45 Condolences to the USA from the African Continent
47 Africa: WE CANNOT REMAIN SILENT!
50 Africa’s Literary Community is Lending its Voice to Calls for Justice for George Floyd
52 China: Covid-19 Discrimination Against Africans African Union 56 Agenda 2063
58 Publication of AfCTFA Job Postings
63 ECOWAS: 45 Years of Solidarity for the West African People, H.E. President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou
65 Why Africa is Turning the Heads of Investors
African Stock Exchange/Bourse
68 Advice on How to Capitalize from the COVID-19 Market from Leading Investor John W. Rogers, Jr.
72 Why Invest in Property in South Africa
74 How to Elevate Your Presence in a Virtual Meeting
77 The History of African Telecom: Why is Social Media a Game Changer for Africa?
78 Building an Informed Africa: a Time to Act 81 Ugandan Fintech Startup Eversend raises $706k in Target-beating Crowdfunding Campaign 82 Facebook to Connect Ghana to High Speed Internet in $1bn Project
Lifestyle/Culture
84 ‘Just Sam,’ a subway singer from NYC with ties to Liberia, wins ‘American Idol’ 85 Daka Makes History as First Zambian in NFL
Coronavirus and Tourism, the Demise of the African Safari 88 SOHA Chicken Jollof Rice; South Africa's Grilled Bread
Events Around the African Continent and the World
Let's Get To Work!
AFRICA LE T’S GET TO WORK! Yes, I declared that. But the charge is issued with humility and the pride of being part of this generation of Africans tasked with a mandate to reconnect its people scattered over three continents with the majority of the African people now living in Africa and the United States of America. How do we bring together such diversity of old and newly created cultures into one people, into a united economy of Africa for all? I have a few thoughts if you will allow me to address some key areas of focus for the Africans as we look ahead.
It is clear that women’s involvement in our local economies always results in lifting their respective communities out of poverty. Women’s involvement in local economies boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes. Therefore, all African communities should mandate women and girl’s education as key priority areas for development and implementation
"Do not conform to the pattern o by the renewing of your mind. T approve what God’s will is—his will." Romans 12:2
Publisher's Message
through some existing programs. We urge a goal of 100% of women and girls educated in each community by the year 2030. We need to eradicate a "can’t do" mentality now more than ever before. Anything that exists now was an idea tested by someone. We have this chance to test ours and we all might just be waiting for us. Africa should be the first continent on earth to empower 100% of all its women and girls to be on the front line of development. Equalization of our cultures calls for women to fully be engines of this society side by side with men in Africa.
Our continent must have a comprehensive strategy on lifting every life of an African that wants to be lifted. While it is possible to dispel most of what we have said as wishful thinking, it is a fact that Africa is a land of so much wealth and has capability more than any other land on this earth to do for its own people much more than, wait for them to die. It is also a well-known fact that some parts of Africa are not as free as others. This calls
Ricky Muloweni
of this world, but be transformed hen you will be able to test and good, pleasing and perfect
for every part of Africa that is connected to the part that is not free to begin to seek quickly the best ways to resolve any issues and clear a path for development. In this regard we call for governments to desist from their inherited colonial mentalities of looking at our community issues as a policy to resolve and never a as a local human problem to resolve. Some parts of Africa have not yet seen the possibility of freedom nor emancipation due to war most likely sponsored by foreign forces and supported by a few Africans with selfish motives. This also must end. Experience has taught us that families in some parts of Africa that benefited from such corrupt leaders end up in much disarray with nothing to show for it generations later. It must be learned by now that community development by the people for the people enhances a level of joy for all people. We must start this journey to the new joyful Africa for all Africans.
This brings as to the point, who funds these ideas? We do. The Africans in Africa and the Africans in the Diaspora. The prosperity of the African people has never been attained through the receipt of gifts but instead through its people’s pursuit and will to overcome the challenges in moments of struggle. We are no longer a colonized people as a result of the sacrifices of our great leaders in the 60s. I, therefore, make this call to action to all those decedents of Africa born after 1960. Join us on this journey of joy for all of us to take up the responsibility of being responsible for the land that we own and inherited from those who lived before us. It is clear this is the generation that has seen and discovered, more minerals than any other generation that ever lived. But is also the generation that has to maintain good environment for future generations. We have the responsibility to make good, make better, and live a beautiful
land full of clean air for the future generations that will come long after we have passed on.
We in the diaspora have a much bigger responsibility to sacrifice our time and resources. Our involvement in the local communities that we live in today could create opportunities in our area and as well in small towns in Africa. We have the key to unlock this process and time is not on our side. It will take orienting our lives to believing the possibility of this idea.
Every piece of history can only be meaningful if we turn the motive of that past into a positive force for good. The historical giants upon whom our history is based and the missions that they pursued was not for us to turn out like them but instead for all of us to learn from them and have their work be a basis for the prosperity of all generations coming after them. As we pause to reflect on sacrifices of these giants we should look ahead to turn a corner in 2020 and truly embrace the vision that propelled them to stand for us.
Our team is waiting to hear from you, your ideas and what we can do together. For our fellow brothers and sisters in Africa, your role is to organize in community associations, create action-oriented programs that focus on building the community in trade, agriculture, infrastructure, education, technology and support services for the community. Please go to www. africabusinessassociation.org and send us your thoughts, ideas and comments. We would like to hear from you. I look forward to working with all the communities in Africa, for I do believe we have a greater obligation to our inherited lands.
The Africa Business Association is an independent international business development organization. We o er access to the latest resources, information, and best practices in advocacy and communications for the African Diaspora and the African entrepreneurs in Africa.
We work to help you have access to news and events as starting points for constructive conversations and calls to action. We seek to cut through the froth of the political spin cycle to underlying truths and values. We want to be so focused on progress that together we can provide a credible and constructive generation of Africans that take seriously our previous generations and act upon all their wishes, our hopes and aspirations to make lasting change for all future generations.
The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.
Jumia Unveils its Third White Paper on Nigerian Mobile Trends 2017
By Olaoluwa Oloyede
Jumia Nigeria is pleased to present the 2017 edition of the Nigeria Mobile Trends Paper (https://blog.jumia. com.ng/jumia-unveils-third-white-paper-nigerian-mobiletrends-2017). This is the third white paper presentation from Jumia delving into mobile trends across Africa and specifically Nigeria. The study takes a look at the how the market has democratized mobile internet use, the consumer behaviors driving increased smartphone adoption and the role of mobile brands, mobile operators and m-commerce in creating a synergy of an enhanced customer experience.
This year’s Mobile Africa Study was carried out in 15 African countries which generate more than 80% of Africa’s GDP – Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Mozambique, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Senegal.
Africa Mobile subscriptions and Internet penetration
There are 960 million mobile subscriptions across Africa – an 80% penetration rate among the continent’s population. Internet penetration is at 18% with 216 million internet users. While Nigeria’s internet penetration is much higher at 53%, it's mobile subscription is similar to Africa’s at 81% penetration (150 million mobile subscriptions). Like last year, it is presumed that the unique subscription rate is lower as each subscriber owns an average of 2 sim cards.
Nigeria: A Mobile First Nation
As predicted in 2016, Nigeria continues its trajectory down the increasingly widening highway that is the mobile internet. With a current internet penetration rate of 53% (97.2 million users) Nigeria has a much higher penetration rate than across Africa (18%).
About 71% of website visitors on Jumia use their mobile phones. This is in comparison to 53% of Jumia African customers. One of the main vehicles of this mobile trajectory is the increasing adoption of the smartphone device by consumers. As predicted in our 2016 report, smartphone adoption continues to rise in Nigeria. The mobile phone category continues to be the most popular among Nigerian shoppers on Jumia, both in terms of the number of items sold, and in terms of revenue generated. The sales of smartphones jumped
up by 394% between 2014 and 2016, mostly driven by an increasing range of smartphones price points.
E
commerce and the Diversification of
Smartphones
The average price for a smartphone on Jumia is $117, down from $216 in 2014. Correlating with this is a drop in the share of sales of basic feature phones from 6% in 2015 to 4% in 2016, even as the share of smartphones on the website increased.
In 2016 Chinese mobile brands held dominance and played a major role in introducing smartphones with lower price points. Infinix, Innjoo, Tecno, Samsung and Yezz are the top 5 smartphone brands in terms of sales on Jumia. Infinix continues to be Africa’s top smartphone brand across Jumia’s 15 markets. One of their entry level smartphones, the Infinix Hot4Lite was one of the best-selling phones across several African markets including Nigeria.
Browsing in Nigeria: adapting to high data costs and lower performance smartphones
The increased access and a ordability of low specification smartphones has also revealed a need for the mobile ecosystem to respond with data-e cient browsers and mobile apps that are optimized for performance and an easy user experience.
Looking at the mobile internet browsers customers use to access Jumia, 50% of customers in Africa come onto Jumia’s mobile site with Google Chrome. In Nigeria that number is just 28%. Instead, the Opera mini browser is much more popular, with 41% of the mobile tra c to Jumia Nigeria coming from Opera mini.
One reason for this could be that countries with higher levels of income have been found to have more users accessing the internet with heavier browsers like Chrome – which typically have higher system requirements. Opera mini is a lighter browser in terms of data usage and is popular among new mobile internet users who have lower incomes and can’t a ord costly internet data packs. A recent report from Opera determined the savings on mobile data costs for Opera mini users in Nigeria has amounted to about $198 million (N39.5 billion) over a 10-month period, due to its data compression technology.This is a clear example
of the ripple e ect that customers enjoy when a slight change is introduced by one of the digital ecosystem players.
On our end, an immediate key priority is to deliver a Jumia progressive web app that bridges the gap between conventional web pages and native mobile applications. Such web apps are accessed from within the mobile phone’s browser (e.g Chrome), but they are enhanced for a faster web experience and include functionalities like push notifications and the ability to browse while o ine.
MCommerce – Beyond browsing on mobile
The trend since 2013 was for people to use their mobile phones to browse and look up products and then purchase them on their desktop. Now customers are checking out and paying for orders from the mobile app or the mobile friendly version of the website. This is a trend we foresee growing in the future based on the current figures.
Mobile customers (both those who use the Jumia app and those who browse from mobile browsers) account for 63% of all orders on Jumia Nigeria. Across the 15 markets where the study was carried out, that figure is at 47%. With a whopping 2,236,000 Jumia app downloads from 2015 to 2016 (a 128% increase), Jumia app users form a significant portion of the mobile tra c on Jumia Nigeria. Currently, 1 out of 2 mobile visitors in Nigeria are coming from the Jumia mobile app.
The highest conversion rate recorded in the last year has been on the app. That is the number of completed orders in relation to the number of visitors is higher on the mobile app than on the mobile or desktop versions of the website. This could be driven by the fact that the app is exclusively designed for mobile and therefore has a faster and better shopping experience for users. Hence, the priority for mcommerce for the next few years is to continually democratize the usage of the app and incentivize an increase in usage by maintaining a better browsing experience and lower data consumption.
Strategic collaborations with phone operators and data providers are also a key factor for enhancing customer experience. For example, the 0 data usage
(free browsing) o ered to MTN sim card owners when they browse on both the Jumia mobile site and the app will remain a key feature and value-added service for Jumia customers.
Nigeria’s mobile trends for 2017 are positive with a steady growth of smartphones adoption and diversity. These increased o erings deliver more value for customers and cheaper access to internet connectivity. As smartphone brands and mobile operators continue to invest in research and development and innovative data packages, and ecommerce providers invest in customer service, logistics and marketing over the next few years, our outlook is for an even more synergized digital ecosystem over the next few years.
https://blog.jumia.com.ng/jumia-unveils-third-whitepaper-nigerian-mobile-trends-2017/ f (f b i ) d t i d
How Covid-19 Could Change Fashion and Retail
Nobody really knows what the world will look like on the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic. The only certainty is that it’s bound to be di erent. The crisis has already ushered the global economy into a recession, and seems poised to leave its mark on how consumers live, how they spend their money, and even how they dress.
Fashion, in fact, is one of the businesses most vulnerable to disruption from the outbreak since it relies so heavily on discretionary spending. Experts may not always agree on exactly how the pandemic will change di erent aspects of the industry. But the consensus is that it will, with many large-scale shifts that were already underway accelerating in the upheaval.
Here are some of the big transformations experts foresee for fashion in a post-coronavirus world. Shoppers will reassess “value”
The outbreak, and the lockdowns various countries employed to stop it, have forced consumers to reprioritize their spending. Many are likely to reconsider what they deem essential. In China, for instance, where life is finally returning to normal after it was the first country to go into lockdown, many shoppers still aren’t spending like they did before the crisis and continue to prioritize necessities.
“I think there is a bit of a re-basing of emotion,” said Javier Seara, sector leader for fashion and luxury at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). “What do we need? What are we really doing?”
For fashion, which is more discretionary than essential, he calls it a moment of “reckoning and rethinking.” Shoppers have for years been grabbing up ever-larger volumes of clothing at ever-cheaper prices. Seara explained it’s too early to say for sure whether that will change, but believes that in mature markets such as the US and Europe in particular we could see a shift toward shoppers buying less and potentially spending more per item.
Francesca Muston, fashion director for global trend forecaster WGSN, voiced a similar opinion. “One of the things I’ve been talking about quite a lot is what
‘value’ really means,” she said. “I think often that value has become shorthand for something which is very low price, but what we’ve been kind of building toward before coronavirus, with all the messages around sustainability, is that low price is often not particularly good value.” She foresees more shoppers prioritizing uniqueness, craftsmanship, and quality in the fashion they buy.
Companies will focus on fewer—and di erent—products
Muston said she sees indications that fashion’s frantic turnover of trends could slow, while companies will shift focus to a di erent type of product. “Now what we’re seeing is much more emphasis on core products that have a never-out-ofstock, trans-seasonality to them, because those can be much more profitable for retailers,” she noted. She pointed to the digitally native, direct-to-consumer companies selling just one or a handful of products that have thrived with the approach.
Similarly, clothes that hold their appeal across seasons may receive new attention. “From a practical standpoint, I believe a more seasonless approach will make sense moving forward,” Maximiliano Nicolelli, managing director of fashion consultancy Hydra Advisory in Milan, told fashion trade outlet WWD (paywall). Runway labels such as Armani (paywall) are already saying they’ll use the crisis as an opportunity to rethink the timing and frequency of their collections too.
The look that seems to be entering the spotlight now is minimalism. In an April 2 note
to clients, investment firm Bernstein predicted that, after the crisis, “The Zeitgeist will change, the era of maximalism will draw to a close, as the pendulum will swing again to minimalism.”
Not everyone is so sure a shift away from trend-driven fashion would last. Natalie Kotlyar, national leader of the retail and consumer products practice at BDO, an accounting and consulting firm, thinks companies and shoppers may adopt it in the short term. But long term, she said, shoppers will still “embrace trends” and there will “continue to be a thirst for fashionable merchandise in the future.”
E-commerce will grow, as will direct-toconsumer sales
The share of fashion sales happening online was growing before the coronavirus. The current situation, with its widespread store closures, should only spur e-commerce as consumers get used to buying even more online.
At the same time, there are questions about how eager shoppers will be to return to crowded malls and stores once they do reopen unless health o cials are able to devise a vaccine for the new coronavirus. “I have di culty thinking of a scenario when after this people will spend more time in stores, which were already pretty empty before,” BCG’s Seara said. “I don’t see a world where people come out of this and say, ‘Oh, let’s go to Macy’s.’”
It’s another tailwind for e-commerce, and also for companies to push more sales through their own channels. For years, companies from Nike to luxury sellers have been doing more sales straight to shoppers rather than through retail partners. The costs can be high since they need to handle all the operations themselves, but they also get more control over their brand images and higher margins on each sale.
If their retail partners are seeing in-store tra c plunge, it’s even more reason for companies to take over more of their own sales. Both Seara and Bernstein, in its April 2 note, predicted the crisis will cause a further shift among
companies away from wholesale and toward their own retail channels.
The gap between retail’s winners and losers will grow
Everyone is going to su er in the pandemic, but not equally. “What I think is really going to happen is we’re going to see a further divide between the strong and the weak retailer,” said Kotlyar.
Fashion is a polarized business in terms of who’s making the profits and who isn’t. Many unprofitable companies and others fighting for modest incomes, such as independent designers, are facing a nightmare scenario.
The smaller, privately owned companies may simply not have the cash to continue for two months or longer without any revenue while stores are closed to maintain social distancing and shoppers are holding o on all but essential purchases. A number are likely to go out of business.
The larger companies, including multi-brand models such as department stores and many middle-market retailers more broadly, may survive but could shrink substantially. “We are over-retailed and over-stored, so part of this is a natural survival of the fittest,” said Deborah Weinswig, founder of Coresight Research She added many companies are still not getting the government support they need, exacerbating the problem.
Some business models will fare better than others
The big luxury players are resilient because the rich will continue to be rich, Seara said. Sports companies have an advantage, too, he noted, because they tend to be large and have shoppers’ desire for comfort and functionally versatile products on their side.
O -price chains could also prosper, though their situation is less certain. In past economic crises, they’ve been able to attract shoppers looking for bargains while benefiting from a flood of inventory coming from retailers that aren’t selling. But this time, according to Kotlyar, everyone is going to be left with so much inventory that discounting is likely to be widespread, giving o -price retailers widespread competition. They also haven’t invested as much as other parts of the industry in building e-commerce, so unless they can move fast they’ll miss the uptick in online shopping.
Other models that could thrive post-coronavirus are digitally native, direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies and fashion-resale sites. The DTC companies aren’t immune to the problems other retailers are facing from
Covid-19. But they’ve proved adept at promoting their unique value to shoppers, WGSN’s Muston noted. Fashion-resale sites, meanwhile, have been growing steadily in recent years and could see an influx of customers looking for deals online as well as inventory, both from consumers cleaning out their closets and company partners wanting a piece of the resale market.
Companies will reconfigure their supply chains
When the coronavirus shut down industrial activity around much of China, it froze fashion companies too. Companies had been moving production out of China for years, first as costs rose and then more recently as the trade war between China and the US escalated. But they quickly realized they were still dependent on China for many of their raw materials.
Because of the coronavirus crisis, however, over the next two years companies are likely to re-evaluate their supply chains and try to ensure they aren’t completely reliant on any one country, BDO’s Kotlyar said.
Muston said. “What you start to fundamentally see is there is a move away from anything that feels vaguely uncomfortable.”
Even something like denim that feels comfortable enough when you’re walking and moving regularly can feel restrictive if you’re
It’s not totally clear what the new supply chain might look like. It could involve a mix of nearshoring production to low-cost countries near major markets plus investments in more advanced manufacturing and automation.
Francisco Betti, an expert on advanced manufacturing and production at the World Economic Forum, a nonpartisan foundation based in Switzerland, said in a previous interview with Quartz that he thinks Covid-19 “will massively accelerate” changes already underway in advanced manufacturing and reshape supply chains. More companies, he noted, would likely incorporate more risk management and scenario planning into their supply chains, and diversify them as much as possible in the event of future crises. Fashion companies seem likely to be part of that movement.
New consumer lifestyles will need comfortable new clothes
Before the coronavirus, WGSN was already planning to highlight working from home as one of its top trends of the year, owing to improvements in technology, changes in where young people in particular are choosing to live, and other factors. The coronavirus has now forced even workers and employers who might have once been reluctant to embrace remote work.
“The reason this is important for fashion is people wear di erent things when they’re working from home,”
at home sitting all day. Retailers that already had to raise the level of comfort they o er after years of athleisure’s dominance are likely to push comfort even further. Many women are skipping bras too, Muston said, or going with options such as bralettes or sports bras.
The situation also changes what we consider o ce dress and what shoppers may or may not need to buy for work, as retail futurist Doug Stephens noted in an interview with WWD (paywall). It will likely spur even more dressing down in the workforce.
Of course not all these predictions may come to pass, particularly given how much uncertainty remains around how the coronavirus crisis will play out. Other changes experts didn’t foresee could also turn out to be even more impactful. But with the drastic global e ect the virus has had on economies and shoppers around the world, change in its aftermath looks inevitable.
www.leoscheer.net/how-covid-19-could-change-fashion-and-retail/ Image crediss: Black Business Shopping Gallery from page 11
Business - Diaspora
Meet the Web Designer Creating Black Illustrations for all Your Digital Needs
By BOTWC Sta
John D. Saunders is a digital marketing expert and the founder of Black Illustrations (www. blackillustrations.com), a hub of free digital designs of Black people that can be used in various online projects.
The site offers an array of digital animated images that can be used for websites, presentations, mobile apps, etc. Saunders, a marketing guru with an extensive list of digital work under his belt, essentially created the site for the culture.
content by showcasing Black people and people of color in a myriad of tasks, we hope to be the spark that creates more change in the digital landscape,” Saunders said in a statement on the site.
