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Victory Amah published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African News, African People, Developments in Africa,

Ginkgo Bioworks, Government of the Republic of Madagascar Sign MoU.

Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), and the Government of the Republic of Madagascar today announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the intent to develop and implement new biosecurity capabilities in Madagascar.

Ginkgo’s biosecurity unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, aims to support Madagascar’s public health institutions with infrastructure and tools to bolster its biosecurity efforts against COVID-19 and other new or existing biological threats. Through bioinformatics training, digital pathogen monitoring dashboards, and genomic sequencing technologies, Concentric will support Madagascar’s initiatives to detect pathogens at key ports of entry and throughout the surrounding region. 

As part of this multi-phased program, Madagascar aims to leverage Concentric’s expertise in travel biosecurity programs to implement a wastewater and voluntary nasal swab monitoring program at the Ivato International Airport and other ports of entry.

This collaboration aims to set up a key node in Concentric’s international biosecurity network, which collects data to help public health and national security officials develop biodefense capabilities and help policymakers make informed decisions about biological risks. The partners plan to bolster biomonitoring capabilities across Africa, to detect and respond to biological threats, following Concentric’s announced partnerships with Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda.

“We look forward to our work with the Republic of Madagascar as we share a commitment to bolstering biosecurity in the country and throughout the region,” said Matt McKnight, General Manager of biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks. “Programs like these can create strong global biosecurity infrastructure such as a global radar to monitor the spread of pathogens, which is key to mitigating biological threats and giving national security and public health officials an early warning to help keep ports of entry open safely.”

“As Madagascar continues to prioritize our public health initiatives, we look forward to collaborating with Concentric and leveraging the team’s expertise to further build our biosecurity capabilities and better protect our country—and the world—from biothreats,” said Dr. Valéry M. Fitzgerald Ramonjavelo, Minister of Transport and Meteorology of the Republic of Madagascar.

 

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Victory Amah published in Uncategorized

Tanzania Launches Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port Project.

PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan is upbeat about the recently launched Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port project, which will drive Tanzania’s ambitious blue economy agenda.

While speaking during an event to lay its foundation stone and hand over 160 boats to fishermen and seaweed farmers in the Kilwa District of Lindi Region, Dr. Samia revealed that Kilwa can produce a lot of fish considering the rich water resources that the area has been endowed with.

“Due to available riches, the government is committed to exploring this huge potential by deploying our experts to see the possibility of engaging the youth in fishing,” she pointed out.

Assuring a readily market of fish, sea crabs, and sea cucumber products, the Head of State further stated: ” The government aims to restore the lost glory of Kilwa by making it a strong business and tourism center within and outside the country.”

She added: “I am calling for cooperation for the project to be completed so that the goals are achieved fast enough.”

In a related development, Dr Samia spoke to the youth of the government’s efforts toward introducing the Building a Better Tomorrow Youth Initiative Project (BBT-YIA) mainly for fisheries as per the geographical setting of the area.

She also pointed out that the initiative is in line with the implementation of the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Manifesto (2020-2025) which emphasizes creating a conducive environment for the country to benefit from opportunities in the fisheries sector, both in Sea and Lakes.

In the same vein, the Head of State applauded the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries for successfully rolling out the project which is in line with the CCM Manifesto.

About the boats, Dr. Samia noted that they have been handed over to fishermen in seaweed farming at a very low interest rate, where some 139 boats will benefit small-scale fishers and 21 for seaweed farmers.

The boats are expected to improve the fishing and seaweed sectors; hence, generating 3,295 direct employees while also boosting the incomes of the community.

Likewise, Dr Samia noted that the boats will assist seaweed farmers to ply to and from areas, where they carry out their activities as well as ease transportation during the harvesting season.

Additionally, she urged the beneficiaries to ensure that the boats were well maintained and used for the intended goals in the generation of incomes, saying that the government intends to see the boats boosting the economy of Kilwa.

“The construction of the fishing port will create employment for over 30,000 Tanzanians from Kilwa and elsewhere in the country.

“Two storage facilities of 90 tons for frozen fish and 1300 tons for chilled fish will be stored at once and a fishing market will be used by fishermen as a special area for processing fish,” he pointed out.

On inviting investors to come and invest in the sector, he said that the port will be operated through a public-private partnership (PPP) mechanism.

“We have opened the door for investment of infrastructure to boost the entire value chain of the fishing sector from 50,000 tons which is worth 100 million US dollars to 500 million US dollars…we want to obtain FDIs through fisheries,” he said.

 

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Victory Amah published in Uncategorized

Abidjan-Lagos Highway Project to Commence Soon.

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recently stipulated that the construction of the 1028-kilometer Abidjan-Lagos highway project will commence in January 2024, which will begin with the procurement for the main construction and the actual construction work. 

A workshop was convened in Lagos by the project implementation Unit of the Commission’s Spatial Development Initiative to exchange ideas and comprehensively assess the highway project’s physical, economic, and social aspects. 

 

The chairman of the Spatial Development Initiative, Ebere Izunobi divulged that experts from five member countries, namely, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, and Cote D’Ivoire congregated to discuss the project aimed at transforming the lives of those living along this corridor. He also highlighted that transport infrastructure has been accorded top priority in the ECOWAS commission’s programs. 

 

As disclosed by Ebere Izunobi, the project has been deliberated upon and was approved during the meeting of the Heads of state. The highway, known as the “Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway” spans approximately 1028 kilometers, connecting major cities and traversing an area that has significant economic potential. 

While reiterating SDI’s commitment to collaborating with individual countries to ensure that nations along this corridor embark on developmental projects, such as establishing port services along the coastal area, constructing companies, facilitating the transportation of raw materials, and promoting the importation of goods and services, among other endeavors, Ebere Izunobi stated, “Spatial Development Initiative is the organization responsible for designing the project. We are currently in the design phase, and by the end of this year, once the design is completed, along with the environmental assessment and engineering design, the project tender documents will be made available in the market.”

 

“The success of the road project hinges on its ability to connect, facilitate, and boost business development. That’s why the ECOWAS commission, which is coordinating the project on behalf of member states, has engaged a consultant to oversee the project’s development along the corridor.”

The Head of Road and Railways at the ECOWAS Commission, Ashoke Maliki also emphasized that the Abidjan-Lagos highway corridor is a crucial socio-economic link within the ECOWAS region as part of the trans-African road and motorway program.

 

He highlighted that the project encompasses more than mere highway construction, as it involves a comprehensive and coordinated system of intermodal transport and logistics infrastructures and services that facilitate trade. 

 

This project proposes to link some of Africa’s largest and most economically dynamic cities including Abidjan, Accra, Cotonou, Lome, and Lagos, while also encompassing a significant portion of West Africa’s population and connecting bustling seaports serving landlocked countries, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. 

 

This project was approved in 2016 and is expected to be completed in December 2024

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Grace Amos published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African News, African People, Uncategorized

Tanzania: Mara Records 1,000 Children with Malnutrition Receives Treatment.

Mara Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Dr. Zabrone Masatu announced that at least 1,090 children under the age of five with malnutrition have been treated in the past year, out of whom 608 had their health completely improved. Some parents believed that the minors were bewitched and 20 out of 1,090 children were taken from the hospital to traditional healers. 

However, Dr. Masatu affirmed that Community Health Workers (CHWs) were looking out for children to bring them back to hospitals while also identifying more malnutrition cases in society. He noted that “Wrong beliefs are somehow hindering the efforts. We keep on educating traditional healers not to handle such minors.”

He appreciated the ‘USAID Afya Yangu-RMNCAH project, which is implemented by the Tanzanian government to provide technical support in the aspect of capacity building to staff, on how best to solve nutrition complications. The initiative is in collaboration with various stakeholders in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, and malnutrition is one of the many diseases it treats.

The ‘Afya Yangu-RMNCAH’ project is being funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) which costs 66.8 million USD. The RMO informed the community that ongoing efforts will be made to combat malnutrition, given that the area has a range of nutritional meals.

Also, service providers and CHWs are required to encourage expecting mothers to attend clinic sessions and give birth in hospitals in order to ensure close supervision of both mothers and newborns. They also do regular meet-ups with the healers for public education, on especially malnutrition symptoms and the negatives.

Ms. Lucy Mwalwayo, Bunda Town Council Nutrition Officer also reiterated that the search is in progress to bring the children back to hospitals from traditional healers. She revealed, “Traditional healers are now on our side as they immediately communicate use after receiving children with such symptoms, adding that some children do come back to hospitals in severe condition, of which the recovery is not guaranteed.”

Mr. Malegesi Masije, a traditional healer in Bunda’s Manyamanyama neighborhood, acknowledged that he was unintentionally killing the youngsters with the incorrect dosages he administers.

“We give only traditional medicines for oral and bathing uses. However, the children whose parents violate our traditions, such as killing a python do experience the same malnutrition symptoms, a reason why we accommodate the victims,” he said. Additionally, in maternity wards and clinic visits, mothers receive training on how to make nourishing meals for the kids at home.

 

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Admin published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African News, African People, Developments in Africa,

African Youths Named Among Commonwealth Youth Award Finalists.

The Common Wealth Youth Awards is an award that celebrates young people from the Commonwealth who are leading outstanding development in their communities. This award is linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Awards give international recognition to youth-led projects ranging from poverty alleviation to promoting and enhancing democracy.

