Category: Inside Africa

The Senegalese Government has suspended access to social media app TikTok until further notice.

The Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy Hon. Moussa Bocar Thiam, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

This comes two days after the government restricted the use of mobile internet after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was charged with plotting an insurrection, criminal conspiracy and other offences.

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The statement reads: “The minister… informs the public that it has been observed that the TikTok application is the social network favoured by people with bad intentions to spread hateful and subversive messages threatening the stability of the country.” 

Senegal has seen sporadic violent protests throughout the year, as opposition supporters have accused President Macky Sall of levelling charges against Sonko to disqualify him from the next election.

• By Bill Gates

Last month, I visited Nigeria for the first time in five years, and, everywhere I went, perhaps more than on any of my previous trips, I felt the immense energy and boundless potential of its rising generation. I met with young scientists and researchers working on innovative solutions to some of the country’s most difficult challenges in health and development. I also listened to young entrepreneurs talk about leveraging new digital technologies to improve health care and financial literacy.

Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world, and 19 of the youngest 20 countries, in terms of median age, are in Africa. That represents a lot of potential skills and passion to solve big problems. In fact, Africa’s growing and talented young population is the continent’s most powerful asset for the future, and when I met with Nigeria’s leaders, I re-emphasized how much they could achieve if they invest in health and opportunities for youth.

Making strategic investments to unlock the vast potential of Africa’s young people is especially critical now. An unprecedented set of global events—including the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, security crises, and the effects of climate change—has stalled growth in health, agricultural development, and other key sectors. Progress hasn’t come as fast as Africans want and need. Because of these overlapping crises, the cost of servicing debt in Nigeria and many other nations is rising faster than revenue, and the urgent priorities exceed available resources, so every cent must count.

How can we best make that happen? Here are three key lessons I’ve learned over the years from my conversations with our African partners and other experts – lessons that were reinforced on my recent trip.

Focus on the most important problems.

There is no shortage of problems that need solving, but some should come first. Without health, for example, there can be no opportunity. Women should not have to worry whether they will survive pregnancy and whether their babies will make it through childhood. People should be able to expect that when they go to a health clinic, there will be enough workers and supplies to provide care. Everyone should have access to healthy food, including staples fortified with essential nutrients. And farmers should have all the tools they need to adapt to the effects of climate change and produce the food Africans need.

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That’s why our foundation supports partners across Africa working to make birth safer, get life-saving vaccines to children, increase agricultural productivity, and make food more nutritious. Young people depend on these basics to reach their full potential, and countries need them to grow and thrive.

Prioritize the most effective interventions.

Throughout my visit, I met with impressive Nigerians working on innovations that can yield dramatic results at a relatively low cost. They reminded me that progress isn’t just about how much money is spent. It’s also about making sure it’s spent well.

For example, one stubborn problem in Nigeria is the high rate of anemia among pregnant women, which can cause hemorrhage during childbirth or harm babies’ brain development. Research shows that giving expectant mothers an intravenous infusion of iron, which takes only minutes and lasts an entire pregnancy, could save thousands of lives and protect the futures of millions of children. In Lagos, I met with Professor Bosede Afolabi, a partner of our foundation, as she administered this effective treatment and we discussed efforts to train more health workers throughout Nigeria on the practice.

Improving childbirth conditions is one of 12 high-impact, low-cost interventions that the Danish researcher Bjorn Lomborg highlights in an inspiring new book, Best Things First. Lomborg also notes the transformative potential of agricultural productivity. Spending an additional $5.5 billion per year on agricultural R&D, he found, would yield annual benefits of $184 billion by reducing malnutrition, helping farmers adapt to climate change, and lowering food costs. That’s an amazing $33 return on every dollar.

In Lagos, I met with several scientists delivering on this promise, with solutions that include a high-yield cassava variety, digital tools to help farmers in Nigeria and Tanzania manage changing soil conditions, a product to protect against deadly aflatoxins, and a fertilizer that can increase the productivity of soybean crops by as much as 45 percent at a fraction of the cost of traditional fertilizer. 

Get life-saving products to everyone who needs them.

As with Professor Afolabi and her work with IV iron, these crop scientists weren’t just creating innovative products; they were thinking creatively about how to distribute their product and inform farmers about them across Africa. This focus on reaching everyone is critical for reducing dramatic gaps in health outcomes between rural and urban areas, rich and poor, men and women.

