Noël Koutera Bataka
(Togo First) - Togo’s minister of agriculture, Noël Koutera Bataka, wants to put an end to the illegal fertilizer trade in the country. “It was brought to my attention that some informal networks importing fertilizers of questionable quality feed illicit supply chains across the Togolese territory,” he declared.
Johnson Odibo NIDO Swiss President
"A village is not made up of a handful of heroes, but of many people" - CHINUA ACHEBE (Things Fall Apart).
The Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization (NIDO) is made up of the Nigerians living in Diaspora. About 6,351 Nigerians live in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In line with the Central Vision of NIDO Europe, NIDO Swiss brings Nigerians living in Switzerland and Liechtenstein together; to identify those willing to offer their skills to assist Nigeria’s national development.
(AU) The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in partnership with the International Health Regulations (IHR) Strengthening Project of Public Health England (PHE), launched a new web-based tool, AVoHC Net, to facilitate rapid deployment and better administration of a standby workforce for public health emergencies across Africa.
(APA) The BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate concentrating on manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture, has signed a deal with Axens of France to refine 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil in Nigeria.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and President Paul Kagame (l)
(AfDB) - African leaders on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for the African Development Bank Group and its leadership under Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as he begins his second five-year term with a renewed mandate to foster sustainable development on the continent.
(AfDB) - As the prevalence of COVID-19 accelerates across Africa, over 40% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to clean water and are unable to heed the advice of health experts to wash their hands as a primary way to stop the spread of the virus. Preventing infection thus remains out of reach for many.
Mondia Pay to become the preferred digital payment solution for African telcos (Source: Mondia)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Mondia Pay digital payment entity, says it is in the process of acquiring more new clients which can lead it to become “the preferred digital payment solutions provider for telecom operators across Africa.” It disclosed that, last year, it registered 5.3 billion transactions on its platform with telcos across the continent.
Source: African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD)
SOUTH AFRICA – AUDA-NEPAD (the African Union Development Agency and the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development) has announced the launch of the MSME Academy, in partnership with Ecobank Group.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Canon Central and North Africa proudly showcased the compact and versatile 5.9K CCNA next-generation professional Cinema EOS System cameras. African Film directors, including Kunle Afolayan and Merzak Allouache, hailed the EOS C500 Mark II which elevates their latest productions. During the inauguration of the camera, Canon unveiled a knowledge-sharing initiative for the African filmmaking community.
Victor Williams (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)(Source: National Basketball Association (NBA)
USA – The Commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Adam Silver has announced the appointment of Victor Williams as the CEO of NBA Africa, effective 17 August 2020.
Marieme Esther Dassanou
Marieme Esther Dassanou is the Coordinator of Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) the African Development Bank’s flagship pan-African initiative, which aims to bridge the $42 billion financing gap facing women entrepreneurs in Africa. She previously led IFC’s Gender Secretariat's work on advancing women's inclusion in the insurance and financial sectors. In this interview, she outlines progress made with the AFAWA initiative and its future plans.
The United States has alerted the Nigerian government that the Al-Qaeda insurgent group was already penetrating the North-western part of the country.
More than 90 members of the #RevolutionNow movement, who protested on Wednesday in Lagos, Abuja and some other cities in the country were arrested by the police.
TOGO – Ecobank Group has announced the finalists for third edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge. The challenge is designed to deepen collaboration between Ecobank and Fintechs with Africa focused products.
Alpha Condé (Photo: GETTY IMAGES)
Delegates of the ruling party in Guinea, during a congress on Thursday 6th July 2020, invited incumbent president, Alpha Condé, to be their candidate in the presidential election next October and thus to run for a third term at the head of the country.
Ivorian police on Thursday 06 August 2020 dispersed a protest staged by the opposition to denounce the withdrawal of former President Laurent Gbagbo from the provisional electoral list for 2020.