Ghislain Irakoze, the founder and CEO of Westezon, a Rwandan green tech startup, has been named among 20 finalists for the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work 2023.

According to The Commonwealth, the 20 finalists were identified as changemakers who are actively making progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They were selected from a group of 50 shortlisted young leaders.

Irakoze made it to the top four regional finalists alongside Mawuse Christina Gyisun from Ghana, Deliwe Makata from Malawi, and Emmanuel Tlemu from Tanzania.

Each of the 20 finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate, and £1,000 as their prize. The top finalist from each region will be recognized as the regional winner and will receive £3,000. One of the five regional winners will then become the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2023 and be awarded £5,000.

Speaking to The New Times, Irakoze expressed excitement about the opportunity and Westezon’s plans to expand operations within and outside of Rwanda, using the recognition as a platform for visibility among potential supporters.

He attributed their success to a clear value proposition for their solution, impactful projections for the next two years, and a strong leadership team.

Wastezon’s mission revolves around providing consumers, manufacturers, and recyclers with efficient tech-empowered traceability services.

Irakoze mentioned one of their project which aims to reduce e-waste pollution by extending the lifespan of electronic devices and promoting the use of quality, used products, aligning with climate action and sustainable consumption goals.

“We have a platform called Waste Zone 2.0, which facilitates the exchange of products between our sellers and buyers. In our refurbishment lab, we inspect all materials that are intended to be transacted on the platform to ensure device quality before they are listed. On the other hand, we also assist recyclers and manufacturers in acquiring materials that have a short production period. We have one model targeting consumers, sellers, and buyers, and another model aimed at manufacturers and recyclers interested in acquiring recyclable e-waste,” he explained.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards will be one of the main side events of the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (CYMM), which takes place from 11-15 September 2023. Ministers and senior officials from across 56 nations will gather at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth headquarters, to deliberate on proposals, share best practices, and decide on plans to support young people across the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth’s Head of Social Policy Development, Layne Robinson, said: “These awards are a source of pride for us at the Secretariat, and particularly the Secretary-General, as we have wholeheartedly committed to empowering and amplifying young people. These 20 regional finalists have sacrificed much and it is with great pleasure that we have an opportunity to reward them. I also want to thank the Duke of Edinburgh for agreeing to attend the Awards and the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust for their continued partnership.”

In continuation of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s partnership with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), an additional prize of £20,000 in funding will also be presented to one project at the award ceremony, to be delivered over two years. The winner will also be enrolled in QCT’s Youth Ventures Programme and given access to coaching and development opportunities.

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Admin published in Africa, African Beauty, African Countries and Places, African News, African People,

Moroccan King’s 60th Birthday, Celebrated as Model of Stability.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Monday 21st August,  has been seen as maintaining effective stability as well as modernizing the economy at home while pursuing assertive diplomacy abroad.

In his most recent speech on July 30, the king called for  the achievement of “new milestones on the path of progress and creating projects of greater scope, worthy of the Moroccan people.”

Since his coronation after the death of his father Hassan II on July 23, 1999, King Mohammed has focused on the economy, foreign affairs, defense, and security in his North African nation.

“While his father was greatly present on the political stage, Mohammed VI’s style seems to differ from that of his father’s. According to political analyst Mohamed Chiker, he prefers to silently steer the ship while controlling the levers of power.” 

The king has supervised the building of major infrastructure and business projects over the years.

These include the Tanger Med industrial port, the gigantic Noor solar power plant, and the Tangier-Casablanca high-speed rail line, alongside developing Morocco’s automotive and aerospace industries, and more recently, so-called green hydrogen projects and the “Made in Morocco” label.

Furthermore, to boost Moroccan soft power abroad, he took the initiative to partner with Spain and Portugal in a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

On the international stage, Mohammed has diversified partnerships that were once the virtual monopoly of former colonial ruler France and other European countries, embracing a more prominent continental role since Morocco’s return to the African Union in 2017.

The Western Sahara has remained the king’s top foreign policy priority, repeatedly describing the former Spanish colony  as “the prism through which Morocco views its international environment.”

Since 1975, a low-intensity conflict over the contested territory has pitted Rabat against Sahrawi separatists of the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

Morocco has also secured Spain’s support for an “autonomy plan” that would place the vast mineral-rich desert region under Rabat’s sole sovereignty.

The Polisario has for decades called for a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination.

In December 2020, the United States recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara. Israel followed suit last month, deepening ties with Rabat and drawing a predictable backlash from Algiers.

He did not only achieve diplomatic wins, but Mohammed also addressed societal inequalities at home, which has earned him the nickname “king of the poor”.

Under his leadership, a long-awaited aid project for Morocco’s most disadvantaged families is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

In 2004, the monarch approved the adoption of a family code aimed at boosting women’s rights.

Over the past two decades, Morocco has also shown a commitment to strengthening women’s representation in all sectors, considering it a priority step towards combating discrimination, exclusion, and marginalization.

The reforms, the king said in July 2022, enshrine “equality between men and women in rights and duties and, consequently, establish the principle of parity as an objective that the state must seek to achieve.”

The king also shed light on the fact that the purpose of the reforms was to allow women to “enjoy their legitimate rights,” reaffirming that in Morocco, “it is no longer possible for women to be deprived of their rights.”

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Admin published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African News, Developments in Africa, Uncategorized

Angola, South Africa Trade Cooperation Valued at U.S.$29.6 Mln.

The executive director of the Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX), José Sala, said on  Tuesday in Luanda that Trade cooperation between Angola and South Africa, valued at US$29.6 million is below its real potential, 

José Sala added that the two states have the potential to stimulate economic growth and promote regional development, creating more jobs for their citizens.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the Angola-South Africa Business Forum, the AIPEX administrator said that the South African investment, valued at US$29.6 million, is the result of seven projects, of which five in the area of service provision, one in the manufacturing sector and another in agro-industry.

In the view of José Sala, Angola, and South Africa should cooperate on a basis of complementarity, with gains for both sides to strengthen the economic and social development of both States.

The AIPEX administrator highlighted that Angola is a significant producer of oil, natural gas, diamonds, and other natural resources, while South Africa has a robust and diversified economy, with a large consumer market, with a developed manufacturing industry.

In this regard, during the 3-day Business Forum, AIPEX and national entrepreneurs will present to the South African business delegation the areas of most outstanding investment opportunities in Angola, with particular emphasis on manufacturing, agribusiness, fisheries, health, and education sectors.

José Sala suggested that the governments and companies of the two countries need to work together to facilitate trade and investment, which also includes improving infrastructure and establishing more cooperation agreements.

At the event, Angola – South Africa Chamber of Commerce representative, Paula Xavier, reported that 26 South African companies have established business in Angola and have created more than 1,000 jobs.

“Angolan entrepreneurs need to look at South Africa as a great partner, together to make the region economically strong,” he said.

Meanwhile, the representative of South Africa (Wesgro), Tatiana dos Santos, indicated that the South African business delegation is made up of 13 business groups from different segments.

“South African entrepreneurs are attending this business forum to establish partnerships and do business, to stimulate trade between the two countries,” said the head of the South Africa delegation.

At the event, the South African ambassador in Angola, orpa Ephraim Monareng, considered the relations between the two states, but “the trade balance is still weak and needs to be driven from forums as today”.

The representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), William Butterfield, invited Angolan entrepreneurs to export to the US through South Africa.

Angola and Africa, members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), maintain excellent cooperation relations in political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural domains.

In recent years, the two states have reinforced bilateral relations with the signing of various commercial agreements, which include cooperation in the oil sector and the suppression of visas in ordinary passports.

 

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Admin published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African News, African People, Developments in Africa,

Ghana: Empowerment of Youth, Teen Mothers Launched.

A project aimed at training the youth in tailoring and fashion design to enable them to access a dignified work and life by 2030 has been launched. Dubbed: the “Sua Adepam project” under the Young Africa Work Strategy, this project would empower young people especially the youth, teen mothers, early school leavers, and people living with disabilities to gain skills in tailoring and fashion designing. 

It also sought to equip young women and men with the skills and knowledge they needed to access and expand the economic opportunities that were available to them.

The project, which is worth $100,000, includes the training cost, monthly stipend, provision of sewing tools such as sewing machines, tape measures, scissors, tailor chalk, office pins, and many more throughout the eighteen months training period. 

The Sua Adepam project was launched in partnership with a non-profit organisation, Boost Foundation, and Mastercard Foundation.

It will train and set up a total of 65 people within Kintampo, Kumasi, and Accra for one and a half years.

The Executive Director of Boost Foundation, Dr. Cynthia Addae, said the project would go a long way in supporting young people in the country. 

“This project is aligned with supporting young people to be involved in economically fit jobs and has the required experiences, tools, and training needed for them to start their fashion businesses while making incomes for themselves and their families,” she stated. 

The Project Monitoring and Evaluation Lead of Boost Foundation, Patricia Antwi Boasiako, said the trainees would be monitored as part of the responsibilities of the foundation to witness their progress.

She, therefore, encouraged the selected trainees to be committed and dedicated during their training period.

Mrs. Boasiako advised them to also be submissive to their master artisans and give them the maximum respect for the smooth delivery of work. 

