Category: Africa

Rooting for AU Position: Fatoumata Tambajang and her commitment

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date January 26, 2021

Rooting for AU Position: Fatoumata Tambajang and her commitment

‘I have always been guided by the belief that the African Union Committee (AUC) and Africa as a continent have the vast resources, opportunities, and potential to advance successfully and achieve the aspirations set out in Agenda 2063, “The Africa We Want”, addressing pressing issues affecting the continent’ – Fatoumata CM Jallow Tambajang.

The gathering of the leaders of the African Union (AU) member nations will take place early next month in February 2021 to elect a new Commission, the body’s secretariat, to run the affairs of the AU for the next four years, including the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC.

Her Excellency Fatoumata CM Jallow Tambajang, one of the five all-women candidates for the position of the Deputy Chairperson, has become one of the most influential and respected women on the African continent, sworn in as Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia in 2017. Mrs Tambajang has, through her illustrious political career, continued to commit to her life’s call of being in service to the people of the continent she loves.

The role of the Deputy Chairperson is vital in the advocacy of Africa’s growth and economic development and, as outlined in her manifesto, her personal mission is to address the pressing issues affecting Africa and the inherent challenges of the Commission in the spirit of Pan-Africanism and African renaissance.

Her political career in The Gambia dates back to the early 90’s. Mrs Tambajang has served as Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia; Minister of Health, Social Welfare and Women’s Affairs; Policy Adviser on Women to three successive Presidents of the Republic of The Gambia; Chairperson of the National Women’s Council; and Women’s Representative to The Gambia National Economic and Social Council, under the leadership of the First President of the Republic of The Gambia.

In 2016, she played a pivotal role in establishing an unprecedented coalition of seven Gambian opposition political parties, two independents, and four civil society organisations that stabilised the country and ushered a peaceful democratic transition of power in The Gambia.

Prior to her transition into government, Mrs Tambajang had a distinguished career with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Africa, working as a Chief Technical Adviser in Gambia as well as the UNV/UNDP Adviser on Gender, Health and Population in Liberia.

Mrs Tambajang is definitely on the right side of history among many other great African female leaders.

From taking on the task of fighting the global pandemic within the African context to reengineering the African debate to The Africa We Want, Mrs Tambajang has outlined her four priority actions to achieve her mandate, if elected to the position of the Deputy Chairperson:

1. Enhance administration and financial effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness of the AUC;

2. Strengthen the overall operational efficiency of the AUC;

3. Effective and timely responses to the development challenges of Africa;

4. The promotion of partnerships for development.

AWIEF strongly believes that Her Excellency, a former AWIEF annual conference speaker and promoter of women entrepreneurship, will be able to unite the continent in the ways she has been using her platforms to address the unique challenges which face Africa and the world today, in particular the many issues which face African women.

The AWIEF network of women entrepreneurs wishes Her Excellency well on her candidature and hopes to welcome her back to address the Community as the appointed Deputy Chairperson of the AUC.

Tags Tambajang

Africa

AfDB Appoints Directors for Regional Offices: Nwabufo for East Africa

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date January 7, 2021

AfDB Appoints Directors for Regional Offices: Nnenna Lily Nwabufo for East Africa Region

AfDB Appoints Directors for Regional Offices: Nwabufo for East Africa

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) is pleased to announce the appointment of Directors General for the East, Central and Southern Africa regions and Deputy Directors General for the East, Central, Northern, Southern and West Africa regions.

Serge N’Guessan, Director General, Central Africa Region
As Director General, Central Africa, Serge will drive and ensure the operational efficiency, effectiveness and overall health of the Bank’s portfolio across the Central Africa Region. He will also spearhead regional business development and investment, driving resource mobilization across the countries under his remit and growing the business of the Bank significantly.

Serge, a Canadian citizen, is a professional with over 30 years of experience in international development and portfolio management, who has held important representation roles within the Bank for almost 10 years.

Serge has been the Deputy Director General, West Africa, since September 2018, where he built an effective and motivated team, working in the spirit of ¨One Bank¨ and improved the work processes in the Regional Office. Serge has been instrumental over the last 10 years in enhancing policy dialogue, socio-economic reforms, resource mobilization and co-financing capacity, and aid coordination and effectiveness by strengthening the Bank’s collaboration with its technical and financial partners and with the private sector. Serge held the position of Country Manager, Senegal Country Office, from October 2017 to August 2018. He was previously Resident Representative for the Bank’s Office in Togo as of October 2011. He successfully opened, in January 2012, the first Country Office in Togo, a Fragile State, and he managed the operational functions of the Bank in Togo and, since 2013, in Benin.

Serge joined the Bank in 2000 as Senior Architect/Implementation Specialist, in the Human Development Department. He was subsequently assigned to the Governance and Financial Management Department, where he held the positions of Principal Procurement Specialist prior to his appointment as Chief Governance Specialist in 2008.

Before joining the Bank, Serge managed the International Projects Division of OMIRA Inc., a Canadian Company (1996-2000). Between 1992 and 1996, he was Chief Project Manager of Dirigo Land & Livestock, an American Company based in Denver, Colorado.

