Showing posts with label 2023. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2023. Show all posts

Saturday, December 30, 2023

2023 in Review: International Digital Post Network Limited - A Potential Unicorn in Nigeria


2023 in Review: International Digital Post Network Limited: A Potential Unicorn 

2023 has been an awesome year of rough economic challenges of tough times.

Inspite of the odds against me, my duly incorporated International Digital Post Network Limited (IDPNL) has been able to remain totally debt free and has never borrowed since the incorporation in September, 2009.

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2023/06/international-digital-post-network.html

Personally, the total amount I have owed in my life so far is $600 (six hundred dollars) only.

International Digital Post Network Limited has been a success story with highly valuable assets and products and international partnerships in the digital media industry, blockchain, mobility, e-commerce and entertainment industry making it a potential Unicorn by the total valuation of the assets, products and partnerships for the Big Picture of the future of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry and creative economy.

IDPNL has partnerships with companies in America, India and Singapore in the global film industry in film acquisition, distribution, production and exhibition.

I am still having 100% ownership of the International Digital Post Network Limited and the subsidiaries. Because, I am the still the sole funder of the company.

Thanks to Almighty God for great is His faithfulness, goodness and mercies and loving kindness.

I trust Almighty God for the best in 2024.

Cheers!
Best regards,
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Founder/CEO,
International Digital Post Network Limited,
King of Kings Books International,
Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema, SOOAC
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

#digitalmedia 
#blockchain 
#mobility 
#ecommerce 
#fintech 
#finearts 
#filmindustry 
#entertainment 
#partners 
#partnership 
#assets 
#products 
#publishing 
#fashion
#lifestyle 
#Nigeria
#india
#singapore
#newyear
#2024
#nollywood
#bollywood


Thursday, October 19, 2023

Chief Talent Officer, Arno Peperkoorn To Discuss Inclusivity in Media at the Global Black Impact Summit 2023 in Dubai


PRESS RELEASE

Chief Talent Officer Arno Peperkoorn to Discuss Inclusivity in Media at the Global Black Impact Summit (GBIS) 2023

Arno Peperkoorn is the Chief Talent Officer at Omnicom Media Group and works to advance diversity and inclusivity across the global media and creative industry

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 19, 2023/ -- The global entertainment and media industry grew 5.4% in 2022, with revenue estimated at $2.32 trillion. By 2028, the market is projected to grow to a record $3.434 trillion, with developing countries taking the lead. As such, the industry will serve as a catalyst for economic growth worldwide, and media professionals such as Arno Peperkoorn, Chief Talent Officer at Omnicom Media Group, are committed to ensuring industry growth is encompassed by diversity and inclusivity. 

Peperkoorn has joined the Global Black Impact Summit (GBIS) (https://GlobalBlackImpact.com/) – scheduled for November 30 to December 1 in Dubai – as a keynote speaker. Peperkoorn brings with him a wealth of experience and a fervent dedication to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the media and creative industry, and during the summit, he will share his perspectives on advancing inclusion in media while contributing to the collective dialogue on promoting Black excellence.

As the Co-Founder of Include Now, a foundation at the forefront of advocating for Diversity and Inclusivity, Peperkoorn exemplifies a commitment to fostering environments that celebrate the rich tapestry of human experience. His work with Include Now serves as a powerful testament to his belief in the transformative potential of inclusivity.

In his role as Chief Talent Officer at Omnicom in the Netherlands, Peperkoorn's everyday endeavors are marked by his tireless efforts to build bridges between individuals from diverse backgrounds. He possesses a unique talent for recognizing and amplifying the inherent strengths and abilities in people and firmly believes that while we all bring different perspectives to the table, it is imperative that we be treated with equal respect for our individuality.

Peperkoorn’s dedication to championing diversity and inclusivity aligns seamlessly with the core theme of GBIS 2023, 'Black Excellence: Unleashing the Unexplored Potential for Global Unity.' His insights promise to be invaluable in advancing the conversation surrounding the untapped potential that lies within diverse communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

About the Global Black Impact Summit 2023:

The Global Black Impact Summit – which is organized by Energy Capital & Power - is an annual event that seeks to celebrate the achievements of the Black community, promote excellence and explore untapped potential across various fields. This year’s summit is set to be a transformative experience, featuring influential speakers, engaging panel discussions, and networking opportunities that empower attendees to reach new heights. To register go to https://GlobalBlackImpact.com/.

SOURCE

Energy Capital & Power

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Mozambique’s President Nyusi Joins Namibian, Ugandan, Senegalese Presidents, Nigerian Former President at African Energy Week (AEW) 2023 to Discuss Africa’s Sustainable Future

 


PRESS RELEASE
Mozambique’s President Nyusi Joins Namibian, Ugandan, Senegalese Presidents, Nigerian Former President at African Energy Week (AEW) 2023 to Discuss Africa’s Sustainable Future
Marking his return to the African Energy Week conference in Cape Town, Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi will once again address delegates at the important gathering, engaging with the respective Presidents of Namibia, Uganda and Senegal and the former President of Nigeria as they chart a pathway towards a sustainable energy future

Access Multimedia Content

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 8, 2023/ -- Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi has been at the forefront of a series of industry-advancing developments in the country. Under his leadership, the country has seen noteworthy success across its energy sector, with a strong slate of foreign companies driving several large-scale projects in close collaboration with the National Oil Company Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH). Under efforts to drive the southern African region into a new era of security, President Nyusi continues to showcase resilience and a commitment to a just and inclusive energy transition in Africa.