SOUTH AFRICA – The African Energy Chamber is delighted to announce the nomination of its Investment Advisory Committee, the last body to serve on its Advisory Board for 2020 and 2021.
SWITZERLAND – The African Union's Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (www.AfricaCDC.org) is joining forces with the APO Group (www.APO-opa.com) to organise regular online press conferences once every month, to provide Africans with vital information on the continental preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday cautioned that the ambition for Eco regional currency could be in ‘serious jeopardy,’ unless member states complied with agreed processes of reaching the collective goal.
Dillibe Onyeama
The headmaster of Eton College has told the BBC he is “appalled” by the racism experienced by the first black person to complete his studies at the prestigious British public school.
Evariste Ndayyishimeye
Burundi's new president who was elected last month has been hastily sworn in to replace his late predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza, but who is Evariste Ndayyishimeye?
Mr. Onyeama
NIGERIA – With palpable anger in Nigeria over the perceived weakness or inability of the federal government to implement reciprocal or definitive measures over last Friday’s demolition of buildings of the Nigerian High Commission, Accra, Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday met Chargè d’ Affaires of the High Commission of Ghana to Nigeria, Ms Iva Denoo to demand urgent explanations.
Senate in session
WORLD STAGE – The Nigerian House of Senate has considered a bill seeking to give legislative backing for the establishment of the Federal College of Traditional, Complimentary and Alternate Medicine as an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health.
A 95-year-old Ghanaian World War Two veteran is to be honoured by Queen Elizabeth for his fundraising efforts.
The expansion of Ghana’s economy by 4.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020 and the detection of 32,756 suspected cases of multiple registrations dominate the headlines of Ghanaian newspapers on Thursday.
The Graphic reports that Ghana’s economy expanded 4.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 6.7 percent in the same period last year, driven mainly by the services sector.
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UAE makes Avani Barbarons Resort Available to Seychelles
SEYCHELLES, 04 April 2020
Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the ‘Avani Barbarons Seychelles Resort’ will be made available to the Government of Seychelles to be used by the Department of Health as a facility to accommodate their health personnel and supporting frontline service members, in the efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
In addition to our weekly brief on the spread of COVID-19 and the actions that Africa CDC is taking to help member states, Africa CDC has begun to share a weekly brief detailing the latest changes in scientific knowledge and public health policy changes, as well as updates to the latest guidance from WHO and others.
(Ecofin Agency) - The United States announced the freezing of $130 million worth of aid to Ethiopia. The measure is to pressure the country as part of the negotiations for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
(Togo First) - Togo will try to raise 25 billion FCFA on the regional financial market by September 11.
“(Business in Cameroon) - Ibom Air currently deploys a fleet of five 90-seat Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets,” an article published on Forbes on August 4, informed.
For the 2020 crop year, the operational teams of Bolloré Transport & Logistics have processed 10,575 tonnes, or 940 TEU, of mangos via air and maritime transport.
SWITZERLAND – Simonetta Sommaruga, President of the Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor and Norman Gobbi the president of the Ticino cantonal council will open the new Ceneri Base Tunnel, and will officially hand it over to the operator Swiss railways, SBB on 4 September.
SOUTH AFRICA – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted that his government had made missteps in efforts to control the coronavirus pandemic, but the lockdown was needed to lessen the disease from spreading among the people.
WorldStage Newsonline – The Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) have urged the Federal Government to intervene in the heavy import duties they used to pay for imported meters.
The Rwandan Ministry of Education is considering the recruitment of 7,200 teachers to support the development of a 12 year basic-education especially in remote rural areas as schools are set to reopen in September, an official source confirmed Tuesday to APA in Kigali.
According to Dr Irenée Ndayambaje, the Director General of the Rwanda Education Board, the recruitment intends to bridge the student-teacher ratio which stands at 59:1 in primary and 29:1 in secondary schools.
[Premium Times] The death toll from the contagion is now 1,095, after three people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours.
