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How Tourism, AfCFTA can boost Nigeria’s economy – Minister

admin — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 13:00:01 +0000

How Tourism, AfCFTA can boost Nigeria’s economy – Minister

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admin Sun, 06/04/2023 - 13:00

Thursday, May 25, 2023

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Business Archives | Premium Times Nigeria

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How Tourism, AfCFTA can boost Nigeria’s economy – Minister

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a significant development for the African continent and presents a tremendous opportunity for Nigeria to increase its trade volume, encourage tourism and boost its economy, Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, has said.

Mr Adebayo disclosed this while delivering his speech during the National Tourism Transportation Summit (NTTS) and Expo recently held in Abuja.

The NTTS is a foremost tourism and transportation industries event anchored by the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, the minister said the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government has declared the year 2023 as the year for the Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation.

“Therefore, Nigeria must seize the immense opportunities presented by the AfCFTA to drive economic growth and development.

“By harnessing its tourism potential, advancing aviation and transportation, promoting trade export, and fostering domestic industrialization, Nigeria can position itself as a key player in intra-African trade.

“Collaboration, both domestically and across the continent, will be crucial in overcoming the barriers and challenges that lie ahead,” he said.

Outlining Nigeria’s strategic approach to playing and winning in the AfCFTA, Mr Adebayo said Nigeria must invest in enhancing its tourist infrastructure, including accommodations and transportation networks, to attract both domestic and international visitors.

He explained that Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and diverse traditions should be showcased through targeted marketing campaigns and the creation of cultural festivals, thereby increasing tourism traffic and revenue.

“By promoting its unique destinations, including historical sites, national parks, and natural wonders. Nigeria should also partner with other African countries to promote cross-border tourism, promote intra-African travel and establish a single visa regime for the continent.

“Nigeria’s natural wonders, national parks, and wildlife reserves present excellent opportunities for ecotourism and adventure tourism, which can significantly boost tourism revenue and create employment opportunities,” he said.

Air Travel

The minister added that Nigeria should prioritize the improvement of air connectivity by investing in modern airports, air traffic control systems, and airlines, which will facilitate travel within Africa and beyond.

“Developing and upgrading road, rail, and water transport networks will enhance connectivity within Nigeria and foster regional trade and transportation links, thereby leveraging the benefits of the AfCFTA.

“Streamlining customs procedures, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, and investing in efficient logistics systems will enhance Nigeria’s role as a transportation hub, attracting businesses and fostering trade across the continent,” he said.

Mr Adebayo said Nigeria must also focus on diversifying its export products beyond oil, exploring opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, and services, to tap into the growing demand within the AfCFTA market.

READ ALSO: AfDB to spend $2bn on AfCFTA infrastructure projects

“Meeting international quality standards and complying with trade regulations will enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness and allow its industries to thrive within the AfCFTA.

“Encouraging innovation and investing in research and development will drive domestic industrialization, leading to the production of higher value-added goods and services for export,” he said.

He added that in 2019, the African tourism market was worth an estimated $169 billion and supported 24 million jobs.

He said while this is laudable, domestic, and regional contribution only accounts for 55 per cent. Covid-19 has shown that markets must develop internal resilience, and so for the African tourism sector, intra-African tourism must improve, he said.

“Under the AfCFTA some progress is being made, for example, since January 1st, 2023, Kenyans can now live in and enjoy South Africa without a visa for three months a year at most.

“However, we must note that Nigeria is somewhat leading the front, as citizens of all African countries can access Nigeria’s visa-on-arrival service. While this is laudable, Nigeria must move from visa on arrival to no visa for African business persons,” Mr Adebayo said.

In his address, Olusegun Awolowo, executive secretary of the National Action Committee on AfCFTA, said the Nigerian government is committed to leveraging the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA to attract investment, foster cross-border trade, develop tourism sector, and promote inclusive economic growth that addresses the issues of unemployment, underemployment, and multidimensional poverty in the country.

He explained that the recent discovery to unlock Nigeria potentials is evident in the Nigeria – DRC Trade and Investment opportunity intiative.

“In 2021, trade between Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) represented less than 0.1 per cent of the total trade of each country. There are 12 major products imported to the DRC from Europe, South America and a few African countries,” he said.

