(Posted 29th September 2022)
CCA MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
CrossBoundary and Engie to build US $60 million of mini-grids in Nigeria
PV Tech
A new partnership between CrossBoundary Energy Access and Engie Energy Access plans to build a US$60 million portfolio of mini-grids that are expected to connect more than 150,000 people to electricity in Nigeria… Read more>>
Standard Bank Sees Tanzania-Uganda Pipeline as ‘Positive’
Bloomberg
A proposed natural gas pipeline running from Tanzania to Uganda may have a positive environmental impact in a region where the majority of households still cook using charcoal or wood, according to Patrick Mweheire, Standard Bank Group’s regional chief executive officer for East Africa…. Read more>>
Flutterwave offers Google Pay for businesses in Africa
The Payers
Nigeria-based fintech Flutterwave has provided Google Pay as a payment method for merchants and customers in Africa… Read more>>
U.S.-AFRICA RELATIONS
U.S.-Africa trade: Lofty goals, lagging investment
The Africa Report
With a quarter of earth’s population by 2050 and a median age under 20, Africa appears poised to replace China as both a giant consumer market for American goods and services and as the world’s factory… Read more>>
Biden ‘Supports’ Expanding ‘Permanent and Non Permanent’ Members on UN Security Council
Barrons
US President Joe Biden says he “supports” expanding “permanent and non permanent” members on the United Nations Security Council. “This includes permanent seats for those nations we have long supported and permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean,” he adds during his speech at the UN General Assembly… Read more>>
US looks to Africa to diversify supply chain for critical minerals
The Africa Report
The US is turning to Africa in its quest to diversify the supply chain for the strategic minerals critical to the green energy revolution…. Read more>>
Kenya’s deal with US could hurt regional trade
The Citizen
The pursuit of a new trade pact between Washington and Kenya is eliciting old fears on whether it could hurt adherence to obligations under the East African Community, and hence continental ambitions for more commerce…. Read more>>
AGRIBUSINESS
Somalia drought: Are US terror laws hampering aid effort
BBC News
Almost eight million people face extreme hunger in Somalia and more than 213,000 are at “imminent risk of dying” after four failed rainy seasons, according to the UN… Read more>>
Radical transformation essential to secure food systems resilience for Africa’s future
Forests News
Food systems in Africa, from smallholder farms to value chains, demand a radical transformation to become more resilient and accessible, even in the face of multiple crises, such as devastating climate change, speakers told the Global Landscape Forum’s Africa 2022 Digital Conference… Read more>>
ENERGY
East Africa and the Horn light the way for climate migrants
Institute for Security Studies
Regional cooperation and free movement are critical for handling climate-linked migration and displacement but are vastly underused. East Africa and the Horn – regions battered by climate change – have emerged as leaders in recognizing their importance…Read more>>
South Africa’s power outages to continue, says Ramaphosa
Africa News
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has cut short foreign visits as the country’s electricity crisis worsens, warned on Monday that there was no prospect of improvement “in the short term”…Read more>>
Niger suspends oil product deliveries to Mali, except for U.N.
Reuters
Niger has temporarily stopped issuing authorisations for oil product deliveries to neighboring Mali unless they are destined to the United Nations peacekeeping mission there, the government said… Read more>>
Nigeria suffers widespread blackouts after electricity grid fails
Reuters
Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed on Monday leaving many parts of the country without power, electricity distribution companies said… Read more>>
HEALTH
Uganda’s Ebola death toll hits 23
The East African
The death toll in Uganda resulting from the Ebola Sudan strain has reached 23, health officials have said… Read more>>
Uganda’s Ebola outbreak: Trainee doctors go on strike over safety fears
BBC News
Trainee medics battling Ebola in Uganda’s virus epicentre accuse the government of putting their lives at risk… Read more>>
World leaders pledge billions to fight AIDS, TB, and malariaAljazeera
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has secured $14.25bn in crucial new funding, after decades of progress against the diseases was detailed by the COVID-19 pandemic…. Read more>>
INFRASTRUCTURE
IMF team heads to Ghana on Monday to discuss loan programme request
Reuters
The International Monetary Fund confirmed on Sunday that a staff team will visit Ghana this week to continue discussions with the authorities on policies and reforms that could be supported by an IMF lending arrangement…. Read more>>
Ghana Opposition Holds Key to Expedited IMF Funding Deal
Bloomberg
Ghana’s plan to access as much as $3 billion in funding from the International Monetary Fund and regain access to capital markets runs the risk of being delayed by political opposition…. Read more>>
Nigeria hikes rate to highest level to head off inflation
Reuters
Nigeria’s central bank on Tuesday hiked its main lending rate by 150 basis points to 15.50%, its highest level yet and more than forecast, forging ahead with efforts to rein in inflation and ease pressure on the currency…. Read more>>
ICT
How to use technology to improve the lives of Africans
Forbes Africa
The 2022 GovTech conference, a pre-eminent South African information communication technology focusing on public and private sector ICT service delivery, discussed how technology can facilitate socio economic transformation, drive Infrastructure development, and digitally transform the African continent…. Read more>>
ICT Infrastructure crucial for African economic growth
IT-Online
Investment in information, communication, and technology (ICT) infrastructure is key for sustained, inclusive economic growth and development in Africa…. Read more>>
TOURISM
Kenya and South Africa are making a push for U.S. tourism dollars
Travel Weekly
Kenya and South Africa have both launched tourism marketing campaigns that are targeted specifically to the American traveler as the U.S. market remains a vital one for Africa’s sub-Saharan destinations…. Read more>>
Rethinking tourism as a pathway for development
Business Ghana
Building resilience in the tourism sector is a critical pathway for African countries to build forward better and recover faster from crisis. ‘Rethinking Tourism’, the theme for this year’s World Tourism Day celebrated on 27 September is very timely. It highlights the importance of repositioning tourism in our society to harness its potential as a tool for inclusive growth and sustainable development… Read more>>