These and many other incredible innovations in the pipeline have the potential to save a lot of lives and improve even more—but only if developers and designers are intentional about doing so.

There are so many worthy candidates for a country’s resources. But high-impact interventions that reach everyone should be at the top of the list of priorities. I have every confidence that Africa’s young people won’t just be the beneficiaries of these efforts— they’ll be leading them. Throughout this visit, I was continually struck by the enthusiasm of Nigeria’s young people to make a difference, and the creative ways they are harnessing innovative science and technology to accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa. The problems are persistent, but so are the people solving them.

Bill Gates is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr. Cary Fowler is United States Special Envoy for Global Food Security. Speaking at a briefing organised by the Washington Foreign Press Center, Fowler gives insights into El Niño’s impacts on global food security. United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU, who attended the briefing, reports that Fowler lists some of the impacts as reductions in economic growth and country-level impacts, low crop yield and more. Excerpts:

Reduction in economic growth

Typically with an El Niño you will see global reductions in economic growth and country-level impacts that can actually persist for years. You also typically see global declines in production of some of the major staple crops: wheat, rice, maize. Sometimes you’ll see a slight increase in soybean production, but the decreases globally speaking are of the rice, wheat, and maize can be anywhere from fairly marginal to up to 4.5 percent, which would be quite an event.

The El Niño events will – don’t have an impact on crop yields everywhere, on every hectare or land in the world, but on a quarter to a third of land, they do. We’re already seeing declines in fish harvest off the coast of Peru. And in fact just recently, Peru announced that it was suspending the anchovy harvest there for the first season. The last time they did that was a previous El Niño, 2014-15.

Historical angle

I can remember in the early ’70s when the failure of the anchovy crop there, which by the way was a main ingredient in animal feeds and fish meal, was one of the factors that started the dominos to fall and led to higher grain prices and eventually to the global food crisis that we saw in the early ’70s.

We have now fairly low global stockpiles of grain by historical standards. We also have, of course, the invasion and the war in Ukraine, which was one of the five top exporters of corn, of wheat, of sunflower, barley, which – and it’s affected those export markets tremendously, much of which was going to the Near East and to Africa. And you could expect in this kind of situation that with global stockpiles at low levels you would see more price volatility and see regional and local shortfalls. These could be in our future. From a food security perspective, I’m more – most concerned – and we’re keeping a particularly close, watchful eye on Southern Africa, on Central America, and Southeast Asia.

Studies

El Niño is also correlated, as a number of studies have indicated, with an uptick in conflict. It’s a threat multiplier, according to one study, doubling the chances of conflict in Africa and playing a significant role in over 20 percent of the conflicts there since 1950. Warmer, drier weather in the tropics reduces economic output. It affects individual productivity. And it, of course, intensifies the competition for scarce resources, especially where you have situations of ethnic fractionalization and inequality.

Droughts

Droughts, particularly those that persist over a multiyear period – three years or more – are very highly or more correlated with conflict and with food insecurity problems then otherwise. Floods, which you also see in some areas in El Niño years, are typically associated with much or rapid onset of conflicts and – that are much more confined in their area of impact.

So everything I’ve said so far is not to say that these things aren’t going to happen, that it’s guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination. But I think it’s fair to say that the odds have probably risen for additional food insecurity and conflict-related issues.

What America is doing about it

 Well, we can’t change the weather overnight, but the State Department has been the catalyst for a number of programs, which I think are directly related to how the world is going to be responding to this El Niño and future El Niños. We have started a program we’re calling the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils and that’s focused on Africa, where we’re looking at the most nutritious crops for – that are traditional and indigenous crops in Africa and looking at how they will do in a climate-changed world so that we can make smart investments in the future for promoting the production of these nutritious crops that are also climate-adapted.

We have – under the Feed the Future program at U.S. Agency for International Development have put up a multi-country program in Africa that’s bringing drought-tolerant maize, for example, to millions of farms in Southern Africa, probably just in time.

Food insecurity statistics

  We have more than 800 million food-insecure people in the world today. Interestingly, the amount of media attention that the global food crisis is getting has actually declined in recent months fairly substantially, so I’m really counting on you in this room and online to keep covering this issue to educate the public about the problem of global food insecurity.