“Let us all try and to be obedient, respectful, and most importantly punctual during the one and half years,” she said.

However, she urged the master artisans to safeguard and avoid abusing trainees in any way because it was against the foundation’s policy.

“Accept them as your own and do not abuse them in any form with the power vested in you,” she emphasized. 

The beneficiaries expressed sincere gratitude to the foundation for showing interest in such an initiative and helping those without finances to put themselves through fashion school and training. 

The Master Artisans also assured the foundations that they would fulfill their promise by helping these trainees bring out their best skills in the fashion industry.

Both Master Artisans and trainees pledged to be on their best behavior during the training.

 

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Admin published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African News, African People, Lifestyle,

Standard Bank Hosts “Top Women EmpowHer” in Cape Town.

Topco Media, a leading media company focused on empowering entrepreneurs, was thrilled to announce the winners of the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Cape Town event. This marks the first stop in the EmpowHER Development Series, with the second in Durban and the final event to follow in the North West in August.

The Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER series aims to build communities and provide networking opportunities for aspiring women entrepreneurs. They equip women with the skills and knowledge needed to drive economic development, and the series also empowers them to build successful enterprises in South Africa. The Cape Town event has set the stage for a series of inspiring sessions featuring successful Top Women Award winners and entrepreneurs.

The Cape Town event that was held at The Hyatt Regency Cape Town on Thursday, 25 May 2023, was a platform for an exceptional lineup of renowned speakers who captivated the audience with their valuable insights and experiences. The attendees were inspired by the industry expertise and knowledge shared by Sheila Yabo, head of ecosystem development for Ayoba, MTN’s SuperApp, former head of UCT GSB’s Entrepreneurship Centre, and SA country director for University Impact. They were also privileged to hear from Adri Williams, managing director of Khayelitsha Cookies and recipient of the prestigious Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER award in 2022.

The presence and contributions of these speakers added tremendous value to the event, creating an engaging and insightful experience for all participants.

One of the exceptional moments of the Cape Town event was the highly anticipated pitching den. Ten exceptional entrepreneurs, carefully selected in advance, had the opportunity to showcase their promising business models. The selected individuals delivered captivating three-minute elevator pitches, followed by engaging five-minute Q&A sessions consisting of a panel of respected judges. The esteemed judging panel consisted of Naledzani Mosomane, who is the head of enterprise development at Standard Bank, Fikile Kgobe, the lead global markets SA (BCB/PPB) at Standard Bank, Fiona Wakelin, the group editor at Topco Media, Adri Williams, the managing director of Khayelitsha Cookies, and Zinzi Magoda, a lecturer at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

The winners from all three regional events, including Cape Town, Durban, and Sun City, will attend the Standard Bank Top Women Awards in November 2023, taking place in Johannesburg. The ultimate winner will be bestowed with the highly sought-after trophy and an impressive cash prize of R50,000.

They were thrilled to announce the winners of the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Cape Town event. These exceptional entrepreneurs impressed the judges with their innovative business models and demonstrated outstanding growth potential.

“We are thrilled with the tremendous success of the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER event. The caliber of finalists was exceptional, showcasing the incredible talent and innovation among women entrepreneurs in South Africa. Congratulations to all the winners for their remarkable achievements and for inspiring us with their outstanding business models. We are proud to celebrate their success and look forward to their continued growth and contributions to the business landscape,” commends Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media.

Denise Stubbs – Thokozani Winelands Investments PTY LTD, Mahlatse Mamaila – INO-Biodiesel, Fezeka Stuurman – Cultiver Group- winner, first runner up, and second runner up respectively were all congratulated. Their achievements and dedication serve as an inspiration to aspiring women entrepreneurs across the country.

They extended a warm invitation to all business and corporate women in South Africa to participate in the final event in the North West. This transformative experience will be held at Sun City, a venue renowned for its blend of business and leisure. It will present an exceptional opportunity for networking, acquiring knowledge, and personal growth.

To secure your spot at the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Regional Conference in North West, please sign up using the application form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DV35PPY. Additionally, tickets can be purchased at https://qkt.io/AWYT87. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the 20% discount exclusively available to Standard Bank customers using their BIN numbers as a promo code (the first six numbers on your card).

It is a rare opportunity to network with accomplished entrepreneurs, acquire invaluable knowledge, and propel your business to new heights. Be a part of the vibrant community of empowered women who are actively contributing to the economic growth of South Africa. 

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Admin published in Africa, African News, African People, Developments in Africa, Health,

AFRICA CDC LAUNCHES SCIENCE PROGRAM.

  • The Africa CDC launched the Africa Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program.
  • The fellowship program aims to support technical experts and future leaders in public health pathogen genomics and bioinformatics in Africa.
  • The call for the application for the fellowship program ended on 03 April 2023 for the first cohort of 25 fellows.

On the 23rd of March, 2023, the Africa CDC launched the Africa Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program, a continental workforce development program targeting public health laboratories in the African Union Member States to improve the use of pathogen genomic data for outbreak detection and disease surveillance.

In recent times, Africa CDC through the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI) has led the implementation of capacity-building initiatives for pathogen genomics sequencing including an aggressive training agenda through short courses on SARS-COV-2 sequencing and data analytics. 

As a result of this effort, most Member States have now in-country sequencing capacity, and with continued support, they are ready to apply genome sequencing for the surveillance of priority diseases in Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic not only fast-tracked the adoption of pathogen genomics to inform public health decision-making in Africa but has also highlighted the need for a well-trained workforce to realize the power of next-generation sequencing for other public health functions. They have subsequently built on existing efforts to further expand genomics capacity beyond COVID-19. In partnership with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine and regional centers of excellence, the Africa CDC has developed and launched the Africa PGI Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program.

Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, Acting Director General of the Africa CDC said, “Africa continues to face a growing risk of infectious disease outbreaks. The recent Ebola, Cholera, Marburg, and other outbreaks highlight the urgent need for effective implementation and utilization of pathogen genomics across Africa. It is imperative to strengthen African public health institutions through capacity building and workforce development as the major pillars of the New Public Health Order. This fellowship program is a step forward in our effort to leapfrog outbreak detection and disease surveillance in Africa.”

Nqobile Ndlovu, Chief Executive Officer of ASLM, backed this up by saying, “The public health benefits of next-generation sequencing can only be realized through a well-trained workforce. We are very excited to partner with the Africa CDC in capacity and capability building for pathogen genomics and bioinformatics in Africa.”

This program has three tracks; a wet-lab track (Next-Generation Sequencing of Pathogens), a dry-lab track (Public health bioinformatics data analytics, interpretation, and reporting), and a track on genomic epidemiology to be included at a later stage. Overall, the fellowship program aims to support technical experts and future leaders in public health pathogen genomics and bioinformatics in Africa.

Throughout the fellowship, participants will be trained on core competencies with a focus on genomics and data analytics for outbreak detection, viral and bacterial disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and malaria surveillance. The fellowship will also provide opportunities for alumni and institutional networks to foster future collaborations across Africa.

The call for the application for the fellowship program ended on 03 April 2023 for the first cohort of 25 fellows. Africa CDC welcomed applications from all qualified persons from all AU Member States. The fellowship program will prioritize women, youth, and those Member States with limited genomics and bioinformatics capacity.

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Admin published in Africa, African People, Developments in Africa, Lifestyle, Tech,

NIGERIAN ROBOTICS ENGINEER IS THE HIGHEST PAID IN THE WORLD.

  • The Nigerian Robotics Engineer was the CEO and co-founder of Reach Robotics.
  • He received investments that enabled the company to expand and also partnered with Apple.
  • He is the highest-paid Robotics Engineer in the world.

Silas Adekunle is a Nigerian inventor and technology entrepreneur known for creating the world’s first intelligent gaming robot.

He is a co-founder and CEO of Reach Robotics, a UK-based augmented reality gaming company that created robots for gaming and STEM education. His start-up developed a 4-legged robot with a lifelike movement called MekaMon. The system animated video games by combining robotics with augmented reality. The company also developed an app to control MekaMon and acted as a portal for digital content. 

Adekunle received $12 million from investors, which also includes London Venture Partners, this enabled the company to expand to about 65 full-time employees at its peak.

Adekunle has also partnered with Apple, he signed an exclusive distribution deal to sell his product in both the united states and Britain.

Even though Reach Robotics shut down on the 2nd of September 2019 due to the inherent challenges in the consumer robotics sector, Adekunle still went ahead to focus on using MekaMon to develop the Robotics education ecosystem across Africa and cloud infrastructure for industrial automation in the UK. He founded the company Awarri, which aims to enable the development and adaptation of advanced AI and robotics technology in Africa.

In January 2020, Adekunle became the co-founder and CEO of (R.I). The company aims to help developers quickly and securely implement the cloud infrastructure needed to remotely monitor, manage and control their robots, industrial automation, and IOT devices.

In November 2018, Adekunle was named to the Financial Times‘ list of the “Top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology”. In the same year, he was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2018: Technology list.

This 31-year-old Nigerian is the World’s highest-paid Robotics Engineer.

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Admin published in African People, Health, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

NIGERIAN DOCTOR MAKES HISTORY.

Dr. Olutoye Oluyinka, a Nigerian born in Lagos state has now become a wild sensation owing to his almost impossible achievement.

