African Leadership Magazine

Afric n Leadership JULY - AUGUST 2021

£5 $8 N3000 ZAR100

PRESIDENT OF GHANA

NANA AKUFO ADDO INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA Interviews Through the Eyes of a Successful Female Banker - NANA AMA POKU

Special Reports Rwanda - The Dubai of Africa Opens for Business

Features Pandemic Sparks Africa’s Digital’s Revolution

Businesses that solve society's problems JAMES MWANGI

Why the World Should Pay Attention to the Texas Blackout

Nigeria: From Food Basket to Barrel Bottom?

Contents

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International Leadership & Youth Development in Africa

Liberia's Vice President Jewel Taylor Calls For An African Industrial Revolution

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A Legacy of Innovation & Inclusion in the Financial Services Industry - Adesola Kazeem

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From Food Basket To Barrel Bottom: Covid-19 Hits Nigeria's Agriculture Sector

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A Kenyan Perspective Online Schooling During The Covid Pandemic

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Rwanda The Dubai of Africa Opens for Business

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

...A Publication of African Leadership (UK) Limited Ken Giami Founder & Executive Chairman

Associate Editor - Arvy Nahar aknahar@africanleadership.co.uk East Africa Correspondent - Meresia Aloo Ghana Correspondent - Janet Abena Quainoo

Bernice Benjy - Group Head, Finance & Administration

Ehis Ayere - Group Head, Sales & Business Development

Editorial Board Peter Burdin, London UK – Chair Nwandi Lawson, Atlanta USA -Member Simon Kolawole, Lagos Nigeria -Member Peter Ndoro, SABC EditorJohannesburg – Member Frenny Jowi, Nairobi Kenya - Member Brig. Gen. SK Usman Rtd., Abuja Nigeria - Member David Morgan, Washington DC USA – Member

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Sasha Caton - Manager, UK & European Operations

Jolayemi Mayowa - Manager, Client Relations Ekene Okolie - Manager, Office of the Chairman Samuel M. Elaikwu - Manager, Sales & Business Developments Happy Benson - Director of Operations North America Christy Ebong - Head, Research & Admin - North America

Head of Creatives - Joseph Akuboh A.

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Editor - Kembet Bolton kembet@africanleadeship.co.uk

Furo Giami - Chief Operating Officer / Executive Director

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Group Managing Editor - Kingsley Okeke editor@africanleadership.co.uk

Stanley Emeruem - Business Development Managers Oluwatoyin Oyekanmi - Head, South African Bureau Bernard Adeka - Head, Nigeria SS/SE

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS Portsmouth Technopole, Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth PO2 8FA, United Kingdom; t: 44 23 9265 8276 | fax: +44 (0)23 9265 8201 | e: info@africanleadership.co.uk w | www.africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk AFRICA & REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES Abuja Accra Atlanta Johannesburg Nairobi London Washington DC

ISSN 2006 - 9332

While great care has been taken in the receipt and handling of materials, production and accuracy of content in the magazine, the publishers will not take responsibility for views expressed by the writer

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...Identifying, Celebrating & Enabling Excellence in Africa

FROM THE CHAIRMANʼS DESK

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Most of the world, and especially Africa is still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people and businesses. Still, African entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations cannot afford to be on Pause. The challenges faced by companies at this time are no doubt, mindboggling. Yet, if there is one word that encapsulates the identity and the very essence of companies operating in the African business environment, that word would beʼ resilientʼ. Lockdowns and social distancing must not be taken as a basis for drawbacks for companies, entrepreneurs and organizations.

Globally, forward-thinking organizations are adapting to the present-day challenge, but committedly working to continue to serve their clients and building back better, stronger and more sustainably. Hence, for businesses and entrepreneurs looking for an outlay of reasons why they should and must roll up their sleeves and do the required work necessary to not only thrive, and do it better, even more than ever; then find your answers below.

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1. Africaʼs continued survival and future depends to a great extent on the response of businesses to this challenge: – COVID-19 no doubt represents an unprecedented challenge, however, tested leaders have never shied away from problems, as it is the challenges that they address that ultimately provides the opportunities they ride onto for future successes and triumphs.

Businesses in Africa have been at the forefront of innovating and implementing best practices in corporate governance and problem-solving on the continent, despite sometimes very challenging business climate.

Companies on the continent are known for signposting effective organizational behaviour and management to the public sector, to the extent well managed public

Reasons Why African Businesses Must Build Back Better

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FROM THE CHAIRMANʼS DESK

3. Progress in the eradication of extreme poverty on the continent must be sustained: – As of 2015, according to a report by the global think tank, Brookings Institute, most of the poorest people in the world lived in Africa, with 27 out of the 28 poorest nations in subSaharan Africa. This represented over 90% of the worldʼs poorest. However, due to a concerted effort of all stakeholders including international development partners, governments, and especially a robust African private sector aggressively creating jobs, the percentage of the worldʼs poorest in Africa reduced to about 70% in 2018, with one in three Africans living below the global poverty line. And from projections from the World Data Lab, as of March 2019, more Africans were escaping extreme poverty than the number of those born or falling below the poverty line.

Also, projections by the International Futures (IFs) modelling platform at the University of Denver, projected that sub-Saharan Africa would account for roughly 60% of the worldʼs poorest people by 2020. While these numbers do not call for celebrations, as the continent is still disproportionately poor compared with the

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5. The world as we knew it might have changed forever: Remote work, remote learning, homeschooling, more online meetings and hangouts could very possibly become, if not already, the new normal. So clearly, African businesses should embrace the times and re-invent and re-imagine their business models, operations and processes in their business continuity plans, so as not to risk playing catch up and possible extinction, when things return to some normalcy.

As we adjust to the unfolding new normal, African businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations cannot afford to put their corporate goals on Pause, but it is a time to focusing on navigating the times, and re-inventing the business. It is the time to stay top-ofmind and continually engage with your clients and stakeholders through strategic media campaigns, as well as actively participating in CSR efforts where possible. Businesses must build back stronger and better for the sake of the African people.

Ken Giami

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4. A shrinking of the Continentʼs GDP Growth: – According to a recent report by McKinsey, initial analysis of COVID-19ʼs economic impact finds that Africaʼs GDP growth in 2020 could be cut by three to eight percentage points, with African economies potentially facing losses between $90 billion and $200 billion in 2020 alone.

Hence, the advent of the virus portends a worsening future not just for an already battered health system, but also an economic crisis of massive proportions, if all stakeholders do not adopt concerted and bold efforts – especially the African private sector. Also, the pandemic, coupled with natural disasters in some countries as well as the oil-price shock being currently faced by commodity-driven economies, could potentially tip African economies into a recession.

African businesses and entrepreneurs must then do the hard but necessary work required not just to survive but be ready to take advantage of new opportunities when the lockdowns are over, and the virus is defeated, as it will be.

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2. The continent is already behind the rest of the world in most development indicators: – Before the arrival of the virus, the continent already had its hands full of age-long challenges it had been grappling with, ranging from colossal youth unemployment, infrastructure deficits, significant gaps in our education structures, climate change and ecological issues to the now more glaring problems in our healthcare delivery systems – which we have always known, among others. It is also a known fact that with issues of corruption in governmental circles, and weak institutions in some African countries, the African private sector has shown that, comparatively, it is a significant driver of growth on the continent. Hence, now more than ever before, businesses must not give up now but continue to put in the innovative, bold and decisive actions that would help in addressing the myriads of issues that must be dealt with.

other continent, It does show that there has been a gradual but steady progress in lifting the African people out of extreme poverty.

This progress must be sustained, and the private sector holds the key, working in concert and with help from governments, African development finance institutions, international development partners, and other strategic partners.

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sector organizations are said to be run as private sector organizations. Companies and organizations on the continent must, therefore, rise to the challenge and innovate their way out of the present difficulties, not just the health challenge but for economic reasons too – as they have always done. Africaʼs continued survival and future would, in no small extent, depend on the response of companies to this present challenge.

WHAT NOTABLE LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT

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H. E. JOHN MAHAMA FMR. PRESIDENT OF GHANA

H.E. MRS AMEEN GURIB-FAKIM FMR. PRESIDENT OF MAURITIUS

DR GOODLUCK JONATHAN FMR. PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA

“It is always an honour to be in the company of such distinguished fellow Africans, that the African Leadership Magazine events bring together Africans who have committed their lives to changing the negative narrative about our continent.”

“It is very gratifying that we now have an organization like African Leadership Magazine, which endeavors to promote good governance and impactful leadership in Africa - bring the best of Africa to the global stages.”

“African Leadership Magazine has become a brand for Africa and I am pleased to be associated with it. especially because of the caliber of African Leaders on itʼs board.”

H.E. JOHN KUFOUR FMR. PRESIDENT OF GHANA

H.E. JAMES A MICHEL FMR. PRESIDENT OF SEYCHELLES

“I believe people are more important than power and anything that promotes good people and leadership is what we need in Africa, and that is what African Leadership Magazine is doing.”

“I wish to express my sincere thanks and deep appreciation to the African Leadership Magazine for the work that it is doing on the continent, and especially in advancing the cause of small Islands Developing states, Any effor t aimed at increasing the visibility of the good work being done by leadership in Africa does positively impact on the continent and that is what the African Leadership Magazine is doing.”

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DR MANU CHANDARIA CHAIRMAN, COMCRAFT GROUP, KENYA

“I am honored and deeply humbled to be with the African Leadership Magazine. The organization have been consistent in tracking Africaʼs best and showcasing them to the world, which is quite commendable.”

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WHAT NOTABLE LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT

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MRS. ELLEN JOHNSON - SIRLEAF Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Fmr. President, Republic Of Liberia

H.E JAKAYA KIKWETE Fmr. President Of Tanzania

H.E DAVID MABUZA Deputy President Republic Of South Africa

“I feel deeply honored to be associated with the African Leadership Magazine as it is a veritable platform to honor true service in Africa. I commend your effor ts and assure you of my continued support and the support of the good people of Liberia.”

“African Leadership Magazine is doing a wonderful job of speaking for Africa and Africans. The magazine remain a good example of what young people in Africa can do in the world. Best wishes in keeping the African dream alive.”

“It is an honour to participate at this African Leadership Magazine's 2020 Ceremony, and I commend the m a g a z i n e's f o c u s t o r e s h a p e positively, the dominant narratives about the African continent, especially towards the pursuit of peace-building and democracy on the continent”.

DR. AKINWUMI ADESINA President, African Development Bank

DR. MO IBRAHIM Founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation

MO DEWJI Tanzania Businessman & Philanthropist

“I thank you so much, African Leadership Magazine for the great work that you are doing for the continent. Your tradition of awarding excellence as I have seen in the line up of African Leaders who have received the African Leadership Awards, is something ver y commendable”

“The future of African people and improving the quality of Leadership on the African continent is my vision and I find in African Leadership Magazine - a true partner. I am also happy that the African Leadership Awards is doing at a lower level, what I intend to achieve at the Head of State level. That is why I flew to Paris just to be a part of what you are doing here at the African Leadership Magazine”.

“The African Leadership Awards truly captures the essence of my message which is that, success shouldnʼt be solely defined by wealth. It should be about the positive impact and influence that one has had in his c o m m u n i t y . ”

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INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

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Being text of the speech presented by President Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana during the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year 2021 ceremonies I thank Ambassador Joe Beasley, Dr. Ken Giami, the board and management of the African Leadership Magazine (UK), and indeed, all the thousands and thousands of fellow Africans who deemed me worthy enough to vote for me as African political leader of the year 2020. It is an honour I did not seek, but one which I accept in all humility.

of many dependences to ones dominated by working age groups. This is where Africa is today. We should not fail to realize that we are at the break of a breakthrough.

Having said that, I must obviously add that the population opportunity will not automatically guarantee us a future of growth and prosperity. Democratic dividends do not come automatically. They have to be earned.

To realize the dividend, we must invest in the empowerment, education and employment of our young people. with over 40 percent of our working population between the ages of 15 and 25, Africa is the youngest continent in the world. This represents a staggering amount of Africa has to have a strategy to reap the demographic dividend that a human capital, and according to the African youthful population offers. The Asian tigers Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Economic Outlook, this number is set to South Korea are where they are today because of the systematic double by 2045, yet too many of them are investments made in the development of their human capital. Their period trapped in poverty with few opportunities to of boom and growth happened when their populations shifted from ones learn or to earn a decent living. According to This award scheme currently in its 9th edition has acquired a formidable reputation and I am grateful to all of you for making me a part of this event. I also extend a hearty congratulations to all other award winners. 'Intentional Leadership: Rethinking Youth Development Priorities in Africa', the topic I have been asked to speak on, brings into sharp focus the hopes, aims and objectives of a continent that currently has the largest generation of young people in history. I place great hope in their capacity to shape the future of Africa and make Africa the lion that it was meant to be.

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market every year, Africa has to pay maximum attention to job creation. Young people are willing to risk everything to improve their circumstances.

There are self-evident intentional steps that can help African countries achieve a demographic dividend. Increasing investment in young people is key. This includes promoting quality education that prepares them for a future of opportunities.

A diversity of training will be needed from quality primary and secondary schools, to technical and vocational training schools, to teacher training colleges, to research intensive universities. For young people to be able to exploit the economic opportunities that abound in Africa, we must have the skills and training necessary to take advantage of them. In doing this, Africa must fashion an educational policy that is also gender sensitive for women are clear majority of the African population.

The 21st century is a century of science and technology. The mastery of digital technology by African youths must be the compelling challenge for them, if indeed they are to survive in this competitive technological age. They have to survive. The Coasta Rican example should serve as an inspiration for us in Africa. Coasta Rica move from being a banana exporting country to a net exporter of microprocessor chips that earns in billions of dollars in contrast to the few million dollars from the export of Bananas. Technology is what helps us to make the world truly a global village and enables one's poor people to become prosperous and scale up the value of their economic activities. the World Bank, youths account for 60 percent of all African unemployed. For those that manage to find work, they do not do so in a place that pays a good wage or develops their skills or provides a measure of job security.

The Brooklyn's institute states that more than 70 percent of the youth in the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda are either self-employed or contributing to family work. No one needs to tell us that mass unemployment in Africa, especially amongst our youth is a ticking time bomb. The so-called Arab Spring showed clearly the lack of employment opportunities can undermine social cohesion and political stability. Between 10 to 12 million youths joining the labour

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The Brooklyn's institute states that more than 70 percent of the youth in the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda are either self-employed or contributing to family work.

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We have seen in recent times high numbers of them taking harrowing risks around the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean, trying to reach the mirage of a better life in Europe. What this means is that if we provide them the right environment in Africa, they will make our continent great. If these youths are encouraged to spend their considerable energies at home, Africa could experience huge economic gains.

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There is a critical need to involve young people in decisions that affect them. You cannot talk about sustainable development without the active involvement of youth. Former United Nations Secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, argues that when we give decent jobs, political weight, negotiating muscle and real influence in our world, they will create a brighter future. And so, Africa cannot talk about rethinking youth development priorities in Africa without talking about the welfare and well-being of young people. it is important that Africa takes these ideas forward to harness the value of the youthful population holding human rights, gender equality, development of human capital and dignity at the center of all our investments. Only by providing opportunities that open up the future to all young people do we create stronger prospects.

My speech, chairperson, has many of the makings of a dream, but it is a dream that is grounded in reality. I do not accept that Africa has a DNA that dooms us to failure. Africans can, like all the other people that have succeeded, make life meaningful and worth living for themselves. Africans can, and must do it themselves. We cannot expect others to do it for us. We can and must build Africa on a strong foundation of the ability, creativity and industry of her citizens. An Africa that exemplifies the true spirit of her people working towards the common goal of a

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brighter future. There is an abundance of dynamic entrepreneurial talent on our continent struggling to express itself and take advantage of all these conditions for success. We have to encourage this expression with full force, and ensure that we can stand on our own feet and make impossible the systematic looting and plundering of our human and material resources by outsiders. They have characterized much of our history to continue. This is the significance of the concept of 'Ghana Beyond Aid', indeed, of Africa beyond aid.

Once again, I thank you sincerely for the award and for your kind attention.

We can and must build Africa on a strong foundation of the ability, creativity and industry of her citizens. An Africa that exemplifies the true spirit of her people working towards the common goal of a brighter future.

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PRESIDENT AKUFO ADDO, GHANA & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

By Janet Abena Quainoo Ghana had seen various leadership styles and types since its independence from British domination on March 6, 1957, and today has emerged as an example for many countries, from military juntas to democratically elected administrations

constitution, which has made the country an envy of its contemporaries.

The constitution, which was adopted on April 28, 1992, provided the nation with its fifth president, His on the continent. The journey between March 6, 1957, and Excellency Akufo-Addo, and looked to pave the way for March 6, 1992, could be nothing better than experimental. As a the relative stability that has prevailed since then. country, Ghana has experienced a blend of all there is in political Presidents like John Agyekum Kufuor, the late John leadership, be it constitutional or military. Arguably, the country's Evans Atta Mills, and John Dramani Mahama all served resolve to get things right led to the promulgation of the 1992 their terms within the mandate of the 1992 constitution.

