CONCERNS RAISED FOR IMPROVED TRADE LINKS AMONGST ECOWAS STATES

By Funmi and Stanley

Abuja, Nigeria

The Chairperson of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, Her Excellency, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson in her speech which declared the session open berates the poor trade link amongst Members of ECOWAS. She pointed out that “trade between Member states amounts to less than 13 percent”; whilst harping on trade liberalization as a veritable tool to improving trade links between Member States. Correlating the concern raised by the Liberian President, the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki has noted that barriers to intra-regional trade have remained a challenge for the economies of West African 15 member States.

According to him, "the advantages of a stronger trading link among member states would make West Africa the business focal point of the world especially with the collective large population of the 15 sovereign states estimated at about 362 million people". Senator Saraki made this assertion at the Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament held in Abuja, Nigeria. He reiterated that "despite the fact that West Africa remains the European Union’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, regional trade is still lacking behind compared to trade with developed and emerging countries outside Africa. Dynamics of trade among the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have largely remained poor as well as aggregate trade flows".

He therefore enjoined the Parliamentarians to deliberate on areas of joint ventures between states in the development of physical infrastructure such as road and railway within the ECOWAS sub region.  

The President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki was represented by the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Honourable Suleiman Lasun, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives. 

ECOWAS IN A MOVE TO REVITALIZE THE ECONOMIES OF MEMBER STATES HIT BY THE EVD

The ECOWAS Commission has indicated that steeps have been put in place to revitalize the economies of Member States – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone that was hit by the Ebola Virus Disease between 2014 and some confirmed cases reported in March 2016. In the discussion segment of the Community Status Report with Members of Parliament, the Vice President of ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency, Edward Singhatey who presented the report in place of the President of the Commission, His Excellency, Marcel A. de Souza, pointed out that ECOWAS has initiated some vital moves put in place to check the resurgence of the deadly disease.

Fielding a question by Honourable Daffe Aissata (Guinea), who inquired from the Vice President of the Commission on the practical steps taken by ECOWAS to support Member States (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) whose economies were ravaged by the impact of the Ebola Virus Disease; Singhatey, mentioned that the Commission has engaged partners who serves as donors to revive the economies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. He further stated that Early Response Team has been assembled in Accra Ghana to serve as first respondents in case of a resurgence of the deadly virus.

However, Mr. Singhatey admonished the government of Member States to put the right policies in place as a collaborative effort with the Commission’s quest to ameliorate the effects of the disease on the economies of affected States. According to him, “there is nothing we can do unilaterally without the government since we are a Commission answerable to the Council of Ministers”. He concluded.    

THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC SITUATION RAISES CONCERN AMONGST MEPS …Member States beseeched to comply with the implementation of the Community Levy Protocol.

The dire economic situation currently being witnessed in Nigeria was topical and drew not a few reactions from Members of Parliament by way of observations, responses and other varied contributions after the Group of Nigerian Parliamentarians presented Nigeria’s Country Report. Members’ concerns were mainly on Nigeria’s capacity to carry out the full implementation of the Community Levy Protocol, given its current economic recession.

Reacting to the Nigerian economic situation, Hon. Sawadogo Salifou (Burkina Faso) registered his concern toward the implication of the economic situation in Nigeria which he posits will likely affect the implementation of the Community levy. He observed that the Nigeria’s Report was silent on the status of the country’s implementation of the Community Levy Protocol.

Reacting in same vain, Hon. Azumah Azimbe (Ghana) recommended that Nigeria does not make what he termed “panic decisions” on economic policies in an attempt to alleviate the current economic recession in the country.

On the other hand, Hon. Carlos Alberto Delgado (Cape Verde) pointed out a portion of the Nigerian Report which according to the Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), states that “in the 2^nd Quarter of 2016, the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined by -2.1 percent”, a worrisome situation when compared with the growth rate of “-0.4 percent recorded in the 1^st Quarter of 2016”, marking a 1.7 lower points.  Hon. Delgado concluded by asking what measures the Nigerian Government would be taking in respect to getting its economy back on track.

Reacting to the concerns raised by the Honourable Members on the status of the implementation of the Community levy by Nigeria, Hon. Chuba Lynda Ikpeazu assured the Plenary that the Nigerian delegation would consult with relevant authorities in the country and revert to the House. She also stated that the Nigerian government is taking the implementation of banned commodities seriously and as such, implementation would redirect the interest of imported goods to locally made products an implication of which is the reduction of demands for dollars and a boost to the economy.

Similarly, Plenary recorded a resounding call to Members States that are indebted to the Community to endeavor to pay up their arrears. The call was renewed as the Country Report from Guinea noted that the country is highly indebted to ECOWAS to the tone of USD $ 3,698,000. Guinea mentioned that the difficulty in being up to date with the payment of the Community levy was as a result of the Policy of the Single Treasury introduced by the Guinean government which sees all funds collected by the Customs administration remitted to the Single Treasury instead of the ECOWAS account domiciled at the Central Bank for the purpose of payment of the Community levy.