Black Illustrations is not Saunders first brainchild, he is also the founder of 5Four Digital (www.5fourdigital.com), a marketing agency that assists entrepreneurs with growing their digital footprint, and BlackWallet.org (www.blackwallet. org), a financial literacy blog for millennials.
“There just isn’t a lot of diversity in design. People of color are often underrepresented in illustrations, lacking in the design process and often go unseen in visuals across the internet. We saw the lack of diversity as an opportunity to create a free resource for everyone. As a way to add diversity to online
For Saunders, Black Illustrations is just another way for him to continue his commitment to educating, informing and empowering the culture. From courses and trainings, marketing and financial resources, the digital illustrations are another extent of Saunders’ empire of online content.
“I’ve been lucky enough to do what I love for close to 10 years now from the sheer fact that I’ve always focused on giving the community VALUE. In the form of YouTube videos or Instagram content. I’ve always made it a point to give business owners tactics they can use,” Saunders said.
To download your free illustrations visit www. blackillustrations.com.
Starting a business in Africa, can be a herculean task. The reason is that the cultural, developmental and bureaucratic hurdle are enormous. The number of "tiny" businesses in Africa is larger than any other in the world. Most of the small or medium size businesses in the continent are not quali fied to be called such, because they cannot match up with their contemporaries around the world.
However, in Africa, there are numerous problems and these problems are opportunities to build real and profitable businesses around. As we know every societal deficiency is a platform for innovation, with Africa's huge human capital, evolving culture and hunger for change, any business started in line with her core deficient areas would do well. There are many areas to invest in Africa but some areas are more important and easy to leverage than others, some include:
Agriculture, with the large arable land in Africa, and the ever growing population, agricultural start up in Africa is an opportunity to harness.
Unfortunately, the bottle neck system of governance and the import dependent nature of the populace have hindered the growth of this important sector. Statistically, Africa has the largest arable land in the world, if all the fertile lands are used, the
production is estimated to feed the whole world. There is the market for African grown products both locally and internationally. Businesses that focus on processing the locally grown food stuffs would in the years to come grow astronomically because of the ever present demands for their products.
E commerce, with the advent of the internet and peoples affi nity for easy life, electronic shopping is another hub for building a business in Africa. Many of these online shops are cropping up every time, most of them offering world class services, this sector in future will account for a huge chunk of internally generated revenue. From purchasing of home gadgets to buying tickets, eCommerce has reshaped how the present Africa does business.
Human resource management. The continent has 1.111 billion people in it, which is 16.14% of
the world population, there is a huge demand for human resource managers. Any business built at harnessing the skills, abilities, man power and
intellect of the black continent will become a major player in that field around the world. The literacy level of the continent has grown geometrically over the years, the evidence being the ever increasing demand for African professionals in Europe and America. Human management consultancy business is already shaping the business terrain of Africa and would continue.
Social entrepreneurship. Africa has great social problems ranging from, hunger to sexual and gender injustices. The problem offers an
opportunity for a new crop of businesses who provide dynamic solutions to them. If this opportunity is leveraged, great successes will be recorded for startups in it. Social entrepreneurs can propound solutions to many of these problems by harmonizing with the government to run a need oriented programs for the masses. This can come in form of the privatization of most government sectors to accommodate individuals to contribute their innovations. Countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana have adopted this measure and many businesses have started in line with that.
Environmental sciences. Environmental related businesses will grow in Africa, because Africa generates huge amount of waste. With the poor waste management practices in the continent, a proactive waste management business will defi nitely make giant strides. Areas like recycling, environmental education, safety consultancy, and sustainable green technologies would be a great relief to not only the government but to all. The potential of an environmental venture to grow in huge because the rapid urbanization of the continent requires a corresponding increase in its public health management.
Finally Africa is a VIRGIN ground full of nutrients for maximum business growth. If the
African millennial can explore, and refi ne the vast resources and opportunities within, in the next two decades will see the continent as a pioneer to many innovations and multi-billion dollar business empires.
You can get in touch with Kalu Chijioke Harvard via the email kcharvard@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @kaluchijioke1. You can get his latest book on kindle stores with the title "sinners" in heaven and "saints" in hell.
Meet the Woman Behind Okra, Africa’s First API Fintech ‘Super-Connector’
By Meghan McCormick
Raising $1M for your startup in Africa is starting to become more common. As of May 21, 54 startups have raised at least $1M in 2020. Raising $1M as an African woman is still frustratingly rare. Fara Ashiru Jituboh has done just that, raising a $1M pre-seed round for Okra (https:// okra.ng), where she is cofounder, CEO and CTO. Okra is a Nigeriabased “super-connector” which allows the secure exchange of realtime financial information between customers, applications, and banks. Think of it like Plaid for Africa (https://plaid.com)
Okra's Co-Founder, CEO & CTO, Fara Ashiru Jituboh Okra
The idea for Okra came from the entrepreneur’s best source of inspiration; solving her own problems. Jituboh was born in Nigeria, but grew up in the United States. She spent a year in Nigeria as a teenager, but really never expected to settle in Nigeria permanently. During a visit she kept thinking, “ I can do something really big and really impactful [here]. There's so much more opportunity to do, to solve so many problems,” said Jituboh. She moved back to Nigeria where she started a studio to build technology for other companies such as AXA Mansard, Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, and Airtel
In 2019, Jituboh temporarily moved back to the U.S. to have her son and stayed for about a year. During that time, she started using applications like Mint (www.mint.com) on her phone to manage her funds. Then she moved back to Nigeria and realized that none of these applications worked because they didn’t connect to Nigerian banks. “My financial literacy could never grow here,” she said. Jituboh started trying to connect her own bank accounts. That was the start of Okra. Many of us have frustrations in our daily life that
we dream about solving, but few of us actually end up building a company around it. This is especially true when we run into problems in highly regulated or technical spaces such as banking. But as a highly skilled software engineer, Jituboh is used to rolling up her sleeves and building. According to Andreata Muforo, a partner at TLcom (https:// tlcomcapital.com) which invested in Okra, Fara is an expert in over 20 programming languages. Even though Okra now has money to hire top talent, Jituboh will continue to hold both the CEO and CTO roles. She believes that in a business this technical having the vision for the product and technology and the vision for the company so tightly aligned is a benefit. That’s not to say it’s easy. “If I’m not coding, I feel guilty like I’m not doing my work. But if I’m coding, I can feel like there are some high-level things I should be dealing with. You need to find balance,” said Jituboh.
Okra’s raise is not just an outlier because it’s run by a woman or because it was incredibly fast (less than 6 months after launch!) or because it was oversubscribed despite the world being in the middle of a pandemic. For their investor, TLcom, Okra is an outlier in their portfolio. TLcom has
Okra Makes It Simple
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https://okra.ng
never invested in Fintech (https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Financial_technology). They also typically participate in larger rounds, such as Andela’s $100M Series D. According to Jituboh, they invest in infrastructure and while banking portals do not come to mind as readily as cellphone towers when one thinks of infrastructure, they are an equally important part of the foundation needed for a vibrant digital economy. TLcom took the whole round and Ido Sum, a partner, will join Okra’s board.
In a round as hot as Okra’s pre-seed, it’s not just the investor that chooses the company. The company also has to choose the investor. TLcom’s vast experience investing across Africa over several decades brought the technical and market expertise that Jituboh was looking for. The fact that two of the partners are women, only sweetened the deal.
How Girls’ Education and Safety will be Harmed by the COVID Response
By Agnes Odhiambo, Senior Researcher, Women's Rights Division, Human Rights Watch
Abigail*, a young woman who lives in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare became pregnant by a much older married man when she was 14. She had left school because her mother couldn’t a ord to pay for her fees, books and other school supplies. Her mother was also struggling to buy food and other basics for the family. The man had given her money. She felt she couldn’t refuse him as he was helping her.
Abigail had had no sex education in school and didn’t know how to prevent pregnancy. When she was 16, she told us: “I wish to go back to school because I am still a child”.
In these trying circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, many vulnerable groups will be made even more so. Key among them are young girls from low-income backgrounds who risk falling into the same circumstances as Abigail. The crisis is likely to put them at higher risks of sexual violence and exploitation, tra cking, child marriage, forced labour, and social exclusion.
How
school closures a ect girls
School closures harm girls in many ways, often
with long-term consequences.
Across the continent, girls already face a host of barriers to education that result in substantial gender disparities. They are also exposed to many abuses, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, which end their education abruptly. Schools typically provide safe spaces for girls. When they are in school, they are less likely to be forced into marriage. During this pandemic, however, schools are not there to protect girls. Human Rights Watch research in several African countries shows that child marriage and the resulting early pregnancies, a key barrier to girls’ education, can increase significantly in crises. 13 out of the 15 countries in the world where more than 30% of primary school age girls are out of school are in sub-Saharan Africa. As girls get older, the gender gap in education steadily widens. By upper secondary school, there are gender disparities in 91% of the region’s countries. The pandemic could threaten the African Union’s Agenda 2063 commitment to eliminate gender
disparities at all levels, including in education.
What African governments must do to protect girls
African governments must act to ensure these statistics are not further worsened by the pandemic. There are many ways that they can start to mitigate the harm to girls.
To begin with, it is critical that emergency response measures address the particular vulnerabilities of women and girls. To ensure this, their participation in developing these measures is key. Public awareness messages should always include specific information on risks that girls face as well as how to report abuse and seek help.
Governments should also work with communities, school o cials and teachers to monitor whether girls are participating in remote educational programmes. If these initiatives are not reaching girls or if their families or communities are not prioritising the girls’ education, they will need to intervene. The government should empower teachers and provide them resources so they can do their essential outreach work. This will involve checking-in on their students, particularly girls, and talking to parents to ensure they understand that children need to remain engaged with their studies.
Governments should additionally provide information and services on sexual and
reproductive health to adolescents. This includes making sure they can access a broad range of contraceptives, which respects their dignity and privacy.
When schools reopen, these e orts must continue. School o cials and teachers should make sure that girls are returning. From now, governments should be tracking the numbers of children a ected by school closures and provide gender disaggregated data to ensure they can act if a significant number of children do not return to school. Governments should develop measures to identify and assist those who have not returned, for example by providing financial assistance programmes.
Now is also a good time for countries that exclude pregnant girls and adolescent mothers from school to reform those policies and develop human rights-compliant policies. The recent move by Sierra Leone to allow girls who are pregnant or have a child to attend school is a good example for other African countries like Tanzania to follow.
Girls are key to Africa’s human capital and will be a key asset in the process of recovering from COVID-19. It is imperative for governments to adopt and implement, as part of their pandemic responses, measures to ensure that all girls can continue their education, the key to unlocking their potential.
*name changed to protect the identity of the interviewee.
Africa’s Richest Man Helps Lead Nigeria Charge Against Covid-19
By Emele Onu, Ruth Olurounbi, Tope Alake
Access Bank Plc, Nigeria’s biggest lender by assets, is teaming up with Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote to provide treatment and isolation centers across Africa’s most populous nation as it braces for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nigeria has recorded 65 cases of the Covid-19 virus, including one fatality. There are fears the spread could become exponential if community infections aren’t curtailed due to poor health facilities in the West African nation. Less than 500 people have been tested and the government is tracing 4,370 persons that have made some contact with confirmed virus cases, the ministry of health said on Thursday.
The facilities, which will be located across the country of more than 200 million people with a total of 1,000 beds, will be ready within weeks, Access
Bank said Thursday in an emailed statement. They will have Chinese experts and serve as testing, isolation, treatment and training centers, the lender added.
United Bank for Africa Plc, another leading Nigerian lender, said it will donate about 5 billion naira ($13 million) toward providing assistance to the country and 19 others across Africa to support their governments in combating the viral infection.
Atlas Mara-backed Union Bank has also partnered with 54gene, a U.S.-based genetic research company, using a $500,000 funding facility to increase Covid-19 testing capacity in Nigeria to 1,000 daily. 54gene launched the testing support fund with $150,000 to secure instruments and protective equipment needed to keep healthcare workers safe. The company aims to increase rate of testing in Nigeria to 5,000 tests daily working with other partners.
State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation announced on Friday a donation of $30 million from the oil industry to support the fight against the virus.
Idris Elba and Wife Launch $40 Million Fund to Help People in Poor Rural Areas A ected by COVID-19
By Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
Having been directly a ected by the coronavirus, actor and DJ Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina Dhowre Elba are launching a $40 million fund to help others in the rural and poor areas as they are su ering the most, according to The Associated Press.
The Wire actor and his model wife had a conversation with the Associated Press and mentioned to them that they will be working alongside the United Nations to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on farmers and food producers in rural areas. They have accepted their new roles as U.N. Goodwill Ambassadors and have joined forces with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to launch the new $40 million fund. IFAD is hoping to raise up to $200 million more from various governments worldwide.
“People forget that 80% of the poor population
live in these rural areas,” Sabrina said.
“What we are really worried about at the moment, and why we are launching this fund is that those people are being forgotten.”
Idris believes that the people in rural and poor areas are likely to su er even more in the pandemic. “If you imagine being in a village where no one even knows the name of your village or your population, and that you live in a slum where there is one room and six of you live in it,” he said. “Social distancing is almost laughable.”
Idris and his wife have been recovering down in New Mexico, where the British actor was filming a movie when he became sick with the coronavirus. They do have plans to return to London as soon as they can get a flight. Elba mentioned that he had to miss the birthday of his 6-year-old son due to the lockdown but he is “hoping to see him as soon as I can.”
“We’ve been fortunate,” he added. “We have been staying in a lovely place that’s been very comfortable for the time. But we’re looking forward to going home.”
The actor also feels that there are life lessons that should be learned, and the coronavirus pandemic should make people realize that “the world doesn’t tick on your time.”
“I think that the world should take a week of quarantine every year just to remember this time. Remember each other. I really do,” he said.
Actor and director Idris Elba at the Berlinale 2018 (Wikimedia Commons)
Swoop Aero Remotely Piloting Drones with Criti Supplies for African Villages
By Aimee Chanthadavong
Usually, when Eric Peck is working, he's not looking out onto the streets of Melbourne. Rather, the CEO of drone logistics company Swoop Aero is somewhere in South Africa -- or like in January, at a national park in Malawi, staring out at wild hippopotami and elephants.
But due to recent repatriate orders by the Australian government in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Peck and his team have returned home.
However, that hasn't stopped Swoop Aero from operating. The fleet of drones that Peck, a former airforce pilot turned Deloitte consultant, and co-founder and CTO Josh Tepper developed to provide those in regional or remote areas access to healthcare were intentionally designed to be piloted remotely.
"What we did was built a system that segregated the need for a person piloting the drone to be anywhere near the aircraft to the point the system we've developed could quite literally mean you can have a drone at the north pole and the pilot at the south pole, and it makes no di erence if the pilot was standing next to the aircraft," he told ZDNet
"We've done this by developing our own in-house control system, leveraging high bandwidth, low-cost satellite links … Basically, if we've got a laptop or iPad and a box that allows [you] to connect to the internet anywhere in the world via satellite, we can control the aircraft."
Each Swoop Aero drone is made from a combination of 3D-printed carbon fibre shell, commercial o -theshelf components, the company's own propriety technology, and is powered using solar energy.
Swoop Aero currently operates in Malawi in partnership with USAID Global Health Supply Chain, UK Aid, and UNICEF, providing medical supplies including vaccines for malaria and tuberculosis, penicillin, anti-malarial and anti-venom medications, and HIV/AIDS testing kits from healthcare centres to remote villages. On the return trip, the drones are also often carrying tests for tuberculosis and other blood samples.
Similar services have also been provided in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and
Mozambique.
"We're working with the [Malawi] College of Medicine and the healthcare system to improve transportation of supplies," Peck said.
"We work very closely with the government. It's the same with our work in DRC; we work very closely in partnership with the government and the health system over there. The same again in Mozambique. Although the contracts are with or alongside the NGOs, the core customer we're serving is the government."
Prior to winning these contracts, Swoop Aero started delivering vaccines via drones in Vanuatu in December 2018 after the company won its first commercial with the Vanuatu government.
"We had a number of aircraft with us on the island and developed this system alongside the healthcare sta where we started doing scheduled deliveries of vaccines, so we knew what we had to carry every day," Peck said.
"What would happen was the healthcare sta would walk down with a box and say it's going to this particular village and it's got this in it, and we'd put it in the aircraft, pre-program the route, basically press a button on the drone itself, it takes o autonomously and flies to its destination, lands in the village autonomously, healthcare sta o oad the vaccines, and they can put lab samples or spare vaccines back in, press a button to initiate the automatic take-o and it flies back … We quickly realised that although it was only a 20-minute flight across the island for us, it was a two-day walk to go across the top of the volcano, or to get to some of the villages it was five hours on a boat."
In addition to the scheduled deliveries, Swoop Aero became what Peck referred to as an "on-demand" service for healthcare sta
"They told us they wanted to use it for other things like help pay the sta , otherwise healthcare sta would have to walk to the hospital and it would take them two days -- one day to walk there and a day to walk back," he said.
"Can we distribute their pay with the drones, and we said, 'Yeah, we can actually can'. Can we do
cal Medical
pharmaceutical deliveries?
There's one centre on the island has that penicillin but the other has none, so can we fly the drone over there? It became this ondemand network.
"The peak use case of that was when a mum had
villages and regions and roll out COVID-19 testing kits will enable the healthcare workers to get those kits without the need for cars and people transiting between the villages, and creating higher infection risks. That's been our core driver about why we've stayed there," he said.
a newborn baby that needed a drug called oxytocin. The number one cause of death for women in Vanuatu is post-birth complications, so her choice was eight hours on a boat to get to the hospital to get this drug -- and it needs to be administered within two hours -or they call up and we're there 30 minutes later in the aircraft.
"That's the pinnacle of that on-demand service, and we've replicated that with a rabies vaccine in Malawi and high-strength antibiotics getting flown to really sick people."
Peck is hopeful the company's drones will also soon be used to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the areas that the Swoop Aero currently services.
"One of the key reasons we're keen to remain operating in southern Malawi is because as the country gets locked down, our ability to transfer between
"We're still operating, it's all business as usual from our perspective. When -- and it will be needed at some point in the next couple of weeks -- you need testing kits taken out of these hospitals, we'll be there to support them and make sure it can happen in the safest way possible for the communities."
He estimates within the next six weeks, Swoop Aero will also recommence operations in Mozambique and DRC to support on-ground sta with COVID-19 healthcare services.
Beyond the pandemic, Peck wants to see the company provide healthcare to rural and remote parts of Indonesia and Australia, especially in Indigenous communities.
The Melbourne-based startup is backed by investors including Right Click Capital, Tempus Partners, and Blackbird Ventures
Working on Coronavirus Vaccine Trials, Kizzmekia Corbett is 'not your average' Scientist
By Janell Ross
The day U.S. President Donald Trump went to the National Institutes of Health for an update on progress toward a vaccine for COVID-19, many of those who sat behind the presidential seal with
him were white men well known in the worlds of science, medicine and, now, national anxiety control: vaccine and infectious disease specialists like Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. John Mascola, Dr. Barney Graham and the man who led the human genome project, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the NIH. Sitting next to Graham was Kizzmekia Corbett, an NIH research fellow.
In 2003, Fauci said at the event, NIH scientists managed to identify SARS and get a vaccine to stage-one clinical trials in 20 months. Now a team of scientists led by Corbett, 34, was poised to move to first-stage trials for a coronavirus vaccine — this time, in about two months.
That was March 3. Just 122 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in the U.S. Reporters stationed around the edges of the room asked the president about virus-related travel bans and his Super Tuesday predictions. No one asked
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett talks with President Donald Trump as he tours the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., on March 3. Evan Vucci / AP
Corbett — whom Collins had just described as a "wonderfully talented young scientist in our midst," as well as the only woman and black person at the table — a single thing.
Just 13 days later, Corbett's team began firststage clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine, the first of its kind in the world and the fastest progress ever toward a possible vaccine for a novel pathogen. At least 40 distinct groups of researchers in China, Germany, the U.S. and other countries soon followed. But if Corbett's team is successful — meaning phase one, two and three clinical trials prove the team's work has produced a safe, working vaccine — something to prevent infection with the coronavirus could be ready for use in doctors' o ces by early to mid-2021. COVID-19 could become a preventable disease.
"There was, and is, already a fair amount of pressure," Corbett said. "A lot of people are banking on us or feel that we have a product that could, at least, be part of the answer this world needs. And, well, whew, just saying that out loud is not easy."
'Not your average pocket-protector scientist'
There are other statements that Corbett expresses with ease, however. Take, for instance, when Graham met her 12 years ago, when she was an undergraduate doing summer work at the NIH's Vaccine Research Center, and asked her what she ultimately wanted to do with her life.
"She said, 'I want your job,'" Graham recalls. "From the very beginning, she was really pretty bold in her aspirations. And I, if I recall correctly, I was just glad to hear help was coming."
Corbett was clear that her route included getting a doctorate and ideally working on rapid vaccine development — an aria to Graham's ears. Rapid vaccine development, particularly for novel pathogens with the potential to create pandemics but not big corporate profits, almost always requires singular focus and scientists willing to sacrifice.