In line with the event mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) is proud to announce that President Nyusi will once again address delegates at the African Energy Week (AEW) conference in Cape Town. Taking place from October 16-20, President Nyusi’s address marks his return to this highly important event. President Nyusi joins regional Presidents in Cape Town to discuss the pathway towards a sustainable and secure energy future in Africa, including Senegalese President Macky Sall; Namibian President Hage Geingob; Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni; and Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mozambique stands at the intersection of Africa’s energy security and transition agenda, serving as a strong example of how natural gas can accelerate both accessibility and sustainability goals. The country already represents a major green energy producer, with projects such as the 2,075 MW Cabora Bassa Hydropower project providing power to the regional community. In tandem with renewable expansion plans – the country is targeting a wave of solar, hydro and power investments – Mozambique is advancing its oil and gas developments with the aim of electrifying and growing the southern African economy.


The country has been monetizing onshore gas from the Pande and Temane fields for several years, with South Africa’s Sasol importing via the ROMPCO pipeline. Offshore, major projects are making headway, all of which are poised to transform the country. These include the $20 billion TotalEnergies-led Mozambique Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), with a capacity of 43 million tons per annum (mtpa); the ExxonMobil-led Rovuma Area 4 LNG Trains 1 & 2, with a capacity of 18 mtpa; and the Eni-led Coral Sul Floating LNG project, with a capacity of 3.4 mtpa. Coral Sul achieved first LNG export in late 2022, marking a major milestone for the country.

These billion-dollar initiatives have showcased the potential for large-scale offshore investments, and with most of the country’s resources largely untapped, opportunities for E&P players remain prevalent. Mozambique’s proven natural gas resources are measured at 100 trillion cubic feet (tcf), with proven plays across both onshore and offshore acreage. Other energy companies such as Galp, Shell, Kogas and more are active in the country, but opportunities continue to grow for both regional and international firms. On the oil side, the untapped oil-rich basins of Angoche and Zambezi have enticed the participation of players such as Eni, Sasol, Delonex Energy and ExxonMobil, and yet further opportunities lie awaiting investment. Strategically located in close proximity to high-demand regional markets as well as international consumers, the country’s gas resources will remain of central value for years to come.

President Nyusi believes that Mozambican energy will be instrumental for making energy poverty history in southern Africa. Speaking during last year’s edition of the conference, President Nyusi stated that, “the suffocation that Africa is facing is not due to a lack of resources. Africa is home to 850 tcf of gas in addition to other resources which can play an important role in addressing energy poverty. It is critical to continue reforming the regulatory environment in order to attract more investment.”

“President Nyusi has been at the helm of some of Africa’s biggest natural gas developments,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “While faced with challenges regarding project developments, President Nyusi has shown dedication to engaging with both foreign companies and local communities under efforts to advance energy projects and unlock the full potential of Mozambique’s offshore gas resources. As Africa moves to advance a just and inclusive energy transition, Mozambique’s resources and leaders such as President Nyusi will be of strategic importance.”

AEW 2023 features the most comprehensive lineup of African energy and petroleum ministers as well as Presidents, all of whom have joined the conference with the objective of alleviating energy poverty and industrializing the continent. Centered on signing deals and advancing dialogue around Africa’s position in global energy affairs, AEW 2023 serves as a form of prelude to COP28 discussions about Africa’s energy transition. Leading this dialogue will be President Nyusi among other regional government heads. Join the AEW 2023 conference and take part in the discussions about Africa’s energy renaissance. 
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
 
About Africa Energy Week:
AEW is the AEC’s annual conference, exhibition and networking event. AEW 2023 will unite African energy policymakers and stakeholders with global investors to discuss and maximize opportunities within the continent’s entire energy industry. For more information about AEW 2023, visit 
www.AECWeek.com

SOURCE
African Energy Chamber


Sunday, October 1, 2023

Happy New Month and Happy Independence Day Anniversary of Nigeria!


#SundayExaltations👏💕💋💞🙌

HALLELUJAH!

HAPPY SUNDAY, HAPPY NEW WEEK AND HAPPY NEW MONTH OF PROGRESS, PROSPERITY, SUCCESS, TRIUMPH AND VICTORY OF TRIUMPHANT OVERCOMERS AND VICTORIOUS CHAMPIONS OF OUR ONE AND ONLY ALMIGHTY FATHER GOD JEHOVAH JIREH.

HAPPY 63RD INDEPENDENCE DAY OF NIGARA AND 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF  REPUBLIC OF NIGARA.