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Revenue Ghana, Heal Ghana, Enterprise Ghana, Digitise Ghana, and Governance Ghana.

Since then, these graduates have gone on to contribute to the local economy and their communities.

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One of the President's youth-focused legacies is making good his promise of free secondary education for public senior high schools (SHS) - a truly generational altering commitment.

Trainee nurses lined up to thank President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for restoring their allowances scrapped by previous administrations. The action saw over 58,000 trainee nurses and midwives in the various public nursing and midwifery schools receive a little over GH¢400 every month - boosting the morale of these young nurses and helping to strengthen healthcare delivery in the future.

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Young Nursing trainees allowances restored

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One district, one factory project Nana Addo's journey to the highest office in the land, beyond the glamour, is inspiring and scripted out of intention and focus. His first attempt was in 1998, but he was beaten by candidate John Agyekum Kufuor, who went on to win the presidency for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in January 2000.

On his second attempt, after winning the election to lead his party in 2008, he was defeated by Professor John Evans Atta Mill of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). On his third trial, he won in a landslide, deposing former President John Mahama, seeking reelection after serving his first term.

President Akufo Addo took office on January 7, 2017, after winning elections in 2016. He famously called on Ghanaians to take an active role in his leadership rather than be bystanders. The well-placed call was met with high expectations from all quarters, especially Ghana's young people.

One of the President's youth-focused legacies is making good his promise of free secondary education for public senior high schools (SHS) - a truly generational altering commitment. By this free SHS, there will be no admission fee, no library fee, no science centre fee, no computer lab fee, no examination fee, and no utility fee; there will be free textbooks, free boarding, and free meals, and day students will get a meal at school for free. Free SHS also covered agricultural, vocational and technical institutions at the high school levels.

Other contributions of the current Ghana administration to youth development in the country include: 1.

Nana Addo inaugurated the government's one district, one factory project, with the promise to drive industrialisation across the country.

Already, about 173 factories have been rolled out, initiated mainly by private businesses with support from the government.

The one district, one factory project marks a giant step towards the industrialising fulfilment of the Ghanaian industrial landscape. Under the One-district, One-factory (1D1F) initiative, several factories have been set up, including a pineapple processing factory in the Ekumfi District, a pineapple and orange processing factory in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) municipality, a cassava starch processing factory in the Fanteakwa District, a cashew processing factory in Tema, a fruit processing factory in the West Akim District, a shear butter processing factory in the Accra metropolis, an avocado processing factory in Ningo-Prampram and the cultivation and processing of sweet potato into bread, chips, and biscuit in Gomoa West.

Others are factories for the manufacturing and distributing of pharmaceuticals in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri municipality, the Accra metropolis, and the Suhum District. There are also factories for manufacturing agricultural inputs in the Tema metropolis, garment manufacturing factories in the Accra metropolis, and a tile and brick production factory at Tanoso in the Brong Ahafo Region.

This landmark policy has created employment for young people, reduced rural-urban migration and boosted local economies across the country. While several other youth-based achievements and contributions of the current Ghana administration under President Nana Akufo Addo abound, the One-district, One-factory (1D1F) initiative is clearly a model that, if adopted across Africa, could be game-changing for economic development on the continent.

100,000 graduates employed under NaBCO

The government said about 100,000 graduates had been employed through the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) programme.

In October 2018, the President commissioned the passing out ceremony for 100,000 beneficiaries under NABCO modules: Feed Ghana, Educate Ghana,

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CAN AFRICA PROSPER IN THE POST PANDEMIC WORLD?

By Peter Burdin

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There's a wise old African saying that tells us that we won't know where we're going if we don't know where we've come from.

As Africa considers a new future in the wake of the Covid19 pandemic it's worth thinking about the continent's previous great leaps forward when liberation leaders fought to free Africa from colonial rule. It's particularly poignant that Kenneth Kaunda, the last of that generation, died recently aged 97 as the struggles of those days start to fade from living memory.

them to seize Africa's resources and impose years of political and social domination.

Now with KK's demise that generation's voice has finally fallen silent as Africa faces new challenges from another wave of foreign intervention in what many observers are calling the New Scramble For Africa. The question this time is how can Africa reimagine itself to control and drive this new invasion rather than get exploited again?

His legacy was perhaps best summed up by the Nigerian President Mohammed Buhari who reminded us how KK gave shelter to the anti-apartheid freedom fighters from South Africa and former Rhodesia, and how he was “one of the loudest voices for the liberation of Africa from colonialism and imperialism and he did so with passion and sincerity”.

The scale of this intervention is breath-taking.

The French, the Russians, the Turks, the Saudis, the Iranians, the Chinese and many more are all piling in. In the past decade more than 320 new foreign embassies have been opened across the continent.

Turkey alone has opened twenty-six new Embassies, India a further eighteen, while the UK has plans to almost double its trade missions.

That generation of liberators fought to free Africa from the legacy and shackles of the so-called Scramble for Africa when the great western powers of the nineteenth century carved up the continent between

China has perhaps been the most active. Since 2012 more than 200,000 Chinese workers have relocated to Africa, bringing a total number of Chinese citizens in Africa to more than a million

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working to some 10,000 Chinese-owned companies. China has become Africa's most important and influential trading partner. In the first fifteen years of this century Chinese trade with Africa has increased seven-fold. By 2018 it had grown by 226%, while India witnessed a 292% growth.

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Hand-in-hand with this commercial activity is the spectre of military might.

China has defence deals with forty-five African countries, and sells more weapons in Africa than any other nation, while Russia is also busy in the security sector with almost twenty deals.

If the liberation generation saw Africa become the cold war battle ground between the old Soviet Union supporting Marxist regimes and the United States backing right-wing dictators, this new scramble incorporates the challenge of a rising China being confronted by the United States which under Its new President Joe Biden is demonstrating renewed interest in Africa after President Trump's four years of neglect.

Sixty-one years ago the then British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan spoke of a “wind of change” of African nationalism blowing through the continent, today there is a new “wind of change” blowing equally hard across Africa. It's being fuelled by Africa's youth and their digital innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. That could prove a more potent force to transform Africa then anything the old liberation generation could ever dream of.

According to McKinsey's the COVID19 crisis “contains the seeds of a largescale re-imagination of Africa's economic structure, service delivery systems and social contract. The crisis is accelerating trends such as digitalization, market consolidation and regional cooperation, and is creating important new opportunities - for example and the promotion of local industry and local supply chains.

According to Dani Rodrik of Harvard University's Kennedy School of government this will also see a shift towards deglobalisation and deeper regional integration within Africa, reducing dependence on foreign supplies while prioritising domestic production. Meanwhile the UN

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Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Africa Cristina Duarte says harnessing the digital revolution is vital if Africa is to address its challenges in food security, education, health and energy. She points to the continent's youth as the generation to embrace this new post-covid world: “Young Africans are turning the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity to find innovative digital solutions to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Innovations include mSafari, introduced a contact-tracing application for travellers, created by FabLab, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub in Kenya; Wigaytna 6, an application created in Morocco that notifies people when someone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID19; Global Mamas in Ghana which is producing reusable masks and designed automated, contact-free, solar-powered hand-washing stations using locally sourced materials.”

One lesson of the pandemic has been that Africa can't rely on countries outside the continent to solve its problems. The lack of PPE supplies and more starkly the lack of vaccines have been reminders that post-covid Africa needs to stand on its own two feet. It needs industrialization to produce its own health products and pharmaceutical labs to make the continent self-sufficient in vaccine production. In this sense the pandemic has been a wake up call for Africa.

Africa's youth are at the forefront of this new revitalized Africa. There are more than six hundred technology incubation hubs across the continent and this is where many of tomorrow's solutions will come from.

Add to that the creation of the ground-breaking African Continental Free Trade Area to create a single market worth $ 3.4 trillion and catering for more than a billion people, and we can start to see a new Africa emerging from this pandemic.

It is setting the course for the African economy for decades to come and has the potential to turn large parts of the continent into the economic powerhouse many of us have long thought possible.

Numerous companies and governments have sat up and taken notice of Africa's burgeoning digital economy, becoming key players in its advancement.

Intel, for example, have launched the 'She Will Connect' scheme aimed at advancing the digital skills of women, in a bid to boost their employability and become active participants in the digital economy. Microsoft has its 4Afrika project, which invests in tech start-ups and entrepreneurs across the continent.

Facebook has also invested in Nigeria, with founder Mark Zuckerberg visiting the country back in 2016, stopping off at leading tech company Andela and the Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) in Lagos, followed by a trip to the Aso Villa Demo Day in Abuja. The latter was organised by the Nigerian government and

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The potential for tech to revolutionise Africa's economy and society is almost limitless. The continent has massive challenges to conquer in terms of infrastructure, poverty, urbanisation, climate change and all the other privations from health care to education, where some 50% of schools still don't provide computer skills as part of the basic curriculum.

demonstrated how it isn't just private companies stepping up their commitment to a digital future.

And this is where the new Scramble for Africa comes in as foreign governments look to Africa for growth opportunities. China has been investing for many years. It is now the number one provider of scholarships for bright African students. In the UK, the Go Global Africa Initiative aims to connect African and British tech firms. Elsewhere, the UAE has recently launched a $500m 'Consortium for Africa' programme designed to close the digital skills gap that still holds the continent back from unleashing its full potential.

The Global Impact Investor Network's 2020 survey revealed that 43% of impact investors have funds allocated to Africa, with more than half of them planning to increase their investments in Africa in the next five years. The world is rediscovering Africa in a very sustainable way. Some investors call Africa “the final frontier”, others, whisper it quietly, are starting to speak of “the African century” as the continent with its demographic revolution becomes the workshop and innovation centre of the world.

What this all reflects is where major private and public sector players see the future of Africa's economy. And the world is jockeying to be key partners in this process. The UK and UAE, for example, are smartly positioning themselves as the first port of call for growing African tech companies by becoming key partners in their development.

This international interest in Africa should come as no surprise. The number of tech hubs across Africa has grown by nearly 50% over the past year alone. A year ago there were an estimated 442 active hubs in Africa, now there are some 618 hubs all offering support and facilities for tech.

People are always tell us that tech is a young person's world. With its rapidly growing youth population – the average age of an African is now said to be just 19 – the continent is well-placed to become the world's next leading tech innovator.

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According to an IFC report, closing this skills gap could add $130bn to the Sub-Saharan economy alone, while the African Development Bank estimates that new opportunities from tech start-ups and e-commerce could add $600bn to the continent's GDP in the coming years.

These numbers show the huge opportunity tech development presents and how Africa's digital skills are at the heart of an economic revolution that will fundamentally transform the look, feel and prosperity of the continent.

The post-covid world will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Africa to transform its economies.

Digitalisation will be crucial in this process, but so will good old-fashioned industrialisation, infrastructure creation and agriculture where the continent has the land and the ability to become the world's bread basket.

Neither should we overlook the importance and opportunities of renewable energies, education and a health sector that is in need of urgent investment if it is to withstand the virtual certainty of future pandemics.

Traditionally the smart thing investors used to say about African was “high risks, high returns”, but now something more sustainable, more realistic seems to be taking place. Perhaps it's a new “Wind of Change” only this time it will blow away those negative stereotypes that have hampered and held back the continent for so long. Perhaps this time will be different and Africa, for too long the victim and the battlefield on the receiving end of foreign rivalries, will stand up and with its massive single market and its young entrepreneurs will start calling the shots.

Such a transformation would be the fulfilment of a dream for the great man Kenneth Kaunda and his liberation generation, but there's a still a long way to go and many challenges and mountains to climb to make this dream a reality.

As KK himself once said: “when you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees”.

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That's why the African Union has launched its Science, Technology and innovation Strategy for Africa. The strategy places tech at the core of the continent's growth path and emphasises the impact that STEM sciences can have across all areas of need. The AU envisages an Africa whose future is to be led by innovation to transform into a knowledgebased economy.

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The post-covid world will be a once-ina-generation opportunity for Africa to transform its economies. Digitalisation will be crucial in this process, but so will good old-fashioned industrialisation, infrastructure creation and agriculture where the continent has the land and the ability to become the world's bread basket.

INTERVIEW

Liberia's Vice President Jewel Taylor Calls For An African Industrial Revolution

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Jewel Cianeh Taylor is one of few women in top political leadership positions in Africa.

In this interview with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor, she discusses Liberia’s COVID-19 response, post-pandemic priorities, women’s empowerment in Africa, youth unemployment and other issues. These are the excerpts: How is Liberia dealing with COVID -19?

As you know, Liberia is a developing nation, and we have had our share of challenges, including a civil conflict, Ebola and now COVID-19. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the President [George Weah] established a rapid COVID-19 Response Unit chaired by the Ministry of Health and includes other relevant government agencies and international partners.

This unit meets daily to assess the situation and to address challenges. Over a year ago, we instituted a national emergency, mandated testing and social distancing, and we continue to raise public awareness about the pandemic. We opened two new hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. As a result of our robust response effort, we are seeing a reduction in COVID-positive numbers.

How are you addressing the socio-economic impact?

No doubt, economic activities have been severely affected.

Schools were closed. There was an increase in sexual and gender-based violence across the country, as well as a drastic loss of income for women who are the primary providers and caregivers in our society.

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The National Legislature approved a national stimulus package, including food rations and money to severely affected homes, and suspended taxes to allow companies and businesses to survive. We halted ongoing development projects and even redirected finances for such projects to the healthcare sector and to respond to the social and economic needs of our most vulnerable.

You contracted the COVID-19 virus. What was your experience and what message would you send to people who may still be skeptical about the disease?

I hope my voice, and the voices of others who contracted the disease will let people know that this pandemic is real. I am not sure of how or where I contracted this disease, but I did. I was severely ill and spent 35 days in the Intensive Care Unit and another 10 days just getting my breathing stabilized.

COVID-19 is not a hoax or a conspiracy theory. If we follow the health protocols, especially wearing face masks, social distancing, and getting tested

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How is Liberia preparing for a post-pandemic recovery? What are your top three priorities?

We have more than three priorities. Let me emphasize that our national budget reflects our priorities—health, education, roads, jobs and the provision of basic social services to our people, including water and electricity. We are having meetings with our international partners and friends to establish a postCOVID-19 roadmap and stabilization funds.

We would like to re-energize agriculture and invest in infrastructure to jump-start economic activities. We hope to restore macroeconomic stability, encourage sustainable growth and private sector-driven development. Our focus is shifting to industrialization and the processing of our natural resources. We believe that the creation of a vibrant private sector is the best way forward.

The percentage of women in governance in African is still very small, though rising slowly: women ministers constitute 20.7 per cent and women in parliament is 23.7 per cent, according to IPU [Inter-Parliamentary Union] statistics. So, there is still a long way to achieving gender equity.

What are the main barriers to womenʼs political empowerment?

The age-old barriers to womenʼs empowerment are structural, patriarchal, discriminatory laws and low capacities. We must eliminate all forms of violence against women and adopt parity laws. We must build and provide leadership training. We must encourage more He-for-She [global solidarity for gender equality] champions, eliminate and punish all forms of electoral violence against women.

What are the top three achievements of your government so far?

How do you think African women can prepare to participate in politics, which is considered tough?

The first is entrenching democracy. After taking the baton of power in 2018, our government has conducted many elections: several bi-elections and the 2020 senatorial elections. And the legal processes which attend contested elections have been successfully and peacefully followed up to the Supreme Court.

The truth is that politics is tough terrain, but it takes a clear vision, proper planning and execution of plans, commitment, hard work and consistency to succeed. Despite the many challenges, women should not allow themselves to be left out of the process.

The second is that we carried out a process of harmonization that allowed the government to significantly reduce the wage bill by eliminating ghost names. Implementing a biometric identification card for all government employees eliminated discrepancies. We have redirected excess finances to other critical areas.

And those who have broken the glass ceilings must be role models and must mentor others.

Advocates of gender equality should continue to raise their voices.

Third, our tuition-free policy for public universities and colleges announced by President Weah in 2019 and the payment by the government of all regional testing fees for WASSCE [West African Senior School Certificate Examination] have provided huge reliefs for parents. The scheme will increase school enrollments and literacy rates.

I would like to mention infrastructural development. A former minister of works once said that, “The road to development begins with the development of the roads.” This is so true for us. The government is rehabilitating existing roads (feeder and main highways) and expanding the road network.

We plan to ensure that all capital cities in Liberia are connected by paved roads, especially in the southeastern corridor. We are grateful to our international partners who are supporting us.

You are one of few African women in top political leadership positions. Before you, there was Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who was Africaʼs first democratically-elected president. How do you assess the progress that Africa is making regarding womenʼs political empowerment?

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Young people account for 65 per cent of Liberiaʼs 4.1 million population, yet youth unemployment is about 85 per cent. What is your government doing about it?

Youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing our government. Youth employment

Politics is tough terrain, but it takes a clear vision, proper planning and execution of plans, commitment, hard work and consistency to succeed.

