’s pioneering role in infrastructure financing, risk mitigation, and innovative financial solutions that drive sustainable…

President Ramkalawan Presides Over Official Handover of New SBC Headquarters

The President of the Republic, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan, accompanied by Vice President Mr. Ahmad Afif, presided over the official handover ceremony of the new Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) headquarters at Union Vale Yesterday morning. Funded through a generous grant from the People’s Republic of China, construction of the state-of-the-art facility commenced in April 2019 and was carried out by Hunan No.6 Engineering Co. Ltd. Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and various technical challenges, the project has been successfully completed to the highest standards. The facility consists of three…

Balancing Energy Security and Decarbonization: African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 to Address South Africa’s Power Crisis

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 18, 2025/ — South Africa faces a critical energy challenge: securing a stable power supply while transitioning to a low-carbon future. The African Energy Chamber’s (EnergyChamber.org/) State of African Energy 2025 Outlook Report provides a detailed analysis of this shift, highlighting the country’s continued reliance on coal, the slow pace of renewable energy integration and the urgent need for infrastructure investments to modernize the grid. These insights will set the stage for key discussions at African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies, where industry leaders…

Africa Tech Festival Appoints Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder of APO Group, to Leadership Council

By:Mohammed Abu The Founder and Chairman of the award-winning Pan-African communications consultancy and leading press release distribution service provider,the APO Group , Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com),has been appointed as a member of the Africa Tech Festival Leadership Council  an official statement,said,in Cape Town,Thursday. The Africa Tech Festival (www.AfricaTechFestival.com),the release said,is the continent’s largest and most influential tech and digital connectivity conference, featuring flagship events such as AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite, and the AI Summit Cape Town. The festival celebrates Africa’s vibrant tech community, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, over 450 speakers, and more…

Global Attention Towards Africa Sours

By: Mohammed A. Abu The 6th of March this year witnessed the Canadian Government’s launch of Canada-Africa Strategy-A Partnership for Shared Prosperity and Security. “With this strategy, Canada is leveraging its long-standing partnerships with African countries to unlock unprecedented opportunities for prosperity and stability from which Canadians and the African people can mutually benefit for years to come,” said the Hon. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs This comes on the back of the African Union and Japan’s expression of commitment to co-creating a Sustainable Future for Africa at a…

ARISE IIP secures $450 million Afreximbank facility for industrial parks, Special Economic Zones development

In a significant move aimed at boosting industrial development across Africa, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) signed a US$450 million global credit facility with ARISE IIP, the leading pan-African developer and operator of world-class industrial parks. This financing will support the development of industrial parks and Special Economic Zones (SEZ), while also providing crucial trade finance support to businesses operating within the ARISE IIP ecosystem.  The US$ 450 million, granted in the context of Afreximbank’s strategic objective of promoting, facilitating, and supporting Africa’s industrialisation ecosystems, is part of a proposed…