African Leadership magazine

Afric n Leadership OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

£5 $8 N3000 ZAR100

ERNEST

ADDISON GOVERNOR, BANK OF GHANA

SAFE GUARDING THE FUTURE OF GHANA’S FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY Forged for Greatness: The Faces of Africa's Leading Private Sector Champions

Simbi Wabote: Portrait of Africa's Local Content Icon

UK - Africa Trade: Are We At A Tipping Point?

Contents

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Dr. Ernest Addison - Safe Guarding the Future of Ghana’s Financial Services Industry

Portrait of Africa's Local Content Icon

36 The Global Face of Leadership Amidst a Pandemic

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Work Should Not Bear A Gender Specific Stamp

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The Politics of Eligible Customer in the Power Sector

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The Green Spaces Divide In African Cities

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

...A Publication of African Leadership (UK) Limited

Ken Giami Founder & Executive Chairman

Associate Editor - Arvy Nahar aknahar@africanleadership.co.uk Head of Creatives - Joseph Akuboh A. 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

Sasha Caton - Manager, UK & European Operations Ehis Ayere - Group Head, Sales & Business Development 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 Stanley Emeruem - Business Development Managers Oluwatoyin Oyekanmi - Head, South African Bureau Bernard Adeka - Head, Nigeria SS/SE

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

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Bernice Benjy - Group Head, Finance & Administration

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

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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

FROM THE CHAIRMANʼS DESK

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Introducing The African Leadership Council – A Global Network of Leaders for Africa's Progress

The council shall, among other things focus on enabling top African achievers and corporate leaders to create more prosperity for stakeholders of the Africa project.

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From the stables of the African Leadership (UK) Limited - publishers of African Leadership magazine and other leading pan-African titles, I am happy to announce the official launch of the African Leadership Council a global leadership coalition for enabling excellence, achievement, and development in Africa.

The council's formation is centered on the

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

FROM THE CHAIRMANʼS DESK

When the coronavirus pandemic, arrived in late December 2019, snowballing into unprecedented proportions with impacts to every aspect of our human life, and affecting every country in the world, it became clearer that it would take spirited and committed leaders to manage the unprecedented times that COVID-19 represented. Such leaders move society forward, become positive references for what is possible, help promote selfsufficiency and inspire a generation of upcoming leaders to aim to solve some of humanity's biggest problems. They are the true stakeholders in the Africa project. They are the worthy partners of progress for Africa's future. It is for this kind of leader that we have put together the African Leadership Council (ALC)

JOIN ALC TODAY As most of the world, and especially Africa is still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people and businesses, leaders must come together, in networks such as the African Leadership Council, to respond to the challenges head-on for the sake of mother Africa. We must adjust to the unfolding new normal, by staying top-ofmind and continually engage our leadership and influence for the greater good. Hence if you are a person of impact and leader who is making a difference in the community, then you qualify to join this network of great leaders, To become a member of the council, visit www.africanleadershipcouncil.com today.

We look forward to welcoming committed African leaders - both at home and in the diaspora, partners of Africa, or players on the continent, from across all spheres of influence, who believe that their contributions to African development do make a difference, to join the council today, as the ALC journey begins!

African Leadership Council is therefore founded on the hope to mobilise the critical mass required to galvanise multi-dimensional change at various levels of leadership in the continent. It is indeed possible to live in an Africa, where the continent is not only solving most if not all of her problems, but contributing her optimal value to the global system, earning the respect of all sections of society, and leading the world in several respects.

The African Leadership Council is indeed an exclusive platform for political and business leaders, policy titans,

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The council shall, among other things focus on enabling top African achievers and corporate leaders to create more prosperity for stakeholders of the Africa project.

These African achievers are already heavily invested in making a difference on the continent through their toils, sweat and blood. They had choices to do other things, but they chose to contribute their quota by exemplifying leadership and achievement. Each of them has their stories to tell, tales that are written with the rigours of arduous work, pain, and discomfort, as most successes anywhere in the world require – for no pain, no gain. These leaders were job creators, wealth generators and servant-leaders who even when unrecognised and uncelebrated still forged forward in helping their communities move forward.

opinion leaders, entrepreneurs and executives who are committed to deepening unrivalled African access, developing lifetime relationships and partnerships across the continent, while taking action to grow their global citizenship status as a force for good – enthroning SDG Gol1 1 and Goal 4 by contributing to educational development on the continent and continuing to help in eradicating poverty in Africa. ALC members are provided with pan-African visibility, recognition for their contributions and cementing their thought leadership – all in a bid to enable greater contribution and participation in leapfrogging Africa's development.

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premise that celebrating outstanding achievements and leadership is good for humanity, and especially good for Africa as it has the potential to create a ripple effect in society by inspiring others to aspire to serve humanity for the greater good of all.

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.”

AFRICANLEADERSHIPMAGA ZINE

WHAT NOTABLE LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT

AFRICAN LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE

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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FORGED FOR GREATNESS THE FACES OF AFRICA'S LEADING PRIVATE SECTOR CHAMPIONS

2021 ABLA WINNERS

COVER

FORGED FOR GREATNESS

THE FACES OF AFRICA'S LEADING PRIVATE SECTOR CHAMPIONS

AFRICAN FEMALE BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR - Patience Akyianu, Chief Executive Officer, Hollard Group in Ghana – Winner

The keenly contested awards attracted over 300 000 entries on BUSINESS FRIENDLY GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR - Babajide the website and across social media platforms and submissions via Sanwo-Olu, Governor, Lagos State, Nigeria Winner email and physical posts from Africans across the continent and in Diaspora.

CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR - Harvesh Kumar Seegolam, Governor, Bank of Mauritius – Winner The Winners emerged through a keenly contested 3-step points-based selection process that included a call for nomination, AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT MINISTER OF THE YEAR online voting for shortlisted nominees, and the editorial board's Nevin Jameh, Minister of Industry, Trade and Small Industries, final review of the nominations and voting submissions.

Egypt – Winner Supporting evidence and voting considerations was used in the final decisions to confirm the African Business Leadership Awards AFRICAN LOCAL CONTENT ICON AWARD - Simbi Wabote, CEO, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board 2021 winners. The online voting was responsible for sixty-five percentage points, and supporting evidence was responsible for CENTRAL BANK OF THE YEAR 2021 - Bank of Ghana 35% in the final selection process for the 2021 winners.

AFRICAN CEO OF THE YEAR - Benedict Peters, CEO, Aiteo The Publisher, Dr Giami, while unveiling the list of winners, Group, Nigeria – Winner made a special note of congratulations to all nominees in the YOUNG BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR - Kwadwo Safo categories and affirmed that each nominee is worthy of Junior, CEO, Kantanka Group Ghana – Winner recognition and commendation for their selfless services nationbuilding.

AFRICAN CSR & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT AWARD In his speech, the publisher said the 2021 Africa Business Leadership Award (ABLA) celebrates grit, purpose, and impact in Africa's business environment, especially in what is a difficult period for most people due to the effects of coronavirus. He added that the leaders who have emerged winners in the various categories have exhibited these celebrated attributes in admirable capacities and deserve the great accolade.

Here is a brief profile of our winners:

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- Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) – Winner AFRICAN BRAND OF THE YEAR - Ethiopian Airlines – Winner AFRICAN COMPANY OF THE YEAR - Kiira Motors Corporation Uganda Winner INDUSTRY PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR - Kwame OseiPrempeh, Group CEO, Ghana Oil Company Limited - Winner

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AFRICAN REGULATOR OF THE YEAR - Poppy Khoza, CEO of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) – Winner

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These are the African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) 2021 winners, which emerged from a very rigorous process.

AFRICAN BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR - Segun Ogunsanya, CEO, Airtel Africa, Nigeria – Winner

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Their story is steeped in twists and turns, but they have become the continent's men and women of velour. Their collective efforts have helped the continent's teeming young people find their feet in business and public service. They have also become adept at creating wealth and spreading enterprise.

INTERVIEW

DR. ERNEST ADDISON SAFE GUARDING THE FUTURE OF GHANA’S FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

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The Bank of Ghana has in a row been adjudged winner of the Central Bank of the Year Awards by different awarding institutions and rating organizations in recent times. The editorial team of African Leadership Magazine in an interview with the bank governor, Dr Ernest Addison, bared his mind on the impacts of these honours, the future of the financial services industry in Ghana, and many other important themes.

Excerpts;

The Bank of Ghana's report indicated that the banking sector, during the first two months of 2021, remained broadly profitable, well-capitalised, and resilient. How well is the banking sector positioned to sustain and accelerate this growth and momentum?

A key policy objective of the Central Bank is to ensure that the banking sector environment is characterised by solid institutions, able to withstand a myriad of shocks, essential to promoting economic growth and development. The objective is to position the sector as a significant growth driver to support the government's medium to the long-term goal of achieving an inclusive broad-based economy.

Following the 2017 banking sector clean-up, the sector has become stronger as key indicators suggest a well-capitalised, liquid and profitable sector. This is against the backdrop of the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. The July 2021 stress tests showed that the banking sector is robust enough to withstand mild to moderate liquidity and credit shocks on account of the strong capital buffers and high liquidity.

The industry's Capital Adequacy Ratio of 20.8 per cent at the end-

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INTERVIEW

Going forward, interest rates are expected to decline because of the increased capitalisation of banks, reducing levels of NPLs, better credit risk assessment in the banking industry, and as government finances improve and fiscal deficit returns to pre-covid levels. Essentially, these and our quest to continue to sustain the stable macroeconomic environment are the necessary conditions for increasing access to credit for businesses in the economy. It is also essential for access to credit by the small-scale sector, which constitutes the most significant population. The benefits of access to credit will have a significant favourable implication on employment, growth and poverty reduction.

the context of Inflation Targeting Framework. We have been successful by keeping inflation within the target band for a sustained period, alongside stable exchange rate, and the successful completion of the comprehensive financial sector cleanup which had improved prudential regulations, strengthened the sector's efficiency, and enhanced the capacity of banks to finance the growth needs of the country.

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with the adverse socioeconomic implications, the monetary policy has been primarily shaped by the need to mitigate these effects on the financial system and the economy to support fast recovery. The bank initiated several interventions, including macro-prudential measures to ease financing conditions, liquidity pressures and ensure credit extension to critical sectors of the economy. To spur economic activity and reduce credit risk, the monetary policy rate was lowered by 150 basis points to 14.5 percent. Again, in May 2021, the Bank's MPC lowered the policy rate by 100 basis points to 13.5 percent to further The AfDB's African Economic Outlook support the growth recovery process. In 2021 projected an increase in growth of addition, the Bank lowered the Capital the Ghanaian economy to 4% in 2021 Conservation Buffer, the primary and 4.1% in 2022, and an easing of reserve requirements, and suspended inflation to 8.2% in 2021 and 8%, in dividend payments for banks, among 2022. What are some of the monetary others. The Bank also triggered its asset policies of the bank in stimulating and purchase programme (emergency driving this projected growth? financing provisions for government), The attainment of macroeconomic to help reduce the widened financing gap emanating from the pandemic. In stability is a necessary condition for addition to these, the bank also higher and sustained growth. permitted moratoria on bank loans to Accordingly, the monetary policy be granted to borrowers in the worst focused on delivering low and stable pandemic-hit sectors such as the airline inflation within the targeted band of and hospitality industries.

8±2 using the Monetary Policy Rate in

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June 2021 was well above the regulatory minimum threshold. Nonperforming loans portfolio continues to fall even though it has gone up slightly due to the impact of the pandemic on loan repayments. There is also some return to efficiency in the industry as operating expenses are beginning to reduce, resulting in a decline in interest rates to support growth recovery.

While Ghana's public debt-to-GDP ratio reached 71% in September 2020 from 63% a year earlier, the country has included a gradual medium-term fiscal adjustment in its 2021 budget to support a decline in public debt starting in 2024. What are your thoughts on fiscal sustainability in the country?

Until the first quarter of 2020 when the Covid-19 hit the country, the government's fiscal policy was on a consolidation path. The fiscal deficits trended below the 5 percent target set under the fiscal rule. For instance, the fiscal deficit as a percent of GDP dropped consistently from 6.5 per cent in 2016 to 4.8 percent in 2019. Similarly, the primary balance GDP ratio was moved from the deficit of 1.4 per cent to a surplus of 0.8 percent over the same period. This effort, however, was derailed by the pandemic and prompted unbudgeted spending amid revenue shortfalls, which widened the financing gap and raised debt levels.

Indeed, a high debt level has longterm implications on the economy, still the government has put in place measures to gradually unwind the fiscal excesses and return the economy to fiscal sustainability by 2024. These include accelerated fiscal consolidation efforts carefully balanced with growth objectives, efficient debt management strategies, and expenditure rationalisation driven by growthenhancing spending. It is expected that these fiscal measures, supported by a credible monetary policy, will signal a strong commitment to consolidation, despite the ongoing pandemic.

You recently launched a special programme to purchase gold from local producers to help shore up the country's reserves. Kindly tell us more about this first of its kind initiative and how committed the bank is to realise same?

The gold acquisition programme is as an efficient way of growing the foreign exchange reserves of the country to supplement the traditional

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We have been successful by keeping inflation within the target band for a sustained period, alongside stable exchange rate, and the successful completion of the comprehensive financial sector clean-up which had improved prudential regulations, strengthened the sector's efficiency, and enhanced the capacity of banks to finance the growth needs of the country.

The above monetary policy measures have and continue to complement fiscal efforts to support economic growth.

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ways that Ghana has built reserves over the years. The domestic gold purchasing programme will enable the bank to leverage its gold holdings to raise cheaper sources of financing and to provide short-term foreign exchange liquidity. It will also pave the way for the Central Bank to grow its foreign exchange reserves to foster confidence and enhance currency stability.

Only one gold aggregator has been selected for the programme after we conducted an independent due diligence. The bank remains committed to this special programme and has engaged domestic mining firms collabarating with the Ghana Chamber of Mines to buy refined gold. In the near term, other gold aggregators will be eligible to participate in the programme once a roadmap is developed to ensure they meet the governance, risk, compliance, and supply chain requirements.

Mixed reactions have trailed the decision of the Ghanaian government

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to establish the Development Bank of Ghana (DBG) this year. What are some of the regulatory pathways you are providing to ensure the bank's operational efficiency to build the confidence of the public and investors?

National Development Banks play an important role in mobilizing public and private sector resources to support infrastructural investments across developing countries. In the case of Ghana, one of the regulatory pathways to ensure operational efficiency of the Development Bank is adequate regulation and supervision.

The Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) Act, 2020 (Act 1032) contains provisions on sound and prudent banking principles to guide effective operations of the DFIs. Key areas include capital and reserve requirements, liquidity requirements, ownership and control, corporate governance restrictions on lending and investments and financial reporting to ensure they are operationally efficient.

Provisions on corporate governance structures have been strengthened to ensure minimal government intervention. Although the DFIs will be non-deposit-taking, there are enough provisions to ensure that other investors and fund providers are adequately protected.

The Bank of Ghana has been granted the licensing, regulatory, and supervisory powers under the Act to ensure that these DFIs, starting with DBG, operate in a financially sustainable manner to achieve the development mandate and build the public confidence and investors in the process.

Though the Bank of Ghana has maintained that trading of cryptocurrency is illegal, the bank has announced a roll-out of the first of a three-pilot-phased digital currency.

What is the viability and scope of this digital currency?

I am sure you will agree with me that the future of financial services is more digital than ever before, and

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INTERVIEW

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Of course, we attained this through the hard work and invaluable support from my two Deputies, the Board, the Monetary Policy Committee, Management, and the entirestaff of the Bank of Ghana. We all have the shared vision to ensure macroeconomic and financial stability to support the country's growth and development agenda. I hope this will further strengthen our resolve to continue to implement sound monetary and financial sector policies and consolidate the far-reaching gains of macroeconomic and financial stability in Ghana.

The quest for solutions to scale up financial inclusion and improve the efficiency of the payment system makes Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) a viable option worth exploring, on account of the successes we have achieved with mobile money.

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Perhaps the most notable achievement has been in the financial sector, where the bank has received accolades from many international As I noted earlier this month, CBDC institutions on the effectiveness of the presents a great opportunity to build a reforms implemented with bold measures that were taken and the robust, inclusive, competitive, and public's acceptance of the measures, sustainable financial sector, led by the Central Bank, unlike the cryptocurrency which has enhanced confidence in the banks in Ghana. The measures include concept. From all indications, the concept has a significant role to play in increasing the minimum capital requirements, revoking licences of weak the future of financial service delivery and insolvent institutions, and a globally. This project is a significant step towards positioning Ghana to take complete revamp of the regulatory and supervisory frameworks to stabilise the full advantage of this emerging sector. Such reforms are never done concept. easily as shareholders of such banks We have signed an agreement to tend to be well connected politically undertake a pilot project which will and the political economy of such represent a unique opportunity to reforms can be daunting, given the design and test a digital representation financial crimes committed by of the Ghana Cedi; one which offers shareholders. settlement finality, liquidity and integrity as its key attributes. We are at Our banks are now well capitalised, this stage hoping that the Bank's eCedi liquid, solvent, and resilient to liquidity could provide a universal means of and credit risk and well positioned to payment for the digital era, while at the support Ghana's economic growth same time safeguarding consumer agenda. Together with other privacy and preserving the private stakeholders, the Bank has improved on sector's primary role in retail payments the payments and settlement systems and financial intermediation. regulatory frameworks, broadened the payments infrastructure, and Earlier this year, President Nana Akufocoordinated the development of an Addo renewed your appointment for a orderly digital financial services second term as Governor of the Bank of ecosystem with innovations to better Ghana. Looking at your first term in support the economy. The Bank has office, what would you say are some of implemented several policies, such us your achievements? the mobile money interoperability, Ghana Quick Response (GhQR), and The successful execution of our Crowdfund policy to mention a few, all monetary and the financial sector policies and the subsequent turnaround in a bid to accelerate digital financial in the economy, despite the pandemic, inclusion for growth. are some of the key achievements that The Bank of Ghana has been voted and the Bank has chalked over the years. adjudged winner of the Central Bank of the Year Award by the African Looking at the evolution of key economic indicators, we have been able Leadership Magazine, in addition to a number of recognitions you have to reduce inflation from about 16.4 received in recent years. How does this percent in 2016 to 7.8 per cent in June make you feel?