Despite the many challenges, women should not allow themselves to be left out of the process

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We received about 100,000 vaccines. The vaccination process is going well. People are being vaccinated. I have been vaccinated myself.

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How is vaccination going in Liberia?

Since Beijing, Africa has made progress regarding womenʼs political and economic empowerment, but there are still many gaps. Currently, across the continent, there are only two female presidents and about four female vice presidents.

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immediately when we fall ill, coupled with vaccination, I am hopeful we can defeat the disease.

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is a key component of our Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. To address unemployment, we need a strong private sector. At the moment we are creating the policy framework to attract the private sector.

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We are tackling challenges in the energy sector by enacting the Independent Power Production Law, which will open this sector to the private sector. The good news is that there are huge opportunities in agriculture and tourism. We have also approved funding for the development of small and medium enterprises.

In addition, the government has a Youth Opportunities Project, which provides training and funding for cooperatives and support to young people in agrobusinesses. There are also several programs to train young people in entrepreneurship.

It's time for an African industrial revolution. Africaʼs resources have traditionally been taken out of our countries, processed abroad, and brought back. Now, African leaders are saying that we want investors to help build industries that process our natural resources locally.

It is not just to take out raw materials.

What message of hope do you have for Africans, particularly women, who see you as a role model?

My message is simple: dream, prepare, build, remain committed, and donʼt forget to encourage and mentor others. This is the formula for success, whether you are a man or a woman. The world is for the strong, the bold, the creative and the committed. Keep in mind that everything is possible.

This year (2021) marks the beginning of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Liberia has signed but has not ratified the agreement. What do you see as the benefits and challenges of free trade?

The AfCFTA is a major boost for African economies. We expect a 52 per cent boost in intra-Africa trade by 2022. Our government is aware that of the 15 countries in West Africa, only two countries, Liberia and Benin, are yet to ratify the agreement. In our case, the agreement is before the National Legislature and we hope it will be ratified soon.

Africa is the last frontier, with about 40 per cent of the worldʼs natural resources and the fastest-growing population globally. If Africa uses this leverage to implement an industrialized revolution, it can have sustained economic growth. We're at a point where we need mutually rewarding partnerships, not just grants.

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My message is simple: dream, prepare, build, remain committed, and do not forget to encourage and mentor others. This is the formula for success, whether you are a man or a woman.

The world is for the strong, the bold, the creative and the committed

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PROFILE

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION AND INCLUSION IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

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Dr. Adesola Adeduntan is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in commercial and investment banking, development finance, audit, and consulting; a philanthropist and leader with keen interest in providing platforms for the development of other young leaders.

He is the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group, the commercial banking arm of FBN Holdings Plc in Nigeria and subsidiaries comprising FBNBank UK, FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Senegal, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Sierra Leone and First Pension Custodian as well as Representative Offices in France and China.

He is overseeing one of the most extensive transformation programmes in sub-Saharan African financial services industry, with the goal to reposition FirstBank Group to market pre-eminence. He is leading FirstBank on the journey to win the most significant emerging business opportunities in the financial services industry through the development and execution of a digital-led strategy that has established FirstBank as the clear leader in digital banking propositions. The FirstBank Group's transformation programme, under the leadership of Adesola, has enabled FirstBank to: grow customer accounts from about 10 million in 2015 to over 30 million, become the second largest issuer of cards in Africa with over 11.3 million issued cards, onboard about 12 million active customers on FirstBank's USSD platform and over 4.4 million users on FirstBank's Mobile Banking App, and initiate and grow the most expansive bank-led Agent Banking Network in Africa with about 100,000 agents.

Adesola is currently on the Boards of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), FBN Holdings Plc, FBN Bank UK Ltd, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities Ltd (SANEF), and Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS). He is a past Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of FirstBank. Prior to FirstBank, he was a Director and pioneer CFO/Business Manager of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). At AFC, he led the team that designed and executed the Corporation's “International Credit Rating Strategy”, which culminated in the Corporation being assigned an A3 international credit rating by Moody's, making it the second highest rated lending entity in Africa. Adesola also served as a Senior Vice-President & CFO at Citibank Nigeria Limited, a Senior Manager in the Financial Services Group of KPMG Professional Services and a Manager at Arthur Andersen.

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DR. ADESOLA KAZEEM

ADEDUNTAN CEO, FirstBank Group

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PROFILE

He holds an MBA from Cranfield University Business School, United Kingdom which he attended as a Chevening Scholar and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) awarded by University of Ibadan. He has attended various executive and leadership programmes at Harvard Business School (USA), Wharton School (USA), London Business School (UK), IESE (Spain), University of Oxford (UK), University of Cambridge (UK), CEIBS (China) and INSEAD (France). He is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria

First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is one of the premier banks in Africa with its impact woven into the fabric of society. The Bank has been sustaining its development-oriented services for over 127 years as the region's foremost financial inclusion services provider.

FirstBank offers a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services through more than 750 branches, over 100,000 Agent Banking locations to over 30 million customer accounts.

As a national icon and an international player, FirstBank is one of the most enduring financial services brands in Africa with international footprints extending through its subsidiaries, FBN Bank (UK) Limited in London and Paris, FBNBank in the Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal, as well as a Representative Office in Beijing.

FirstBank has been nimble at promoting a digital economy in Africa and has issued over 10 million cards, the first bank to achieve such milestone in Nigeria.

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(ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

Adesola is happily married with children and loves music, especially African folk music.

FirstBank's financial inclusion and cashless transaction drive have resulted in over 12.3 million users on its USSD banking service through the nationally acclaimed *894# banking service and over 4.6 million users on its Firstmobile platform.

Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has consistently built relationships with customers, focusing on the fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management and leadership. Over the years, the Bank has led the financing of private investment in infrastructure development in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in the Federal Government's privatisation and commercialisation schemes. With its global reach, FirstBank, one of Africa's most sustainable financial services brands, provides prospective investors wishing to explore the vast business opportunities that are available in Africa, an internationally competitive world-class brand and a credible financial partner.

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A philanthropist per excellence, Adesola is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee - the nonpartisan network of prominent global citizens that works to demonstrate the value of international economic cooperation and foster strong, effective Bretton Woods institutions as forces for global well-being. He is also a member of Sigma Educational Foundation - focused on enhancing the quality of tertiary education system in Nigeria, a member of the Steering Committee of the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) in Nigeria, a member of the Governing Council of CIBN, the Chairman of CIBN's Committee on Establishment of The Banking Museum, the Vice Chairman of CIBN's Body of Banks' Chief Executive Officers, a member of the Board of Lagos State Security Trust Fund and holds the traditional title of Apesinola of Ibadanland.

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His career in banking and finance spans almost three decades and has earned him various recognitions and awards including Forbes Best of Africa – Outstanding Leader in Africa; Distinguished Alumnus Award by both the School of Management, Cranfield University, UK and the University of Ibadan; African Banking Personality of the Year; African Banker of the Year Award and induction into the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Hall of Fame; Honorary Citizenship of the State of Georgia and Congressional Commendation Award from the Georgia Senate – USA; Bank CEO of the Year by the AES Excellence Club and several other awards.

INTERVIEW

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Being a successful female leader in any field is a different kind of challenge. Women who have painstakingly climbed the ladder of success are often faced with a lot of inner battles. In conversations with female leaders, I have heard all sorts …from dealing with unequal treatment, tackling negative feelings, lack of confidence, fear of speaking up, etc. While all the afore listed feelings may not be experienced by all women, there is one recurring theme that haunts almost every successful woman I have ever come across, and that is trying to maintain a balance in their work and personal life. Some experts have opined that there can never be a balance, others have stressed that to avoid burn out and chronic fatigue syndrome, women must find this balance. In an interview with the editorial team of the African Leadership Magazine, Mrs. Nana Ama Poku, deputy CEO of Exim Bank Ghana, spoke on how she maintains a balance and other issues bordering on women and banking. Excerpts:

Through the Eyes of a Successful Female Banker NANA AMA POKU

You are undoubtedly a high achiever in the areas you have served in the corporate world.

Kindly tell us what informed your career choice and how were you able to carve a niche until this point?

Having obtained a Master of Arts Degree (Marketing Communications) from the University of Westminster Business School, UK, my ambition was to be in Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion full time.

Upon my return to Ghana in 2001, I decided to have a stint in Banking while I researched on which Communications Agency to start my career with.

I therefore joined the First Atlantic Bank, Accra as a Banking Officer with the intention

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of working there for a short while.

Having received my appointment letter, the MD/CEO of the Bank informed me that as part of my orientation, I was going to be trained in all the aspects of Banking through effective mentoring, coaching and working in various departments.

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Year on year, it has been 20 years since I started work as a Banker. I love what I do.

Banking has imbibed in me a certain level of discipline and professionalism making me the leader I am today.

Out of interest, I find myself critiquing adverts that air on television or radio every now and again even though I have no intention in joining a Communications Agency now or in the near future.

I believe there is the need for more capital injection to create competition, grow the sector and lower margins. There is also the need for banks in Africa to provide more long-term capital and appropriate facility terms to support the private sector.

Carving a niche – I have learnt over the years to be a team player. I am a woman of prayer, learn fast, pay attention to detail and always avoid being a weak link. As a leader now, I practice inclusive leadership and as much as possible get the buy in and understanding of the teams I lead for effective implementation of set goals.

In relation to the development of SMEs, what vital contribution has the Ghana ExportImport Bank made to sustain and ensure their survival in the tough times the Covid19 pandemic has provided?

In line with the Government of Ghana's goal of industrialization, the EXIM Bank as development one has strategic objectives (2017-2022) which seek to sustain SME businesses to enable them withstand systemic issues they find themselves up against. These goals include supporting the increase of Ghana's Non-Traditional Export revenue from the average annual revenue figure of USD2.4bn to USD5bn by 2022.

They also include the Bank being a key finance partner for the Government's industrialization agenda and providing support for cultivation/production of raw material, acquisition of machinery, factory

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buildings, as well as provision of working capital for businesses.

The Bank ensures that moratorium provided adequately matches gestation periods of raw materials. For example, the moratorium for a facility intended for pineapples produced for export would be 14 months.

This way, SMEs are not subjected to undue pressure to repay facilities when revenue streams are not definite. With the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, SMEs that for cogent reasons are unable to meet repayment schedules have had their facilities restructured.

It is understood that the mission of the Ghana Export-Import bank is to facilitate the transformation of Ghana's economy into an export zone with viable relationships with other countries. What relevant steps and anticipatory partnerships are in place to achieve a high-end result in relation to this mission?

Commencing 2017, the Ghana EXIM Bank has made good its goal of supporting the transformation of the economy into an export led one by establishing partnerships with other EXIM banks, DFIs and international organizations.

These include India EXIM Bank, Thai EXIM, Afrexim Bank, Slovania EXIM, US EXIM, GNEXID, Berne Union, Credit Suisse, China EXIM, Czech EXIM, Hungary EXIM to name but a few.

Cooperation with these sister agencies the world over has been in the area of capacity building, the development of specific sub sectors, exchange programmes to train staff, synergy building to raise capital to enhance operations, and provision of credit lines for acquisition of machinery among others.

It is no secret that part of the focus of the Ghana ExportImport Bank is to boost employment in the country and empower businesses, notably SMEs, how has the journey of overseeing that process been, and what is the approach being used to see out the success of such objective?

To be considered favourably for support by the Bank, a project must meet three key benchmarks. These are employment creation, value addition and foreign exchange generation.

The Bank addresses the issue of employment creation through support for Agric and Agro processing which for the most part is manual and requires more hands. The prospect for employment creation is also boosted in value addition where as much as possible the Bank encourages processing of raw material for export in order to increase revenue prospects (foreign exchange) for entrepreneurs.

The Bank further encourages indirect employment with support for cooperatives that support nucleus farm projects of entrepreneurs.

SMEs form the engine of business on the African continent, yet they face challenges as to finance and sustenance. From your engagements so far, what specific product or design do

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you think will be vital in changing the narrative and boosting the chances of SME survival, and how is the Ghana Export-import Bank working towards the possible implementation of relevant solutions to empower enterprises?

2. A complete bird's eye view of the business with a good understanding of off take prospects, packaging, storage, marketing, distribution, customer target segments etc.

3. The entrepreneur needs to understand that the success of the entity relies on strong business ethics and network and not just on access to loans from banks.

4. The need for continuous capacity building to remain relevant in the business.

The Global Finance Magazine in 2020 noted that the African Banking Industry produced some of the highest returns on equity anywhere in the world in 2019; in some cases, vastly outperforming certain counterparts in developed economies. What will you attribute this success to and how do you think the continent can sustain that reputation and performance going forward post Covid 19?

The success of Banks across the African continent in my view could be attributed to the mismatch in pricing of facilities they offer and their funding sources. In some cases, the spread/margins are rather high and not supportive of the countries and economies these banks operate in.

I believe there is the need for more capital injection to create competition, grow the sector and lower margins. There is also the need for banks in Africa to provide more long-term capital and appropriate facility terms to support the private sector, promote employment and reduce poverty.

Are there any innovations you consider vital to the success of banks in the future and how customer engaging do you think these innovations must be?

SME survival in my view depends on a number of factors including but not limited to the following: 1. An entrepreneur's deep appreciation and understanding of the dynamics of the sector his or her business thrives in.

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Digitalization will anchor the success of Banks in the future. Covid 19 greatly underscores this point. Situating it in the African context, I am of the view that the digitalization strategies of banks should embed financial inclusion tactics to cater for customers who may be semiliterate or illiterate. These strategies should also seek to onboard the unbanked population. Aside easy to adopt functions, there must also be continuous training and financial literacy aspects to sustain relationships with customers in the future.

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The Ghana EXIM Bank offers concessionary financing, capacity building prospects, networking options, access to off take through effective collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Agency as well as appropriate moratorium as detailed above.

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5. A good determination of appropriate financing for the business and concessionary financing where necessary.

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Furthermore, the Banks should embrace and promote green products to enhance sustainability issues that protect the future of our societies. These measures should also include products that are longterm in character to create long terms deposits that are stable in nature.

These stable deposits will remove the high intermediation risks and encourage banks to support long terms projects that are transformational and have local and national distributive effects in terms physical infrastructure and incomes.

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With an in-depth understanding of technical banking issues and an unwavering determination that has seen you rise to the top in the banking industry in Ghana, what developing career opportunities are available in the industry and how can women best position themselves to benefit from such?

Corporate/Commercial/Retail Banking, Electronic Banking, Agency Banking, Banking Operations, and Prestige Banking among others offer career opportunities where women can specialize and acquire knowledge and experience through continuous training programs and on the job.

The key to the balancing is to act as a leader, by making sure that I have a well -established team that works to achieve the corporate targets and complements my efforts with complete sense of quality service, technical assurance and control.

There is also the Customer Experience aspect of banking which ensures optimum service levels for all customers. There are other departments in banking which are not customer facing. These include Audit, Risk Management, Compliance and Human Resources.

In order to benefit from these opportunities, women must ensure that after acquiring formal education, they research on banking as a career to ascertain whether that is what they actually want to pursue. Upon joining a bank, they must ensure they stay positive, applying themselves diligently to the roles they are offered.

They should endeavor to withstand competition from male counterparts by being meticulous, hardworking and as much as possible combining seamlessly peaceful home fronts and the hectic career schedule.

One question that keeps recurring when interviewing successful women is that of work life balance. Is this a challenge for you? How do you maintain a balance?

Banking is very challenging. The stress, late closing hours and the need for passion for one's duty make it hard work. At the executive management level, you leverage on years of experience in implementing the Bank's corporate strategy.

The key to the balancing is to act as a leader, by making sure that I have a well -established team that works to achieve the corporate targets and complements my efforts with complete sense of quality service, technical assurance and control.

It creates room and time for me to monitor and control the expected outcomes. Again, it gives me the leverage to deep dive and

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constructively contribute to the Executive Management successes. The added benefit is achievement made under limited stress or challenges and time to experience true family life.

Being a woman, there is the need to make your family priority and be always there for them. I am lucky to have family that understands the demands of my work and are tolerant when I have to be away from home or close late.

My hectic schedule notwithstanding, I always ensure that I make time for my family. I do not miss quality time, church and holidays with them.

You are definitely a golden fish that has no hiding place as you are a recipient of several awards and endorsements. How do you feel about these recognitions?

I am humbled each time I receive notification of a pending award or honor. They are proof that prayer, hard work, and passion for one's career actually yield results.

For a woman, being at the top and staying there comes with tenacity of purpose and perseverance in what is generally considered 'a man's world'. I encourage all women the world over to identify their dream careers and give off their best in their chosen fields. When you love what you do, it becomes your passion to thrive in it.

I am grateful to the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Akufo Addo for the opportunity to serve. I would like to thank the following people who as my former bosses played pivotal roles in mentoring me and supporting my career over the years: They are: Mr. Jude Arthur: Board Chairman - Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) Mr. Gabriel Edgal: Managing Partner – Oakwood Green Capital.

Mr. Daniel Addo: MD/CEO, Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd (CBG) Dr. Dr. Francis Sasraku Mensah: Head, Risk and Regulation, National Banking College Ghana.