Liberia in its Country Report stated that it is in full compliance of the Community Levy Protocol as of August 2016. Likewise, the group of Parliamentarians from Togo stated that the Member State is currently in the process of remitting the proceeds of the Community levy to ECOWAS.

In conclusion, Members of Parliament charged each other on the need for advocacy on the compliance with the Community Levy Protocol in their various Member State.  

BUKOLA SARAKI LAYS EMPHASIS ON PEACE AS A PRECURSOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEST AFRICAN SUB-REGION

The President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki in his remark at the opening ceremony of the 2016 2nd Ordinary Session of the 4th Legislature of ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja which held on the 22nd of September, highlighted peace as a precursor to West African sub-regional development. He explicitly pointed that peace building is integral to sustainable progress in the development of the region, stating that “peace building should aim at improving the democratic process, human rights, rule of law and equitable access to the abundant resources…” He emphasized that integration amongst Member States, and not isolation is germane to restoration of peace to troubled states. Dr. Saraki’s position could be said to hinge on the previous day’s celebration of International World Pace Day, which is marked every 21st September, with this year’s theme as “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.”

Speaking further, Dr. Saraki recounts that small and light weapon proliferation is one of the major challenges of West Africa which has resulted in frequent increase in communal clashes. He alleged that about “77,000 of the small arms are within the control of insurgent groups in the region”, making reference to the problem of herdsmen and farmers clashes which has become the bane of the Nigerian society in recent times. The President of the Nigerian Senate was of the opinion that porous borders are responsible to the illicit acquisition of most of these weapons. Consequently, “small arms proliferation has contributed to the mobilization for coup d’etat, undemocratic overthrow of governments, the rise of militant groups, increasing casualties and violent inter communal and intra state conflicts in West Africa”.

In his concluding remark, Saraki admonished Members of the ECOWAS Parliament to take it upon themselves during plenary, in proposing ways for the mitigation of these vices and enthrone peaceful environment that would herald sustainable development.

ECOWAS COUNTRY REPORTS ON POLITICAL SITUATION: ELECTION IN MEMBER STATES DOMINATES REPORTS

MALI: New Law Incorporates Elements of the Peace Agreement in Mali

In the fulfillment of the ECOWAS Community’s Rules of Procedure in view of updating the Parliament on the political situation in Member States, the Plenary heard the delegations of Mali, Republic of Benin, Ghana and Cape Verde in day 5 of the ongoing Second Ordinary session.  This aspect of Country Reports was extensively discussed at the Plenary as the issue of elections in Mali, and Cape Verde were raised.

In the Mali’s Report, it was stated that the President of Mali is consulting with groups within his ruling party, leader of the opposition party, the country’s main trade union body and some religious leaders in an attempt to further strengthen national cohesion and the restoration of peace in line with the Algiers Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.

According to an excerpt of the Report, “the new law incorporates elements of the peace agreement, especially those aspects relating to interim authorities and the ability to hold local elections in areas of the country where elections are possible”. Clearly, this assertion was directed towards resting any doubt with regards to the question of rebel incursion in some territories of the country and the possibility of an election in such areas as raised by Hon. Sama Joseph (Burkina Faso) during the debates.

BENIN: Presidential Election Held in a Peaceful Atmosphere in Benin

Hon. Bida Youssoufou has assured the Plenary that there is “a working democracy in the Republic of Benin”. This statement followed the presentation of the Country Report by Hon. Yibatou Sani Glele who stated that “Benin is one of the countries in the sub-region with a stable and calm political situation”. According to the Report, “the March 2016 Presidential election was held in a climate of calm, with high rate of participation by the people (66%)”.

It was observed that no major incident was encountered by both national and international observers. Accordingly, “the transition was done in a festive mood”. It can be recalled that the Legislative and local elections which held in 2015 were adjudged to be “free and fair”, the Report stated.

GHANA: Parliament rejects Proposed Election Date, as Ghana Prepares for Elections

The December 7 2016, Election Day in Ghana has remained sacrosanct, this was following the Electoral Commission’s (EC) proposal to change the date to November 7 of this year, which was rejected by the Parliament.

