The Nigerian Government has reopened four land borders after 16 months of closure that halted economic activities with neighbouring nations along these routes.
This decision was taken at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting Wednesday in Abuja following the recommendation of a committee that four of the nation’s land borders be reopened with immediate effect while stating that others would be “reopened in due course.”
It was gathered that FEC approved the border reopening after considering the submission of a report by the committee set up to examine the implications of the closure among others, led by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
In her address to State House Reporters after Wednesday’s FEC meeting, Ahmed confirmed that the Seme and Mfun borders in the South West, and South-South, as well as Ilela and Maigatari borders in the Northwest were approved for immediate reopening.
However, the Minister, who assured that the other borders would be reopened before December 31, disclosed that restrictions on the importation of some commodities, like rice and other products, would stand.
On his part, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo said the period of the closure afforded the authorities the opportunity to assess the security problems with a view to addressing them.
“We have many advantages to the border closure, it has given the security agencies an opportunity to access the problems at the borders, particularly with regard to smuggling.
“As you are all aware, before the border closure, a lot of petroleum products were being smuggled to West African countries and the border closures has created a situation that has tactically stopped that; they have been able to calculate the number of petroleum products being smuggled out by calculating the amount that is being lifted now compared to what was being lifted before.
“The issue of smuggling of rice to the country has reduced drastically and we are hoping that our agencies will be able to sustain that so also is the issue of poultry smuggling. “
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that improvement in relations between Nigeria and South Africa will speed up the process of development on the African continent.
Speaking in concurrence with the Chairman of the African National Congress (ANC) and South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, who came to the State House, Abuja on Friday as Special Envoy of his country, President Buhari cited his last trip to South Africa during which he and President Cyril Ramaphosa worked together in resolving the migrants’ crisis between two brotherly nations, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu disclosed in a statement.
“There was this ‘small problem’ between our countries. I went there and we resolved it,” the Nigerian President told the envoy.
He directed the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva to work with his South African counterpart on the requests he brought and report back to him for his action.
The South African minister, who presented a letter from President Ramaphosa, said the relationship between Nigeria and his country was key to the development aspirations of the continent.
While emphasising that the two nations need to work as partners, Mantashe said “this relationship will determine the future of Africa.”
President of African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina; Chair of the Graça Machel Trust, Graça Machel; and a musician, businessman and former Culture and Tourism Minister of Senegal, Youssou N’Dour, have reaffirmed the need to engage the civil society organisations (CSOs) towards building back Africa following the devastating effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the continent’s socio-economic life.
Speaking at the opening of the 2020 African Development Bank Civil Society Forum on Thursday in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, Adesina said: “The role of civil society in monitoring interventions is crucial and important to ensure they are effectively deployed to reach the poor and vulnerable, who are most affected.”
Adesina, who stated this while engaging in a conversation with Machel and N’Dour, assured that the African Development Bank would step up its efforts in reaching out to the vulnerable.
He said the critical issue was not the amount of funds that are provided by the bank and others, but who they reach, noting that transparency and accountability are also critical.
Thus, Adesina said: “We will work much harder, collectively and in unison, to accelerate the impact of our work.”
Also speaking at the event, Machel commended the African Development Bank’s strong track record of working with governments and the private sector.
She, however, appealed for an increase in the bank’s funding to directly support civil society efforts to address the impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach families in Africa’s societies.
Machel charged African leaders to harness civil society’s “incredible potential to accelerate social change at a larger scale” in the continent.
According to him, “These organisations stepped up, often with limited resources and in very dangerous conditions, to save lives and restore dignity to communities in the midst of this pandemic.
“Resources for organisations working with women, children and those living with disabilities and in the rural areas are desperately needed.”
To N’Dour, artists should be on the frontline of Africa’s development, given their pivotal role as communicators.
“Even in a place where there is oil, if there is no culture to explain this to the people, there is war…
“We should be able to say after (President Adesina’s) term that culture has been involved in the development of Africa.
“Culture is profitable and I’m available to provide my assistance, to work with my staff to create other champions in Africa, to take the African Development Bank’s work to another level.
“Africa’s time is now. This should not only be words or prayers. It is within reach. I’m sure (the African Development Bank will be able to meet this challenge,” he said, while speaking in French via an interpreter.
The two-day virtual Civil Society Forum, which kicked off on Thursday with the theme: “Engaging Civil Society in Building Back Better after COVID-19,” would explore cost-effective strategies and reflect on best practices to enhance collaboration between the bank and civil society in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virtual event was declared opened with remarks from senior officials of the bank: Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Wambui Gichuri; and Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society, Vanessa Moungar.