Corbett stuck to the plan: majoring in biology and sociology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and dividing her time between lab and field work on health outcomes in diverse communities. Corbett earned a doctorate from
the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2014.
Now she's a fellow at Graham's center leading the coronavirus vaccine development team.
"She's not your average pocket-protector scientist," said Andrew Ward, a professor at Scripps Research, an independent research and graduate education institution. Ward, who specializes in structure-based vaccine design and atomic-level modeling, is part of Corbett's team.
"There's pressure, constant pressure, in a situation like this where the speed at which we've gone to clinical trials is almost unprecedented," Ward said. "And I think there's a lot of realism on the team that this is a shot, maybe not even our best shot, but a good shot, given the pressing need. And Kizzy, to me, really epitomizes that. She's putting in long, long hours, doing critical, potentially world-altering work, at what is naturally a pretty high-pressure time in her career, in this incredibly focused way."
Ralph Baric, a professor in the departments of epidemiology, microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina, calls Corbett "a really quite outstanding, hard-working scientist."
"Fate has put her in a position to make a huge di erence in human health, and it has made a good choice," said Baric, who has spent 35 years studying coronaviruses and evaluated Corbett's doctoral research on dengue fever. He is part of Corbett's vaccine development team conducting critical experiments.
"Corbett seemed drawn to dengue research for two reasons: the su ering the disease causes and the complexity making vaccine development challenging," Baric said. "In retrospect, it was solid preparation for COVID-19."
Corbett turned her attention to coronaviruses when she joined the NIH's Vaccine Research Center as a postdoctoral fellow in 2014.
"SARS and MERS, two coronaviruses, had already caused massive outbreaks," she said. "And these big, challenging questions remained, along with the fact that it was clear that it could happen again. It was looming out there and just a matter of time."
Working for Graham, Corbett was deep into her see page 26
Pandemic
exploration of coronaviruses when COVID-19 emerged last year.
Corbett and members of her team had identified a particular "spike protein" in coronaviruses like COVID-19 that sticks out from the virus' surface. The claw-like shape permeates healthy human cells, infecting them. Building on decades of research by many scientists, the potential NIH vaccine uses a genetic code sequence known as messenger RNA, or mRNA, to prompt the body's immune system to react when the spike protein is detected, blocking the infection process.
On March 3, that's the science that Corbett explained to Trump during his NIH tour.
Fauci, Corbett and Graham donned lab coats and moved the president through a warren of working labs with whirring machines crunching data, displaying or analyzing 3D models of the virus and freezers with the capacity to store samples at minus-80 degrees.
Corbett declined to comment on the president's relationship with science. But that day at the NIH, she said, Trump listened and asked smart questions.
Three days later, Trump signed a bill authorizing an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus response, which included at least $3 billion for development of testing, vaccine and treatment.
From loving Jesus to making jokes
Along with all that scientific devotion, Corbett remains connected to other parts of life, capable of talking about science anywhere from "the trap house to the White House," she said in an interview with Black Enterprise magazine. It is one of the many blogs, podcasts, social media platforms and various news outlets with largely black audiences that have devoted time to Corbett's scientific work and background.
In the days before strict social distancing measures took hold, Corbett told her Twitter followers that she got an "emergency weave" and had her eyebrows sculpted. She's since joked about having to put on a real shirt to hop on a work videoconference call.
Corbett is a scientist who loves Jesus, hates mercenary operations falsely claiming they have
produced a coronavirus shield from household spices and worries about how seriously people — especially at churches on Easter — take social distancing recommendations.
In a rare moment of levity since clinical trials of her team's possible vaccine began, Corbett joked that rappers Young Jeezy and DaBaby will be asked to perform should she ever win a Nobel Prize
"She's brilliant and doing this complicated work and yet, somehow, is also this person who manages to remember everybody's birthday," Ward said. "She's really great at bringing together groups of people with di erent skills and understanding the value and contributions of each of them in ways that really maximizes scientific impact."
'Critical thought is just how I roll'
Corbett was born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, a town of less than 4,000 people about 30 minutes south of the Virginia border. Everyone thinks their baby is special, especially their first baby, said her mother, Rhonda Brooks.
"Kizzie was always like a little detective," Brooks said. "My sweet little, opinionated detective."
Brooks also recalls when Corbett's third grade teacher, a black woman, told her and her husband, Corbett's stepfather, that they should do everything possible to make sure their daughter was put on the most demanding academic track — something the district rarely considered for black children. They should push, the teacher said.
Eventually, the family moved 20 minutes south to Hillsborough, where Brooks raised her math whiz daughter just like her six other birth, step and foster kids.
When it was time for college, Corbett had multiple o ers, including from a college known
as a Southern party school and another from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she was accepted to the Meyerho Scholars Program and o ered a full scholarship.
"It was like, do I go for the fun or do I go for the funds?" she said. "I chose Meyerho because of the money, the network and the program. Critical thought is just how I roll."
In terms of the coronavirus alone, Meyerho Scholars is also the program that produced Olubukola Abiona, a scientist preparing for graduate studies working under Corbett at the NIH's Vaccine Research Center; Jerome Adams, Surgeon General of the United States and part of the White House's coronavirus task force; and Darian Cash, a senior scientist at Moderna, a biotech firm and part of the scientific group working with Corbett. All three are black.
Decisions need to be made. There are so many calls, emails and requests for data, for samples, for tests that measure how well the virus has been blocked that Corbett jokes she needs someone just to read her email.
"That is not and cannot be a coincidence," said Keith Harmon, director of the Meyerho Scholars program, who was one of Corbett's advisers in college. The program has helped to make the school the predominantly white institution producing the nation's largest number of African Americans who earn medical and doctoral degrees. His team was close to a coronavirus vaccine Today he told Congress why it's sitting in a freezer.
"When I think about Kizzy, I'm not at all surprised she's one of the scientists on the edge of a vaccine," Harmon said. "Not one bit. What I am reminded of is that there is such ability, untapped, unrecognized and un-nurtured among students, all our students, particularly among our underrepresented minority students. And if we accept that as normal, you really have to wonder what serious challenges we leave unsolved."
Long workdays and coping strategies
The work itself is exhilarating and hard. Right now, it also demands seven-day workweeks and getting three to four hours of sleep each night. Information is constantly arriving at all hours.
Yet she manages it all — while also trying to digest side helpings of disrespect.
In meetings and emails or on conference calls at least a few times every day, Corbett said, some scientists around the world doublecheck her work or ideas with Graham or direct questions to him — even though Graham makes it consistently clear that Corbett is the scientific lead and the ultimate expert. Corbett said they thank Graham when she answers their questions or provides data, samples and tests.
On Twitter, someone recently suggested that she should "go back to McDonalds where she belongs."
Corbett has a few coping strategies. She has a boss who believes in her, so she's not afraid to ask questions, seek direction or try new approaches. She's so organized that she's known as "the spreadsheet queen" who plots out everything from clinical trials to her best friends' children's birthdays.
She tries to engage fully with the issue before her. Corbett makes time to check in with her three nieces and nephews almost every day. She leans on family and friends, especially her two grandmothers, for whom "Jesus is like a b ," she said. And she extracts confidence, scientific and social information from doing the work.
"At some point, you have to decide how much to care," Corbett said. "You understand that your work will have to be mighty so that it can do your speaking."
Image credits: greenbeltnewsreview.com, Modern Healthcare
Dr. Jerome Adams
Olubukola Abiona
Bismack Biyombo Donates $1 Million Worth of Medical Supplies to COVID Relief in the Congo
By BOTWC Sta
This Is People Power!
NBA star Bismack Biyombo (Charlotte Hornets) just donated $1 million worth of medical supplies to aid in the fight against COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Black Enterprise magazine reports.
The Bismack Biyombo Foundation (www. biyombofoundation.org) donated more than 10,000 masks and 780 hazmat suits to medical o cials in the DRSC. Biyombo, a native of The Congo, released a statement about the donation saying, “We have never experienced a crisis of this magnitude. Seeing my home country su er in this capacity is devastating. I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to figure out a way to help those su ering the DRC. I am pleased to announce [the donation]. Thank you to all of those who are at the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Biyombo’s organization was founded in 2016 and has been working tirelessly to provide access and opportunities for those in under-resourced communities across the globe. In the last couple of
years, the DRC has been overwhelmed by several outbreaks including measles, malaria and Ebola, making the residents even more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus.
“The country’s e orts to combat these diseases have completely depleted the healthcare system’s resources - leaving children and families more vulnerable than ever. All of the diseases a ecting the DRC are spread through human-to-human contact and are preventable with the proper resources,” Biyombo said.
He hopes that the items he donated can contribute to those resources, helping to flatten the curve in the Congo. And while the 27-year old forward understands that the donation won’t resolve the country’s issue, he hopes that it will help tremendously in slowing the spread of infection.
Thank you for all you’re doing Bismack! You are appreciated.
www.becauseofthemwecan.com//blogs/news/charlotte-hornets-bismackbiyombo-donates-1-million-worth-of-medical-supplies-to-covid-reliefin-the-congo?goal=0_232356ca7c-26957219b6-76504584&mc_ cid=26957219b6&mc_eid=0bd97cc c Image credit: @asphaltchronicles/Instagram
Madagascar
President Andry Rajoelina
Madagascar Launches Africa’s First Herbal Remedy Cure From Covid-19
The president of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina o cially launched a local herbal remedy believed can prevent and cure patients su ering from COVID-19.
The herbal remedy has been developed by Congolese Doctor, Dr. Jerome Munyagi in partnership with the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research and branded COVID Organics. President Andry Rajaolina presented the remedy to the press on Monday.
COVID Organics contains Artemisia, a plant cultivated on the Big Island to fight against malaria. In other parts of Africa, Artemisia is cultivated in Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia –all in high-altitude regions and/or regions with a pronounced cool period.
“All trials and tests have been conducted and its e ectiveness in reducing the elimination of symptoms has been proven for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Madagascar,” the president said.
The herbal remedy, COVID-organics is
mandatory for children returning to school. President Rajaolina said Monday that it had cured two COVID-19 cases.
“The Covid-Organics will be distributed free of charge to our most vulnerable compatriots and sold at very low prices to others. All profits will be donated to IMRA to finance scientific research,” the president wrote on Twitter.
“I’m convinced that, in fact history will prove us, but today there are already two cases that have been cured with the Covid-organics, but we’ll actually see what happens next.”
“Covid Organics will be used in profilaxis, i.e. preventive, but clinical observations have shown a trend towards its e ectiveness in curative, other clinical studies are currently underway,” he stressed at the launch.
As of May 1st, Madagascar’s case stats stood at 128 cases of which 92 had recovered with no deaths.
Desert Control is a ClimateTech company specialising in transforming deserts and restoring arid soil into fertile land. The startup has a patent to produce Liquid NanoClay (LNC) in a chemicalfree process, allowing usage in green ecosystems to restore and protect land and soil from degradation.
The LNC is a mineral-based, 100% natural product. the process mixes nano-particles of clay with water and binds them to sand particles to condition desert soil.
LNC is produced on-site with mobile production units, much like concrete is mixed on-site for construction. The primary clay particles get processed into NanoClay flakes (nano-sized particles). Each particle is shaped into a chip, 1-2nm thick with diameters up to 300nm (1 nm
equals to 1 millionth of a millimeter).
LNC can be poured directly to the surface, and the clay will automatically percolate the ground and form bonds between soil minerals, thus increasing the ability to absorb water. This process allows areas to be treated with less than two kilos of clay per square meter. It is easily applied to sandy soils and can even be used on existing vegetation non-intrusive and non-invasive. The patent is approved for the technology, process and mechanics. Any country/area with sandy soils and areas exposed to desertification will benefit from the technology. More than 110 countries are on the United Nations’ list for desertification exposure.”
Desert Control has over 10 years of R&D and field testing. The core focus is to make earth green again by restoring and protecting soil crucial to biodiversity. R&D has been led from Norway and testing has been conducted in multiple countries including Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the UAE, etc.
LNC has wider applications that include farming, agriculture, food production; reforestation and projects to reclaim degraded and desertified land; climate impact projects; commercial greenery such as urban development, parks, sports fields and cultivated green outdoor areas that require irrigation in areas with sandy soil.
Billions of dollars have been poured into Africa for the last 50 years by donor nations, charities and Africans living abroad. This has benefited very few. The results dictate a need for a swift change of strategy to a more sustainable one-private enterprise. One of the major obstacles of African attempt to attract investors and tourists is the unbalanced reporting and gross negative portrayal of Africa by the western media. Negatives images attract donors. This has driven most investors to India, China and other Asian countries. Most western investors are not aware of the plentiful lowcost labor, plenty of fertile land and under-exploited potential for tourism that Africa o ers. Like any other continent African has its own trouble spots. Africa's potential is as good if not better than Asia. Below are a few simple steps you can take to help Africa without breaking your bank.
1. Support African friendly businesses abroad and in the continent. Trickle down e ect contributes to less dependence on foreign donations.
2. Use alternative mediums to tell the true African story and set the agenda.
3. Engage media outlets to encourage fair and balanced depiction of Africa and its people.
4. Write a protest letter to publishers of movies, TV programs, articles or books portraying Africa in negative way
5. Use new media share real images of Africa with the world.
6. Use new media to share stories of African optimism and successes with the world.
7. If you are an African living overseas encourage family members back home to look for income generating activities.
8. Help finance family members Education and / training and discourage handouts.
9. Help look for markets for African goods abroad and services.
10. Encourage reasonable African leaders to create favorable business climate for foreign and local investors.
11. If you are an African living overseas, discourage stereotyping Africans among coworkers.
12. Encourage your company to outsource or establish call centers in Africa.
13. If you are an actor, avoid movie or television roles that depict you as an informed African.
14. Encourage tourism to African countries.
15. Encourage the sound African Governments to set up public relations units to counter negative media coverage.
16. Promote African made products abroad.
17. Use African friendly and African made products.
18. Educate your western friends about Africa.
19. Spend your vacation dollars in Africa.
20. Use new technology to highlight to Western investors the advantages of the plentiful lowcost labor, plenty of fertile land and underexploited potential for tourism that Africa o ers.
21. Use new media to explain to the West that the best way to help is not only through charity, but also by investing in companies and projects o ering a commercial rate of return. This will save their tax dollars.
22. If you've never been to Africa - learn about Africa from reliable resources.
23. If you're a teacher or a parent, teach kids about Africa.
24. If you are a student, do a research paper on Africa. Start an Africa Club in your school.
25. If you are an African living in USA, write to your senator about supporting fair trade opportunities for Africa.
http://EzineArticles.com/4795123 https://EzineArticles.com/expert/M_Mahugu/724889 Image credits: The Punch Newspapers
Africa in "Action" Beyond Aid - Dedication and Will
By Mark Yama Tampuri Jnr.
Africa countries should focus on strategies and actions (action plans) at their levels that they will adhere to in their process of liberating their continent beyond aid so they can be measured. Writing this comes from the backdrop of emerging issues on the African continent, Ghana's President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at a global partnership for education conference said "We have the resources to finance education in Africa" and indeed during the state of the stations address on 8th February 2018 he said "We will build Ghana beyond aid" re-echoing the need for the commitment towards Ghana and Africa beyond aid process. The Rwandan president H. E Paul Kagame and other leaders have always done so.
In the Ghanaian president's words, I deduced the leader has dedicated the Free Senior High School programme (http://freeshs.gov.gh) not to be tied to an aid promise by any foreign government. Directly, it means that the country will not be relying on aid to fund such a heavily revenue demanding programme. That's refreshing, though Ghana still has some donor support on its budget. In practice, past Ghanaian leaders have in one way or the other walked in similar lines with the general aim of a self-reliance economy. But a lot is expected, the presidents of African nations need specific commitments and they, including Ghana, will be marching towards what I call 'Africa in Action beyond Aid'- the everyday actions and way of living that take us to economic independence... Surely it will not take a day, it will take years, to achieve completely. Even so, some countries will begin before others.
The question as to when individual countries will acheive economic independence, no one can tell. But working together, someday it will be achieved.
It is said "only when we cross the river can we say the crocodile has a lump on its snout" at that time we can say, it is over. We need to commend our continent leaders for accepting the "Africa In Action Beyond Aid" and challenge them as well to take up specific actions in their country's context and work on achieving economic independence, no matter how small it may feel, it adds up and it is to take us all o aid within the process. In that way, we will be helping to re-orient our minds as well as working towards achieving the "Africa Beyond Aid.' What needs to be done - for Africa in Action without aid to be achieved? Just too highlight a few:
AFRICA UNION (AU)
AU plays a significant and important role to achieve this mission in our everyday lives as a continent. If the body could agree together for members to make specific dedication and declaration towards Africa beyond aid, it will mean a lot in the onward match. AU can help in:
1) In the short to medium term, members agree none of its own is to accept any support from any foreign government that comes with "strings" attached except those to deter corruption and increase its e ectiveness (The strings in themselves can make a country so dependent on these donor countries.).
2) All African countries should come up with strategies on how at their country levels they can work to achieve the "Africa Beyond Aid" project in process.
The truth, however, is that countries are at di erent development levels in Africa (just as any other continent). Some countries will surely need some help whiles others may not.
3) Therefore, AU can start seeking funds from its own people to help/fund projects its own people
without strings attached in the medium to long-term.
4) In the medium term, foreign aids that still comes to support economies should be tied to individual projects and not items in African countries budgets. For example, if a German firm wants to build a library for a community and hand it over to authorities, why not. "Africa in Action Beyond Aid" does not mean we stop supporting ourselves. However said, when aid and support from donors are tied to countries budgets, then when the support stops coming, the budget becomes distressed and people su er the resulting policies from managers of the economies. Britain and Netherlands aid cut to Rwanda's budget cost the country about 12% of their budget estimates for inflows back in 2012.
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS
Civil society organizations (CSOs) and all other groups are needed in such a laudable change "in doing things" on the continent.
5) Civil Society organizations can help in behavioural change activities and projects to orient citizens on the need to support "Africa in Action Beyond Aid."
COUNTRY-LEVEL
6) Corruption: But in all these, the continents ability to put forth actions to eliminate or reduce to barest minimum corruption are important if any country is to achieve resilient and economic independence. Because if you garner all revenues and some goes into corrupt people's pockets, the country will surely be vulnerable to take aid and be weakened enough to accept conditions even when they don't favour the economies.
7) Generate revenues innovatively to support budgets: Countries need behavioural change messages. The average human being won't like to pay taxes (its normal), but when countries attach purposes to taxes and utilize revenues well
- the people are reasonable enough to support government programmes. Without countries ability to raise funds, they will always go hungry and that's when they go begging. Importantly, revenue leakages can be blocked and resources channelled for development activities.
CITIZEN SUPPORT
The Mamprusi's have a saying that "a healthy person who begs for food is an insult to the farmer." To some people, it doesn't matter where funds come from, as long as there is development. This thinking may be justified, however even as individuals, if we can manage our families without the need for help from others who may have their own families to manage, then African states can do the same too. Let's support this noble course. "The ruins of a nation begins in the homes of its people". 'When a noble cause calls, we render our support from our homes and wherever we are'. For a "worthy cause is worth pursuing to the end."
Lastly, we co-operate to develop.
United Nations and donor agencies must support this course. If aid does not help Africa to be like or better than donor countries, then there is definitely a need to re-look into such and thread on a di erent course - development in cooperation and respect for all. African governments will have to create more opportunities for all by channeling their resources well for the benefit of the people on the continent. As H.E Nelson Mandela said "for to be free is not merely to cast o one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." In doing so then we will be taking our people along with us to a development on the continent that is sustaining and impactful. Now, "Africa Beyond Aid" is a vision but "Africa in Action Beyond Aid" is a mission... Let us work in action to achieve the vision!
Agriculture, the mainstay of Africa’s informal economies, needs a facelift, and some new faces to talk tech to power. Agri-tech is the buzzword, and we profile three innovators spearheading change in their communities. They grew up on these farms, and knowing their earth best, have created the technology they need, in turn revolutionizing agriculture, from the little corners of Africa.
‘Clarity From Above’
James Paterson, South Africa
An unidentified flying object hovers over a
monitor what’s happening on the ground. Paterson, 29, controls this propeller-enhanced technology using a controller. He is the co-founder and CEO of Aerobotics (www.aerobotics.com), a company that interprets satellite and aerial drone analytics to enable farmers.
He calls it “clarity from above”.
The drone space in Africa has significantly developed over the years, and the view from below has certainly changed too. In Rwanda, drones are a common sight, famously used to deliver blood and medical supplies to remote areas, and here in this small South African farm, it’s being used to improve the way we grow food.
150-hectare orange farm in a small town called Clanwilliam in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
It’s the first time James Paterson is testing his homemade drone. The object flies over the mountainous terrain o ering a bird’s eye view, then singles out a tree with stunted growth. The object detects that the tree is not receiving enough water.