Commenting on his appointment, Serge said: “I am very pleased to be able to lead the Bank’s teams and activities in Central Africa (Cameroon, CAR, Congo, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,) to accelerate the implementation of the High 5 and President Adesina’s vision reiterated for his second mandate to effectively transform the lives of people in this region in a positive and sustainable way for the development of Africa.”

Serge holds a Ph.D. in Regional and Urban Planning from the Université de Montréal (Canada), a Master of Architecture from the University of Colorado, of Denver (USA), as well as a Diplôme d’Ingénieur de Génie Civil from École Nationale Supérieure des Travaux Publics of Yamoussoukro (Côte d’Ivoire).

Commenting on the appointment, President Adesina said: “Serge is a seasoned professional with a solid track record. His hands-on experience and his capacity to deliver will be an asset in supporting transformation and integration in the region.”

Nnenna Lily Nwabufo, Director General, East Africa Region
As Director General, East Africa, Nnenna will be responsible for leading and advancing the Bank Group’s strategic objective of achieving significant and transformational developmental impact in thirteen countries in East Africa by ensuring operational efficiency, effectiveness and an overall healthy portfolio in the region. Specifically, she will lead high-level dialogues at country and regional levels and across Bank sector complexes as well as oversee the full implementation and integration of all aspects of the Bank’s work in the region. She will also spearhead regional business development and investment, and foster resource mobilization efforts across the countries in the region to ensure focused growth of the Bank’s sovereign and non-sovereign operations.

A Nigerian citizen, Nnenna is a versatile and seasoned executive with over 30 years’ professional experience in treasury and financial management, budget programming, planning and performance management, human resource and corporate services management, and country/regional operations.

Nnenna joined the Bank’s Treasury Department in 1991 where she worked at different professional levels for over a decade. Subsequently, she took on progressive management level responsibilities including, Manager in the General Services and Procurement Department from March 2007, Director of Programming and Budget Department in January 2013, Acting Director, Human Resource Management Department and Acting Vice President for Corporate Services from May 2015 to May 2016. She was on a special assignment to lead the Bank’s Annual Meetings preparation team from June 2016 until her appointment as Deputy Director General, East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office in January 2017. She was appointed the Acting Director General for the region effective 1^st October 2019.

Before joining the African Development Bank in August 1991, Nnenna worked as a Treasury Management Expert in two merchant banks in Nigeria rising to become the Treasury Manager of one of them.

Commenting on her appointment, Nnenna said: “I am very pleased to be appointed by President Adesina as the Director General for the Bank’s East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office and to support his vision for the continent. I have no doubt that working together with all internal and external stakeholders, we can make a difference and bring much needed development to East African citizens.”

Nnenna holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and a Master of Business Administration from Henley Management College, Henley on Thames, United Kingdom.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Adesina said: “I am delighted to appoint Nnenna as the Director General for East Africa. Her vast experience and solid track-record in strategic functions across the Bank attest to her capacity to effectively lead the team to rise up to the development challenges and ensure continued development impact to improve the lives of Africans in the East Africa region.”

Leïla Farah Mokadem, Director General, Southern Africa Region
As Director General, Southern Africa, Leila will drive high-level dialogue and Bank’s operations, ensuring the Bank operates efficiently, effectively and successfully in the relevant countries, within the region. She will lead and monitor adaptation to specific requirements of individual countries/operations with greater efficiency, cost effectiveness and value addition in the use of resources, with downstream gains for Regional Member Countries, and the private sector in the Southern Africa Region.

Leila, a Tunisian national, is a seasoned professional in International Finance. She has over 25 years of experience with multilateral development banks and international institutions.

Leila joined the Bank in September 2002 and was appointed as Country Manager for Morocco in 2017. Prior to this appointment, she was the Resident Representative of the Bank in Egypt from 2014 to 2017 and Regional Resident Representative from February 2010 to December 2013, based in Dakar, Senegal. In these capacities, she successfully led the Bank’s strategic engagements and partnerships as well as high-level dialogue and operations.

Prior to her assignments in country offices, Leila held the position of Manager, Financial Institutions Division in the Bank’s Private Sector Department at Headquarters, where she designed innovative financial solutions for Africa, including the African SME Guarantee Fund, AfDB Trade Finance Initiative and the Women in Business Initiative. Leila managed multibillion investment portfolios in over 35 African countries, particularly in the private, infrastructure and financial services sectors. Leila also served as Board member at the Ouest African Development Bank (BOAD) and Advans Holding (Microfinance). She is currently serving as alternate Board member of the Afreximbank.

Before Joining the Bank, Leila was long-term fiscal advisor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from August 1996 to December 1999. She started her career at the Ministry of Economy in Tunisia.

Commenting on her appointment, Leila said: “It’s a great opportunity to work under the leadership of President Adesina, supporting his vision and the implementation of Africa’s development agenda while strengthening the Bank’s engagement in the Southern Africa Region.”