The second day of the forum would provide an opportunity for the civil society organisations to develop innovative grassroots ideas.
The world has continued to celebrate a Nigerian-born researcher and medical doctor, Onyema Ogbuagbu, for his crucial role in the development of a novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.
The latest of such jillion of accolades was coming from the United States Embassy in Nigeria.
The Embassy showered encomiums on Ogbuagbu for his wonderful contribution towards the development of the vaccine, saying: “Nigerians contribute to the world in so many ways. Our hats off to Dr. Onyema Ogbuagbu at Yale who helped develop a COVID-19 vaccine!”
The US Embassy described Ogbuagu’s effort as an “incredible contribution to ending this world-wide pandemic.”
Ogbuagbu led Pfizer research team for a COVID-19 vaccine using his several years of medical research experience.
It would be recalled that Pfizer/BioNTech recently announced that the first vaccine already developed against COVID-19 could prevent more than 90 per cent of people from getting infected.
Good news!
It has also been reported that the vaccine has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries and no safety concerns have been raised.
To this end, Pfizer has assured that it would supply 50 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2020, and around 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.
Ogbuagbu studied Medicine at University of Calabar, Cross River State. He interned at Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and later travelled to the United States of America.
Ogbuagbu is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Clinician-Educator Track and Director of HIV Clinical Trials Programme of Yale AIDS Programme at Yale School of Medicine.
African Development Bank (AfDB) has urged the continent to accelerate industrialisation for the transformation of African economies.
The multilateral development bank has been at the forefront in promoting smart industrial policies and mobilising infrastructure development funding for Africa.
To this end, the bank has described Industrialising Africa as one of its High-5 key strategic aims, critical for the transformation of African economies.
“Industrialisation, where we add value to what we competitively produce and then export, and also trade among ourselves on the back of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) within a market of 1.3 billion people, should be prioritised and delivered,” said the bank’s Vice President, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Solomon Quaynor, in a message to mark Africa Industrialisation Day 2020, themed: “Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation in AfCFTA Era.”
Quaynor noted that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had sharpened the need to accelerate industrialisation and urged a greater role for the private sector, including as a partner to the public sector.
“Resilience is key, and that means no matter the external shocks in the future, we should rebuild so that our people, particularly youth and women who head our households, have jobs and better incomes,” he said.
The bank assured of its commitment to the operationalisation of AfCFTA. In August 2019, the institution extended a sum of $4.8 million grant to support the establishment of AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana.
AfDB is also working with African countries that are developing strategies for implementation of AfCFTA, helping them to build capacity and leverage opportunities provided by freer trade.
When businesses could trade across borders, then industry could expand, economies could be diversified, and countries could move up the value chain, said the bank’s 2020 Annual Development Effectiveness Review (ADER) released this week.
The report suggested that the bank’s investments in 2019 benefited one million people. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that benefited from bank projects trebled their turnover to $1 billion.
Several projects recently approved by the bank are expected to help regional member countries exploit opportunities, including the construction and operation of a submarine internet cable in Seychelles and a project to expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises in West Africa, the report noted.
The African Development Bank is also promoting development of economic zones that bring together an enabling business environment, backbone integrated infrastructure and transport near to agricultural production hubs.
“Agro-Industrial Processing Zones aim to train young people in rural areas with the needed skills and attract companies, particularly SMEs,” the bank’s Director, Agricultural Finance and Rural Development, Atsuko Toda, also commented.
The pandemic has also spurred opportunities for Africa to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities for basic and essential medicines, personal protective equipment and other medical equipment.
“The bank is undertaking a ground-breaking study to develop a plan for this, which will be ready before the end of the year. The plan will highlight opportunities, challenges, policy reforms required, financing windows and strategic partnerships to be forged to make this happen,” said Director of Industrial and Trade Development at the African Development Bank, Abdu Mukhtar.
Celebrated each year on November 20, Africa Industrialisation Day offers governments and development partners opportunities to explore or highlight initiatives that advance Africa’s industrialisation.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, have joined Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, in mourning the passing of the former president, Jerry Rawlings, who died at the age of 73.
Rawlings was confirmed dead on Thursday at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, two weeks after he buried his mother, Victoria Agbotui, in October. His mother had died at the age of 101.
Announcing the passing of Rawlings, Akufo-Addo directed that all national flags for the next seven days must fly at half-mast in all parts of the country.
Ex-Ghanaian President Jerry Rawllings bids the world goodbye at age 73 on Thursday November 12, 2020.