Psalm 34

1

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.



Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Video: Full Speech of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Address at the 78th UN General Assembly



Video: Full Speech of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Address at the 78th UN General Assembly on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

 - UNGA 78, Sept. 18th - 26th, 2023.

United Nations General Assembly, New York, USA.

#PBATinUNGA #UNGA


Statement summary

BOLA AHMED TINUBU, President of Nigeria, said that, while failures in good governance have hindered Africa, “broken promises, unfair treatment and outright exploitation from abroad have also exacted a heavy toll on our ability to progress”.  Due to both longstanding internal and external factors, the economic structures of Nigeria and Africa have been skewed to impede development, industrial expansion, job creation and the equitable distribution of wealth.  If Nigeria is to fulfil its duty to its people and the rest of Africa, it must create jobs, a belief in a better future and lead by example.  “And we are doing so,” he stressed, detailing his Government’s removal of a costly, corrupt fuel subsidy and a noxious exchange-rate system.  “Other growth and job-oriented reforms are in the wings,” he added.

Welcoming partnerships with those “who do not mind seeing Nigeria and Africa assume larger roles in the global community”, he said that the question is not whether his country is open for business. Rather, he emphasized, it is “how much the world is truly open to doing business with Nigeria and Africa in an equal, mutually beneficial manner”.  Direct investment in critical industries, the opening of ports to a wider range and larger quantity of African exports and meaningful debt relief are important aspects of this cooperation.  He also underlined the need to affirm democratic governance as “the best guarantor of the sovereign will and well-being of the people”.  Military coups are wrong — as is any tilted civilian political arrangement that perpetuates injustice — but he observed that the wave crossing Africa is not a demonstration in favour of coups. Rather, “it is a demand for solutions to perennial problems”, he said.

He went on to say that the West Africa region “is locked in protracted battle against violent extremists”, and — in the turmoil — “a dark channel of inhumane commerce has formed”.  Along that route, everything is for sale, and men, women and children are seen as chattel.  At the same time, mercenaries and extremists invade from the north with lethal weapons and vile ideologies.  While African nations will improve their economies and disband extremists on their turf, he called on the international community to strengthen its commitment to “arrest the flow of arms and violent people into West Africa”.  Another important aspect of global solidarity is to secure Africa’s mineral-rich areas from pilfering and conflict, he stressed, noting that many such areas have become “catacombs of misery and exploitation” and that “the mayhem visited on resource-rich areas does not respect national boundaries”. 


He said that, at Nigeria’s door, foreign entities — abetted by local criminals aspiring to be petty warlords — have drafted thousands of people into servitude to illegally mine gold and other resources.  Billions of dollars meant to improve the nation now fuel violent enterprises, and Member States must deter their firms and nationals from this pillaging.  He also detailed the severe impacts of climate change on his country, stating that African nations will fight climate change — “but must do so on fair and just terms”.  Outlining several national measures, he said that continental efforts will register victories if established economies are “more forthcoming with public- and private-sector investment for Africa’s preferred initiatives”.  Stressing that Africa does not wish to “replace old shackles with new ones”, he said that the continent is not a problem to be avoided, nor is it to be pitied.  “Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future,” he said.

https://gadebate.un.org/en/78/nigeria

CONCLUSION

As I close, let me emphasize that Nigeria’s objectives accord with the guiding principles of this world body: peace, security, human rights and development.

In fundamental ways, nature has been kind to Africa, giving abundant land, resources and creative and industrious people. Yet, man has too often been unkind to his fellow man and this sad tendency has brought sustained hardship to Africa’s doorstep.

To keep faith with the tenets of this world body and the theme of this year’s Assembly, the poverty of nations must end. The pillage of one nation’s resources by the overreach of firms and people of stronger nations must end. The will of the people must be respected. This beauty, generous and forgiving planet must be protected.

As for Africa, we seek to be neither appendage nor patron. We do not wish to replace old shackles with new ones.

Instead, we hope to walk the rich African soil and live under the magnificent African sky free of the wrongs of the past and clear of their associated encumbrances. We desire a prosperous, vibrant democratic living space for our people.

To the rest of the world, I say walk with us as true friends and partners. Africa is not a problem to be avoided nor is it to be pitied. Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future.

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/09/20/full-text-president-tinubus-first-address-at-un-general-assembly/



Saturday, September 16, 2023

60 Years of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: 1963 - 2023

NIFT of the first President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, GCFR, JP and the current President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. The NFT was minted yesterday on the Algorand blockchain and will be available for public auction on the 60th anniversary of the Republic of Nigeria in October. 

This is the first ever NFT on the first and current President of Federal Republic of Nigeria minted specially for the 60th anniversary from October 1963-October 2023. You can see the symbolic photograph of the President of the First Republic, Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe in black and white smiling at the current President of the Fourth Republic, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in colour. The timeless value of the NFT is defined by the symbolism of the political history of Nigeria and should be the exclusive property of the Nigerian government and should be preserved in the digital art gallery of the National Museum and National Library of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

https://nftmyimage.com/70nRCuPPppf8fej_Y9Is2g?created=true

https://nftmyimage.com/@nigeriadaily

Art collectors and dealers who are interested to be invited to the first auctions of NFTs in Nigeria should contact us for the invitation.




