First Independent Mena Newspaper
African countries are watching closely France’s attempt to impose an EU-wide ban on the export of second-hand clothes, popularly known as mitumba, millions of tonnes of which are exported to the continent each year. France’s lower house of parliament has recently approved a new bill that would gradually impose fines of up to €10-per-item of […]
Amid growing global competition for strategic minerals, the US is relying on Africa to reduce the dominance of China over resources used for electric batteries, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. “We don’t want to be overly reliant on any one country or any one company for global supply chains for critical minerals,” Adeyemo […]
European and other Western companies face losing out on sub-Saharan African lithium supply to Chinese companies whose grip on the critical mineral got even tighter last year when African exports of lithium, which mostly go to China, rose sharply between August and November. Already dominant in the cobalt and copper sectors in Africa, China is […]
Head of the African Development Bank called for an end to loans in exchange for oil or critical minerals, which helped countries like China control vast resources in the continent. In an interview with the Associated press, AFDB chief Akinwumi Adesina explained how such loans lead to undervaluing natural resources of African countries and further […]
Africa imports between 70 and 80% of its medicines, according to Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), who also warned that the continent suffers an annual loss of $2.6 trillion yearly due to lack of productivity caused by ill-health. Speaking at a recent ceremony in Lagos where he was honored with […]
The November 2023 release of the Ericsson Mobility Report predicts that by 2029, 5G access will reach 85% of the world’s population, with Africa taking the lead in this advancement. This surge in mobile subscriptions across Sub-Saharan Africa is attributed to positive economic prospects and proactive regulatory measures aimed at enhancing network coverage, driven by […]
A group of African countries urged the UN environmental assembly in Nairoby to adopt a resolution on the sustainable use of minerals key to the process of energy transition. The decision would help African countries avoid injustice and extra-activism as the global clean energy agenda speeds up and demand increases on key minerals. Billions of […]
Participants in a scientific conference, held in Kampala, Uganda, Feb.24-25, highlighted the role and action of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in the achievement and preservation of spiritual security in Africa. The speakers at this conference organized by the Ugandan section of the Foundation, underlined the importance of stability and spiritual security in […]
While interest in Africa’s critical mineral reserves, including those vital to combating climate change, is soaring, in some places their extraction is hindered by problems with vital infrastructure, according to several recent studies. The African mining industry, which contributes an estimated 4.5% to the continent’s GDP, has also made a significant contribution to the global […]
Rabat will host this February 15-16 a parliamentary conference on South-South Cooperation that will discuss the “Role of National Parliaments and Regional and Continental Parliamentary Unions in Africa, the Arab World, and Latin America in Enhancing Strategic Partnerships and Achieving Joint Integration and Development.” The conference will address current strategic issues, mainly those related to […]