The Ghanaian leader said the seven days of national mourning from November 13 to 20, is in honour of the first president of the Fourth Republic. Akufo-Addo added that the Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia and himself had suspended their presidential campaign activities.
He added that the government would be working closely with the family of the former president on a befitting state burial.
In his heartfelt condolence message sent to government and people of Ghana over passing of the country’s former president, Buhari affirmed that the entire African continent would sorely miss the sterling qualities of the great leader.
The Nigerian leader shared his belief in the “passion, discipline and moral strength that the former Ghanaian leader employed to reposition his country over many years continue to reverberate across the continent and beyond.”
Buhari noted, with commendation, “the unique role the former president “played in strengthening political institutions in his country and Africa, stimulating the economy for sustainable growth, and vociferously championing the African cause by urging many leaders to work towards interdependency on the global stage, especially in areas of competitive advantage.”
He joined family, friends and associates of the former Ghanaian leader in mourning his departure, assuring that the ideas that Rawlings postulated, particularly for development in Africa, and his sacrifices in working in various countries as an envoy for peace and democracy would always be remembered.
Buhari prayed God to grant the Ghanaian leader eternal rest, and comfort all his loved ones.
Kenyatta has also mourned former Ghanaian President, describing him as “a true Pan-Africanist who firmly believed and cared for the interests of the citizens of this continent.”
He said Rawlings “is credited for his efforts of restoring political stability in Ghana after a series of coups in the 1960s and 1970s.”
In his message of encouragement to Akufo-Addo, the government and the Rawlings family, Kenyatta said Africa has lost “an icon and a great statesman whose contribution to peace and prosperity of the continent will be remembered for generations to come.”
According to him, “On behalf of the government and people of the Republic of Kenya, and on my own behalf, I wish to express my sincere and profound sympathy to the government and people of Ghana and the Rawlings family for the death of this great son of Africa.
“We will forever be grateful for his efforts to open the eyes of Africans especially on the management of their resources to develop their own countries. His leadership style transformed the minds of many people of this continent to see their possibilities in achieving the best with what they have.”
He added that the “servant leadership” of Rawlings ensured that Ghana steered back to its foundations of a free, fair and just society.
Kenyatta prayed God to comfort the Rawlings family and the people of Ghana at this time of mourning.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also mourned the passing of Rawlings.
In his condolence message, Atiku said: “Jerry Rawlings was an African giant. His tenure as leader of Ghana remains emblematic with the restoration of that country. Even after office, he stood tall for African unity and renaissance.
“He represented a generation of leaders who gave their all for the rebirth of his country and Africa at large.
“I pray for a pleasant repose of his soul and console with the people of Ghana; his contemporaries and current leaders in Africa on the loss of a worthy patriot.”
Commiserating with the government and people of Ghana over the death of former the president, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it received the news of Jerry Rawlings’ death with rude shock and immense sadness given the roles he was playing to ensure the unity, stability and development of the African sub-region and the continent at large.
“Former President Rawlings was a courageous patriot whose policies repositioned his country to attain greater heights in critical sectors of her national life.
“Indeed, Jerry John Rawlings was loved not only by Ghanaians but also by Nigerians, and indeed by Africa and the global world, for his candor, patriotism and quest for development, equity and fairness.
“Our party commiserates with the President of Ghana, His Excellency, Nana Akufo Addo, the widow of Jerry Rawlings, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the Rawlings family as well as the people of Ghana and prays God to grant fortitude to the bereaved and eternal rest to the departed leader,” PDP said.
Rawlings came to power in Ghana as a Flight Lieutenant of Ghana Air Force following a coup d’état in 1979. In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military and founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of the Fourth Republic.
African Energy Chamber has released its Energy Outlook for 2021, assessing Africa’s competitiveness compared with other frontiers, while highlighting the countless opportunities that continue to emerge and exist across the entire energy value chain.
The report explored the forces shaping up continent’s energy market after the historic shocks of 2020, and analysed the upcoming recovery on the back of the global energy transition and persisting market uncertainties.
After a year of historic crisis, the outlook offered guidance and solutions for African energy stakeholders to navigate troubled waters and support a strong recovery in 2021 and beyond.
The report provided detailed information in areas of critical importance, and included sections examining jobs and employment, cash-flow and profit forecasts, the expenditure and investment outlook, carbon emissions, oil and gas market projections, and regional production outlook.
Pressing issues including notably the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)’s production cuts, ongoing regulatory reforms, the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) by region and country, and offshore drilling demand across multiple continental shelves are analysed in detail.
‘’It goes without saying that Africa has witnessed its fair share of difficult times this year.