Dr. Olutoye received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and earned his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Virginia Commonwealth University, and his fellowships in pediatric and fetal surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA.

He has a role as Surgeon-in-chief, leading one of the largest children’s hospital surgery departments in the world.

Through his leadership of 11 surgical departments, Dr. Olutoye works to advance Nationwide Children’s common mission, philosophy and approach to excellence in patient care, dedication to outstanding clinical outcomes, commitment to academic excellence and education of the next generation of leaders in children’s surgery.

Dr. Olutoye is a world-renowned fetal and neonatal surgeon bringing specialized clinical and research experience to the Fetal Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His expertise enables our team to provide exceptional care for babies who need surgery in-utero and improve outcomes for a range of conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, spina bifida and other.

Dr. Olutoye has previously served as co-director of the Fetal Center and the immediate past president of the medical staff at Texas Children’s Hospital. At Baylor College of Medicine, also in Houston, TX, he was a tenured Professor of Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, and chair of the Faculty Senate. As a pediatric and fetal surgeon, he brings specialized clinical expertise in fetal and neonatal surgery. 

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Olutoye also leads an established research program focused on the role of the inflammatory response in scarless fetal wound healing, in-utero correction of severe congenital malformations, and the early detection of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. 

Dr. Prof. Oluyinka Olutoye cut a woman’s womb at 23 weeks old to remove a large tumour from a baby, and placed the baby back in her womb.

The baby was delivered healthy at 36 weeks.

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LESOTHO: RADIO DAY COMMEMORATION.

World Radio day was celebrated this year on Monday, the 13th of February bearing the theme “radio and peace”. This year’s own makes it the 12th edition.

 

Lesotho joined the world in commemoration of this day under the theme “Radio Catalyst For People’s Lives”. The event was held in Maseru on Monday.

 

The minister of information, Communication, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ms. Nthati Morosi spoke at the event. While speaking, she pointed out that radio, like other media platforms, provides three traditional functions: information provision, education, and entertainment. She also added that its additional function is making the citizens make informed decisions about their lives.

 

She went on to emphasize that through the information provision, radio enlightens citizens about national issues, bringing policy and economic development issues to society’s attention for their interpretation, analysis, and digestion which contributes to their making informed decisions. She noted that the commemoration came at an opportune time when the radio is acknowledged across the world as a medium of information exchange.

 

The role of radio in agenda-setting cannot be overemphasized. It puts issues into the public domain by order of their importance, thereby influencing society to pay more attention to some more important issues.

 

The UNESCO Acting Secretary-General also spoke at this event. She talked about how UNESCO supports different sectors, including the communication sector because they work together with relevant ministries. In the same vein, she urged stakeholders to work collaboratively to grow their industry, while saying that radio is easily accessible and a widespread media.

 

The commemoration was also done in dialogue discussions where radio veterans shared knowledge with the young radio personalities and discussed factors affecting radio and solutions. The organizer of this event was MISA.

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LAGOS STATE LAUNCHES LAGOS RAIL MASS TRANSIT (LMRT) BLUE LINE OPERATIONS

The just completed infrastructure for the first phase of Lagos Rail Mass Transit, LMRT, Blue Line operations has been commissioned by the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The project is being handled by the management of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority will transit between Marina to Mile-2 axis of the State to serve as part of measures put in place to decongest road traffic.

This achievement is the fulfilment of the commitment made by Sanwo-Olu of completing the project in the last quarter of 2022 ahead of the passenger operations slated for the first quarter of 2023.

A 27-kilometer rail system from Marina to Okokomaiko, the LRMT Blue Line is one of the six rail lines and monorails prescribed for Lagos in the state’s Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP).

The construction is divided into phases for easy implementation and is expected to carry more than 500,000 passengers when fully completed. 

However, the first phase, which is a 13-kilometer rail system, is expected to move nearly 200,000 passengers daily with five stations at Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre and Marina.

For its operation, an independent power plant would be built to power the rail system.

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NIGERIA RECOVERS LOOTED BENIN BRONZES AFTER 125-YEARS

On Tuesday at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Germany handed 22 Benin Bronzes which were looted 125 years ago from Benin to the Nigerian Government.

The government of Germany was represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock and Minister of State for Culture, Claudia Roth. 

Speaking on the occasion, Annalena Baerbock expressed the wrong which they have committed by taking the artifacts which she described as what tells stories of Nigerian history. In her words, she said: “we are here to right the wrong, it was wrong to take and also keep them”.

The Minister of State for Culture also said at the ceremony that “Nigeria was denied this heritage for 125 years” and she promised that more Benin Bronzes will return to where they belong. She however, pleaded to Nigeria to consider lending some of the artifacts to German museums.

The Nigerian Government has made plans to embark on infrastructural development where these recovered artifacts will be kept. This was disclosed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed in his opening speech at the ceremony.

He also commended the German Government for staying true to their words.

In addition, Lai Mohammed also used the medium to appreciate other countries that have responded to the return of African artifacts, making mention of the Netherlands which in October 2020 returned a 600-year Ife Terracotta.

Among others include the University of Aberdeen and Jesus College of the University of Cambridge for returning the Benin Bronzes, the Metropolitan Museum in New York which returned Ife and Benin Bronzes.

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NIGERIAN BILLIONIARE SPOTTED TILLING HIS FARM HIMSELF.

One of the things most Africans across the globe can relate to is hard work. To exploit the natural resources given to us a lot of effort had to be put in. This diligence has reflected in other parts of an African’s life.

 

Chika Emenike is a Nigerian from Urualla in Ideato North Local Government Area in Imo state. He was born on the 23rd of July, 1969 and had his early education in Urualla and Nnewi in the 1980s.

 

He started his business with the sum of 3,000 naira in 1990. He used to carry and take stock of people’s goods to know which they had in case a customer needed such goods and from there he started building up. He started trading under the name Chitec Motors Nig. ltd. The zeal and passion he had for his business led to the birth of the KOTEC group which was officially registered and incorporated in 2001 as a holding company. He diversified and introduced Tummy Tummy Foods ltd in 2009 and several other subsidiaries. At the moment KOTEC is one of the leading companies dealing in motorcycle spare parts. 

 

Chike Emenike has contributed greatly to the development of the nation’s economy. He has created employment opportunities for over three thousand youths in his factories. He has also helped a lot of people establish their own businesses by assisting financially or introducing them to his foreign partners. He has sponsored several projects and programs of organizations and groups. On his 53rd birthday, he gave one million naira each to 24 youths in his community as start up funds; his reason for doing so was so that those that have dreams will not end up wasting, he understood that some may not use it wisely but that did not deter him; he also pointed out that it will also encourage other people with the resources to help out those looking for funds to carry out their ideas.

 

He has also received awards and titles both within and outside of Nigeria.

 

Despite being an award winning and title holding billionaire, he has not forgotten the principles of working hard and getting his hands dirty as during the lockdown he kept himself busy by planting yam seedlings. He was spotted recently doing the farm work by himself.

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UGANDAN MAN RECYCLES DAMAGED STEEL BIKES USING BAMBOO FRAMES

From Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Noordin Kasoma inspects handmade bicycles manufactured by his company by measuring and cutting a length of bamboo sticks into 24 pieces and transforming them into the frame of a bicycle at his workshop.

 

Noordin created a way to recycle damaged steel bikes, by replacing frames with bamboo sticks and selling them on the market. He got the idea of making bikes after training with an American bike frame designer and manufacturer, Craig Calfee and also watching tutorials on the internet.

 

The entrepreneur saw a market dominated by expensive steel and aluminium, and wanted to make bikes that are cheaper and tougher than the regular brands available locally.

 

He said that when riding a bamboo bicycle especially on the off-road, it gives a comfortable feel and due to the flexibility of the bamboo it gives a kind of shock absorbing property when riding. Unlike the steel and aluminium, the bamboo itself absorbs the shocks you get when riding.

 

It takes about seven days to manufacture a bicycle and the bamboo must be well dried for months and treated with insecticide before being used. 

 

Noordin mostly sells his bikes in Uganda, parts of East Africa, Europe and America, between $350 to $450 each, depending on the size and design of the bicycles. 

 

He has a workforce of about 20 workers and has several young apprentices that he’s teaching the special production and specifications of his bicycles.

 

Noordin said they get geometrical diagrams of different types of bikes and sizes and they usually make mountain bikes, city bikes, travel bikes, road bikes, and racing bikes with each of the bicycles having different geometry and size. 

 

Noordin chose to work with bamboo because of its availability and can be easily found in the country, also for its fast growing ability and sustainably harvested. He said the bikes are quite popular and have featured in various tournaments. 

 

Different from the regular bamboo frame, Noordin added a special Ugandan twist to his invention. He uses bark cloth, a traditional clothing material harvested from the inner bark of the Mutuba tree to strengthen the joints of the bicycles. The bark cloth is dipped in resin, wrapped around joints, dried, and sanded down  into a shiny finish.

 

His bicycle brand is named “Boogaali”, a fusion of bamboo and “gaali”, which in the local Luganda language means Bicycles.

 

According to Amos Nuwagaba, Cyclist, he said that the bike is a cheaper option because going through importing a carbon frame and considering the taxes and the like, you may buy two of these in the frame.