He said DRC imports over $200 million worth of poultry meat from North America and Europe.

Africa

Business

Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola outbreak over

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:10:01 +0000

Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola outbreak over

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admin Tue, 02/22/2022 - 17:10

Friday, December 17, 2021

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Health – The New Dawn Liberia

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Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola outbreak over

The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu Province that began in October, is officially over, national health authorities announced this Thursday.

NEW YORK, USA, December 17, 2021,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-The end of the outbreak, the second in 2021, was declared after no new cases were reported at the end of 42 days, the equivalent of two incubation periods since the last confirmed case was discharged.

In total, 11 cases, including six deaths, were reported since the first case was confirmed in Beni in the beginning of October.

This was the country’s 13th outbreak – the disease is endemic in DRC – and occurred in the same area as the major 2018 outbreak, which ground on for two years.

‘Crucial lessons’

In total, more than 1,800 people were vaccinated in a campaign that kicked off just five days after the first case was detected.

The outbreak marks the first time that the ERVEBO vaccine, that was licensed recently, was used in the country.

For the Regional Director for Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO), Matshidiso Moeti, “stronger disease surveillance, community engagement, targeted vaccination and prompt response are making for more effective Ebola containment in the region.”

Ms. Moeti also said that, during this outbreak, the country was able to limit infections and save lives. “Crucial lessons are being learned and applied with every outbreak experience”, she said.

Quick response

In support, WHO deployed experts and supplies, and contributed funds to help contain the outbreak.

The response included measures such as contact tracing, testing, disease surveillance as well as community collaboration efforts.

The agency notes that “unpredictable and sometimes volatile security” hampered the response in some localities, with health workers and other responders unable to reach insecure areas to monitor contacts or administer vaccines.

Sexual abuse

The prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation during the outbreak, was a core pillar of the response, said WHO.

An expert was deployed to train WHO personnel and partners, and every person in field work received training and each partner agency was obliged to sign up to a code of conduct, to avoid exploitation.

Trainers worked directly with community members to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and abuse and how to report it safely. Radio announcements and pamphlets in local languages also helped spread the zero-tolerance message.

With the end of the outbreak, the health authorities are maintaining surveillance and are ready to respond quickly to any flare-ups. According to WHO, it is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak.

In fact, results from genome sequencing, conducted by the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research, found that the first case likely represented a residual case from the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak.

The country has set up an Ebola Survivor Programme, which currently includes more than 1,100 people from previous outbreaks in North Kivu Province.

Two survivors from the outbreak that just ended have been enrolled in the programme. For the next 18 months they will receive monthly check-ups, which include medical evaluations, psychological and nutritional support.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of UN News.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Africa

Living Standard

US praises Dominicans’ war on corruption

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:30:01 +0000

US praises Dominicans’ war on corruption

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admin Fri, 12/10/2021 - 11:30

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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Local – Dominican Today

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US praises Dominicans’ war on corruption

Washington.- The United States will support the Dominican Republic with pilot programs that will determine best practices for future interagency cooperation.

The country was mentioned in the United States’ Anti-Corruption Strategy, in which it is established as a fundamental interest for American national security.

The document, dated December 2021 and signed by the White House, defines corruption

that “corrodes” public trust and fuels “popular cynicism” towards effective governance.

As for the Dominican Republic, the North American strategy mentions that with the objective of “improving coordination and risk analysis in foreign assistance,” it will implement pilot programs as a “proof of concept” to determine the best practices for future inter-institutional collaboration.

These pilot programs will also be conducted to examine the use of foreign aid to combat corruption, and to pursue innovation, experimentation, adaptation, and reflection on existing approaches.

In this section, called “pilot programs to effect changes,” the Democratic Republic of the Congo is mentioned in conjunction with the Dominican Republic.

To carry out the mission, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has made available funds to explore analysis, design and programming models in collaboration with US interagency agents. “To help shape the analyzes above, the United States government will continue to implement pilot programs in the Dominican Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a ‘proof of concept’ to determine best practices for future interagency collaboration in the use of foreign aid to combat corruption, and pursue innovation, experimentation, adaptation and reflection on existing approaches,” the document states.