Please take a look at our website on the State Department to get information, but mostly I want to tour the NOAA website. If you go to noaa.gov and you click, as I do very often, on the little temperature icon on the left, you will see the latest updates on climate, including today’s report that mentions that – describes how June was the hottest month on record for any June in the past. Also, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there’s FEWS NET, FEWS.net, which gives you an idea of how the food security situation, potential for famine is shaping up around the world.

So please continue to reach out to us. Call us; we’re available. We want to be able to explain as best we can, as best we can predict what’s happening. And I assure you that in the coming months we’re going to be working together to try to make those reports to you as substantive as possible.

Russian angle

Last year we saw almost immediately a very sharp spike in food prices when Russia invaded Ukraine and stopped ships from getting out of the ports. What I would say in regards to Türkiye’s role is it’s been essential, and we’ve counted very much on Türkiye playing this positive role. And we expect it will continue to do that and we wish it much, much success.

Ukraine

 Ukraine was – has been a breadbasket for the world. It’s been one of the top five exporters of important food grains. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has drastically affected exports from Ukraine. We are very hopeful – well, we would be overjoyed were that – were the Black Sea Grain Initiative to be extended. It’s scheduled to expire next week. We – there are indications in the media that Russia will not renew that agreement. That’s quite unfortunate. It comes just ahead of the main harvest period in Ukraine when we would hope to be getting much-needed food out into the world market.

Working with allies

We applaud and have worked closely with our European allies on the solidarity lanes to enable Ukraine to ship grain out of Ukraine, but through – not through the ports, which is most economical and most convenient, but over land. But long term, this is an issue that is most troubling, frankly, from a food security standpoint. We know that much of the land in Ukraine has been degraded, it’s been bombed, it’s been mined. The farmers, they are on the front lines not just of a shooting war, but a war – but a food security battle as well. And in this kind of situation, I think particularly with the onset of an El Niño, we need all of the food, such as is being produced in Ukraine, onto grain – onto the world markets where it can satisfy a growing demand.

As long as we are in an era where we have more and longer extremes of weather, then from a food security perspective what we have to be careful about and committed to is getting the fundamentals right. Fundamentals for food security are having healthy, fertile soils and adapted crops, adapted to both the weather and to market conditions.

Fertile soils are soils that will help plants be more resilient. They will hold the water more and therefore better enable the plants to withstand drought. And of course, if you don’t have adapted crop varieties in the field, you’re stuck.

So one of the things that the United States Government I think is quite committed to doing and we at the State Department are in partnership with the African Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization at the UN to put more attention, bring more attention and more investment to the traditional and indigenous crops, starting in Africa, that have so much more potential to provide for food security in those – in those areas.

There’s no preventing an El Niño, but there is, as Dr. Kapnick said, ways of predicting what’s coming some months in advancing and for us to be giving you kind of an early heads-up about what we should be looking for in terms of food security and conflict in the coming months.

The linkages between food insecurity

There have been quite a few academic studies, and they’re easy to find. Actually, there are academic studies that go back almost 2,000 years on the effect of high temperatures on the incidence of conflict, and the mediating factor there is actually food production.

But most recently we’ve seen a numbler of academic studies principally dealing with Africa and food issues there, in part caused by weather conditions – heat, drought and such. There are a number of studies which link Arab Spring, even, with high temperatures and rise of food prices and such. So you can begin to draw – there are many factors, of course, involved in conflict, and I wouldn’t want to say that it’s a straight causal line between high temperatures and conflict. But you can understand pretty easily how high temperatures affect economies, food production, food prices, et cetera, which play a big role in instigating conflict.

The crops

Well, I think the probability has obviously risen for hotter and drier weather in Central America. We – there are a number of factors that went into my saying that we were concerned about – in particular about Central America, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and I could even add to it South Asia.

Part of it is simply looking at the historical El Niño patterns and what they’ve – what kind of weather conditions that they’ve created. We know that in terms of crops that the effect is quite – can be quite pronounced on maize, a key crop in Central America; another reason why I would be concerned about Central America.