 

Noordin plans to expand his factory and promote bicycle tourism in the country.

 

 

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NIGERIA: FEC APPROVES MOTHER TONGUE AS COMPULSORY MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS

On Wednesday 30th November, 2022, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a new National Language Policy which makes mother tongue a compulsory medium of instruction in all primary schools across the country.

 

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education while briefing the State House correspondents at the end of the Council’s meeting presided over by Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.

 

The Minister said: “A memo on national policy was approved by the council, and now Nigeria has a National Language Policy”. 

 

He said that instruction in primary schools and the first six years of education will be in the mother tongue as it will be combined with English Language from Junior Secondary School.

 

While explaining he further said that the decision has officially taken effect although it will require a lot of work to implement, as the use of mother tongue is exclusive and the government needs time to develop instructional material and provide qualified teachers.

 

He revealed that the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the host community where it is located, nevertheless they will be taught other Nigerian languages of their choice and also international languages at a certain stage.

 

He said that pupils learn much better when instructions are in their own mother tongue during the first six years of learning. 

 

The objective of the new language policy is to promote, and enhance the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages since we have 625 languages.

 

In addition the Minister said that the council approved a consultancy services agreement between the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Sigmac Technologies, a private company, to upgrade the JAMB portal.

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NAMIBIAN TEENAGER WHO INVENTED ‘SIM-LESS’ AND ‘AIRTIME FREE’ PHONE

A teenager from Abraham Iyambo Senior Secondary School in Namibia, Simon Petrus invented a mobile phone that works with radio frequencies, without sim card or airtime recharge is required. Calls can be made without interruptions to anywhere and anyone as long as they are done in an area with radio frequency.

 

Petrus used scraps of old television and mobile phones to put together the invention, which took him two years to complete. It also required funding of over $2000 from his unemployed parents and sacrificed a lot to ensure the success of the project. 

 

Petrus’ invention is not just a sim-less mobile phone, it is a whole unit consisting of a working radio, television, a light bulb, a fan, and a socket. Although not Petrus’ first invention but his latest, he has also created a machine that doubles as a seed and a cooler which won him a first place at a competition for young innovators in Namibia.

 

One of the teachers from Petrus’ school described him to be an average student “in general” but an A+ student in sciences who aspires to become an electronics engineer after school. The young inventor came up with his own project and the only assistance he had was from his teachers in school.

 

Asides Petrus’ invention, it is safe to say that Namibia can boast of a good number of young innovators and a variety of revolutionary projects. A Namibian student also developed the country’s own social network site  – Namhook, and also  a young inventor Josua Nghaamwa built a satellite booster to boost internet connectivity in rural areas with weak signals.

 

Also from Abraham Iyambo Senior Secondary School, Adreheid Hamutumwa made a bath soap with local plant roots and animal fat.

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KENYAN WOMAN RECYCLES PLASTICS TO BRICKS.

A 29-year old Kenyan woman, Nzambi Matee recycles plastic into beautiful bricks

 

Nzambi Matee majored in Material Engineering and worked as an Engineer in Kenya’s oil industry. In 2017 she quit her job to start creating pavers, which are a combination of plastic and sand. Through experimentation, she understood which plastics bind better together and then created the machinery that would help her mass produce.

 

She started up Gjenge Markers in Nairobi. She is able to produce 1,500 bricks everyday using a mix of different plastics. She gets packaging for free from factories but pays for plastics from recyclers. The startup has generated 112 job opportunities for garbage collectors both women and youth groups.

 

These bricks are created lightweight and low cost. They have been thrown against walls and they did not crack; she said “our product is almost 5-7 times stronger than concrete. There is that waste they cannot process anymore, they cannot recycle, that is what we get”.

 

For production she heats sand, plastic and compresses them into different bricks which are sold for construction purposes. She has recycled 20 tonnes since she founded the company. She plans to add a larger production line.

 

She set up this company to help solve the problem of plastic pollution. She also said “it is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter. Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood. The potential is enormous but its afterlife can be disastrous”.

 

This will greatly help the economy as highlighted by Soraya Smaoun who specializes in industrial production techniques with UNEP when she said “we must rethink how we manufacture industrial products and deal with them at the end of their useful life. Nzambi Matee’s innovation in the construction sector highlights the economic and environmental opportunities when we move from a linear economy, where products, once used, are discarded to a circular one where products and materials continue in the system for as long as possible”.

 

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FIFA 2022 WORLD CUP: SENEGAL DEFEATS ECUADOR IN A THRILLING 2-1 MATCH TO QUALIFY FOR KNOCKOUT STAGE

The Teranga Lions have qualified for the first knockout stage of the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup as they defeated Ecuador in a thrilling 2-1 match, which has booked the African team a place in the World Cup’s round of 16.

Ecuador and Senegal kicked-off  their group A match at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, as the first attack came from Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye played a good ball from the left aiming for a shot from inside the Ecuador box but missed the target. 

Ismalia Sarr from Senegal converted a penalty to a goal in the 44 minute after being bundled over in the box by Piero Hincapie and gave Senegal a 1-0 lead in the second half. 

After the break, Ecuador desperately searched for way back into the game, and they equalised on 68-minutes when Felix Torres’ near post flick-on was met by Moises Caicedo, who tapped into a practically empty net.

This placed emphasis back on Senegal to find a goal, and within seconds they were back ahead as Kalidou Koulibaly volleyed home from close range after Idrissa Gueye’s free-kick was not cleared.

This will be the first time that Senegal have claimed back-to-back World Cup victories and the third time to have reached the knockout stage in the World Cup. 

Senegal will face England in the round-of-16 on Sunday.

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GHANA ANNOUNCES NEW POLICY TO BUY OIL WITH GOLD INSTEAD OF U.S DOLLARS

On Thursday, Ghana’s Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Arra presented the 2023 budget in parliament and also announced that there will be more spending cuts, including a freeze on government hiring and hike in the Value Added Tax. It also looked into using gold to buy oil rather than U.S dollars as the country’s currency depreciates against the U.S dollars.

 

The new policy to buy oil products with gold rather than U.S dollars will be effective next year as previously announced by the Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia on facebook, which is part of the government measures to strengthen the Cedi.

 

The Spokesperson of the Vice-President, Gideon Boako explained how the policy works, he said: “It is basically going to be a government-to-government transaction”.

 

He mentioned that the Ghana’s government will buy gold locally with Cedis through the Bank of Ghana (financier) and then exchange the gold for fuel (oil) in a barter form, an example, with the UAE’s government.

 

Daniel Amartey, an economist with the Accra-based Policy Initiative for Economic Development (PIED) described the policy as inventive. He said: “It is a very progressive one and within the shortest possible time it should be able to help address the depreciation of Cedis, requiring less dollars to be used in terms of our exportation”.

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TONY ELUMELU’S MONDAY MOTIVATION.

Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu is a Nigerian serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who has made great waves nationally and internationally. He was born on the 22nd of March, 1963.

 

He worked in the Nigerian Union Bank as a Youth Corper in 1985 before starting his career as a salesman, a copier salesman to be precise. Subsequently, he joined Allstates Trust Bank. In 1997, he led a small group of investors to take over a struggling Crystal Bank, later renamed Standard Trust Bank and later acquired United Bank for Africa.

 

Following the merger of Standard Trust Bank and United Bank for Africa in 2005, he led the company as group managing director from a single country banking group to a Pan-African bank with subsidiaries in 20 African countries, France, the US and the UK and eventually stepping down in 2010. He currently chairs the board of directors in UBA. 

 

In 2010, he founded his own family owned Investment Company “Heirs Holding”. In the same stride he brought into existence his foundation “The Tony Elumelu Foundation”. The foundation is an African based foundation championing entrepreneurship in Africa.

 

Anthony Elumelu has received several awards, he is Forbes Africa’s top 5 richest men and he is also on Time’s list of 100 most influential people.

 

Recently, through his Twitter page he stated that it is luck that has brought him this far. He said luck is part of the cocktail one needs to be successful.

 

He wrote “I am where I am today because of luck. Let me be clear: luck is important but it is not a substitute for hard work or labor. Luck is a part of the cocktail that you need for success. There are two ingredients for luck- hard work and passion. The more work you put into something and the more passion you apply, the “luckier” you will find yourself. You have to work hard, and be passionate and committed about what you do, to be successful and make your own luck. Hard Work and passion are within your own power and control, and you should apply them to earn your luck and to help us foster a better and more prosperous world”. This was his Monday motivation.

 

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NIGERIAN BUSINESSMAN “OBI CUBANA” BAGS DOCTORATE DEGREE

Nigerian billionaire businessman, Obinna Iyiegbu popularly known as Obi Cubana has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by the prestigious Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) in Nigeria.

 

The ceremony which took place on Saturday, 27th November 2022, had in attendance the Governor of Enugu State, Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and many other academics and dignitaries.

 

The certificate of Honor was presented to the business mogul, Obi Cubana by the Governor of Enugu State.

 

Obi shared this milestone with his 3.7 million followers on his verified instagram account, with a caption that says: “Ladies and Gentlemen, you may wish to address me henceforth as Dr. Obinna Iyiegbu Okpataozueora 1 (Dr. Of Business Administration).