This document is published days before the Summit for Democracy will take place virtually, was convened by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, on August 11, and will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing democracies and “will provide a platform for leaders to assume commitments to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad.”

y was created after Biden, on June 3 of this year, established the fight against corruption as a topic of interest.

Then after writing the First National Security Study Memorandum (NSSM-1), US federal departments and agencies conducted an interagency review to “identify and try to rectify persistent gaps in the fight against corruption.”

This strategy establishes how the US will prevent, limit and respond to corruption crimes at the national and international level.

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UBA Group wins ‘African Bank of the Year’

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 19:30:01 +0000

UBA Group wins ‘African Bank of the Year’

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admin Thu, 12/09/2021 - 19:30

Friday, December 3, 2021

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Business – Premium Times Nigeria

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UBA Group wins ‘African Bank of the Year’

Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc yet again, reaffirms its leadership position across Africa, as the bank has been globally recognised as the African Bank of the year 2021 by the Banker Magazine, a leading global finance news published by the Financial Times of London.

UBA’s solid financial performance, its excellent service delivery to customers and its continuous role of facilitating rapid economic growth across the African continent were some of the reasons that led to the bank being named best bank in 12 of its African subsidiaries and in Nigeria. UBA Nigeria Plc, UBA Benin, UBA Burkina Faso, UBA Cameroon, UBA Chad, UBA Congo Brazzaville, UBA Cote D’Ivoire, UBA Gabon, UBA Guinea, UBA Liberia, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone and UBA Zambia all came out top as the best banks in their respective countries.

This will not be a first for UBA. In 2020, six of its subsidiaries in Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Chad, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Zambia were winners of the Best Bank award. This year, the UBA Group is breaking a record with its exceptional wins as African Bank of the Year and Bank of the year in 13 countries. The total 14 awards makes it the first time ever in the history of the almost 100 years of The banker, that any banking group will be clinching as many as 14 wins in a single year.

At the Virtual award ceremony which was held on December 1st 2021, the Middle East and Africa Editor for The Banker, John Everington, explained at the event that a rigorous and highly analytical process is made annually to reach the decision for each Bank of the Year award and the institution’s reputation for independence, authority and integrity is thoroughly applied to each submission.

“While several African banks impressed the judges this year, there was no doubt as to the worthiest recipient of the Bank of the Year for Africa – UBA Group – a clear winner across a wide range of criteria. UBA has performed impressively across its footprint with a strong financial performance across most of its markets,” Everington said.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, who expressed delight over the recognition from The Banker stated “Like I always say, at UBA, we must be doing something right. Winning 14 total awards in13 subsidiaries and the Bank of the Year on the African continent is a big achievement.’

Continuing, Uzoka said, “The recognitions come as a reassurance that we are on track in consolidating our leadership position in Africa, as we continue to create superior value for all our stakeholders. We have our millions of customers across the globe and our many thousands of staff to thank for this. They are the very reason why we keep winning’

Since1926, the Bank of the Year awards has been celebrating the best of global banking and is regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence. The 2021 edition highlights those institutions that have outshone their peers in terms of performance, strategic initiatives and response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Banker Magazine is a publication of the Financial Times – a leading global finance news publication which has been in existence since 1888. The Banker magazine is the definitive reference in international banking for high level decision makers.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than twenty-five million customers, across over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20 African countries.

With presence in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail; commercial and corporate banking; innovative cross-border payments and remittances; trade finance and ancillary banking services.

Africa

Côte d’Ivoire: Ebola vaccination of high-risk populations begins three days after outbreak declared

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 09:20:01 +0000

Côte d’Ivoire: Ebola vaccination of high-risk populations begins three days after outbreak declared

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admin Sat, 10/09/2021 - 09:20

Thursday, August 19, 2021

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Health – The New Dawn Liberia

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Côte d’Ivoire: Ebola vaccination of high-risk populations begins three days aft…

The vaccination against Ebola of high-risk populations began on Monday in Côte d’Ivoire following the discovery of an outbreak in the country three days ago. The swift response came after vaccines manufactured by Merck, which the World Health Organization (WHO) helped to secure to fight a four-month long outbreak in neighbouring Guinea, were quickly sent to the country.