Leila holds a Diploma in Finance from the Institut des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) of Carthage, Tunisia and a master’s degree in International Trade from the Institute of High-level Management (Institut Supérieur de Gestion), Tunisia.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Adesina said: “For my second term as President of the African Development Bank, I have prioritized the support, stabilization and strengthening of African economies to get back on a stronger pathway of economic growth and resilience. Leila will support my vision and drive to build a stronger development impact of Bank’s operations and advisory support in Southern Africa Region. She is a highly respected professional, with a solid track record in leading Bank’s strategic engagements in our Regional Members Countries.”

Dr. Solomane Koné, Deputy Director General, Central Africa Region
Solomane, a national of Côte d’Ivoire, has been Acting Director General for the Central Africa Region since January 2020, as well as Country Manager for the African Development Bank’s Office in Cameroon. In these capacities, he was involved in high-level strategic country and regional dialogue with different stakeholders, governments, and other development partners, including co-financing arrangements and donor coordination particularly in the context of the Regional Economic and Financial Reform Program of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (PREF-CEMAC). He helped to grow the Bank’s business and supervise the performance of the portfolio in Cameroon, which is the largest in Central Africa (35 operations for about USD 3.1 billion).

Solomane joined the Bank in January 2003 as a Country Economist in the Central Africa Region, before moving to the West Africa Region and the Governance Department. He later on held several senior and managerial positions such as Lead Economist for the Regional Department East 2, from November 2009 – July 2012, Acting Regional Director for OREB from July 2012 – October 2013, Advisor to the Vice-President Country and Regional Programs (ORVP) and Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery (RDVP) from November 2013 – September 2017.

Prior to joining the Bank, Solomane had accumulated more than 10 years of relevant research, strategic and policy analysis experience as a lead consultant, researcher and policy analyst in various academic, national and international institutions, including Cornell University Food and Nutrition Policy Program, the Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research, the ILO, the OECD Development Centre, and the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), where he was instrumental in developing forecasting, simulation and econometric models to guide macroeconomic and monetary policy and regional programs in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). He authored and co-authored numerous publications and reports on regional development, industrial policy, the impact of fiscal and monetary policy, the adequate level of foreign reserves, as well as poverty analysis using Social Accounting Matrix. He has also taught high-level macroeconomic policies, econometrics and quantitative methods at West African Center for Banking and Financial Studies of BCEAO and Cornell University.

Commenting on his appointment, Solomane said: “I am honored by this mark of confidence from President Adesina. I am determined to help provide the necessary leadership on the ground for the delivery of his vision and ambition at this critical time for our economies.”

Solomane holds a master’s degree in regional planning and a PhD in Development Economics and Planning from Cornell University in the United States, obtained in 1990 and 1993 respectively.

Commenting on the appointment, President Adesina said: “Solomane is a seasoned economist and well-respected professional, with a deep knowledge and experience in developing and managing regional and country strategies and operations. His experience as Country Manager and his track record in building partnerships and providing leadership will be critical in the transformation agenda of the Bank in the region.”

Dr. Abdul B. Kamara, Deputy Director General, East Africa Region
Abdul, a citizen of Sierra Leone, is currently the African Development Bank Group’s Country Manager for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Abdul is a development economist with over two decades of experience in development policy research, development financing and policy work on Africa’s economic transformation and development. He has worked as a joint Research Associate of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington DC and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Addis Ababa (1997–1999), and as Assistant Professor at the University of Göttingen, Germany (1999–2000).

He joined the Bank in 2004 and has served as Senior Agricultural Economist (2004–2007); as Manager of the Research Division (2007–2010), and for seven years as Resident Representative for Sudan (2011–2017) where he was also responsible for South Sudan until 2013. He was Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations for one year (2014–2015), serving as Deputy Joint Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in charge of the Darfur Mission. In 2017, President Adesina appointed him as Country Manager for Ethiopia, where he currently manages the Bank’s USD1.63 billion portfolio.

Commenting on his appointment, Abdul said: “I am delighted to take this responsibility, entrusted in me by President Adesina, to serve as Deputy Director General in a region I am very versed with, having served the Bank effectively for the past 10 years in this region.”

Abdul holds a Bachelor of Science (Vordiplom) in Agriculture General and an MSc (cum laude) in Agricultural Economics, both from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and an award-winning PhD (cum laude) in Agricultural and Development Economics from the University of Göttingen in Germany.

Commenting on the appointment, President Adesina said: “Abdul is a well-rounded professional with valuable policy, research and operational experiences suitable for this role. His in-depth knowledge of the region and solid track record of superior field-level delivery and excellent managerial skills will help the Bank accelerate delivery on its vision and mandate in East Africa.”

Malinne Blomberg, Deputy Director General, North Africa Region
Malinne, a Swedish citizen, is a seasoned finance professional with solid experience in developing strategies, providing advisory services, and executing operations for results in both the public and private sectors.

Malinne has over 15 years of experience in development finance, gained largely from serving the Bank since 2008 when she joined the Water and Sanitation Department as Financial Management Specialist and later was in charge of its Division covering West and Central Africa. In-between she also worked in the Agriculture and Agribusiness Department, focusing on climate finance. She brings extensive hands-on experience from working across the continent including fragile states, in terms of business development and dialogue, resources mobilization, identifying and structuring innovative investment projects and other initiatives, as well as promoting private sector participation with a focus on infrastructure sectors.