According to Hon. Alfred Kwame Agbesi (Leader of the Ghana’s group of Parliamentarians), the reason for the proposed change in date was to accommodate more time for post-election litigation by aggrieved candidates.  However, political observers have predicted that the presidential election is expected to be transparent and generally peaceful judging by ongoing campaign activities of the two major political parties – the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

CAPE VERDE: Cape Verde Set to Witness a 20 Year Electoral Reoccurrence History… opposition party wins absolute majority in parliament

The year 2016 is generally referred to as a phenomenal year in the political calendar of Cape Verde. This is because of the general election (Legislative, Municipal and the Presidential) that is being carried out in the country. Legislative elections were held on 20 March 2016, followed by the Municipal elections which occurred on 4^th September 4,2016, with Cape Verdeans heading to the polling unit once more on October 2 2016, for the Presidential election.  These electoral events are particularly historical as such special phenomenon in which the country holds all of its election in the same year occurs every twenty (20) years, in accordance with the provisions of the country’s Constitution.

According to the Constitutional provisions of the Republic of Cape Verde on the duration in office of elected officials, a 5-year tenure is stipulated for the Presidency and the Legislature respectively, while that of the Municipal is for 4 years.

On the other hand, the opposition party, the Movement for Democracy (MPD) “has won an absolute majority at the general elections after being in the opposition for fifteen years.” “The party elected forty (40) of the seventy-two (72) Members of the Cape Verdean Parliament, while the PAICV elected twenty-nine (29) and the UCID, three (3)”, the Report revealed.

At the Municipal elections, “the MPD elected eighteen (18) of a total of twenty-two (22) authorities, while Independent Candidates (sympathetic to the MPD) were elected to two municipal authorities, and the leading party PAICV elected only two. It is recorded that the electoral process has run in a transparent, free and fair manner, and in strict compliance with and respect for the laws of the Republic.

SENATE PRESIDENT ADVOCATES FOR THE VISIBILITY OF THE LEGISLATURE… CANVASES FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND GOOD HEALTH CARE SERVICES

In his goodwill message to the Members of ECOWAS Parliament on the opening of the 2nd Ordinary Session of the 4^th Legislature, the President of the Nigerian Senate Dr. Bukola Saraki beckoned on Members of Parliament to increase the institution’s visibility by pushing for a full-fledged parliamentary role. According to him, “all over the world, increasing attention is being accorded the legislature as a core institution of democratic governance”. He urged that Members of Parliament “maintain an intrinsic link with the citizens they represent, which is an essential characteristic of the Parliament which gives credence to the democratic norm, ‘government of the people, by the people and for the people’”.

To this end, Saraki admonished that through collective experience, Member States should champion various causes that will encourage and improve the quality of life for the citizens of West Africa. He called for poverty alleviation, noting that “with over 70% of the West African population living below poverty line of $1 a day, civil unrest and grievances become widespread.” Dr. Saraki also called for improved health care delivery in the sub-region, as he berates the “lack of financial ability by nations to meet even modest salaries of health workers” which has resulted to brain drain of professional health care givers within the Community. He relishes the opportunity the 2nd Ordinary Session of the 4th Legislature of ECOWAS Parliament presents to Members of ECOWAS Parliament to develop a workable framework, as “joint ventures between States will encourage development of infrastructure like roads and railways”. “I enjoin you all to prioritize some of these issues raised and set machineries in motion to restore the pride of West Africa in the global community” he concluded.

IRISH AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ECOWAS MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN THE REGION.

The Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Sean Hoy, has addressed Members of the Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security APRM; Legal and Judicial Affairs; Human Rights, Child Protection and other Vulnerable Groups; Gender, Women Empowerment and Social Protection, during their first meeting in the ongoing Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament on Wednesday 28 September 2016.

Ambassador Hoy, in his address on the framework for sustainable development in the ECOWAS region informed the Members of the joint committee co-chaired by Honorables – Yaya Sangra (Mali), Chernor Bah (Sierra Leone), Marie Anne Fofana (Guinea) and Padumhekou Christophe Tchao (Togo), that he will leverage on his position to draw the attention of the European Union and the Republic of Ireland to bring in direct investment in the West African region. This was in responds to Honorable Chernor Bah’s position that peace could rarely be achieved when the youths are not gainfully employed. He requested to know what steps are being taken to bring direct investment to the region.

Amb. Hoy, however, responded that the region is endowed naturally to create employment for its populace, he specifically pointed out that the region is fertile for agriculture to thrive as the chief employment of the people, and in order to eradicate poverty in the region, “agriculture has to be seen as a dignified job”. He specifically raised his concern on the rate of poverty and role of the Lake Chad basin which has been identified as a hot bed for the radicalization of youths in the region, as pointed out by Hon. Sadiqu Ibrahim (Nigeria). According to Hoy, Ireland is very much aware of the situation, if poverty is not eradicated, conflict will not end”. To this end, he advocated for inter-group relationship between communities especially those in the remote areas to exchange ideas and cultural values. The Ambassador casts the lots particularly on women’s participation in peace resolution in support of Hon. Seconde’s (Togo) opinion that women have a greater role to play in sustainable peace development.