Dr. Richmond Atuahene: Director, Salman Partners and Financial Consult Ltd. To African Leadership U.K. Ltd, I say this honor is deeply appreciated.

To God be the glory.

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SPECIAL REPORT

South Sudan & Peaceful ElectionsWould the UN Mission Make a Difference?

By Meresia Aloo

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Will it be better for the two leaders Salva Kiir Maryadat and Riek Machar to form an alliance and then go to elections, rather than contesting as two different political parties?

A two-day poll, conducted in June both in Arabic juja and English language on a Facebook page “Daily paragraph on African events” by Mekki Elmograbbi, showed that: 46% of the participants supported the idea of an alliance. Their reason?

Alliance will help bring peace during the election process.

However,49% of the participants were against the idea of forming an alliance stating that the move will deny South Sudanese the democratic right to choose their preferred leaders. 5% of the participants were indifferent. The poll was conducted with a view of finding solutions to South Sudan's violent elections ahead of the coming 2023 elections.

The Republic of South Sudan has in the recent past grappled with corrupt and brutal waves of violence for most of

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its post-independence since 9th July 2011. As a result, South Sudanese people have developed fears of conducting elections citing severe political conflict compounded by economic woes and drought.

The extreme political temperatures started on 5th December 2013 when Salva Kiir thought that Riek Machar of the opposition party had organized a coup against him. The bone of contention was the issue of nominating the flag bearer for SPLM. Some argued that it should be done by show of hands, while others preferred going to the ballot box.

Since the two parties could not reach an agreement, the republic of South Sudan broke out into war. On that basis, Soldiers started fighting and killing each other, a move that triggered neighboring country, Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta to appoint ambassador

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SPECIAL REPORT

Even though regional organizations such as Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and African Union (AU) have played their role in uniting the country, The East African regional leaders will still have a major role to play in South Sudan.

Granted, the country is still not politically mature and thus have a harder time in settling their political differences. Neighboring countries from the East African region will need to come together and join hands to save the republic of South Sudan from sinking into violence.

According to Ahmed Hashi, Horn of Africa's political analyst, the decision of the international community and regional community organizations to give South Sudan Independence was not a good idea as it rather worsened the whole situation.

Equally important African nations like Somalia are composed of a single homogeneous ethnic group. They may be nuances of local lifestyle but they still share a uniform language, religion and still trace their heritage to a common ancestor. With all these in place, there is a cessation in the North that wants independence.

Globally, South Sudan is not the only country with fear of having elections. Countries like Liberia, Cote-D'Ivoire Kenya are all the same because of tribalized politics. The only difference is how they bounce back from tribalized politics. Kenya for instance has devised new measures like the “Handshake” between the government and the opposition party and also revisited a constitutional review ahead of elections next year. According to ambassador Kalonzo Musyoka what South Sudan needs to learn from the Kenyan democratic mode of conducting elections is coming up with a new constitution and formulate an approach to the next general elections.

According to a study done by Mercy Corps a global humanitarian organization, the ongoing conflict and insecurity in South Sudan have pushed millions to the brink of starvation for years. The world's newest nation has recorded the third-largest refugee crisis after Syria and Afghanistan with 3.7 million people fleeing their homes, and 6 out of 10 south Sudanese refugees being children.

The sticking point for South Sudan currently is that everything is now tabled and the UN mission has already arrived in the country to have a conversation with the South Sudanese government.

What might be slowing down the whole process is allegedly the current global Corona Virus pandemic.

As for major Lieutenant General (Rtd) Lazarus Sumbeiywo, Kenya's former special envoy to Sudan, the Republic of South Sudan will need to go back to the drawing

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Speaking to African Leadership Magazine, Amb Kalonzo Musyoka noted that, for the people of South Sudan to overcome the fear of elections, they must be on the lead in restoring peace. This is what will help them legitimize governance in their country.

The good news is, with Biden's administration now in place, the United States government will have to re-think its engagement strategically and reenergize the deployment of previously successful tools and measures then devise a realistic peace and end a conflict that has so far claimed approximately 300,000 lives and produced 2.3 million refugees. The current government is led

by President Salva Kiir and his former rebel Riek Machar.

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In his efforts to restore peace, Ambassador Musyoka brought the two rival parties to the table, with a view of putting national interest at the forefront of the conversation and discuss a way forward for the rich nation of South Sudan. Each of them sought to give different versions of the story and as a result, they could not reach a conclusive report.

board, sit down and discuss amongst them how-to live-in peace together.

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Kalonzo Musyoka as his special envoy to South Sudan. The main purpose of this appointment was to help the two leaders Riek Machar and Salva Kiir understand the source of their disagreements and devise new ways of restoring peace in South Sudan.

PROFILE

PROF JOHN KENNEDY OPARA:

A PROFILE IN SERVICE Prof. John Kennedy Opara, OFR, JP graduated from the University of Calabar, and earned a Master's degree from University of Jos and later proceeded to the same university to obtain his PhD in Applied Microbiology. He had just acquired his Honorary Professorship Award from the Prestigious Oxford University, UK, England.

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He went to Harvard University and Stanford University, USA to obtain post graduate certificates in Leadership. He studied also at the prestigious Oxford University obtained a postgraduate diploma in Leadership. He also did some management program work with Columbia University, New York USA and Cambridge University London United Kingdom. He is well read and has travelled widely.

He had served under four successive presidents in Nigeria, where he occupied different positions as Special Assistant on Religious Matters. He was appointed the Pioneer Executive Secretary of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (Presidency) from 2008-2016, when he left office.

He was honoured by the USA Parliament in conjunction with the African Leadership Magazine as the best Public Servant in Africa in 2013. He remains the only public servant to take a Nigerian President to Israel.

He initiated the youth and family pilgrimage. He also was instrumental to the opening of Nigerian Embassy in Vatican.

He championed the signing of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement with Israeli Government (BASA). He was also instrumental to the cementing of Pilgrimage Relations with Greece and Rome. The New Testament Sites. In 2014 the Federal government of Nigeria honoured him with a National Honour: Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in appreciation for his numerous achievements.

Today he is the Chairman/CEO of CSS Group of Companies majoring in Agriculture, construction, food processing and packaging, Aviation and Renewable energy. In FGBMFI he has held several positions from the president, to International Director @ Large. He led the first FGBMFI airlift from Abuja to Gambia, Senegal, Burundi, and Sweden among other countries.

He loves and serves the Lord passionately especially in schools, marketplace or events through the fellowship.

He is currently an n International Director of the fellowship. He is married to Mrs. Amaka Opara and has four lovely children: Esther, Deborah, Daniel and David

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CSS GLOBAL INTEGRATED FARMS

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PROFILE

CHIORI - Sights Set High Peter Cole Chiori (born 26th April 1976) is a Nigerian Shipping professional, Business magnate, Entrepreneur, Business development professional and a Philanthropist.

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He is one of the best-known entrepreneurs and pioneers in the shipping industry in Nigeria and handles the following roles: Ÿ

Managing Director and Chief Executive OfficerOcean Glory Commodities Limited

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Managing Director and Chief Executive OfficerKorregreen Farms Limited

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Chief Executive Officer- Ocean Global Impex Services Limited

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Chief Executive Officer-Ocean Trans and Trading Limited

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Executive Director- ACHIEVAS Entertainment Company

Although born in Lagos and raised in Adamawa/Kastina State, deep in the heart of the Northern Region of Nigeria, he hails from Ohafia Local Government Area Abia State. Peter Cole Chiori grew up with an amazing and supportive family who encouraged his interest in the Maritime/Trading Industry at quite an early age.

He is a graduate of Lagos State University where he obtained his first degree in Public Administration and his second degree in Business Management (Rochville University USA). Due to his passion and interest in the Shipping Industry, he added another feather to his cap by bagging his master's degree in Maritime Transport Technology at Ladoke Akintola University. He is also a member of the Lagos Pilotage Districts Berthing Committee Nigeria. Also, to his numerous credit he has garnered several accreditations and awards which is not limited to his name: Ÿ

The African Summit Award London: Entrepreneur of the year 2018( Trans/Logistics)

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Nigerian Transport Leader Award 2018

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Corporate News Award for Economy and Development Award in Maritime

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African Leadership Summit Award

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Mr. Peter Cole Chiori

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Patronship Award -Nigerian Ports Police Command

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Ambassador for Peace UPF-United Nations

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Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarder & Customs Broker Honorary Award.

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Organisers of the biggest concert in Nigeria-OLIC (Olamide Live in Concert) and Davido's 30 billion concert.

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NIMASA indigenous Shipping Company of the year 2017.

Having worked with a number of reputable shipping companies such as Cloverleaf Shipping Limited, Sunderson's Limited, Milan Nigerian Limited and Seatrans Trading and Co. Limited where he was solely responsible for the daily running of the shipping and freight forwarding departments, he has transferred all his experience and knowledge to his companies by ensuring that strategic planning and tactical execution skills are applied through management of complex technological skills for the shipping processes that has delivered new generation solutions. His high-level leadership therefore makes OCEAN GLORY COMMODITIES LIMITED and its sister companies stand out as the best amongst the rest.

A man of good will and kind heart, Peter Cole Chiori has been able to sponsor several cancer patients by paying their medical bills and trips overseas for treatment and ensuring follow-up sessions on these patients. He also routinely sponsors for the less privileged which include Motherless babies by paying several visitations to them, providing basic amenities for their aid and sponsoring some of the children through their education by offering scholarships.

Peter Cole Chiori has been an immense contributor in helping many to acquire basic at various levels through the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

He is happily married to his beautiful, phenomenal and cognizant wife Omolara Cole Chiori and blessed with three wonderful sons.

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Transport/Logistics Person

PROFILE

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PROF. MUHAMMAD

BELLO ABUBAKAR A PROFILE IN LEADERSHIP Professor Abubakar has over two decades of working experience spanning the academia, oil and gas exploration research, and development and innovation institutions. He is a strategic thinker with strong leadership and management skill. He has an impressive exposure to global best practice in the field of energy. Muhammad is a Professor of Petroleum Geosciences.

Prior to his appointment as MD/CE, he was the Executive Director and a Principal start-up for the establishment and development of the National Centre for Petroleum Research and Development of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, where he spearheaded a cross-cutting edge research that developed the conceptual exploration model deployed in the successful oil and gas exploration in the frontier basin of the Northeast Nigeria. He was also a Research Consultant to NNPC on oil and gas exploration.

alumnus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (where he obtained B.Tech. in Applied Geology, M.Sc. in Sedimentology/Petroleum Geology and Ph.D. in Sedimentology/Petroleum Geology), and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and was a recipient of several awards that included National University Commission's (NUC's) best Ph.D. thesis award in physical sciences from all Nigeria Universities.

He has attended several information and Communication (ICT) training programs including basic Cisco Academy Networking certification, several local and international programs in leadership and strategic management, as well as many sustainable development trainings in the field of energy.

He is married with children.

Muhammad hails from Gombe State. He is an

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INTERVIEW

Businesses that thrive are the ones that attempt to solve society's problems Dr. James Mwangi CEO Equity Bank

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You hold 4 Nobel prizes. 2 in Economics and 2 in peace.

What does winning these awards mean to you as an individual, a leader and a philanthropist?

In this journey I have worn about 380 awards. In the banking industry we (Equity) win more than 30 awards every year. At the regional level we win 5 to 6 awards while at continental level I have never missed to win an award.

This is very humbling but again it is a very powerful affirmation that keeps me even going. It is a huge boost to the morale of my colleagues because it has never been this exciting to equity bank. Every staff member now feel they are a Nobel prize laureate winner because all along I have won all the awards that could have been won. So, thirty years of sustained consistent pursuit is what has created us from number 66 out of 66 to number 1 bank in the region.

Statistics show at least 90% of start-ups fail before the sixth month of their operations. What are some of the tips you would offer to such enterprises?

The biggest challenge is people jumping into the bandwagon when they are starting businesses.

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They don't understand the market. They do it because someone has done it, so they keep on copying what others have done without research of the market to understand what the market needs.

Businesses that thrive and grow to scale, are the ones that attempt to solve society's problems. If you look at Equity bank, it went out to solve the problem of exclusion e.g., the mama mboga's, the kiosks, and farmers were excluded. 96% of the population had no bank accounts.

Equity decided to solve this problem by an inclusive business model.

Businesses that thrive and grow to scale, are the ones that attempt to solve society's problems

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So, we removed the barriers that made people to be excluded and became a movement, and now we have 60% of all the bank accounts in the country with 14 million customers simply because we have solved the problem.

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1. thing is having a programme. Most businesses are not started with an objective of solving the problem, they are driven by an objective of making money. You don't make money by starting a business, you make money by solving a problem. Profit is a reward for solving a problem. The bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity, the bigger the opportunity, the bigger the possible scale.

2. Capacity of entrepreneurs. We are migrating to a greater extent from the peasantry society where we grew food for the family and suddenly, we find ourselves in the financial and economic world where we do things for the market. But we haven't sat down and found out how things are done. We haven't invested. Yes we have education but remember we have a theoretical education framework. We forgot to invest in tertiary education that gives people the skills and know-how of how to do business and in the process most of our people don't have the requisite skills. So as soon as the business starts, they lack the capacity and competence to grow it, thereby resulting in the experience of (85%) of startups failing by the fifth year).

What is your philosophy on Corporate Social Responsibility?

1) Advocating for a business model that integrates society in a shared prosperity and sustained environment through ethical practices. I believe it starts with ethical practices then it goes and develops into shared prosperities, so that you don't leave the society behind.

2)It is sustained by ensuring that environmental concerns are taken into account from the on-set when you are setting your business. No business should have a hand in destroying the environment by polluting or destroying the forest. Businesses should proactively be in the fore front of conserving the environment and keenly observe sustainable utilization of resources.

3.Sustainable Utilization of resources. Businesses should not be engaged in extraction where they are just picking the resources from environment without thinking about future generation. We must remember that the way we use resources today should be an endowment to society not to one generation.

If you were to give advice to a small trader today, what would you tell him to do well in order to grow his business?

The biggest advice I would give is: Best Practices - You must have best practices in business and best practices starts with governance decision. You must have processes and procedures that help you manage risk. There are policies and procedures that keeps risks away, mitigate or manage risk.

Governance structures that create an essence- First and foremost is the purpose for setting a business. If you look at equity, we have always pursued a very broad purpose of ensuring we change lives and livelihoods and that is why due to Covid, we went into giving businesses a break so that they could be able to mitigate the negative impact of freezing of economic opportunity and closure of businesses. So, for businesses that closed, we did not ask for repayment from them, instead we helped them to survive and recover. You can see that when you have a purpose you will point to the right direction.

The fact that equity mobilized 1.1 billion and said this is to protect the society, Speaks powerfully about Purpose.

Patience - because for me, I have been on this for the last 30 years. I joined banking in 1991. That's when I became finance and strategy director.

But you can see 15 years ago I won the global vision award. Little did I know what that meant to be honest because it was too broad. But today when I reflect, I see what the professors who made the judgement saw in an inclusive model those years.

Today I'm an advocate and global champion of inclusive businesses. So it has taken 15 years of acknowledging this is a good business model to celebrating the business model. In between 2012 and maybe to give me more hope maybe 8 years ago, we won the earnest and young world entrepreneurs position, about the same time Forbes named me as the African person of the year. But you can see it took another 8 years for the model to win the Oslo Business Award which is

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INTERVIEW

this year's Nobel peace prize. Time is off essence, so is Consistency and persistence.

Delayed gratification- I would have been very excited in 2007 but the real prize was to come 15 years later. So, it is continuing almost to perfection.

It is not always learning from the west, the west can also learn from Africa.

Do you think Kenya has got what it takes to support budding entrepreneurs in terms of markets, capital and regulations etc.?

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You enhance the quality of the people and standard of a society by solving its problems. So capital has never been a challenge because it's not Kenyan Capital, Its global capital. We are 50 M people in Kenya. You can imagine the size of that market. Our GDP per capital has grown significantly from 1000 dollars to about 2000 dollars. It is not just 50M but its 50M people whose purchasing power has doubled within the 7 years. If you look at Equity bank, we have a total capital base of 130 Billion.sh 70 billion is foreign. It is simply a great idea globally, so global capital froze quickly to come to support a great idea globally.

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Kenya for instance has a lot of challenges. That itself is a huge opportunity for Kenyans to innovatively create solutions for those challenges.

Society is always willing to pay a prize for solutions to its problems. credit life. We will not give you a loan without taking power over your life. If anything happens to you then the credit line plays the role. We don't come to families when they are mourning to ask for loan repayment, that is paid for. The second one is security, like traders in Gikomba we know the risk. So to protect them, we tell them to take fire insurance .

We always say let's be prudent, lets collectively secure each other. It's very important that you secure achievements of people. The essence of insurance is to secure achievements otherwise events like fire take people back to poverty.

Young people are advised not to place focus on looking for white collar jobs and instead focus on entrepreneurship. Do you think this What is the driving force behind your success advice is feasible? journey?

