First Independent Mena Newspaper
A new report published by the International Trade Centre (ITC) last Thursday urges countries in Africa and the Caribbean to tap into the more than $1 billion in export potential between both regions. ITC’s “Expanding African-Caribbean Trade“ report, released at the inaugural AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (AFCTIF) in Barbados, highlights partnerships such as between […]
The landmark multi-billion-dollar Arab-Africa Guarantee Fund (AAGF), which is due to start operations in 2023, could provide a boost to the Arab-Africa trade that has been static at 17% of the continent’s total trade for the last seven years. Despite centuries of exchanges, Arab-Africa trade has been static at 17% of the continent’s total trade […]
Nigeria continues to lag behind in making the AfCFTA trade agreement operational, as a number of other African countries have been chosen to begin exchanging goods and services under the AfCFTA terms. Almost two years after the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), which came into force on 1 January 2021, […]
The United Nations is urging governments of Benin and Zimbabwe to address alleged discrimination against minority and marginalized groups in their respective countries. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination released last week its findings on progress in seven countries whose records were under review. The monitoring committee specifically expressed regret that Benin’s […]
The ozone gas can cause substantial losses by quickly aging crops before they reach full production potential and scientists are particularly worried about Africa, which will see more vehicle traffic and waste burning as the population is set to double by mid-century. More vehicle traffic and waste burning means more ozone pollution, a major challenge […]
China has announced plans to waive 23 interest-free loans to 17 African countries that were due in 2021 amid a growing rivalry with the West and accusations that it is creating “debt traps” on the continent. The relief was announced on 18 August in an address to Chinese and African diplomats at a follow-up meeting […]
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have been pushing many electric grid utilities in Africa — which have long been strapped for cash — close to financial collapse, whereby this situation is in turn also slowing down the continent’s clean energy transition. Ghana’s electric grid is in dire straits. In the mid-2010s, […]
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will miss the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit planned to take place late this month in Tunis, after the Japanese state-run news Kyodo News announced he contracted COVID-19. Kishida tested positive to the virus on Sunday at the end of his summer break. He, commenced working […]
King Mohammed VI on Saturday delivered a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People. Here follows the full text of the royal speech: “Praise be to God, May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin Dear Citizens, Today, […]
Japan, which lags behind other major economies when it comes to investment in Africa, has been increasingly concerned that the pandemic has weakened African economies and worsened their dependence on Chinese investment and aid. US investment in Africa is seven times larger than that of Japan, that of the UK and France is more than […]