And finally, another reason which typically gets overlooked is the problem that we’ve had in recent – well, the last year or two with fertilizer applications. As you probably know, last year was a year in which we had scarcity of some types of fertilizer and very high prices. Those prices have continued to be high in local currency terms. And in particular, I’ve been looking at the – at potash fertilizers. That’s not the fertilizer that a lot of people look at. And potash, however, is a fertilizer that’s bankable in the sense that farmers can apply it, it will stick around in the soil for a while. Farmers will typically apply it when the prices are good, and not apply it when they’re high.

What does potash do? Well, it doesn’t give you immediate boost in yields, but what it does do is it gives the plant more stamina to deal with environmental conditions. So if you have tough environmental conditions such as is produced in an El Niño, and you’ve gone multiple years without applying sufficient rates of potash, then you make yourself more vulnerable. And the three regions that I mentioned are all regions where we believe that there has been under-application of this particular kind of fertiliser.

During her upcoming visit to Ghana, Adeleke Ifeoluwa Yomade, the visionary leader behind 02 International, plans to delve deeper into the African investment landscape.

This strategic move reflects Yomade’s commitment to identifying promising opportunities in countries with robust growth potential and further expanding the global footprint of her company.

As an accomplished entrepreneur with a keen eye for emerging markets, Yomade recognises the immense potential that Africa holds for real estate and other investment ventures.

By personally visiting Ghana, she aims to engage with local stakeholders, gain insights into the business climate and foster meaningful relationships with key players in the industry.

Yomade’s goal is not only to identify viable investment opportunities but also to contribute to the economic development and prosperity of the African continent.

Ghana, known for its stability and burgeoning economy, offers a wealth of potential investment prospects. Yomade plans to immerse herself in the local culture, understand the needs of the Ghanaian market, and explore partnerships that align with 02 International’s vision and values.

By collaborating with local businesses, entrepreneurs, and government entities, Yomade seeks to create mutually beneficial opportunities that drive sustainable growth and benefit both communities and investors.

Through her visit, Yomade aims to lay the groundwork for future successful projects in Ghana. She understands the importance of building strong relationships, fostering trust, and ensuring that any investments made align with the local context. Yomade’s approach emphasizes long-term value creation, social impact, and environmental sustainability.

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As CEO of 02 International, Yomade has a track record of successful ventures and a commitment to excellence. Her strategic vision and ability to identify emerging trends have propelled the company’s growth and reputation. Yomade’s leadership is characterized by a hands-on approach, which allows her to gain firsthand insights into local markets and make informed investment decisions.

By expanding her African investment journey to Ghana, Yomade is reinforcing her dedication to contributing to the continent’s economic development. Through collaboration, innovation, and sustainable business practices, she aims to create lasting impact and empower local communities. Yomade’s visit to Ghana serves as a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit, as well as her determination to establish 02 International as a prominent player in the African investment landscape.

As Yomade embarks on her Ghanaian expedition, the business community eagerly anticipates the outcomes of her visit. The opportunities that may emerge from her engagement with local stakeholders and her pursuit of mutually beneficial partnerships hold the potential to drive economic growth and create a positive ripple effect across Ghana’s business ecosystem.

A group under the All Progressives Congress (APC) Group, Bola Campaign Organization (BCO), has hailed the emergence of President Bola Tinubu as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

BCO, in a statement by its National Patron, Alhaji Abdulwahab Korede Quardi (FCIB), National Coordinator, QS Mohammed Makinta (FNIQS) and National Women Leader, Alhaja Folashade Tinubu – Ojo, maintained that his election will further deepen stability and peace in the sub-region.

While describing Tinubu as a dedicated and competent leader who has demonstrated hos pan – African outlook, said he’ll ensure effective collaborations and provide practical solutions to tackle the myriad of challenges facing Africa’s sub-region.

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The group further maintained that his election is a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s vital role in the region’s economic growth, democratic stability and sustainable development, being the largest economy in Africa.

BCO leadership said, “with the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the new leader of ECOWAS reconfirms his strength as a political and economic leader in Africa”.

“We are rest assured that with this election, it is no doubt that President Tinubu will perform in the best interest of Nigeria and West African States to ensure peace, stability and sustainability of the regional economy”, BCO added.

Popular Disc Jockey and entertainer, Hafiz Agbabiaka, also known as DJ Fizzy, has expressed excitement on his tour of different clubs in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.