[Nation] Schools will open on October 19 while Standard Eight and Form Four learners will sit their national exams in April 2021 if the government adopts proposals by a committee appointed by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha.
[This Day] Maiduguri -- United Kingdom has spent £1.4 million on COVID-19 palliatives in three northern states of Borno, Benue and Kaduna.
[This Day] Nigeria has recorded 97 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 57, 242, the number of cases in the country.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Kenya sustained the decline of COVID-19 cases, recording 152 new infections on Sunday.
[Nation] The Covid-19 pandemic and the attendant rules to curb its spread have affected many economic sectors. One of the hardest hit has been the travel and tourism industry, especially following the suspension of international travel.
[New Frame] The first of its kind to be released on vinyl, the 12-track double LP compilation features contemporary jazz artists from South Africa, securing an international distribution deal to ensure the further reach of the music.
[Ethiopian Herald] The Ethiopian Herald has just exclusively interviewed Ethiopian Musicians Association President Dawit Yifru.
[This Day] Singer and founder of Roc Da Mic Africa, Asha Gangali recently disclosed that his 'Lifestyle EP' will be available globally in September 2020.
[Nyasa Times] Renowned gospel artist Wycliffe Chimwendo has broken his nine- year in music silence by releasing three songs; Teretu, Sionse and Sakana.
[This Day] He may not be in the list of artistes who have identified themselves with the afrobeat genre created by the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti but that does not subtract from his belief in the afrobeat legend.
[The Herald] Buffalo Souljah might not be a household name on home soil, but is slowly conquering the world.
[Ethiopian Herald] ADDIS ABABA - Private Schools Association says it is difficult for private schools in Ethiopia to pay teachers' salaries.
[Nation] Ugandan police have launched an investigations into the cause of a fire that that has ravaged the main building of the Makerere University.
[Leadership] Kano State on yesterday reopened its private and public boarding secondary schools.
[Daily News] CHADEMA parliamentary candidate Chifu Adonis Kalumuna in Bukoba Urban District has identified education as among the key sectors he intends to strengthen, if he is elected Member of Parliament (MP)) in the October 20 General Election.
[This Day] Fears of disruptions in the scheduled National Examination Council (NECO) examinations for Senior Secondary School (SS3) and Junior Secondary students of Excel College in Ejigbo, Lagos State, whose building collapsed last Saturday morning, have been allayed by the school management, saying convenient facilities are in place for the remainder of the final papers which will start in two weeks' time.
[Citizen] Kampala -- Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire outbreak that ravaged the main building of the Makerere University.
Seychelles: A Canadian Family Sailing Around the World Finds Safe Harbour in Seychelles Amidst Covid
[Seychelles News Agency] A Canadian family that is sailing around the world is currently enjoying the seas of Seychelles as they take a break in their quest. The Lim family - parents Amber and Jeff, with children Carden, 13, and Morley 9 - were amongst a group of boaters who arrived in the island nation when it opened its borders to private jets and sailing yachts on June 1.
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[Daily Trust] The United Republic of Tanzania says it is reviewing its visa policy for Nigerians.
[The Herald] Correspondent
[Ethiopian Herald] Today's exclusive Colum guest goes by the name of Dr. Ayalew Sisay, former Addis Ababa Tourism Commission Commissioner. He has still been working hard on the area in various higher learning institutions. He leaves no stone unturned to take the Ethiopian tourism industry to a higher stage.
[This Day] The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has said that the celebration of this year's World Tourism Day celebration will be in conformity with the Covid-19 safety protocols, saying plans have been concluded to restrict physical participation by its stakeholders during the celebration.
Tong Kunniao sees himself as a free thinker on the fringes of society. The Chinese artist's bizarre sculptures are currently on show in Berlin.
[Nation] Since the colonial times, the question of what really constitutes literature that can be collectively referred to as "African Literature" has often been problematic, raising more questions than answers.