Malinne is currently the Bank’s Country Manager for Egypt, where she has been leading the Bank’s operations since 2017.

Before joining the Bank, Malinne worked for Arthur Andersen Business Consulting in the UK and on assignments in other financial hubs of the world as Manager in the Financial Services Industry up to 2001. From 2003 to 2007, Malinne served as Financial and Institutional Advisor in the Government of Uganda, in the Ministry of Water and Environment, supporting national efforts to strengthen institutional effectiveness and fund utilization, and managing the ministry’s multi-donor trust funds.

Commenting on her appointment, Malinne said: “I am very grateful for this expanded mandate that allows me to deepen the Bank’s partnership with its clients and expand operations across North Africa – a region with tremendous opportunities that is undergoing fast-paced transformation.”

Malinne holds an MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland and an MSc in Economic and International Business from University of Linköping, Sweden.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Adesina said: “During my second term as President of the African Development Bank, I will continue to strengthen the Bank’s delivery on the ground, and to accelerate the socio-economic transformation of our continent. Malinne brings the drive and experience from both the public and private sectors, needed to bring together various stakeholders to scale up our impact in North Africa. She is a highly respected professional, with a solid track record in development finance.”

Kennedy K. Mbekeani, Deputy Director General, Southern Africa Region
Kennedy, a Malawian citizen, is a seasoned development economist with over 20 years of senior level country and regional experience in development finance, project management, policy advisory services, and knowledge generation.

Kennedy joined the Bank in 2009 as Chief Trade and Regional Integration Officer. He provided leadership in formulating the Bank’s trade assistance strategy to regional economic communities and on policy research on international trade, economic integration and development.

He was Lead Regional Economist (2012-2014) at the South African Resource Centre. He later served as Officer in Charge and Acting Regional Director of the Bank’s South African Resource Centre in South Africa (2014-2016) where he led the largest syndicated A/B Loan arranged in Africa to-date. He was appointed Officer in Charge of the African Development Bank’s Ghana Country Office in February 2017. In September 2017, African Development Bank President, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, appointed him as Country Manager, Uganda Country Office where he grew the portfolio to over USD 2 billion.

Before joining the Bank, Kennedy worked for the UNDP as a Trade, Debt and Globalisation Advisor for East and Southern Africa. Prior to that he worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, and as Senior Economist at the National Institute for Economic Policy in South Africa.

Commenting on his appointment, Kennedy said: “I am pleased to work with President Adesina to support execution of his vision for the Bank and the continent and accelerate delivery on the High 5s”.

Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of Malawi, MPhil (Monetary Economics) from the University of Glasgow, MA and a PhD in International Economics from the University of California. He has published on trade, regional integration, and infrastructure development in Africa.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Adesina said: “Kennedy is a rounded professional, with broad experience in international development. His capacity to deliver in various areas will help to build strong partnerships in the region and to promote both private and public sectors operations.”

Dr. Joseph Martial Ribeiro, Deputy Director General, West Africa Region
A Cape Verdean national, Dr Joseph Martial Ribeiro is currently Manager of the African Development Bank Group for the Angola Country Office, which also covers Sao Tome and Principe.

Joseph is an experienced international development practitioner with in-depth knowledge of the key issues of decentralisation, privatisation and public-private partnerships. He is a seasoned professional in the evaluation and management of development projects.

Prior to joining the AfDB, Joseph worked as a consulting engineer, particularly in the areas of water and sanitation, and has extensive experience in university education in Canada and Senegal, as well as solid experience in academic and industrial research. He joined the Bank in 2000 and has served as Senior Irrigation Specialist (2000-2005), Procurement Specialist (2005-2009), Representative for Angola (2009-2011), Resident Representative for Mozambique (2011-2017) and Country Manager for Angola and Sao Tome and Principe (2017-Present).

Commenting on his appointment, Joseph said: “I am very honoured by the trust that President Adesina has placed in me through this prestigious appointment. I am delighted to take on this responsibility as Deputy Director General in the West Africa Region, which affords numerous opportunities to deliver the High 5s sustainably and effectively.”

Joseph holds a PhD in Hydrology from the École Polytechnique de Montréal (Canada), an MBA from the University of Cumbria (UK), a degree in Political Science from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (UK) and a Design Engineering Certificate in Civil Engineering from the École Polytechnique de Thiès (Senegal).

Commenting on the appointment, President Adesina said: “Joseph has successfully represented the Bank in three Portuguese-speaking regional member countries, in addition to being an accomplished professional with strong political acumen and managerial skills. His experience in the field and his in-depth knowledge of public development projects and public-private partnerships will greatly contribute to the success of the Bank’s operations in West Africa.”

Tags Nwabufo

Africa

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date December 24, 2020

At least 20 African Migrants found dead off Tunisia Coast

At least 20 African migrants trying to reach Europe died Thursday when their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia, Tunisian authorities said.

Tunisian Defense Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ben Zekri said fisherman discovered the bodies off the coastal city of Sfax. He said that five passengers were rescued and about 20 others were still missing.