The object looks like a prop out of the Transformers movie series. It has eyes too – a camera lens – to
Aerobotics’ core mandate is to provide data on tree crops, enabling farmers with information on disease, pests and water usage. They are able to tell the farmers if a tree lacks nutrition and what it needs.
“Find one small thing that is going to improve the farmers’ life and then focus on that,” says Paterson.
“Instead of just giving the farmer a picture or a map, we give him exactly what’s going on with the tree and we can track that over time.”
He believes this would be useful in areas such as Cape Town with the ongoing water crisis.
He co-founded the company with Benji Meltzer in 2014 after they built drones in Paterson’s garage. Paterson, who grew up on a fruit farm, had always loved aeronautics. Meltzer is also the Chief Technology O cer of Aerobotics.
Now, he is able to merge farming and tech into something he enjoys doing on a daily basis; running an aeronautical company providing farm analytical services.
Aerobotics interprets satelitte and aerial drone analytics to help farmers.
But running the company hasn’t always been easy. Apart from competing with drone companies providing similar services, their biggest challenge has been trying to convince farmers to use their product.
“Some farmers… like the older way of doing things,” says Paterson.
“But even then, after we have met with them and we show them what that can do, they can really understand this is something that can help them on the farm.”
Currently, they have over 200 clients in countries such as the United States, Russia and South Africa
Paterson has been one of the few to benefit from drone innovation in agriculture. He says he and the team were the only South African startups amongst 24 companies around the world to be part of Google’s Launchpad Accelerator in San Francisco early this year.
will become more autonomous.
“In the future, you won’t be concerned about the drone, it will just do all the work for you.”
Smart Farming
Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Abia State, Nigeria
From a farm in the Abia State of Nigeria, Dr
Ndubuisi Ekekwe talks to us about a table.
They have also secured an R8 million ($663,000) fund from two venture capital firms who Paterson says saw the benefit of their software for farmers. They are currently undergoing a new round of funding.
Aerobotics’ Chief Financial O cer, Timothy Willis, believes that technology in farming can assist in better risk mitigation and enhancing e ciencies around yields.
“I think those two things together will add to making a more e cient agricultural sector in Africa,” he says.
Five years from now, Paterson predicts drones
Not just any table, but a small square-shaped table resting on one leg, which actually is “an electronic farm diary” that records and collects crucial information for farmers.
Ekekwe calls it Zenvus (www.zenvus.com), which he created in 2011. It collects data on the soil’s pH, moisture and temperature, and records the sun’s intensity and humidity in the air. An inbuilt solar panel charges it.
The device is his contribution to smart farming. It wirelessly transmits the recorded data to a cloud server from which farmers access it on a mobile
Development - Agriculture Focus
Igbo community gather to celebrate the harvesting season.
app and get real-time data.
Zenvus services corporates, and have supplied to 500,000 farming entities. He says it’s currently in a partnership with the government of Cross River State in Nigeria, as well as Abia State
Ekekwe says he has been approached by a number of international companies wanting to cash in on Zenvus. However, he has been reluctant to sell it.
“Someone wanted to buy Zenvus for $5 million five years ago. I wouldn’t even sell it for $15 million, just to tell you the kind of value it has,” he says.
For Ekekwe, it’s more important to service farmers. To date, he prides himself in having the largest farmers’ cooperative in Africa.
Zenvus collects crucial data for farmers in Nigeria.
Ekekwe grew up as a farm boy in a village called Ovim in Abia State. Growing up, he received distinctions throughout his high school year and went on to acquire an engineering degree, four master’s degrees, two doctorates in management and microelectronics, as also a medical robotics degree from the United States.
He chose to move back and stay on in his village. Ovim is known for the Ajonkwu festival when the
According to Ekekwe, farmers rely on the moon to obtain a greater yield. As a result, tech for farming isn’t something a lot of people in his community are open to.
“Farmers are not literate and that is why we are not selling tech to them, we are selling the service,” he says.
According to the Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa (AGRA), 65% of Africa’s labor force is engaged in agriculture. Despite this, agricultural productivity on the African continent still lags behind significantly compared to other continents. AGRA suggests that farming only accounts for 32% of the continent’s GDP. Africa therefore does not reap the benefits of agriculture.
Ekekwe says the future of Africa is farming. He believes the convergence of tech and agriculture will result in more people wanting a piece of the pie of agri-tech startups and open up more opportunities for Africans across the continent.
‘Uber For Farmers’
Brian Bosire, Kisii, Kenya
On a farm in southwestern Kenya, in the small town of Kisii, a field agent reads data o a yellow square-shaped monitor, which has wires running into a smaller device connecting to the soil. It takes him about five minutes to read data regarding the soil’s PH, water levels, and disease and pests found on it. In almost two minutes, the data is sent to the farmer.
The field worker’s job is done and he looks at his phone to find his next requested farm match.
The device that has helped him is named UjuziKilimo (www. ujuzikilimo.com), which is Swahili for ‘knowledge farming’. Its founder, 24-year-old Brian Bosire, calls it “an Uber service for farmers”, and this on a farm that even Uber might find di cult to access.
The field worker travels to the nearest farmer who has requested his services. This kind of smart farming service costs the Kenyan farmer about $20.
Bosire had always wanted to become a key contributor to Kenya’s
agricultural industry. He grew up in Kisii, a town known for its highlands and wet weather – favorable climate for farming. Frustrated by the lethargic technological growth in the agricultural space in his town, he sought to create something innovative that would improve the yields for the farmers of Kisii.
“We aren’t selling tech, we are selling the solutions,” he tells FORBES AFRICA (www. forbesafrica.com)
Bosire says what he tries to do is become as close to the farmer as possible. As a result, he and his team target small-scale farmers and read data on vegetable crops, maize being one of them. The UjuziKilimo can read data from about five to 10 acres of land. Farmers can request data on their farms by simply sending an SMS so even farmers with the most basic cellular devices can benefit.
When Bosire moved to the big city of Nairobi to study, he took advantage of every opportunity to pursue his dreams as an entrepreneur. To date, he has founded three companies, all operating in the tech innovation space, UjuziKilimo is one of them.
It’s old hat that Kenya, the country which pioneered M-Pesa (www.safaricom.co.ke/personal/mpesa) as one of Africa’s leading startups, is home to a lot more players in the tech space. But Bosire says his business is di erent.
Earlier this year, his other innovation company, HydroIQ (www.hydroiq.africa), won the Startup of the Year Africa 2018 award. Slightly linked to agri-tech, it’s a virtual water network operator which connects water utility companies and water consumers through an online platform. It allows for mobile money payments, data analytics, leakage detections and water use and consumption through sensors that relay information.
All this leads one to believe that the future face of farming in Africa is young.
Bosire hopes UjuziKilimo can grow to reach from 10,000 farmers to over 50,000.
“We want to become the largest data center of agriculture analytics in Africa,” he says. Future plans include launching UjuziKilimo in the United Kingdom under the name ‘Soil Pal’.
While most of the writings on Martin Luther King, Jr. focus on the civil rights movement, little e ort has been made to place his speeches and worldview in the context the Freedom and struggles in Africa and other Third World countries. King was informed and inspired by the liberation struggles in Africa and other Third World countries. What has emerged from the voluminous materials and books written about Martin Luther King, Jr. is a single, truncated dimension of King and his worldview. For the most part, the legacy and true meaning of King has been highjacked by historians and writers and striped of its subversive and anti-establishment content.
Africa played an important role in informing both the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements African Americans were well aware and inspired by African countries breaking the hold of European colonialism on Africa. Dating back to Marcus Garvey, who placed Africa at the core of black political consciousness, African Americans were aware of their historical and cultural link with Africa. As Garvey had prophesied the rise of Africa strengthen the political calculus of black in America and throughout the world.
That the calculus of Africa informed Martin Luther King's view of the Civil Rights Movement is a footnote in history, mentioned only in passing by historians. Yet, Africa was as important to King as it was for Malcolm X, who is most often linked with Africa. King was invited and attended independence celebration of Ghana. "The minute I Knew I was coming to Ghana, King said, "I had a very deep emotional feeling. A new nation was been born. It symbolized the fact that a new order was coming into being and an old order was passing away." Thus, Africa and the liberation struggles on the continent were central to King's evolving worldview.
Africa and King's Worldview
As reflected below, King references to Africa
demonstrates how he viewed the importance of Africa in relationship with African Americans and their freedom struggle.
On Significance of the African Struggle
King linked the struggle of Africa Americans with the struggle of African people on the continent, observing for example: "Many of the students, when pressed to express their inner feelings identify themselves with students in Africa, Asia and South America. The liberation struggle in Africa has been the greatest single international influence on American Negro students. Frequently I hear them say if their African brothers can break the bonds of colonialism, surely the American Negro can break Jim Crow."
On Role of the African American Freedom Struggle in History
King placed the struggle of African Americans in the larger context of the rising tide of history, asserting: "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The urge for freedom will eventually come. This is what happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom; something without has reminded him that he can gain it. Consciously and unconsciously, he has been swept in by what the Germans call the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa, and his brown, and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean he is moving with a comic sense of urgency toward the promise land of racial justice."
On How the Liberation Struggle in African emboldened African Americans
King argued that the liberation struggles in Africa gave African Americans a greater sense of human worth, awareness and assertiveness: "A factor which accounted for the new sense of dignity on the part of the Negro has been the awareness
Dr. Kwame N
r King's Worldview
By Jitahadi Imara
that his struggle for freedom in a part of the worldwide struggle. He watched developments in Asia and Africa with rapt attention. On these vast prodigious continents dwell two-thirds of the world's people."
On African Peoples seeking Dignity and Freedom
King observed that the struggle for human dignity was a motivating force for black people in Africa and the United States: "Thirty years ago there were only three independent countries in the whole AfricaLiberia, Ethiopia and South Africa... These rapid changes have naturally influenced the thinking of the American Negro. He knows that his struggle for human dignity is not an isolated event. It is a drama being played on the stage of the world with spectator and supporters from every continent."
The Lesson of Ghana's Independence
King observed the independence of Ghana provided an important lesson for African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement: "Ghana has something to say to us. It says to us first that the oppressor never voluntarily gives freedom to the oppressed. You have work for it. Freedom is never given to anybody. Privileged classes never give up their privileges without strong resistance."
President Obama and his family arriving at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial for the dedication ceremony.
Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Nkruma and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Credit: blogspot.com
Introducing Africa
By Alex Nderitu
I was surprised, and more than a little amused, as I listened to a BBC Radio programme on Africa earlier this year. A field reporter on assignment in mammoth China wanted to know how deep the locals' knowledge of the African continent went. The results: It barely scratched the surface. Intermixed with laughter were suggestions that the world's second-largest continent is composed of lions, elephants and bush. There were mentions of Mandela, South Africa and the film 'Out of Africa'. No, they didn't think there were any towns to speak of. Yes, there were plenty of wild animals. But most shocking of all was the suggestion that Africa is a single country. Even an interviewee who had actually been to Africa guessed that there were at most 14 di erent countries in all.
Africa is not, nor has it ever been, one vast country. It is a mosaic of 53 autonomous countries, most of them designated by European colonialists during the historical 'Scramble for Africa. (www. newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Scramble_for_Africa)' All attempts to marry up all the countries - to create a United States of Africa - have so far failed. In fact, some individual countries are having the devil of a time staying in one piece as it is: Eritrea was once a province of Ethiopia, Somaliland was once a part of the larger, war-prone, republic of Somalia Zanzibar wants to cut the umbilical cord from mainland Tanzania
In terms of acreage, the Sudan is the largest country. From above tiny Uganda in the equatorial regions, the (nearly) 1-million-square-mile Sudan spreads to the North where it rubs shoulders with Libya and the ancient land of Egypt. In terms of population, Nigeria is Africa's giant. Over 100 million people call this oil-rich West African country home and there are so many Nigerians in the US, Europe and Asia that when most non-Africans think of Africans, they're actually thinking of Nigerians. In terms of development, the sprawling republic of South Africa takes the cake. Located in, well, the south of Africa, the mineral-
rich home of Castle Lager, De Beers, 'Cry the Beloved Country', Mandela, Charlize Theron, The Springboks rugby team and the Zulu tribe needs no introduction.
You can't analyse African social life without bringing in the aspect of tribe. Even in the 21st century, tribal relations are the ties that bind. Most marriages take place between people of the same tribe and, for the most part, voters vote along tribal lines. Conflicts also commonly arise from tribal animosity. The infamous 1994 Rwandan genocide between the Hutus and the Tutsis was the ultimate extension of tribal passion and arguably the darkest chapter in the Africa's history. You can often tell an African's tribe from his indigenous name. My surname, Nderitu (pronounced "Day-ri-to") is a dead giveaway that
I come from the Kikuyu tribe of central Kenya. At first sight, all Africans may look the same but in reality most tribes have distinct features that set them apart - height, skin tone, build, dialects, hair, teeth and even talents. Most have their own language and some languages, like Swahili, are understood by di erent languages. All together, there are over 2,000 di erent languages. A common misconception is that all Africans are Negroid (Black). All Negroes may come from Africa but not all Africans are Negroes. The northern rim of the continent (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) is predominated by Semites (the Arab-Jew persuasion). Think Muammar Gaddafi or Bhoutros-Bhoutros Ghali. Coming down, we find the Negroes who mostly live in what is known as sub-Saharan Africa. In Eritrea
and Ethiopia, we again encounter the ubiquitous Semites. Moving towards the southern end of the continent, we find the Capoid race with lighter complexions and hooded eyes (Nelson Mandela and musician Usher Raymond have Capoid features, UN boss Kofi Annan is pure Negroid.) Also in evidence all across the land is a sizeable population of Caucasians and other non-Black people. Not to be confused with tourists and other visitors, these descendants of ancient European settlers, missionaries and Asian traders are as African as the Marula tree. Some are even more African than the original Africans. South Africa has the biggest 'jambalaya' of races - Blacks, Whites (including Boers), Browns, Yellows and, for all we know, green people from Mars (that's why it's sometimes referred to as "the Rainbow Nation"). Despite the spectrum of skin colour, it is safe to say that most of Mother Africa's children are Black like me.
Eastern Africa is widely believed to be the cradle of human life (www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ how-africa-became-the-cradle-of-humankind-108875040). We're told that, eons ago, early humans embarked on an epic journey northwards (called "the Great Trek" www.newsweek.com/out-africa-prehistorichumans-791822). From Tanzania and Kenya, they walked slowly up to Ethiopia, traversed the Sudan, gained Egypt and crossed over to the contested area now covered Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. From there, routes diverged with some pioneers venturing further into Asia, others legging it to Eastern Europe and some (probably due to confusion) returning to North Africa. Facts are sketchy but whichever way you slice it, the earliest human remains were found in East Africa (some as old as 4.2 million years).
But this history poses some hard-hitting questions. If Africans were the original owners of the land, then how come they had to wait for the missionaries before they could advance academically and otherwise? Where were the Oprahs, the Michael Jacksons, the Bill Cosbys, the Michael Jordans, the Condolezzas, the Mohammed Alis, the Naomi Campbells, Ben Carsons? Why did the African giant have to be awoken? And why, oh why, is the second-largest continent still the poorest? see page 42
from page 41
The question of non-development, of Africans' seeming lethargy, is easily answered by Prof. Ali Mazrui's famous documentary, 'The Africans', in which he narrates: 'If necessity is the mother of invention, then bounty must be the mother of inertia.' In a land where you spit out a seed and return to find a fruit tree sprouting, the early Africans were under no pressure to advance technologically. Africa supports, by a mile, the widest VARIETY of plant and animal life - a tribute to her fertility.
Modern clothes were another super fluous commodity to early Africans, especially in the tropics (as the missionaries soon found out). The blazing African sun has played havoc with many a foreigner and even though the locals never su er from 'sunburn' (whatever that is) the temperatures sometimes soar to uncomfortable heights - even for Africans. On the question of poverty, I have no ready answer because the continent itself is
imbued with wealth. Most of the diamonds you see gleaming in jewellery boutiques around the world come from Africa. And much of the gold And the co ee and tea and cut flowers and the cocoa many other "raw materials", hence "the scramble for Africa" which led to jealouslyguarded colonization. Ghana, formerly known as the 'Gold Coast', has the world's largest gold and diamond deposits. In fact, most of the conflicts and political turmoil that you see in the press are all about controlling mineral and other wealth - Sierra Leone (diamonds), the DRC (assorted minerals), Nigeria (oil), Somalia (Heaven knows!).
At any rate, a good many Africans are well o , but the gap between the rich and the poor is the biggest without going as far as the sub-continent of India. While the super-rich command customized cars and even private planes, others are so poor they die from curable diseases like Malaria and their children walk several kilometres to school every day - on bare feet. Also on the subject of
poverty, we must not lose sight of the fact that the majority of Africans still live in the rural areas ('the country' if you're American, 'the sticks' if you're British.) In Kenya, for example, more than half the population lives in abject poverty (on less than a dollar a day). You may have heard 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai saying that she was so poor growing up that she and her friends used to play with frog eggs! (Wangari, do you have to tell them EVERYTHING? I want to be able to show my face in public when I tour Europe to promote my books!)
But what does it MEAN to be African? If a Negro was born and lives in the US, can he still claim to be an African? What if a Caucasian (I give you best-selling author Wilbur Smith as an example) is born, lives in, and loves Africa? Does that make him a certifiable African? Here's my circuitous and open-ended answer (and my conclusion to this x-ray of the land of my ancestors):
A long, long, time ago (way before the first
man loved the first woman and a child was born) all the continents were stuck together. Various disturbances on the earth's crust coupled with the spinning of the earth (which makes it bulge out at the sides) caused cracks and, ultimately, separation. You may take it that all continents and islands are jigsaw pieces and all humankind is one large, chequered, family. As I said earlier, the first people lived in the tectonic fragment now known as Africa. Speaking on KTN TV recently, an American tourist ventured that all people should make a Mecca-like pilgrimage to Kenya at least once in their lives because it is our mutual 'home' (See the Leakey family's work on human origins). This is the reason the lack of interest in Africa expressed in the BBC Radio programme amused me so much. Chinese, American, French, German, Russian, British or whatever our nationality, we may all be Africans in diaspora!
Sometimes I wonder why I Love Africa, the second largest and most populous continent is composed of 54 countries. I have visited only 6 of them.
Africa's population is so large and so diverse that by definition even the largest group I can feel an a nity to is all but a minuscule portion of the whole.
There are in the logical and practical sense of the terms, no reason why I should feel part of all Africa, and not only of my nationalistic or ethnic identity. I couldn't technically represent the whole nor identify with all; and yet, regardless where it comes in Africa.
My heart beats to the rhythm of its music; My heart bleeds to the su ering of its people;
My soul is soothed by the melodies of its voices; My imagination is entertained by the tale of its fables;
My mouth is spoiled by the delicacies of its food; My eyes are subjugated by the beauty of its women;
My strength is restored by the voice of its warriors; My life sees a purpose in the sight of its children; and My Peace relies on the comfort of its soil.
Why do I feel like I can build a family with the Queen of Sheba, and settle in the land of the Malinke?
How can I think that I am privy to the great knowledge of the pyramids, sail my course on the Nile to vacation in the Serengeti and dance to the music of the Bantu?
Because when I look at Africa, I hardly see the atrocious reality and conflicts as the essence that defines us. What I see is:
Our History
Hear the village story, transmitted from generation to generation, the wisdom of its allegory is found from East to West, and North to South. At the junction of what composed our respective countries is the same story that tells the coming of a nation.
Our Diversity
The value of hospitality, embedded in all villages, and all ethnic groups, carries the instinct to welcome the stranger and cohabit with a friend. In our common struggle and shared appreciation for our land, we have discovered our African bond and the meaning of the words Brothers and sisters.
Our Unity
In the eyes of our common enemy, it doesn't matter what is West, Central, or East Africa, the blood that spilled from one coast to another was done for the same reason regardless; but in the face of the audacity of any assault, we stand as one to reclaim the liberty that was bestowed unto us by God. When an enemy sees us as one, we strive to fight back as one.
Our Legacy
The triumph over adversity should be tattooed in the memory of all; to reclaim what was stolen, and rebuild what was destroyed. We aim to stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, so we can pull our descendants even higher.
Our future Country,
In our stories we recognize our shared History; In our diversity, we symbolize the value of hospitality;
In our unity, we stand tall against any enemy; In our legacy, we demonstrate our strength in adversity;
As one country, we will understand why we are Africa...
Our Victory
Happy Africa Liberation Day (May 25)
Commentary Condolences to the USA from the African Continent
STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRPERSON FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD IN THE USA
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd that occurred in the United States of America at the hands of law enforcement o cers, and wishes to extend his deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Recalling the historic Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) Resolution on Racial Discrimination in the United States of America made by African Heads of State and Government, at the OAU’s First Assembly Meeting held in Cairo, Egypt from 17 to 24 July 1964, the Chairpersonof the African Union Commission firmly rea rms and reiterates the African Union’s rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America.