Young people don't have to go through the legacy of the past.

They can improve on technology and provide intellectual technology just by starting with Knowledge. It is no longer the old factors of labour and capital as the factors of production. We are now seeing intellect.

The population is a much younger population with a very different taste. It means that the products of the past are not going to be sustained into the future. The young people can study the taste and preferences of young people and re-invent and disrupt the market all over again. No great idea has ever missed capital because capital is always looking for great ideas and great ideas in turn, promise great returns.

Young people should not be discouraged by market, we are in a global market. If you look at Ali baba for instance, it is not just a Chinese platform. It is now a global platform. Amazon, Facebook, etc. So we should start seeing the market as the global market. We should start seeing the global capital backing our great ideas because capital is always looking for a great idea.

Let's talk about bank insurance and small-scale traders. We have seen traders suffer huge losses from fire and theft. Does equity have such an insurance plan that can help booster small scale traders?

We are the biggest insurance intermediary in the country. It is called equity insurance agency and basically what we have done is

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This is not a stereotype. The biggest driver is the fulfillment that these interventions enables giving.

When I see those orphans become like any other children in the society, seeing those orphans in Harvard where my children never made it to, I realise that this is selflessness and the other driving force is inspiration.

How do you spend your free time? Let me be honest, I sleep a lot, sometimes just reflecting. So at 8:30 I must go to bed. I sleep minimum of 8hrs every day.

Your hobbies?

I enjoy looking at culture, I have become an ardent collector of artifacts. I enjoy fauna and flora, it would be challenging for me to escape going to a place like Mara for more than 6 months.I have been to Mara about 89 times. I learn a lot in nature. I love reading. Currently I'm reading the grand plan by Gen Humphrey Orogeny and Prof Wanjiru of Nairobi University.

Meresia Aloo's article is published courtesy of the Standard Media Group".

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

TECHNOVATION

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Pandemic Sparks Africa's Digital Revolution

By Peter Burdin

Could Africa emerge from the Pandemic as a key player in a new digital revolution?

Recent moves from the big tech corporations like Twitter's decision to set up an African HQ in Ghana have created a new buzz around the continent's role in the global digital and media market.

Africa already has a strong foundation of a rapidly growing young and digitally fluent population and the Covid 19 crisis has seen this potential and talent for innovative digital solutions come into its own. Entrepreneurial activity in Africa is already estimated at 13% higher than the global average, this will enable the continent to flourish amongst its global competitors.

We've already seen increased rates of broadband connectivity and mobile data traffic in the pandemic, and that has brought with it increased media consumption.

According to the International Telecommunications Union a 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration in Africa would generate an increase of 2.5% in GDP per capita. This accelerating digital ecosystem is therefore particularly crucial as a multiplier of Africa's post-Covid-19 recovery and future growth.

However, in order for this growth opportunity to be sustainable Africa needs to look towards becoming more interconnected and

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capable of generating its own digital content rather than relying on importing content from the rest of the world. A recent survey suggested that some 85% of news stories about Africa were generated from outside the continent – that needs to change if Africa is going to benefit from this digital revolution.

Just as Covid-19 has taught us that Africa can't rely on foreigner providers like China, Europe and America for its vaccines and PPE supplies to combat the crisis, it's also brought about the stark realisation that Africans can't rely on the outside world to tell its stories but it must generate it's own media content from within the continent.

The newly launched MediaCity Mauritius project (MCM) is a prime example of a new initiative designed to address these needs. It is also a good example of digital acceleration in action.

MCM will be a hub for the digital and creative industries. It's supported by the Mauritian government and the Mauritius Economic Development Board, and aims to bridge the digital

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TECHNOVATION

The pandemic has given us a harsh lesson that the world is interconnected and stands or falls together. It's important that we integrate Africa into this connected globalised digital and media landscape.

To do that we must develop new platforms and professional training schemes like Mediacity Mauritius to hasten this, to help create a prosperous digital future for Africa and to show the world what Africa has to offer. skills, infrastructure and information gap for key industry players looking to establish a presence on, and invest in, the continent.

From its Hub Newsrooms in Mauritius MCM will create a one-stopshop for Africa's creative industries which will support promising regional SME ventures to grow globally.

New media providers will be able to write a new editorial narrative for Africa, bringing together established media outlets seeking a secure base to operate from with a university campus and school where young digital media students can learn the latest techniques of story-telling and pan-African newsgathering.

The pandemic has already been a catalyst for the acceleration of digital transformation in the region. Now is the time to tap into that digital growth and disseminate the news of this new Africa which is emerging from the crisis.

We all have stories to tell of how Covid-19 has brought Innovation across Africa, from the use of drones to deliver medicines to the use of AI robots to support African nurses on our hospitals. All too often these are stories of African successes and solutions that the world never gets to hear about. Now the stories of African enterprise can reach new audiences through the rise of digital communications.

Digital transformation sits at the heart of African Union's “build back better” recovery alongside projects for infrastructure development and industrialisation.

By supporting the growing digital economy Africa will create opportunities for increased productivity, entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation

We've also seen how the use of online and mobile banking tools has risen by 30% these past 15 months, in tandem we're seeing a similar growth in digital media consumption. The so-called “digital divide” between rich and poor is still a reality but there's little doubt that addressing the divide exacerbated by the pandemic has also created a sense of urgency to bridge it through greater access to technology.

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The prize is enormous. Digital transformation sits at the heart of African Union's “build back better” recovery alongside projects for infrastructure development and industrialisation. By supporting the growing digital economy Africa will create opportunities for increased productivity, entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation, all of which will aid an inclusive, sustainable recovery.

AGRICULTURE

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FROM FOOD BASKET TO BARREL BOTTOM:

Covid-19 Hits Nigeria's Agriculture Sector

By Christy Cole It is a downward spiral towards food insecurity as Covid-19 hikes unemployment, inflation and hurts access to food within Africa's most populous nation.

A local saying in Nigeria, 'No food for lazy man' ties agricultural productivity directly to the farmer's physical prowess. But with COVID-19 and the latest nationwide unrest, things are now out of farmers' hands. In fact, the coronavirus pandemic is snatching preferred natural food options out of the mouths of locals.

"Everything's upside down. It's like they won't let us live ... they won't let us die.'' Tade Craig, 23, laments, referring to a myriad of governance problems and natural disasters which cut across Nigeria right from her Yaba locality to the national level.

Nigeria was already struggling with the twin shocks of low oil prices and the pandemic which dragged its economy down by 6.10 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, effectively halting a celebrated three-year trend of low but positive real growth.

Tade's number one problem is her inability to access affordable raw food items from her regular farm foods vendor on Herbert Macaulay Street. "She used to be here every Sunday for the past three years. That's changed since Covid started." Tade said. The World Food Programme says the Covid-19 pandemic could throw an estimated 265 million people into deadly hunger by the end of the year 2020. Currently, Nigeria sits on the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation's list of countries requiring external assistance for food.

As Covid-19 realities question food security in Nigeria, farm produce vendors say projections of an impending food crisis are connected to an initial closure of Nigeria's interstate borders – a step taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus – as well as other agriculture sector-specific bottlenecks. "Moving produce across locations is a big problem. We used to pay about 400 thousand Naira to move from the East to the West.

Now, we have to pay 780 thousand naira, and then bribe police officers on the way. It's like smuggling food across the country while knowing the food is not contraband." says Henry Esigbe a local farm produce vendor.

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Emmanuel Ijewere, a farmer who runs Best Food Farms, attempts a logical explanation for why micro farm produce retailers may not be able to cater to market needs in certain communities. "It's true that the lockdown and the government saying some markets should not open on a few days may add to the problem ... Covid-19 has exacerbated the situation in terms of prices of food added to the bad roads."

Nigeria's Agricultural sector has for years also struggled with flooding, drought, insecurity occasioned by a long running farmer-herders' crises across the south and middle regions, and infrastructural challenges. In 2019 alone, Kebbi state rice farmers lost one billion Naira (£2m) to flooding according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

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As part of efforts to mitigate the impact of these realities, Nigeria's Monetary Policy Committee cut interest rates and the government launched initiatives to support the agriculture sector as part of an economic diversification agenda under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP. The plan strives to move Nigeria away from its over-dependence on oil. While none of the interventions has elevated Nigeria to self-sufficiency in agricultural production, one of them, the Anchors Borrowers program – which gave loans to small-scale farmers – did score significant gains in the rice sub-sector.

The Analysts Blue Vertex flagged up weak earnings from Nigeria's consumer foods and agro-allied companies. Notes by Chief Research Officer, Dare Fajimolu highlight demand and supply problems as well as investors' response to the sector as key factors which include inflation, higher value added tax, lower consumer buying power caused by jobs losses to the pandemic, and a worsening Fast Moving Consumer Goods sectoral index drop of about 20 per cent year to date.

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For economic analysts, there are no quick fixes to Nigeria's agriculture sector challenges. Sam Chidoka, CEO of Kairos Capital says: "In Nigeria between the farm gate and the market gate a lot of perishables are lost... the government has to pay a lot of attention to mechanisation, storage, input and output from the farms and provide access to funds."

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Last year when Covid was at its height PWC Nigeria projected scarce agricultural produce as from the third quarter of 2020 due to Covid-19 and a farming calendar disruption. It was therefore not surprising that Nigeria's agricultural sector declined in the second quarter, growing only 1.58 percent which is 0.21 per cent lesser than its growth in the previous year.

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Unequivocally, rising food prices is accompanied by its siblings rising inflation and pressure on consumer wallet. In its 130th communiqué, Nigeria's Monetary Policy Committee pointed out that the pandemic-induced lockdown and the partial closure of the nation's land borders significantly impacted inflation and consumer sentiment. Upward inflationary trend reached a 28-month high of 13.22 per cent last year, with the food composite index hitting 16 per cent (source: national bureau of statistics).

Beyond food, Nigeria's statistics bureau says the agriculture sector is its highest employer of labour creating 36.4 per cent of the jobs within the economy. A decline in growth therefore severely impacts Nigeria's already appalling unemployment figures which showed that more than half of the country was either unemployed or underemployed. Loss of jobs also spins the vicious circle of low purchasing power and lack of access to food.

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That's just the impact of flooding on rice farm produce in one state.

PARLIAMENT

Needs Assessment – Necessary Before Embarking on any Constituency Project While speaking on the restoration of the eight federal Constituency Oyo State, which INEC initially scrapped, Honorable Adayemi maintained that he and his other colleagues are only requesting that the judgement of the court of competent jurisdiction is obeyed. The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, had on March 8, 2013, ordered INEC to restore the eight constituencies in the state. The constituencies are Ibadan North III, Ibadan South-West III, Ibarapa Central, Irepo, Itesiwaju, Oyo East, Saki East, and Surulere.

According to Honorable Adeyemi, "we are only asking the INEC to obey this ruling."

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AGITATION FOR YORUBA NATION:

Hon Akeem Adeyemi Honourable Akeem Adeyemi, the member representing Oyo Federal Constituency & Chairman, House Committee on Communication in Nigeria's Federal House of Representatives, has said that his commitment towards reducing unemployment in his constituency has led him and his team to take a radical departure from the current style of empowerment and training.

The Honorable made this known in an exclusive interview with the African Leadership Magazine UK at his office in Abuja, Nigeria.

According to honourable Akeem, "my team and I realized that often when a needs assessment does not back a constituency project, it will end up not meeting the needs of the people." Continuing, Hon. Akeem maintained that "we have resolved to always conduct a needs assessment, before embarking on any constituency project."

Honourable Adeyemi has since embarked on series of programmes and outreaches for his constituents – training women and youths in fashion designing; Human Capacity Development in Elearning; Training of the youths on crowdsourcing, among others.

INSECURITY: Reacting to the rising spate of insecurity in the country, Honorable Adeyemi stated that the Buhari-led administration is committed to securing the country and making concerted efforts to achieve this feat. In his words, "Insecurity has become a global problem, and the president and his team are doing their best." He, however, acknowledged that more needs to be done.

"I believe that with the change of the heads of security agencies, we will begin to see some drastic change in the security architecture," he said.

RESTORATION OF THE 8 FEDERAL CONSTITUENCIES IN OYO STATE:

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Speaking on the agitation by some activists for the secession of the South-West to form the Yoruba Nation, Honorable Akeem maintained that the call was ill-timed and not supported by wellmeaning members of the Yoruba ethnic stock. In his word, "I am not only speaking as a member of the house of representative, but I am also speaking as Prince; I can tell you that this call for sucession is not endorsed by any leader of the Yoruba race; in Nigeria." He also added that this is only being championed by people who want to cause division in the polity and throw the country into needless rancour.

COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR FOR JOB CREATION Honourable Adeyemi, the Chairman of, House Committee on Communications, expressed confidence in the sector's capacity to help lift millions of Nigerians from poverty and create jobs for the youths. According to him, "investments in the sector grew from 38 billion dollars in 2015 to over 70 billion dollars. During the past five years, the NCC alone has remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the sum of N344.71 billion, an average of over N70 billion annually."

Continuing, he stated that "they generated these monies from Spectrum fees, operating surplus and spectrum option."

He also maintained that the sector under the leadership of the Honorable Minister would no doubt play a pivotal role in creating jobs and wealth for the teeming youths of the country.

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AMAZONS

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..the foremost voice for women in Africa and other developing nations.

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13 Theme: Pathways to Building Back Better for Women in Africa

WHERE: Blended (Accra - Ghana + Virtual).

TIME: 12:00PM – 3:00PM CAT. For inquiries call: +44 74 71 06 6570; info@amazonswatchmagazine.com To participate, visit: www.amazonswatchmagazine.com/events/apwc

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REPOSITIONING FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC OF OIL AND GAS BONNY

ON THE PATH OF RECOVERY The Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny came into existence by means of the pronouncement made by the then president Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR. It started when the Nigerian liquefied natural gas (NLNG) completed the construction work and they were about to do the first shipment.

However, the project needed to be commissioned for commencement of operation when youths of Bonny felt that they were disfranchised, and stopped the commissioning of the NLNG project.

President Olusegun Obasanjo had to cancel his oversee travel in order to settle the domestic trouble. He flew down to Bonny and was told that one of the reasons why Bonny people do not have their Kinsmen in the company was because they were not technically qualified, so in demand Obasanjo asked the king to show him a land to build a technical institute to train sons and daughters of Bonny Kingdom and Nigeria at large to key into the NLNG and other multinationals, it was then His Majesty King Dr. Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III CON, JP, Perekule XI, Amanyanabo and natural ruler of the grand Bonny Kingdom took him to Abalamabie to lay the foundation and it was named the National technical institute.

Former president Obasanjo now commissioned the PDTF to undertake the construction of the project and ordered Rivers State Government to be in possession of the Institution but as policy may go, the Rivers State Government did not quickly take over the project, so the construction of the institution span the period of the year 2000-2014. That is the period in my opinion I will term as the period of construction.

In 2014, through the effort of the present Governor of Rivers State Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike who was the then Minister for education, the king

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and his Council of Chiefs met with president Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja. Goodluck Jonathan graciously renamed the National Technical Institute to become the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny. He appointed Prof. Iyaba as the first Rector of the Federal polytechnic of Oil and Gas and Environmental studies, then appointed Mr. Wilibo Apelibiri as the Registrar, Gabriel Akpoyeama as Bursar and Mr. John W. Atata as the Librarian.

These men resumed duty in July 2014.

At the gestation period, the Rector and his management team employed 59 staff, but the polytechnic did not witness any further development. There were no students and no course was accredited, the litany of challenges had affected the school, grasses had a field day, and the school was in a near moribund state.

In 2017, the Federal Government appointed the first governing council chaired by Senator Orcha. Orcha council foresaw and supervised the appointment of the present Rector Prof. T.M Abbey in 2018.

Hence, on full assumption of office, Prof Tamunoimi Abbey hit the ground running by

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These faculties hosted the five department that was approved by MBTE in addition, Prof Abbey inaugurated the center for continuing education known as Part-Time program to take care of students who may not have the privilege to go through JAMB. The part-time program train people from certificate level up to HND level. Basically, the certificate level is meant for vocational candidates, those who attempted WAEC but may not have gone to secondary school. In addition to this, the school considered some management courses such as petroleum accounting, that will boost the interest of Bonny kingdom and Nigerians at large.

Presently, the school has over 2150 students that have been admitted. The students are well behaved and they can attest to the serene environment they enjoy.

In recent time, the Rector and the management team have put forth a great deal of effort and move along with several governmental agencies and attract projects to the school, the ICT project, Construction of the ongoing E-library, two lecture theatres and fabrication equipment. The fabrication workshop has been able to fabricate some state-of-the-art equipments, which are all TETFUND sponsored and managed by a fabrication expert. The school have also received some other equipment based on intervention for mechanical department, as well as furnitures that will help the library and also the lecture theatres.