2021 while real GDP grew from 3.4 percent in 2016 to 6.5 per cent in 2019.

For me, winning this award is an Even though the pandemic hit the

indication that our efforts at restoring macroeconomic and financial sector stability as well as ensuring high and sustained growth has received positive recognition. While we celebrate the achievement, we are mindful of the additional burden on us to work harder to maintain the standard or even climb higher. We must acknowledge the support from the government without which such far reaching reforms could not have been implemented. We were given free hand to take the appropriate decisions.

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country in 2020, a positive GDP growth of 0.41 was registered. The domestic currency remained stable with an annual rate of depreciation of 3.3 per cent in 2020. Strong monetary and financial sector policies helped anchor the economy to withstand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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policymakers and regulators must anticipate and balance the potential benefits and risks to accelerate digital financial inclusion. For a developing country like Ghana, the quest for solutions to scale up financial inclusion and improve the efficiency of the payment system makes Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) a viable option worth exploring, on account of the successes we have achieved with mobile money.

PROFILE

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CENTRAL BANK OF THE YEAR 2021 The Bank of Ghana was formed in 1957. The bank is active in developing financial inclusion policy and is a member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. The bank has been successful in implementation of monetary policy and impressive achievement in reforming the banking sector in Ghana. The bank has been able to reform an undercapitalised and poorly managed banking sector, and being able to deal with a complex set of risks that could have caused severe damage to the country's economy.

The BoG has continued to create innovations in its payments sector, specifically the electronic payments mode. Ghana's central bank launched a universal QR code payment solution with HPS, making Ghana the first African country to introduce a universal QR code as well as creating a regulatory sandbox for fintech companies. In 2018, BoG created a cyber security center to help the banking sector in dealing with evolving risks and was named the Central Bank of the Year for 2019 by Central Banking Awards.

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Join the elite network of

AFRICA’S MOST OUTSTANDING LEADERS · Expand your AFRICAN ACCESS, influence and relevance · Be a part of the change – A GLOBAL COALITION of leaders against poverty

Join ALC today!

AFRICAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL www.africanleadershipcouncil.com

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SIMBI WABOTE: PORTRAIT OF AFRICA'S LOCAL CONTENT ICON

SPECIAL COVER EDITION

Since its inception in 2010, the Act's implementation has resulted in more than 35% of in-country value retention compared to the less than 5% value retention before the NOGICD Act. Before the Act, we had an annual spend of $20 billion with little or nothing retained incountry. Today, I can confidently say that we spend over $6 billion in-country per year. We have two world-class pipe mills and five impressive pipe coating yards. We have also recorded the following milestones since

For far too long, Nigeria and Africa at large have continued to lose the benefits of their rich natural resources to International Companies with advanced technologies and access to a deep-pool of funds for growth and expansion. The Oil and Gas industry is the worst hit, as the enormous investments and expertise needed to compete with International Oil Companies are often unavailable to local industry players.

However, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, presents a refreshing narrative and tilts the scale favouring indigenous players in Nigeria's oil and gas sector. The agency, led by the ingenious Engr. Simbi Wabote presents a glimpse of hope for local players. Blending professionalism and pre-eminence, Engr. Wabote's strides in promoting local content in Nigeria's oil and gas industry is fast becoming a model for other countries in Africa.

In this exclusive interview with African Leadership Magazine UK, Engineer Simbi Wabote, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Content Development & Monitoring Board, talks to us about the milestones, challenges and efforts to export the Nigerian template to other African countries. Excerpts:

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About 40% of marine vessels used in the oil and gas industry are owned by Nigerians;

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We have four (4) active dry-docking facilities in PHC, Onne, and Lagos.

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Over 50,000 direct jobs have been created on the back of the implementation of the Act.

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We have 78 operating companies and about 8,000 oil and gas service companies pulling their weight in the industry.

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Nigeria's indigenous operators are responsible for 15% of our oil production and 60% of our domestic gas supply.

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In fabrication, today, Nigeria can handle the fabrication of more than 250,000 tonnes per year.

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In cable manufacturing, all cables required in the oil and gas sector are all manufactured in-country.

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Over ten (10) million training manhours have been delivered via our Human Capacity Development Programs. No surprise that our indigenous workforce could sustain oil production at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

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Prior to the operationalization of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010, which gave birth to NCDMB, there was little or no in-country value retention in the oil and gas sector. However, a recent survey has shown that the diligent implementation of this Act, under your leadership, has led to a change in the trend. Can you share some of the major successes from the active implementation of the Act?

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Last year, the agency marked its 10th anniversary with a slew of short-term achievements. Your leadership has also got an eye on achieving 70% of the Nigerian content target by 2027.

What are some of your strategies towards achieving this target?

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b.

Completion of 10MW power plant for supply of electricity to our new headquarters building and the industrial park in Bayelsa State;

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Completion and commissioning of the 5,000bpd Waltersmith Modular Refinery;

d.

Launch of the $200million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund recently increased to $350million with additional products for Working Capital and Women in Oil and Gas;

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Forensic Audit of NCDF Remittances with the recoveries close to $100million;

f.

Under each pillar and enabler, we mapped a few initiatives directly to them. These initiatives were categorized under short-term, medium-term initiatives and long-term initiatives. As we deliver these initiatives, we increase our achievement of the roadmap.

We have successfully exited appropriation since 2018, and we intend to maintain our self-funding status through the prudent management of the Nigerian Content Development Fund entrusted in our care.

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The only infrastructure in Africa for FPSO integration is available in Nigeria. The Egina FPSO, which is the largest globally, was integrated into the SHI-MCI yard in Lagos.

The initiatives are mapped into the annual scorecards of the Directorates within the Board, and we have a Project Management Office (PMO) to track performance quarterly.

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Initiatives to enhance Capacity Building include STEM Education, construction of ICT Labs, sea-time training for marine cadets, GSM training scheme, upgrade of Vocational-Technical Colleges and others;

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We secured approval for the $50million Nigerian Content Research & Development Fund

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We launched NOGTECH HACKATHON and ENACTUS

It was indeed a bitter-sweet moment for the Board to mark its decade of Local Content practice in April 2020, right in the middle of a global pandemic. Five pillars, namely a, drive our 10-year Strategic Roadmap) Technical Capability Development, b) Compliance and Enforcement, c) Enabling Business Environment, d) Organization Capability and e) Sectoral and Regional Market Linkage. The pillars are supported by four (4) enablers, namely a) Funding, b) Regulatory Environment, c) Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement, and Research and Statistics.

Some of the initiatives completed since the launch of the Strategic Roadmap in early 2018 include the following: a.

Completion and commissioning of our 17-storey headquarters building complete with a 1,000-seat auditorium and multi-level car park;

Hon. Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum, Nigeria, performing the foundation laying ceremony, alongside Engr. Wabote and others

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other African oil-producing countries where the oil and gas industry and local supply chain might not be as developed as our own

to nurture innovation amongst our young minds; k.

We continuously organized signature events to drive the practice of Nigerian Content such as Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunities Fair (NOGOF), Practical Nigerian Content (PNC), Research and Development (R&D) Fair, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) Retreat, the Nigerian Content Managers Retreat, and workshop to further Mainstream Women into the oil and gas sector.

3.

We have taken several steps towards achieving the Sectorial and Regional Market Linkage.

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We entered some partnerships with investors to manufacture composite cylinders, set up LPG terminals and bottling plants, methanol production plants, gas processing plants, lube oil blending plants, and many others to create jobs and retain value in-country.

We hosted the first African Local Content Roundtable in June this year.

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We canvassed for the establishment of the African Local Content Bank to finance big oil and gas projects in Africa.

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We have also continued to guide several African countries to establish and build Local Content institutions in their jurisdictions.

The ongoing initiatives include: Construction of oil and gas industrial parks complete with infrastructure and utilities to enhance local manufacturing – two of these are scheduled for commissioning next year.

We also needed to support other African countries to develop their Local Content policies.

The commencement of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is the next significant evolution of the local content practice at the

Capacity and closure of the Critical Skills Gap are one of the Board's key mandates. We have delivered more than 10million manhours of training under our Human Capacity Development programs.

We have put in place the 6020-20 principle in which 60 per cent of the Board's and industry's training resources and efforts will be devoted to providing young Nigerians with specialized skills they need to secure employment.

Twenty per cent will be geared towards improving the productivity of already employed personnel, while another 20 per cent will be used for training on soft skills.

I disagree that there is a

Part of the aims of the Nigerian Content 10-years Strategic Roadmap that you initiated is to promote Sectorial and Regional Market Linkage and extend Local Content across the African continent. How is this particular pillar of the roadmap faring?

We developed the Pillar on Sectorial and Regional Market Linkage because: 1.

We needed to expand the market for our local oil and gas capacities that have been developed locally.

2.

We also needed to export the capacities developed in Nigeria to

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Engr. Wabote (middle) with guests at the Nigerian Oil & Gas Opportunity Fair

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One of the significant concerns of operators in the Oil and Gas sector is the shortage of a quality workforce with the requisite "soft and hard skills" to work in the oil and gas sector. How is your agency helping to bridge this noticeable gap?

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We are happy to note that the services and skills sets of Nigerian oil and gas providers and professionals are in high demand across Africa and beyond. We continue to focus on creating opportunities within the country to absorb the capacities being developed.

continental level. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the momentum of the roll-out, the agreement represents a massive opportunity for African countries to put their house to derive maximum benefits from AfCFTA in the energy and other sectors of their economies.

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shortage of quality workforce in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry to the extent that it is a significant concern.

The capabilities of Nigerians have been demonstrated via the operation of the various divested assets of the international oil and gas companies and being able to hold the fort during the pandemic when most of the expatriates had to return to their home base.

We are happy to note that the services and skills sets of Nigerian oil and gas providers and professionals are in high demand across Africa and beyond. We continue to focus on creating opportunities within the country to absorb the capacities being developed.

Funding has also been described as a major impediment for local players, who are desirous of playing in the oil and gas sector. How is the Nigerian Content Development Fund helping to solve this major challenge?

The Nigerian Content Intervention (NCI) Fund is one of the most transparent funds managed in Nigeria. The Fund is recently increased from USD200-million to USD300-million and is managed by the Bank of Industry, which facilitates on-lending to qualified stakeholders in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The NCI Fund has five essential products: manufacturing, asset acquisition, contract financing, loan refinancing, and community contractor financing.

As a result of the pandemic, another USD50-million has been set aside to provide working capital loans and support Women in the Oil and Gas industry. This Fund is matched 100% by our partner Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank – thus, we have a pool of USD100-million available for these loan products.

You see, one of the critical factors when developing local capacity is having adequate funding, as, without it, local companies cannot flourish. This has been an issue in Nigeria because while local companies get meagre interest rates, they get double-digit ones, making it difficult to compete globally. The NCI Fund provides the opportunity for indigenous firms to borrow money at single-digit interest rates.

The Nigerian Content Development Fund has also enabled the creation of the USD50-million Nigerian Content R&D Fund - NCRDFund meant to be applied to four (4) broad intervention areas: a) Research Intervention; b) Establishment of Centers of Excellence in Academic and Research Institutes, c) Sponsor commercialization of Research, and d) Sponsor endowment of professorial chairs.

About sixty per cent (60%) of the NCRD Fund is dedicated to Research Commercialization.

COVID-19 presented a fresh start for countries and

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Engr. Wabote and guests at an event

companies, as it placed most companies on start-up modes.

It also opened a new opportunity for indigenous players in the oil and gas industry as expatriates were forced to return home due to extended lockdowns across the world. To what degree has the pandemic helped in advancing local participation in the sector in Nigeria?

The impact of the pandemic has been tragic, with the loss of lives across the globe. It dealt a severe blow to the oil price as the demand for it dwindled as lockdowns materialized. However, the local capacity managed to sustain oil and gas production as the deliberate local content efforts in the Nigerian oil and gas sector have made it resilient. Interestingly, our industry recorded some critical milestones during the period, as evidenced in the FID on NLNG Train 7, along with the commissioning of other projects during this period.

Most remarkable is that Covid-19 has taught us the importance of developing in-country capabilities in critical sectors of the economy such as energy, agriculture, and health.

Your achievements thus far have undoubtedly become a model for other countries looking to pursue strategic local content development in various countries on the continent.

How in your view can countries in Africa develop fair and balanced local content policies that create economic opportunities for Africans without overly burdening foreign investors, thereby discouraging them from operating the region?

Specific parameters are necessary for sustainable Local Content implementation in any country. They include i) gap analysis of the industry, ii) capacity building, iii) regulatory framework, iv) funding & incentives, and v) research and development.

African countries must carry out a gap analysis to establish the peculiarities of their environment and prioritize focus areas such as education, infrastructure development, employment, supply chain development, etc. A regulatory

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In the last four decades, the number of African countries producing oil has increased rapidly. The Discovery of oil in any nation is usually full of excitement. After all the euphoria, it is essential to examine what can be done incountry to utilize the oil rather than looking up the price forecasts in the commodities futures market.

Oil is genuinely crude when it is seen as a commodity.

There is a need to transform the crude nature of oil into several value chains that inevitably keep the economy busy.

A barrel of oil utilized as a resource generates multiple products used in transportation, construction, aviation, agriculture, etc.

“

You have emerged winner of the African Local Content Icon award; what specific message would you like to share with Africans as the reigning champion?

Firstly, let me express my appreciation to the organizers of the Award and the various people that voted for me to emerge as the African Local Content Icon. My team and I are delighted that our contributions are recognized across the Once this philosophy is embedded in the psyche of any African continent and beyond. nation, it drives the policies, laws, resource allocation, educational curriculum, and development plan of such I want to challenge African oil-producing countries to countries. collaborate closely, especially around Local Content

Looking at the recently passed PIB viz-a-viz Nigeria content development, how well would you say the PIB will help in promoting local content?

development. This is immensely imperative, especially with the push for energy transition and its impact on our economies. I would also like to see African oil producers invest more in Research and development.

The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) strengthened Local Content immensely. First, it would unlock new projects which are needed to grow Local Content. Secondly, it provides that project promoters must engage NCDMB to make inputs into Field Development Plans. This will further enhance the deepening of local content in the complete cycle of hydrocarbon projects.

One of the agency's mandate is to monitor Nigerian content compliance by operators and services providers.

How can you perform this function, considering the near absence of data and other accountability instruments, which is often the case in most sectors in the country?

Since the Board's inception in 2010, we deployed the NOGIC-JQS, which contains data on capacities and competencies in all aspects of the industry. Section 56 of the NOGICD Act refers to it as the 'Industry Databank of available capabilities'. The data relating to the 78 operating companies, close to 8,000 oil and gas service providers and about a quarter of a million individuals are contained on the system.

One of the enablers under our 10-year Strategic Roadmap is Research and Statistics to ensure the data collated are analyzed regularly to ascertain gaps and determine areas of intervention.

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Engr. Wabote (Middle) during an MoU signing Ceremony

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How should Africa's new oil producers approach local content, considering that skills and operational expertise play a significant role in the industry?

African oil-producing countries should collaborate closely, especially around Local Content development. This is immensely imperative, especially with the push for energy transition and its impact on our economies.

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A workable funding model must be in place. This differs from country to country; the Nigerian model is different from that of Brazil or Norway. The funding pool will enable the delivery of capacity building initiatives and home-grown R&D.

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framework should then be put in place to provide clarity, enhance investors' participation, and channel resources to the priority areas.

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NCDMB, Bayelsa Sign Power Purchase Agreement on 10MW IPP

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Engr. Wabote in a handshake with the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri, during the MoU signing Ceremony

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Bayelsa State Government recently signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the delivery of electricity from the 10 megawatts gas fired independent power plant constructed by the NCDMB in partnership with the Nigerian Agip Oil Company at Elebele, Bayelsa State.

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In bid to maximize the utilisation the Board entered into an agreement with the Bayelsa State Government to also supply uninterrupted electricity to key facilities of the state which The power plant alongside the 17 storey Nigerian Content Tower would be paid for as specified in (NCT) were commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 14 2020. It was conceived to supply uninterrupted power supply to the NCT, the PPA.

The Power Purchase Agreement was signed in Yenagoa by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Bayelsa State, Mr. Biriyai Dambo and was witnessed by Governor Douye Diri.

the Oil and Gas Park being developed by the Board at Emeyal 1, Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State.

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He added that the event also provided a form of inspiration to all Bayelsans that it is possible to provide reliable power supply to the entire state considering the abundant gas resources available in the state.