[Nation] August 5, 2020 marked the first anniversary of the death of the great American Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor, essayist and university literature professor Toni Morrison.
[Nation] Immediately after Kenya's foremost writer, scholar, translator and essayist - Ngugi wa Thiong'o - gave an acceptance speech (in Gikuyu), after being honoured as the 31st recipient of the Catalonia International Prize, for his daring and distinguished literary work and defence of African languages on Thursday 3, 2020, his son, Dr Mukoma wa Ngugi tweeted: "Baba just gave his International Catalonia Lit Prize acceptance speech in Gikuyu! And before the anti-African language corner says anything, would yo
The street artist's anonymity hurt their case in the ruling. A greeting card company will be able to use Banksy's "Flower Thrower" piece on their products.
Vietnam War-era journalist Groom wrote 16 books. His "Forrest Gump" bestseller and then the film, starring Tom Hanks, won acclaim as a touching and poignant exploration of the late 20th century in the US.
[Nation] Chief Justice David Maraga could be preparing for possibly his last major act before he retires early next year, with an imminent recommendation to President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve parliament for its failure to enact a law on gender balance.
[Nation] Kilifi County Assembly has, since 2013, passed 23 laws to attract investors, improve service delivery and livelihoods of its 1.4 million residents.
[SAnews.gov.za] Parliament has urged all South Africans to participate in the public consultation process to strengthen the current draft legislation dealing with gender-based violence (GBV).
[Observer] The West Bank Community in Paynesville City was a scene of grief and disbelief when the residents woke up early Wednesday, August 16, 2020, to the death news of Madam Gomah Johnson, who allegedly committed suicide.
[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- The Women League of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) has condemned allegations of rape against its political leader, Amb. Dee Maxwell Saah Kemeyah, noting that the allegation is coming from individuals who are opposed to his nomination as Foreign Minister.
[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has made available L$300,000.00 to support grassroots initiative to increase women political participation in the midterm senatorial election and the national referendum on December 8, 2020. The program will be implemented across the 15 counties working through beneficiaries of the Young Political Leadership School Africa and of the Enhancing Women Political Leadership through Mentorship Project.
Tong Kunniao sees himself as a free thinker on the fringes of society. The Chinese artist's bizarre sculptures are currently on show in Berlin.
Italian authorities have confined the migrant rescue vessel Sea-Watch 4 to port in the Sicilian city of Palermo. Aid groups say the move has been made under false pretenses.
The controversial laws are aimed at reforming India's agriculture sector and allowing farmers to market their produce. Opposition parties say the new bills could lead to the exploitation of farmers by big corporations.
A rally by critics of measures taken to stem the spread of COVID-19 has been staged in the city of Dusseldorf. Although crowds of people turned out, organizers failed to achieve their 50,000-strong target.
It's the sixth Sunday in a row that anti-government demonstrators have taken to the streets. Participants said they were not intimidated by the presence of police and soldiers in combat uniforms, who were out in force.
The judge delayed the Trump administration's ban hours before it was due to take effect, citing concerns over free speech. Owned by Chinese tech giant TenCent, WeChat in the US has around 19 million active daily users.
[Algerie Presse Service] Algiers -- President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Saturday has installed the National Commission in charge of preparing the draft revision of the organic law on the electoral system, under the chairmanship of Prof. Laraba, the Presidency of the Republic said in a press release.
[Premium Times] Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has maintained a clear lead after winning eight of the 12 Local Governments announced.
[Premium Times] The most worrisome trend observed by the centre is the level of sophistication with which politicians engaged in the criminal act of vote-buying, the report said.
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[Premium Times] The party alleges that there is pressure on the electoral commission to manipulate results in some parts of the state.
The FinCEN files are the result of extensive international research on money laundering and financial crime. They show how dirty money is shuffled around the world and how banks fail to stop this flow of money.