He further urges the authorities in the United States of America to intensify their e orts to ensure the total elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race or ethnic origin.
Issued by: The Spokesperson of the Chairperson of the Commission Ebba Kalondo KalondoE@africa-union.org
STATEMENT OF THE ECOWAS COMMISSION ON THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD
1. The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condems the shocking death of an unarmed black American, Mr. George Floyd, from brutal treatment by the police in the United States of America. The ECOWAS Commission wishes to seize this opportunity to convey to the family and loved ones of Mr. Floyd, its deepest condolences.
2. In this regard, the ECOWAS Commission also supports the disapproval of this development, as expressed by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission while invoking the historic Resolution against Racial Descrimination in the United States, adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), as far back as 1964.
3. The ECOWAS Commission believes that the democratic traditions of the United States of America will inspire e orts to find a permanent solution to this unfortunate phenomenon.
Abuja, 3 June 2020
ECOWAS Commission
MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE TO THE PEOPLE FROM H.E.
NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
Black People, the world over, are shocked and distraught by the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a white police o cer in the United States of America. It carried with it an all too painful familiarity, and an ugly reminder. It cannot be right that , in the 21st century, the United States, this great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism.
On behalf of the people of Ghana, I express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the late George Floyd.
We stand with our kith and kin in America in these di cult and trying times, and we hope that the unfortunate, tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts head on the problems of hate and racism.
Africa: WE CANNOT REMAIN SILENT!
Africans in Africa and Around the World in Solidarity With African-American Sisters And Brothers
A group of African singers, artists, academics, journalists, civil society and business leaders touched by the tragic killing of George Floyd issued a solidarity statement condemning police brutality and calling for renewed and increased relationship between Africans everywhere and African Americans. They are calling on the public to sign a www.Change.org petition they have posted.
In these strange moments of uncertainty and fear, the news from America has broken our hearts. We cannot remain silent! We cannot remain deaf and blind to the plight of our African-American brothers
and sisters. We are shocked by the brutal murder of George Floyd by police o cers. The unbearable sight of George Floyd su ocating under the knee of a police o cer in uniform looks like a return to the dark ages. George Floyd's agony and death crowns a long litany of screams and supplications, adding one more atrocity to a chain of brutalities and racist killings. — It has revived in us the old wounds of our souls and summoned painful, shared memories.
We cannot remain silent because we know how much we have in common with our brothers and sisters in our global black community - our African Diaspora. We know how your ancestors continued the resistance and the struggle for see page 48
Protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya on June 2, 2020 Simon Maina/Nairobi News.
from page 47
emancipation and dignity during the solitary traumas lived in the hulls of slave boats and the humiliation of plantations, and on the islands of freedom they built through the ages. That is the determined struggle for civil rights that you continue to wage fearlessly. Africans on the continent and around the world are grateful to African Americans and black leaders, writers, and thinkers for sharing with our elders the emancipatory idea of Pan-Africanism and for being connected with our struggles against colonialism and, of course, apartheid.
No, we cannot remain silent with the cruel killing of George Floyd and the cries of citizens, black and brown and white, in the streets of cities in America and in other continents, declaring to the world that Black Lives Matter.
How can we be silent when we know that your long walk to real freedom echoes the struggles of yesterday and resonates with the struggles we are waging here in Africa, your mother continent? We are waging these struggles to advance our common causes: democratic freedoms, dignity, equality, social justice, the rights and well-being of women and all minorities, the integrity of leaders and institutions, economic independence, and finally the control of our cultural and historic destiny.
We cannot remain unmoved when we also have good news to share with our African American
brothers and sisters; news that goes beyond the clichés, rebukes all forms of racial profiling, and updates old beliefs into fresh reality: a new Africa is truly emerging before our eyes. A resilient Africa carried by our communities and a dynamic and enterprising civil society, animated by a generation of young people and women determined to lift the continent from the fatality of despair, and create a future of unity in freedom, dignity and abundance. Together, we are the soldiers of hope engaged in the building of a new African nation, deeply rooted in our strongest cultural heritage, with the ideological and intellectual contributions of African-American achievements. In this spirit, we the people of Africa are one people, and one nation. We are a 1.3 billion strong nation stretched out over a whole continent, and with you in the African Diaspora, we are millions more. Together we can build the global African nation. It will be our nation, and we will name squares and schools after the countless other heroines and heroes of African descent. In memory of our common ancestry, the new Africa will be conceived as our common home. We cannot remain silent!
"We the people of Africa are one people, and one nation - 1.3 billion strong," say a group of African singers, artists, academics, journalists, civil society and business leaders in a solidarity statement with African Americans.
We cannot remain indi erent because we have so many projects to initiate. One common element of our societal (and economic) project will be to revisit together — with courage and honesty — our shared history. But we will go beyond the recent history and look at the Africa we lost. Our history did not begin with the tragic period of slavery. We will explore the distant lands of our forgotten kingdoms and empires, the glorious destinies of our noble leaders, the scientific, technological and social advances that have shaped the evolution of our societies and have largely gone unacknowledged. Our common work should be to finally put at the center of our concerns the education and training of our children so that
Damon Nofar/Pixabay
they are better prepared to face the complex challenges of what will certainly be a complex future
Finally our common task could be to develop mutually beneficial economic partnerships among those of us on the continent and those in the Diaspora, in order to create the conditions for true independence. And while we break our silence, we will claim our rightful place in human destiny. In these decisive moments when humanity is confronted with an existential threat linked to climate change, health pandemics, and a life-threatening rise of social inequalities, we must come together.
We have never forgotten that humanity originated on our continent. At this critical and fragile moment when humankind feels that it has reached a tragic impasse, it is our duty to help humanity build a better and more sustainable future for itself and for planet Earth, through the path of our founding values —'ubuntu' and 'nitté' (our shared humanity), wisdom, equality, respect, solidarity, and brotherhood and sisterhood, so that our human family finally reconciles with itself in peace.
Today, in the memory of George Floyd and millions of other black lives who mattered, we Africans in Africa, mourn our loss and honor a rich moment of shared connection.
Add your name by following this link: www.change. org/p/africa-africans-in-in-solidarity-with-african-americansisters-brothers?recruiter=1074988978&recruited_by_id=4fa82af07cd9-11ea-a30f-c157f104eac9&utm_source=share_petition&utm_ medium=copylink&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard.
Signed:
Youssou Ndour Akon
Salif Keita
Didier Drogba
Samuel Etoo
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Princess Esther Kamatari
Baba Maal
Dikembe Mutombo
Djimon Honsou
Lamido Sanusi
Precious Motsepe
Rama Yade Paolo Gomes
Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily Zeinab Badawi
Isha Seesay
Alain Foka
Frannie Leautier
Hafsat Abiola
Pierre Thiam
Amadou Mahtar Ba
Denise Epote Durand
Bineta Diop
Hassan Ba
Angelle Kwemo
Amadou Gallo Fall Dr. Ebrima Sall
Prof. Achille Mbembe Prof. Fatou Sow
Prof. Muhammadou Kah Prof. Issa Shivji
Prof. Alioune Sall Prof. Penda Mbow
Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza
Prof. Francis B. Nyamnjoh
Prof. Hakim Ben Hammouda
Prof. Mahamadou Lamine Sagna
Prof. Jean-Bernard Ouedraogo
Dr. Marema Toure Thiam Prof. Felwine Sarr
Prof. Alioune Tine Prof. Dzodzi Tsikata
Hawa Binta Ba Abdarahmane Wone
Prof. Elisio Macamo
Prof. Demba Moussa Dembele
Prof. Mame Penda Ba Prof. Shamil Jeppie
Prof. Ousmane Kane Kako Nobukpo
Edem Adzogenu
Richard Bona
Dr. Natasha Issa Shivji Dr. Bouchra Sidi Hida
Dr. Salwa Beheiry Prof. Jimi O. Adesina
Momar Nguer Alain Nkontchou
John Githongo Fatima Karume
Prof. Mamadou Goïta Prof. Brahim El Morchid
Dr. Tijan M. Sallah Fatou Jagne Senghor
Dr. Stigmata Tenga Dr. Ebrima Ceesay
Prof. Abdoulie Saine Samba Bathily
Mamadou Kwidjim Toure Prof. Ousmane Thiare
Prof. Jainaba M. L. Kah Dr. Assan Jaye
Linus Gitahi Mame Demba Sy
Debo Adesina Rebecca Enonchong
Moustapha Mellouk
Prof. Bernard Founou Tchuigoua
Dr. Tendai Kadenhe Mhizha
Prof. Noel Magaloire Ndoba
Coumba Toure Babacar Ngom
Amadou Diaw Didier Acouetey
Harouna Ly Mamou Da e
Hamet Aguemon Seynabou Dia
Masego Madzwamuse Sefa Gohoho
Obi Asika Edgar Gnansounou
Dr Omotola jalade Ekeinde Mariama Ba
Amandine Rushenguziminega
Halima Mahomed Prof. Malick Ndiaye
Prof. Emmanuel Akyeampong
Prof. Carlos Cardoso Ben Murray Bruce
Ibrahima SY Amidou Anne
Alex Anfruns
https://allafrica.com/stories/202006050578.html
Africa’s Literary Community is Lending its Voice to Calls for Justice for George Floyd
By Yomi Kazeem
In Africa, the protests of George Floyd’s murder have gone beyond US embassies and the African Union.
For its part, Africa’s literary community is lending its voice to amplify the calls for justice after Floyd’s killing in the hands of a US police o cer last week. In a joint statement protesting police brutality against black people in the US, the group listed as many as 70 African-Americans and African immigrants killed by US police o cers and condemned “the acts of violence on Black people in the United States of America” while demanding justice “for any and all racial killings whether by police or civilians.”
The statement was signed by over 100 prominent African writers including Lola Shoneyin, convener of the Nigeria’s popular Ake literary
festival, Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy, Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo as well as Scottish/Sierra Leonean writer, Aminatta Forna.
The stance of solidarity from African writers follows a rich history of African writers being vocal about civic rights issues, especially on the continent. In Nigeria, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka was imprisoned for nearly two years for his criticism of Nigeria’s civil war in the 1960s and, decades later, he was forced to flee Nigeria amid a brutal military regime that later charged him with treason. In Kenya, writer and academic Ng g wa Thiong’o was also imprisoned in the 1970s and then forced
A new Georg
George Floyd protests in South Africa.
George Floyd pro
to live in exile for 22 years upon his release. His son, Kenyan poet M koma wa Ng g , was among the signatories of this week’s statement.
While not at the same scale as in other countries, some street protests against police brutality in the US have also emerged across Africa centered around
US embassies across the continent. In Nigeria, which has the largest population group of African immigrants in the US, small protests have taken place at US embassies in Lagos and Abuja which prompted the diplomatic post to issue a statement in support saying it saluted the protestors “expression of solidarity.”
“They join many Americans who are similarly outraged by what transpired and we have seen them express their shock, grief, frustration, and anger in many parts of the United States.”
In South Africa, small crowds protested outside the parliament building in Cape Town. In Kenya, a George Floyd mural has also popped up in Kibera, Nairobi. In part, these protests are also providing platforms to amplify problems around local police brutality as well.
The Chinese government should end the discriminatory treatment of Africans related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch said recently. Authorities should also protect Africans and people of African descent throughout China from discrimination in employment, housing, and other realms.
In early April 2020, Chinese authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, which has China’s largest African community, began a campaign to forcibly test Africans for the coronavirus, and ordered them to self-isolate or to quarantine in designated hotels. Landlords then evicted African residents, forcing many to sleep on the street, and hotels, shops, and restaurants refused African customers. Other foreign groups have generally not been subjected to similar treatment.
“Chinese authorities claim ‘zero tolerance’ for discrimination, but what they are doing to Africans in Guangzhou is a textbook case of just that,” said Yaqiu Wang, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Beijing should immediately investigate and hold accountable all o cials and others responsible for discriminatory treatment.”
On April 12, Guangdong authorities announced that all foreigners in the province must accept “Covid-19 prevention and containment measures” including “testing, sampling and quarantine.” In practice, the authorities just targeted Africans for forced testing and quarantine. They visited homes of African residents, testing them on the spot or instructing them to take a test at a hospital. Some were ordered to self-isolate at home with surveillance cameras or alarms installed outside of their apartments.
There was no evident scientific basis for the policy. Most imported cases of Covid-19 to the province were Chinese nationals returning from
abroad. Many Africans had already tested negative for coronavirus, had no recent travel history, or had not been in contact with known Covid-19 patients.
Elsewhere in China, some Africans reported police and local o cials had harassed them, and hospitals and restaurants turned them away.
The Chinese government denied discriminating against Africans in Guangzhou, saying that it “reject[s] di erential treatment” and has “zero tolerance for discrimination.” Chinese state media also ran stories seeking to refute criticism that Chinese authorities had mistreated African nationals and blamed “Western media” for “provok[ing] the problems between China and African countries.”
O cial figures show that about 14,000 African nationals live in Guangzhou, but researchers estimate thousands more are there without documentation. Because of virus-related mistreatment, many Africans in China have urged their governments to call on the Chinese government to cease all forms of discrimination against Africans, and some want their governments to evacuate them from China. The Kenyan government announced it would fly out Kenyans stranded in China on May 1.
Reports of discrimination against Africans in China sparked outrage among African communities around the world, Human Rights Watch said. Several African governments, including Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana, summoned Chinese ambassadors in their countries to protest. Ambassadors from several African countries in China wrote to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign A airs, calling for the Chinese government to cease “forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatment meted out to Africans.”
More than 300 human rights groups and nearly 1,800 activists in Africa sent an open letter to the
African Union calling for “immediate remedial action” over the “xenophobic, racist and inhumane treatment of Africans in China.”
In the past two decades, China has become Africa’s most important economic partner. China’s investment in Africa through the Belt and Road Initiative, the country’s trillion-dollar investment in infrastructure stretching across some 70 countries, has boosted Africa’s economy, but also lent the Chinese government considerable influence on the continent. African governments have rarely criticized Chinese authorities for mistreatment of Africans in China, or for human rights violations against people across China.
Africans in China have long experienced racial discrimination. Police frequently target Africans, often linked on Chinese social media with violent crimes and overstaying their visas, for immigration enforcement. Some job advertisements specifically exclude “heiren,” or blacks, or set a lower salary for African applicants. Some Africans report being
paid less than their white colleagues for the same job. Many also said they have experienced of being turned away by taxis, restaurants, or shops.
In 2018, a sketch aired during the annual Lunar New Year Gala on state TV featured a Chinese actress in blackface saying things such as “China has done so much for Africa,” and “I love Chinese people! I love China!” A Chinese laundry detergent brand advertisement showed a black man being pushed into a washing machine, getting “cleaned,” and emerging as a lighter skinned Asian.
“African governments together should unequivocally call on the Chinese government to cease all discrimination against Africans in China, and carry out prompt and transparent investigations to hold to account all those responsible for discriminatory practices,” said Carine Kaneza Nantulya, Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “African governments should also press China to enforce measures to see page 54
prevent discrimination in the future.”
Details and Accounts of Abuses in Guangzhou
Enforced Testing, Quarantine in Guangzhou
On April 2, the state news agency Xinhua reported a Nigerian man with Covid-19 attacked a Chinese nurse who tried to stop him from leaving an isolation ward in a hospital in Guangzhou. The report went viral on Chinese social media, and an online backlash against Africans ensued. On April 7, Guangzhou authorities said five Nigerians living in the city had tested positive for the coronavirus.
On April 20, Guangzhou authorities took David E. (pseudonym), a businessman from Niger, for a coronavirus test and ordered him to selfisolate at home for 14 days, although he had not left Guangzhou since the outbreak nor had any contact with known infected persons. “I have no problem with getting tested,” David told Human Rights Watch. “It is to save lives. But what they are doing is discriminatory. Why is it only us Africans? Why are we Africans treated like we are the virus?”
On the night of April 9, authorities appeared at the home of Micomyiza Jean-Claude from Burundi and took him to a hotel to quarantine for 14 days. Micomyiza said: “I have to pay for the hotel room, 300 yuan (US$50) a night, plus food and beverage. I want to follow the laws, but there is no need for me to continue to stay at the hotel because I have tested negative twice already.”
Upon being released from forced quarantine, Micomyiza was ordered by the police to take two more tests.
James K. (pseudonym), a Kenyan medical student, said that, despite completing a 14-day mandatory quarantine in his dormitory, he was not allowed to go outside of the university campus. He said: “Authorities told us only Africans are to be tested and quarantined. It made no sense. Now after the quarantine, I still can’t go outside the school gate. Why? It’s absurd.”
Forcible Evictions, Refused Services
Informed sources told Human Rights Watch that Guangzhou authorities orally instructed landlords
and hotels to evict or turn away Africans, resulting in many e ectively becoming homeless. Images and videos showing rows of Africans sleeping on the streets with their luggage next to them have been widely circulated online.
Restaurants, shops, and public facilities in Guangzhou have also barred Africans from entering. In a video filmed at a McDonald’s, a sign stated that black people were not allowed to enter the restaurant. McDonald’s later apologized. In another video, workers at a shopping center told a black woman that she could not enter but allowed the white woman next to her to enter.
David said one of his friends on April 19 was refused entry to his apartment by building security after he completed 14 days of quarantine in a hotel: “You can’t go back to your apartment, you can’t stay in a hotel. What the Guangzhou authorities are saying is: ‘We don’t need you anymore. Just go back to your home country.’”
Michael N. (pseudonym), a black Canadian, said he was denied entry to the subway system for two weeks starting on April 10:
The metro station worker told us, “As of this morning, we’ve been told not to let any black people onto the subway.” Then four or five security guards showed up and questioned me. The subway refused me just because of the color of my skin. They don’t care about any documents, or what my health app said.
Micomyiza said despite three tests that showed negative results, he still faced blatant racism:
Taxi drivers sometimes don’t allow Africans in, the public bus drivers often ask Africans to sit in the back seats because Chinese passengers may be frightened by Africans, and when we walk outside some Chinese people shout at us, run away from us, and others close their noses even when they wear masks. These are horrible racist behaviors, but the Chinese government still denies these facts.
James, the Kenyan medical student, said he had experienced discrimination “on a daily basis” in the six years he has lived in Guangzhou, well before the coronavirus pandemic: “Several times, people turned around when they saw me. As a medical student, I was doing an internship. When I approached patients, the patients didn’t even want
me to touch them. You can’t even try to come close to them.”
He said the past and current experiences with discrimination made him want to leave China: “I am waiting for the border to open, then I’m leaving China, immediately.”
On March 29, Kyeyune Derrick, a Ugandan national, and his pregnant wife went to a hospital in Dongguan, Guangdong province, for a pregnancy checkup. They were denied entry at the gate. After the video of the incident went viral, authorities visited their home and took them to another hospital for an exam, but later repeatedly pressured them to make videos thanking the Chinese government and calling the refusal of medical service merely a “misunderstanding” due to “language di culty.” Kyeyune told Human Right Watch: “I feel unsafe, betrayed and used. … Calling that a misunderstanding is a psychological torture to us.”
International Legal Standards
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which China ratified in 1981, obligates governments to “undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, colour, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law.”
The United Nations expert committee that monitors state compliance with the ICERD has specifically called on governments to “[f]ully implement legislation and other measures already in place to ensure that people of African descent are not discriminated against.” Furthermore, government should “[r]eview, adopt and implement national strategies and programmes with a view to improving the situation of people of African descent and protecting them against discrimination by State agencies and public o cials, as well as by any persons, group or organization.”
Africans in China Urge Stronger
African Government Response
African residents in Guangzhou told Human Rights Watch that Chinese authorities started to lift restrictions on Africans in late April, but they believed the discrimination and racism would persist after the pandemic. Michael said:
You can’t just tell people one day that the blacks have the virus, and the second day that black people are not that bad. You can’t expect people to suddenly embrace that. Literally, people are running away from me on the street. It is so absurd. You have to laugh.
Micomyiza said: Even after the isolation, people will shout and bully us, and call us “virus.” Life will be di erent even after the pandemic.… I am very tired of being humiliated every day and African leaders keep quiet on racism going on in Guangzhou because they don’t want to spoil business they are doing together. The leaders give more value to business and close their eyes on humanity.
John F. (pseudonym), a Cameroonian national living in Wuhan, said the school where he taught had not paid him since the coronavirus outbreak but that he knew at least two white teachers at the school who continued to receive their monthly salary: “African teachers feel discriminated against. We don’t know what to do, we don’t know where to go to, we have no money, nobody wants to talk about it. We want African governments to take up the issues with the Chinese government.”
David, the businessman from Niger, said lack of action from African governments had left Africans in China vulnerable: “Our leaders don’t care about us. If the Chinese treat us like animals, we can’t be angry, because even our country leaders don’t care about us.”