In his concluding remarks, Amb. Hoy stated that “you can not force peace process; there are obligations on all our parliaments in peace building. Without a legal framework, you can not rely on goodwill”. He thanked the Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security APRM; Legal and Judicial Affairs; Human Rights, Child Protection and other Vulnerable Groups; Gender, Women Empowerment and Social Protection for having him, he also assured them of his willingness to provide technical assistance when called upon.



Yes Africa : AU calls for greater investment in Science, Techno...

Yes Africa : AU calls for greater investment in Science, Techno...: Dr. Zuma made this call while delivering her keynote address at the 4th Annual Global First Ladies and Business Summit, on Monday 19 S...

GE reinforces Commitment to Africa at 2016 U.S.-Africa Business Forum

GE, which has operated in Africa for over 100 years, committed at the 2014 event to invest $2 billion in facility development, skills training, and sustainability initiatives across Africa by 2018

WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, September 22, 2016/APO/#yes-africa -- 
The African growth story is still real (APO.af/XuTtrc).

Two years ago, the first U.S.-Africa Business Forum drew the attention of the world to the promise of Africa. Governments and organizations discussed and debated opportunities in infrastructure, innovation, and workforce development, and together committed more than $33 billion(APO.af/6JXb6F) in deals, investments, and financing to accelerate African growth. 

GE, which has operated in Africa for over 100 years, committed at the 2014 event to invest $2 billion(APO.af/WW0XKR) in facility development, skills training, and sustainability initiatives across Africa by 2018. Today, ahead of the second U.S.-Africa Business Forum, GE is proud to announce significant progress against these commitments, as well as several new initiatives.

Jay Ireland, president and CEO of GE Africa, said: “Meeting Africa’s needs takes leadership and cooperation This week’s U.S.-Africa Business Forum signals the strong commitment by both African and U.S. companies and governments to collaborate for economic growth.  GE is proud to remain a steadfast partner in Africa's sustainable growth and will continue to invest in people and infrastructure across Africa."

Nabil Habayeb, president and CEO of GE Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey said: “Building on our decades of presence in the region, we have specifically focused on supporting North African nations to strengthen their energy, healthcare and transportation infrastructure – sectors that are mission-critical for sustained growth. In addition to delivering advanced digital industrial technologies that enhance productivity and efficiency, our emphasis has been to create thriving innovation ecosystems and promote local capacity building. Led by the success of these initiatives, we are taking our partnerships to the next level to accelerate growth and progress.”

Building infrastructure

Africa is home to 12 of the world's 20 fastest-growing economies, and its manufacturing, services and technology sectors are fueling markets around the globe. Improving access to core infrastructure will equip more Africans to tap its vast potential.

1.      GE's installed base across Africa totals more than 93 gigawatts of power. We have added approximately 11 gigawatts to the grid since 2014, and 2.74 gigawatts are currently under development by GE in Power Africa projects

2.      GE has spent $15m over the past two years on projects representing roughly 2GW of power in Nigeria and Ghana. Today, we are excited to announce the signing of the PPA and related agreements for the Ghana 300 Bridge Project, which will power the equivalent of 700,000 homes in Ghana.

3.      In Egypt, the government needed help to avoid outages during Ramadan in 2015.  GE delivered 2.6 gigawatts (APO.af/RksAZj )-- enough emergency power to supply 2.5 million homes -- in 9 months, the fastest project of that size we have ever done.

4.      In Algeria, GE has created 3 joint ventures across the energy spectrum.  We broke ground in 2015 at GE Algeria Turbines (GEAT) and are preparing the site; we expect it to be operational by 2018.

5.      In Nigeria, we launched (APO.af/n1LkWC ) a $20M Healthymagination Mother & Child initiative in 2016 with USAID, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Two million expectant Nigerian mothers are set to benefit from the program by 2020.

6.      GE is supporting (APO.af/EzRqZp ) Kenya's Managed Equipment Services (MES) project in line with the country’s transformation strategy. One of the largest healthcare modernization programs to date in Africa, we have so far upgraded radiology departments at 96 Ministry of Health hospitals. Early results are positive; access to radiology services improved by 50 percent across three pilot hospitals in the first five months after the new equipment was installed.

7.      Through partnership agreements (APO.af/sx7u3Y) in Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Angola, we support their development agendas in power generation, healthcare, and transportation. We were even named (APO.af/dLSSds ) one of Nigeria’s most strategic investors this year.

Localized solutions

GE is proud to remain a steadfast partner in Africa's sustainable growth and will continue to invest in people and infrastructure across Africa

GE is working with partners in Africa to drive sustainable development and solve local challenges by investing in technology, building capital markets and developing technical skills within communities:

1.      GE launched its first Africa-based innovation center in South Africa in 2016. The Africa Innovation Centre, according to GE Africa president Jay Ireland, will be a “collaborative work space” aimed at “driving innovation in Africa for Africa.”