NEW YORK, USA, 19 August 2021-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-The deployment from Guinea included 2,000 doses that are being used under the “ring strategy,” where people who have come into contact with a confirmed Ebola patient are given the vaccine, as well as first responders and health workers.

‘A critical tool’

Guinea also sent around 3000 vaccine doses manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. These are being used as booster jabs in areas not experiencing active transmission.

“The Ebola vaccine is a critical tool in the fight against the virus and so it’s a top priority to move rapidly and start protecting people at high risk of the disease,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, who described the quick response as “remarkable and shows that with effective sub-regional solidarity we can quickly take measures to extinguish lethal infections that can potentially flare up into large outbreaks.”

Guinea link unconfirmed

The outbreak was declared in Côte d’Ivoire after the Ebola virus was confirmed in a patient who travelled to Abidjan by road from Guinea. One suspected case and nine contacts have also been identified and are being monitored, although no deaths have been reported.

There is no indication yet that the current outbreak in Côte d’Ivoire is linked with the one that was in Guinea and further analysis and genomic sequencing is being carried out to help determine any connection.

Controlling Ebola outbreaks

The outbreak is Côte d’Ivoire’s first since 1994 and to support the country’s efforts to control its spread, the WHO is deploying experts to join their country-based counterparts to help ramp up infection prevention and control, diagnostics, contact tracing, treatment, community mobilization and cross-border surveillance. The UN agency is also assessing whether additional vaccines will be needed to curb the disease.

In Guinea, the health authorities are stepping up surveillance, carrying out further investigations, identifying contacts in readiness for vaccination and readying an Ebola treatment centre.

Since the Ebola outbreak was declared in Guinea earlier this year, WHO has been supporting six countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, to prepare for a potential outbreak.

This included support in disease surveillance, screenings at border crossing points and in high-risk communities as well as setting up rapid response teams, improving testing and treatment capacity and reinforcing community outreach and collaboration.

The outbreak in Côte d’Ivoire is the third this year after the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of UN News.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Africa

Living Standard

Bubonic plague putting young lives at risk in DR Congo: UNICEF

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 09:10:01 +0000

Bubonic plague putting young lives at risk in DR Congo: UNICEF

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admin Sat, 10/09/2021 - 09:10

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Health – The New Dawn Liberia

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Bubonic plague putting young lives at risk in DR Congo: UNICEF

A resurgence of Bubonic plague in Ituri province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is putting young lives at risk, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned on Tuesday.

NEW YORK, USA, 25 August 2021-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-Poverty, conflict and displacement are contributing to the return of the centuries-old illness for the first time in more than a decade, and new research supported by the agency revealed children are especially vulnerable.

Grave consequences for children

The research focused on three health zones in Ituri, where more than 490 cases were recorded between 2020 and 2021, with 20 fatalities. Some 578 cases, and 44 plague-related deaths, occurred throughout the entire province during the same period.

“The really worrying thing here is that we’ve got plague reported in areas which had not seen a case for more than 15 years, and many more cases in areas where they had very few or none previously,” said Izzy Scott Moncrieff, UNICEF Social Sciences Analytics Cell (CASS) Field Supervisor.

“There are grave consequences for children because they are more exposed to the risk factors of plague.”

Poor sanitation a factor

Bubonic plague, also known as black death, is an infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, which is usually found in small mammals and their fleas. It is characterized by painful swollen lymph nodes called buboes.

Outbreaks are often blamed on poor sanitation and hygiene practices which attract rats carrying fleas, searching for food, who infect people in their homes.

While the disease can be fatal, it is easily treatable with antibiotics.

The DRC, specifically Ituri, as well as Madagascar and Peru, are the only places worldwide where cases continue to be reported.

UNICEF said the current outbreak there differs from previous ones because both bubonic plague and the highly infectious pneumonic form of plague, which is transmitted from person to person through the air, have been reported in areas previously free of the disease. These areas are in the east of Ituri province, near the border with South Sudan and Uganda.

Poor families vulnerable

Ms.Scott Moncrieff said the plague is mostly transmitted in rural areas by fleas carried by wild rats. Poorer families can be particularly affected.

Yako Adhiku, 40, lives in a round, mud house with a thatched roof in the town of Aru, one of the three health zones in the UNICEF study. She first realized that her daughter, Asizu, who is two, had caught the plague when the lymph nodes on her neck started to swell.