Fizzy also announced plans on his soon-to-be-released song titled “Azulbike”, featuring Shoday, Cheesy Vibes & Berri Tiga.

DJ Fizzy, while speaking about the tour, expressed excitement at the outcome of the tour and the level of support he got from his fans and even the students of the clubs and schools he visited, adding that it was a positive sign for his career.

According to him: “My African Tour of South Africa was something really special. I played in clubs like Club Montana, Club Sumo, Club Obitz, Club The One, Club Coco and Hi Level Lounge, as well as Lagos Party in Nairobi, Kenya. It was truly exciting and eye-opening. People were jamming to my songs and mixes like never before, and I never knew of such acceptance of my sound beofre now.

“Coming down to my home, i organised the Unstoppable Campus Tour 2023 in Lasustech & Ibadan Poly, and it was awesome as well. As you know that I’m passionate about serving world class sounds, I put in the work that always yields positive reviews.

“I have faith in my drive and skill to develop distinctive sounds that will rule the market for a very long time.

“I’m overjoyed with the direction my career is going. I’m incredibly appreciative of the support I’ve received thus far from my fans and I’m astonished by how much this tour has taught me. I’m confident that I’m on the correct path and that my future is promising.”

Speaking on his new song “AzulBike”, Fizzy said, “As you know I enjoy listening to wonderful music, and I have the ability to create sounds that will enhance any occasion. My main goal always is to make sure that everyone who hears my music enjoys themselves.

“So, my new single will be totally worth your while, with the unique sound, wonderful lyrics and amazing artistes i featured.”

Furthermore, he reiterated his desire and passion to rule and reign in the industry.

“I remain one of the best DJ in the country and I am determined to continue to take my career a notch higher while providing my unique sound.”

According to the ‘Why’ crooner, he intends on keeping his name on the minds and hearts of music lovers.

The DJ said his many years of experience, hardwork and determination to give his fans unforgettable experiences with his sounds and vibe constantly drives him.

“My job is to create and recreate music that resonates with my principles which is to keep music lovers on their feet while at a party, in essence making me the best choice for any event,” he said.

The young DJ has over the last few months embarked on ‘The Unstoppable Campus Tour’ which he started in October 2021.

Today, July 8, African leaders will be hosted by President Azali Assoumani of Comoros, the Chair of the African Union (AU); the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa; Ambassador Albert Muchanga, the AU Commissioner for Trade & Industry; to host some of Africa’s leading statesmen and business leaders at a Summit marking African Integration Day dubbed the “Boma of Africa”.

Some of the statesmen making an appearance include South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa; President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana; and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.

At the Boma, the assembled leaders will discuss and deliberate on how the might and reach of the African Union can be used to support the next generation of African unicorns (exponentially growing startups) that will revolutionise new sectors like biotech, gene editing and genomics, and artificial intelligence on the continent.

The goal, according to the AU, is to channel investments to create a massive impact on health, trade, local manufacturing and job creation through a new framework called the 4D pact, which derives its objectives from Agenda 2063, the AU’s overarching blueprint for making Africa a global force to reckon with in the next few decades.

Other eminent dignitaries, world leaders, and African principals expected to speak and deliberate on the 4D Pact today at the summit include Ethiopian president Sahle-Work Zewde, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Ms. Reeta Roy of Mastercard Foundation, Dr. Jean Kaseya of Africa CDC, Mr. Wamkele Mene of AfCFTA and Professor Lisa Korsten of the African Academy of Science.

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The continental leaders are coming together to, in the words of the AU, “articulate a game-changing action plan to harness the power of technology as an enabler, to foster a culture of collaboration and to propel scientists, startups, university spinoffs, and innovators to new heights.”

Other major heads of agencies that the AU will be working with in the actualisation of the continental project in line with the new 4D Pact are also on the lineup. They include Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO, AUDA-NEPAD; Mamadou Biteye of ACBF; Professor Benedict Oramah, Executive Chairman of Afreximbank; and Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General, AFCAC, the agency promoting the Single Air Transport Market for Africa.

Tidjane Thiam, the prominent AU Special Envoy and international banker, who founded and currently chairs Freedom Acquisition Corporation, has been announced as the inaugural speaker at the Summit in a special lecture series on globalisation and its impact on Africa dubbed the “Sankore Lectures”.