Launch of the First Continental Report on Implementation of Agenda 2063
The First Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063 was launched today on the margins of the 33nd Ordinary Summit of the African Union. The report is an assessment of 31 African Union Member States and six Regional Economic Communities towards achieving Africa’s blueprint and master plan for sustainable development and economic growth. Presented at the 33rd Ordinary Summit of the African Union convened by African Union Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the report presented during a High-Level Forum attended by H.E. Alassane Ouattara, President of
Côte D'Ivoire and A.U. Champion on Agenda 2063; H.E Vera Songwe United Nations Under-SecretaryGeneral and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); African Development Bank President, Akinwunmi Adesina; and Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi; as well as senior national government officials from A.U. Member States.
"We have to own the Agenda for its effective implementation. In this perspective, we need to focus on sharing experiences to accelerate the strategic mobilization of internal resources of Agenda 2063 and its flagship projects" President Alassane Ouattara said.
"In many ways, the continent is leading the way, at a time when many are closing borders, and building walls-Africa is choosing the path of integration and trade, at a time when multilateralism is under threat," said H.E Vera-Songwe United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in her opening address on behalf of H.E. António Guterres.
She applauded the African Union and member states on the fi rst report on the implementation of Agenda 2063, which she mentioned focuses on the results geared toward the people development. In conclusion, she conveyed the commitment of the United Nations to ensuring the implementation of Agenda 2063 for the benefit and wellbeing of Africa.
"I'm delighted that now we're not at the stage of discussion, but at the stage of implementation, we are on track in some parts of the continent," said Former A.U. commission chair and now Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in South Africa, Dr Nkosazana DlaminiZuma, "This shows clearly in the data provided by members states," she added.
Dr Nkosazana explained that countries that are doing well the on implementation of Africa's blueprint have it domesticated and go a step further to incorporate it into their national plans. This will make it more straightforward track progress and report on the implementation of Agenda 2063 at the continental level.
Recommendations made include:
• a joint reporting on continental and global development agendas, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
• using the methodology developed by the African Union Commission (AUC) and African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDANEPAD) to minimize duplication, optimize resource, mobilize the support of domestic and external stakeholders and development partners.
The report is a joint effort between the AUC and AUDA-NEPAD. It is the fi rst report within the biennial reporting cycle defi ned by the African Union to review performance with regards to Africa's development priority areas and to outline strategies and policy measures required to implement the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan. The report features dashboards on performance in the implementation of Agenda 2063 at the continental, regional and national levels. The dashboard allows for ease of assessment of the performance against the 2019 targets, using three colour codes, namely green for "on track / achieved", orange for "moderate performance" and red for "off track / not achieved".
The full report can be downloaded at: https://www.nepad.org/ publication/first-continentalreport-implementationagenda-206. The interactive dashboard on Agenda 2063 can be accessed at: https://www.nepad.org/agendadashboard.
About the African Union Development AgencyNEPAD
AUDA-NEPAD is the development agency of the African Union, coordinating and executing priority regional and continental development projects to promote regional integration towards the accelerated realisation of Agenda 2063 –Africa’s vision and action plan. It is mandated to strengthen capacity of Member States and regional bodies. www.nepad.org
About Agenda 2063:
The January 2013 African Union Summit adopted Agenda 2063 – "The Africa We Want" as Africa's blueprint and master plan for sustainable development and economic growth of the continent. It is an affi rmation by African Heads of State and Government of their commitment to transforming Africa into the global powerhouse. To fast-track implementation of Agenda 2063 over the 50 years, the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan spanning from 2014 to 2023 is developed and endorsed at the June 2015 Summit of the African Union. In line with the Union's resultsbased approach to development, high importance to reporting on the implementation of Agenda 2063 as a prerequisite for facilitating peer learning and mutual accountability and thus realising the continent's developmental goals. https://au.int/en/ agenda2063/overview.
The African Union, established as a unique Pan African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa’s rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States as well as developing a New Partnership worldwide.
The African Union Heads of State and Government decided through Decision Assembly/ AU/Dec.394 (XVIII) of January 2012 to fast-track the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area Negotiations that were launched in 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa and all 55 African countries have been participating in the process. The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was concluded on 21 March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda and came into force on 30 May 2019.
Article 3 of the AfCFTA Agreement provides that the general objectives of the Agreement are to create a single market for goods and services facilitated by movement of persons to deepen economic integration of the African continent in accordance with the vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa” enshrined in Agenda 2063. The AfCFTA will deliver an integrated continental market of 1.3 billion consumers with aggregate GDP of USD 3.4 trillion. The specific objectives of the AfCFTA are outlined in Article 4 of the Agreement. The operational phase of the AfCFTA was launched on 07th July 2019 during the 12th Extraordinary Summit of AU Heads of State and Government in Niamey, Niger. During that same Summit, AU Heads of State and Government agreed that the headquarters of the AfCFTA shall be in Accra, Ghana and also set the date of 1 July 2020 as the start of trading under the AfCFTA. The Heads of State and Government also agreed that the Secretariat shall be established by March 2020.
In view of the above background, the AfCFTA Secretariat through the African Union commission invites qualified and competent applicants who are citizens of Member States of the African Union with relevant skills, competencies and experiences to submit their applications for the positions of: Director Trade In Services, Investment and Intellectual Property Rights and Director Trade in Goods and Competition both based at its headquarters in Accra, Ghana
All applications which include passport copy, professional and academic certificates, CV and cover letter stating their suitability and motivation for the position must be submitted through the AU Commission's website http://www.aucareers.org on or before 29 June 2020.
• Attach detailed and updated curriculum vitae/ resume including three (3) referees with good knowledge of candidate’s work, please, provide referees’ contact details – telephone and e-mail addresses.
• Copy of valid passport.
• Certified copies of educational qualifications
– degrees, diplomas and certificates, where applicable (Not More than 5 Documents in PDF Format, and not exceeding 1 MB).
• Please be aware that only complete applications will be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, workexperience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that
orbitt.capital
submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Detailed descriptions of the responsibilities and requirements of these two positions and other career oppotunities may be reviewed at: http://www. aucareers.org. An overview of the AfCTFA may be reviewed at: https://africa-eu-partnership.org/en/ afcfta
Business - Regional Economic Communities
African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
h ps://nepad.org
Opinion by Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD
What should African countries reflect on this year as we commemorate Africa Day?
The commemora on of Africa Day this year comes at a rather di cult me when all the world’s a en on has shi ed to the fight against the COVID-19.
During this unusual period, I wish to emphasise that we need to think in terms of our own regional value chains because the global value chains are being disrupted. Na onal solu ons will not be able to adequately respond to people’s needs, be it in food security, health or social and economic stability. The call I am making therefore is for countries to rally together and invest in regional value chains
As a con nent, many are the challenges that we face as a people. However, history has shown that we emerge victorious when we come together to resolve our di erences and work for the benefit of all our ci zens. Solidarity for regional integra on is the key.
As the AUDA-NEPAD, we take cognisance of the need to con nue to push for increased regional integra on, through which the challenges that we face on the con nent can be best tackled. We recognise that the ideals and aspira ons for ‘The Africa We Want’ will only be realised if we strongly believe that Africa is capable of achieving the vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful con nent, driven by its own ci zens. We therefore call on each and every African to play their part in shaping our con nent for the be er. We are ready to support the con nent’s transforma on.
Arab Maghreb
Union (UMA)
www.uneca.org/oria/pages/ amu-arab-maghreb-union
In December 2009, the
member States decided to create the Maghreb Bank for Investment and Foreign Trade (www.bmice-maghreb. org/en/home) in order to boost regional financial integra on and to strengthen intra-regional trade. The inaugura on of the Bank took place in December 2015, in Tunis, Tunisia with a net capital of US$150M to be invested in infrastructure, transporta on, telecommunica ons and electrical power projects and programmes.
The Current member States of AMU are Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
www.comesa.int
Diaspora Remi ances Cri cal for Covid-19 Recovery
Remi ance flows to Sub Saharan African countries will drop by 23.1% from $48 billion in 2019 to $37 billion in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 economic crisis, according to the World Bank. In COMESA region, the leading recipients of remi ances were Egypt (US$ 26,791 million), Kenya (US$ 2,819 million), Tunisia (US$ 1,912 million), DR Congo (US 1,823 million) and Zimbabwe (US$ 1,730). In terms of contribu on of remi ances to GDP, Zimbabwe led with 13.5%, Comoros (11.5%) and Egypt (8.2%).
A major challenge has been the high cost of sending remi ances. According to the World Bank’s Remi ance Prices Worldwide database, the global average cost of sending $200 stood at around 7% in the first quarter of 2019. For many countries in Africa and the small islands in the Pacific, the costs are above 10% thus encouraging the use of informal channels or even illegal transac ons, including money laundering.
The report iden fied banks in Africa as the most expensive remi ance channels, charging an average fee of 11% in the first quarter of 2019. Post o ces were the next most expensive, at over 7%. Remi ance fees tend to include a premium where na onal post o ces have an exclusive partnership with a money transfer operator.
Going forward, COMESA Director of Trade and Customs Dr Christopher Onyango says Member States
needs to undertake financial regulatory reforms to streamline and e ec vely reduce the costs of sending remi ances.
East African Community (EAC) and Kilimo Trust (KT) seeks to improve the rice sub-sector in the region.The project was approved for funding by Alliance for a Green Revolu on in Africa (AGRA) in April 2019 and is now at the ini al stage of implementa on.
It is a prerequisite that su cient liberaliza on is implemented in the countries of member States as regards free movement of people, if cross-border investments are to be realized. Furthermore, “free movement of people and the rights of residence and establishment” comprises the fi h phase of the Abuja Treaty that is projected to be realized by 2023. To date, businesses are not able to a ain, move or retain professionals because of restric ve immigra on laws that hamper the mobility of professional services, causing limited regional skills pooling throughout the con nent. A cri cal constraint is that Africans can only get a visa on arrival in 25% of other African countries. To tackle the constraint, the African Union has urged its member States to o er visas on arrival to fellow Africans. The African Union also advocates for the “single African passport” that aims to fulfil the above objec ve and improve intra-African trade as a part of Agenda 2063.
African countries and regions need to encourage posi ve reciprocity, applying the treatment they are receiving from more visa-open countries; and look at promo ng a visa-on-arrival approach or regional bloc visas. Leaders and policymakers need to work towards the goal of every African being able to scan an African passport at immigra on controls con nent-wide.
East African Community (EAC)
www.eac.int
Rice farmers in East Africa are set to benefit from a US$3.1 million dollar grant to a rice sector promo on project which will be implemented over a period of three years (April 15th, 2019 – April 14th, 2022).
The Compe ve African Rice Ini a ve in East Africa (CARI-EA), which is being implemented jointly by the
The project targets to reach 660,000 farming households (220,000 directly and 440,000 indirectly impacted). It aims to contribute to inclusive transforma on of the rice sector in East Africa for sustainable increase in incomes of women, men and young people employed in the value chain of locally produced rice.
To ensure that farmers sustainably increase produc vity to supply the contracted volumes of paddy agreed with SMEs and large traders, CARI-EA will promote the use of irriga on technologies and use of residual moisture during the dry season for a second crop e.g. vegetables or beans so as to enable income con nuity for farmers over the year while increasing household food security and reduc on in vulnerability.
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
www.ceeac-eccas.org
In 1983, ECCAS adopted the Protocol on Freedom of Movement and Rights of Establishment of Na onals of Members States. This protocol includes provisions for the freedom of movement, residence and establishment for all ci zens in the ECCAS region.
In prac ce, the free movement of people is only e ec ve in four CEMAC member States namely Cameroon, Chad, Congo and the Democra c Republic of the Congo. The rest of the member States require
see page 62
Business - Regional Economic Communities
from page 61
visa for fellow ECCAS ci zens. Some member States underline security issues as the main reason for delaying implementa on. The poli cal commitment is able to solve the problem of free movement of persons and is, arguably, the main reason for the slow implementa on of the Protocol. More recently, however, more member States are o ering fellow ECCAS ci zens’ visa on arrival and in some countries, the movement of people is rela vely fluid.
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
www.ecowas.int
ECOWAS uses public contracts to procure goods and services, studies, technical assistance and training as well as consultancy, conference and publicity services. It also procures books and IT equipment etc…
The providers are selected through calls for tender which are issued through the Procurement Unit of the Commission on behalf of Departments, Directorates, Agencies and units across the Region (www.ecowas.int/doing-business-in-ecowas/ ecowas-procurement). The categories are:
General Procurement No ce
Annual Procurement Plan
Procurement No ce
Publica on of Contract Award
Donors Funded Projects
Resources / O cial Documents
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
h ps://igad.int/
IGAD Calls For Increased Regional Collabora on To Fight Desert Locust
Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Livestock of the Member States of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), including representa on from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, held a
virtual ministerial mee ng with key desert locust control organiza ons to upscale desert locust control opera ons and boost coordina on e orts between IGAD and the Middle East region. Discussions revolved around current control opera ons, surveillance, con ngency plans, infesta on mapping and impacts. Also present were representa ves from interna onal and regional organiza ons involved in Food Security and Nutri on, and Desert Locust Control Opera ons (DLCO-EA, CRC, ICIPE, FAO and other UN Agencies, Development Partners and Non-Governmental Organiza ons).
“The combined risk of desert locust on the plan ng season, the floods and the Coronavirus pandemic represent extremely alarming and unprecedented threats to the food security, nutri on and livelihoods in the region. A region where around 25 million people are already in need of food assistance."
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
h ps://sadc.int
The Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met on 29th May, 2020 with a call for the region to turn the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity for emboldening industrializa on and intratrade in the Region. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to boost intraregional trade, currently at less than 20% and, ul mately create jobs and boost its economy. As the region con nues to implement the SADC Industrializa on Strategy and Road Map 20152063, there is need to take advantage of increased need of medicines and medical supplies and create conducive environment for the establishment of new pharmaceu cal industries and provide various incen ves to the exis ng ones.
Resolving challenges and fast-tracking cross-border movement of goods and services during the COVID-19
pandemic will open an opportunity to ease movement of goods and people, accelerate intra-regional trade, consolidate the SADC Free Trade Area and facilitate the implementa on of the SADC Protocol on Trade and drive the SADC industrialisa on agenda.
The COVID-19 pandemic has come at a me when the SADC region has already been heavily a ected
by the unfavourable clima c condi ons that a ected SADC economies, leading to food insecurity, poverty and inequali es in the region.
There is a need for expanding the harmonisa on and synchronisa on of cross-border movements to the COMESA-EAC-SADC tripar te, taking into account the overlapping membership of countries in the region.
ECOWAS: 45 Years of Solidarity for the West African People
From H.E. President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou
On the auspicious occasion of the 45th anniversary of the founding of ECOWAS, which falls today 28th May, 2020, I am pleased to extend my sincere saluta ons to the builders of our Community. Thanks to their vision and dedicated e orts, our region can today pride itself on having achieved a free movement space spanning over 15 countries, an integrated economic market, and harmonized policies formula on mechanisms in all spheres.
Our theme for this 45th anniversary is: "45 years of solidarity at the service of the peoples of West Africa", supplemented by a first sub-theme which is about "Promo ng socio-economic and human development, together through regional integra on"; and a second one on "Comba ng Covid-19 together in West Africa". It goes without saying that they resonate with this mul -dimensional vision of our Founding Fathers.
ECOWAS Member States have shown resilience over the past 45 years. Together, they have gone through many challenges – poli cal, economic, social and health – such as the EBOLA crisis. Always, the Member States have endeavoured to show promising prospects of growth and all have been working hard to achieve social development at all levels.
As early as late February 2020 when the region recorded its first case of COVID-19 pa ent, most Member States took stringent measures to contain the spread of the disease and to provide adequate
ECOWAS Commission President H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou
healthcare for all. The ECOWAS Commission, working in close coopera on with the West African Health Organisa on (WAHO), has from the very incep on of see page 64
the ba le against COVID-19, been very ac ve in bu ressing the e orts of the ECOWAS Member States by providing essen al medical supplies and equipment as well as capacity building, thus promo ng a sense of solidarity among all at this crucial me.
The pandemic, in spite of very strong measures taken by the Member States to deal with the spread of the virus, has led to sharp decline in economic ac vi es, fall in financial resources concomitantly with increase in expenditure as well as social and humanitarian crises. To mi gate the impacts, Member States have taken important measures.
They further seized the opportunity of their mee ng to join hands with the larger African con nent to mobilise interna onal support for debt relief. This should free resources for pu ng in place protec ve and pallia ve measures taking into account the severity of the impact on the most vulnerable of the ci zenry, especially those in the informal sector and the rural areas, especially women and youth. They also decided to support the establishment of the an -COVID solidarity fund set up by the African Union (African Union COVID-19 Response Fund, h ps://au.int/en/aucovid19responsefund).
On the economic front, we con nue to build upon the core elements of our integra on project, including freedom of movement of goods and people and the right of establishment. Every possible e ort will be made to achieve the opera onaliza on of the African Con nental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) originally scheduled for July 1, 2020, as it should provide us with the opportunity to build and consolidate new regional and con nental supply chains and other opportuni es, in the face of the di cul es that are being witnessed at the global level.
While we look back at our achievements, not only in the past year, but in the past forty five years, we must equally look to the future and see the promises
it holds. It is true to say that we alone can make our future in spite of our challenges. Indeed, it would be appropriate to recall another adage which says that out of every challenge comes an opportunity. In this regard, I want to encourage all in the Community to adopt an op mis c view as to where we are going as a region. We have already started looking at the formula on of a post Covid-19 recovery programme which will draw on all our fields of endeavour.
We look forward to celebra ng future anniversaries as a Community when we shall look back and recognize progress made through our faith, courage and perseverance which have enabled us to stay the course and find the needed solu ons to our formidable challenges.
Long live the people of the Economic Community of West African States.
Long live ECOWAS.
www.ecowas.int
Why Africa is Turning the Heads of Investors.
By Landry Signé (ABA Edits)
According to the World Economic Forum, since 2000, at least half of the world’s fastest-growing economies have been in Africa. And by 2030, Africa will be home to 1.7 billion people consumer and business spending will total $6.7 trillion.
Infrastructure Development in Africa.
By 2030, the sectors generating the most value in Africa will be
• food and beverages
• education and transportation billion), and
• housing
But there will also be strong growth in
• consumer goods
• hospitality and recreation billion),
• health care
• financial services
• telecommunications
at least half of the world’s ng economies have been in by 2030, Africa will be home n , whose combined d business spending will total e sectors the most a will be d ($740 billion), on and transportation ($397 and ($39 0 billion). ill also be growth in er ($370 billion), it y and recreation ($260 are ($175 billion), l ($85 billion), and munications ($65 billion). much of this will n properly implementing ntinental , create a market for ervices, o ering corporations of entr y. Moreover, the CFTA the need for connectivit y, so e ure and sectors ranging from n and to information ications and
Of course, much of this growth will depend on the African Union its new Continental Free Trade Area which would create a single market for goods and services, o many points of entry. Moreover, the CFTA will increase the need for connectivity, so there will be new opportunities to invest in infrastructure and sectors ranging from transportation and energy to information and communications technology (ICT) and water supplies. For its part, the African Development Bank can help investors find promising projects through its Program for
Another area between n and 2030 will be in businessbusiness spending $ trillion, up from $1 6 trillion in 2015. He the largest sectors will be
• agriculture and agricultural processing ($915 billion),
• manufacturing ($666 billion), and
Another major growth area between now African business-to, which will reach $4.2 trillion, up from $1.6 trillion in 2015. Here,
• construction, utilities, and transportation ($78 4 billion), follow by
• wholesale and retail billion),
• resources ($357 billion),
• banking and insurance billio and
($784 billion), followed ($665 billion), ($249 billion), ($79.5
• telecommunications and ICT ($79 billion).
The grow th in a agricultural processing reflects the f that food and will constitute share of total spendi 60% of the world’s unused ara land is in which still contributes meager share of worldwide agricultu means there is a lot of ro for And, because severe a ects many African countries, invest can even in fer tilizers, machiner y, water a and other areas of
The expected growth in agriculture and ects the fact
that food and beverages will constitute the largest share of total household spending. Moreover, 60% of the world’s unused arable land is in Africa, which still contributes a meager share of worldwide agricultural exports. That means there is a lot of room for growth. And, because severe hunger still ects many African countries, investors can even contribute to the public good by investing in fertilizers, machinery, water and irrigation systems, and other areas of the agriculture sector.
• Tanzania Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange www.dse.co.tz
• Tunisia Tunisia Stock Exchange www.bvmt.com.tn
• Uganda Uganda Securities Exchange www.use.or.ug
• Zambia Lusaka Stock Exchange www.luse.co.zm
• Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Stock Exchange www.zse.co.zw
fmauritius.com
Africa has become the newest destination for emerging markets investors. From 2000, according to the World Economic Forum, "half of the world's fastest-growing economies have been in Africa." By 2030 one in five people will be African. Combine the continent’s soaring population with technology, economic growth, increasing demand from its growing middle class, improvements in infrastructure, political stability, health and education, and Africa could be the next century’s economic growth powerhouse. Nobody can predict the growth trajectory with accuracy, but Africa is poised for growth. change.com
Africa has around 29 stock exchanges representing 38 countries including two regional exchanges.