Just recently, the Rector led a delegation of presidential visitation panel to the office of the Bonny local government chairman and the local government chairman ENGR. David Rogers

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The Director for entrepreneurship Development center is also not leaving any stone unturned in a bid to take the department to the next level. Today the meticulous Rector and his principled Management team have renovated some of the buildings especially the hostels. The wear and tear will cause the school lots of money to bring back the structures to a state everyone desires. As the school plans towards graduating the first batch of students The school has over toward the end of the year, it is our 2150 students that wish that the Governing council and have been admitted. staff will be able to work hand in The students are gloves with the management of the school to move it to an Enviable well behaved and height. It is also expected that they can attest to the stakeholders, multinationals, spirited serene environment individuals should come to the aid of they enjoy. the school.

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The divine entrance of the Rector and accreditation of courses happened miraculously and the battle was taken to JAMB and JAMB graciously approved the admission of the first set of students in July 2018 and commenced academic activities. It was Prof Abbey and the then council that fashioned out the accredited courses into schools and faculties. Presently the school can boast of Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business Studies and management Technology.

Irimagha unequivocally promised to assist the Rector in surmounting the challenge he may be facing in the school. The newly inaugurated governing council of the polytechnic was also on ground to have on the site assessment of the Polytechnic, and were impressed with what they saw on ground. They expressed their gratitude to the Rector for a job well-done.

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initiating measures aimed at returning the school on the path of growth and development.

Like a man racing against time where every second counts, the Rector and the Governing Council supervised the first accreditation exercise, in which MBTE approved those courses to be accredited.

EDUCATION

Intelligence Without Morals Is A Wrong Call Prof. Tamunoimi Michael Abbey

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All over the world, education has been identified as the bedrock of development. However, the defective education system in Nigeria has continued to clog the wheel of progress. From inadequate funding; to poor educational infrastructures, Nigeria's educational system has been plagued with myriads of problems. In addition to these inadequacies, Nigeria's school system has failed to equip students with the requisite capacity for entrepreneurship needed for life outside of paid employment.

However, the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas (FPOG) Bonny under the leadership of Professor Tamunoimi Michael Abbey is changing the face of educational pursuit, by blending education with technical skills and entrepreneurship. Prof. Abbey, a Professor in Applied Mathematics and Theoritical Physics is a firebrand administrator, whose out-of-the-box thinking is helping to reposition the institution for global acclaim.

In this exclusive interview with Adeka Nuka Bernard, Bureau Head South South / South East with African Leadership Magazine UK, Prof. Tamunoimi Michael Abbey the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas (FPOG) Bonny Nigeria talks about his efforts towards building a world-class institution in Nigeria, challenges, as well as opportunities for partnerships. Excerpts: J U LY - A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

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In 1991 I started my carrier at the university of Port Harcourt, by 1194 I had my PhD and in 2009 I became a Professor. I have served as Head of Department HOD twice, Director Institute of Science and Laboratory, Director School of Science and Technology, served in several Senate Committees etc. I'm currently the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas (FPOG) Bonny, Nigeria.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your foray into the academic world?

I am Professor Tamunoimi Michael Abbey, born in 1963, had my primary school education in bonny and later proceeded to Saint Michael state school bonny where I had my first school leaving certificate in 1979. I got admitted to the University of Science and Technology UST in 1980 and studied Applied physics. I graduated with a first class and join as a corp's member with the National youth services corps NYSC in 1984-1985. I would later proceed to have my MSc in semi-conductor physics and electronics.

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You may find a lot more in my official updated Bio.

I rectorship was by sheer Providence. I never thought I was going to serve as such. I had stepped into the chill premises by accident while taking a walk around on one of my holiday visits to Bonny. Interestingly, I'm from here, I'm a Bonny man, so I had come home to spend a few days relaxing. I walked into the premises of the school and saw it in sheer mess, complete degradation. It culminates at a time

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The polytechnic was established in 2000 when President Olusegun Obasanjo came to commission NLNG. Some youths protested the lack of a technical institution like that within the Bonny area to help booster manpower in the oil and gas industry, and to further strengthen education within its coastal region. President Obasanjo obliged and commissioned the PTDF to immediately start construction of the school. It was Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that renamed the school the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas (FPOG) Bonny.

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What informed the establishment of the Polytechnic and how did you assume it's Rectorship?

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We have also discouraged and ended nonchalance to duty. Laziness to work is not tolerated. That way man hour is saved and we get the best out of the services rendered per time.

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when there was an advert for the Leadership of the school.

Although I hesitated a little bit but after some pressure form well-meaning friends and colleagues and after giving it a prayerful consideration with my wife I applied for the job, an interview was set up along with other interested candidates and after the interview, it turned out that I was selected to be the next Rector of the institution.

wrong call. Management sat down and agreed that we must lead from the front in showing the students how to imbibe food morals and habits. It is said that you can't give what you don't have, so members of staff that it on themselves dutifully to dress modestly and appropriately, to show good morals and values, to deepen integrity and be courteous.

I had promised the screening panel that I was going to covert the grasses that had grown within the polytechnic campus into students and this I have strived to achieve as the facts shows.

At FPOG for example, staff don't dress immodestly or sharbishly, staff endeavour to speak the truth at all times.

When we do, it has a trickle down effect on the student.

As a rector, if I don't have integrity or if I tell lies, what then would I be teaching my management team or the student? So you see? I must lead from the front. I thank the fantastic team of supportive management staff that I have, they've made the job easier as they have all embraced this comon course and we are wasking stronger unitedly.

How have you been able to populate the polytechnic with students and NOT grasses?

In many ways I have endeavoured to get the school up and running and populated too. First, I started by running to friends and raised monies to at least keep the premises clean and raise its ambience. Secondly, I engaged JAMB and got the opportunity to have the school enlisted for admission opportunities. It is instructive to note that in July 2018, the first students came in through the doors into the school. At present, the polytechnic can pride itself of well over 2,000 students.

We also had to start up a part-time program to accommodate the working class in the Oil and Gas industry.

As in other institutions of learning, admissions here is given with five credits in maths, physics, etc since it's from JAMB. The FPOG under my leadership also floated the 'school of continuous education' to take care of people without JAMB credits but who have written WAEC. The school assists to pay their fees.

As the Rector, I also took the initiative to speak to house chiefs without Bonny to sponsor members of their houses and to the Local Government Chairman to give scholarships.

Many analysts have described the near absence of quality research and research-to-market development as the bane of the country's tertiary institution. How has FPOG faired in the area of research and development?

In my leadership we have set up a unit called research and development headed by Dr. Ogolo. We've organized and encouraged staff to come up with technical papers and the likes. And honestly, the result has been amazing. We have been able to come up with innovations through these researches. For example, our fabrication unit has been able to fabricate a mixer. We can indeed do more and I am not resting on my odds. I am also using this medium to invite the oil and gas companies to come up and set up research centers and units within the polytechnic.

Nigeria has been facing dwindling morals which use to be the country's forte. How is FPOG helping to shape "the man's" character aside just learning?

Inadequate funding has been described as one of the significant challenges to quality education in Nigeria.

How's has the FPOG under your leadership managed to work with limited resources to deliver standard Infrastructure and immersive learning experience for student? How did you achieve this feat?

We've done a lot and we are still doing much more.

With the small resources we get, we ensure that we put the monies where the work truly is. We have also blocked a number of loopholes that served as "conduit pipes" for the mismanagement of funds. For example, we ended the "work from home allowances" where workers are paid for working from their homes. We have also discouraged and ended nonchalance to duty. Laziness to work is not tolerated. That way man hour is saved and we get the best out of the services rendered per time. We have encouraged staff to pour out their hearts into the work.

Before now, some displayed laziness to work while a few others absconded into NLNG sites and other places and still wants to get paid salaries as staff of FPOG. We stopped such payments as we considered them to be unjust and unworthy payments. We blocked the payment of salaries to these ones. We are doing a lot to redirect these funds to the real purpose for which they were realeased.

We've organized and encouraged staff to come up with technical papers and the likes. And honestly, the result has been amazing. We have been able to come up with innovations through these researches.

At FPOG we believe that intelligence without morals is a

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As you strive to sanitize FPOG and put it on the map to take its pride of place, do you face a "fight back" from aggrieved persons?

Perhaps those who aren't in sync with your vision and who's doorsteps the fight to save the school from collapse and degredation has brought you?

YES I do, Yes I face enormous amount of "fight back" from some of these persons who would rather be comfortable with syphoning public funds or short-changing the system. It does happen. Even the management staff as a whole can attest to the amount of pressure we face and campaign to the calumny of these disgruntled elements. But that hasn't deterred us. What we have done is theit for all to see and is backed up by the books.

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You have been described by many ways as a dogged leader who strives to achieve monumental feat, what inspires you to pursue and accomplish these difficult tasks in your institution?

Well, first of all as a Christian, I believe in God. I believe that all that I must do I should do as to the Lord and NOT to man.

So, in all honesty I do the things I do to please God and not to please man.

Secondly, I am from Bonny, so I consider it a service to my own people, a way in which I can pay back or give back to the environment that has put me forth.

But most importantly, all that I do I do to please our heavenly father Jehovah God. What would you like to be remembered for upon completion of your tour of the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas (FPOG) Bonny?

I want the Federal Government to look back and say 'YES' the vision of the founding fathers of this polytechnic stood because of me in reference to my reign. I want the Government to look back and remember the enormous work we have done and institutionalise a standard so that anything less would not be acceptable from any subsequent administration.

May they say, "I Prof. T.M. Abbey was here and he gave his all's to service, to humanity"

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A Kenyan Perspective: Online Schooling During The Covid Pandemic

By Frenny Jowi

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“Hello, this is Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, how can I help?”

to search the website: Kenya Education Cloud https://kec.ac.ke/

Parent replies, “I am a parent and I am confused about the new curriculum and the type of books I need to buy for my child”

Adult digital literacy rates are not yet documented in Kenya. There is an assumption that inability to access digital learning platforms will perpetuate inequality in education.

“We have the Orange Book, it has a list of all the approved books” The agent responds.

“I don't know about the orange Book, I need text books for my child. The child keeps demanding these digital text books, where can I get them? ” The parent asks.

“In that case, let me transfer your call to the bookshop where Judy will be able to help you” The agent then transfers the call to the bookshop and in a few seconds she is able to continue with her queries.

A look at the Kenya Education Cloud website's performance on StatShow as of January 2021 indicates website, which is the source of government approved online learning content has had a -63% visits decline over the last 3 months. It reaches roughly 1,950 users and delivers about 4,350 pageviews each month. Its estimated monthly revenue is $12.60.

Parental engagement in online learning “I want to buy books for my child in grade 4. I need to know curriculum which books to buy for the new curriculum but the child keeps Online learning has presented unprecedented demanding these digital or online books, I am not sure how to get levels of parental inclusion and engagement in them. Do you also sell such books? ” The parent inquires. education. In the case where a household has access The bookshop agent responds “For text books, just go to to the internet and the necessary gadgets for online TextBook Centre and for the digital content, go to Kenya Education learning, it is necessary that parents' guide the Cloud” children to ensure their safety online.

To find out how easily accessible digital learning platforms are, When parents have digital literacy, it will be I posed as a semi- literate parent seeking digital and online possible for their children to access quality and learning tools for my child. As the conversation goes, I was advised relevant educational content while the children are

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away from the care of teachers and the school system.

how it is used.

Kenya's ministry of ICT has rolled out the DigiSchool platform that promotes digital learning for both children and teachers. ICT authority of Kenya claims 99. 5 percent successful installation of the Digital Literacy Program in all the 47 counties.

Education Technology

Despite this claim, government approved digital learning content on the Kenya Education Cloud seem to have insignificant access to parents and learners per month during the COVID school closures.

There seem to be no clear strategy for tagging along parents in digital literacy. Parents are a key partners since they are the ones who can monitor home schooling or distance learning through digital platforms. Digitally illiterate parents will take away from the efforts of the government and teachers while exposing the children to numerous dangers online such

According to sources from the World Bank Education Technology program , COVID-19 has created the worst crisis to education and learning in a century.

At the peak of school closures in April 2020, 94 percent of students– or 1.6 billion children – were out of school worldwide, and, still, around 700 million students today are studying from home, in a context of huge uncertainty and with families and schools having to navigate across options of hybrid and remote learning, or no schooling at all. In most countries, there is no end in sight to this uncertainty. Early evidence from several high-income countries has already revealed learning losses and increases in inequality.

Education technology (EdTech) can be a powerful tool in supporting teachers, children, principals, and parents; expanding accessible digital learning platforms, including radio/TV/Online learning resources.

In the past the focus has been on building classrooms, buying books, expanding libraries and building more schools in general. Currently, local media reports say the ministry of education has spent about 2. 6 billion Kenya shillings on re- opening schools. The budget has significant spending on repairing classrooms and buying news desks.

as cyber bullying and age inappropriate content among other distractions to ELearning Alex Twinomugisha, World Bank Senior Education Specialist says, “The pandemic has revealed the crucial role that parents and caregivers play in children's learning and the importance of the home learning environment in complementing learning at school. In addition, the home is the primary, and in most cases sole, learning space during the pandemic, parents and other caregivers have had to take on additional responsibility for children's learning. Many parents internalize that they have a critical role in the education process of their children, and they have the skills, including digital skills, to play that role. But, this is not true for all. While parents are not there to replace teachers, they do have an essential role in creating a favorable space for children to learn.”

If online learning during the pandemic is to work, then, parents need a clear understanding on how the internet works and how it can benefit or harm their children depending on J U LY - A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

Reports from across the country have witnessed schools unrest and high levels of student indiscipline. Could this point out to underlying issues that might have affected children during the 9 month school closures? Some children have shown behavior that points out to deep psychological and emotional issues. Could it be that the lockdown months have affected children in ways the school system as it used to be can no longer handle?

Schools unrests have been witnessed even before the pandemic, but could this new wave inspire a rethink of teacher- student relations in schools?

Even as schools have re- opened in Kenya, the pandemic has not fully subsided as other parts of the world are experiencing the spread of the new variant and stricter lockdowns.

Education investors and thinking otherwise. Brick and mortar classrooms seem to lose their former appeal

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as schooling adapts to the ongoing or subsiding pandemic.

The new education technology prompted by the pandemic is presenting an opportunity to give more learners access to quality education at a possible lower cost.

“The global pandemic has exposed the urgent need to build dynamic and resilient education systems that expand access to learning inside and out of the classroom. We believe that learning in the future will use technology to enable students to learn anywhere and anytime, to enable teachers to deliver individualized instruction, to assess children continuously, to deliver practical blended teachers' training at scale, and to improve management of the education system. Therefore, the use of e-learning and other Education Techology approaches will be an important part of the education system and is and will continue to be a part of the World Bank's support to countries.”

World Bank Senior Education Specialist, Alex Twinomugisha explains.

The World Bank in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), are supporting the expansion of existing remote learning.

Specifically, the operations support access and delivery of online content such as the Kenya Education.

Digital divide could hamper online learning Effective digital learning can only be made possible with basic infrastructure such as electricity connection, stable internet, gadgets such as laptops/ desktops, smartphones or tablets available. This implies that rural and poor urban families with limited access to these infrastructure will be left behind in learning. 25 % of Kenyans still do not have access to electricity.

ICT infrastructure was identified as a priority action area for creating sustainable development. In 2003, Kenya government prioritized efforts towards bridging of the digital divide between Africa and the developed world. One of the six high priority areas identified was the e-school initiative. Its main aim was to integrate ICT in the delivery of education curriculum at secondary and primary school levels.

Microsoft Founder Bill Gates has warned of a worse pandemic yet to hit.

If his prediction is anything to go by, then how resilient is the education system that is currently being re-opened.

The Future of Education Governments and education investors therefore need to put into account how rural schools and those in less privileged urban areas could be incorporated in online learning.

Could the internet help decongest schools and make fewer teachers serve more learners?

Education technology could give cheaper, wider and easier access to schooling The Kenya Institute of Curriculum development currently run the Education Cloud service. This is a great step towards acquiring online learning tools. But the question of access remains a daunting responsibility.

There needs to be data on the number of teachers, parents and children with the gadgets and budget to access this content.

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There has been growing concern over the sidelining of women in Africa's oil and gas sector, and still much to be done to bridge the gap that persists in the sector. It is therefore very important that the few women who are in the sector be very intentional about their growth. In the words of Ms. Yaa AmoakuAdu, women's presence needs to be felt. Yaa Amoako-Adu is the CEO of Integrity Logistics and Consult Limited, a logistics, manpower and calibration company in Ghana. She is also the local partner of Apave Ghana Inspection, a Joint Venture (JV) Company in the Oil and Gas industry and have over 59 subsidiaries around the world.

In this interview with the African Leadership Magazine, Ms. Adu shares details of her growth in the sector.

OUR PRESENCE AS FEMALES NEEDS TO BE FELT IN THE UPSTREAM SECTOR Yaa Amoaku – Adu J U LY - A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

Kindly share a little about your rich entrepreneurial background with us and what inspired your venture into the logistics industry, especially towards building a chain of command in the Oil and Gas industry, with your company, in Ghana?