According to him, “the power supply is not free as all users including NCDMB are expected to make pre-payment deposit for their power requirements just as required by our gas suppliers. We were required to make up to six months deposit with the Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria before we got gas supply to the power plant. We believe there will be no default from any party that will trigger unpleasant outcome in the sustainability of the power plant operations.”

Governor Douye Diri in his comments noted that the state is blessed with abundant gas resources as well as other energy resources, which had been largely underutilised, stressing that his administration was determined to utilize the resources of the state for the benefit of the people.

He commended the NCDMB management and other partners that made the agreement possible and charged on private investors to explore the abundance of natural gas in the state, assuring that the government was ready to partner with such investors to make power and other amenities available to the people.

H.E. Sen. Douye Diri; Engr. Wabote and a cross section of guests at the MoU signing ceremony

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Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary noted that the terms of the Power Purchase Agreement would ensure that the power plant would operate on a sustainable basis with settlement of obligations to the gas suppliers, operation and maintenance contractors, purchase of spare parts and consumables required for timely maintenance.

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Wabote described the occasion as a major milestone in the collaboration between NCDMB and the Bayelsa State Government, adding that the importance of reliable power supply to enhance the efficient operation of government activities cannot be over emphasised.

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In bid to maximize the utilisation the Board entered into an agreement with the Bayelsa State Government to also supply uninterrupted electricity to key facilities of the state which would be paid for as specified in the PPA.

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NCDMB donates Modular Science Lab, ICT Centre to 2 Schools in Bayelsa …mulls oil investments in Brass Island

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The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has donated a modular science laboratory to Model Government Secondary School, Twon Brass and an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre to Government Secondary School Okpoama, both in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The ICT centre was commissioned on Monday by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva. The facility has two air conditioned rooms, each fully equipped with 31 computers linked to the internet, projector and printer. The centre also has an administrative office, instructor's office, conference hall and a stand-by generator.

The science laboratory was commissioned by the Member Representing Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Isreal Sunny Goli and it has separate laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and Biology and is supported with solar power.

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Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote explained that capacity building is one of NCDMB's key objectives and the agency had decided to promote such efforts from the primary school level up to the university level. So far, NCDMB had donated 25 ICT centres to secondary schools across the country and built the capacity of teachers in some states, including Kastina and Bayelsa sates, as part of its capacity building and corporate social responsibility programmes.

According to him, “We believe in enhancing the quality of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. It is sad that in some secondary schools, particularly in remote locations, students are taught these subjects without any practical experience.

“Our strategy going forward is to encourage STEM education as well as ICT in secondary schools across the country. These days every entrance examination is done online and we if don't start inculcating those knowledge in

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secondary students, most of them will fall behind in meeting up with the ICT age.”

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He noted some of the offshore oil and gas fields were currently being accessed from far locations like Lagos, with considerable cost implications. He stated that developing and utilizing nearby On strategies for maintaining the centres, locations like Brass Island for oil and gas logistics operations would Wabote explained that NCDMB had instituted a help the industry meet the recent charge by the Minister of State for sustainability programme, which includes a one year Petroleum Resources for players in the industry to ensure a management arrangement and training of staff and significant reduction in the cost per barrel of Nigeria's crude oil locals to operate the centres. production.

He assured that NCDMB will run periodic He said “part of the strategy is to site logistics requirements assessments of the facilities and develop new where it is easy to access, reducing time, fuel consumption and strategies to sustain them. “We have a strategic improving turnaround maintenance time. A serious study is going on objective and a plan to follow through on most of currently to see the things that would be possible on the Island of these centres we have established for sustainability.

Brass in order bring down our cost of production.”

For us, it is an end to end thinking in most of these He listed other investments opportunities that were being activities we are doing”. considered by NCDMB for Brass Island to include sitting a modular Speaking on oil and gas investment refinery in partnership with Waltersmith Petroleum Limited and opportunities that could be developed on the Brass utilizing feed stock from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, which Island, the Executive Secretary described the island operates in the location. He added, “It is also a veritable location for as a strategic location, stating that it is the closest even a dry dock facility or a floating dock facility. NCDMB is currently point from where one can access many of the studying a strategy for establishing and enhancing all the existing Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) dry dock facilities to maintain our ships, light crafts and also expand platforms that operate off the shores of Nigerian our integration base in the country.” waters, including Bonga main.

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Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo, the Minister stated that the Research and Development Fund would be applied in the establishment of Research Centers of Excellence, Funding support for Research Commercialization, Funding support for Basic and Applied Research and Endowment of professorial chairs in universities and research institutions.

He noted that Nigeria spends only about 0.2 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on Research and Development as compared to developed nations that spend between 2.5 to 4 percent of their annual GDP and developing nations that spend between 0.7 and to 1.2 percent.

He highlighted that the continued underfunding of

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Sylva encouraged oil and gas operating and service companies and other members of the private sector to embrace investment in R&D as a key component of their business model and complement the Nigerian Content Research and Development Fund.

Commissioning the Technology Incubation and Innovation Center which is located within the Nigerian Content Tower, the Minister stated that the centre will provide a platform for idea generation, incubation and acceleration of innovative ideas to the marketplace.

He said that innovations emanate from creating ecosystems where ideas can connect and charged industry stakeholders and youths to take advantage of the Center to foster adaptation of existing solutions and create new solutions that address major industry challenges.

Underscoring the point that Research and Innovation ecosystem thrive better with strong collaboration between Government, Industry and the Academia, the Minister reconstituted the Nigerian Content Research and Development Council (NCRDC) which consists of delegates from the three key groups. The body offers policies that shape the direction of NCDMB's research interventions and

Engr. Wabote, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Petroluem and guest at the Launch of the R&D in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

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The Minister performed these tasks at the second edition of the NCDMB R&D Fair and Conference held recently at the 17-storey Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with the theme “Creating Sustainable Collaboration in Research and Development for the Energy Industry and its Linkage Sectors.”

Research and Development in Nigeria reflects on the country's overdependence on foreign goods and services, adding that ”this is unsustainable if we are serious about building a national technological capability that will drive economic growth.”

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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva recently commissioned the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board's Technology Incubation and Innovation Center and formally launched the US$50 million Nigerian Content Research and Development Fund.

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Engr. Wabote and a cross section of guests at the launch of the $50 million R&D fund in Bayelsa State

the membership includes representatives of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and the Petroleum Contractors Trade Section (OPTS). Other statutory members include the National Universities Commisison (NUC), National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) and the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).

attract new investments and keep existing businesses afloat as well as the creation of access to market to enhance patronage of goods and services generated from established capacities.

He noted that another reason NCDMB is focusing energy on Research and Development is because it is one of the six parameters which are essential for sustainable Local Content practice. Other five parameters for sustainable Local Content development include an enabling regulatory framework, periodic gap analysis, structured capacity building and fiscal and monetary incentives to

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari delivered a goodwill message at the event and assured the support of the national oil company and the entire oil industry to the R&D initiatives being promoted by the Board.

The third reason the Board is promoting Research and Development in the oil and gas industry is because it is in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010.

According to Wabote “the authors of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010 recognized the importance of Research and Development and included key provisions in the Act. Specifically, The Minister used the event to launch the Sections 36, 37, 38, and 39, of the NOGICD Act are dedicated to promoting publications on the Nigerian Content Research Research and Development.” and Development Roadmap and US$50m R&D Fund Operating Protocol.

He further explained that Research and Development is a major feature of the Board's 10-Year Strategic roadmap which seeks to increase the level Earlier in his presentation, the Executive of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry to 70 percent by the year Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye 2027.

Wabote emphasised that Research and Development is pivotal to the growth and According to him “the 10-Year Roadmap consists of five pillars and development of any nation and play crucial four enablers. The pillar on Technical Capability Development contains role in opening new chapters of modern life. initiatives to further drive the delivery of Research and Development in oil and gas industry. The enabler on research and statistics cover the He expressed regret that African nations initiatives required to conduct research in key areas to generate new accounted for less than one percent of the evidence to address industry knowledge gaps and operational challenges.” global R&D spend and the continent's aggregate GDP is only three percent of the Speaking further, Wabote announced that the Board would soon global GDP. He added that “there is a nexus embark on a roadshow to showcase its Research and Development between the spend on Research and initiatives to the various stakeholder groups, including universities in the Development and economic prosperity. It is country which represent a key constituency. time to start to nurture the growth of our He said the Board was set to move fully into the implementation phase home-grown technology rather just being a of its initiatives to derive better results from the intellect of Nigerians in wholesome consumer of other people's the academia, research institutions, and technology hubs. innovation.”

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The Fair featured exhibitions by universities and inventors and technical discussions by academics and stakeholders in oil and gas on strategies for generating demand driven research that would solve practical problems and improve the operations of the oil and gas industry.

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NCDMB, NNPC invest in N10.5bn Brass Petroleum Products Terminal

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L-R: Engr. Wabote, Hon. Timipre Sylva, Minister of state, Petroluem, Mr. Mele Kyari, GMD, NNPC and a guest at the event

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and ZED Energy Limited on Friday in Abuja signed shareholders agreement on the construction of Brass Petroleum Products Terminal Limited (BPPT), to be located at Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

The estimated cost of the project is N10.5bn (Ten Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira). NCDMB and NNPC own 30 percent respectively while ZED Energy – a private firm holds 40 percent and would operate the terminal upon completion. The terminal would make refined petroleum products available at riverine communities of the Niger Delta at the standard prices, discourage the operations of illegal refineries and create job opportunities for citizens of the Niger Delta and other Nigerians.

The terminal would serve as a strategic reserve for the country as it would hold up to 50 million litres of products. It would also serve as a two-way product jetty – land and marine trucks loading of automotive gas oil (AGO), premium motor spirit (PMS), dual purpose kerosene (DPK) and aviation turbine kerosene (ATK).

According to the promoters, the project would enhance energy security in the Niger Delta and is expected to create 1000 direct jobs during construction and another 5000 direct and indirect jobs during the operations phase, because of the nature of downstream

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The terminal would serve as a strategic reserve for the country as it would hold up to 50 million litres of products. It would also serve as a two-way product jetty – land and marine trucks loading of automotive gas oil (AGO), premium motor spirit (PMS), dual purpose kerosene (DPK) and aviation turbine kerosene (ATK).

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operations to create huge employment opportunities.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva described the project as another major achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Niger Delta region.

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Listing some of the landmark projects, notably the Oloibiri Museum and Research Center (OMRC), the Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Ltd (BFPCL, the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park, among others, the Minister insisted that no former leader of the country had impacted the oil sector in the Niger Delta region more than President Buhari.

Sylva noted that residents of riverine areas had perpetually bought refined petroleum products at astronomical prices because of the huge cost of transporting products to those locations. He also attributed the prevalence of illegal refineries in the region to the nonavailability legitimate alternatives and expressed hope that the Brass Petroleum Products Terminal Limited (BPPT) would solve some of the problems of the Niger Delta region.

The Minister also commended the smooth collaboration between the NCDMB, NNPC and ZED Energy on the project, hinting that such partnership was needed to move the Nigerian oil and gas industry forward.

The Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote underscored the economic benefits of co-locating the BPPT with the Energy Infrastructure Park being developed at Okpoama and the Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company Ltd (BFPCL), at Odioma, Brass both projects being developed with equity financing by the NCDMB. He said: “If you go to developed economies, there are parks for manufacturing and industrialization. When you have the Brass Fertilizer, the BPPT and the refinery that is being built in the same area, you get the benefits of being within a Free Trade Zone. It will bring down the costs of developing those products simultaneously because the raw materials are just behind them. There is no reason to take the investments to distant locations where costs would increase.”

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari said the national oil company should have invested in the terminal 30 years ago and expressed delight that it is happening now and would be delivered.

He said: “Beyond the clear social responsibilities, this makes business sense. The location of the planned depot would create a platform for the delivery of petroleum products to some of our offshore facilities

Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) and Project Lead of the BPPT, Mr. Bala Wunti noted that since the commencement of oil exploration at Oloibiri in Bayelsa in 1958, there has not been any significant downstream activity or investment in the state.

He further stated that Bayelsa State produces 40 percent of Nigeria's onshore and swamp crude oil and hosts some of the nation's Deepwater prospects and assets, yet there was no correlation with the level of socio-economic development and employment. “Our intention is that this adventure would try to close that gap,” he promised.

He also confirmed that the cost of the project had been estimated at N10.5bn (Ten Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira) and it was arrived from the pre-engineering and prefront-end engineering design (Pre-FEED). He stated that the funds would come the partners and there are no risks regarding finance.

He added: “We have done our baseline survey and we want to start procurements of long lead items and several other things, including engineering. The idea is that long before 2023, we would have this depot up and running. It would bring a uniqueness and innovative depot platform.

This will be a dual loading facility; it would load land trucks and marine trucks. It means we are creating something that is better that floating storage. It will also reduce demurrage.

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The idea is that long before 2023, we would have this depot up and running.

It would bring a uniqueness and innovative depot platform. This will be a dual loading facility; it would load land trucks and marine trucks.

“NNPC is playing the role of facilitating the supply of petroleum products to all sections of this country, more importantly to the region that produce the resources, where refined products are not readily available. This initiative would make sure that we deliver products in the most fair and equitable means.”

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NIGERIAN CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AND MONITORING BOARD NIGERIAN CONTENT TOWER , OX-BOW LAKE, SW ALI, YENAGOA , BAYELSA STATE

NIGERIAN CONTENT INTERVENTION (NCI) FUND REPORT CARD

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Initial NCI Fund size in 2017 Initial Products · Manufacturing · Loan Renancing · Asset Acquisition

Obligor Limit: US$10m Interest Rate: 8%

Contract Financing

Obligor Limit: US$5m Interest Rate: 8%

Community Contractors Financing

Obligor Limit: N20m Interest Rate: 5%

18 months COVID-19 palliative: April 1, 2020 Sept 30, 2031

* Interest rate reduced from 8% to 6% * Tenor of running loans extended by 18 months * Moratorium on principal repayment for maximum of 18 months

· Loan Disbursement · Loan Repayment

Increase of Fund Size in June 2020

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· 100% · 98 %

US$200m to US$350m

New Products · Women in Oil and Gas · Working Capital (PETAN)

· US$20m · US$30m

Total Fund Size

US$350m

NCDMB ... Building a new Nigeria oil and gas industry and using Nigerian Content development as an instrument for Industrialisa on of Nigeria.

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Through its services, Voice, Data and Airtel Money, Airtel Africa is committed to making the lives of its customers more managaeble by creating a digitally connected world. The group aims to continue providing a simple and intuitive customer experience through streamlined customer journeys.

In a bid to realise this unique vision, the group's leadership has been working tirelessly to ensure the entire team is key into this vision and aim at providing that unique and intuitive customer experience.

Not surprisingly, the CEO of Airtel Africa, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, emerged winner of the Africa Business Leader of the Year Award, in a keenly contested poll.

The organisers of the award, the African Leadership Magazine, had an E-interview with Mr Ogunsanya, where he talked about his achievements and the unique services Airtel provides. Excerpts;

THE VISION OF AIRTEL IS TO ENRICH AND PROVIDE A UNIQUE SERVICE EXPERIENCE TO OUR CUSTOMERS

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You joined Airtel in 2012, and you have grown through the ranks to become the Chief Executive of one of Africa's leading network service providers. What has the experience been and some of your achievements holding key positions within the company and now tipped to be the first Nigerian and African to lead the company's operations across Africa?

The experience has been remarkable. I have been fortunate to work with a fantastic team and board members who have not just supported the vision of creating and delivering value to all the stakeholder groups but demonstrated strong commitment in the implementation of this vision.

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I must, specifically, thank our customers who have stood by us over the years – they are the reason why we are in business and I am grateful that they have chosen Airtel's services.

Beyond our primary goal of connecting people with reliable mobile telephony and broadband services, we have been consistent in our approach of attempting to make life better. Our flagship Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Touching Lives, bears testimony to our work in the area of community development.

Regarding my appointment as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Airtel Africa plc, I believe this is yet another opportunity to serve and create real value for all stakeholder groups. As I work with my colleagues to deliver this mandate, I will also focus on building communities, creating sustainable initiatives, and supporting the vulnerable in the communities where we operate across Africa.

What makes Airtel Africa the strong and unique brand that it is today and what strategies does the brand work with to impact businesses and transactions in Africa?

Airtel Africa plc provides relevant, simple and reliable solutions that empower and make lives better for over 120 million customers served across Africa.

Our vision is to enrich customers' lives and provide a unique service experience to our customers. We are committed to this vision and strategy and we will continue to try and meet the expectations of our customers.

1. Airtel has performed well in revenue with recent reports noting that the company announced a 30.7 percent for the previous quarter. What are some of your plans to sustain and continue the appreciation of such growth for the company?

2. The Group will continue to invest in its network and distribution infrastructure, to enhance both mobile and connectivity and financial inclusion across our countries of operation. We will also continue to invest in expanding our 4G network footprint to increase data capacity in our networks to support future business growth, as well as deploying new sites, especially in rural areas, to enhance coverage and connectivity.

The telecommunications industry is seen as one of the

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most thriving as the world faces the Covid19 pandemic, even with the tilt towards recovery. What lessons has the organisation learned to improve in quality and service in a period that has been termed one of the most challenging in human history?

The industry responded very well during the crisis. We ensured uninterrupted service even during the peak of the pandemic. However, we learnt some lessons and saw opportunities in building alternative virtual channels to sustain customer service and promote contactless sales operations.