 

He also shared a couple of pictures and expressed his appreciation to the university’s management and the governor. He wrote: “Thank you to the Management, staff and students of Enugu State University (ESUT). Thank You Your Excellency Rt.Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi”.

 

The business tycoon is the founder and Chairperson of the Cubana group and owns a number of nightclubs, hotels and other businesses, including Don Pablo and Cubana clubs in Lagos, Enugu, Abuja, Ananmbra and Imo State, Nigeria.

 

Obi Cubana is seen as one the wealthiest Nigerians under the age of 40, and he has now added a new title to his name to be addressed as Dr. Obinna Iyiegbu.

 

Lots of reactions trailed after his recent post on instagram. Many congratulated him and wished for more achievements in life.

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ETHIOPIAN COMPANY WINS THE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE CHOICE AWARD.

A private company in Ethiopia named mainly engaged in coffee export and real estate development has won the best award for the “Ernesto Llly International coffee award 2022”.

 

The prize celebrates the finest coffee Arabica variety sourced from all over the world. 

 

Every year external jurists made up of coffee enthusiasts, experts and international chefs choose the finest coffee lot from the competing countries. This is an independent jury of 9 experts, they examine the best batches of the 2021-2022 production through a blind tasting of the 9 countries that made it to the finals.

 

Among the 9 countries that made it to the finals are; Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua and Rwanda. 

 

The nine finalists were competing in the “best of the best” and “coffee lover’s choice” categories.

 

The award of “best of the best ” was presented to Ethiopia Tracon Trading through its representative Elias Omer Ali from the hands of Andrea Llly, chairman of Llly Caffe. Meanwhile, the “coffee lovers’ choice” award was given to the Costa Ricans.

 

 

The event was held on the 17th of November at Palazzo Colonna in Rome. It is in its 7th year now.

 

 

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PROFESSOR ABDON, CAMEROONIAN-SOUTH AFRICAN RANKS SECOND BEST IN MATHEMATICS IN THE WORLD.

A Cameroonian born South African, Professor Abdon Atangana has been ranked second best mathematician in the world. 

 

Professor Abdon Atangana is a 37-year old mathematician at the Institute of Groundwater Studies, University of the Free State, Blomfontein. 

 

He made headlines in 2020 under top 10 South African Scientists in the top 1% of scientists on the Global Clarivate Web of Science list. In 2021, he was elected as a fellow of the World Academy of Science for the advancement of science in developing countries.

 

He collaborated with his students and released two books earlier this year. He is also known for developing new fractional operators used to model real world problems arising in the fields of engineering, science and technology.

 

According to UFS, Stanford University created the list of the top 2% of world class researchers based on citations over their full careers. The list was published in September and comprises 195,605 researchers who make up the top 2%. He ranked 188 in all of science, technology and engineering. 

 

To this David Hilbert stated, “being an African black individual and the second ranked mathematician in the world shows that the subject of mathematics is not limited by geography or by race”.

 

Professor Atangana also said “Mathematics is a subject that transcends all national boundaries. The no. 1 in general mathematics is from Stanford. However, his real specialty is computer science”.

 

Atangana’s placement at 188 in all of science, technology and engineering is significant as it demonstrates that the influence of his study can be compared to other fields and is not limited to mathematicians.

 

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MOZAMBICAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES FIRST EXPORT SHIPMENT OF NATURAL GAS

On Sunday 13th November, The President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, officially announced the exportation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) produced in the country’s north which plagued by Jihadist attacks.

Located in the Cabo Delgado Province, the off-shore plant is managed by the Italian energy company and it is the first shipment of gas under a long-term purchase and sale contract with British giant BP.

The president said: “It is with great honor that I announce the start of the first export of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), produced in the Rovuma, in Mozambique, by the Coral Sul FLNG Project. The British Sponsor ship departs Mozambican waters for the international market”.

He added: “The completion of this international venture is a sign of the recognition by the market that Mozambique offers a stable, transparent and predictable environment for the realization of multi-billion investments, where high technology stands out in order to monetize resources in a phase of the energy transition, therefore it must bring pride to all Mozambicans”.

The country sets high hopes on vast natural gas deposits as it is the largest ever found in Sub-Saharan African, discovered in the Northern Cabo Delgado Province in 2010.

Mozambique could become one of the world’s 10 biggest exporters once tapped.

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NAIROBI RANKED AS THE ONLY AFRICAN CITY IN PRIME GLOBAL CITIES INDEX

The capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, has been ranked as the only African city listed among 45 global cities recording an annual growth in prime residential prices in the third quarter of 2022.

 

Nairobi remained the only African city competing with 45 global cities according to Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index Q3, 2022.

 

In an interview with Tuko.co.ke, Knight Frank Kenya’s head of residential agency, Tarquin Gross imputed the city’s performance to customer certainty in the 2022 elections and economic recovery.

 

He said: “With the reopening of the economy in 2022 and the election results, it has created more certainty, which has given buyers confidence again”

 

According to the annual growth report, Kenya’s capital beat London in the prime growth by 0.2% for the past 12 months since the third quarter of 2022.

 

The report recorded that Nairobi gained a prime growth of 2.9%  in the year from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022 and posted a change of 0.4% in the last six months, and 0.5% over the last three months, placing Nairobi two positions ahead of London and one position behind Geneva.

 

Nairobi recorded a 2.4% change in six months from Q3 2021 to Q1 2022 and 1.3% change between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022.

 

The Prime global cities index tracks the movement in the top 5% of residential prices across 45 global cities, recorded average annual growth of 7.5% in Q3 2022, down from a peak of 10% in Q1 2022.

 

Nairobi ranked at position 29 out of the 45 global cities listed.

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DO NOT USE IMAGES OF AFRICAN CHILDREN IN “UNDIGNIFIED CIRCUMSTANCES”

An appeal was made by the Chairman, Working Group on people of African Descent, Ms Catherine Namakula to the United Nations and other stakeholders to refrain from using Africa’s children images in undignified circumstances.

 

This appeal was made in a report published and presented to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

 

Namakula said in an Interview with the News agency of Nigeria: “We made an appeal to the United Nations and other stakeholders to desist from using images of African children of African descent in undignified circumstances of dire poverty for marketing and fundraising”.

 

UN human rights experts stated in the report, how discrimination affects black boys and girls worldwide, to a point that they are not seen as children even in the eyes of the law.

 

They added that these children have continued to suffer from unresolved legacies of trade and trafficking in enslaved Africans and also colonialism, post-colonial apartheid and segregation.

 

Furthermore, the Working Group on People of African descent highlighted discrimination in the areas of administration of justice, law enforcement, education and health in the report.

 

The report also outlined the challenges children of African descent, even in the diaspora are faced with, including police surveillance, racial profiling, strip searched and excessive use of force. It also entailed how false racial stereotypes of criminality, culpability and dangerousness sway decision making including by police officers, prosecutors, lawyers and judges globally.

 

However, according to report the Working Group said it was time to put an end to excessive use of force, extra-judicial killings, disparities, racial and stereotypes, systemic racial discrimination, hate speech and crimes against African children.

 

In addition, the Group called for the formation of a racial justice index to measure progress.

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NAMIBIA LAUNCHED ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

On Monday, the Namibian Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu launched an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Plan at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – European Union EPA Trade Forum at the Windhoek Country Club Resort in Namibia.

 

The European Union (EU) delegation in Namibia co-hosted the event with the theme ‘Towards Increased and Diversified Trade under the EPA by Ensuring Inclusivity, Sustainability and Economic Growth’.

 

According to an article on allfrica, the minister said: “The EPA implementation plan for Namibia which we are also launching is geared towards attaining the objectives of the SADC – EU EPA and ensuring that the potential benefits that can arise from it are fully utilised by the intended beneficiaries, which include exporters, importers, consumers, and the business fraternity”.

 

The Namibian EPA implementation plan was developed with the support of financial assistance from the European Union as said by the Minister.

 

Iimpumbu said: “We are further happy to note that the plan is being implemented with the support of the EU through a financing Agreement between the National Planning Commission and the EU delegation”.

 

However, the forum will have several interactive engagements and presentations focusing on opportunities for Namibians and EU traders, agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing and trade facilitation and logistics.

 

The Ministry of Trade is to serve as the coordinator for the Plan’s initial goal, providing improved coordination and cooperation across institutions and organizations, addressing areas relating to EPA implementation.

 

The forum is also centered on establishing and enhancing the performance of important institutions involved in EPA implementations.

 

The third point emphasized on making a case for technical support to strengthen the necessary legal, institutional, and infrastructural frameworks for Namibia’s EPA implementation.

 

The EU ambassador, H.E. Sinikka Antila stated that Europe and Africa are facing unusual socio-economic challenges, but also opportunities, which can only be tackled collectively by engaging the public and private sector, development partners, financial institutions and civil society amongst others.

 

In addition, five other SADC member States which include Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa have signed the Economic Partnership Agreement.

 

The Economic Partnership Agreement provides duty-free, quota free market access into the European Union for exports from partner States like Namibia, subject to rules of origin and adherence to international and regional quality standards.

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Admin published in Africa, African Countries and Places, African People, Lifestyle, Travel,

READ ABOUT IKENNA EKEH WHO MET WITH BILL GATES

Meet Ikenna Ekeh, a young Nigerian who is a skillful and excellent IT professional based in the United States of America and has conquered the corporate worlds of Google, Microsoft and Amazon and met with the former world’s richest man Bill Gates. Ikenna is one out of many Nigerians who is self-driven, optimistic and has desired to use his skills to develop the land of his birth which has great prospects.