Speaking about the event, Bekele-Thomas said, “Startups and even spinoffs from African Universities come up every year with clever and groundbreaking products and technologies but most of these fail to scale, holding back Africa’s industrialisation and leaving the continent dependent on critical technologies and commodities from overseas such as vaccines, medicines, AI models, biotech products etc. 4D will mark a shift.”

It was also revealed in briefing documents shared with this newspaper by AU strategists that African Union institutions like the AfCFTA Secretariat,

Africa CDC, AUDA-NEPAD, AFCAC, and ACBF will mobilise tens of millions of dollars from development finance institutions and aid agencies to implement the objectives of the 4D Initiative to make Africa self-reliant in some critical technologies. The AU disclosed that some major philanthropies, aid agencies, and development finance institutions have already committed to the vision. 

The Africa Finance Corporation, BADEA and Afreximbank are early supporters of the overall vision.

According to a statement from the AU, the 4D initiative will build on the Trillion Dollar Fund (TDF) announced in 2020 by the Assembly of Heads of State, which focused on driving trade in goods manufactured in Africa under the AfCFTA. 4D will deepen the TDF’s initial focus by emphasising the role of neglected value chain actors in Africa’s stalled industrialisation drive and by providing “soft infrastructure” to strengthen the hands of such actors, like startups and university spinoffs, in the form of “mega-platforms” like the AfCFTA Hub, PanaBIOS, ProPer, Tranzyt and Transforma. These soft infrastructure platforms will greatly lower transaction costs and enhance public-private coordination to eliminate harmful and wasteful compliance barriers and duplicative cross-border regulations and therefore amplify the effect of the funds to be provided to private sector actors through 4D.

Speakers at the 2023 BOMA summit will deliberate on ways and means to make Africa competitive in carefully targeted technological domains such as biotech innovation, digital health, artificial intelligence and green economy & cleantech systems. A Value Chain Accelerator called, BioNovac, is being set up to speed up commercialisation collaborations across research institutions and the continent’s startup ecosystems.

In a similar vein, researchers at African universities through spinoffs will be supported by the initiative, while AfroChampions, one of the AU’s strategic partners, will advisory, advocacy, technical assistance resources and the like to sustain momentum at the country level.

The 2023 BOMA summit will, according to AU strategists, clearly provide an opportunity for the African leaders to mark Africa Integration Day with concrete pledges and commitments to accelerate continental development proving that the AU is not a talkshop but an engine for Africa’s transformation.

The Princes’ Trust International Foundation, an initiative of King Charles III, has officially launched in Nigeria.

Founded in 2015 by Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, the foundation works with partners in 18 countries to tackle the global crisis in youth unemployment. 

It partners with local organisations to deliver education, employment and enterprise programmes, with over 70,000 young people trained so far, to learn, earn and thrive.

In a message at the launch, King Charles III, said: “I am enormously inspired by the determination and commitment of young people, some of whom you will hear from later. They are changemakers; they will shape the world’s future and we must support them to realise their dreams. 

“Looking ahead, I very much hope the important work of Prince’s Trust International and our partners can grow and help many more young people in Nigeria to build brighter futures.”

The launch was done in partnership with the Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, who noted that the initiative is designed to support young people to get the skills they need to get into jobs.

According to him, the initiative also helps many underemployed and unemployed youths who need the skills and thereafter matched with jobs.

He said: “We are working with local partners, donors and founders here in Nigeria to maximize that reach and get to people who need help.

“The focus is on the skills that are needed for the modern work place. In Nigeria, we know that employment is changing, we know the kind of skills that people need is not necessarily the skills they need now, so looking at what people need now to find the jobs that they can have, and identifying employers who are looking for new young fresh talents, is what the Prince’s Trust International about.

“The focus is also on helping people to get work here in Nigeria, it’s about upscaling them for the jobs here in Nigeria. I think for most of the people who would be reached, our ambition will be to remain here and work for Nigeria companies. We know that it’s been real challenging attracting the talent Nigeria companies want, so, this is about making Nigerian youths ready and able to take up jobs here in Nigeria. I’m really hoping to see the jobs ensure the companies can expand over time.”

Chief Executive Officer of Prince’s Trust International, Will Straw, said the foundation has a mission to work with local partners around the world to tackle youth unemployment crisis.