Technology and innovation were crucial, and we will continue to improve.

Nigeria is one of Airtel's biggest markets in Africa, and sim regulations saw a restriction in the growth of the company's customer base in the country. How does the company intend to recover the customer base and position itself into the lead network in the country Post Covid?

We will continue to partner the Government and other regulatory bodies to ensure that we strictly comply with all regulations. In Nigeria, the restriction on SIM registration has been lifted, and we are already in an excellent position to compete for market leadership. These challenging times have shown that the telecoms industry is a key and essential service, allowing customers to work remotely, reduce their travel and keep connected.

How does it feel to be voted the African Business Leader of the Year by leaders and business minds across Africa?

This recognition humbles me, and I want to dedicate this award to the team at Airtel who keep focused on delighting our customers every day.

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Our flagship Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Touching Lives, bears testimony to our work in the area of community development.

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With the support of my colleagues and our esteemed customers, I am glad that Airtel Africa plc is not just a major stakeholder in Nigeria but we have been in the frontline of delivering programmes that have connected and empowered millions of Nigerians and also touched our communities positively.

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“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,” would be a fitting epigram to describe the tumultuous journey of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organization, WHO as he as he manages one of the world's deadliest disease outbreak – COVID-19.

The entire planet counts on his every word and are looking to him daily to provide guidance towards ending what has now become a global catastrophe.

Dr. Tedros, a public health specialist assumed office 3 years ago promising to reform the organisation, and to tackle the illnesses kills millions each year: malaria, measles, childhood pneumonia, and HIV/Aids, unbeknownst to him, something deadlier was lurking in the corner, that will eventually dominate his time in office.

However, he has faced more than the pandemic, as he had to contend with and try to weather bitter criticism most notably from the US - of his handling of the pandemic, which the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January.

A PHEIC is the WHO's highest level of health emergency.

That means it requires 24-hour monitoring, deployment of medical staff, equipment and medicines, daily discussions with affected countries and countries who might be affected, and of course, a steady stream of reliable

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The Global FACE of LEADERSHIP Amidst a Pandemic

information for an anxious world desperate for immediate answers.

This is no doubt a huge task for the unassuming 56-year-old and first African to lead the global body. Especially since he had to undertake the task ahead with lesser resources, as the then US President, Donald Trump, cut the country's funding of the agency. The agency had to work with a shoe-string budget.

Dr. Tedros, who was at different times Ethiopia's Minister of Health and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has undoubtedly won admiration from global leaders for his handling of the pandemic, despite the challenges.

He has been able to manage the outcomes of the disagreement was careful at every point to say that he "regrets" the US decision, and his only mention of Mr Trump at the time, was to say he thought the president was handling the US' virus outbreak well.

Moving forward, he assembled an all-star lineup of world leaders, in which the US was conspicuous by its absence. This was considered

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“ It's right that all governments want to prioritize vaccinating their own health workers and older people first. But it's not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries,” he said.

It is on record that within a year of the first reported case of COVID-19, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first fully tested immunization to be approved for emergency use against the deadly virus. The lightning-speed development and approval of the vaccine has been described as an extraordinary success in global health, and received internationally with a sigh of relief. However, the approval of safe and effective vaccines was only the first step to ending the pandemic. After that came the need to produce enough vaccines to immunize everyone globally, and to distribute and administer those doses in an orderly and efficient manner.

This is where the concept of "vaccine equity" comes in. How can we ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed fairly to all populations, and that people of all regions, means, and backgrounds are able to access them?

Speaking in January 2021 during the 148th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, the Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus stated that, “Vaccines are the shot in the arm we all need - literally and figuratively.”

Continuing the opined that, “The recent emergence of rapidlyspreading variants makes the rapid and equitable rollout of vaccines all the more important.”

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His heart and commitment to the underserved members of the society is compelling.

While it may be true that the success of Dr Tedros, and the WHO as a whole, at handling the coronavirus will only be clearer at the end of the crisis, it is only fitting that we reserve some accolades for him and his team as the continue to push through with the tough task ahead. He deserves this and more as he continues with his press conferences.

Despite the heavy burden to come up with answers, and the never-ending media spotlight, he remains quiet and friendly.

As he had rightly said, he has reserved his energy, not for needless banters, but, for the crucial task of saving lives.

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Today, Dr Tedros has moved from just advising governments on the containment and management of the pandemic to promoting Vaccine Equity.

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In his word, “But we now face the real danger that even as vaccines bring hope to some, they become another brick in the wall of inequality between the world's haves and have-nots.”

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a leadership masterstroke as it laid the groundwork for an accelerated development of treatments and vaccines. It sent a very strong signal to Washington, that the world is getting on with the crisis together without the United States.

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KEYNOTE REMARKS BY THE REIGNING AFRICAN LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE PERSON OF THE YEAR, DR TEDROS GHEBREYESUS, DURING THE 2021 VIRTUAL PRESENTATION CEREMONY

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Your Excellency Nana Akufo Addo, President of Ghana, Your Excellency Dr Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria, Your Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of Sierra Leone, Your Excellency Graça Machel,

winner, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank, and thank you for your kind words of congratulations, my brother.

I do not accept this award only on my own behalf, but on behalf of my colleagues at WHO, who work every day, sometimes in difficult and dangerous situations, to protect and promote the health of Africaʼs people, and the worldʼs.

Honourable Senator Manqoba Khumalo, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Eswatini,

That has never been more important than in the past year.

Honourable Samuel D. Tweah, Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Liberia,

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many of Africaʼs strengths and vulnerabilities.

Dr John Nkengasong, Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr Ken Giami, Chairman and Publisher, African Leadership Magazine, Distinguished guests, my dear brothers and sisters, As a proud son of Africa, I am deeply humbled to accept this award.

I express my thanks to African Leadership Magazine and its readers for their support.

When COVID-19 first emerged more than a year ago, we were deeply concerned about its potential impact in Africa, and other regions with weaker health systems.

Regional solidarity has been a vital part of the response, and I would like to acknowledge the leadership of President Ramaphosa and Mouusa Faki in developing the continental strategy against COVID-19 in Africa, and for bringing together a coalition of political and business leaders.

So far, more than 3.8 million cases have been reported

I would also like to acknowledge and thank last yearʼs

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from African Union countries, and we have lost more than 100 thousand of our brothers and sisters.

climate change, child marriage, or many of the other problems our brothers and sisters face on a daily basis.

We know that the real numbers are almost certainly higher.

The pandemic has highlighted that health is central to Africaʼs future.

But we also know that our continentʼs relatively young population means Africa has not seen the same scale of severe disease and death as other regions with older populations.

A runner does not win races to become fast; she becomes fast to win races.

In the same way, health is not a product of strong and prosperous nations; it is the means.

A healthy population is a productive, innovative and resilient population.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO has been working day and night to ensure equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics for COVID-19.

And the best way to protect and promote the health of a population is to make sure all its people can access the health services they need, where and when they need them, without facing financial hardship.

Last January, only two countries in Africa had PCR testing capacity for COVID-19. By the end of February, we expanded that to 32 countries, and to all countries by midJune.

Since then, we have shipped millions of test kits to Africa, tons of personal protective equipment, oxygen concentrators, dexamethasone and other essential supplies.

The approval of safe and effective vaccines is now giving us all hope of bringing the pandemic under control.

So far, more than 200 million doses of vaccine have been administered, but half of those doses are in just two countries, and more than 80% are in 10 countries.

WHO and our partners are working urgently to ensure vaccines are distributed to all countries as quickly as possible.

This week, Ghana became the first country outside India to receive vaccines for COVID-19 through the COVAX Facility.

And just a few hours ago, more doses arrived in Côte dʼIvoire. We expect more African countries to receive doses next week, and in the coming weeks.

Vaccines are a powerful tool, but we must remember they are not the only tool.

Vaccines complement, but do not replace, the other public health measures that countries in Africa have used to successfully prevent or control widespread transmission.

Even as we rollout vaccines, testing, contact tracing, isolation, supported quarantine and quality care remain important.

Thatʼs why WHOʼs top priority remains universal health coverage, built on strong primary health care.

The late Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, who was my boss and friend, was a strong advocate for panAfricanism. He was a visionary and a leader I admired in so many ways.

He taught me to focus on what really matters.

I remain more convinced than ever that to build the healthier, safer, fairer, more prosperous and more sustainable Africa we all want, health must be seen not as a cost to be contained, but as an investment to be nurtured – an investment that delivers a rich reward.

Our continent is the birthplace of humanity, but it will also play a vital part in the future of humanity.

Our continent is home to some of the richest resources on earth.

I donʼt mean the resources buried underground; I mean the ones above ground – our brothers and sisters.

They are the future of our great continent. And they must be the focus of our investments now.

To quote His Excellency Paul Kagame, “Africaʼs story has been written by others; we need to own our problems and solutions and write our story.”

Africa has made me who I am, and I hope in some small way to repay the debt.

Thank you so much again for this great honour.

And so do individual measures, like physical distancing, avoiding crowds, hand hygiene, masks and ventilation.

Vaccines will help to bring the pandemic under control, but we will still be left with many of the same challenges we had before.

There is no vaccine for poverty, hunger, inequality,

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Africaʼs long experience in applying public health measures to respond to infectious disease outbreaks has also helped.

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Caroline Abel

GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF SEYCHELLES

WORK SHOULD NOT BEAR A GENDER SPECIFIC STAMP Ms. Caroline Abel was first appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) on 14th March 2012, becoming the first woman in Seychelles to hold the position. She was reappointed to serve a second six-year term in March 2018. She is also Chairperson of the CBS Board.

As Governor, she also represents Seychelles as the Alternate Governor for the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the African Development Bank, as well as Governor for the African Export-Import Bank. She is also ViceChairperson of the African Financial Inclusion Policy Initiative (AfPI), a position she assumed in August 2020, serving a two-year term.

Ms. Abel holds a BA in Economics, with Distinction from the University of Leeds and a Masters in Philosophy (MPhil) in Monetary Economics and Finance graduating with Distinction from the University of Glasgow.

In this interview with African Leadership Magazine, Ms. Abel talks about her achievement as Governor of the bank of Seychelles and also bared her thoughts on gender issues in leadership.

Excerpts:

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On 14 March, 2012, you became the first woman to be appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles. What has been your major drive in attaining this prestigious position?

Being the head of a central bank is a notable feat for anyone attaining or aspiring to be in that position. When deciding my career path, I first considered joining the medical field as a nurse. Back then, I would never have imagined that I would end up working in the financial sector, let alone become Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles.

I was instilled with the values of working hard from a young age.

Upon joining the Central Bank, I approached my work with the same determination, spirit of understanding and collaboration that I apply to everything I decide to do as a matter of principle. We are fortunate in Seychelles that we have no institutionalised gender barriers. Girls and boys have equal access to education and are free to aspire to become whomever they want to be. Therefore, I would say that having the first female Governor of the Central Bank was only a matter of time, as appointment to the post is based on competency and ability to steer the country's economy. Having said that, I am proud to be serving in this position, and I hope that it motivates other women to move out of their comfort zone and not be afraid to challenge themselves in whatever career they aspire to join.

As the first runner-up in the Central Bank of the year category, what achievements do you acknowledge about yourself that made you attain this position?

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I decided to look at the obstacles brought about by the pandemic To other young African female through the opportunity lens, which leaders, I would say, do not allow has allowed me to lead my team your gender to become a barrier to to your aspirations. As recent as a few Ÿ design innovative policies to decades ago, tradition and culture ensure the continued functioning had women primarily pigeon-holed in of the financial system and nurturing or support roles. Today, provide support to the economy. however, women are making their marks in domains previously mainly Ÿ Work on adopting a Digital attributed to men. Work should not Financial Agenda guiding the bear a gender-specific stamp. As long implementation of the as an individual is willing to put in Modernisation Plan of the National effort and dedication, they should be able to reach the highest echelons in Ÿ Payment System and adopting a any chosen field.

National Fintech Strategy was accelerated in the wake of the If you are going to focus on pandemic. your gender, place emphasis on qualities such as adaptability, tenacity, Ÿ The Central Bank also seized the determination, support and flexibility opportunity to intensify its – some traits that I believe to be financial education initiatives, which inherent to the female gender – and we hope will increase the uptake of use these qualities to make you an digital financial services. asset to your organisation. The rest For nearly a decade, you have served as should fall into place. the Governor of the Central Bank of As the Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, excelling in a field that is Seychelles, how is your country highly dominated by males. What are connected to the rest of Africaʼs some obstacles you may have come financial sector? across and how did you overcome them?

Being connected to Africa and I believe that what matters most the rest of the world, particularly with regards to the financial sector, to me in my role of Governor is not the gender but rather the ability is of utmost importance to to approach your duties with zeal and Seychelles, being a small island confidence. The challenges that I have state, dependent on tourism and cross-border trade. faced have indeed been more than what my predecessors had to deal with, The Central Bank of Seychelles is and I am sure that the challenges represented on or participates actively awaiting my successor will be more in initiatives driven by several key complex than what I have faced, as institutions and groupings working such is the evolving nature of the to strengthen the development and financial sector. Like we have seen growth of Africa's financial sector and recently with the pandemic, African economies. This includes the challenges are neither kinder nor African Development Bank, African harsher to women leaders. Economic Export-Import Bank, the Committee of and financial circumstances do not Central Bank Governors from the SADC change depending on who sits in the Ÿ

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The continent has a lot of potential for the financial sector's role in facilitating activities, including trade, that will strengthen economic development. As Governor, I am particularly focused on ensuring that the Central Bank collaborates with its counterparts across the continent and the stakeholder organisations to continue finding ways to address challenges hindering more progress.

We cannot overlook the need to ensure convenient, affordable, reliable and safe financial services – at the core of which is the provision and access to innovative and digital financial services and products.

Equally important is the need to have financial inclusion and education strategies. Our policies should also ensure that as individual countries and as a continent, we have robust regulatory and supervisory frameworks to deter and mitigate the various risks that have not ceased to threaten global financial stability in recent years. This includes cyberthreats, terrorist financing and money laundering, among others.

While generally worldwide, the financial sector is dominated by males - even at the level of Governors, where there are currently only 14 women heading central banks across the globe - the perception of gender inequality and stereotyping should not be generalised. If I may draw on the Seychelles example, many

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Today, women are making their marks in domains previously mainly attributed to men. Work should not bear a gender-specific stamp.

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What would be your word of encouragement to other young African female leaders anticipating holding such high positions in their respective countries?

region, and the African Financial Inclusion Policy Initiative, which is part of the broader Alliance of Financial Inclusion network, among others.

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Governor's chair, and decisions that need to be made are the same, regardless of if the Governor is male or female. As long as the individual is willing to work hard, they should overcome any challenges.

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When thinking about the COVID19 pandemic, many of us mostly see the challenges and disruptions it has brought to how we usually do things.

We need to keep in mind that changes often come through upheavals; when challenged, we are urged to think out of the box and do things differently and more efficiently.

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women are working in the financial services sector.

Going further, while central banking has traditionally been male-dominated, the Central Bank of Seychelles has a 65 percent female workforce, a 50/50 representation of both genders at Management level and 37 percent representation of women at Board Director level.

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The statistics point towards a larger percentage of males when it comes to more senior positions and rather than simply attributing this fact to the sector being male-dominated, we should consider the possible factors that are hindering women to join the higher ranks. As such, I firmly believe that both men and women should be given the support and opportunity to develop and reach their full potential when it comes to their careers, including making it to leadership roles.

Seychelles is a small island and a major tourism hub.

How is the Central Bank driving investments into Seychellesʼ tourism industry? And what does this mean for the Island?

The primary objective of the Central Bank of Seychelles is to promote domestic price stability, which assists economic growth and helps maintain investor confidence in the economy. The institution supports domestic economic activity and reduces financial stability risks through the effective implementation of Monetary Policy.

The CBS is also a forward-looking institution that does not shy away from taking bold and unconventional measures. This has been particularly true since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that has severely impacted the country's mainstay – the tourism industry – and in this process, the entire economy. Last year, the Board of the Central Bank approved two credit line facilities being administered by various credit-granting institutions, to assist private sector businesses impacted by the pandemic. Through the schemes, impacted businesses in the tourism and other sectors have been able to access funding to meet their critical operating expenditures and make necessary improvements driven by the impact of the ongoing pandemic, such as introducing new technologies.

Although the recovery path remains uncertain, the various policy measures implemented by the Central Bank and the Government have contributed to support the domestic economy and safeguard financial stability. This has contributed to a gradual pick-up in tourism activity and the resumption of economic activity, with encouraging signs being observed albeit the performance has not reverted to pre-COVID-19 levels.

How has the COVID 19 Pandemic affected the economic reforms in Seychelles?

Following the 2008 global financial crisis and Seychelles defaulting on its sovereign debt, the country embarked on an economic reform programme supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Much success had been achieved, where the country was seeing strong economic growth and on track to reduce the public debt-to-GDP ratio to 50% by 2021.

Given the severe impact of COVID-19 globally, local authorities had to implement policies to support the livelihoods of individuals and businesses and prevent the economy from collapsing. To implement some of the measures meant incurring more debt for the Government, which led to the debt-to-GDP ratio increasing to just above 100 percent in 2020.

