(Posted 04th January 2023)
CCA MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Sun Africa to Develop 5 GW of Solar Power in Nigeria
Energy Capital Power
Leading utility-scale solar and off-grid provider Sun Africa has inked a $10-billion agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria to generate clean and reliable electricity through solar power and battery energy storage development… Read more>>
U.S.-AFRICA RELATIONS
The U.S. should think of Africa as a partner, not a pawn
The Washington Post
Through most of their post-independence history, African countries have been seen by successive U.S. administrations through the lens of overarching geopolitical conflicts and competition. For the first few decades, that was the Cold War, during which African countries were deemed either “pro-West” or “pro-Communist” in the United States’ long rivalry with the Soviet Union…. Read more>>
U.S. reiterates pledge to support Sudanese people’s demand for democracy
Sudan Tribune
Sudanese on the first of January commemorate the 67th anniversary of independence. “I admire the courage of those Sudanese who have time and again demanded that their voices be heard and that their leaders deliver freedom, peace, and justice,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement congratulating the Sudanese people on the occasion of independence day…. Read more>>
UN Security Council welcomes Mozambique as new member
AfricaNews.com
Mozambique, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, and Switzerland got a formal welcome into the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, taking the two-year seats they won unopposed in June…. Read more>>
AGRIBUSINESS
Zimbabwe: Bumper wheat harvest, but government owes farmers millions of USD
The Africa Report
Zimbabwe has achieved a record so far in wheat production by harvesting 375,000 metric tonnes (mt) at the end of 2022. However, this bumper harvest has left farmers struggling to prepare for the next farming season and settle their debts due to the millions of US dollars they are owed by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB); a State-owned grain trade and marketing company…. Read more>>
Nine Agribusiness ideas to consider in Africa in 2023
How we made it in Africa
As the new year begins, it’s a great time to think about new opportunities in Africa’s agribusiness and food industries. This list of nine potential ideas for 2023 is meant to stimulate initial thought and further investigation, rather than provide definite opportunities or comprehensive business plans….. Read more>>
ENERGY
Zimbabwe and Zambia join hands to end Sub-Saharan Africa’s energy woes
Zawya
In sub-Saharan Africa, the problem is far more acute. North Africa enjoys near-universal access to electricity, yet more than half of the sub-Saharan population—600m people—live in the dark. This can hinder the provision of basic services. Half of secondary schools in sub-Saharan Africa do not have power; many clinics and hospitals in the region also lack access to reliable electricity…. Read more>>
Gas investments worth $245 billion across Africa in risk of becoming stranded assets
Offshore Energy
This report outlines that planned investments across Africa, totalling $245 billion, for liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals, gas pipelines and power stations represent “an enormous stranded asset risk,” as much of this gas is intended to cushion and solve Europe’s short-term energy crisis, resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rather than being used for domestic consumption….. Read more>>
HEALTH
Experts Criticize Malawi Government for Closing Schools over Cholera Outbreak
VOA
Advocates for education and health care in Malawi are criticizing the government’s decision to close schools in two cities to try to contain a cholera outbreak….Read more>>
Burundi declares cholera outbreak in Bujumbura
The East Africa
Burundi has declared a cholera outbreak in the commercial capital Bujumbura, the Health minister Sylvie Nzeyimana announced Sunday evening, noting that at least nine cases had been recorded….Read more>>
INFRASTRUCTURE
Nigeria to pay $4 bln extra in 2023 if lawmakers reject loan-bond swap – president
Reuters
Nigeria will pay 1.8 trillion naira ($4 billion) extra interest in 2023 if parliament rejects a loan-to-bond swap request on the central bank’s overdrafts to the government, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday after signing the 2023 budget into law…. Read more>>
ICT
FACT SHEET: New Initiative on Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA)
The White House
At the U.S.-Africa Business Forum on December 14 in Washington, DC, as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, President Biden announced the launch of a new Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative. A signature initiative of the Biden-Harris Administration, DTA will expand digital access and literacy and strengthen digital enabling environments across the continent…. Read more>>
TOURISM
Ghana imposes restrictions on travelers from China
AfricaNews.com
Authorities in Ghana will toughen entry restrictions from Jan. 6, citing an increase in COVID-19 cases in China… Read more>>
Here are the best African destinations to visit in 2023, according to CNN and Uganda is among them
Business Insider Africa
It’s now officially 3 years since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the global economy, and put a lot of industries on hold, but slowly and surely economic activities have since resumed, and are quickly reaching levels that the world was accustomed to…. Read more>>