“She also lost her appetite, had a fever, and her gums were very red,” said Ms. Adhiku.

Fearing that the child would die, she rushed her to the local health centre where she was given pills for her daughter and everyone in the family, in case they too had been infected.

Ms. Adhiku told researchers that she often saw rats scuttling around her house. She even borrowed a cat to try and keep them out.

“The very existence of the plague here is making us poor,” she said. “I have to look after my sick child, so I do not have time to go to the fields and farm anymore.”

Supporting affected communities

Although plague is easily treatable with antibiotics, which are available in most health zones in Ituri, UNICEF stressed that it is important to seek treatment quickly.

A recent report found that although communities in the three targeted health zones are aware of factors which increase their exposure to plague, poverty, conflict and displacement have hindered people from taking action to protect themselves and their children.

The situation is further aggravated by additional factors, such as lack of resources, which forces many people to sleep on floors because they do not have beds; unsafe funeral practices, poor waste disposal, and seeking medical care through traditional methods rather than recognized health centres.

UNICEF is appealing for support to assist affected communities in Ituri, including through a rat and flea eradication campaign and the construction of homes that are more resistant to rodents and dangerous insects. The agency is also working to provide beds for children made from locally available materials. “We want to give parents the means wherever possible to provide children with beds and stop young people from having to sleep on the ground where they are more exposed to plague through flea bites,” said Ms. Scott Moncrieff.

“At the same time, we want to ensure that householders and subsistence farmers can live in a secure environment with the resources to keep their food and livestock safely in separate buildings from where they live and sleep.”

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of UN News.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Africa

Living Standard

Strive Masiyiwa’s Liquid Partners Facebook In DRC Fibre Network Expansion

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 05:50:01 +0000

Strive Masiyiwa’s Liquid Partners Facebook In DRC Fibre Network Expansion

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admin Wed, 07/21/2021 - 05:50

Friday, July 9, 2021

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Business | NewZimbabwe.com

Original Article

Strive Masiyiwa’s Liquid Partners Facebook In DRC Fibre Network Expansion

By Alois Vinga

UNITED KINGDOM-based Zimbabwean business magnate, Strive Masiyiwa’s firm, Liquid Intelligent Technologies has partnered with Facebook in a landmark fibre network expansion project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The project will also connect the East and West Africa regions, and in the process improve internet access to over 30 million people in that part of the continent.

“Today I am excited to share the news that Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Facebook have agreed to partner to build a fibre network in the DRC to help connect East and West Africa by land. This partnership will improve internet access for more than 30 million people across Central Africa!” Masiyiwa said in an update.

He said Facebook will invest in the fibre build and support network planning, while Liquid will own, build and operate the fibre network.

Liquid will also provide wholesale services to mobile network operators and internet service providers.

The network is expected to help create a digital corridor from the Atlantic Ocean through the Congo rainforest, the second-largest rainforest after the Amazon, into East Africa, and then onward to the Indian Ocean.

This new corridor will connect the DRC to its neighbouring countries including Angola, Congo Brazzaville, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Liquid will also employ more than 5 000 people from local communities to build the fibre network.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies group chief executive, Nic Rudnick said the partnership will bridge the technology gap.

“This is one of the most difficult fibre builds ever undertaken, crossing more than 2 000 kilometres of some of the most challenging terrain in the world,” Rudnick said.

“Liquid Technologies and Facebook have a common mission to provide affordable infrastructure to bridge connectivity gaps, and we believe our work together will have a tremendous impact on internet accessibility across the region.”

Facebook’s director of network investments Ibrahima Ba said the mammoth task of deploying fibre to this region would improve connectivity.

“We know that deploying fibre in this region is not easy, but it is a crucial part of extending broadband access to under-connected areas. We look forward to seeing how our fibre build will help increase the availability and improve the affordability of high-quality internet in the DRC,” he said.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies is present in more than 20 countries, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It has firmly established itself as the leading provider of digital infrastructure with an extensive network covering over 100 000 kilometres.

The post Strive Masiyiwa’s Liquid Partners Facebook In DRC Fibre Network Expansion appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.