2.      The Centre, which serves as the Africa HQ for GE’s growing Healthcare business, also houses the first Healthcare Customer Experience Centre in Africa, which is designed to mimic different care areas in a hospital environment.

3.      GE inaugurated (APO.af/rewgEj) the brand new $13 million GE Healthcare Skills and Training Institute, an education facility for healthcare professionals, in Kenya in 2016, as part of its MES commitment. Through the new facility, GE has committed to training over 10,000 healthcare professionals from across Kenya and East Africa by 2020.

4.      The $19M supplier development fund we outlined in 2014 is operational, and 18 small- and medium-sized businesses are now receiving business and technical services.  

5.      In collaboration with the U.S. Africa Development Foundation and USAID, today GE continues its commitment to the "Power Africa Off-Grid Energy Challenge". The initiative has awarded 50 grants of up to $100,000 each to local enterprises to develop and expand off-grid solutions in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.

6.      In 2016, GE’s and the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship launched a program to train and mentor African social entrepreneurs addressing maternal and/or child health. The program selected(APO.af/yH0knh) its first cohort of 17 social entrepreneurs, who will gain support in strengthening their business models, refining business plans, reinforcing organizational development, managing talent, and learning how to scale sustainably.

7.      In Egypt, GE and the Ministry of Communications and IT launched (APO.af/WzSKFu ) the GE Egypt Digital Innovation Challenge in September 2016. Entrepreneurs can submit (geniuslink.com/EGYPT )digital solutions for industrial challenges in healthcare, transportation, and energy until November 30, and winners will receive a cash award of EGP 100,000, as well as an opportunity to receive training to develop their software solution on Predix.

Capacity building

GE investing in capacity building that will ensure sustained growth by providing skills training and developing leaders through partnerships with local governments, schools, and hospitals:

1.      GE employs more than ~4100 workers across 35 countries in Africa. Since the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in 2014, GE has received over $11B in orders. In 2015, GE saw $6.4B in revenue across the continent.

2.      Since 2014 GE upgraded GE facilities in South Africa and Nigeria; opened new facilities in Kenyaand Ghana; and launched offices in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Cote d’Ivoire.

3.      In 2014, the GE Foundation announced a $20M commitment (APO.af/7nRiES ) to advance maternal and child health in Africa, through the extension of programs supporting the Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate preventable maternal and infant mortality. Nearly 800 health workers have been trained so far through biomedical equipment technician and nurse anesthetist programs.

4.      The GE Foundation further committed in 2015 (APO.af/Jylli8) to its Safe Surgery 2020 Initiative, a $25 million-dollar, 3-year commitment to accelerate access to safe surgery in low- and middle-income countries. The Initiative launched in Ethiopia and will expand to Tanzania next. 

5.      GE and the GE Foundation’s 2014 investment in Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon (APO.af/8AAevw ) has trained 30 technicians in equipment repair and maintenance in Ethiopia. The program is launching a biomedical center of excellence there.

6.      GE has facilitated leadership development and helped develop curricula at Regional Leadership Centres for President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). GE staff members also serve as mentors to youth in the program.

7.      GE expanded its GE Garages program into Kenya (APO.af/4oXYn8) in 2015, collaborating with Gearbox and Seven Seas Technologies help build a skilled workforce and drive entrepreneurial development in the country.

AU calls for greater investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics training

Dr. Zuma made this call while delivering her keynote address at the 4th Annual Global First Ladies and Business Summit, on Monday 19 September, 2016

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 23, 2016/APO/yes-africa -- 

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has called for greater investment in the training and mentorship of young men and women in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Dr. Zuma made this call while delivering her keynote address at the 4th Annual Global First Ladies and Business Summit, on Monday 19 September, 2016, organised on the margins of the 71th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York.

Dr. Zuma noted that Africa is urbanising rapidly, with increasing demand for infrastructure as well, health, education, cultural facilities and other public services

Dr. Zuma noted that Africa is urbanising rapidly, with increasing demand for infrastructure (transport, energy, water, and sanitation) as well, health, education, cultural facilities and other public services. African cities will increasingly require trained and qualified architects, engineers, town and urban planners, as well as expertise in the maintenance of infrastructure.

Referring to Agenda 2063, the African Union’s framework document for driving Africa’s structural transformation. Dr. Zuma reiterated the importance of the infrastructure sectors and said that they will require scientific, research and professional skills, at different levels, including entrepreneurship such that opportunities can be transformed into business ideas, based on the needs and markets in towns, communities and cities.

It was on this same line that Ms. Savannah Maziya, the Chief Executive Office of the BUNENGI Group, organisers of the event said that Africa needs to promote STEM not as a nice to have, but in the interest of our survival. She called for a focus on education, having the right teachers, with the right attitude and the right policies to have a meaningful impact.