The boat was crossing the Mediterranean Sea en route to the Italian island of Lampedusa when it sank. National Guard spokesman Ali Ayari said the boat was overcrowded and in poor condition as it faced strong winds, factors he said may have contributed to the sinking.

Migrant Deaths Top 3,000 This Year. More than half migrant fatalities this year occurred within and on route to Europe

Tunisian navy units were searching for more survivors, officials said.

In addition to the coast of neighboring Libya, the coastline near Sfax has become a popular departure location for people fleeing poverty and violence in Africa and the Middle East in search of a better life in Europe.

A growing number of Tunisians grappling with economic difficulties in their country are also fleeing despite efforts by Rome to negotiate a halt to the crossings. Most migrants arriving in Italy this year were Tunisians.

Of the more than 34,000 migrants who arrived in Italy this year, more than 12,800, or 38%, were Tunisian. Bangladeshis were the next largest group, followed by migrants from Ivory Coast, Algeria, Pakistan and Egypt.

Tags Tunisia

Africa US

Rwanda’s Wilton Gregory becomes First African American Cardinal History

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 28, 2020

Rwanda’s Wilton Gregory becomes First African Cardinal in Catholic History

Rwanda’s Wilton Gregory becomes First African American Cardinal in History

Archbishop Wilton Gregory from Rwanda has been installed a Cardinal by Pope Francis alongside 12 others, making Gregory the first African American to hold that position.

Pope Francis on Saturday installed 13 new cardinals, including the first African American to hold the high rank, further expanding the pontiff’s impact on the group that will one day elect his successor.

The cardinals were installed in a ceremony, known as a consistory, that was markedly slimmed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of the usual thousands, only 10 guests per cardinal were allowed in St. Peter’s Basilica as the pope gave the men their ring and traditional red hat, known as a biretta.

Nine of the 13 are under 80 and eligible under Church law to enter a secret conclave to choose the next pope from among themselves after Francis dies or resigns.

It was Francis’ seventh consistory since his election in 2013. He has now appointed 57% of the 128 cardinal electors, most of whom share his vision of a more inclusive and outward-looking Church.

Thus far, he has appointed 18 cardinals from mostly far-flung countries that never had one, nearly all of them from the developing world. In Saturday’s consistory, Brunei and Rwanda got their first cardinals.

While Europe still has the largest share of cardinal electors, with 41%, it is down from 52% in 2013 when Francis became the first Latin-American pope.

With each consistory, Francis has increased the chances that his successor will be another non-European, having beefed up the Church in places where it is either a tiny minority or where it is growing faster than in the stagnant West.

The nine new electors come from Italy, Malta, Rwanda, the United States, the Philippines, Chile, Brunei and Mexico.

In his homily, Francis told the men to keep their eyes on God, avoid all forms of corruption, and not succumb to a “worldly spirit” that can accompany the prestige and power of their new rank.

Wilton Gregory, the 72-year-old archbishop of Washington, D.C, becomes the first African-American cardinal at a time the United States is examining race relations after a spate of police killings of unarmed Black people.

Everyone in the basilica except the pope wore a mask. Each new cardinal removed theirs when they knelt before him to be invested, except Gregory, who kept it on.

Gregory made headlines in June when he blasted President Donald Trump’s visit to a Catholic shrine in Washington, after police and soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear protesters so Trump could be photographed in front of a historic Washington church holding a Bible.

Gregory said he found it “baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated”.

Catholic conservatives condemned Gregory and sided with Trump.

In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Gregory said he wanted to find common ground with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden despite disagreements on issues such as abortion.

Gregory was one of a handful of new cardinals who were quarantined for about 10 days in their rooms in the Vatican guest house where the pope also lives. Cardinals from Brunei and the Philippines could not travel and will receive their ring and hat from a papal delegate.

Four non-electors over 80 were given the honur after a long service to the Church. The most prominent is Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, an Italian-American who has worked around the world and is one of the Church’s top experts on immigration.

The new cardinals later paid a courtesy visit to 93-year-old former Pope Benedict XVI, who lives on the Vatican grounds.

Tags Cardinal

Africa Business

Africans “know and understand what development ought to look like,” says President Uhuru Kenyatta

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 25, 2020

Africans “know and understand what development ought to look like,” says President Uhuru Kenyatta

Africans “know and understand what development ought to look like,” says President Uhuru Kenyatta

Kenyatta noted that on a continent of around 1.3 billion Africans with a median age of around 20 years, there is a very tangible underlying sense of urgency when it comes to expectations of government

President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta urged African governments to put their citizens at the centre of delivering service during Africa Delivery Exchange 2020, a virtual event that opened Tuesday.

In remarks to open the two-day workshop, Kenyatta noted that on a continent of around 1.3 billion Africans with a median age of around 20 years, there is a very tangible underlying sense of urgency when it comes to expectations of government.

“Our people know and understand what development ought to look like and what benefits it should bring to their social-economic wellbeing. Therefore, any failure to quickly address the missing middle within the development paradigm could create a deficiency of trust between the electorate and those in positions of leadership,” Kenyatta said.

The event was jointly hosted by Kenya President’s Delivery Unit, the African Development Bank and the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change.