Nnamdi Benjamin AzikiweGCFR PC (16 November 1904 – 11 May 1996).
Popularly called "Zik of Africa", one of the Founding Father's of modern Nigeria was  a highly esteemed statesman and national political leader who served as the ceremonial first President of Nigeria during the First Nigerian Republic which existed from 1963 to 1966.



Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu GCFR (born 29 March 1952) is a leading advocate of modern democracy and the 16th and current President of Nigeria. He was the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007; and Senator for Lagos West in the Third Republic.


Nigerian First Republic (1963 - 1966)  Nigerian Second Republic (1979 - 1983) Nigerian Third Republic (1993) 
Nigerian Fourth Republic (1999 -)

Presidents and Heads of State of Nigeria since October 1, 1960 - May 29, 2023.

General Muhammadu Buhari (May 2015- May 2023)

Dr  Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (29 May 2010 to 29 May 2015)

Umaru-Musa-Yar-Adua (29 May 2007 to 5 May 2010)

Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007)

General Abdulsalami Abubakar (8 June 1998 to 29 May 1999)

General Sani Abacha (17 November 1993 to 8 June 1998)

Dr. Ernest Shonekan (26 August 1993 to 17 November 1993)

General-Ibrahim-Babangida (27 August 1985 to 26 August 1993)

General Muhammadu Buhari (31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985)

Alhaji Shehu Shagari (1 October 1979 to 31 December 1983)

General Obasanjo Olusegun (13 February 1976 to 1 October 1979)

General Murtala Mohammed (29 July 1975 to 13 February 1976)

General Yakubu Gowon (1 August 1966 to 29 July 1975)

General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (16 January 1966 to 29 July 1966)

Dr. Azikiwe Nnamdi (1 October 1963 to 16 January 1966)

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, a leading writer on Nigerian political leadership with over 32 years experience in presidential campaigns in Nigeria. He is a former special aide to the Director of Publicity for the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur's Presidential Campaign in 1990. He is the author of The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream (with 94% positive 2,634 Sellers rating) and other books distributed by Amazon, Barnes&Noble and other booksellers worldwide.

In October 1963, Nigeria proclaimed itself the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and former Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe became the country's first President.

Although Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, the nation retained the British monarch, Elizabeth II, as titular head of state until the adoption of a new constitution in 1963 declaring the nation a republic.

THE FIRST REPUBLIC

NIGERIA

Nigeria became independent on October 1, 1960. The period between this date and January 15, 1966, when the first military coup d'état took place, is generally referred to as the First Republic, although the country only became a republic on October 1, 1963. After a plebiscite in February 1961, the Northern Cameroons, which before then was administered separately within Nigeria, voted to join Nigeria.

At independence Nigeria had all the trappings of a democratic state and was indeed regarded as a beacon of hope for democracy. It had a federal constitution that guaranteed a large measure of autonomy to three (later four) regions; it operated a parliamentary democracy modeled along British lines that emphasized majority rule; the constitution included an elaborate bill of rights; and, unlike other African states that adopted one-party systems immediately after independence, the country had a functional, albeit regionally based, multiparty system.

These democratic trappings were not enough to guarantee the survival of the republic because of certain fundamental and structural weaknesses. Perhaps the most significant weakness was the disproportionate power of the north in the federation. The departing colonial authority had hoped that the development of national politics would forestall any sectional domination of power, but it underestimated the effects of a regionalized party system in a country where political power depended on population. The major political parties in the republic had emerged in the late 1940s and early 1950s as regional parties whose main aim was to control power in their regions. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) and the Action Group (AG), which controlled the Northern Region and the Western Region, respectively, clearly emerged in this way. The National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), which controlled the Eastern Region and the Midwestern Region (created in 1963), began as a nationalist party but was forced by the pressures of regionalism to become primarily an eastern party, albeit with strong pockets of support elsewhere in the federation. These regional parties were based upon, and derived their main support from, the major groups in their regions: NPC (Hausa/Fulani), AG (Yoruba), and NCNC (Igbo). A notable and more ideologically-based political party that never achieved significant power was Aminu Kano's radical Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), which opposed the NPC in the north from its Kano base.

There were also several political movements formed by minority groups to press their demands for separate states. These minority parties also doubled as opposition parties in the regions and usually aligned themselves with the party in power in another region that supported their demands for a separate state. Ethnic minorities therefore enabled the regional parties to extend their influence beyond their regions.