 

Ikenna, shortly after completion of his secondary school education got admission into one of the reputable universities in Nigeria to study Engineering, although the notorious ASUU strike hindered him from completing his degree programme in Nigeria. His parents made a decision to send him to the United States to continue his tertiary education.

 

At the Pennsylvania State University, he studied Electrical Engineering and did a Master’s degree programme in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He also went on with an MBA at the Wharton Business School in the University of Pennsylvania.

 

According to an article on Nairametrics, his first culture shock in the US, fondly known as Uncle Sam, occurred when he lived in Michigan. In Ikenna’s words, he said: “I had read about snow and cold winters but never experienced both. During my stay in Michigan, it got so cold that lake surfaces were frozen and people were told when it was safe to walk on them”.

 

At the completion of his tertiary education, he got a job with Microsoft where he did his internship as a software engineer and was opportune to have met Bill Gates, its co-founder and founding CEO at his residence. It was an extremely exciting moment for him. He later took up several full-time service and program management roles after interning there which made him exposed to many opportunities that technology has to offer.

 

The drive for more knowledge made him quit his job at the world’s largest software manufacturer, after working for nine-years. Afterwards, he proceeded to the Ivy-League University of Wharton Business for an MBA and also did an internship at the world’s largest search engine company (Google) for four months. 

 

According to him, he described the American educational system as a “good mix of practical application and theoretical knowledge”. He added that the system made it easy for him to “transition to the corporate world after graduation”.

 

He is also an entrepreneur and the owner of a wedding planning company called ILUDIO. He established this company to solve the challenges of wedding planning in Nigeria. He further went on to explain why he set up the firm and the problems relating to planning a wedding. He said “The problems include vendor discoverability, price discrimination and last-minute cancellation. The focus was to provide a marketplace for couples to find vendors on ILUDIO”. 

 

Regardless of the fact that he has been abroad for a long period of time, he is still very much connected to Nigeria, a proud one at that and has not forgotten his land of birth. He said: “I am a proud Nigerian. Nigeria is a country with great people, food, entertainment and culture”.

 

Furthermore, he gave a piece of advice to Nigerians who intend to relocate abroad. In his words: “My advice is to be introspective and ensure you are immigrating for the right reason. Once you have the right reason, you should work towards immigrating and avoid distractions”. 

 

He also said: “Most importantly, you must diligently seek God and involve Him in all your plans. He will surely bless you”.

 

Presently, Ikenna works for Amazon as a Senior Technical Product Manager where he provides technology solutions to its internal finance teams.

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 DEATH OF IFEANYI, SINGER DAVIDO AND CHIOMA’S SON.

 

During the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, first of November it was reported that Ifeanyichukwu David Adeleke drowned in their residence at Banana Island, Lagos, Nigeria. The parents, Chioma and Davido had earlier traveled for a family function at Ibadan and left him in the care of his nannies and a few of their friends present in the house.

 

 It was reported that he died by drowning and he was under the pool for more than two hours before he was found which led people on the internet to ask the question “what were they doing that they did not notice when a child under their care went missing for more than an hour”.

 

Everyone that was present in the house at the time of the drowning, totaling 8 people has reportedly been taken under police custody. In Mr. Hundeyin’s interview with Premium Times he confirmed some of the singer’s aides and staff have been taken into custody. He stated “eight of them have been brought in for questioning”. He withheld the location as he feared people might besiege the station.

 

His third birthday was just celebrated grandly a few weeks ago on 20th October and his father posted “I pray with all my heart that God grants you perfect health and pure happiness for as long as humanly possible. You will grow to be greater than me. Happy birthday, Son”. This is a terrible turn of events from what his father looked forward to.

 

The first post that alerted the public to this incident was from a family friend and a celebrity, Eniola Badmus who posted a heart break emoji with the caption “God why?”. This was received with backlash from the public as they were of the opinion that it was not her news to share. Since then there have been a lot of posts from other celebrities sympathizing with the family. Williams Uchemba on his Instagram posted “I said I wouldn’t believe anything on SM until I personally confirm by myself. I prayed for it to be a lie. I am upset, pained and confused. Nobody deserves to feel this pain” with the caption “please say a prayer for David, Chioma and the entire family. Nobody deserves this kind of pain. Rest up little one”.

 

So many people came to debunk the news that the boy was dead. They confirmed that he was found at the bottom of the pool and was rushed to the hospital but he was recovering. Albeit, the parents or close relatives have neither confirmed nor denied his death as they remain silent. 

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Elon Musk: His Biography, Education, Inventions and Messages

Biography of Elon Musk

Elon Reeve Musk a South Africa born American entrepreneur who recently became the richest man on Earth. A business mogul, industrial designer and engineer.

Early Life

Born on 28th of June 1971 in Pretoria South Africa, by a South African father and a Canadian mother. In his early life at age 12 he became obsessed with computers and entrepreneurship, with this talent he created a video game and sold it to a computer magazine. In 1988 after obtaining a Canadian passport he left South Africa to the United States for greater economic opportunities.

Education
Musk attended Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario and in 1992 he was transferred to the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Economics in 1997. In the process he later enrolled in graduate school in physics which he left after only two days because he felt that the internet has wider opportunities and potential than physics.

Inventions

In 1955 he founded a company called Zip2 that provided information and business directory to online newspapers, which was later bought by a computer manufacturer for $307 million. Musk then founded an online financial services company X.com, which specialized in the transfer of money online which is now termed PayPal, an online auction later bought by PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion.

In 2002 he founded Space Exploration Technologies( SpaceX) to make more affordable rockets because he wasn’t comfortable with the high cost of rocket launchers. In addition to being the CEO of SpaceX, Musk was also a chief designer in building the Falcon rockets, Dragon and Grasshopper. He also became one of the major founders of Tesla Motors because of his interest in the possibilities of electric cars. In 2003 musk proposed an alternate faster system called the Hyperloop, a pneumatic tube which has the capacity of carrying 28 passengers at a top speed of 760 miles(1220km) per hour nearly the speed of sound, and that the pods travelling 2 minutes on average he said that the system could accommodate six million people who travel the route almost every year.

Some of His messages and quotes

Elon Musk is a risk taker and an innovator and dares to take the risk and dream big. Further he has the ability to make it happen.
Elon musk said:I think it is possible for ordinary people to become extraordinary.
– “when something is important enough, you do it, even if the odds are not in your favour”
– ” Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternate is disaster”
– ” Failure is an option here. If things are not failing you are not innovative enough”

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Current Top 10 fashion designers in Africa

Africa and its emerging crop of Fashion designers is beginning to catch the attention of the fashion world in the global scene. Read on to find out the top 10 fashion designers in Africa and their country of origin.

1. Laduma Maxhosa

South Africa Laduma is one of African finest knitwear designers who has been making tremendous impact in the world of fashion with inspiration from Xhosa rite of passage.The brand was established in 2011 and has receives numerous achievement and captures the hearts of many fashion lovers across the globe, and have create wave in the movie industry especially the Black Panther movie where several cast members wore the MaXhosa’s design to the world premiere of the movie.

2. Imane Ayissi

A Cameroonian born in a family of Craftsmen and sportsmen.He became interested in fashion as a child, and worked as a model, presenting the men’s collection of famous luxury.He toured the world as a member of the “Ballet National du Cameroun” and also collaborates on a regular basis with other luxury brands and also created a line of dresses for the presentation at the Carousel de Louvre in Paris.

3. Lisa Folawiyo

A Nigerian whose designs has been shown at the New York fashion week and had been admired by celebrities such as Nyong’o and Thandie Newton. Lisa Folawiyo is best known for incorporating west African textiles to create highly convertible print with modern tailoring techniques and innovative use of Ankara and African Fabrics which haven’t been seen before by turning it to something luxurious and convetable with her incredible designs skills. She has showrooms in both Nigeria and New York and her collections are stocked worldwide.

4. Katungulu Mwendwa

A Kenyan raised fashion designer, who source materials from local artisans for her curio shop. Passionate about making designs that are timeless, stylish casual and formal wears that extend beyond any season. She completed her fashion degree in London and went on in creating her awesome fashion lines and fast gaining global following.

5. Prime Obsession

Prime Obsession is a brand run by two designers Shelley Mokoena and keneilwe Mothoa. Their careers began in Instagram where they show off series of minimal and simple with design principle influences such as volume structures, balance and proportion which comes from interior designs background. Their clothing is inspired by many traditions and culture, religion and social structure which is exposing the brands to international audience.

6. Maki Oh

Founded by a Nigerian called Maki Osakwe in 2010.
Maki Oh is a woman’s wear brand whose designs has been worn by Mrs. Michelle Obama who invited the young designer to the White House. The line is made entirely in her home in Nigeria. Maki Oho was one of the two Africans who became a finalists in the first LVMP prize for young designers.

7. Loza Maleombho

Born in Brazil raised between Cotedvoire and the United States. She is an Ivorian African American designer. At the age of 13 she develop interest in designing and following a fashion degree she interned with Jill Stuart, Yigal Azrouel and Cynthia Rowley before launching her own brand in 2009. Then she relocated to Ivory coast where she began working with skilled artisans where she bridged Ivorian fashion aesthetic with New York Urban’s fashion.