Kenyatta recognized the Bank and the TBI’s support in advancing Kenya’s development, thanking African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina and Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who joined him on a panel.

“Without the lessons from TBI, we would have had to reinvent the wheel, but instead, we started with a tried and tested model, and we have improved on it to reflect our unique circumstances here in Kenya.”

In his remarks, Blair observed that leadership demands have changed and that governments are expected to do far more than they ever were traditionally. “They’ve got to deliver services for their people; they’ve got to put in place the right environment for their economy, they’ve got to deal with all sorts of huge crises, of which COVID-19 is just the latest example. All of these require extraordinary focus, clarity and decisionmaking.”

To meet these delivery expectations, governments must focus on prioritization, policy, personnel and performance management. “Performance management is the most critical one. What’s difficult is that each of these systems you’re trying to change will have interests that often will obstruct. They’ll need areas that need you to go across the whole of government, to get something done in one area of government, they’ll have complicated politics around them.”

Adesina commended Kenyatta for focusing on ordinary citizens and praised the Kenyan government’s ‘Big Four’ agenda, which prioritizes food security, affordable housing, manufacturing, and affordable healthcare for all, and noting a fifth area in which the country had made great strides. “Mr. President, you’re doing exceptional work on energy. You’re connecting your people all over the country in an amazing way with last mile delivery. If you add in energy, you’d actually have a big five.”

The Bank president set out some delivery lessons: A clear vision; publish delivery expectations to create accountability; establish a culture of accountability; rigorous results measurement; ensure sustainability.

“The Bank is currently developing a new Africa public service delivery index, that will help to rate African countries including sub nationals on the delivery of public services,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic formed a backdrop to the event.

This is not the first pandemic we’ve faced, Adesina said, but it must never happen again that the continent is caught unprepared. “Africa has underinvested massively on healthcare. We need to change and give Africa a quality health care defense system to make sure we have excellent primary health care.”

“One question is, how do you keep the sense of urgency that you had when dealing with the disease and carry that same sense of urgency and focus into building back better afterward?”

The African Development Bank has formed strategic partnerships with Government Delivery Units in Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, and is working toward approval of a fourth in Senegal. In January 2019, the Bank led the launch of the African Delivery Units Network to provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experience and expertise among African governments’ delivery units.

The two-day event includes technical sessions and presentations by specialists, including representatives of national and city government, multilateral development institutions and other development partners.

Tags kenyatta

Africa

Pastor Bushiri has turned self in to Police in Malawi

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 18, 2020

Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary were granted bail at the beginning of November. Credit BBC

Pastor Bushiri has turned self in to Police in Malawi

Days after escaping legal procedure in South Africa, Malawian preacher Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary have handed themselves over to police in their home country.

The couple turned themselves in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, on Wednesday morning, the BBC’s reporter Nomsa Maseko says.

Ghana, AfDB sign MoU for 2021 Annual Meetings

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 17, 2020

Ghana, AfDB sign MoU for 2021 Annual Meetings

“We promise to champion African excellence and deliver a befitting event. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this is a seminal event.” – Kenneth Ofori-Atta

I would like to assure you of the Bank’s full commitment and availability to accompany the Government of Ghana on this journey – Vincent O. Nmehielle

Ghana, the host country of the African Development Bank Group’s 2021 Annual Meetings (AfDB.org), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the institution on Friday, marking an important milestone in preparations for the event.

The 56th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank and the 47th Annual Meeting of the African Development Fund are scheduled to take place from 24 to 28 May 2021, in Ghana’s capital city, Accra.

Ghanaian Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta, the current chair of the Bank’s Boards of Governors, signed the MOU on the country’s preparedness to host the event at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance office in Accra. Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, African Development Bank Group Secretary General, signed on behalf of the Bank Group.

The meeting began with a minute of silence in honour of former Ghanaian president Jerry John Rawlings, who died on Thursday 12 November, with both signatories paying their respects.

In remarks following the signing, Minister Ofori-Atta said he had carefully reviewed the MOU and found it satisfactory. “The signing is yet another indication of our strong commitment to delivering on all the requirements for hosting of the 2021 AGM. As a country, our interest in this event has not diminished. At the highest level, the commitment is visible,” he said.

“We promise to champion African excellence and deliver a befitting event. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this is a seminal event.”

The ceremony was witnessed by Finance Ministry officials, a representative of the Bank of Ghana, African Development Bank Acting Country Manager Sebastian Okeke and representatives from the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan.

Thanking Minister Ofori-Atta for his leadership in the preparations, Prof. Nmehielle said Ghana had been selected to host the meetings in 2016 during the Annual Meetings in Lusaka, Zambia, following the country’s expression of interest.

The Secretary General said due to the unpredictable evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MOU provided three scenarios for the conduct of the meetings: a full-fledged meeting as per the Bank’s normal practice, limited Annual Meetings, focusing only on statutory matters, and virtual Annual Meetings.

“I am delighted that we are here today to sign the MOU. I would like to assure you of the Bank’s full commitment and availability to accompany the Government of Ghana on this journey,” Prof. Nmehielle said.

