Improve food security programme to be launched in Africa
A unique, Africa-led fund designed to improve food security across the continent has become a reality for the first six countries slated to benefit from the initiative.
The Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Niger and South Sudan signed agreements in Tunis with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to receive $2 million each from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.
“The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund shows that African countries are ready to step up and work with their neighbours to build a sustainable and food secure region, and to have the future we want,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.
The agreements were signed during the FAO Regional Conference for Africa.
Building Strong, Sustainable Energy Partnerships With Africa
U.S. Department of Energy official Daniel Poneman visits Mozambique and South Africa to highlight the importance of building strong energy partnerships.
On his trip to Africa in summer 2013, President Obama announced the Power Africa initiative, which aims to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. In March, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman traveled to South Africa and Mozambique to highlight the importance of building strong partnerships to work toward a more sustainable and prosperous energy future for both the United States and Africa.
Poneman met with energy sector leaders and discussed ways to unlock the potential of energy resources and move toward a low-carbon and more resilient energy economy, according to a March 31 blog post on the Energy Department website by Special Advisor Desiree Pipkins.
Shown above, Poneman joined South African energy sector officials to cut the ribbon at the POWER-GEN Africa 2014 exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa.
KFC follows Nigerian fast food pioneer in African growth
When investment banker Ebele Enunwa moved to Nigeria's oil industry hub more than a decade ago, he was distraught by a lack of places he wanted to eat. To tackle the problem, he raised $1-million from banks and friends to open a chain of fast-food outlets called Kilimanjaro—named for Africa's highest peak—in 2004.
Now, competitors including Yum! Brands, Domino's Pizza and Johnny Rockets International are following suit and opening outlets, while McDonald's says it's eyeing opportunities in Africa's most populous country.
The chains are staking claim to an industry that has grown more than 10% annually this decade despite operating in a nation where chicken imports are banned, power supply is unreliable and a meal costs more than most people make in a day.
Africa urged to consider solar energy
The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has suggested that African countries adopted solar energy as major source of power generation.
Nebo made the call at the Ministerial Consultation on Energy in Africa at the ongoing African Union and Ministers of Economy and Finance Summit in Abuja on Friday.
He said Africa had huge mineral resources such as gas, wind, coal, among others, in abundance for energy development.
He added that natural solar energy, which was in abundance in the region, should not be neglected.
“Solar power can give us 10 times or more to the other resources we already have.
“I don’t believe that solar generated energy is too expensive. In the next couple of years, it will get parity with gas and coal.
“The only problem is with storage. But the flood of solar in the region cannot be stopped’’, he said.