“Even though oil and gas activities have taken a hit, optimism surrounding African projects, fiscal regime and investments still exist but requires all of us as stakeholders to do more.
“There has always been opportunity in drastic and unprecedented times, which gives us a lot to look forward to,” said the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, Nj Ayuk.
The outlook was the result of strong regional and international cooperation between actors of government, and public and private sector stakeholders across sub-Saharan Africa.
It gathered the latest available data on sub-Saharan Africa’s hydrocarbons markets, and benefits from the insights of key local, regional and international companies, experts and economists, making it the most comprehensive resource to date on the future of African energy markets.
‘’The report highlights the expected outcome of post COVID-19 mitigation strategies to the African energy sector in 2021 and beyond.
“It also assesses Africa’s competitiveness compared with other frontiers, and highlights the countless opportunities that continue to emerge and exist across our entire energy value chain.
“We look forward to this report serving as a basis for sound decisions towards a thriving energy industry in Africa,’’ said Senior Vice President at the African Energy Chamber, Verner Ayukegba.
African Energy Chamber issued rallying call to all industry stakeholders to work together on a reform agenda to keep African natural resources competitive and create jobs; short-term outlook for African oil and gas remains marked by COVID-19 and uncertain market conditions expected to result in a $30 billion cut in Capex spending (2020-2021); South Western Africa expected to emerge as the next energy frontier on the continent on the back of high-impact wells coming up in 2021 and 2022; the continent’s production of oil and gas is expected to increase in 2021 as OPEC’s sanctions ease and on the back of increase oil output from Libya and increased gas production from Algeria and Egypt.
The pandemic notably came at a particularly difficult moment in Africa, exacerbating already challenging market conditions on the back of a competitive American shale industry, the delaying of major projects due to regulatory uncertainty, and increasing global attention to decarbonisation.
African Energy Chamber notably expected a CAPEX spending cut of $30 billion over the 2020-2021 period, and has identified a further $80 billion of investment whose sanctioning would depend on improving market conditions, along with bold policy and fiscal reforms from African regulators.
Zimbabwean socialite and businessman Genius ‘Ginimbi Kadungure’ has died on the spot early Sunday morning in a head-on car accident along Borrowdale Road, in Harare, capital of the South African nation.
New Zimbabwe’s Alois Vinga gathered from sources that Ginimbi, who owns Pioneer Gas and PIKO Group, was speeding when he crashed and was helped out of the vehicle, which later burst into flames.
An exiled former minister in the South African nation, Saviour Kasukuwere was said to have expressed bitterness at the passing of the young businessman.
The luxury car that would eventually take his life.
“This is unbearable. A young man who worked hard and enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi. MHDSRIP,” said Kasukuwere.
According to New Zimbabwe’s Alois Vinga, a relative told the media this morning that the businessman had two other passengers in his car who were “burnt beyond recognition”.
Reports stated that the identities of the co-passengers in the bentley luxury car driven by Kandungure could not be readily established.
Ginimbi’s lifeless body lies on the ground covered by tree branches.
It was said that a relative explained Kadungure was pulled out of the car soon after the crash but died immediately.
The crash happened along a curve just before Hatcliff suburb on the road to Domboshava. The businessman, whose mother died only months ago, owned a mansion in the peri-urban settlement.
In a video that has now circulated on social media since the unfortunate incident Sunday morning, Kandungure was seen hours before the crash preparing to attend a birthday party and later seen driving at night as it was dark.
According to reports, witnesses at the scene of the fatal crash stated that the socialite, who was popular in Harare was speeding.
New Zimbabwe had reported that the driver of the Honda Fit car that got involved in the accident with Ginimbi survived the crash but is said to be in shock.
African Development Bank has designated representatives from 80 government institutions, civil society organisations and universities for training as experts in developing climate financing proposals.
Following a thorough independent selection process, 80 participants were chosen, with approximately 40 from English-speaking countries and 40 from French and Portuguese-speaking countries.
The trainees would pass on their knowledge to potential beneficiaries of the Green Climate Fund, a $10 billion endowment set up in 2010 to help countries implement their climate agenda through loans, equity, guarantees and grants.
The 120-hour training programme would be managed by Climate Change and Green Growth Department of African Development Bank, with funding from Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund.
The scheme is being built on ongoing work by African Development Bank, Green Climate Fund and other partners to support the bank’s regional member countries to directly access Green Climate Fund resources.
“The Green Climate Fund is expected to be a major source of climate finance for the African continent. Accessing finance from the Fund is challenging because of the complexities of designing climate change projects to fulfill the funding criteria.