While the situation on the ground would determine which scenario would be adopted as they got closer to the event, “it is heartwarming to learn that Ghana is working on preparations for the full-fledged Annual Meetings,” Prof. Nmehielle said.

The Bank Group’s Annual Meetings are the most important annual statutory event, at which the Boards of Governors of the Bank and the African Development Fund meet and review Bank Group activities over the previous year.

The 2020 Annual Meetings were held virtually for the first time in the Bank’s history, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The highlight of the scaled-back meetings was the election of Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, for a new five-year term.

The meetings usually draw some 3,500 participants, including finance ministers, governors of central banks, policy makers, civil society groups, heads of international organisations and business leaders from the Bank Group’s member states.

Ghana has been a member of the Bank Group since its inception in 1963.

Tags Ghana

Africa

South Africa subjects Malawi president to rigorous checks at airport

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 16, 2020

Malawi President, Lazarus Chekwara

South Africa subjects Malawi president to rigorous checks at airport

Malawi’s ministry of foreign affairs has issued a stinging statement criticising South Africa for the way that President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation was treated on leaving the country on Friday after his two-day visit.

It described the treatment as “improper” and that it “breached diplomatic protocols” as well as leading to a long delay.

The statement details extensive checks on the luggage and the president’s plane for “unspecified security reasons”.

The foreign ministry’s comments come after well-known Malawian Christian preacher Shepherd Bushiri skipped bail in South Africa and fled to Malawi.

The South African authorities have however made it clear that the preacher was not on the president’s plane.

Tags Malawi

Africa

Meeting SGDs will be tougher now with COVID-19—Akinwuni Adesina

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 12, 2020

Adesina re-elected AfDB President

Peace is the collateral for sustainable development—Akinwuni Adesina

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina in a message to Finance in Common Summit has noted that peace is the collateral for sustainable development.

Adesina said nothing could dampen Africa’s collective resolve to provide better opportunities for all, to create hope for millions of youth, to end extreme poverty and to provide a better, safer and healthier future for all.

“I would like to thank President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for hosting us for the Paris Peace Forum. I’d also like to thank my dear friend Remy Rioux for the vision and leadership in putting together the Finance in Common Summit, with Public Development Banks.

Peace is the collateral for sustainable development. We gather today for peace — and for development.

But we gather at a time of great challenges from the global Coronavirus pandemic.

Our gathering on Finance in Common shows again our collective resolve to keep our focus on sustainable development — even in the face of the pandemic.

Nothing can dampen our collective resolve to provide better opportunities for all, to create hope for millions of youth, to end extreme poverty and to provide a better, safer and healthier future for all”, Adesina said in message.

He said meeting the SDGs will be much tougher now with the pandemic. Globally, the financing gap to achieve the SDGs by 2030 is estimated at $2.5 trillion per year.

“That’s been worsened with the pandemic. We NOW need all hands joined together.

The Public Development Banks, with lending volumes of $2.3 trillion annually can meet 92% of all the financing gap for the SDGs.

And just imagine: if those resources are well leveraged, with the private sector, and aligned with the climate agenda, we can meet and exceed the SDGs and the climate financing agendas.

To mobilize financing needs for the SDGs, we need 3 things:

Financing coalition,
Financing complementarity and
Financing consolidation.

Public Development Banks offer such a powerful platform for this, if they focus and align their financing to the SDGs and climate change.

That’s why we are here today. Let’s be bold. Let’s be creative. Let’s build this new ecosystem for transformative change.

PART II: Role of the African Development Bank

The African Development Bank is fully committed to supporting Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and the climate change agenda agreed at COP21 in Paris.

We’ve been very responsive in tackling the current pandemic. The Bank launched a $10 billion facility to support Africa to contain the Coronavirus. We also launched a $3 billion fight COVID-19 social bond on the global capital market — the largest ever social bond in world history.

Yet, as we are tackling the pandemic, and saving lives, we are committed to supporting economic recovery, to rebuild Africa’s economies — stronger, bolder, better and with greater resilience.

We must all continue to focus on closing Africa’s massive annual infrastructure financing gap estimated at $ 68-108 billion.

To advance this, Public development banks should invest in private sector for infrastructure. PPPs should become the norm for infrastructure financing, to reduce infrastructure-related debts.

We must leverage more foreign direct investment to Africa. The Africa Investment Forum is Africa’s structured investment market place and leveraging platform. In two years of its existence, the Africa Investment Forum attracted $78.1 billion of investment interests to Africa. Public Development Banks should all join hands with the African Development Bank and partners to create an massive investment rebound to Africa. The next Africa Investment Forum will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November 2021.

We must leave no one behind. For that we must prioritize financing for fragile states.

We must collectively address the huge financing gap for women. Development promise without women is simply an empty promise. Financing gap for women in Africa is estimated at $42 billion. The African Development Bank’s AFAWA program is working to unlock $5 billion in financing for women in the next five years. I’d like to applaud President Macron for helping to launch and mobilize substantial financing for AFAWA during the G7 Summit in France. As of June 2020, $138 million were approved for women through 10 financial institutions in seven countries. Public development banks are welcome to join this largest ever effort in Africa to tilt financing towards women in Africa.