Faced with this reality, the country has now embarked on a new economic reform programme with the support of the IMF, where reducing the Government's budget deficit and improving the country's debt sustainability level are among the key objectives. As with any reform, there will be challenges to overcome, but if well-implemented - and if the country stays on track to achieve the set targets - the reforms will bring the country on the path of recovery and in an even better position than it was before the pandemic.

Concluding Statement The past months have been somewhat challenging but also present us with a learning curve that allows us to grow on a personal as well as on a professional level. The unprecedented pandemic has shown the world that all economies are vulnerable, and we need to be ready to take bold and decisive actions to maintain economic stability. Post the pandemic, we all need to take stock – be it at a personal, organisational and country-level – of our actions and what we can do differently to prepare ourselves better to face any future eventualities. We must remain resilient when adversity strikes, as it is in these testing times that we should take the opportunity to grow and achieve our full potential. I am honoured to emerge as the runner-up for the Governor of the Year Award, which would not have been possible without the support and dedication of my team at the Central Bank of Seychelles.

THANK YOU

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NCAA: Redefining Civil Aviation Safety & Regulations in Nigeria

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Prior to his appointment as the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Captain Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, was the country's Permanent Representative at the Council of International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO in Montreal, Canada. With over 39 years of experience in the industry, Capt.

Nuhu's commitment to redefining aviation regulation and sanitizing the industry is perceptible. In this exclusive interview with African Leadership Magazine UK, he talks about his commitment to the promoting the potentials, and confronting the challenges bedeviling Nigeria's aviation sector. He also talks about his efforts to contribute towards Nigeria's economic growth and Development through the aviation sector. Excerpts: You were Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, Canada, before you were appointed as the Director-General of Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority. The Aviation industry in Nigeria has been plagued with many challenges over the years, that it becomes difficult to solve the entire problems within a short time.

What has been your priority area as the DG of NCAA since your appointment in 2019?

I was the representative of Nigeria at the International Civil Aviation Organization from May 2006 till the end of 2019 before I was recalled and appointed the DG NCAA Nigeria. It was a great honour, reflecting on the work I've done representing not only Nigeria but the African continent, protecting their interest and ensuring that whatever relates to Africa is put on the front burner. I confirmed that the continent was put on the front burner and carried along in formulating policies and regulations for International civil aviation.

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As DG NCAA, we had our plans, but immediately after I resumed office, we had the COVID-19 disruption, and everything changed. In the entire civil aviation industry globally, nobody was prepared for what came up. It was massive. Civil aviation significantly suffered, and there was shut down worldwide; even the International Civil Aviation Organization faced many challenges. No one knew what to do because nobody was prepared or trained for that. So we looked inwards and asked what we were going to do as Nigerians and not wait for the International Civil Aviation to develop their policies or the recommendations they would come up with.

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Surprisingly, the comments were highly positive, and they were so happy with what they saw from Nigeria. They asked us to share with other African countries, and we gave them the goahead so that they also can see what we've done and try to build their own on what Nigeria had done.

So, we implemented our plans, and we received a lot of scepticism from the industry, Nigerians and the travelling public. But, we had already planned for this and was prepared to deal with them. As for flights, there's what we call longtime storage maintenance, which we ensured the airlines complied with.

They constantly checked the Aircraft, ran the engine, and did many things to check the plane's airworthiness. Also, for the pilots, we came up with what we call the alternate means of compliance.

Every pilot was supposed to do their stimulatory training every six months to keep them sharp and practice emergencies. Since they could not fly, we made sure that these practices happen by simulations to ensure that they can handle real-life situations when they eventually begin to fly. We had series of zoom meetings that lasted for 5 - 6 hours with over 500 people in attendance. The people were looking for guidance. They were looking for leadership, they were lost and needed somebody to help them, and I can proudly say NCAA took that mantle, and we successfully discussed with the airlines, showed them our plans, and communicated with them. Some of them had criticisms, some had better options, and we all sat down. And we review our procedures taking all these

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comments and criticisms to be sure that we carried everybody along, which we did, and we came up with a final paper with guidelines for every sector of the industry. For the airlines we have series ABCD, you must comply with all these before giving you approval. Even for the airports, we shut them down; you have to do ABCD before you open. We had guidelines for every sector in the aviation industry that they had to comply with before allowing them to operate. We did risk assessments to ensure we minimize whatever risk.

Aviation could do a lot better in Nigeria. Currently in Nigeria, aviation contributes 0.7%, which is extremely poor. In the middle term, the aspirational goal of the Ministry of Aviation in conjunction with the NCAA is to go from 0.7% to a minimum of 5%. If we look at the population of Nigeria, let's say 200 million people, post-COVID, we assume we have 12 million passengers, which is less than 10% of the population. Nigeria is the most under travelled country. Out of that 12 million, the probability is just 2.3 million people that took flights regularly. If you look at the actual population of Nigerians travelling, probably less than 5%. But there's vast potential.

Through the ministry of aviation, the government has come up with a road map, part of which is forming an organization for the maintenance of Aircraft, which is killing the industry. People having to fly their Aircraft out for maintenance, they lose the use of their Aircraft for that period, and spend a lot of money, and they have to look for foreign exchange to maintain the Aircraft.

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According to a report by Air Action Group in 2014, which says that the global economy that's part of the Aviation sector directly or indirectly is around 2.2 trillion dollars at the time, which is about 3.5% of the world's GDP at the time.

How would you say the aviation sector in Nigeria has helped to promote Nigeria's economic growth from your experience?

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Nigeria was one of the first countries to restart domestic flights. We started gradually to be sure everything was okay. We started with Lagos and Abuja, and then when other airports started meeting our requirements, we started expanding to where we are today.

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So we decided on our own in Nigeria to set up an in-house team, made up entirely of the Civil Aviation Authority officials, and we developed plans to deal with the shutdown of the industry and how we maintain the system within the shutdown, and how to restart the industry. We consulted primarily with the Ministry, Aviation Authorities, the nation's Centre for Disease Control, and the Presidential taskforce on COVID-19.

With all these, we came up with a very robust Industry restart plan. We shared it with the African Civil Aviation Commission and ICAO at their regional office in Dakar when we did that. We shared it with them for criticism.

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The people were looking for guidance.

They were looking for leadership; they were lo and needed somebody to hell them, and I can proudly say NCAA took that mantle.

When we do that, we use money in Nigeria to develop other countries; we call it capital flight. So the government is working on starting up a maintenance hub.

It's going to be mostly the private sector-led, which will help solve a lot of the issues we have. Then the point of Airport concessioning. You know some of our airports are not in the best situation. And I believe airport terminals are better run by private business people who are experts in those areas. You see, some of the large Airports in the world are operated by private organizations.

There's a whole misunderstanding of concession; a lot of people mistake it for privatization. Privatization is an outright sale, but concession is to give a partner to run it for several years. He's going to invest, and he's going to develop. You'll have better Infrastructure, you'll have better world-class services, and at the end of the day, they'll pay something to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

People miss that the money the government puts in running the airports is not going to put it again. They use it for something else. In the end, they'll still get money from it. So it's a win for everybody as far as I am concerned.

As a regulatory body, NCAA is the heart of the Civil Aviation industry because we affect every industry sector; they have to relate with us. So NCAA needs to get its act together. The NCAA needs to be placed in a position to deal with these emerging issues. If the civil aviation authority on its own does not function the way it has to perform, all these good plans will get washed away.

NCAA has an excellent structure; we have our challenges and difficulties, but we've been working considerably since I assumedoffice as the Director-General. As the DG, one of the priority focus is on training. Inspectors do Parts of our core functions. We have flight inspectors, aviation safety inspectors, and we also have airport inspectors. But to be fully qualified and be competent for that job, you need to come with a particular industry experience. When you come with that specific industry experience, there are some mandatory core Training that you must undergo. We had a backlog of people, nearly 500, who had not gone for that training for obvious reasons. The exercise involved people going travelling outside the country. So, you look at the high cost involved in getting that done. So if you look at the limitations, you can't send all your people out to train;

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maybe you send 50 a year. And five hundred, perhaps you're talking about 10years to complete the training for everyone. So what we did, we had our inspectors, who are ICAO trained and recognized inspectors. So what we've done, we have implemented the mandatory core training, we're doing it here in Nigeria. We started in November last year, and by the first quarter of next year, we would have trained 500 people and cleared the backlog. Everybody is going to be qualified. What would have taken ten years, we are doing it in 18 months, and it would have cost us millions of dollars. So once your people are adequately trained, they should be able to do the job more effectively and efficiently.

Another major challenge that we have been dealing with is the issue of manual computation and activities. It is not sustainable, as we need to pursue automation. As you are aware, the industry is growing, and very soon, we would begin to have more airlines joining the industry in Nigeria. In addition to that, the sector is real-time datadriven, and we cannot continue to compute these data manually. We are currently in the process of implementing a four-stage automation system. We want to go fully automated, and currently, we're in the procurement process to start getting the system. It's not just getting the system; that is the hardware; we are equally implementing a change-management system to carry the people along gradually. We'll start slowly, and as people become more confident, we'll start building on the modules and implementing them until we get to a place where a significant number of our internal processes have become fully automated. That makes it more efficient. It takes an unnecessary workload off a lot of people, and then the industry will benefit.

We are also implementing a quality management system and consumer's certification. That will help us with our internal administrative processes, which go with the ICT. So they all complement each other.

Earlier this year, five out of our 23 local airlines in the country received a global service certification from the International Air Transport Association. As a regulator, what are you doing to promote and guarantee the confidentiality of Air travellers?

Though we encourage operators to get the IACA certification from IATA because it has many credibilities, the primary oversight body for civil aviation in Nigeria is NCAA. It might interest you to note that all the airlines in Nigeria currently operating have been certified by the agency. We ensure that they comply with every facet of our requirements based on our regulations, ideal standard, and recommended practices.

Please note that IATA is not a regulatory body; it is a commercial organization for International airlines. It covers about 97 or 98% of the entire airlines' industry globally.

What IACA does is that it gives airlines more credibility, especially as it relates to business transactions and relationships. So, going for business or loans and other transactions will boost partners' confidence. It's an

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excellent certification, and we certainly encourage more airlines to obtain it. However, it is not mandatory, anyone who wishes to get it should get it, but we certainly encourage that.

We have received the full support of our Minister, who is very passionate about our work.

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We recently grounded an airline because we felt they were not complying with the requirements necessary to operate. We grounded them for two months. We did a thorough audit of their organization in all facets, and we identified all the problems. They had to resolve them before we eventually allowed them to resume flight. We are ready, without fear or favour, to prosecute anyone who violates the stipulated requirements. Any operator that does not meet the criteria will be grounded irrespective of who owns the airline.

Last year we grounded about 16 private jets of the rich and the powerful because they violated our regulations. Every day we're fining people left, right and Centre, believe me, irrespective of who they are.

I think there's a need to review these regulations to make them more reflective of the current trends. These regulations have been here for a long time. There's a need for review, especially given how COVID has changed the industry; it has changed a lot of dynamics in the industry. And so, we need to update our laws. Currently, the Act setting up the Civil Aviation Authority is in the Parliament for review to reflect some of what I have mentioned. Because there's been a lot of Development, we need a review of the Act establishing us to give us a new mandate reflecting all the changes.

Growth hindering government policies and poor consumer protection laws have been described as one of the challenges of the growth of the Aviation industry. Recently there was a joint press conference with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

What was the outcome of that joint press conference and partnership with So, once we have a new mandate, we can the NCAA? then have a review of our regulations. The agency does not solely decide those There's a lot of synergy between us and the FCCPC, and I think we regulations; we often invite stakeholders to sit must benefit from the excellent relationship to protect the consumer. Over with us and come up with a document the years, the consumer has not gotten the protection we would like them reflective of the wishes and aspirations of all to have. NCAA has been weak on that side, but we're working on the stakeholders. something with the consumer protection agency. The problem is, I think there's need for more enlightenment of the travelling public to become more aware of their rights. Maybe, we need to be more aggressive in enlightening and educating people for their rights and where they can go and lay their complaints when they have issues. So we're working on that, and if any customer has an objection, we work on it as soon as possible to encourage people to give more criticism.

Consumer protection is a two-way stretch. The airline has a responsibility, and the customer also has his part to play. A lot of people think that "as a customer, I've paid the money I can do whatever I want to do." However, that is not the case. I've seen cases where people go twenty minutes before flights and want to check in after the counter has closed.

And they begin to make all kinds of noise. If you look at the tickets, there are terms and conditions of such tickets. As a customer, you need to comply with such terms. It's a contract between two parties, and everybody has their obligation that people needs comply with.

There have been issues of flight delays and cancellations. Flight delays happen everywhere worldwide, but the difference is what the airlines do with the passengers when we have flight delays. Are the passengers duly informed on time, are they been taken care of? What are the options available? We have all that in our regulations.

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We recently grounded an airline because we felt they were not complying with the requirements necessary to operate. We are ready, without fear or favour, to prosecute anyone who violates the stipulated requirements.

Thankfully we have received tremendous support for the Honorable Minister of Aviation who is very passionate about the industry

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ACCESS TO SOCIAL AMENITIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES THE WAY FORWARD

By Janet Abena Quainoo Availability of social amenities to communities is a step towards the fight against poverty, human development and growth. Eradication of poverty is now a collective of all in line with the new SDGs. In today's world, due to education and advocacy, many people have come to the realization that the denial of social amenities in a community is a bane of myriad of problems in such a community where residents are said to be living a primitive life.

Every community and its inhabitants deserve to have access to basic social amenities to make life easy and comfortable for them.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Ban Ki-Moon stated in the Millennium Development Goals Report, 2015 that roughly 2.8 billion people worldwide lack access to modern energy services and more than 1 billion do not have access to electricity. Obviously, majority of those

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affected are the underprivileged rural dwellers where access to modern energy services negatively affects productivity.

Expectations from the Central Government by concerned citizens to oversee the development and growth of rural communities is very problematic as the Government focuses more of its projects and activities in the urban communities.

This impediment has indeed encouraged rural-urban migration and the earlier this identified gap is closed, the better for all involved.

Authorities at the local community and members now know what their needs are and therefore have to design a roadmap, to meet their developmental agenda. The question is how can these roadmap and strategies be designed? Who is to spearhead these strategies? and how does one measure the Key Performance Indicators of these to be

proposed strategies?

Even though rural communities have relatively low population and Agriculture is mostly the main occupation in these parts of the world, one would ideally expect that access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities among others would not be a worry to rural dwellers but the situation is not as expected.

Access to potable water is one major problem rural communities especially in Africa have to grapple with. In Ghana, most rural farming communities have been battling with water crises for years. Inhabitants of these communities have to rely on a stagnant pool of water, that dries up seasonally, for their household chores; cooking, washing and all their water needs. The use of stagnant water often infested with water borne diseases causes children in these communities to fall sick.

Water-borne diseases and

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This demonstrates that the washing of hands with soap under running water is not only an effective measure against the spread of COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases such as the Ebola Virus Disease, which has recently been detected in a neighboring West African country.

Additionally, Goal six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) holds that water sustains life, but safe water defines civilization. By the UN's deadline, all communities are to have safe water.

THE WAY FORWARD Having identified the gaps, there should be multistakeholder engagements among community authorities, community members and the district assembly within which these communities can be located. This is to prompt duty bearers to address the challenges and also ensure that the needs of such vulnerable people are met in order for them to feel part of the whole system (the super structure).

The strategies should involve, Ÿ

Setting up a committee to conduct community profiling and survey.

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Based on the survey using the pairwise ranking and SWOTs analysis, the needs and wants would be identified and spelt out.

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Internal funding; This is where all stakeholders should agree on a daily contribution based on an individual's strengths and weaknesses, set a target for all parties involved and transparency and accountability should be made possible.

Individuals who are well to do can be engaged and named

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There should be multi-stakeholder engagements among community authorities, community members and the district assembly within which these communities can be located.

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If the above is executed, other organizations can come to their aid and even government can assist them with tax waivers and other tax components.

Aside this, the government can further assist local communities indirectly with the waving of taxes on some materials used for physical infrastructures.

For the people in rural communities who lack access to potable water, the provision of potable water and storage tanks especially in this era of COVID-19 will be a timely intervention to end their decades-long water challenge while also contributing to the country to attain the target set by SDG 6.

Some key projects that can be done to salvage the water crisis include; Ÿ

Provision of potable water for the communities (polytanks, drilling of mechanized boreholes)

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Raising Awareness on the health hazards of using polluted water

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Promotion of safe water use in addition to, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

IMPLEMENTATION To be able to provide potable water for them, the following planning activities can be implemented Ÿ

Needs assessment should be done through community research, stakeholder engagement and community dialogue which will be supervised by Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Finance Directors and Communication Officers.

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The services of an M and E Consultancy should be sought.

During the project implementation, project performance should be measured against the project plan, if the project activities meet the plan requirement, then it should continue as per plan but if it differs from the plan then corrective action(s) should be done and cause(s) should be identified such as amend the plan or change execution plan. (Newton, 2015).

This should be done through a collection of performance data by the M and E team in a form of direct observations or interviews. Weekly reports should be done after the collection of performance data on the project scope, schedule, cost, resources, quality and risks if are on track or not should be discussed during weekly meetings with project funders. (Newton, 2015)

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Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asserts that clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another in an entire community.

Authorities in the local communities should oversee activities or leverage on business opportunities available.

Some of these businesses include; Agribusiness (piggery, poultry, Bee-Keeping, Mushroom farming, Animal husbandry, etc.), cash crop farming to make gains to support community development projects.