8. Ami Doshi Shah

Based in Nairobi Kenya, a wanderer moving from Oman to North America to UK where she became a jeweler and applied artist in Mumbai and Jaipur. She founded her own brand ” I am I” in Nairobi . She designs her pieces by hands, approaching her work from a slightly eccentric view points that defies the typical or expected perception from what it means to be an African designer.

9. Kirsten Goss

A South African jewellery designers. She studied jewellery designs in Stellenbosch and worked for Erickson in the UK before moving on to start her own label in London in 2002. When she arrived in South Africa she open 3 shops in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, besides having designs pieces for major personalities.

10. Aprelle Duany, leather accessories

Aprelle Duany was born and raised in the US. She lauched her leather goods in Nairobi Kenya designed in Africa and produced in Europe. She initially studied Information Technology before switching to Fashion institute of Technology in New York City. She started making leather bags and accessories with sophisticated machineries as well as handcrafting techniques to make the products.

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The Adorable Beauty of Ghana’s Kente Cloth

Kente textile is made of handwoven cloth strips of silk and cotton which originates from Ghana and Togo. This fabric was worn mostly by royalties among ethnic groups back in the days in Africa such as the Ashanti and Ewe from which other tribes started adopting this fabric in their fashion usage.
Attached are pictures of the of Kente Fashion Styles at the Ghana Kente Fashion Show

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How Agriculture Contributed to the Economic Growth of Liberia

Liberia as one of the Countries in Africa is divinely blessed with enormous potential and resources. After the civil war, Liberia invested hugely in Agriculture which resulted in her contribution of over 80% of the West Africn Countries GDP.

 

 

It has also been one of the major players in the continent’s food markets which leads to the process of eliminating poverty and creation of employment in the Country. Currently, 68% of the employment in Liberia comes from Agriculture.

 

 

Agriculture as an Asset

 

Agriculture forms a significant portion of the economy of Liberia as an asset and it has largely created impact and contributes towards major continental priorities, such as eradicating poverty and hunger, boosting investments and intra-Africa trade, high increase in industrialization and economic diversification, creating job opportunities, sustainable resources and shared prosperity.

 

 

Oil palm and rubber are their main source of their cash crop with over 35,000 and 42,000 tons being produced and exported on an annual basis. Other crop productions in Liberia are Rice, Cocoa, Sugarcane, Cassava, e.t.c

 

 

Agriculture: An Aid to Reduce Food Insecurity

 

 

Agricultural development is a necessary condition for reducing food insecurity, but it is not sufficient by itself. Agriculture is an indirect factor supporting food security. Since it represents the poorest communities main economic activities, its development provides resources that enable rural inhabitants to ensure surplus food that can cover households and most importantly to generate income so that they can buy foods and other basic goods.

 

 

A combination of policies is also needed to curb hunger and malnutrition, to develop agricultural activities, to reduce inequality in health and trade among many others.

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Nnamdi Azikiwe: A True Leader with a Ready Heart to Serve

Nnamdi Azikiwe informally and popularly as “Zik” was one of the the leading figures of modern Nigeria nationalism and the First President of Nigeria, holding the position throughout the Nigeria First Republic.

 

 

His Early Life and Education

 

Nnamdi Azikiwe was born on 16th of November in Zungeru Northern Nigeria. His parent were Igbo from Anambra State Eastern Nigeria in Zungeru in present day Niger state. He had been exposed to different Nigeria culture, that grant him the ability to speak three different languages( an asset as a president).

 

He finished his elementary education at CMS central school, he then worked at the school as a student teacher, supporting his mother with his earning.
Azikiwe begins his secondary school at the Hope waddell training school. He was introduced to the teachings of Marcus Garvey, which became an important part of his nationalistic rhetoric.
After completing his secondary education , he determined to travel abroad to further his education, Azikiwe applied to universities in the U.S and attended Storer College, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Howard University.

 

 

He contacted colonial authorities with a request to represent Nigeria at the Los Angeles Olympics. He returned to Africa in 1934, where he began work as a journalist in the Gold coast. In British West Africa, he advocated Nigerian and African Nationalism as a journalist and a political leader.

 

 

His Achievement

 

Azikiwe has so many achievement and accomplishments. He was inducted into the Agbalanze society of Onitsha in 1946, a recognition with Onitsha men with significant accomplishments.

 

In 1962, he became a second-rank red cap chieftain as the Oziziana Obi, making him a first-rank hereditary red cap noblemen in the Igbo branch of the Nigerian Chieftaincy System. He founded the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1960 and was appointed to the privy council of the United Kingdom.  He was made the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic(GCFR), Nigeria’s highest national honour, in 1980.

 

 

His quotes

” it is better we disintegrate in peace and not in pieces”.

 

 

“Pray that success will come any faster than you are able to endure it”.

 

 

“Isreal was created a new image of the jew in the world- the image of a working and an intellectual people, of a people that can fight with heroisms”.

 

 

His death

 

Azikiwe died in Enugu, Eastern Nigeria 11th may 1996.

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Jennifer Festus published in Uncategorized

The Discovery of Apollo 11 Stone is a Proof that Art Began in Africa

The Karas region of south western Namibia possesses an archeological site known as Goachanas but named by a German archeologist as Apollo 11, because it was discovered on the same day NASA successful space mission to and from the moon was successful.

The Apollo 11 cave contains 11 pieces of moveable arts which are part of the oldest ever discovered in the Southern part of Africa. These hand sized slabs also known as Apollo 11 stones have hand drawings of animals with charcoal and were dated back to over 25,000 years ago which was overtime buried on the floor and was discovered by a team of German archeologists led by W.E Wendt.

We use to believe that the Hominids that existed in Africa during Pre Historic times are mostly hunters, these discoveries amongst others have put these believes to a nought as we can see that humans or homosapiens that existed during those times were creative and they expressed themselves using one form of creativity or the other.

Various forms of this creativity have been discovered and the Apollo 11 cave is not an exemption as there were also paintings in red and white of different geometrical patterns and animals on the walls of the Apollo 11 cave.

The Apollo 11 cave and stone discovery is a full proof that Art started in Africa and the inhabitants that existed then were not just hunters but express themselves creatively.

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Rediscovering Great Zimbabwe: A Historical Fact of the Current day Zimbabwe

The modern day Zimbabwe country precisely the Southeastern portion once experienced a bustling global economy in historic times. Great Zimbabwe as it was known is the capital city of an indigeneous empire that thrived between the 13th and 15th century and aso one of the attractive monuments situated in Sub Saharan Africa with a collection of stone towers, stacked boulders and defensive walls. This kingdom ruled over the present day Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Over 20,000 Bantu speaking people also known as the Shona tribe which consist of the Ndau, Tonga-Korekore, Zezuru, Karanga and the Manyiku people occupied these areas. They traded thrively on cattle husbandry, gold trade on the indian ocean coast and agriculture.

Their global trading and merchandise influence can be traced to the discovery of the remains of artifacts such as the Arabian glass, Chinese pottery and European textiles. The kingdom mysteriously went into decline later in the 15th century.

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What You May Not Know About Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo

Apart from being the current serving President of the Republic of Ghana as well as the current African Union Champion for Gender and Development. Nana Akuffo-Addo has always been a political activist for the best interest of the people of Ghana, even before he became President.
He was also a trained lawyer and operates his Law firm with which he used to help the oppressed in the Ghanian society. With his law background and activism, he has been able to influence major positive changes through demonstrations against practices that did not suit the Ghanian people.
Nana Akuffo-Addo branded the year 2019 as the Year of Return and this in turn brought people in the diaspora especially black Americans with celebrities like Steve Harvey and Senator Nancy Pelosi to come to Ghana to connect to their roots. This inturn also increased the Ghanian yearly revenue and a 100% hotel occupancy.
Below are selected messages and quotes that I like the best:
“We know what to do to bring back our economy back to life. What we do not know how to do is to bring people back to life” – His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“Majority of people who will be affected by decisions of that nature are the working people of our country. The ordinary people of Ghana. They are the ones who will be affected and it is important for us to take into account the circumstances and conditions. When we lock down Accra, what are the consequences?”
“A responsible government is required to look at all the implications before decisions are made. And that is the exercise we are currently engaged in and I am hoping that much sooner than later we will come to an agreement on what those measures are and the Ghanaian people will be informed.” -His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo before he announced Accra and other parts of Ghana will be on lockdown during the covid-19 pandemic.
Basically, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo is a great man who have the masses at heart and is bent on delivering efficient services to the best interest of the Ghanian people.

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Spaghetti Road in Zimbabwe

The Spaghetti roads in Harare, Zimbabwe is very feasible and designed in such a way that provides room for expansion. Tourist will definitely experience a bunch of awesomeness when plying our Spaghetti road.

I upload the video on my AfriSQuare channel. You can click on the below to watch and comment what you think.

https://afrisquare.africa/aiovg_videos/spaghetti-road-in-zimbabwe/

You can also read more about the spaghetti in Zimbabwe and how it all started here.

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2018/06/its-feasible-to-introduce-spaghetti-roads-in-harare/

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