Other speakers at the Summit included the First Ladies of South Africa and Zambia, and a representative of UNESCO who joined their voices to advocate for STEM education and profession to be made more attractive.

Ambassador of Belarus A.Molchan visits Zimbabwe

On September 21 – 23, 2016 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of South Africa and Republic of Zimbabwe, Andrei Molchan, is on a working visit to Harare, Zimbabwe

During the meetings, a wide range of issues related to the development of cooperation between Belarus and Zimbabwe was discussed, including the strengthening of political dialogue

MINSK, Belarus, September 23, 2016/APO/#yes-africa -- 

On September 21 – 23, 2016 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of South Africa and Republic of Zimbabwe, Andrei Molchan, is on a working visit to Harare, Zimbabwe.

 

Ambassador of Belarus met the with acting President of Zimbabwe – Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, held meetings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, as well as with management of large commercial agricultural, construction and industrial companies.

During the meetings, a wide range of issues related to the development of cooperation between Belarus and Zimbabwe was discussed, including the strengthening of political dialogue, implementation of arrangements reached during the visit of E.Mnangagwa to Minsk in 2015, as well as participating of the Republic of Belarus in large-scale infrastructural programs in Zimbabwe. 

Distributed by APO on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.

UNAIDS Executive Director appoints Monica Geingos, First Lady of Namibia, as a UNAIDS Special Advocate

Madame Geingos has spoken out for young women and adolescent girls in Namibia and on the world stage

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 23, 2016/APO/#yes-africa -- 

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, has appointed the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, as UNAIDS Special Advocate for Young Women and Adolescent Girls. She will champion the newly launched Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free agenda.

Mr Sidibé met with the First Lady on the sidelines of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America. Madame Geingos will use her position as a UNAIDS Special Advocate to improve the health of adolescent girls and young women.

“I am delighted that Madame Geingos has accepted this position. She will be using her platform to find partners and solutions to some of the difficult health issues facing young women and adolescent girls today, including HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health, as well as access to education,” said Mr Sidibé. “Young women and adolescent girls around the world have a new champion and we look forward to supporting her work.”

Madame Geingos has spoken out for young women and adolescent girls in Namibia and on the world stage. At the 2016 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, she was praised for her honest and direct observations on how the world is failing to meet the needs of young women and adolescent girls and on what practical steps are needed to close the critical gaps.

“Young Women and adolescent girls face the conflicting realities of a world that is increasingly recognising gender equality while living in societies that continue to deny them the attainment of this shared right. While I am excited about the encouraging signs to rid the world of its patriarchal cloak, the risks faced by our young women and adolescent girls remain disproportionately and unacceptably high. It is an honour to team up with UNAIDS to work towards a generation that starts free and stays free from AIDS,” said Madame Geingos.

Madame Geingos is a champion of Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free, an agenda to put the world on a Super-Fast-Track to end AIDS among children, adolescents and young women by 2020.

Young women and adolescent girls around the world have a new champion and we look forward to supporting her work

START FREE

Eliminate new HIV infections among children (aged 0–14) by reducing the number of children newly infected annually to less than 40 000 by 2018 and 20 000 by 2020. Reach and sustain 95% of pregnant women living with HIV with lifelong HIV treatment by 2018.

STAY FREE

Reduce the number of new HIV infections among adolescents and young women (aged 10–24) to less than 100 000 by 2020. Provide voluntary medical circumcision for HIV prevention to 25 million additional men by 2020, with a focus on young men (aged 10–29).

AIDS FREE

Provide 1.6 million children (aged 0–14) and 1.2 million adolescents (aged 15–19) living with HIV with antiretroviral therapy by 2018. Provide 1.4 million children (aged 0–14) and 1 million adolescents (aged 15–19) with HIV treatment by 2020.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

NIGERIAN CLASSIFIEDS STARTUP TOLET.COM.NG RAISES $1.2 MILLION FROM FRONTIER DIGITAL VENTURES

Lagos-based real estate classifieds start-up ToLet.com.ng today has raised a $1.2 million Series A round of funding from Frontier Digital Ventures.

“The new funds raised will be used to improve the platform’s technology offering to both property seekers as well as that used by listing agents. The rest of the funds will be channelled into improved marketing efforts and aggressive expansion across Nigeria over the next 12-18 months,” says To Let’s Chief Executive Officer, Fikayo Ogundipe.

ToLet.com.ng was founded in 2012 as Estanode.com by four young Nigerian graduates –Fikayo Ogundipe, Sulaiman Balogun, Dapo Eludire and Seyi Ayeni. It received $230,000 in seed funding from Jason Njoku’s Tech company accelerator Spark.ng in 2013, and subsequently rebranded to ToLet.com.ng. Since then, the real estate classifieds start-up has quietly grown into one of the leading and recognizable online property portals in Nigeria.