Straw noted that the foundation has floated many programmes as a response to the skill gap which exists in the Nigerian employability sector.

He said: “The essence of our programmes is work readiness for young people. Our programmes help them to gain those skills that both employers and young people say they need, not just in Nigeria, but in every economy around the world. But because we work with the private sector, these aren’t just training programmes with a diploma at the end. The programmes have a work placement at the end. And the employers that we work with have testified to having benefitted from the training programme, as well as the young people who’ve gone into those job opportunities and have been able to secure jobs and stay in work.

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“Our employability programmes helps young people to gain the skills they need in the world of work, self-confidence, communication skills, problem solving, teamwork, resilience and so on. It also works with the private sector so that they are able to take up opportunities working in companies that have live vacancies, and if they prove themselves, they stay on, and we’re delighted that 96 per cent of the young people who’ve been through our programmes have ended up in work within three months of completing the programme.

“Our ‘Get Into’ programme help inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, and these programmes have had impactful results so far. However, our goal is expansion. We want to support thousands of young Nigerias, and even more across the continent. So we’re here, with the British High Commission, to raise the profile of our work to attract employers to join our programme and provide those job opportunities for the young people who we train. We are also here to seek funding so we can expand our work in Nigeria.”

The creative genius of Africa’s first renowned female dramatist to be published, Ama Ata Aidoo, took centre-stage at the just-concluded Toyin Falola Interview Series, where leading authors, dramatists, poets, novelists, university administrators and politicians both within Africa and the larger world, took turns in celebrating the literary ingenuity, scholarship and humanity of the late writer.

Aidoo was born on March 23, 1942 and died on May 31, 2023. She was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician, and academic. She was Secretary for Education in Ghana from 1982 to 1983 under Jerry Rawlings’s PNDC administration. Her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, was published in 1965, making Aidoo the first published female African dramatist. As a novelist, she won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 1992 with the novel Changes. In 2000, she established the Mbaasem Foundation in Accra to promote and support the work of African women writers.

Speaking at an online event which was put together by erudite professor of History based in the United States of America, Toyin Falola, to honor the late literary giant, critically acclaimed novelist, Bisi Adjapon, told the audience that “I am speaking from the point of view of a person who attended the same secondary school as Aunty Ama, decades after she had already left. Decades after she graduated and blazed the literary path, I entered the same school. It was there that I learnt about her. Some say she was inspired by tradition while others say that tradition had existed before and she enhanced it. I wrote because Aunty Ama did.

“Years later in America, I would direct plays and eventually become the artistic director of a theatre company for the young. That seed that Aunty Ama planted in me through her works bore fruits. As a half Yoruba raised in Ghana, I tried to push away the practice of kneeling when greeting.

The whole idea of genuflecting before another human however irked me but when I approached on stage, as if it was the most natural thing, I dropped to my knee. I was that honoured. She was warm, happy that I was an old girl of Wesley Girls High School. In the limited time we had, I told of her works’ impact on my life and others. She encouraged me to come to the house but the timing was always problematic. She was always vibrant and feisty. Despite difficulties, I expected her to live for another decade. Her torch flamed mine and mine has ignited others. Her spirit and works will continue to live forever.”

Lawyer, human rights activist and poet, Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo, told of the influence Aidoo had on him while he was navigating through the labyrinth of his literary recesses. “I trained as a lawyer but found the possibility of becoming a poet when I was in secondary school at the Federal Government Warri.

 In Form Three, we read The Dilemma of a Ghost. Years later after I had graduated, I had worked with the civil liberties organisation for ten years I had really wanted to come to where my head was which was literature. Soyinka advised me to go to the US for studies because by then I had published my first collection and getting ready to publish the second.

 I ended at Cornell for further studies. I found Ama Ata Aidoo becoming a distant mentor while I was searching for myself in the academia. I met her at events but I never a close relationship with her. She lives on and her memory will not fade,” he said.

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Ghana’s former Minister of Information, Kojo Yankah eulogized the spirit and progressive ideology which Aidoo represented. For him, “We lose a sense of who our writers are not too long after they are dead.

We at the African University College of Communications decided on the 75th anniversary birthday of Ama Ata Aidoo to establish a centre of creative writing and named it after her. We did this in 2017; it has been one of the most impactful centres at the university. Since its establishment, over 4000 students have participated in the activities of the Ama Ata Aidoo centre. The director of the centre has produced four anthologies. 