In the general election of 1959 to determine which parties would rule in the immediate postcolonial period, the major ones won a majority of seats in their regions, but none emerged powerful enough to constitute a national government. A coalition government was formed by the NPC and NCNC, the former having been greatly favored by the departing colonial authority. The coalition provided a measure of north-south consensus that would not have been the case if the NCNC and AG had formed a coalition. Nnamdi Azikiwe (NCNC) became the governor general (and president after the country became a republic in 1963), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (NPC) was named prime minister, and Obafemi Awolowo (AG) had to settle for leader of the opposition. The regional premiers were Ahmadu Bello (Northern Region, NPC), Samuel Akintola (Western Region, AG), Michael Okpara (Eastern Region, NCNC), and Dennis Osadebey (Midwestern Region, NCNC).

Among the difficulties of the republic were efforts of the NPC, the senior partner in the coalition government, to use the federal government's increasing power in favor of the Northern Region. The balance rested on the premise that the Northern Region had the political advantage deriving from its preponderant size and population, and the two southern regions (initially the Eastern Region and the Western Region) had the economic advantage as sources of most of the exported agricultural products, in addition to their control of the federal bureaucracy. The NPC sought to redress northern economic and bureaucratic disadvantages. Under the First National Development Plan, many of the federal government's projects and military establishments were allocated to the north. There was an "affirmative action" program by the government to recruit and train northerners, resulting in the appointment of less qualified northerners to federal public service positions, many replacing more qualified southerners. Actions such as these served to estrange the NCNC from its coalition partner. The reactions to the fear of northern dominance, and especially the steps taken by the NCNC to counter the political dominance of the north, accelerated the collapse of the young republic.

The southern parties, especially the embittered NCNC, had hoped that the regional power balance could be shifted if the 1962 census favored the south. Population determined the allocation of parliamentary seats on which the power of every region was based. Because population figures were also used in allocating revenue to the regions and in determining the viability of any proposed new region, the 1962 census was approached by all regions as a key contest for control of the federation. This contest led to various illegalities: inflated figures, electoral violence, falsification of results, manipulation of population figures, and the like. Although the chief census officer found evidence of more inflated figures in the southern regions, the northern region retained its numerical superiority. As could be expected, southern leaders rejected the results, leading to a cancellation of the census and to the holding of a fresh census in 1963. This population count was finally accepted after a protracted legal battle by the NCNC and gave the Northern Region a population of 29,758,975 out of the total of 55,620,268. These figures eliminated whatever hope the southerners had of ruling the federation.

Since the 1962-63 exercise, the size and distribution of the population have remained volatile political issues. In fact, the importance and sensitivity of a census count have increased because of the expanded use of population figures for revenue allocations, constituency delineation, allocations under the quota system of admissions into schools and employment, and the siting of industries and social amenities such as schools, hospitals, and post offices. Another census in 1973 failed, even though it was conducted by a military government that was less politicized than its civilian predecessor. What made the 1973 census particularly volatile was the fact that it was part of a transition plan by the military to hand over power to civilians. The provisional figures showed an increase for the states that were carved out of the former Northern Region with a combined 51.4 million people out of a total 79.8 million people. Old fears of domination were resurrected, and the stability of the federation was again seriously threatened. The provisional results were finally canceled in 1975. As of late 1990, no other census had been undertaken, although one was scheduled for 1991 as part of the transition to civilian rule. In the interim, Nigeria has relied on population projections based on 1963 census figures.

Other events also contributed to the collapse of the First Republic. In 1962, after a split in the leadership of the AG that led to a crisis in the Western Region, a state of emergency was declared in the region, and the federal government invoked its emergency powers to administer the region directly. These actions resulted in removing the AG from regional power. Awolowo, its leader, along with other AG leaders, was convicted of treasonable felony. Awolowo's former deputy and premier of the Western Region formed a new party--the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP)--that took over the government. The federal coalition government also supported agitation of minority groups for a separate state to be excised from the Western Region. In 1963 the Midwestern Region was created.


By the time of the 1964 general elections, the first to be conducted solely by Nigerians, the country's politics had become polarized into a competition between two opposing alliances. One was the Nigerian National Alliance made up of the NPC and NNDC; the other was the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) composed of the NCNC, the AG, and their allies. Each of the regional parties openly intimidated its opponents in the campaigns. When it became clear that the neutrality of the Federal Electoral Commission could not be guaranteed, calls were made for the army to supervise the elections. The UPGA resolved to boycott the elections. When elections were finally held under conditions that were not free and were unfair to opponents of the regional parties, the NCNC was returned to power in the east and midwest, while the NPC kept control of the north and was also in a position to form a federal government on its own. The Western Region became the "theater of war" between the NNDP (and the NPC) and the AG-UPGA. The rescheduled regional elections late in 1965 were violent. The federal government refused to declare a state of emergency, and the military seized power on January 15, 1966. The First Republic had collapsed.


Scholars have made several attempts to explain the collapse. Some attribute it to the inappropriateness of the political institutions and processes and to their not being adequately entrenched under colonial rule, whereas others hold the elite responsible. Lacking a political culture to sustain democracy, politicians failed to play the political game according to established rules. The failure of the elite appears to have been a symptom rather than the cause of the problem. Because members of the elite lacked a material base for their aspirations, they resorted to control of state offices and resources. At the same time, the uneven rates of development among the various groups and regions invested the struggle for state power with a group character. These factors gave importance to group, ethnic, and regional conflicts that eventually contributed to the collapse of the republic.