The FinCEN Files investigation has revealed that top Deutsche Bank executives knew the bank could be used for money laundering. The news is the latest in a long line of scandals from Germany's largest bank.
TikTok Global, the firm that is to control US operations of the video app TikTok, will launch an initial public offering, China's ByteDance has announced. It said the move is intended to increase transparency.
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[AIM] Maputo -- Former Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, on Thursday claimed that he is the victim of an attempt at "political assassination", and pointed a finger of blame at Attorney-General Beatriz Buchili (whom he had appointed to that post).
[Nation] The Auditor-General has raised issue with the financial stability of a number of State corporations, saying without national government support, they would collapse.
The 2020-21 Bundesliga season started with a flurry of goals, plenty of joy for the away teams, a host of exceptional individual performances - and fans in stadiums. Read all the latest on the Bundesliga here.
While Chelsea teammates Kai Havertz and Timo Werner took on defending Premier League champions Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Leverkusen began life in the Bundesliga without their stars. The question is, did they miss them?
[New Times] VINCENT Mashami, head coach of the men's senior national football team, has said that his side could use an international friendly match before November's double-header against Cape Verde in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
[Nation] Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia will seek for a special permit from the ministries of sports and health so that they can start training'.
[Nation] Mwamba Rugby Club legends Edward "The Eagle" Rombo and Humphrey Kayange are yet to come to terms with the new directive which will see the club's homeground, Nairobi Railway Club, will now be demolished to pave way for the Expressway.
[Nation] The unveiling of AFC Leopards' new signings originally scheduled for Thursday has been moved by a week.
[Monitor] Rose (a single mother of two and a resident of Ngaara village in Mbarara District) has always dreamt of having a solar energy system for her home. However, with her limited income and surviving on the margins, her dream remains just that - a dream.
[The Herald] Government, in conjunction with Kutsaga Research Station has embarked on a potato seed multiplication programme from mini-tuber to commercial seed potato.
[AIM] Maputo -- Chilembene (Mozambique), 19 Sep (AIM) - Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Friday inaugurated a rehabilitated water supply system in the Chilembene administrative post, in the southern province of Gaza.
[AIM] Maputo -- Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Friday inaugurated rehabilitation work on the Macarretane dam, in Chokwe district, in the southern province of Gaza.
[Vanguard] Some environmental advocates have called on the Federal and State Governments to find alternative and innovative ways of ridding the environment of plastic wastes.
[Nation] Dairy farmers in Nakuru will reap maximum benefits if Governor Lee Kinyanjui's administration sets aside more funding for agriculture to ensure full implementation of the ambitious Nakuru County Dairy Strategic Plan 2019-2024.
[Daily Maverick] In the past week, South Africans learnt more about where the country stands in the pandemic. Meanwhile, the economy is poised to reopen even more. A vaccine trial restarted safely and yet more government failures have been exposed in the Eastern Cape.
[Daily Trust] Students at Glisten International Academy, Abuja, have invented a mobile robot to perform front line medical duties in the fight against Coronavirus in the hospitals and other medical facilities.
[Namibia Economist] The Boost Up start-up competition and online incubator, has selected three Namibian national finalists to take part in the competition. The aim of the programme is to support early stage start-ups that use technology to solve societal challenges in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
[Premium Times] In our huge federation of 36 states and counting, some states can be policy innovators in a way that can pull others up. It is one great benefit of genuine federalism. In recent years, I see Kaduna State under El-Rufai, Lagos State since Bola Tinubu, and Anambra State under Peter Obi as the leading examples of policy innovation in Nigeria.
[This Day] Mr. Lanre Ashaolu is the MD/CEO of Four Pulley Limited, an outdoor advertising agency in Nigeria. In this interview, he speaks on how the agency is leveraging technology to take outdoor advertising to new pedestals. Excerpts:
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The first ever locally manufactured ventilator developed by Kenya Association of Manufacturers' (KAM) Automotive Sector, led by Mutsimoto Limited, has been certified by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).