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While this has been an age-long problem in these communities, there are renewed fears following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. Hand hygiene is one of the key guidelines recommended by the WHO to stem the spread of the virus.

after a project they assist to implement. This will go a long way to inspire others to follow suit.

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infections associated with drinking from a contaminated water source will be a thing of the past if the central government can shift its attention towards assisting rural dwellers by providing them potable water.

SPECIAL REPORT

WAY FORWARD FOR CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT "By trading among ourselves, we are able to retain more resources in the continent."

Cyril Ramaphosa, South African President.

By Meresia Aloo

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Up until now,54 out of 55 African countries have signed the Continental Free Trade Agreement. Eritrea is the only African Country that has since shown reluctance to join the table. Although Nigeria and South Africa earlier had the same teething problem as Eritrea, they later came to a decision and agreed to join the bandwagon. Their presence is a very key factor in Africa's economy due to its high population. At 200 Million people, Nigeria is ranked as the most populous country and has about the population of the second and third-most-populous countries.

A trip down memory lane reminds us of the organization of African Unity,(OAU). It was founded by the independent states of Africa in 1963, to promote Corporation between the African States. 17 years down the line, Another plan was adopted, the Lagos plan. The plan suggested that Africa needed to minimize reliance upon the West by promoting Intra-African trade. This later led to the creation of several regional co-operation organizations in different regions of Africa, such as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference.

Fast forward, at the 2012 African Union summit that

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took place in Addis Ababa, Leaders agreed to create a new continental Free trade area by 2017. In 2015, another African Union (AU)summit was organized in Johannesburg to commence negotiations. Much later, the 10th extraordinary session of the African Union on AFCTA happened and three separate agreements were signed. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement, the Kigali Declaration, and the Protocol on Free Movement Of persons.

The protocol on Free Movement of Persons sought to establish a Visa-free zone within the AFCTA countries and support the creation of the African Union passport. On the other hand, the Kigali declaration aimed at mobilizing political Will and securing commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 target on neglected Tropical diseases and to deliver the targets set out in the World Health Organisation's Neglected Tropical Disease Roadmap (2021-2030). The African Continental Free Trade Agreement,(AFCTA) sought to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments and thus paving way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental customs

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The formation of the new market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) is estimated to be as huge as 1.3 billion people across Africa, with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $ 3.4 trillion. This has the potential of lifting 30 Million Africans out of extreme poverty and 68 million people out of moderate poverty. It is therefore a critical element to Africa's development challenges as it also has the potential to somehow boost intra-Africa trade and help improve economies of scale while establishing an integrated market.

“It has the potential to be a catalyst for industrial development, placing Africa on a path to exporting valueadded products, improving Africa's competitiveness both in its markets and globally. It also sends a strong signal to the international investor community that Africa is open for business, based on a single rule-book for trade and investment,” said Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, during his swearing-in as the SEc Gen of AFCTA at an AU virtual event.

Currently, we are already in the second quarter of the year since the start of free trading prospects. As African Leadership East Africa Correspondent, I must ascertain, that Africa is steadily witnessing a convergence of fruitful outcomes of multiple moving parts. This steady growth rekindles hope in Africa's post-pandemic recovery.

Kenya for instance has witnessed an 8 year high of its exports in 2020, provisional international trade data shows.

This has defied delays at border points caused by efforts to stem the spread of the global Corona Virus Pandemic.

Consequently, according to the Central Bank Of Kenya (CBK), the value of goods sold to other countries on the continent in the same period amounted to sh243.68 billion, which is relatively a 9.07 percent growth over the previous year.

More transparently, CBK data collated from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), indicates that exports to countries classified as “others” including the republic of South Sudan rose at the sharpest pace of 23.13 percent to sh53.62 billionAs if that is not enough,.Ghana is also among countries that have been hailed for its active participation in the free market trade. This is just but a clear pointer that

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As of September 2021, it is worthy to note that Africa is already in position to start trading on over 81% of products on preferential terms. These goods form part of the initial trading, But even as trading formally starts, the road to full implementation remains long as Mr. Mene puts it.

Well as we hang on to the positive impacts of free trade market,important questions to digest during this period are ;How is Africa preparing herself for the 4th Industrial Revolution in the context of the AfCFTA? With the advent of additive manufacturing, what is the impact on industrialization and job creation in Africa ?

These are just but questions that require forwardlooking intellectual rigor, including analyzing how the future of trade and investment will flow as a result of technological factors and the 4th Industrial Revolution. Such forwardlooking intellectual rigor is importantl in shedding light on the complex policy issues and strategic choices that will shape Africa's trade and investment prospects over the next 10-30 years.

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It has the potential to be a catalyst for industrial development, placing Africa on a path to exporting value-added products, improving Africa's competitiveness both in its markets and globally

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Of importance,one of the industries that will hugely benefit from AfCFTA is the energy sector, both the traditional oil and gas operators as well as the growing number of renewable enterprises. Just as the rest of the world,reports show that Africa is embarking on an energy transition. Their major strength is the oil, gas, and mineral resources which are accounting for more than 75 percent of the continent's exports. As the potential for growth in oil and gas is high, it will still have a role to play in the short and mid-term. Trade barriers such as high import tariffs have left many African countries vulnerable to the international market, which resells its resources at higher prices. The AfCFTA will potentially end this practice as oil and gas producing countries will benefit from global markets as well as the domestic market. Focusing more on growing intra-continental oil and gas trade will give countries autonomy to govern their international trade agreements, which have often left African countries on the losing end. Analysis indicates that the AfCFTA will make room for the generation of GDPs that can positively impact African economies. As it is also expected to boost intraAfrican trade, promote industrialization, create job opportunities and improve the competitiveness of African industries on the global stage. The pact will also empower women by improving their access to trade opportunities.

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Upon signing the three agreements, African countries opened their markets on 1st January under the continental Free Trade Agreement and duty-free trading of goods and services across borders. Although this was delayed by the COVID 19 pandemic, the Continental Free Trade is already taking shape. Initially, the AFCTA Secretariat had officially opened it on 17th August in Accra Ghana with the hope of it taking shape on 1st July 2020. This never happened as planned thus the postponement to January 2021. While Its major goal was to create a single continental market for goods and services with free movement of business persons and investments, It was alsoworthy to note that AFCTA was not a free trade agreement, but rather a vehicle for Africa's economic transformation.

Africa has already commenced its journey towards achieving vision 2030.

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union and the African Union.

FEATURE

THE POLITICS OF ELIGIBLE CUSTOMER Abdullahi Umar IN THE POWER SECTOR By

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The rigmarole of policies in the Nigerian Power Sector now signals a time for caution and reflection prior to taking the next bold step, especially as a new Minister of Power takes the saddle in the nation's critical economic sector. A reflection down memory lane brings to bare the many pitfalls that could have been avoided but was hurriedly fallen into in the past. For instance, many stakeholders agree that the declaration of the transitional electricity market (TEM) in February 2015 was too ambitious and premature; what should have been was a phased transition into TEM or at the minimum a testing of the market prior to full declaration of TEM. The errors of such declaration has continued to plague the Power Sector with a heightened liquidity crisis in 2016 and 2017, that saw a drastic decline of the revenue flows in the power sector, DISCOS remittance went from 70% to a sharp decline averaging about 28% - 30% for that period. The conditions precedent were not all attained, when the NERC declared TEM and allowed trading to commence; it is the reason why we have sounded the alarm on the intentions of the regulator to declare the medium term electricity market.

We have yet found ourselves at a critical phase in the Power Sector where certain decisions need to be reviewed, or better yet, the entire power sector needs to be reviewed. One of such policy is the Eligible Customer (EC) Policy which was declared in 2017 by the former Minister of Power, Works and Housing (Barr. Babatunde Fashola). In a bid to improve market liquidity, the then Minster (Barr. Babatunde Fashola), had on May 15, 2017, declared eligible customers in the Nigerian

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Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). This declaration permits electricity customers to buy power directly from the GenCos or trading licensee other than the DisCos, in line with the Section 27 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on 7th November, 2017 released the Eligible Customer Regulations 2017 and outlined the terms that would guide the direct purchase of electricity by end-users from GenCos and or a Trading Licensee. The primary focus of the EC Regulation is to create a framework for the utilization of excess capacity over and above the contracted portfolio of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) for economic benefit of the NESI. Thus, allowing generation companies with uncontracted capacity to access unserved and underserved customers which will improve the financial liquidity and viability of the electricity industry. The liquidity challenge in the sector must be reviewed from all angles and the best solution put forward to develop the NESI, it is important that no segment of the value chain is left at a disadvantage. A centralized collection of the financial flow of the sector is critical, we had envisaged that with the track record of the 701.9Billion successfully implemented by the NBET, the agency would have been the first option in managing eligible customers and also international customers. NBET had published in details the disbursement of the 701.9 Billion without any discrepancy, and so best suited to manage inflows and outflows of monies in the sector.

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There are multiple issues to be addressed by the new Minister of Power, however my candid advise is that the Minister takes his time to understand the various policies that are being pushed forward by different parties and see through their intentions. We must not make the same mistake of 2015 and 2017 simultaneously. Although it's a race against time, nonetheless the electricity market is not ready for any uncalculated risk nor can it take any further policy summersault. The Nigerian electricity market is a rulesbased market where market participants are expected to engage with each other, based on a defined set of rules. The Honourable Minister may please ensure that these rules which were crafted in the wisdom of the experts that envisioned a viable electricity market is hereby adhered to and not administered flippantly for the advantage of a few.

Abdullahi Umar is the Managing Director/CEO, Target Energy Ltd, a power sector consultancy services company. Umar is power sector analysts and writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

The misalignment in infrastructure in the sector must be effectively addressed, let us have valid, real time and tested data across the value chain.

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The role of the new Minister of Power, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu is well cut out already, there is need to increase sanity in the sector especially with the multiple conflicting policies. The Minister must ensure all conditions precedent are effectively put in place prior to implementing the EC policy or any other policy at all. As a matter of importance, we must validate claims of excess capacity by the generating companies and the TCN. A sector wide audit of infrastructure and capabilities must be put in place, we have to move away from making careless claims and counter-claims via the media aimed at misleading policy makers for selfserving purposes to a state of factual evidence. The market has stayed too long in the transitional phase, nonetheless it is premature to talk about the Medium Term Market at this time or the activation of contracts. The Federal Government has continued to pick of the slack for the burgeoning debt in the sector causing it trillions of naira in intervention, infact at some point the Central Bank of Nigeria had to step in with the creation of private credit loan arrangement to the DISCOS via Meristem Nigeria Limited. The DISCOS now access top-up loan from Meristerm at a charge, for which they use in making up the payments to NBET in compliance with the Minimum Remittance Order issued by NERC. The functions of Meristerm in the NESI is yet to be understood as its transactions is shielded away from the public eye, what we know for now is that the CBN loan is routed via Meristerm (a private company) and in turn Meristerm earns commission for administering the loan.

Is Meristerm taking up the functions of a commercial bank in the Sector? Or is Meristerm another credit guarantee as the NBET but in this case is being paid proportional to the loan it administers?

The New Minister of Power will need to review the functions of Meristerm in

line with the EPSRA, and assess its benefits to the system and long-term sustainability of the NESI.

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The past four years of implementing the EC regulation has further exacerbated issues in the NESI rather than provide solutions, not only has the implementation been lopsided, it has also led to high cost of power to residential users. We have seen the average cost of power rise from N16 in 2015 to N29 in 2021 due to multiple factors including the EC implementation. To put it in context, the NBET is responsible for managing the national pool of grid distributed electricity, it receives electricity from all the GENCOS (contracted via its Power Purchase Agreement and Interim Sale Agreement) into a pool, which when aggregated gives the weighted average cost of power that flows into the Multi Year Tarrif Order (MYTO) by the NERC. The NERC as the sector regulator ensures fairness in the sector and regulates practices consistent with the provisions of the EPSRA. However it seems the NESI has become very distracted from its mantra of ensuring access to affordable and quality power for consumers because with the implementation of the EC that saw many of the cheapest generators of power (Hydro) exiting the national pool and pursuing direct bilateral contract with large demand customers has led to increased financial burden on the grid and high cost of power for residential customer. Recall that GENCOS are only allowed to sell excess capacity outside of the contractual capacity with NBET, however that has not been the case. Suffice it to say that at this point we do no not have the validated capacity claims of the GENCOS, as the entire system is yet to be subjected to a mandatory synchronized capacity test in the country. Also, we have heard claims by the TCN of its ability to wheel out about 7,000Mw of power, this claim is also yet to be tested and validated. How can

this even be, when in 2021 alone we have experienced at-least two grid collapses? The misalignment in infrastructure in the sector must be effectively addressed, let us have valid, real time and tested data across the value chain.

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As a consumer, I am very concerned about the high cost of electricity, as I am fully aware that the cost of power can be reduced or stabilized at a best rate when the national pool is effectively managed and administered.

We must ensure that the national pool price is set at a prudent cost of power.

PROFILE

Dr. Macharia Irungu is the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director. He has over 30 years of experience at Senior Management level in Lubrication, Retail, Real estate, and Supply Trading in the petroleum sector in Kenya and Africa. Dr Macharia holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Business Management Degree from Newport University (USA).

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Dr. Macharia joined the company at the wake of the unprecedented COVID19 pandemic. Despite this, he spearheaded a multi-agency team including Public and private sectors in executing unrivaled initiatives geared towards containing spread of the andemic in the Country. These initiatives entailed; coordination of production and free distribution of over 1,500,000 litres of hand sanitizers to vulnerable Kenyans across the country and; Donation of approximately $ 550,000 to the National Youth Service (NYS) for production of 1,500,0000 protective face masks. These initiatives strengthened the countryʼs response to this global pandemic.

During his short tenure KPCʼs business performance has scaled to great heights. The Company has provisionally recorded Kshs. 7.6 billion in 2020/21FY which translates to 31% growth of Pre-Tax Profit (PTP) from Kshs.

5.8 billion in 2019/20FY.

DR. MACHARIA

IRUNGU Managing Director, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC)

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With respect to the refined petroleum products transported through the pipeline, the Company recorded a growth of 6% to 8,111,539 m3 in FY 2020/2021 above the previous yearʼs performance of 7,686,427 m3 .

The improved performance is largely attributed to enhanced corporate service delivery and streamlined systems and processes.

With respect to support to the National Development Agenda the Company as in the previous two years remitted dividends worth $145 million to the exchequer. Part of this went into

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PROFILE

supporting rehabilitation of Nairobi-Nanyuki Meter Gauge Railway and rehabilitation of Naivasha –Kisumu Meter Gauge Railways lines the objective being to spur socioeconomic development in the Mt. Kenya and Northern regions In addition, KPC committed resources towards the transformation of Kisumu Port into a regional transport hub contributing to the creation of a blue economy. A collaborative effort between Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and KRC resulted in a rejuvenated Kisumu Port, including the resumption of maritime transport of fuel through rail loading facilities at our Kisumu Depot. We remain committed to regional expansion through Lake Victoria as a more cost effective and safer option of fuel transportation.

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Additionally, Dr. Macharia has held various positions of leadership. To highlight a few, he was the Group Managing Director at Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation(GAPCO), Director at Total Kenya Plc and Director of Libya Investment Petroleum, Mobil. He has also served in various Boards including; Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), British American Tobacco Kenya Ltd (BAT), Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) among others.

Some of his distinguished accomplishments include being part of the lead team that steered of the construction of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya and operationalization of the Rift Valley Railways in Kenya as the

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Dr. Macharia is a member of the America Chamber of Commerce, Kenya Hospital Association, British Business Association, Institute of Directors and the Kenya Institute of Management. He is also an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (England and Wales), Institute of Certified Secretaries (Kenya) and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.

Chair of the Project Committee. Designing and implementing construction of Oil and Gas strategic storage facilities in the Great Lakes Region which has enhanced supply of Oil and Gas in East and Central Africa among other projects. He has also been very instrumental in regulating the importation, refining, exportation, transportation, storage and sale of petroleum and petroleum products as a Director at the Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

Due to his assiduousness, achievements, and relentless determination to achieve nothing but the best, he has garnered several awards and recognition globally. His awards include the Mobil International Golden Nugget and Global Recognition award, given by Exxon Mobil. He was recently recognized with Presidential awards of the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) and Uzalendo Award.

He has also been very instrumental in regulating the importation, refining, exportation, transportation, storage and sale of petroleum and petroleum products

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AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

FEATURE

Promoting Youth Leadership in Africa Beyond Lip Service

By Khadija Yusra Sanusi

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In 2020, Zikoko – a blog which amplifies African youth culture by curating and creating content for young Africans – wrote about the “5 Nigerian Government Poverty Alleviation Schemes That'll Vex You”.

As the headline suggests, the piece discusses poverty alleviation schemes that have been initiated by the current government in Nigeria, which began in 2015 and is set to end in 2023 after the president's second term. It recounts the time the First Lady of Bauchi state distributed bags of pure water to women as start-up capital; by giving them 10 bags of water each – which cost 1000 Naira (approx. 2.43 USD) – she hoped that the women would invest it into their entrepreneurial ventures. To be fair to the First Lady, the distribution of inadequate and impractical goods lies at the heart of many poverty alleviation schemes across the country.