My journey started officially in 2008. I served as the admin assistant to a Britishbased company and later to my Joint venture partner APAVE. In 2015, I established my own company to serve the oil and gas industry with my expertise. Just like any new company,

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Successfully, you have steered the wheels of your organisation towards global representation and recognition. What business models and operations do you adopt to achieve excellence attached to your company's services?

My company understands the terrain of the industry, and we deliver. Just like a baby cries, because they can't express their needs, we understand and recognise the cries(needs) of the industry players, and we deliver.

As an emerging force, the partnership with Apave Ghana Inspection has proven helpful in propelling the growth and development of Integrity Logistics to a standard conglomerate in the Energy industry. Kindly explain the importance of this partnership in light of the global reach it provides and what it promises going forward for the development of the Ghanaian oil and gas industry?

We all know how this sector is capital intensive /resources.

The partnership has really helped in acquiring state of the art equipment, technology transfer which the local company can't acquire single handily. Also, I'm here today as one of the leading women in oil and gas, based on the joint venture, which will go a long way to trigger other young females to use the necessary resources around them.

You have excelled as an entrepreneur and a leader in the energy sector, thereby becoming a beacon that other female entrepreneurs can emulate; what has been your motivation in entrepreneurship and how best can you describe your experience in leadership?

Kindly explain the strategic measures you are putting in place to realise the vision of your venture and how these steps drive the level of excellence you offer?

The strategic measures I put in place to be where I am today are 1—wanting to provide value, 2. networking,3—learning from the successful, 4. learning from my failures and others and lastly, not being afraid to ask for help.

Thriving as a young person in leadership and entrepreneurship, what would be your advice to the teeming youth population of Africa, adjudged to be growing daily, especially the female populace?

I will want to encourage the youth and" start-ups" in this industry to make use of every opportunity that comes their way positively. And they should not limit themselves to think that the upstream sector is a maledominated area but rather an equal playing field where there are lots of opportunities to be explored. Nothing comes easy, so be open to advise and ask more questions. With these, I am optimistic that we will have more females in the industry in a few years to come Since the 21st-century-literate person is not the one who has been to school but the one who is ready to unlearn, learn, and learn and relearn.

I recognised that our presence as females need to be felt in the upstream sector as this sector has not been explored fully by females.

I recognised that our presence as females need to be felt in the upstream sector as this sector has not been explored thoroughly by females. Females are firm but tender and are multitasking, and can adequately function in many areas in the Oil and Gas Sector. I am happy that in Ghana, our commission in the upstream sector has adequately supported indigenous

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What is making my firm stand out is its readiness and preparedness to accomplish the thought or dreams of my contractors. The oil and gas sector, as we all know, is critical and crucial and will need a prepared team to handle information and processes to materialised as pressure drives success.

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What makes your company stand out from other logisticsbased firms/companies within the African terrain by way of innovation and exceptional qualities?

companies and encouraged women to venture, including organising seminars to help bridge the gap. In affirmative actions, policymakers should help increase the access that can help more females venture into better roles in steering this sector. And today, I know women are irreplaceable for what I have been able to do for myself.

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Pan -African Business Connections

By Nwandi Lawson older women's hair. “What I didn't realize I was learning at the time, because I started at 10 and I was a fullfledged hair braider at 11-and-a-half, was the mentoring I was receiving just by listening, you know, to their stories, to their life, to their journey, to their advice,” Kinchen recalls of her early clients. “Really, that was my first experience as an entrepreneur and after that, I knew I wanted to own my own business one day.”

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Much of the discussion about Africa's relationship with international business partners focuses on European governments, companies and entrepreneurs. Yet there are other African international business relationships that may be overlooked because the scale of these transactions is smaller. African entrepreneurs and their African American counterparts have a history of doing business between the U.S. and Africa that is present in many sectors, including textile and design, technology, and food processing. The stories of three independent business owners help to bring this legacy into focus. *** Ayodele Kinchen says she began conceiving of herself as an African businesswoman when she started earning money to buy her own clothes by braiding

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As a young girl, she did not realize that she was sowing seeds for a brand that would become Oakland, California-based Duafe Designs. Little did she know that her family's commitment to honoring its African ancestry would enable her to bring together African American and Ghanaian artists and entrepreneurs who would maintain transatlantic ties through a global pandemic. It all started in a place that is known locally as Nairobi Village. Wedged between two more affluent areas south of San Francisco, the tiny hamlet of East Palo Alto (EPA), California has traditionally been home to Blacks who came from southern states at the end of World War II. These migrants were drawn by low housing costs and the absence of restrictive covenants, which prevented Blacks from residing in certain areas. Although EPA is over 15,000 kilometers from Kenya, residents made an unsuccessful effort in 1968 to incorporate and legally rename the town Nairobi. Nevertheless, when Ayodele was growing up in the 1980s, the older folks still called it Nairobi Village, and they remained focused on making sure that Black children were taught African American and African history along with dance, culture and languages like Swahili and Yoruba.

After studying business at Howard University, Kinchen first worked for companies and non-profits before combining her entrepreneurial spirit and her Afrocentric background in 2004 to start a business that produced handbags made from African fabrics and later found its niche producing a uniquely African women's adornment, waistbeads. For centuries, waistbeads have been worn throughout Africa to signify the transition to womanhood, fertility, and honor for mothers.

When excavation for a construction project in Manhattan in 1991 unearthed the graves of African people buried there during American enslavement in the 17th and 18th centuries, anthropologists discovered that the people were often buried with tokens of their African heritage, including waistbeads. “A lot of beads would literally outlive the human. And so we find them as fossils and artifacts.” Kinchen adds. “The people are gone, but their beads still remain.”

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In The History of Black Business in America, historian Juliet E.K. Walker points out that certain historic prejudices have reduced opportunities for more prolific business relations between African nations and Black Americans. “In West Africa,” she notes, “some black American businesspeople often found that decolonized nations were more comfortable dealing with their former colonial masters in business than with Americans, white or black.”

From her Northern California studio, Kinchen says the demand for waistbeads continues to far surpass what she and a team of artisans can produce, especially since many women request unique colors and patterns.

At a time when the #metoo movement is drawing attention to the need to respect women's bodies, Kinchen says waistbeads can serve as a symbol of this honor. “I use those elements to educate women in this day and time, especially in this social arena where a woman's body is often times picked apart or on display or disrespected.”

Two months before the pandemic closed area businesses, Kinchen opened a new showroom in downtown Oakland. She looks forward to hosting a grand opening this summer. *** Even during a global pandemic, Americans are receiving invitations to online conferences that promote opportunities to do business in Africa across the import-export, energy, agriculture or technology sectors.

However, businesses on both sides of the Atlantic report that inconsistent policies have led to a decline in trade between the U.S. and Africa.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the volume of U.S. exports to Africa dropped from $38 billion in 2014 to $22 billion in 2020.

The adoption in the U.S. of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2000 was hailed by its supporters as an opportunity to open more avenues for trade with sub-Saharan African nations, especially by permitting duty-free import of textiles and other designated goods. By 2007, the volume of U.S. imports from Africa had reached an historic high point valued at over $113 billion. In the years since, however, this trade value has declined to about $23 billion.

One challenge for participating AGOA nations is that U.S. presidents have the discretion to determine each year which African countries may take part, and this can be subject to the political climate in the U.S. as well as perceptions about peace, corruption, and governance in Africa. There is no mechanism to allow an African nation to request that its status be

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A 2019 family trip to Ghana turned into an opportunity for Kinchen to link up with West African business partners. When she asked a businessman to introduce her to local women who make waistbeads, she also gained a broker partner who aids her to import beads, artwork, and fashion from Ghana. And when a global pandemic took hold in 2020, this source remained stable. “Although the borders were closed for a while, business had shut down, there was still the ability to send items via U.S. mail. So if you did not have a connection to export your stuff out of the country, you weren't getting much business because there was no tourism [in Ghana].”

reinstated. In recent years, Guinea, Madagascar, Niger, Cameroon, and Burundi have lost AGOA status, though eligibility has been restored in Guinea and Niger.

Motivated in part by these conditions, Eric Kaigama is working to facilitate collaboration among tech professionals in the U.S., Suriname, Brazil, and the nations of Africa. “We are a pan-African organization,” Kaigama says of theAfrica Chamber of Digital Commerce(ACofDC) which he founded two years ago. “There are a lot of things that connect us. It's more than the DNA. Unfortunately, in most of the countries that Africans settled in, they were brought in forcefully. They do not participate in the local economy.

So there's a financial exclusion and also the access to capital is not there.”

The organization is currently working to address unemployment in its focus nations by establishing training programs for African and South American workers who can be employed remotely by companies in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

Kaigama says in as little as three months a low-skill worker can qualify to provide remote, no code technology services to overseas companies. The organization also provides microventure No Strings Attached (NSA) financing for tech start ups in rural areas.

In the days before a guilty verdict was brought against police officer Derick

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Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, Kaigama was also reflecting on the path that led him from Nigeria to Minneapolis where he has launched several companies and the ACofDC. After participating in a basketball tournament in Spain, he earned an athletic scholarship to Bethany Lutheran College, as small school in Minnesota. The offers to larger schools, he says, went to bigger players.

“If you're 6'10”, 6'11”, the coaches don't really care, they just want to polish the kid up and get him over there,” Kaigama says. “But if you're roughly 6-feet, like myself, you have to really prove yourself to get their attention.”

About 40,000 African students are studying in the U.S. with the largest share coming from Nigeria. According to Lapido Lawani, “Pretty much in Nigeria, the expectation is that if you can afford it, you will typically try to go to school abroad. My mom had already wanted us, you know, to go abroad” When the founder and CEO of L & L Foods came to the U.S. at age 16 to study at Knox College in Tennessee, he brought with him dreams from his childhood in Nigeria. Lawani says he was a boy when he began considering how his homeland could improve with better infrastructure and access to technology. He read about American business magnates like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie and imagined that he could also become a large-scale industrialist.

By his second year in college, Lawani had started a non-profit to mentor young entrepreneurs. He was able to coach 2,000 young people through the program, but he acknowledges that he still had a lot to learn. Between 2006 and 2015, he tried his hand at many businesses from selling antiques to importing jeans. Finally, he says, he had to think systematically about what he was doing wrong.

“I had a light bulb moment,” he remembers. “The Nigerian market is fragmented. We produce cocoa, sell it overseas, and then buy back a chocolate bar.”

While earning his MBA at Columbia University, Lawani realized that if he wanted to contribute to the future of Nigeria, he could not compete in some of the more mature sectors, like petroleum. He identified a challenge he wanted to tackle: How could Nigeria add value to raw materials instead of shipping them abroad for processing? He conducted a simple experiment in his mother's kitchen with roasting peanuts and adding a candy coating. Within hours, the first batches were sold out. He realized that his next challenge would be scale.

to raise a few million dollars to build infrastructure in Africa, it's a more complicated conversation.”

Instead Lawani collected about $4,000 from friends and family to launch L & L Foods while he was still a graduate student. His startup took the top spot at the Columbia Business School Shark Tank competition in 2016, and the following year the company won the Nigerian Economic Summit startup competition, enabling him to raise an additional $60,000 in capital to open a factory in Lagos.

Currently, the company is selling about 1.5 million packs of Mr. Ekpa brand flavored peanuts each month through a network of Nigerian distributors, and Lawani was among the 2018 Forbes Africa “30 under 30”. Still he acknowledges that the company has a lot of room to grow and he is counting on the critical thinking skills he strengthened while a student in the U.S. to help L & L Foods continue to expand.

The Nigerian market is fragmented.

We produce cocoa, sell it overseas, and then buy back a chocolate bar

“If I was in the U.S., I would probably not even do my own manufacturing,” he says. “I would have a contract manufacturer, but because there is no contract manufacturer, I then have to figure out how to build the capacity myself. However, when you say you want

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OPINION

WHY THE WORLD SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THE

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The blackouts that gripped Texas for several days in February, as temperatures dipped to record lows, were stunning for a state that prides itself on its abundant and diverse supplies of energy. Texas is the United States' largest natural gas producer, largest wind energy producer and largest oil producer. It is also the nation's largest energy exporter.

Texas residents were angry at political leaders for the energy system's failure. Similarly, political leaders in Africa are well aware that their success is pinned to providing their constituents with safe and reliable access to energy. They might be asking themselves how an energy abundant, rich state that likes to invest in infrastructure can suffer a significant energy crisis.

For energy policy makers across the continent, it is important to take note about what happened in Texas and for it to feed in their own planning for power grid reliability and resilience to adverse events.

What the Texas blackout means for Africa First and foremost, access to reliable electricity is a key ingredient for modernity and economic prosperity. When power systems failed, it threatened water treatment, food preservation, human life from exposure to the cold, and all economic activity that needed power to take place.

The blackouts cost the state economy upward of $130

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billion in damages and losses, and some people who did have power saw their bills spike by thousands of dollars.

But to put that figure in context, the shock and limitations of the multi-day outage in Texas is a reality that millions of Africans have unfortunately learned to live with routinely. Studies have shown that just 40% of the continent has access to reliable electricity.

Evidently it wasn't just one thing that went wrong in Texas. The failure was systemic and multifaceted. However, what the experience drove home is that the traditional system is no longer fit to serve our needs on a global scale.

Preparing for an increasingly erratic climate Planners and policy makers must incorporate climate science into their designs so that we aren't building our systems for yesterday's weather.

As extreme weather events become more frequent and common, states that fail to invest in maintaining infrastructure and rely heavily on a widespread system with fragile breakpoints, will find themselves powerless when the storm comes. Africa in particular is at great risk of declining crop yields and will struggle to produce sufficient food for domestic consumption due to the increase in temperatures and sporadic weather patterns. With 2020 being the year for record breaking hate waves across the world, preparing for more erratic and severe weather is now a necessity.

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Texas failed to integrate the reality of climate change into its planning. As a state with significant populations in a semi-arid climate, Texas prepares the grid for the hot afternoons of the summer. But today the state experiences arctic fronts more often than Texans care to admit. Wind turbines iced over, solar panels were covered in snow, and more critically, the fleet of thermal plants that use nuclear, coal and natural gas fuels came off-line as equipment and fuel supplies froze.

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For developing countries, the risk of failing to prepare for these events are far higher, as the lower per capita incomes of their constituents mean that even minor disruptions to supply have the potential to cause major humanitarian issues. In Africa, for example, many of the Covid-19 vaccines require reliable refrigeration to retain efficacy but shockingly 25 per cent of health care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have no electricity and nearly threequarters have unreliable power. This shouldn't be acceptable in the 21st century.

Resilience through distributed renewable energy Instead of building the same old style of large power plants far away from customers with transmission lines that can fail, communities around the world should adopt Texas' attitudes but at a smaller level: self-reliant, interconnected microgrids that include distributed renewable generation, on-site storage, and other technologies that can simultaneously mitigate energy poverty while improving energy security for the bulk grid.

Centralized, fossil-fuel-powered grids are unable to meet Africa's electricity needs. They are too expensive to build and are hugely unreliable. Businesses in African nations that rely on centralized grid systems experience an average of 9 outages a month, representing nearly 10 percent of total downtime. Not surprisingly, this downtime leads to an estimated 8 percent in business revenue losses.

resilient systems to mitigate the damage already done.

An added bonus is that regions like Africa also benefit from the socio-economic gains too. As Africa emerges from the Covid-19 crisis, tackling both access to electricity and access to jobs, a survey from Power for All shows that decentralized renewable energy, which includes rooftop solar and mini-grids, is already an important part of the solution.

In Nigeria specifically, according to the survey, the DRE sector accounted for 13,000 direct formal and informal jobs in 2017-18, already 30% more than the country's electricity, gas and steam sector, and that number was expected to increase to 76,000 in 2022-23. Jobs being created within the decentralized renewable energy industry are also quality jobs: the majority are middle-income, full-time and long-term.

Women and youth are also well represented in Nigeria, where women were 52% of the direct employees and nearly half of informal workers, much higher than the fossil fuel industry.

Ultimately the Texas energy crisis was avoidable and solvable, and this same logic can be applied to Africa. As we upgrade old systems, politicians who invest in distributed renewable energy systems will be rewarded with new economic opportunities and improved climate outcomes.

Systems will be more efficient, cleaner and resilient – making distributed renewable energy an investment that keeps giving.

ASHVIN DAYAL is the Senior Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation's global power and climate initiative, focused on scaling up renewable energy access to drive green and inclusive local development. He oversees a diverse range of investments in the distributed renewable energy space, including energy project investments, along with grants for data and technology innovation, policy, research and advocacy – all aimed at dramatically accelerating access to reliable, productive use electricity in under-served markets.

MICHAEL E. WEBBER is the Josey Centennial Professor of Energy Resources at the University of Texas in Austin and chief science and technology officer at ENGIE, a global energy company headquartered in Paris. His documentary television series, Power Trip: The Story of Energy, is available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and local PBS stations.

To compensate for this, many businesses (and some households) use fossil-fuel powered generators (typically diesel, petrol, or kerosene).

Consequently, there are approximately 9.2 million backup gensets in Africa, with an installed capacity equivalent to 100-150 large coal power plants. Users of these gensets spend US$13 billion per year on fuel alone, representing 20 percent of Africa's total fuel consumption.

