Corporate Council on Africa’s latest news updates

Trump’s Africa team starts to take shape
Semafor
US President Donald Trump is expected to nominate a former special envoy as Washington’s top Africa official, while a Republican aide is likely to be the White House’s Africa director. The swift assembly of this team marks a departure from Trump’s first term, when key Africa State Department positions remained vacant for years and the White House saw frequent turnover in its top Africa roles…Read more>>

ENERGY

Nigeria to generate over $2bn by 2030 through carbon market initiative
The Cable
Nnaemeka Chukwuone, director of resource and environmental policy research (REPRC)/environment for development (EfD) initiative at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), says the country could generate over $2 billion from its carbon market activation programme by 2030.NAN reports that Chukwuone spoke in Abuja on Monday at a one-day workshop on ‘Exploring the potentials and voluntary carbon market’ organised by the REPRC)/EfD initiative…Read more>>

Congo’s Energy Transformation – Local Companies, Rural Electrification and the Future of Gas and Renewables
CNBC Africa
The Republic of Congo is on the cusp of a major economic transformation on the back of strong developments in the country’s energy sector. The Republic of Congo is set to make transformative strides in its energy sector, with ambitious plans to double its natural gas production within the next 2-3 years. This growth promises to elevate the country’s position as a key regional energy player, attracting global attention and investment….Read more>>

HEALTH

Rwanda Set to Launch Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan
All Africa
The government will on February 1, officially launch its strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2027, during activities to mark World Cancer Day on February 4.This plan aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 90-70-90 targets, which aim to vaccinate 90% of girls aged 13 to 15 against human papillomavirus (HPV), screen 70% of women aged 29 to 49 for cervical cancer, and ensure that 90% of women with pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions receive appropriate treatment…Read more>>

What Is the World Health Organization and Why Does It Matter?
All Africa
When the plague, cholera and yellow fever rippled deadly waves across a newly industrialised and interconnected world in the mid-19th century, taking a global approach to health became an imperative. Doctors, scientists, presidents and prime ministers urgently convened the International Sanitary Conference in Paris in 1851, a precursor to what is now the largest of its kind: the World Health Organization, known as WHO. From laboratories to battlefields, the United Nations specialised health agency has been dedicated to the wellbeing of all people since 1948. It is guided by science and supported by its 194 member nations, including the United States, a co-founder that on Monday announced plans to withdraw…Read more>>

Heart attacks and high blood pressure are on the rise in Africa – what does air pollution have to do with it?
The Conversation
Air pollution has an alarming effect on global health. In 2019, it was responsible for 4.2 million global deaths. Inhaling air pollution harms health in many different ways beyond simply having effects on the lungs. Over 70% of air pollution deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases – diseases of the heart and blood vessels, such as heart attacks and strokes.For many years, cardiovascular diseases were considered to be more of a problem of more prosperous countries, but this is not the case anymore…Read more>>

INFRASTRUCTURE

NEPAD-IPPF Advances Africa’s infrastructure development and integration goals
African Development Bank Group
The NEPAD-Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF), a multi-donor special fund hosted by the African Development Bank, held its 39th Oversight Committee Meeting virtually with the participation of over thirty institutions including donors, partners, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and implementing agencies. In his remarks, African Development Bank Vice President for the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization  Solomon Quaynor, noted that the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024-2033) emphasizes mobilizing funds through project preparation facilities, including NEPAD-IPPF. This will be critical to meet growing demand for project preparation, particularly for projects under the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa Priority Action Plan 2 (PIDA PAP2)…Read more>>

AGRIBUSINESS

AU adopts ten-year strategy and action plan to transform Africa’s agri-food systems and ensure food security
Farmers Review Africa
The African Union (AU), has adopted a new agricultural development strategy that will see the continent increase its agrifood output by 45 per cent by 2035 and transform its agri-food systems as part of its new plan to become food secure in a decade. This is after the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) held in Kampala, Uganda, adopted the 10-year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan, and the Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa, which will be implemented from 2026 to 2035…Read more>>

ICT

Cameroon to advance e-govt with four new digital centres
IT Web Africa

Cameroon intends to start building four digital centres across the country in June, costing more than $6 million, to train civil servants in e-governance and increase digital awareness. Speaking in the capital Yaounde on Monday, Joseph Le, minister of public service and administrative reforms, pointed out that the project aims to promote e-governance and build the capacity of public officials, while also establishing the conditions for the modernisation of the public sector….Read more>>

Ethio Telecom & AfDB Partnership to Drive Ethiopia’s Digital Economy
IT News Africa
In a strategic effort to support Africa’s digital transformation, Ethio Telecom has partnered with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to improve Ethiopia’s digital economy and increase internet access across the continent. Recognizing this shared vision, H.E. Mr. Solomon Quaynor, Vice President of the Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialization Complex at AfDB, along with Dr. Leandre Bassole, Deputy Director General for the East Africa Region, and the bank’s senior management team, visited Ethio Telecom for a high-level strategic meeting, conducted by Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO of Ethio Telecom….Read more>>

Eswatini Partners with Google for Digital Transformation and Economic Growth
Tech Africa News
Eswatini’s Minister of ICT, Savannah Maziya, has officially announced a partnership with Google to advance the country’s digital transformation. Under the theme “Innovating Together: Strategic Partnerships for Eswatini’s Digital Transformation and Economic Prosperity,” the collaboration seeks to integrate Google’s cutting-edge tools into Eswatini’s Government in Your Hand initiative….Read more>>

FINANCE

Coalition reforms expected to boost South African banks
African Business
Banks’ performance in South Africa is expected to improve under the government of national unity, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings. The firm’s South Africa Banking Outlook 2025 said that credit conditions in South Africa are set to ease gradually through 2025 amid moderating inflation and interest rate cuts. The outlook for the sector is further bolstered by planned economic reforms led by the GNU, a coalition government comprising the African National Congress and its long-time opponents in the more pro-business Democratic Alliance, which largely focus on addressing the country’s longstanding infrastructure deficits…Read more>>

African Development Bank approves USD 170 million loan to support Egypt’s private sector and economic diversification
African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank has approved a loan of USD 170 million to the government of Egypt for the implementation of the second phase of a programme to foster private sector development and economic diversification, with special emphasis on green growth. The loan for the Support Programme for Private Sector Development and Economic Diversification in Egypt, approved on 27 November 2024, will take the form of budget support, and is for the period 2024-2025….Read more>>