The African Development Bank will be working with governments to launch Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks to create a new (scalable, systemic and sustainable) financial ecosystem for unlocking entrepreneurship and growing the businesses of the youth. The goal is to spur youth-led innovation and business ventures, create quality and decent jobs, and turn Africa’s youth demographic advantage into assets for Africa. I would like to ask Public Development Banks to join us in this new bold effort for Africa, including innovations to develop and expand local capital markets.

Finally, we must accelerate renewable energy all across Africa. The African Development Bank will no longer finance coal projects. The Bank has embarked on the Desert to Power initiative to build the world’s largest solar zone in the Sahel region, and provide electricity for 280 million people. To achieve the $20 billion investment to light up the Sahel requires financing coalition, complementarity and consolidation. I’d like to call on all public development banks, the civil society and philanthropic organizations to join the Bank in this transformative effort to power Africa.

Together, let’s do “Finance in Common”.

Let’s have financing coalition,
Financing complementarity and
Financing consolidation.

I look forward to working with you all.

Thank you very much.

Tags peace

Africa

AfDB, partners launch WECA, a new women support initiative

Post author By Yassim Yassim
Post date October 27, 2020

Ban Ki-moon joins AfDB’s Adesina, IMF’s Georgieva for GCA launch on Wednesday

AfDB, partners launch WECA, a new women support initiative

The Women in Ethics and Compliance in Africa network, (WECA), a new initiative creating a membership group for women executives and management leading the fight against corruption and non-compliance in business, made its debut at an online webinar co-hosted by the Bank on October 22.

Its organisers, leaders from the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), the Coalition for Ethical Operations (CEO) and the United Nations Global Compact, announced the formation of the unique support organization for female leaders and executives working to curb unethical business practices in Africa.

“The formation of this network reiterates the Bank’s commitment to ensuring that sustainable development is hinged on bridging the gender gap, with emphasis on key areas such as ethics and compliance. We’re inviting women from all across the private and public sectors on the continent to join in and help in achieving the objectives of this network,” said the Bank’s Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society, Vanessa Moungar.

Sanda Ojiambo, Director-General of UN Global Compact, told the virtual audience of experienced ethics and compliance professionals that her organization supports WECA’s mission.

“The UN Global Compact is very much aligned with the objectives of the Women in Ethics and Compliance in Africa to advance coordinated ethical business practices, anti-corruption measures across the continent, and to empower a new generation of female leaders in the field,” Ojiambo said.

The webinar attendees discussed multiple challenges women leaders face in Africa’s male-dominated corporate world. The WECA network founding members said they plan to address the lack of avenues and support for ethical leadership. The network also aims to bridge the gap in human resources for ethics and compliance across the continent, through mentoring and coaching young women professionals for career progression. Some WECA network supporters said this starts from a young age.

“There is a need to create a global awareness and education to address the gender issue from a cultural perspective,” said Rhibetnan Yaktal. Global Head of Compliance at Puma Energy. To girls, her advice: “Build yourself up. There is no glass ceiling. There is no limit.”

The online gathering also explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought another dimension of challenges for ethical concerns for all leaders, especially women. Under the theme Women in Compliance in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, Navigating in the era of COVID-19, webinar attendees told a panel that the compliance issue is very timely. Some noted that women play a significant role in the fight against the pandemic, which has forced major changes in how businesses operate and interact. Other participants said COVID-19 cannot be an excuse for businesses to ignore the ethical and integrity challenges faced in ensuring compliance systems are working and withstanding new and emerging risks.

“Women are uniquely well-positioned to deal with difficulties, challenges, and crises. For example, women leaders are better managing the current COVID-19 pandemic, yielding more results built on ethical leadership and strong integrity,” said Lisa Miller, Integrity Compliance Officer at the World Bank Group.

Pressing for ethics and integrity cultures within businesses and societies

African public and private sector entities and civil society institutions are still lagging behind in ensuring the establishment and adherence to a culture of ethics and compliance in business, Olajobi Makinwa, Chief of Intergovernmental Relations and Africa for the United Nations Global Compact and founding member of WECA, said, emphasizing the network’s core mission. “WECA will support peer engagement, exchange of ideas and information on ethics and compliance best practices, dialogue on emerging ethics and compliance challenges, and champion women’s ethics and compliance leadership across the continent.”

The webinar also had a segment on women’s sexual harassment during which Paula Santos Da Costa, Head of Ethics Office at African Development Bank, said work was needed on a “speak-up culture,” and “to implement a zero-tolerance policy in the workplace.”

Moungar told online attendees that the Bank has zero tolerance for corruption and ensures that any vulnerabilities related to fraud and corruption are detected early and mitigated throughout its processes and programs.

Closing the webinar, Sorita Botha, Legal and Compliance Advisor at Distell, said, “I’m so excited about the launch of WECA, and I’m sure we will hear success stories from women in ethics and compliance in coming months and years. It is the beginning of a new era of women empowerment for critical roles in Africa.”

Watch the recorded webinar here (https://bit.ly/3ouvJd9): (Access Passcode: qMF3ecY

Tags AfDB