Advice on How to Capitalize from the COVID-19 Market from Leading Investor John W. Rogers, Jr.
By Derek T. Dingle
As the United States continues to reel from the COVID-19 crisis, legions of investors remain jittery over a hyper-volatile market. In fact, The New York Times reported that Wall Street had its worst month in March with the S&P 500 plummeting 12.5% due to the deterioration of the world economy. Recently, the market entered into bear territory with the S&P realizing the worst one-day drop since 1987 before its best three-day rally in 87 years.
When it comes to crises, financial and otherwise, African Americans are hit the hardest. And according to studies over the past 20 years, African Americans tend to be among the first investors to pull out of the market during periods of earthjolting volatility.
Despite the recent enactment of the coronavirus stimulus package and rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, investors should be prepared to buckle their seatbelts for a rollercoaster market throughout
the pandemic and its aftermath. In order to guide them on their next move, Black Enterprise spoke with one of the country’s top money managers: John Rogers, founder, co-CEO and chief investment officer of Ariel Investments (www.arielinvestments. com No. 1 on the 2019 BE ASSET MANAGERS list with $11.6 billion in assets under management).
Rogers offered the following advice:
1. Take a long-term view of the market - Rogers fully embraces the market philosophy of Warren Buffett, who is considered the world’s greatest
investor. “He reminds us that in the last century, the Dow [Jones Industrial Average] started at 66 and ended over 11,000” and that it was marked by “a pandemic in 1918, two world wars, the Great Depression, major recessions, the war in Vietnam and presidential assassination. We always find a way in a capitalist democracy to come back.”
Rogers, who has promoted his patient investment thrust since he started his firm some 37 years ago, further asserts the importance of being a long-term investor to ultimately achieve success.
“It’s hard not to worry in the current environment when you have lost 30% of your assets or your 401(K) plan has been devastated. But you have to look out over the horizon. You have to think about the next three years, not the next three months.”
2. Shop for bargain stocks - “Be greedy when others are fearful.” Rogers borrowed that quote from Buffett to illustrate the point that shrewd investors can use the current market to rebuild or fortify their portfolios by purchasing quality stocks hammered by market forces and now trading less than their intrinsic value. “If you have the cash, you can take advantage of the bargains that are out there. Just make sure that if you invest in an individual stock that it has the right balance sheet strength to make it to the other side.”
3. Don’t chase the hot stock - A number of investors would believe this is the perfect time to invest in, say, telecommuting companies given corporate work-from-home policies and statemandated shelter-in-place orders. Not necessarily, says Rogers. He maintains you may have reaped
benefits in such equities six months ago before the crisis “but it’s much riskier now because you are not buying them at a bargain but you’re buying them at an end of a market.” There is a high probability, he believes, that they will face disruption within the next two years or so.
Rogers recommends individuals to buy shares of companies they understand. “You have a better chance of investing in a company that has the wherewithal and right products that will not be disrupted in the next five years.”
4. Stay calm, stay positive - Rogers is upbeat about the future, citing that the nation will emerge stronger due to the energy, ingenuity, and money that has been directed toward combatting the crisis. He is equally positive about the markets as well.
He points to Ariel’s history as exemplar of the value of staying calm in the most turbulent markets and learning from the experience. During the firm’s inception, the market was down 22% and a few years later in 1987 Rogers and his portfolio managers shrewdly invested during the 1987 stock market crash, setting the firm up for “a successful 1988 in which we were named Mutual Fund Co-Manager of the Year.” And buying stocks during the gut-wrenching economic downturn in 2008 enabled Ariel to achieve topflight performance for its clients and recognition as No. 1 in its investment category the following year. He asserts: “We have been able to show folks that if you have the ability to buy while others are panicking, it can lead to good, long-term results. There are no guarantees but experience matters.”
Operation HOPE is a for-purpose organization working to disrupt poverty and empower inclusion for low and moderate-income youth and adults.
Our focus is financial dignity and inclusion. We equip young people and adults with the financial tools and education to secure a better future— coaching them through their personal aspirations and life’s challenges, and facilitating their journey to financial independence.
Since 1992, we have been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved.
Our mission connects the legacy of the Freedman’s Bank, established by President Abraham Lincoln more than 150 years ago to integrate all Americans into our nation’s economic life, and the second part of Dr. Martin Luther King’s integration dream—the integration of the dollar, under the banner of “silver rights”—rights to financial literacy, access to capital, and equity of opportunity, for all.
We partner with financial institutions, corporations, municipal agencies, and community organizations to deliver HOPE Inside—our award-winning model of community uplift that has allowed us to scale, and sustainably package and deliver, financial dignity and economic empowerment programming in communities around the country, at no cost to the client. The client experience at HOPE Inside is rooted in empowerment. The personalized one-onone coaching process integrates four key steps:
• Giving back dignity,
• Reintroducing individuals to themselves,
• O ering redemption, and
• Providing opportunities through purpose-driven projects.
Clients are counseled on the language of money and work with Operation HOPE financial wellbeing coaches to transform established financial mindsets, and to develop customized action plans around building their own businesses, raising their credit scores, buying homes, or simply making better decisions with the money they have.
HOPE Research & Impact Institute
Our HOPE Research and Impact Institute is committed to conducting in-depth research that leads to innovative solutions to socio-economic problems facing society at the local, national, and international levels. It brings together leading experts in finance, research, academia, and public policy to provide the highest quality research, thought leadership, policy recommendations and analysis on a full range of issues surrounding poverty, financial wellbeing, disaster preparedness and recovery, and economic growth.
PROGRAM IMPACT
Through the generous support of our partners and donors, in 25 years we’ve empowered more than 2.8 million adults and youth with financial dignity, and directed over $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities turning check
John Hope Bryant, Founder Operation Hope
cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors.But we’re not done yet. We need your help. Here’s how you can support our work.
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Property investment in South Africa is simple as well as secure and can o er tremendous profits in respect to other forms of investment which often prove to be unstable and unrewarding. One of the many incentives that may sway an individual towards property investment is the well acknowledged fact that typically, every seven years, the value of a property doubles.
A great deal of investors realise that even though the stock market presents opportunities for large proceedings, it does not alleviate the hitches of its erratic and risky traits. Many investors are now becoming more inclined to choose property investment over other forms of investment as it's proving to be a somewhat more stable option, o ering far more rewards.
South African Property Investment
Aside from the extraordinary lifestyle and climate South Africa has to o er, there are an abundance of advantages from which property investors can benefit. Investors will find opportunities for lucrative investment in numerous areas in South Africa. Commercial projects and present regeneration projects in places such as Muizenberg in the Western Cape are o ering exceptional returns; investors from various countries are being drawn towards similar projects due to the tax breaks available.
Experienced investors are reaping the benefits of the real estate market in South Africa at present, with many potential opportunities in buy-to-let, pure investment and land options.
For Foreign Investors
On the African continent, South Africa has one of the strongest economies. Aside from this, today's overseas investors realise that South Africa is a spectacular country with regard to standard of living and ambience alike.
In the past few years commercial property has enjoyed considerable growth and this seems to be a trend set to carry on with government motivation now in place. Arrays of opportunities present themselves for profitable returns from South African property, especially in particular areas.
The government is dedicated to creating a strong tourism industry in South Africa. This has become an increasingly important revenue sector and also forms a part of the government's job-creation strategy. The country is popular with foreign visitors because of its favourable climate and amazing natural scenery.
Another perk of property investment in South Africa is that there is a shortage of property due to its political past; ultimately this factor has generated long-term growth prospects in the property market. There is also a relatively stable democracy and all kinds of investment are encouraged, with foreigners being prompted to invest in South African property as there are no restrictions on ownership.
The economy is growing and consequently focus is now on initialising a strong middle class economy, thus increasing demand for homes. Considerable taxation breaks are put forward for real estate developers, demand for rental properties is also on the rise.
The housing property market is displaying a stable growth and in metropolitan areas and the commercial property market is out shining many markets in Western countries.
Proven Perks of Property Investment
There is no other investment which permits an individual to make a purchase using other people's money, this being the bank's, and then pay the money back using the money of other people, this being the rental income from tenants.
When you buy property exclusively for investment purposes, any form of sentiment is eradicated from the purchase and the property can be seen strictly as an investment. If you own property, equity can be released against it as even though there is no guarantee your property's value will increase annually; it is widely acknowledged that property in a satisfactory area, that is well maintained, will certainly increase in value.
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How to Elevate Your Presence in a Virtual Meeting
By Joel Schwartzberg
Even before the COVID-19 crisis started, 5.3% of Americans — more than 8.2 million people — worked from home, according to a 2018 U.S. Census report. And with the outbreak turning more o ce workers into work-from-home employees, video conferences are becoming more routine for a wide range of business purposes, from sta meetings to brainstorming sessions to major announcements.
But communication tactics that work well among colleagues in a conference room may not translate seamlessly to Brady-Bunch-style quadrants on a computer screen. Organizational behavior professor Andy Molinsky recommends seeing virtual meetings as “an entirely di erent context, not simply an in-
eye contact is a vital way to reinforce your point. In a video conference, this means looking into the video camera, not at the smiling faces of Marcia, Greg, Cindy, Peter, Jan, and Bobby. Speaking into a cold black circle will not feel natural or comfortable — as humans, we’re trained to look at the people we’re talking to — but know that entertainers and politicians have been doing it for decades.
It’s challenging to focus on your camera for an entire meeting — especially while others are talking — but know that you increase the impact of your points when you look deep into the dot.
Practice looking into your camera during video conferences when you speak, even for brief moments. The more you use it, the more comfortable you’ll become with it.
2. Maintain a strong voice
person meeting or a class on a screen.”
Elevating both your point and your presence in a Zoom, Skype, or similar virtual meeting, requires not only engaging in video conference-friendly tactics but also disabusing yourself of potentially detrimental misconceptions about the medium.
To help keep your impact actual when your presence is virtual, consider these six recommendations:
1. Focus on your camera, not your colleagues
Every presentation coach will tell you that direct
I always counsel my students and clients to use a louder-than-usual voice because, in addition to being audible, strong voices convey authority, credibility, and confidence. This concept is just as true in virtual conferences as it is in actual ones. So even though you’re using an external or internal microphone and thus may be tempted to speak at a conversational volume, maintain a strong, clear voice as if you’re in a large conference room.
Using a loud voice will also keep you from mumbling and from speaking too quickly due to the amount of breath required.
3. Frame yourself wisely
Proximity plays a big part in how audiences perceive you as a communicator. The farther away or more obscured you appear, the less engaging you will be. In a video conference, your head and the top of your shoulders should dominate the screen.
If your head is cut o at the top or bottom, you’re too close. If your entire torso is in view, you’re too far away. If only half of your head is in sight, please adjust the camera.
Also be mindful of your background. Cluttered rooms make communicators seem disorganized.
Distracting elements will pull attention away from you. Find an environment where the background is simple, reflecting your professionalism.
Preparation is critical, so take time before the meeting to pick your location and put your head fully in frame to ensure you’re putting your best face forward.
4. Be present and mindful
In a conventional meeting, participants are typically very mindful of their presence. But in a video conference where you’re muted (and maybe in your pajama pants), it’s easy to forget you’re still being watched. You may be tempted to check your email or attend to other work, but multi-tasking is perilous because you don’t want to be caught unprepared if asked a sudden question.
moving to another room or eating. (Drinking is not very distracting, but chewing is another story).
Even if you don’t need to be fully engaged in the meeting, your professional reputation can su er if it even looks like you’re not paying attention. So close those other windows, turn your phone upside down, and remember that you’re always “on camera.”
Because you’re less aware of social cues in a virtual meeting, it’s also important to be mindful of how long and how often you speak, if you interrupt other people, and if you make a comment that might o end someone present but out of sight. My advice: Don’t consider yourself “at home.” Consider yourself “at work.” Your behavior may follow.
5. Don’t become your own distraction
In a live meeting, you never have to worry about talking while muted, annoying ambient noise, or the interference of pets and children. But these are all common pitfalls of virtual meetings, and they can quickly sabotage your point. Your job is to make sure you’re remembered for what you did right, not what went wrong, so be mindful of the power you have over both your virtual and physical environments. Start by training yourself to stay on mute whenever you’re not speaking and unmuting yourself only when you do speak. Staying on mute shuts out sudden noises as well as routine noises you may not be aware of, like the ticking of a wall clock, the clicketyclack of your typing, or even your own breathing. Unmuting yourself obviously enables you to speak, but — perhaps more importantly — saves you from being on the receiving end of the embarrassing colleague chorus, “You’re on mute!”
Make sure to turn o your camera when you’re doing something visually distracting as well, such as
Finally, if boisterous children (or pets) want to participate in your call, your colleagues will probably laugh or relate, so don’t be worried about or embarrassed by spontaneous distractions. However, if you’re tasked with giving a major presentation, try to have someone supervise them in another room, far from the temptation of your presence, or at least create an engrossing activity for them. Parenting and presenting cannot happen simultaneously, and truly important messages require not only your colleagues’ full attention, but yours as well.
6. Use the chat window as your partner
Consider the chat window as not just a discussion platform, but a presentational appendage. When you refer to an article or shared document, link to it in the chat. If you run the meeting, put a link to the agenda in the chat. When others are speaking, respond with support or questions in the chat. The chat window is a unique opportunity in virtual meetings to elevate your presence, add dimensions to your ideas, and demonstrate that you’re fully present.
Whether you’ve been participating in virtual meetings for years or just started this month, it’s important to realize that a video conference isn’t just a conference over video — it’s an entirely new interactive experience, which requires adapting your perspective, habits, and tactics to make it work e ectively for you.
e History of African Telecom: Why is Social Media a Game Changer for Africa?
By Dean Hambleton
Telecom and social media are a game changer for modern Africa. Modern Africa is on the move. We are presently seeing modern Africa quickly evolving from an emerging economy to a significant player in the Global Economy. Just as the Asian Tigers became a force in the '80s, the African Gorillas are becoming a force in our contemporary Global System
Africa is an example of how quickly individuals and nations can become productive and competitive in our modern era of social media. To become competitive, Africa must develop a 'smart' telecom system. To appreciate the importance of mobile technology in Africa, it's vital to first understand the gravity of the "digital divide". The digital divide is simply those people who have access to technological-social media assets and those that don't. If a person has no access to digital resources, those people,
like Africans, are at a significant disadvantage. Conversely, those people, like Americans, who have access to digital resources, have a significant advantage. This is one reason why the U.S. is a significant economic player, and, until recently, Africa wasn't even on the radar. The causes of the digital divide between the West and Africa are not simply due to poverty or development. It is due to geography.
Africa is enormous. That's the good news---it also the bad news. The continent is 30 million square kilometers. Africa controls 20% of the earth's land mass. Approximately 1 billion people occupy the African continent. Africa is comprised of 53 countries on a land mass that spans from the Mediterranean, 40 degrees north of the equator to the Antarctic. Africa is a huge market. If it is developed it will create incredible revenue streams.
The African landscape is just as varied as its inhabitants. In the north we have the stifling sands of the Sahara. Africa is made up of endless deserts and plains. Africa possesses some of the world's tallest mountains, mightiest rivers and densest forests in the world. In the old media era, it was impossible to string phone lines across the continent of Africa.
This is the reason why Africa lagged in development. Geography has destroyed Africa until our present social media era. Because of geography, the advent of human communications left an entire continent behind. Geography is the reason that Africa possessed some of the largest telecom disconnected areas in the world in the old media era. Then came the mobile phone and social media platforms The advent of social media is a game-changer for the continent because geography is now no longer a major issue. Social media makes geography and capital non-issues.
Africa's geography draws a clear line of distinction between Africa and the rest of the world. For most of the world, mobile phones are a nice convenience. For Africa, mobile phones, and the recent advent of social media platforms, are a matter of survival. For the developing world, and particularly for Africa,
which is now the world's fastest growing mobile phone market, this technology is a game changer in the lives of a billion people who occupy 20% of the world's surface.
What it comes down to is this. People who were absolutely disconnected from the rest of the world around them, are now connected in real time. The mobile phone has become the railroad of the modern era. The mobile phone links people, information, and economies in places where mobility is not a luxury, but a necessity. Mobile technology that is linked to satellites can truly change the world. Digital technology can transform a basket case, like parts of Africa, to a true economic power.
Let me ask you this. Are you an entrepreneur who has knowledge of how to create a "smart" phone network? If you are and you do, you have the ability to create the "next new thing'. A smart phone network can connect a billion people, living on 20% of the world's surface, to the rest of the world---what are you waiting for Mr. Entrepreneur? Come to Africa and create the next big thing
"Information technology has created avenues for development which are not a ected by distance or geography. Africa rise and show the world that you are worth it. Speak out loud AFRICA, silence is betrayal."
In any set-up the most informed individuals remain the most dominant and powerful over their counter parts. Being more informed gives them a mandate to dictate terms to the less informed, to the extent of undermining their abilities in all aspects of life. That's where Africa today is pegged, we have been called third world countries, underdeveloped and we appreciate that naming. Would not there be anything superior coming from Africa and telling the world that we are equal. Because we are less informed and we do not even give a damn about that condition I fear we might remain like that forever. We have been so brainwashed by the most informed and got to an unguided understanding that prosperity depends on where you are other than
Building an Infor a Time to Act
By Richwell Phinias
on who you are and what you can do in which ever environment you are.
Africans we have come to the belief that our countries are dry lands infested with poverty, HIV/ AIDS, unemployment and all the inhuman forms that we can imagine. Imagine an African leaving his country for the western world assuming he is going for greener pastures. After having acquired a decent education in Africa on government loans and grants, the African child still feels the government investment was done for the western world.
The key issue here is: there is a gap that needs to be closed in Africa. The opening is so big that it needs many forces to conquer it. Since dynamite comes in small packages I still believe a few inspired hands will make a di erence. I hope and believe that since Africans in Diaspora have access to information, they will also play a pivotal role in closing the information gap. The story line here is not to be fussy about ICTs, computers and all that follows it. The ICT initiatives have just come at the right time as Africa's savior.
There is talk all over the NGO network in the western world about setting up ICT initiatives in Africa. African governments are also talking about the same phenomena, e-commerce, e-government, legislation, etc. Though I salute those who are making e orts to establish telecenters, cyber cafes, business centers, internet connections and other supporting services, I have a strong feeling that this will not be the overall
rmed Africa:
solution to Africa's problems.
What is important here which we are keeping a blind eye on is the I in ICT and IT. The naming of this technology has been branded again and again but the one word that has remained is INFORMATION
Now what is information and why should it matter at the moment, why all this hype about ICT projects? For the past few years I have seen more ICT centered business proposals than any other business ventures. Along the way I have also written my ICT business proposal that has worked fine. All the Internet cafes I have worked for were new hubs and still more and more are being opened.
From my introduction above you can see how information is a very important part of our sustenance. The reason why Africans are leaving their roots in droves is they have HEARD (they are well informed of course) of greener pastures. That same voice which delivered the greener pastures message should also have preached to Africans that these pastures are in our heads not anywhere outside that.
As Africans we seem to lack inspiration on what ever we do. That is why when a family member becomes rich we try to link his fortune to some long dead grandpa who was a landlord of some sort.
Take a look how information inspires people, oral tradition told along the Shona people about a spirit medium's predictions inspired Zimbabweans to go to war against the Rhodesian regime.
Now because in the western world there is lots of information on inventors, innovators and explorers, people there have lots of information to inspire them. You would obviously venture into something because you have seen or heard it from somewhere else.
So today our Africa needs to be inspired and motivated, the only way is to feed them with the befitting information
For inspiration we also have our brothers and sisters who have made it here and some abroad, and such information should reach the minds of the African child now. If you want to see how information is a key factor look at how many countries survive without information ministries. Information is power and should be respected as such. A well-informed generation is the generation needed to usher Africa into this emerging knowledge economy.
I believe with Internet access getting across the whole plains of Sub-Saharan Africa and the whole continent, this is the right time for African intellectuals to start building online content/information banks for Africa. The challenge is both to Africans in Diaspora (who by now know that we can not live without information) and those geniuses around to aggressively pioneer information dissemination over the Internet.
The more people are informed, the more they become confident on whatever they are doing. Being well informed breeds confidence and thereby knowledge, and obviously knowledge is power as we are all aware (the few informed know this). Those who have knowledge have power and that number is very small really.
African people let us be cultured, believe in ourselves and dominate the knowledge-driven economy. Our natural resources have not yet been exhausted by the multimedia and we need to showcase that to the world. We need to show the world that we can improve the world other than die trying to impress see page 80
from page 79
anyone. Its high time Africa we realize that we can no longer feed from the floor but we take our position on the table.