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Business

Italian ambassador to DRC killed in ambush

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 06:00:01 +0000

Italian ambassador to DRC killed in ambush

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admin Tue, 02/23/2021 - 06:00

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

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Italian ambassador to DRC killed in ambush

Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been killed in an attack on a United Nations convoy near the eastern Congolese city of Goma.

The UN World Food Program says at least two other people were killed and several more injured in the attack Monday that killed Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio.

A UN spokesman told VOA the other two fatalities were an Italian national and a Congolese WFP driver. The spokesman says the attack targeted two WFP vehicles travelling about 25 kilometres northeast of Goma.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. A WFP statement said the delegation was travelling from Goma to visit a WFP school feeding program in Rutshuru when the incident took place. It noted that the attack “occurred on a road that had previously been cleared for travel without security escorts.”

Reuters, citing the Virunga National Park, reports the convoy was attacked near the town of Kanyamahoro as part of a kidnap attempt. A spokesperson for UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the UN chief condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of those killed.

“The secretary-general calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate swiftly this heinous targeting of a United Nations joint field mission and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Monday.

He told reporters several rebel groups operate in the area, and it is unclear who the perpetrators were. Italy’s Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio issued a statement expressing his “great dismay and immense sorrow" over the deaths of his compatriots.

"The circumstances of this brutal attack are not yet known and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened," Di Maio said.

Congo’s mineral-rich east has been a battleground for numerous armed groups for more than two decades, since militants involved in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide fled across the porous border. UN peacekeepers have attempted to restore peace in the region for more than a decade.

The most active group currently appears to be the Allied Democratic Forces, a violent Ugandan rebel group that seeks to establish Sharia law. The group appears to have ramped up its attacks in recent months, capturing villages, killing civilians, recruiting child soldiers and sparring with the Congolese army.

The infrastructure-poor area has also, in the past three years, seen an outbreak of Ebola, the largest in the nation’s history.

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News

JUST IN: Italian Ambassador, two others killed in DR Congo

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 18:10:01 +0000

JUST IN: Italian Ambassador, two others killed in DR Congo

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admin Mon, 02/22/2021 - 18:10

Monday, February 22, 2021

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ALSO READ: Killings by armed groups in DR Congo worry UN refugee agency

WFP said it was seeking information from national authorities to determine the details behind the attack, which occurred on a road that had previously been cleared for travel without security escorts.

“WFP is in close contact with the Italian authorities through its offices at its Rome headquarters and in the DRC.”

Africa

News

Oil Production Cut: Sylva travels as Nigeria lobbies four OPEC countries

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 02:30:01 +0000

Oil Production Cut: Sylva travels as Nigeria lobbies four OPEC countries

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admin Sat, 02/20/2021 - 02:30

Friday, February 19, 2021

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Business – Premium Times Nigeria

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Oil Production Cut: Sylva travels as Nigeria lobbies four OPEC countries

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has embarked on a four-day journey to some Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to discuss issues around crude oil production cut.

A statement by his special Adviser on Media, Garba Deen Muhammad, on Friday, said the countries include Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville and South Sudan.

“Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has left Nigeria today for Equatorial Guinea on a start of his four-nation shuttle to oil-producing countries that include Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville and South Sudan within the week.

“His mission is to discuss issues of compliance cuts which the organisation has been using to stabilise oil price at the peak of the global COVID-19 pandemic which had plummeted to as low as 10 dollar per barrel,” Mr Muhammad said.

He said OPEC chose Mr Sylva as a way of rewarding Nigeria for beating daunting odds to achieve full compliance with OPEC cuts, despite its other economic challenges.

According to him, the minister is expected to deploy his country’s credentials as a full compliant member country to encourage the four nations to stay the course and abide by the cuts and general OPEC principles.

ALSO READ: Renewables great but won’t get close to overtaking oil & gas soon – OPEC

He said that the minister is expected back in Nigeria next week.

OPEC announced the appointment of Mr Sylva to act as its Special Envoy to the four countries.

The organisation rallied together and undertook painful cuts among its members and also persuaded its allies such as Russia to do the same to stabilise oil price.

The sacrifice paid off as demand gradually improved and prices began to rise until they reached the current impressive level of about $60 per barrel. (NAN)

Africa

Business