“Our Agents are much happier to stick with us because, unlike competitors who use subscription models, we collect commissions, which essentially makes our service a performance-based one and ensures ‘we don’t get paid unless our agents get paid’. The commission fee is the model locally operated among Nigerian real estate agents. Our research showed that Nigerian real estate agents prefer the model of sharing commissions on closed deals as against paying subscriptions that don’t have guaranteed returns,” says co-founder Sulaiman Balogun.

From inception till date, ToLet.com.ng has facilitated over 8 million dollars in transactions value and currently boasts of roughly 20,000 listings online from a growing number of just over 3,500 real-estate agents.

Despite a recession being officially declared by the Nation’s Statisticians, the Real Estate Services in the Second Quarter of 2016 still grew by 2.12%. The contribution to nominal GDP in the Second Quarter of 2016 was 8.64%.^[1]Which only further validates the company’s belief in brighter days ahead. ToLet.com.ng’s mission is to be the largest property vertical in Africa by 2020.

“We are super excited to be making this investment into ToLet.com.ng, and look forward to being part of helping fuel their next stage of accelerated growth. We have full confidence in the ability of the founding team to continue with the awesome job they have already started and we look forward to the consolidation of their position as the Number One property classifieds portal in Nigeria,” says Shaun Di Gregorio, founder and CEO of Frontier Digital Ventures.

Frontier Digital Ventures is a Malaysia-based investor in leading classifieds companies in emerging markets. Last year it invested $500,000 in Ghanaian real estate classifieds start-up MeQasa and has made several investments across frontier markets including Panama’s general classifieds Encuentra24.com and Pakistan based property website Zameen.

Zeid warns of deteriorating situation, urges accountability for deadly clashes

At least 50 people, including at least four police officers, were reportedly killed during clashes and violence in the capital Kinshasa on 19 and 20 September, and at least 77 others were injured

Five Shifts Set to Shape the Future of Africa’s Entertainment & Media Industry

The Outlook presents annual historical data for 2011 – 2015 and provides annual forecasts for 2016 – 2020 in 11 entertainment and media segments for South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya

Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industry Leader for PwC Southern Africa

The Internet, video games, television, and filmed entertainment segments of sub-Saharan Africa’s entertainment and media industry are projected to continue to grow in the following years but the publishing industry is having to work very hard to make any headway, according to PwC’s (PwC.com) Entertainment and media outlook: 2016 – 2020 report (South Africa – Nigeria – Kenya) released today. Despite a relative slower growth projection for the industry, the Outlook forecasts that South Africa’s entertainment and media industry is expected to grow from R125.7 billion in 2015 to R173.3 billion in 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%.

“In spite of widespread disruption in the entertainment and media industry, as well as intense competition for consumer attention, there are growth opportunities aplenty for companies to capitalise from in the new media landscape,” says Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industry Leader for PwC Southern Africa.  

Digital spend is expected to drive the overall growth. South Africa’s Internet access market will rise from R39.4 billion in 2015 to R68.5 billion in 2020, as broadband – both fixed and mobile – becomes an essential utility.  “Although the forecast CAGR of 11.7% is lower than previously predicted, this still makes Internet access by far the largest contributor to total E&M spend,” adds Myburgh.

The Outlook presents annual historical data for 2011 – 2015 and provides annual forecasts for 2016 – 2020 in 11 entertainment and media segments for South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya: the Internet, television, filmed entertainment, video games, business-to-business publishing, recorded music, newspaper publishing, recorded music, magazine publishing, book publishing, out-of-home-advertising and radio.

Aside from the Internet, the Outlook predicts that growth will also be seen in the video game market, filmed entertainment and television segments. “As Internet revenue continue to rise, the forecast for newspaper and magazine circulation is on the decline as consumers migrate from print copies to free online alternatives – and aren’t as yet moving to paid digital formats in great numbers,” says Myburgh.

South Africa has the largest TV market in Africa and continues to grow strongly, with pay-TV subscription revenues expected to expand by a 5.0% CAGR to reach R25.2 billion in 2020. The video game market is also performing well and revenue is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% to reach R3.7 billion in 2020, up from R2.8 billion in 2015. Social/casual gaming revenue overtook traditional game revenue for the first time in 2015 and is expected to be the key growth area over the next five years, exceeding R2 billion by 2020.

Alongside video providers, the B2B market will be a strong source of revenue for South Africa’s entertainment and media industry over the next five years. The amount of data that businesses are using for decision-making is increasing, and the tools used to access the information are increasingly cloud-based with more and more users gaining access via mobile handsets. The market is forecast to grow at a 4% CAGR to reach just under R11.6 billion in 2020.

By contrast, the newspaper market in South Africa is expected to be R1 billion smaller than in 2015. In 2015 total newspaper revenue was worth R9.1 billion, but this figure will drop to R8.1 billion in 2020.  Circulation figures are also forecast to start declining, as price rises are unable to compensate for the declining numbers of copies sold.