A member of the Zamfara House of

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Representatives, the article also reports, once distributed basins, coal irons and detergent to the youth to empower them in his constituency; the federal government, too, has sought youth empowerment by giving out tricycles and moped scooters. When the government does give out money, oftentimes it is as good as none. For example, Zikoko recalls the time the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development took a 20,000 Naira (approx. 48.60 USD) Federal Government Special Grant and shared it among 700,000 women in Jos, Plateau State in the name of financial empowerment. While there has been a lot of lip service when it comes to youth empowerment, there have been even more when it comes to their involvement in leadership.

But how can African youth be empowered? How can they be inspired to get involved in being active agents of change in their communities?

What can be done – by civil societies, governments, and the youth themselves – to create an overture of youth empowerment and youth participation in political leadership across the continent?

Civil societies – namely religious organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social media communities – have an important role to play in youth leadership. Mosques and churches can create youth adult (YA) and teenage content curated and led by young adults and teenagers. Through these classes, teenagers and young

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

FEATURE

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other nonprofits can also play an active role in establishing and ensuring youth leadership and empowerment. They can do this by placing youth adults and teenagers in leadership positions such as event planners, educators, and facilitators.

This way, they can take up roles that require responsibility on their part, roles that will nurture their growth and encourage their path to leadership.

Non-Governmental Organizations like Stand To End Rape (STER) and Hands Off Nigeria are two examples of organizations that have proved time and time again that youth leadership and empowerment can and does work within the framework. Led by Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, who is in her twenties, STER is a youth-led movement which aims to end all forms of rape, provide psychosocial services and support for victims in addition to educating people about rape and providing them with shelter and counselling. The team does this by planning excursions and outreach programs and having young adults and teenagers take charge and educate the audience in an appropriate manner.

By doing this, Non-Governmental

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As important as policies are in ensuring youth political leadership, youth initiative and interest are even more so. We have seen this in Kenya – where Sophie Umazi Mvurya, the CEO and Founder of “I am Kenyan”, which began as a platform that brought together people from all over the world to participate in a photo campaign to inspire peaceful elections across the country. Umazi was motivated by her own experience as a victim during the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya, when she was almost killed by three men; because of

There is a lot of lip service when it comes to political leadership and empowerment. We have heard stories about how the government has paved the path for youth to be empowered; it is the youth, they said, who are too lazy to do the work being given to them. But this is not at all. There are many ways both federal and state governments, as well as civil service, can encourage and ensure youth empowerment and participation in leadership across all religious, economic, political spheres. The only question that remains is: Are African leaders ready for the fresh, new voices they have been asking for?

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her lighter skin tone, she was assumed to be an indigene of “the enemy tribe” and almost died because of it. having survived that, Umazi created the “I am Kenyan” project to serve as a hub, which initiated conversation across cultural boundaries and promote acceptance and appreciation of diversity first within Kenya, then across the continent. In Nigeria, during the 2020 #ENDSARS movement against police brutality, many youths played active roles in leading protests, bailing innocent civilians out of prison, leading social media campaigns in support of the movement, and taking up other roles in spreading awareness about the movement. This includes Feyikemi Abudu, one-half of the I Said What I Said podcast, award-winning journalist Kiki Mordi, Rinu Oduala, Chioma Chuka, Moe Odele, Funmi Oyatogun, Damilola Odufuwa, cofounder of Wine and Whine, a group that seeks to fight patriarchy and create a safe space for women in Lagos. These are all people who initiated change in their communities, who took up challenges without waiting to be handed out titles.

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Online groups and social media communities can also encourage youth leadership by creating spaces that amplify their voices. Through Zoom and Google Meet and social media websites and apps such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, young adults and teenagers can create spaces and engage a wide range of audience. Through these spaces, they can educate, facilitate and start relevant conversations that their audience can relate to – whether it is about school, work or relationships.

Organizations can help prepare young adults and teenagers for political leadership. From this experience, governments can then place them in leadership positions and empower them. Federal governments can also encourage youth political leadership by tailoring platforms and positions specifically for them. For example, ministries can have a specific number of entry-level positions for young adults and teenagers, where they can learn about the intuitions and initiate youth-led programs commissioned by the government. State governments can also localize this to create jobs or internship positions for youth with state commissioners and representatives. In addition, a smallscale “House of Representatives” or “House of Parliament” can be created for and led by the youth, where youth representatives from different states can come together, representing the needs and agencies of the youth in their states or local governments. This way, youths across the nation are represented, listened to, and spoken for as opposed to the current method – whether senators and commissioners project what they believe the youth need. Federal governments can also put an age limit to political positions, where young people can take up political leadership at a relatively early age and retire in their sixties or seventies, having gained relevant experience, and made a mark during their tenure. But this requires youth initiative and active participation, which is entirely upto the youth in question.

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adults can take leadership positions, engage their students, and help the mosque or church achieve their goal of inspiring and developing young religious teenagers and youth. This is much better than adults trying to teach them because they are unable to relate to their lifestyles and experiences.

Afric n

Leadership

African Forum on

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URBAN REGENERATION & Sustainable Development Theme: Sustainable Urban Development - Pathways to transforming our cities for a better urban future

13 - 17 December, 2021 Venue: Kigali - Rwanda

For inquiries, call

+44 2392 658 276 To participate, visit:

events.africanleadership.co.uk

INTERVIEW

Human Capital Development - A Critical Area of Growth & Development in Any Organisation

How do you feel about making it to the ALM's prestigious list of Top 50 Africa Industry Leaders of the Year 2021?

I feel grossly elated and humbled by this noble honour.

Your qualifications cut across vast fields which are relevant in management. Why do you subscribe to such versatility, and of what benefit has it been to your growth and emergence as key economic leader?

Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin Managing Director, Rokel Commercial Bank, Freetown, Sierra Leone The importance of human capital development to the growth and productivity of any organization, cannot be overemphasized. The people that make an organization run are an asset to be invested in, as the productivity of an organisation is almost directly linked to the level of human capital development. Additionally, it is sometimes much more cost-effective to develop the people already employed by the organization than it is to recruit and train new people.

The Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Dr Walton E. Gilpin, reiterated the importance of human capital development in an interview with African Leadership Magazine. Excerpts; Kindly provide us insight into your background and how you have been able to break barriers to get to the top in your career.

My background has been that of hard work characterised by the need to be innovative, cutting edge, dogmatic and determined. It has been one which constitutes operating at very high levels in a professional arena characterised by experts from different nationalities and background. Consequently, my

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Indeed, my multi-faceted background comprises an orientation in economics, finance, banking, leadership, information technology, development economics and public policy management. This rear combination of skills, coupled with a dogged determination to grow, has enabled me to manifest significant skill in carrying out my duties. Over the years, my professional journey has given me rare opportunities to utilise my expertise across many assignments. To this end, my continued quest for greater intellectual rigour and professional dispensation must have led to my being identified as a key economic leader by ALM. You are credited with turning the fortunes of Rokel Commercial Bank around. What are the sustainable innovations, values and practices that have enable such development and growth?

One critical area of growth and development in any organisation is human capital development, personal motivation and recognition of hard work.

Upon assumption of office in 2017, I put in measures to identify and train individuals within the organisation to utilise their innate ability to help grow

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ethos has been to make a perceptible positive difference in my area of expertise. Additionally, I have worked in multi-cultural and diverse environments, thereby acquiring the virtues of a diversity and diligence along the way.

This has helped to make me who I am today.

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the institution. This, together with strong managerial leadership, sound marketing, good corporate governance, strong industry posture, backed by the leverage of a solid customer base, acted as the required momentum to kickstart the turnaround process. These, together with resilience and strong leadership by example contributed towards improving the bank. We could also not forget the specific strategies we deployed to strengthen the IT solutions, improve the digital and online banking experience, upgrade customer service and re-create a more conducive ambience within the bank which helped rebrand the bank. Together with pristine service delivery, this helped push the bank towards a positive growth and expansion trajectory.

What is your perception of SMEs in Sierra Leone and what value does Rokel Bank impart on them?

SME's make up a significant section of the informal sector and are seen as vital contributors to GDP growth in Sierra Leone. However, one of the critical impediments towards SME growth in Sierra Leone is the lack of access to finance. RCBank identified this hurdle and, after an extensive industry study, decided to establish an SME unit to service this sector. To date, the bank is providing support for several SMEs as we recognise their role in overall economic development. As a result, RCB has played a vital role in providing SMEs with access to finance for growth and sustainability of the sector.

How vital is the idea and implementation of Partnerships and collaboration to Rokel Commercial Bank in the quest to achieve its objectives, and what is your role in assessing valuable and effective engagements on behalf of the bank?

As the adage goes, 'no man is an island'. With this in mind, RCBank recognises the need for partnership and collaboration to leverage on the strength of key players in banking and development. To this end, we have constantly worked with other institutions in improving our deliverables, fine tuning our services and strengthening our stance in the market. We have put together a strong team within the bank that focuses on Research & Development. This team also focuses on collaborating with partners and seeks synergies to strengthen the bank.

What challenges has your bank come across in supporting SMEs, and how have you been able to address these situations to achieve the benefits you seek?

The inability of SMEs to provide a good business plan, sound financial statements and adequate collateral are main impediments to SME growth. To this end, RCBank continues to work with SMEs in a viable and sustainable way. One approach is to work via cooperatives, community groups and proxy guarantee processes. Through these creative channels, the bank has been able to continue engaging SMEs despite the difficulties above.

In such trying times as these, with the Covid19 pandemic, how tough or engaging has it been leading a financial institution such as Rokel Commercial Bank?

The COVID-19 has negatively impacted world economic

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activities and as a direct consequence of this, economic activities slowed down in most economies, including Sierra Leone. However, Rokel Commercial Bank has remained resolute during the pandemic and worked with the business community to provide funding and banking related services specifically designed to support businesses at such a time.

Interestingly, the bank has emerged stronger during this process due to the deployment of innovative products and services, specifically created to cushion the effect of the pandemic. I am pleased to state that despite the Covid 19 induced economic downturn, Rokel CB continues to be amongst the market leaders in the banking sector in SL. Are there any positives from your experience in leading the bank through this trying period that you will like to share?

The ever-increasing confidence of staff, the excellent brand image of the bank, rising customer satisfaction, increasing market share and profit has all been positive externalities I would like to share. The Bank continues to grow in stature and quality of service, especially in the digital space – by introducing our revolutionary mobile banking applicatuion, Rokel Sim Korpor.

In your opinion, what strategic economic advantage does Sierra Leone command, and how can the country fully capitalise on that to gain an edge in Africa?

SL is naturally endowed with vast mineral wealth, beautiful terrain, significant aquatic resources and a vibrant young population. Given the natural potential of SL, the economy will rival any in Africa if resources are appropriately utilised and SL becomes more prominent in the global value chain.

From your wealth of experience, home and abroad, how best do you think Africa can improve its economic situation?

Africa can improve its economic situation through increased mechanised agriculture, develop the informal sector, improve efficiency in manufacturing and human capital development. In addition, Africa should be more involved in the global value chain, utilize finance through fintech and invest in innovation. We should improve the ease of doing business and sound entrepreneurship should be allowed to flourish. Finally, Africa should better harness her mineral potential and improve negotiating skills for extractive agreements. These will help increase diversification and intensify production to lead Africa towards a better economic stance.

Africa can improve its economic situation through increased mechanised agriculture, develop the informal sector, improve efficiency in manufacturing and human capital development.

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

INTERVIEW

LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT GIVING EACH OTHER HOPE AND THE INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED

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What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means a few different things to different people. While there is no absolute right or wrong in defining the concept, inspiring others is a crucial attribute that most definitions of leadership would have.

In an interview with African Leadership Magazine, Dr. Lance Mambondiani of BancABC, Zimbabwe, spoke about inspiring leadership and the triumphs of the bank. Excerpts;

How does it feel to receive the Distinguished African Business Leadership Excellence Award from African Leadership Magazine?

It is an incredible honour and certainly one I do not take lightly. To be featured alongside so many great African people who have impacted and raised the continent's profile is a humbling experience. We owe it to ourselves, no matter our professions, to raise the standards of the Africa we want. I want to thank the organizers of these awards for the recognition for putting this together.

DR. LANCE

MAMBONDIANI

Managing Director/CEO, BancABC, Zimbabwe

At the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns last year, we took the audacious step to launch the country's first So far in your career, what guiding principles have served virtual branch we called 'Branch X' , allowing customers to do as elements to your rise in leadership, business, and all their banking transactions online without visiting any of management, building you to the level of the executive you our branches. are today?

In the past two years we have also delivered a unique I have learnt that despite the industry you serve in, any mobile banking app that is Zero rated and a WhatsApp business can be turned around or improved with enough Banking Service we call Ally, which allows our customers to vision, leadership and an inspired team's collective effort. I do their banking on social media. We also launched a userbelieve leadership is about giving each other hope and friendly internet banking platform for our corporate clients. inspiration to succeed. As a people, as a nation and as a We are in the middle of an aggressive digitization program to continent, you cannot be truly successful without uplifting reduce friction in how we deliver our products and services each other, looking beyond your selfish desires and for the benefit of our customers. standing in the gap for others. Someone else doesn't need Through what unique medium or model of operation have to fail for you to succeed. Africa will only truly rise when we you been able to achieve targets and produce sustainable support each other as a continent and not as individualistic results? nations.

What has your experience been as CEO of BancABC, Zimbabwe?

BancABC is a uniquely rich experience, and I consider it a privilege to serve an already inspired team. The bank has a rich history in this country, dating back to 1955; not many financial institutions have that longevity. We have raised a trusted bank and have been a part of the growth story of so many businesses and SMEs over the years.

Can you share some standout business aspects and innovations of the bank with us?

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I believe in an agile working environment that allows innovative ideas and products to be developed and launched swiftly into the market. The banking sector has stagnated over the years and has been in severe need of change. I am passionate about change, innovation and disruption. We cannot solve today's problems using yesterday's logic. The only way to change the banking sector is to disrupt it from within before fintechs disrupt us.

The bank of the future has to be as intelligent as Google through its use of analytics. It is going to be as easy to use as Apple and as responsive as WhatsApp. The bank of the future

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brings all those elements together, removes unnecessary rigidity and provides banking as a service to customers on demand, anytime, anywhere.

them to keep the bank alive?

What specific challenges did the Covid19 pandemic impose on the bank and how were you able to deal with

The pandemic has taught us that the so called 'Black Swan' events can happen, and you can never fully be

prepared for them, but it emphasizes the need for robust business continuity The world is in turmoil. Our measures and teamwork. Oh, and it economies are in free-fall. Many people clearly taught us that as employees, we are scared, anxious and grieving. We can be productive anywhere whether have all been affected or afflicted and working from home or in the office. We BancABC prides itself as the true have lost close relatives, friends and don`t need to be confined to an office, African Bank. What leads to such colleagues. Many have lost jobs, and you can work from your house, on a conviction, and how has the bank many small businesses will not be able lake or the top of a mountain as long as maintained that reputation for long? to open their doors after the you are connected. lockdowns. The economic impact on BancABC has a rich history as a our business and many others has been What do you think of digital merchant bank that originated in innovations for banking, and how much devastating.

Zimbabwe and, operated in other of digitalization has the bank adopted African countries such as Rwanda, The human spirit and desire to to improve on its services?

Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique and overcome these unusual circumstances Botswana. Our history is intertwined I've said this somewhat is remarkable. Despite these challenges, with the growth stories of several local we have used the crisis to accelerate controversially, I believe that Eastern companies that have withstood the test our digital transformation and adoption and Southern Africa are ahead of other of time and that's where our reputation of the online working environment, regions of the world in terms of digital comes from. Our entrance into retail innovations in the banking sector. product innovation and partnership banking about a decade ago generated formation. We also aggressively Countries such as Zimbabwe and Kenya a lot of excitement in the market and have had to innovate out of necessity changed our retail banking model, we have now become synonymous with decentralizing our branch network by to address huge gaps arising from leadership in the retail and digital financial exclusion. The introduction of introducing an instore banking model banking space. platforms such as Mpesa in Kenya or in partnership with TM Pick n Pay Ecocash in Zimbabwe are examples in Supermarkets (one of the biggest We aim to offer banking services to supermarket chains in the country). The point. everybody who needs them and assist partnership increased our service our customers across Africa through We believe BancABC has taken a points across the country and allowed their growth phases. We speak African, lead in doing banking differently and our customers access to their bank understand Africa, and have become a championing exciting innovations in through the local grocery shop. part of many stories across the the last few years, a number of which I Economic recovery is vital to our ability continent. have already outlined. to grow earnings and deliver meaningful returns to our shareholders Are there innovations or policies you Businesswise, what investment and we are looking forward to the new wish to see in place to improve banking programs does the bank engage in to in Zimbabwe, and by extension Africa? keep it going in these trying economic normal. times, especially with the advent of As a business leader, what lessons did Regulators have been very Covid19? the Covid19 pandemic teach you? accommodating and of course the role We have always believed that if we of the regulator is to protect the I am extremely proud of the Bank's are to play an influential role as interests of the banking public. Policies courageous response to the COVID-19 financial intermediators, we need to that are designed for regulators to pandemic and their commitment to participate in projects of a national collaborate across borders would be provide our customers with A-Class significance or those that contribute to helpful. We are moving towards a more service despite the disruption we faced the country's economic growth. An open society with wider market and at great risk to themselves. The example of this would be our recent integrations. Most importantly, we need pandemic has also given us an partnership with Shelter Afrique of to accelerate financial platforms which opportunity to introspect and confront Kenya to develop low-middle income allows faster and frictionless the reality of a new normal and our housing in Zimbabwe. These are the transactions across various African capabilities to adapt our business kind of projects that excite us. countries to encourage and facilitate model to a new reality. The resilience intra-Africa trade. and innovative spirit of the team was For business, as usual we do our humbling, they surpassed our best to support our customers with credit support for their working capital expectations and allowed us to set even higher standards for ourselves, requirements and trade finance structures for critical commodities into standards we must maintain going forward. the country.