It is therefore imperative that the world continues to invest in distributed renewable energy systems and in doing so, we can ensure that the development of sustainable energy is not only about cleaner resources to avert more extreme weather, but also about building more

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AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

OPINION

Africa’s & Chinese Engagements

By Khadija Yusra Sanusi

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Kwame Nkrumah's ‘Africa Must Unite' idea was introduced to the world in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1963. In his speech, he called for an establishment of a committee of Foreign Ministers, officials and experts to inaugurate two commissions. The first, he envisions, will frame a constitution of a Union Government of African States, and a second to develop a continent-wide plan for a unified or common economic and industrial program for Africa.

The latter, he explains, should “include proposals for setting up a common market for Africa; an African currency; an African monetary zone; an African central bank; and a continental communication system.

He requested for another commission to detail a common foreign policy and diplomacy, another to plan for a common system of defence and the last to propose for a common African citizenship. Through these commissions, he hoped African countries would put aside their differences and unite as one.

If Africa's Unity was beneficial during the time Nkrumah gave his speech, it is absolutely necessary today; if not for anything, for the presence of China in Africa. According to Financial Times, in 2019, 12 percent ($500bn) of African industrial output was handled

by Chinese businesses and 10,000 Chinese companies were operating in Africa, including 920 in Nigeria and 861 in Zambia. In 2017, China was responsible for 9 percent of the manufacturing contribution to Nigerian gross domestic product.

According to research conducted by Azer Binnatli of Vytautas

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Magnus University's faculty of Political Sciences and Diplomacy in Lithuania, there are many disadvantages to China in Africa. He argues that there have been several complaints that China has “economically occupied” African countries through the exploitation of the labor force and disrespecting local workers.

According to him, Chinese corporations reportedly enable multiple violations of the rights of African workers, refuse to comply with environmental laws and also actively participate in corruption schemes.

Binnatli cites Cornelissen, Cheru and Shaw, agreeing that Chinese corporations in Africa are concerned with increasing profits – even if that means collaborating with authoritarian regimes and accepting dictatorship and violations of human rights.

In addition, Binnatli echoes Ademʼ Adem's argument that local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can't compete with Chinese imports because of the latter's cheap prices. There have been countless creations of Chinese-owned factories and workplaces across the continent over the last decade. He argues that approximately one million Chinese people have moved to Africa to take over the lion's share of the newly created job positions. Because of this, experts

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have estimated the loss of 75,000 African jobs as a result of “Chinese penetration”.

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Binnatli also highlights ‘Pigato and Tangs standpoint on Chinese exploitation of African labour and resources, even going as far as to liken it with neocolonialism. He writes: “China takes raw materials from Africa and sells what it produces on their basis elsewhere, without sharing the know-how and technology.” When it comes to labour, Ethiopian labor is much cheaper than Chinese; because of this, Chinese firms hire Ethiopian workers for lower positions, pay them much less than they would pay a Chinese worker and treat them with disrespect. The African labourers, children included, work very hard in exchange of small salaries. Therefore, it can be said that Chinese companies in Africa are profiting off the exploitation of child labor. This is a belief shared byʼCNN, as well as Peter Hitchens in his article “How China has created a new slave empire in Africa”.

In analysing the Chinese presence in Africa, Wade Shepard, travel writer, documentary filmmaker and reporter asked: What does China get out of this? The answer seems quite obvious for him: “China needs what Africa has for long-term economic and political stability.” He reports that over one-third of China's oil and 20 percent of its cotton come from Africa. According to him, Africa has approximately half of the world's supply of manganese (which is a key ingredient in steel production), as well as half of the world's supply of carbonatites and a huge supply of coltan, which is necessary for the production of electronics. Democratic Republic of Congo alone produces half of the planet's cobalt.

Chinese engagement in Africa is, above everything else, exploitative. But the disunity of African countries and the division of the continent (from barrier to entry to xenophobia) enables countries like China to take advantage of the continent. The “divide and conquer” rule has proven to be effective in Africa time and time again, and the only way to prepare and to protect the continent from such domination is by doing the exact opposite – uniting.

Nkrumah's idea will not only bring an end to neocolonization but will also end other problems faced by many African countries such as terrorism, xenophobia, unemployment and abject poverty. A strong political union will strengthen our relationships with other countries and

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protect individual countries from neocolonization; a common citizenship will reduce and bring an eventual end to xenophobia; an African currency, monetary zone and central bank will strengthen the value of our currency and stabilize it; a common defence system will bring an end to terrorism across the continent.

In 1963, Nkrumah was speaking to 32 independent African states. Today, there are 54 independent countries representing the continent, which will make his vision much harder to implement. This is where Regional Economic Communities (RECs) come into play. We have seven RECs across the continent: Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), and South African Development Community (SADC). Africa has a much greater chance of uniting as a continent, if each individual REC is able to unite as a region, strengthening their neighbouring countries and understanding that they are only as strong as their weakest point.

This, of course, comes with its own challenges. While in East Africa, the countries can all communicate with Kiswahili, in West Africa, the indigenous cultures are much more diverse; even the few languages (such as Hausa) spoken across most states have their own dialects and may be difficult to communicate effectively. In addition, six of West African seventeen countries are anglophone, while the majority is francophone. Nigeria, for example, is an anglophone country surrounded by francophone Chad, Niger, Benin and multilingual Cameroon. Where communication is not effective, the relationship between different parties may not be natural and smooth.

But it is possible to find that common ground and to do that, it is necessary for the improvement of every REC and the development of Africa as a whole. Like Nkrumah said: “We have been too busy nursing our separate states to understand fully the basic need of our union, rooted in common purpose, common planning and common endeavour”. It is only when we let ourselves become more selfless and empathetic that we will humble ourselves and unite; and it's better now than later. As Nkrumah rightly predicted: “We must unite or perish.”

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AFRIPRENEUR

TOP 20 LEADING ENTREPRENEURS DRIVING INCLUSIVENESS IN KENYA

By Meresia Aloo

Dr. James Mwangi is the current Group Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Equity Group Holding Plc, headquartered in Nairobi.

He is ranked among the top 20 most influential entrepreneurs in Africa. The Bank has more than 8 million customers making it the largest bank in terms of customer base in Africa.

Equity's biggest contribution to the world is financial inclusion. Through programs such as “Equip” led by Group Executive Director Mary Wamae, the bank has captured the spirit of inclusion and diversity that has swept through gender diversity interventions.

Dr. Manu Chandaria Manilal Premchand Chandaria is a Kenyan businessman of Indian descent born in Nairobi. Besides being a senior member of the Comcraft Group of Companies, a billion-dollar enterprise that has a presence in over 40 countries, he is on the boards of several prominent East African companies. Amongst the top management of the Chandaria business organizations that he chairs, his wife, Aruna Chandaria takes charge of the top positions as the trustee of Chandaria Foundation.

Dr. Benson I Wairegi Mama Ngina Kenyatta.

Mama Ngina Kenyatta is the former first lady of Kenya. Together with her family, she owns stakes in Kenya's largest dairy company, Brookside Dairy, media company Media-max, Heritage Hotels, Commercial Bank of Africa, etc.

Through her Kenyan market-led Brookside dairy product, the industry has employed 43% of the female gender and 57 % of the male gender

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He is the current Group Managing Director of Britam Holding Plc (Britam), a financial services conglomerate headquartered in Nairobi. The company has subsidiaries in Uganda, South Sudan ,Mozambique, and Malawi. Amongst Britam's eleven board of directors are 4 female non-executive directors and 2 female executive directors. Dr. Benson Wairegi has seen the transformation of the company from a small home service insurance company, into a diversified financial services group operating in seven

Dr. Gideon Muriuki Dr. Gideon M. Muriuki holds several top positions in the banking sector. He is the current ChairmanGoverning Council at Africa International University and a Managing Director at Co-Operative Consultancy & Insurance Agency Ltd. More to this, Mr. Muriuki holds the position of Vice President-Africa at the International Co-operative Banking Association. He is also on the Board of Directors at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya Ltd., Co-Operative Bank of South Sudan, Deposit Protection Fund, and Kingdom Securities Ltd. Statistics indicate that 44% of equity's staff are women. The bank is working towards attaining a 50/50 staff ratio.

Dr. Mary Okello Mary Okelo is an educationist and successful entrepreneur who has contributed immensely to education and microfinance services in Kenya.

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She is the Founder and Chair of Kenya Women Finance Trust and Makini Schools. As part of inclusiveness, Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT) prides itself on being the only Financial Institution in Kenya and Africa that serves a niche market. The bank exclusively focuses on providing financial services to women and it operates mainly through group lending. In addition, Dr. Okello is notably the first woman in East Africa to head a Barclays Bank branch and is one of Kenya's foremost entrepreneurs.

owner and managing director of Transworld Safaris Limited.

He also owns minority stakes in several publicly listed companies at the Nairobi Security Exchange (NSE) which is seeking to have more women occupy at least a third of senior positions in listed companies to reap benefits of Gender parity. Baloobai is reported to be one of Kenya's wealthiest citizens.

the pace in an industry that is deeply entrenched with male gender stereotypes, Tabitha Karanja has broken the mold to become Kenya's first home-grown beer and alcoholic drink manufacturer.

Mr. Richard Ngatia

Mr. Pradeep Paunrana

Dr. Bhimji Depar Shah Bhimji Depar Shah, is a Kenyan businessman, industrialist, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and current chair of BIDCO Group of Companies, a Kenya-based, familyowned manufacturing conglomerate with businesses in 13 African countries. In 2013, the Kenya-based consumer goods manufacturer became the 23rd company in Kenya to sign to the WEP's-a UN Women and UN Global compact initiative guiding the private sector towards gender equality and empowerment of women in the marketplace and the community. Today, Bidco is one of the largest manufacturers of edible oils in Kenya among many other businesses that he is associated with.

Pradeep Paunrana is a businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist, and philanthropist in Kenya. He is the current chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. The association recognizes the importance of women in driving industrial transformation for job creation and inclusive economic growth. Mr. Pradeep has also served as the former managing director of ARM Cement Limited, one of the leading cement manufacturers in Eastern Africa.

Mr. Richard Ngatia is the current Managing Director and CEO of Megascope Healthcare. The Healthcare provider has received many local and international awards in recognition of its work in the healthcare sector. Ngatia is also the current president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI). As the president of (KNCCI), Mr. Ngatia has partnered with (SDG Kenya Forum) to empower women economically on gender equity and promote Sustainable development goals, especially gender equality and women economic empowerment.

Dr. Catherine Nyongesa Mrs. Tabitha Karanja

Dr. Baloobhai Patel Baloobhai Patel is a businessman and entrepreneur in Kenya. He is the

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Tabitha Karanja is a Kenyan businesswoman, entrepreneur, and industrialist. She is the founder and current Chief Executive Officer of Keroche Breweries. As of October 2012, Keroche breweries accounts for 20% of Kenya's beer consumption and is Classified as the first large brewery in Kenya owned by a nonmultinational company. Having set

Dr. Catherine Naliaka Nyongesa is a Kenyan Physician and Radiation Oncologist. She is the founder, owner, and chief executive of Texas Cancer Centre, in Nairobi. As of July 2017, the Texas Cancer Centre has expanded to a total of four locations in Nairobi and Eldoret. As a result, in line with gender inclusion, Dr. Catherine Naliaka has partnered with her husband to start the first ever cancer center in Nairobi.

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AFRIPRENEUR

Pius Ngugi Mbugua

SK Macharia

Leah Wanjiku Muguku An educationist turned Business woman, Ms. Wanjiku, owns Muguku Poultry farm. She has been at the forefront of growing the business into a multi-billion venture enterprise. In her stable also is the Sh3 billion ultramodern Waterfront Mall located in Karen, Nairobi County. Ms. Wanjiku is kin to the late business magnate Nelson Muguku, who is now listed as the representative of the late Muguku's estate

Samuel Kamau Macharia widely known as S. K. Macharia is the founder and chair of Royal Media Services, the largest private radio and television network in Eastern Africa. The media house has contributed to gender inclusiveness by hiring three female top directors alongside four Male directors.

Mr. Ngugi is the owner of Thika Coffee Mills and the Kenya Nut Company. He is a shareholder in Kenya Alliance Insurance. His other interests include sweet manufacturing, dairy farming, winery, and Amazon Motors.

Amongst all his businesses, Mr. Peter is keen on creating a conducive environment that is gender inclusive.

Agnes Kariuki Ngugi Agnes Kagure Kariuki is a Kenyan insurance executive and businesswoman. She is the founder and Managing Principal of The Insurance Consulting Group (ICG), an independent insurance agency in Kenya. Mrs. Kariuki has been voted best insurance salesperson for three years in a row by the association of Kenya Insurers.

Peter Nduati Peter Nduati is the Founder and CEO of Resolution Group, a company that runs Resolution Insurance in Kenya and Tanzania, IAA Resolution Uganda, and Speed Resolution in South Sudan. He founded the Group initially as Resolution Health East Africa in 2002. Resolution group offers equal employment opportunities for both gender

Jane Wangui Njuguna Joseph Wanjuis Wife of Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi, Mrs. Jane Wangui also runs an investment vehicle company Filimbi Limited alongside Peter Munga. The

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He is a corporate titan, presidential adviser, philanthropist, and business magnate with interests in hospitality,

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She is a member of the NOCK board and a Director at the National Oil Corporation of Kenya Limited. As a director, Ms. Margaret works alongside three other female directors who are also part of the board. Previously the forefront businesswoman has held other various portfolios in the banking industry.

insurance, real estate, equity, agribusiness, and horticulture. As a shrewd-kingmaker, Joseph Wanjui Popularly known as Mr. Joe has included two women leaders in top positions with a wealth of experience at Old mutual holdings.

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Ms. Margaret Saitoti

car company is among the top shareholders of Britam. According to a local publication, Mrs. Mwangi is said to have owned a 1.62 percent stake in Equity valued at sh 3bn based on the 2018 share price of sh 50.50, taking the family fortune to more than sh12.15 billion and making it one of the largest family fortunes held in a single stock.

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Rwanda The Dubai of Africa Opens for Business

By Peter Burdin A new pan-African financial Hub will open its doors in Rwanda next month. The Rwandan government hopes its Kigali International Financial Centre will become a major destination for investors seeking opportunities across Africa.

According to the Rwandan Opposition MP Dr. Frank Habineza the new Hub has the potential to turn Rwanda into what he calls "the Dubai of Africa". The Centre will be launched in Kigali during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in June. It will bring together banks, lawyers, accountants and regulators to create a one-stop-shop for African and international investors.

Dr. Habineza, who is the leader of the opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, says the Centre is designed to build on his country's "ease of doing business" reputation: "We will be an international hub for investors just like Dubai. And the hub will provide lots of opportunities for them to take advantage of our special economic zones and tax incentives".

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Already the UK's development finance institution the CDC Group has signed a partnership agreement to support the development and provide legal and regulatory expertise to ensure the Centre will be attractive to international players.

Commenting on the deal CDC's Chief Executive Nick O'Donohoe said that Africa needs a "vibrant and stable financial services industry to foster inward investment and nurture a professional and technical skills base to support wider economic development".

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Mr. O'Donohoe said he was confident that the Kigali Hub would deliver on its potential. The early indications are promising. Rwanda's trade with the rest of the continent has increased by almost 50% in the last five years and now it's seeking to position itself at the heart of the newly-formed African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). With its central geographical location in East Africa Rwanda is part of the East African Community Common Market, which has a potential market of more than 130 million people.

An early adopter is likely to be Zimbabwe which has conducted a market research programme into goods and services that it can trade with Rwanda and east Africa.

According to Zimbabwe's national trade development and promotional agency, ZimTrade, the survey will focus on processed foods, pharmaceuticals, clothing, construction, horticulture, leather products, agriculture and services, while other African countries and international investors are expected to follow suit once the Kigali International Finance Centre opens for business in June.

It will also provide an opportunity to look at Africa's much needed infrastructure shortfalls, and healthcare and educational services as the continent emerges out of the Covid19 pandemic.

That also means how Africa can embrace the green and blue economy and boost renewable clean energy projects. As a former Chair of Rwanda's Forum on Water, Sanitation and Environment Conservation opposition MP Dr. Habineza hopes that Rwanda will be cognizant of the importance of the green economy as it confronts the growing impact of climate change on the continent" "Already we've seen deforestation in some areas as our infrastructure has grown", he said, "Some people have been using our rivers as dumping sites and that has brought desertification and water pollution which poses risks to public health".

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His solution is for Rwanda to embrace the challenges of climate change and become a leading African green economy, promoting economic growth while introducing measures to conserve the country's green spaces: "We need to think about tomorrow not just today. Quick fixes won't work. Rwandans have already shown the rest of Africa the importance of working together, we've united for peace. Now we're on our way to becoming a middle-income economy but we mustn't achieve that at the expense of our environment"

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As Rwanda prepares to open its new International Financial Centre all these factors will look large in the strategies of international and African investors.

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