By the same note, South Africa’s consumer’s magazine market is also forecast to see a decline in later years. A growing number of South Africans are accessing magazine content and websites via their smart devices, but the boom in smartphone and tablet ownership will be the biggest driver for digital magazine revenue growth over the forecast period.  

Although physical music continues on its downward trajectory, it is streaming revenue that will be responsible for keeping recorded music revenue from large falls. Digital music streaming revenue is forecast to rise from R74 million in 2015 to R437 million in 2020.

The report shows that South Africa’s total entertainment and media advertising revenue is expected to rise from R43.4 billion in 2015 to R53 billion in 2020, a CAGR of 4.1%, with only newspaper advertising revenue forecast to take a downward turn. TV advertising continues to dominate the market, but Internet advertising is combining scale with a great pace of expansion, and will become the second-largest contributor to revenue by 2020.

Myburgh says: “Entertainment and media companies are facing an ever more challenging and complex environment. Companies need a more detailed understanding than ever before of the various forces at play at a local level. Armed with such insights, both established and emerging players are well-positioned to capitalise on the industry shifts and lead the next phase of growth.”

Nigeria

In a world where Netflix can launch in 130 new countries in a single day, it’s easy to assume that content is becoming more globally homogeneous

Nigeria has one of the fastest-growing markets in the entertainment and media industry. In 2015 it saw 15.7% growth to reach US$3.8 billion, and with all segments forecast to rise over the forecast period, an 11% CAGR is anticipated. Internet advertising will see the fastest growth over the forecast period, and will come predominantly in formats designed for mobiles, in keeping with the prevailing method of Internet access in the country. TV advertising is also benefitting from strong economic growth and an emerging middle class with a higher disposable income.

Kenya

Kenya’s total entertainment and media industry was worth US$2.2 billion in 2015 and is expected to be worth US$3.3 billion by 2020. Internet access again will be the main contributor, if not as dominant in Kenya as in Nigeria, accounting for 43% of the total market in 2020.

Five key shifts emerge amid the continuing disruption

As these high-level trends play out, our research has pinpointed key shifts occurring in each of five dimensions of the entertainment and media landscape: demography, competition, consumption, geography, and business models. Simultaneous and interrelated, these five shifts influence and play off one another. They should serve as a serious call to action for both industry incumbents and new entrants to seek out growth opportunities in markets worldwide.

Shift 1. Demography: Youth will be served

Our analysis of national entertainment and media markets globally reveals an almost perfect correlation between the relative size of the under-35 population and growth in entertainment and media spending—confirming that younger consumers are now the primary drivers of global growth. Our analysis of total entertainment and media revenue growth in the world’s 10 youngest and 10 oldest markets in demographic terms reveals that, on average, entertainment and media spending in the 10 youngest markets is growing three times as rapidly as in the 10 oldest markets.

Shift 2. Competition: Content is still king

In a world where Netflix can launch in 130 new countries in a single day, it’s easy to assume that content is becoming more globally homogeneous. But the reality is that content is being redefined by forces of globalisation and localisation simultaneously—and that while much of the industry is growing more global, content tastes and cultures remain steadfastly local.

Shift 3. Consumption: The joy of bundles

The ability for consumers to design and curate their own media diet has been one of the most powerful trends to emerge in the industry. But the bundle is far from dead, with video and cable incumbents—which were initially slow off the mark—now fighting back by offering their content on an integrated omnichannel basis, on TV, laptop, tablet, and smartphone. As take-up of these new-style bundles grows, we believe the bulk of digital OTT mass-market services will gradually be reabsorbed into aggregated offerings that will echo the traditional analogue-style bundle, but that will be more flexibly priced and available on a full range of devices. When this happens, the competitive battle may move up a notch, as cable, technology, and telecom players fight over gaining access to distribution.

Shift 4. Geography: Growth Markets

Generally, entertainment and media companies had one set of expectations about developed markets (slow growth, low regulation, easier to access) and another about developing markets (rapid growth, high regulation, harder to access). But the dynamics are shifting rapidly as disruption pushes markets to develop in different ways, meaning “opportunity” economies—even within the same region—can display significantly varied growth patterns.

Shift 5. Business models: Transforming with trust

Today’s entertainment and media market includes technology companies racing to become hybrid content companies, and traditional publishers evolving the other way to emerge as hybrid technology companies. This underlines how the growth of technology and digitisation is acting as a centrifugal force—breaking up existing relationships; pushing large, generalist entities to give way to smaller specialists; and allowing smaller, nimble competitors to beat out incumbents. For incumbent advertising agencies, this opens up an opportunity to reorient themselves to become invaluable to markets, by bringing together programmatic capabilities, analytics, data aggregation, and native content to create the new “super” agency. 

Distributed by APO on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).