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AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

SPECIAL REPORT

UK - Africa Trade: ARE WE AT A TIPPING POINT?

By Kembet Bolton

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“Africa has never looked so attractive as an investment destination, and I want to see more British businesses seizing the opportunities''-This call to action

by Graham Stuart (Under Secretary of State at the Department of International Trade) in 2019, buttress the need for British investors to pay keen attention to Africa.

“Despite all the talk of a British 'tilt' towards the Indo-Pacific, I am greatly reassured by the review's commitments to engage with partners across Africa. It is well past time that the UK puts Africa at the forefront of its international strategy' 'Sir Richard Ottaway, Chair of UK Foreign Affairs Select Committee, 2010 – 2015.

Why is Africa so important as a trade destination for major world powers? The President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, may have provided the answer in his speech at the at the 2021 UKAfrica Investment Conference when he said ''Africa remains a fertile ground for investment''. The continent offered ample opportunities in terms of natural resources, vast tracts of arable land, a young and rapidly urbanising population, as well as the potentials presented by the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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Thankfully, the UK has continued to strengthen its relationship with Africa over the years. At the UKAfrica Investment Summit in January 2020, the UK Government announced 27 deals worth a combined £6.5 billion, with a further £8.9 billion of other deals and commitments publicised on the day. Emma Wade-Smith, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Africa has said that the UK Government's trade and investment network in Africa has more than doubled in size over the last two years, in recognition of the growing and untapped commercial opportunities that we see across the continent. The UK has been working hard to maintain momentum around its ambition to establish the UK as Africa's investment partner of choice. Wade-Smith said she was heartened to learn that 10 of the fastest-growing economies were still in Africa, adding that there was an opportunity to blend African and UK innovation.

So how is the relationship between UK and Africa in trades and investment? In 2018, the UK's Foreign Direct Investment in Africa stood at approximately £39bn. since 2002, the UK's Private Infrastructure Development Group has invested over £1.95bn into 146 infrastructure projects across

AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

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Africa, and by 2022, CDC, the UK's Development Finance Institution aims to make up to £2bn new investments across Africa. Sounds good? That's not all.

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In his article, the UK in Africa, facts and figures, David Whitehouse, the Africa report's business editor, stated that there are more African countries with shares listed and trading in London than on any other international stock exchange. The UK government's Department for International Trade (DIT) Africa has more than 100 staff located across 23 of Africa's 54 countries, which represents a nearly 20% increase in personnel in the region since 2018 and over the past 12 months, trade between Africa and the UK increased by 7.7% and is currently worth nearly £34.2bn. In 2020 alone, UK companies, through the help of DIT Africa, secured businesses that generated £1.2bn back to the UK economy while the UK Export Finance covered £600m of exports on the continent.

The effect of the coronavirus hit the UK more than most other countries, which, of course, left it with a little less energy to focus on Africa. Coronavirus has caused investment and other economic activity in Africa to fade, at the same time the UK's exit from the European Union means London needs to build up trading links with other partners to make up for the slump in imports and exports to its closest neighbours. Despite this, the UK has remained upbeat in its relationship with Africa. The second UK Africa investment summit despite the odds, was a great show of the UK's willingness to maintain the momentum in its relationship with Africa.

To Date, the UK has managed to roll over the EU's trade deals with 15 African countries, accounting for £21.4 billion ($29.2 billion) of annual trade, while arrangements with other important partners like Ghana and Algeria are still under discussion. Still on sustaining momentum, the UK adopted the EU's generalised scheme of preferences, which gives 35 African countries reduced or zeroed tariffs for exports to the UK. Africa's economy contracted by 2.1% in 2020, according to African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina, although it is expected to recover to 3.4% growth this year as the global economy emerges from the pandemic. While the covid-19 pandemic has slowed Africa's growth story, it has not been derailed. As sola David-Borha, chief executive of the Africa region at Standard Bank, puts it, “The underlying structural drivers remain firmly in place. The cup is half full, not half empty.”

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UK Export Finance CEO Louis Taylor said it has 11 major projects in the pipeline for Africa, worth £4.2 billion ($5.7 billion), in sectors including renewable energy, construction, and healthcare. “Coronavirus has put the brakes on many of our aspirations, he said, but added, “We have a very strong risk appetite for many African countries.”

With the effect of the pandemic so hard hit on Africa, why has there been sustained interest in an African Partnership?

The AfCFTA Effect On the 1st of January 2021, despite the pandemic, African countries opened their market under the continental free trade agreement, and duty-free trading of goods and services across borders. The new market, created under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement is estimated to be as large as 1.3 billion people across Africa, with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $3.4 trillion, has the potential of lifting up to 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty, according to the World Bank. Besides reducing poverty in the continent, the launch of the AfCFTA is essential to deepen the trade and The UK has remained development ties with other upbeat in its relationship regional bodies and global with Africa. The second economic powers such as the UK. According to Lord UK - Africa investment Dolar Popat, UK Prime summit despite the odds, Minister's Trade Envoy to was a great show of the Uganda, Rwanda and DRC, a UK's willingness to new raft of agreements is designed to multiply trade maintain the momentum volumes between Africa and in its relationship with the UK for mutual benefit.

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Africa.

The idea of a common Africa has been a major goal of leaders in the continent for decades. The launch of the AfCFTA thus marked a significant moment for the continent, ushering in frictionless trade in goods and services between all African countries. We have highlighted the gains for intra trade within the continent, but how does the AfCFTA benefits trade flow out of Africa?

Because African countries and businesses do too little with each other, the myriad mutual benefits of intracontinent trade have been sacrificed, making African countries overly reliant on external trading partners. Africa's intra-regional trade is pegged at only 16%, a far cry compared to 68% for Europe and Asia's 60%. Simply put, the benefit of trade within African countries were flowing to external countries rather than staying within Africa.

By 2050, more than a quarter of the world's population will be African, and this population will be mostly young and middle class. Undoubtedly, Africa is where the future

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lies. Business opportunities are springing at an unprecedented rate, currently worth nearly $6trn.

Digitisation, infrastructural improvements as well as political reforms are gradually taking hold. Clearly, Africa is a continent of opportunities, and there are enough solid reasons why it is referred to as the last frontier. It is not late to harness the opportunities that abound in Africa, which is clearly what world powers are doing.

For the UK, having left the European Union, opening the doors of trade with Africa is smart. The commonality the UK shares with Africa, such as values of freedom, the rule of law and the English language, makes a huge difference in the trading relationship with the continent.

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The commonality the UK shares with Africa, such as values of freedom, the rule of law and the English language, makes a huge difference in the trading relationship with the continent.

Other game changers The emergence of the UK Export Finance (UKEF) has played a significant role in revitalising Britain's trade with Africa. This it does by providing direct lending and insurance to exporters and guarantees to banks to share the risks of providing export finance.

The UKEF recently increased its total limit to £42bn to support exports for businesses of all sizes, which has helped create several trade opportunities for British companies. The coverage for Rwanda and Uganda has been increased from £600m to £2.5bn.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has also increased his trade envoy programme to appoint 12 Trade Envoys to

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serve Africa.

The presence of the Department of International Trade (DIT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are increasing around the continent. Despite Covid-19, connectivity between the continent and the UK is rising. Uganda Airlines is set to launch their new direct service from Entebbe to London, and other direct routes to the UK, such as RwandAir's direct service from Kigali to London. The new routes will play a vital component in building bridges, and the improved connectivity will help boost trade and prosperity relations between the countries.

Indeed, we are at a tipping point in the trade relationship between UK and Africa, and both parties should AFRICANLEADERSHIP MAGA ZINE

SPECIAL REPORT

The Green Spaces Divide In African Cities Catherine K. Musuva

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Africa is home to some of the fastest growing cities in the world today. According to the World Bank, cities are home to over half of the world's population and more than a billion people live in slums. The United Nations estimates that cities produce over 70% of greenhouse emissions. Cities are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks and natural disasters. Indeed, urban areas have arguably been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic which has adversely impacted various facets of city life.

The reduced mobility and home confinement brought about by lockdowns and curfews led to an increase in mental health issues and created an acute urge to be outdoors. Spending time in well-ventilated spaces and uncrowded environments was also recommended by scientists as way to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Therefore, city dwellers sought refuge in their home gardens, verandas and in nature.

However, there are very few green spaces in the built urban environment in most African cities. Only a privileged few have private gardens or green balconies. The vast majority of the urban population live in slums where vegetation is a rare sight. Public recreational areas are scarce and only a few of them are well maintained and safe. The pandemic therefore highlighted the intrinsic value of green spaces in

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the urban environment. At the same time, it exposed the green divide demonstrated by the unequal distribution of and access to urban nature.

Green spaces provide a natural environment within cities. They are associated with better health, well-being and active lifestyles among the population as they provide opportunities for play, walking and other physical exercise. Parks and recreational areas also offer city dwellers a welcome respite from the stresses of urban life.

Beyond this, they are also rich in natural biodiversity and are important ecosystems. Thus, they play a vital role in stabilising a city's climate and hydrology. Research has enumerated the following numerous benefits of human exposure to natural environments: "lower probabilities of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma hospitalisation, mental distress, and ultimately mortality, among adults; and lower risks of

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SPECIAL REPORT

obesity and myopia in children. Greater quantities of neighbourhood nature are also associated with better self-reported health, and subjective well-being in adults, and improved birth outcomes, and cognitive development, in children" (White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al., 2019).

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Urbanisation has endangered green spaces.

More than a century ago, Nairobi was a large swamp surrounded by open grassland and forests before it became Kenya's capital. As it rapidly transformed into East Africa's largest metropolis, Nairobi was fondly dubbed “the green city in the sun”. But not anymore. Like in many African cities trees, forests and parks have given way to concrete and slums. Urban development is narrowly viewed in terms of increasing the built environment at the expense of nature. Greedy developers have constructed crowded residential units without consideration for green areas in order to maximise profits.

There are hardly enough public parks and forests to curb pollution and support Nairobi's population of over four million people.

Nairobi has five forest remnants: Karura Forest, Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary, Ololua Forest, City Park and Arboretum. The city has seven major public parks. These include Uhuru Park, Central Park, Jeevanjee Gardens, Uhuru Gardens, Jamhuri Park, Kamukunji Grounds and Michuki Memorial Park. The distribution of these spaces reveals striking inequalities in terms of location and maintenance. The few that exist are mostly located in the outskirts of the city or in the central business district. Hence they require some form of motorised transport to get to, creating an access barrier for those who cannot afford the commute or the entrance fee, in the case of spaces that charge. They are also maintained to different levels, with some offering safe spaces while others are crime spots.

Public neighbourhood or community parks in residential areas hardly exist.

Karura Forest stands out as one of Nairobi's most popular attractions and receives over 40,000 visitors a month. It is an urban dry forest in the outskirts which covers an area of 1,041 hectares. Karura Forest has established itself as a model green public space managed by a community forest association and the Kenya Forest Service, with the support of corporate sponsors. Kenyans owe a huge debt of gratitude to the late Professor Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist, politician and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who fought hard to save Karura Forest from land grabbers and led a

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sustained campaign for its preservation and rehabilitation.

The number of visitors to Karura Forest and other parks soared during the pandemic as city residents desired to commune with nature and unwind. People also discovered the therapeutic effects of these spaces to coping with the stressfulness of the pandemic. During the pandemic people experienced the direct link between green spaces and their health. They also began to pay attention to the sorry state of some of the city's public spaces or the untapped potential. Others noticed the absence of nature in parts of the city. It is noteworthy that there are no public parks east of Nairobi where majority of the urban sprawl is located. Very few homes in this part of the city have private gardens unlike those located in the affluent suburbs neighbouring Karura Forest.

The Government of Kenya has initiated a number of environmental conservation projects in Nairobi to promote urban greening and improve the quality of life of its citizens during the pandemic.

Hopefully, other African cities have also come to appreciate green spaces as an urban asset and will implement urban renewal strategies aimed at achieving harmony between the built environment and nature. Cities can reap enormous benefits from green spaces, ranging from environmental rewards to health benefits for the population.

Parks, forests and other open recreational areas can also create employment opportunities especially for the urban poor.

City planners and policymakers should therefore allocate more public green spaces and bridge the inequality gap. These spaces should be spread throughout the city, including in low-income areas where residents are unlikely to have any greenery. As far as possible, they should be located within reasonable walking distance of residential areas to make them easily accessible. In addition, they ought to be sufficiently resourced so that they are accessible to the public at no charge. They should also be safe social spaces that are designed to promote relaxation and outdoor activities. City by-laws should also compel property developers to plant trees and include green patches in all residential developments.

Urban residents should also play their part in creating a green urban environment. They can provide financial or in-kind support to maintain green spaces and protect them from depletion, vandalism and encroachment. They can also increase the vegetation cover in their residences and participate in community tree planting initiatives. There should also be widespread civic education on the value of green spaces so that the creation of green cities becomes a joint effort between all the city's stakeholders.

City planners and policymakers should therefore allocate more public green spaces and bridge the inequality gap.

These spaces should be spread throughout the city, including in low-income areas where residents are unlikely to have any greenery.

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TECHPRENEUR

BECOMING TECH RELEVANT:

3 IMPORTANT DIGITAL SKILLS AFRICAN YOUTHS SHOULD BUILD

By Alkali Amana

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As the world develops every day, the reliance on technology to solve problems and carry out activities increases. The level at which humanity resides at the moment resonates with Godfrey Reggio's words when he said 'it is not that we use technology, we live technology'. Africa is at the frontline of global digital growth. It is no news that demand in digital and technological skills are increasing on the continent with the development of facilities to make businesses scale and improve profitability. According to the World Bank through the Digital Economy for Africa Initiative, Africa needs to think big on digital development. A proper outlook at the current incremental pace of economic and social advancement reveals that too many of Africa's expanding youth population will be denied the opportunity to live up to their potential if denied digital technologies. When properly harnessed, the combination of youths and digital technologies will lead to unlocking new pathways for rapid economic growth, innovation, job creation and access to services.

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The potential is enormous. A study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) shows that by 2030, about 230 million jobs across the continent will require some level of digital skills. That translates to a potential for 650 million training opportunities and an estimated $130 billion market in Africa. COVID-19 has forced many businesses to go digital to survive, hence the need for these skills has only become more apparent in recent months. Preliminary findings from research by the IFC and the World Bank (through the Digital Development Program Trust Fund) on the Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Rwanda markets opens up the percentage of the level of digital skills required for these sub-Saharan countries by 2030. For Kenya, 50-55% of jobs need some level of digital skills; 35-45% in Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Rwanda; and 20-25% in Mozambique.

There are several digital skills today for youths to key in and become useful for the development of Africa. Digital Skills Global, a firm seeking to transform the digital competencies of corporate workforces, lists out top digital skills that are needed in today's tech world. Here are 4 skills African youths can key into as the world advances Post Covid: 1.

Programming, Web and App Development:

At the core of digital technology is programming for web and applications; and, it serves as one of the most in demand skills today.

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Generally, Computer programmers provide valuable services across economic sectors, creating code for software and computer applications and programs.

The field offers the opportunity to work in information technology, academia, government service, and medical fields — with additional career opportunities as independent and contract workers.

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A report by IFC and Google notes that against Africa's 1.2 billion population, there are only about 700,000 professional developers. More than half of this number reside in five African markets: Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa. This exposes other economies to a shortage which needs to be filled as soon as possible from Africa's youthful pool.

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2. Digital Marketing: In today's world, digital marketers are becoming the life of businesses through advertising delivered through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email and mobile apps. Statistics from Think with Google Insights Marketing show that 48 percent of consumers start their inquiries for products on search engines, while 33 percent look to brand websites and 26 percent search within mobile applications. To promote their products and services tech companies will look to digital marketing. Some Indemand skills for Digital Marketers include: · Digital marketing tools · Analytics tools · Content marketing 3.

Data Science and Data Analytics

The need for data science and analysis comes with helping companies make sense of huge amounts of data that can be immensely valuable to them.

Data Scientists are in-demand by employers across the world. For instance, the job search platform, Glassdoor constantly feature Data Scientists in their Best Jobs Listing. Not only is Data Science an excellent career path for professionals in the digital age, but demand far outweighs supply, making

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Data Scientists highly employable.

A recent McKinsey report showed that “The United States alone faces a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with analytical expertise and 1.5 million managers with skills to make decisions based on the analysis of big data.” As data science becomes a minimum requirement for more and more manager level jobs, learning data science will help you position yourself ahead of the curve.

Individuals who enter into this field will be pioneers for Africa going into the future of data science.

To achieve the potential that digital technology promise, Africa has to equip youths and create an enabling environment for them to exercise their knowledge. A vital step to begin with is to incorporate digital and tech skills into the African educational system. As Africa plans to take the center stage in global economy, the words of Malcolm X ring out loud reminding the continent that 'the future belongs to those who prepare for it today.' Africa must plan for the future by encouraging its youths to take advantage of the opportunities created by technology.

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