“I met her on many occasions. It is important that we keep the memories of our writers. We need to find centres or establish many where students can go and study about them. We are working on the Pan-African heritage world museum in Ghana where we will have a literary section.”

Earlier, Egyptian cultural journalist and author, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, noted that “I see Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo as an outspoken woman who resists and subverts traditional literary boundaries. Aidoo’s long, varied and prolific literary career publishing poems, plays, short stories, essays and novels—garnered much attention from critics and after teaching fir several years at various institutions in Africa and the USA, earned the respect and recognition of the African American writer, Alice Walker.

“Aidoo advances the complex lives of women who act in contradictory ways haunted by African traditions, but caught up in the disintegration of postcolonial Africa. She is just one of the many female voices that urgently needed to be heard after being silenced for so long.

 Aidoo’s recurring themes are marriage, motherhood, emotional and economic dependence, women’s education, their political and economic marginalisation, and resistance to oppression. With an unconscious Western feminist agenda always in mind, Aidoo insists that she did not learn her notions of feminism outside of Africa, and that her vocal women simply come from her Akan-Aidoo side.”

As part of its mission to promote and showcase Nigeria’s communities to global map, Nigerian Global Dimension recently  partnered with Bichi Emirate in Kano to delivered a world class show at the just concluded Durbar Festival 2023.

The annual Durbar Festival is by far the centerpiece of the cultural activities that are held each year during Eid el Kabir, across most of Northern Nigeria. 

The Durbar affords a spectacular display of colour and showmanship as thousands of horses and their riders show off their skills in a glittering parade before local monarchs and other dignitaries. 

Importantly, the Durbar also provides an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to witness the Emirs and other traditional rulers taking part in the equestrian and other activities, over the period.

This is also part of NGD’s  ongoing engagement with the diplomatic community in Nigeria and elsewhere to  coordinate the participation of leading Embassies and High Commissions including Germany, Argentina and Namibia. 

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This was the first time that the Heads of Mission from the respective Embassies and some of their staff, were experiencing aspects of Nigerian cultural life, on such a scale, outside of Abuja.

The diplomats enjoyed a varied programme developed by NGD, starting with the first ever cultural  themed event dubbed ‘One Night in Kano’ on 28th June 2023

The  three event was curated to give you a feel of Kano in one space in a short time- from night market selling tie & dye fabrics, street food such as gurasa and nama , and arte and crafts.

The event was held at the Lebanon Kano Club and offered a rich tapestry of Kano architecture, decors, food, music and traditional dance and movement. Patrons were transported on an amazing musical journey by Nigerian star Morell along with cultural performances by Lilo entertainment with goroso and fada dancers, Other special guests included Enioluwa , mega social media influencer and and European Union Africa Ambassador , guest performances by Namenj and Kano based influncers and the business community.

The event also benefited from the kind sponsorship and partnership of Rano Air, Dala foods, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. 

The next day, 29th June,  guests were transported to the amazing Bichi Emirates where they got aerial view of the Durbar festival performances. This allowed the appreciation the great culture which dates back to centuries.

As part of the Durbar festivities, the special guests were treated to a special dinner with the visionary king ; HRH Alh Nasir Ado Bayero OFR, Emir of Bichi, at his Palace.

 The Emir highlighted the significant role of the Emirate in the cultural and religious life of the local community and emphasized the importance of building bridges of friendship and cooperation between the Emirate and the rest of the world.

In her  farewell speech to the special guests, Ms. Elizabeth Agboola, CEO of NGD, expressed delight at the success of the programme and the platform it had created for future collaboration in culture, trade, tourism and business development. Ms. Agboola noted that, NGD will continue to expand horizons in cultural and tourism development as we strive to ensure that Nigeria’s tremendous cultural legacy can be celebrated in a sustainable manner, with the wider international community.

Those at the event include HRH Alhaji Nasir Ado  Bayero OFR, CEO 9 Mobile, Jurgen Peschel, Germany Ambassador to Nigeria;  Annett Gunther, Namibia High Commissioner to Nigeria;  Humphrey Geiseb as well as Business Community to China, Korea and tourists across different parts from Nigeria.