The final explanation is closely related to all the foregoing. It holds that the regionalization of politics and, in particular, of party politics made the stability of the republic dependent on each party retaining control of its regional base. As long as this was so, there was a rough balance between the parties, as well as their respective regions. Once the federal government invoked its emergency powers in 1962 and removed the AG from power in the Western Region, the fragile balance on which the federation rested was disturbed. Attempts by the AG and NCNC to create a new equilibrium, or at least to return the status quo ante, only generated stronger opposition and hastened the collapse of the republic.

More about the Government of Nigeria.

Source: U.S. Library of Congress

Highly Recommended 
PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe To Deliver Keynote at Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) 2023 Conference in November in Kigali

 


Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF)
 

PRESS RELEASE
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe To  Deliver Keynote at Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) 2023 Conference in November in Kigali
Dr. Moloi-Motsepe is the Co-founder of the Motsepe Foundation, one of the largest foundations on the continent

Access Multimedia Content

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 17, 2023/ -- The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (https://www.AWIEForum.org) has confirmed that esteemed South African businesswoman, philanthropist, and fashion entrepreneur, Precious Moloi-Motsepe will deliver a keynote address at the 2023 edition of their prestigious annual AWIEF Conference and Awards.

AWIEF2023 Conference and Awards will take place on 9 and 10 November 2023 at the Kigali Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and Innovation of Rwanda, Private Sector Federation (PSF) Rwanda – Specialized Cluster, and Rwanda Convention Bureau.

Dr. Moloi-Motsepe is the Co-founder of the Motsepe Foundation, one of the largest foundations on the continent. The work of the Foundation is aligned to 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations, demonstrating its commitment to promoting sustainable development and making a positive impact on the continent.

She is also the Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, and the Founder of African Fashion International (AFI), a globally affiliated enterprise that champions African creatives and facilitates their entrance into global markets.

Currently in its 9th year, the award-winning AWIEF Conference is Africa's leading entrepreneurship event and provides a powerful platform for bringing together thought leaders, policymakers, development partners, and stakeholders in the African entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem for high-level discussions on Africa's economic development challenges and proffering inclusive solutions.

By bringing together a pan-African and international representation of business owners, leaders, and communities, the AWIEF event promotes intra-Africa trade, shines a light on achievements and acts as a catalyst to network, share knowledge, engage in dialogue, and learn from experts and peers across the continent’s borders and beyond.

With the theme Leveraging the Power of the Digital Economy: Innovate, Redefine, Empower, this year’s event aims to boost inclusivity, enhance partnerships, and empower startups and enterprises in the digital economy.

About her participation in AWIEF2023, Dr. Moloi-Motsepe said: “If we work together and act decisively, we can attain gender equality in our lifetimes. Using the power of the digital economy to drive African female entrepreneurship and innovation is a key dimension of this journey. I am excited about AWIEF2023, and proud to be a participant. Let’s use the opportunity to meet, learn, collaborate, and inspire, and in so doing build the momentum we need to empower all the women of Africa.”

Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and CEO said: “We are honoured and excited at the participation of Dr. Moloi-Motsepe in AWIEF2023, an exemplary global philanthropist and businesswoman. She is a leading advocate and driving force for the advancement of women in leadership and gender equality and serves as an inspirational figure and role model for women in business.”

Dr. Moloi-Motsepe joins a powerful global speaker faculty for AWIEF2023, including H. E. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda, Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, Secretary General, FIFA, Clare Akamanzi, CEO, Rwanda Development Board, Cosmas Zavazava, Chief of Department, Partnerships for Digital Development, International Telecommunication Union, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO, RwandAir and Chairperson, Board of Governors, IATA, and Eleanor Nwadinobi, President, Medical Women's International Association (MWIA).

To register for AWIEF2023, follow this link: https://apo-opa.info/3OHNxPI
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF).
 
Media enquiries:
Riana Andrews
Email: info@awieforum.org

SOURCE
Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF)


Saturday, August 5, 2023

JAZZHOLE, Me and PLATO's Republic

 JAZZHOLE, Me and PLATO's Republic

Last Wednesday, August 2, 2023, I went to JAZZHOLE, the largest bookstore for the Nigerian intelligentsia located on the Awolowo Road in Ikoyi on Lagos Island of Nigeria.

I often go there to visit Olakunle Tejuosho, the Co-founder and CEO of JAZZHOLE and Glendora Bookshops whenever I wanted to have cerebral moments of intellectual discussion on literature, the reading culture and political leaders of Nigeria.

We are both old boys of the famous St  Gregory's College on the Island where I became a child celebrity at 13 when I won the first prize in a national essay competition followed by the beautiful Elizabeth Banjo, daughter of the famous Emeritus Professor Ladipo Ayodeji Banjo, CON.