How are we going to control our destiny at world conferences when all we can do is go begging for the reduction of our debts and even crying for more help out there? Why can we not use the advantage of these ICT initiatives to develop our own products and stop fattening western pockets? One writer concluded that there were more Mercedes-Benz cars in Africa than in Germany itself. Imagine every minister in an African government is supposed to have the latest model of a Mercedes-Benz.
It seems Africa we are the market for the western world when in e ect the same donor money we use on their goods is the same they give to us for poverty and HIV/AIDS driven initiatives. By the way have you ever tried to check on what cars our NGO brothers drive? They just plough back donor money to the western powers.
In other words the most lucrative business to own and run in Africa today is an NGO. We have the scapegoat to use for that matter to drain money from western well wishers. Tell them about our politics, HIV/AIDS, poverty and obviously you will siphon a lot of money and resources that side.
Africa how long are we going to survive on other people's pockets? How long are we going to be dumping grounds for used western clothes, dumping grounds for used cars? Information technology creates a way for us to develop and license our intellectual rights and Africa this is your chance.
Look at what all the well-cultured nations are doing. Maybe Africa it is because we have allowed ourselves to be a religious dumping ground? Malaysians believe in themselves and are so devoted to their religions and that has ushered them well into building a large knowledge-based economy base. The same applies also to India and other Asian states who are making it.
Be informed Africa, be informed sons and daughters of Africa. Arise and shine Africa for thy light is come, arise with one voice and tell the world that it is your turn now. Imagine how the western world prides itself in discovering the Victoria Falls when in essence there were already people in Africa knowing about it all along. It is good that we are realizing we need information. So the ball is in our court whether to remain servants or to create hubs of information consumable online for our fellow Africans. I advise you that when you find time to chat away on a western chat room why
Black Business News Travel Africa
can you not make that time conducive for indexing information on Africa over the internet.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter."
Ugandan Fintech Startup Eversend raises $706k in Target-beating Crowdfunding Campaign
By Tom Jackson
Ugandan startup Eversend, a digital-only finance platform providing cross-border money transfers among other services, has secured EUR634,000 (US$706,000) in investment through a Seedrs crowdfunding campaign.
Founded in 2017, Eversend (https://eversend.co) also provides multi-currency wallets and currency exchange, and plans to o er personal loans, savings, group savings, merchant payments and investments in the future. Available on Android and iOS, the startup has over 40,000 registered users and is growing at around 30% month-on-month.
The startup has acquired a money lending license in Uganda, and taken part in programmes such as the Google Launchpad Africa accelerator, CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa, the Westerwelle Young Founders Programme, and the Ecobank Fintech Challenge. In November 2019, competing against 1,700 companies, it was named winner of the Helsinki-based Slush startup competition
Eversend launched its Seedrs campaign (www. seedrs.com/eversend) targeting a raise of EUR550,000 (US$613,000) in return for 7.67% equity, but has already raised 115% of that total with a few weeks of the campaign still to run. It has already secured EUR634,000 (US$706,000) in return for 8.74% equity, valuing the business at EUR6,616,739 (US$7,373,065).
The startup’s founder and chief executive o cer (CEO) Stone Atwine told Disrupt Africa the Seedrs campaign was part of a fundraising round that would also include institutional investors.
“It’s a great way to create a community of user investors. There’s nothing better than customers owning a part of the business,” he said.
Eversend will use the funds for product development, user acquisition, and regulatory compliance, while it also intends to expand its o ering to Nigeria, Francophone Africa, and Europe. Some of the funds will remain in company accounts as working capital to beef up Eversend’s netting o reserves.
Facebook to Connect Ghana to High Speed Internet in $1bn Project
By Sefanam Agbobli
Ghana has been selected among several other African countries to benefit from Facebook’s (www. facebook.com) plan to build a 23,000 mile-long cable to bring high-speed internet to the 1.3 billion people living on the continent.
The project, dubbed 2Africa, is expected to be completed in 2024. When completed, it will more than triple the total network capacity in Africa.
Dailymail reports that the cable has almost the same length as the circumference of the earth, and will deliver connection points to 23 countries, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia and Sudan
‘This expanded capacity will facilitate a healthy internet ecosystem by enabling greatly improved accessibility for people and businesses alike,’ Facebook wrote in a blog post announcing the project.
‘We have seen firsthand the positive impact that increased connectivity has on communities, from education to health care.’
‘We know that economies flourish when there is widely accessible internet for businesses.’
Facebook said local service providers would ‘obtain capacity in carrier-neutral data centers and open-access cable landing stations on a fair and equitable basis.’
The social media giant is hopeful the project will bring it closer to its goal of ensuring at least 80% of Africa’s internet tra c is sourced from local providers.
Not only will the African continent benefit from the cable project by Facebook, but also other European countries.
The UK-based news portal, Dailymail, said the cable would also have a crossing between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and provide improved connections in Italy and Spain
The cables are being built by Nokia Oyj’s Alcatel Submarine Networks and will be buried deeper in
the ocean floor than fibre optic cables typically are, to protect it from ship anchors and other environmental threats.
It will feature a new fiber optic technology, called Spatial Division Mutiplexing (SDM1), which promises better performance and more data than older fiber optic cable technology.
The social media giant has not announced the cost of the cable project but Bloomberg estimates the project to cost about $1billion and the costs will be shared with two of Africa's biggest wireless carriers, MTN Group and Telecom Egypt, as well as European telcos Vodafone and Orange, China's top telco China Mobile, and Nokia's Alcatel Submarine Networks..
Despite 2Africa’s impressive ambitions, the record for longest undersea cable in the world still belongs to the 24,000 mile Sea-Me-We 3 cable that runs through Germany, Saudi Arabia, India, China, and Australia.
Below is the list of countries to benefit from Facebook’s cable project: Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo
Ivory Coast
Djibouti
Egypt
Spain
France
Gabon
United Kingdom
Ghana
Italy
Kenya
Madagascar
Mozambique
Nigeria
Oman
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Senegal
Somalia
Tanzania
South Africa.
www.theghanareport.com/facebook-to-connectghana-to-high-speed-internet-in-1bn-project/ Image credit: congodigital.net, Droid Life
‘Just Sam,’ a subway singer from NYC with ties to Liberia, wins ‘American Idol’
By Chuck Arnold
American Idol's 18th winner, Just Sam, Samantha Diaz, 21, from Harlem, New York.
Harlem’s Just Sam was just super on Sunday night, May 17th, bringing home the “American Idol” title.
The 21-year-old former subway singer, whose real name is Samantha Diaz, won the first remote finale in “Idol” history — the long-running contest left the stage this season due to the coronavirus crisis.
It was a triumphant moment that even Just Sam says she couldn’t believe: “I definitely did not expect it from the beginning,” she told Billboard. “Not at all, at all.”
Here are five things you need to know about the new American Idol.
Her journey
Just Sam had a di cult childhood, with her parents not being able to take care of her and her sister. Both girls were adopted by their grandmother who is from Liberia. On the Mother’s Day episode of “Idol,” she poignantly recalled visiting her mom in prison as a child.
Her biggest fan
She lived in Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Houses in an apartment with her grandmother — who could be seen cheering from home on Sam’s iPad after her victory — before moving to the Los Angeles apartment
she’s been living alone in while competing on “Idol.”
Her first gig
Sam began singing in subways to help her grandmother pay the bills when she was in middle school — and she’s been doing it ever since. Well, that is, until her “Idol” journey took her all the way to the title. Su ce to say, she won’t ever have to sing in the subway again.
Her full-circle moment
She stumbled out of the gate during her “Idol” auditions singing “You Say” by Lauren Daigle. It was so bad she burst into tears and had to start over. But she then rebounded with Andra Day’s “Rise Up” — the same song she killed during the finale last night. And to top it o , Just Sam got to sing “You Say” with Daigle herself. Talk about a full-circle moment.
Her memorable name
How did she become Just Sam? “Growing up, I was kind of a tomboy,” she says, sporting dozens of tattoos. “I would switch up my style a lot. In high school, they didn’t know which category to put me in. I wasn’t a girl, not a boy, but both. And I’m like . . . Just Sam! You can’t tell them anything else. It sounds perfect. I think I’m going to use that as my stage name forever.”
And she has identified as a member of the LGBTQ community, displaying a rainbow emoji on her Instagram profile.
Former James Madison University defensive end John Daka has made history.
Daka recently signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. By doing so, he has become the first player of Zambian descent to make it to the NFL.
Daka, who was a high school football star in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was born in the African nation of Zambia. The o cial Twitter account for the U.S. Embassy in Zambia (@usembassyzambia) made an o cial post about Daka.
Daka had a breakout season for JMU as a senior in 2019 when he recorded and FCS-leading 16.5 sacks.
During the first multiracial Round Table meeting between African political leaders and European settler political leaders held in Lusaka in 1952. It was an initiative of Mbikusita Lewanika, who lead the African leaders' delegation with the support of Dr Alexander Scott (Guy Scott's father) who chaired the dialogue meeting. In picture are the two with Roy Welensky who led the European team.
John Daka
Coronavirus and Tourism, the Demise of the African Safari
By Padili Mikomangwa
It is now a fact that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a pandemic according to World Health Organization (WHO), and just from that stand-point, the tourism sector is not safe from the pandemic pinch.
The world is on its heels, nations are now rolling a series of aviation restrictions to curb the virus outbreak, limiting numerous economic and societal operations over space and time—which also have ripple e ects on the continent’s tourism sphere.
Currently, more than 4,900 people have died and over 132,000 have been infected globally, according to the WHO.
In Africa—the virus has recently brought two death (in Egypt and Algeria) and serious cases in several nations, including Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, Togo, and Kenya.
According to WHO, there are now more than 100 cases recorded in 11 countries in Africa, Egypt having more than half of the cases.
In light of the outbreak magnitude, there is a concern that the tourism industry is yet to see more changes that could hurt the most lucrative and paying sector in the continent.
Recently, Italy, Unites States, and the United Kingdom to mention a few big-players stepped up their precautions and postponed gatherings and other leisure interactions until the upper-hand is gain on the deadly virus.
Not only African safaris are hurt by the pandemic, but also—Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE).
The Fate of the African Safari Numbers do show more, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) says up to 50 million jobs could be lost because of the pandemic, while the travel sector could shrink up to 25% in 2020.
In that context, the region could witness a massive drop in arrivals, compared to 2019 whereby—the United Nations World Tourism Organization indicated growth in arrivals of 4% in line with the global average.
The pandemic is now considered as a threat to the
industry by the body, and ripple e ects are seen in Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco as one of Africa’s vibrant and renowned tourist hotspots in the continent.
Tourism is one of the most important industries in Africa and contributed 8.5% (equivalent to $194.2 billion) of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, according to the WTTC.
Also, Africa was the second-fastest growing tourism region with 5.6% growth in 2018 against a global average growth rate of 3.9%.
The WTTC research found that tourism in Africa was mainly (71%) leisure-driven, with the remainder (29%) being business-driven. Domestic tourism contributed 56% with international tourism contributing 44% to Africa’s tourism industry.
Kenya and Tanzania with exotic safari adventures have felt the virus pinch. Tanzania has lost over 10,000 tourists destined for several tourism-hotspots, Kenya public gathering ban, and flight ban to China will limit tourist operation.
However, in Kenya, the Cabinet for Tourism and Wildlife’s Najib Balala said on Thursday that Kenya has already dedicated over $ 4 million to fund the nation’s tourism recovery plan following the pandemic, including reassuring travellers and restoring their confidence in Kenya is the best destination. Thus—nothing like this has yet surfaced from Tanzania.
Egypt on the other hand is also facing its hurdle, as still tourist cancel their reservations and raising , g ellers
The WTTC research found that tourism in Africa was mainly (71%) leisure-driven, with the remainder (29%) being business-driven. Domestic tourism contributed 56% with international tourism contributing 44% to Africa’s tourism industry.
concerns to local businessmen and women.
According to information from Middle East Eye, an employee at the Cairo-based Chamber of Tourism said that the recovery was now under threat after 70 to 80% of reservations in both hotels and cruises ship were cancelled over the last 10 days.
Tourism is relied upon by many locals in Egypt as their source of livelihood, the pandemic could lead them into economic hardship.
Still, Egyptian tourism actors, are trying to salvage what they have, by zeroing down onto local tourist, with modest packages to keep their business afloat.
In South Africa, the Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane spoke on the pandemic impact onto tourism, during the Tourism Leadership Forum on Monday, noting that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has already a ected the tourism industry negatively.
The number of Coronavirus cases in South Africa has risen to seven after four more new cases were confirmed on Monday.
However, according to South African Government News, Kubayi-Ngubane said to mitigate against the potential negative impact on businesses and jobs, the South African government will work with all stakeholders to implement measures that will assist to bring relief to a ected businesses and individuals.
“The longer these restrictions continue, the hardest-
hit part of the value chain will be the core industries which include accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel service,” the Minister said.
Further, Kubayi-Ngubane said the South African government will engage treasury to assist businesses in distress to access the employment incentives that have been put in place and will negotiate with various meeting and events owners to postpone to future dates based on scenarios to minimize cancellations.
Morocco is yet another exotic destination with a coronavirus case and also hurting from it economically. According to information from Morocco World News, the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism and the national airline (Royal Air Maroc) predicted mass cancellations in March.
The body predicted a loss of about 100,000 tourists in March and coming months. Hence—as the outbreak unfolds further in the rest of the continent, predictions indicate more downturn for the tourism sector.
According to the UNWTO, in 2018 African had a 5% share of the global 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals in 2018, with receipts topping at $38 billion.
When I want great Senegalese cooking I head to 118th Street and 8th Avenue - SOHA, the heart of South Harlem, USA - and the center of a huge West African community. It brings back memories of sthe time I spent with a family in Senegal, when we hared a pot of rice with every meal.
There are many variations of this one-pot (jollof) meal as there are cooks. I stain my rice red with dende oil and tomatoes, season it with curry and cinnamon and a hot pepper, and pack it with chicken, onions, peppers, cabbage, and green beans. Africa's groundnuts (here in the form of peanut butter) add richness and make the rice even more fragrant.
• 1/4 cup dende oil (see Note)
• 8 bone-inchicken thighs
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 bird's eye chili (or other small hot chili), chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely shredded
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 11/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 large ripe tomatoe, seeded and chopped
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped (1-inch lengths) green beans,
-Duty~ page 140 0
fresh or frozen
• 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced, for garnish
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken and brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter.
2. Add the onions, bell pepper, chile, and carrot to the pot. Cook until the onions are wilted and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlicand cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until all the rice is coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoe paste and peanut butter nd stir to distribute them evenly. Add the chopped tomatoe and cook until it starts to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water, crushed tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, curry powder, and cinnamon. Stir everything together and season well with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the pot, burying it in the rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer until the rice is tender an the chicken cooked through, 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Pilethe chicken and rice on a plattr and garnish with the sliced hard-boiled eggs.
Serves 6 to 8
Note: Rich, red dende oil is a palm oil popular in Africa and Brazilian cooking. Look for it in African and Brazilian markets and online. In a pinch you can substitute peanut oil.
This fun little bun is traditionally baked over coals (roosterkoek translates to “grill cake”) and served at a braai, or barbecue, making it the perfect summer bread. All you need is a grill, flour, yeast, salt, and water. Make sure you have a very stiff dough, otherwise the dough will stick to your grill. They’re best eaten hot, slathered with butter.
Ingredients
• 500g white bread flour
• 1 level tsp salt
• 350ml luke warm water
• 7g yeast
• 1 level tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp Willow Creek Olive oil
Preparation
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
2. Add the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil to a large jug, stir to combine and leave to stand for a few minutes, or until you start to see
bubbles on the surface of the water.
3. Add the water mixture to the flour and mix well, kneading until you have a smooth dough (or use a mixer with a dough hook attachment). Set aside in a clean bowl with a dash of olive oil to rise for about 1 hour, covered with a damp tea towel.
4. Knock back the dough, divide into 6-8 rolls, and leave to rise again for a few minutes. Flatten the portions gently with your hands, dust with a little flour if necessary and bake over low coals until golden, fragrant and cooked through.
Mombasa, Kenya www.eventseye.com/fairs/f-mombasainternational-show-(mis)-18868-1.html
South African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX)
20-22 June 2021
Gallagher Convention Centre,
Johannesburg, South Africa www.saitexafrica.com
Tanzania International Trade Fair 2020
01-05 Jul. 2020
Saba Trade Fair Grounds
Kilwa Road, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania https://www.eventseye.com/fairs/ftanzania-international-trade-fair-7663-1. html
Trade With Africa Business Summit 2020
8 August 2020
Online Only - Register www.twasummit.com
Zambia International Trade Fair 1-7 July 2020
Trade Fair Grounds Ndola Zambia
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair POSTPONED 21-25 April 2020 ht tps://zitf.co.zw www.whsv.com/content/sports/Daka-makes-history-as-firstZambian-in-NFL-570117371.html
2019 bizmag.co.za
The Economic Turn Around for Africa is
in "Your Hands"
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The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues. According to the most popular belief, the Great Sphinx of Giza is estimated to have been carved around 2500 BCE during the Old Kingdom's 4th Dynasty by Pharaoh Khafra who built the Great Pyramid at Giza. The Great Sphinx of Giza, commonly referred to as the Sphinx of Giza or just the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. Facing directly from West to East, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The face of the Sphinx is generally believed to represent the Pharaoh Khafra.
However, some believe that it was built by Khafre’s older brother Redjedef (Djedefre) to commemorate their father, Khufu, whose pyramid at Giza is known as the Great Pyramid. These theorists claim that the face of the Great Sphinx bears more resemblance to Khufu than Khafre, and that observation also led to speculation that Khufu himself built the statue.
The first, and largest, pyramid at Giza was built by the Pharaoh Khufu (reign started around 2551 B.C.). His pyramid, which today stands 455 feet (138 meters) tall, is known as the "Great Pyramid" and was considered to be a wonder of the world.
Resource Vault
Organizations
25 Black Women in Beauty -- www.25bwb.org
Africa Business Association -www.africabusinessassociation
Africa's Brain Bank -www.facebook.com/AFRICASBRAINBANK
African Continental Free Trade Area -https://au.int/en/cfta
African Diaspora Development Institute -www.ouraddi.org
Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce -www.zambiausachamber.org
Investment/Development
Africa Reports -- www.africareports.com
African Development Bank -- www.afdb.org
African Export-Import Bank -//afreximbank.com/afrexim/en
AfrigadgetTV -- www.afrigadget.com
Ariel Investments -- www.arielinvestments.com
Black Financial Channel -- www.youtube.com/ channel/UCHzCimqhvPhCH75h80pXM1Q
BlackWallet -- www.blackwallet.org
Breaux Capital -- www.breauxcapital.com
Disrupt Africa -- http://disrupt-africa.com
Exchange Magazine (The) -- www.nse.co.ke
Harlem Capital -- http://harlem.capital
Serena Ventures -- www.serenaventures.com
Silicon Harlem -- http://event.siliconharlem.net
Ventures -- www.ventures-africa.com
General Explore ideas -- https://ideas.ted.com
The Undefeated -- https://theundefeated.com
U.S. Government
Commerce Department -- www.doc.gov
International Trade Administration -- http://trade. gov
Power Africa -- www.usaid.gov/powerafrica
Prosper Africa -- www.trade.gov/prosperafrica
Trade Africa -- www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica
DAWN
July-August
- Investor FocusRepublic of Zambia
Mining - Agriculture
Tourism - Technology
Transportation - Communication
Culture - Education
Republic of Ethiopia
Telecommunications - Agriculture
Tourism - Logistics
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Industrial Parks
African Society for Cyber Security Awareness “ASCSA” in none profit organization established to promote safe online behaviour and practices. We aim to encourage South African, Africa and the rest of the World to be more vigilant about practicing safe online habits and encourages them to view Internet safety as a shared responsibility at home, in the workplace, and in our communities. African Society for Cyber Security Awareness has three focused Cyber Safety Program
ASCSA is a well-recognized & registered 'non profit organisation company with single mission of promoting Cyber Safety Awareness programs on new age technological crimes (cybercrime) & frauds and safeguard our people. With our single motto, “Enable Empower and Educate”
We intent to carry out boots-on-the-ground projects to accomplish our objectives. This requires a great deal of careful planning, communication, and local involvement for each project. Our goal is to accomplish the following:
• Increase and reinforce cyber safety awareness and training
• Engage the government to commit in securing cyberspace
• Elevate the Nation’s awareness of cybersecurity and its association with the security of our Nation and safety of our personal lives
• Generate and communicate approaches and strategies to keep families, and communities safe online
• To bring together and highlights the best safety messages, tools and methods to reach parents, children and caregivers
ASCSA primary focus is nurturing and educating our young people as they are the majority citizen of the Cyber World. The ultimate objective is to implement broad reaching education and awareness efforts to empower African women and children with the information they need to keep themselves, their organizations, their systems and their sensitive information safe and secure online whilst encourage a culture of cyber safety.
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