“This training will boost capacity amongst African nationally determined authorities, governments and consultants by training trainers to run future training courses,” said Manager of the Environment and Climate Finance Division in the Department of Climate Change and Green Growth at African Development Bank, Gareth Phillips.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has made the training to be shifted from in-person to online. This has the advantages of making it less costly to run and more carbon efficient.
The project’s theory of change is based on three main components, which complement ongoing work by the bank to enhance the capacities of several African countries to access Green Climate Fund resources through small grants from the Africa Climate Change Fund.
These components include: developing training materials and an online platform to support direct access to the Green Climate Fund, training a pool of experts and certifying them to support African governments and institutions, and facilitating south-south learning.
An American citizen abducted last week in Niger has been rescued during a high-risk U.S. military raid in neighbouring Nigeria, officials told ABC News early Saturday.
The mission was undertaken by elite commandos as part of a major effort to free the U.S. citizen, Philip Walton, 27, before his abductors could get far after taking him captive in Niger on Oct. 26, counter-terrorism officials told ABC News.
The operation involved the governments of the U.S., Niger and Nigeria working together to rescue Walton quickly, sources said. The CIA provided intelligence leading to Walton’s whereabouts and Marine Special Operations elements in Africa helped locate him, a former U.S. official said.
Then the elite SEAL Team Six carried out a “precision” hostage rescue mission and killed all but one of the seven captors, according to officials with direct knowledge about the operation.
“They were all dead before they knew what happened,” another counter-terrorism source with knowledge told ABC News.
President Donald Trump called the rescue mission a “big win for our very elite U.S. Special Forces” in a tweet and the Pentagon lauded the rescue mission in a statement.
“U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men,” said Pentagon chief spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman.
“This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State. No U.S military personnel were injured during the operation.
“We appreciate the support of our international partners in conducting this operation.”
And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: “Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our military, the support of our intelligence professionals, and our diplomatic efforts, the hostage will be reunited with his family. We will never abandon any American taken hostage.”
ABC News consultant Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense and retired CIA officer, said preparations for Walton’s rescue likely started when he was abducted.
“These types of operations are some of the most difficult to execute,” he said. “Any mistake could easily lead to the death of the hostage. The men and women of JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command), and the CIA should be proud of what they did here. And all Americans should be proud of them.”
Eric Oehlerich, an ABC News consultant and retired Navy SEAL, said Walton was “lucky” that such a mission was possible such as short time after he was abducted, when others have been held for years.
“Men in these top-tier special forces units train their entire adult lives to be ready when called upon, hostage rescue operations are inherently dangerous,” he said. “Those men put someone else’s life above their own, they do so selflessly….it’s an illustration of utter commitment.”
A former U.S. counter-terrorism official emphasized generally how long the odds are for rescue in the “highly dangerous” missions — less than 30%. But the official said that it’s crucial to act as quickly as possible so that hostages don’t wind up in the hands of al Qaeda or ISIS.
“The longer a hostage is held the harder it is to find an exact location to be able and conduct a rescue operation,” the official said.
U.S. and Nigerien officials had said that Walton was kidnapped from his backyard last Monday after assailants asked him for money. But he only offered $40 USD and was then taken away by force, according to sources in Niger.
Walton lives with his wife and young daughter on a farm near Massalata, a small village close to the border with Nigeria.
Nigerien and American officials told ABC News that they believed the captors were from an armed group from Nigeria and that it was not considered terror-related. But hostages are often sold to terrorist groups.
Concern grew quickly after the kidnapping that an opportunity to rescue Walton could become much more dangerous if he was taken by or sold to a group of Islamist militants aligned with either al Qaeda or ISIS and American special operations commanders felt they needed to act swiftly before that could occur, said one counter-terrorism official briefed on the hostage recovery operations.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed after the kidnapping that an American citizen had been abducted in Niger and said the U.S. government was “providing their family all possible consular assistance.” The spokesperson declined to comment on the case, citing “privacy considerations,” but added, “When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we share information with families however we can.”
Another American, Christian humanitarian aid worker Jeffery Rey Woodke, 60, has been held hostage for the past four years since being kidnapped in northern Niger by armed militants.
Niger, home to 22 million people and three times the size of California, is one of many Sahel nations plagued by terrorism and instability, but its military has been a close U.S. partner in the fight against regional jihadist groups, including affiliates of both al Qaeda and ISIS.
Last week, a U.N.-backed donor summit raised $1.7 billion to support the region’s governments as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the humanitarian crisis is at a “breaking point,” with 13.4 million people in need of assistance.
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