I was standing, because I did not want to stay long. But as I decided to sit down, suddenly a hardcopy book fell to my feet from the bookshelf beside me. As I picked up the book, it was PLATO's "Republic"! One of his famous books and an all time classic and one of my favourite books.Written around 375 BCE, it is regarded as Plato's best-known work, and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically.

This book is highly recommended for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON and Peter Obi, CON

#jazzholelagos

#Chima 

#Plato 

#repubiic

#jazz

#music 

#books 

#literature 

#intellectual 

#stgregory 

#college 

#reading 

#culture 

#politics 

#leadership 

#leaders 

#Nigeria 

#Tinubu 

#peterobi

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Speech By Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group: Inauguration Lecture for the New President of Nigeria

Africa: Speech Delivered by Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina - President, African Development Bank Group: Inauguration Lecture for the New President of Nigeria on 27 May 2023 at Abuja, Nigeria

PRESS RELEASE
Speech Delivered by Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina - President, African Development Bank Group: Inauguration Lecture for the New President of Nigeria on 27 May 2023 at Abuja, Nigeria
The African Development Bank was ranked last year by the Washington D.C.-based Center for Global Development as the “Best Multilateral Development Bank in the World”
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, May 30, 2023/ -- PROTOCOLS

Your Excellencies,

I wish to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his personal invitation to me to attend the ceremonies for the swearing-in of the incoming President-elect, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Congratulations Mr. President on Nigeria’s 7th consecutive democratic transition.

Congratulations to the incoming President and Vice President.

I wish to thank the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chairman, and members of the Presidential Transition Council, for inviting me to speak at this inauguration lecture for the incoming President of Nigeria.

It is such a great honor, to share my views and perspectives, as the nation gets ready to have a passing of the baton between H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari, and the incoming-President, H.E. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It is your turn!

I wish to congratulate you Mr. President for your stewardship of Nigeria for the past eight years. Thank you very much for all your strong support for me, as President of the African Development Bank Group.

Without your strong support for me in 2015, and then in 2020, I would not have been President of the African Development Bank. There is a saying that “anyone that is sent on an errand must come back and report to the one who sent him or her.” Mr. President, you sent me on an errand, and I am here to give you a report.

I am pleased to let you know that the African Development Bank was ranked this year by Publish What You Fund as the “Most Transparent Institution in the World.”

The African Development Bank was ranked last year by the Washington D.C.-based Center for Global Development as the “Best Multilateral Development Bank in the World”.

Dear Mr. President, as you leave, you can take pride that the mission for Africa is being well executed.

I wish to congratulate the incoming President, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who will take over the mantle of stewardship of Nigeria tomorrow.

I am delighted that my very dear friend and brother, President Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya was invited to deliver the inauguration lecture. He was a great leader for Kenya.

I am sure he must be wondering why there are two Kenyans on the same panel.

Well… I lived in Kenya for close to ten years.

I remember, one day when then President Goodluck Jonathan visited Kenya and I accompanied him as a minister, as the two Presidents were introducing members of their delegations, President Jonathan said, “Meet Dr. Adesina, Minister of Agriculture”, to which President Kenyatta responded, “Yes, Adesina is the Kenyan on loan to Nigeria as Minister.”

We all laughed!

Thank you, President Kenyatta, for your incredibly insightful and excellent speech.

Your Excellencies,

The election of a new President always elicits hope.

Nigeria will be looking to you, as President Tinubu, on your first day in office, with hope.

Hope that you will assure security, peace, and stability.

Hope that you will heal and unite a fractious nation.

Hope that you will rise above party lines and forge a compelling force to move the nation forward, with inclusiveness, fairness, equity, and justice.

Hope that you will drastically improve the economy.

Hope that you will spark a new wave of prosperity.

And hope must be brought to the present, as hope deferred makes the heart grow weary.

Your Excellencies,

The starting point must be macroeconomic and fiscal stability. Unless the economy is revived and fiscal challenges addressed boldly, resources to develop will not be there.

No bird can fly if its wings are tied.

Nigeria currently faces huge fiscal deficits, estimated at 6% of GDP. This has been due to huge federal and state government expenditures, lower receipts due to dwindling revenues from export of crude oil, vandalism of pipelines and illegal bunkering of crude oil.

According to Nigeria’s Debt Management Office, Nigeria now spends 96% of its revenue servicing debt, with the debt-to-revenue ratio rising from 83.2% in 2021 to 96.3% by 2022.

Some will argue that the debt to GDP ratio at 34% is still low compared to other countries in Africa, which is correct; but no one pays their debt using GDP.

Debt is paid using revenue, and Nigeria’s revenues have been declining.

Nigeria earns revenue now to service debt—not to grow.

The place to start is to remove the inefficient fuel subsidies.

Nigeria’s fuel subsidies benefit the rich, not the poor, fueling their and government’s endless fleets of cars at the expense of the poor. Estimates show that the poorest 40% of the population consume just 3% of petrol.

Fuel subsidies are killing the Nigerian economy, costing Nigeria $10 billion alone in 2022. That means Nigeria is borrowing what it does not have to if it simply eliminates the subsidies and uses the resources well for its national development.

Rather, support should be given to private sector refineries and modular refineries to allow for efficiency and competitiveness to drive down fuel pump prices. The newly commissioned Dangote Refinery by President Buhari—the largest single train petroleum refinery in the world, as well as its Petrochemical Complex—will revolutionize Nigeria’s economy.

Congratulations to Aliko Dangote for his amazing $19 billion investment!

Your Excellencies,

There is an urgent need to look at the cost of governance.

The cost of governance in Nigeria is way too high and should be drastically reduced to free up more resources for development. Nigeria is spending very little on development.

Today, Nigeria is ranked among countries with the lowest human development index in the world, with a rank of 167 among 174 countries globally, according to the World Bank 2022 Public Expenditure Review report.

To meet Nigeria’s massive infrastructure needs, according to the report, will require $3 trillion by 2050. According to the report, at the current rate, it would take Nigeria 300 years to provide its minimum level of infrastructure needed for development.

All living Nigerians today, and many generations to come, will be long gone by then!

We must change this. Nigeria must rely more on the private sector for infrastructure development, to reduce fiscal burdens on the government.

Your Excellencies,

Much can be done to raise tax revenue, as the tax-to-GDP ratio is still low.

This must include improving tax collection, tax administration, moving from tax exemption to tax redemption, ensuring that multinational companies pay appropriate royalties and taxes, and that leakages in tax collection are closed.

However, simply raising taxes is not enough, as many question the value of paying taxes, hence the high level of tax avoidance. Many citizens provide their own electricity, sink boreholes to get access to water, and repair roads in their towns and neighborhoods.

These are essentially high implicit taxes.

Nigerians therefore pay the highest ‘implicit tax rates’ in the world.

Governments need to assure effective social contracts by delivering quality public services. It is not the amount collected, it is how it is spent, and what is delivered. Nations that grow better run effective governments that assure social contracts with their citizens.

Your Excellencies,

We must rebalance the structure and performance of the economy.

A very common refrain in Nigeria, with every successive government, is “We need to diversify the economy.”

But is it so?

The economy of Nigeria is one of the most diversified in Africa, with the oil sector accounting for only 15% of the GDP, and 85% is in the other sectors.

Nigeria’s challenge is not diversification. Nigeria’s challenge is revenue concentration.

This is because the oil sector accounts for 75.4% of export revenue and 50% of all government revenue.

The solution, therefore, is to unlock the bottlenecks that are hampering 85% of the economy. These include low productivity, very poor infrastructure and logistics, epileptic power supply, and inadequate access to finance for small and medium-size enterprises.

Nigeria must also shift away from import substitution approach to export-focused industrialization. Nations do not thrive through import substitution; they thrive from export-bound industrialization.

Your Excellencies,

For faster growth, Nigeria must decisively fix the issue of power, once and for all.

There is no justification for Nigeria not having enough power.

The abnormal has become normal.

Nigeria’s private sector is hampered by the high cost of power. Providing electricity will make Nigerian industries more competitive.

And it is not brain surgery.

Take two examples: Kenya and Egypt.

With the support of the African Development Bank, Kenya, under President Kenyatta, was able to expand electricity access from 32% in 2013 to 75% in 2022. What an incredible achievement within 10 years!

Today, 86% of Kenya’s economy is powered by renewable energy. And in one project—the Last Mile Connectivity Project—the Bank’s support allowed Kenya to connect over 2.3 million poor households to electricity—that is over 12 million people provided with affordable connection to grid power.

In 2014, Egypt had electricity deficit of 6,000 megawatts, but by 2022 it had 20,000 megawatts of surplus power generation capacity. Amazing!

I commend the Government of Nigeria on the recent commissioning of the several power projects. But there is still much to do.

Nigeria should invest massively in renewable energy, especially solar. The African Development Bank is implementing a $25 billion Desert-to-Power program to provide electricity for 250 million people across the Sahel, including the northern parts of Nigeria.

Your Excellencies,

For inclusive development, Nigeria must completely revive its rural areas.

Nigeria’s rural areas are forgotten and have become zones of economic misery.

To revive and transform these rural economies, we must make agriculture their main source of income, a business and a wealth creating sector. To be clear, agriculture is not a development sector. Agriculture is a business.

The development of Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones will transform agriculture, add value for agricultural value chains and attract private sector food and agribusinesses into rural areas.

Special agro-industrial processing zones will help turn rural areas into new zones of economic prosperity and create millions of jobs.

The African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development are currently supporting the implementation of a $518-million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones’ program in 7 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

We are ready to help expand this to every state in the country. We are equally ready to help revamp agricultural lending institutions to help modernize the food and agriculture sector.

Your Excellencies,

The best asset of Nigeria is not its natural resources; Nigeria’s best asset is its human capital. We must invest heavily in human capital to build up the skills Nigeria needs to be globally competitive, in a rapidly digitized global economy.

We must build world class educational institutions, and accelerate skills development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as in ICT and computer coding, which will shape the jobs of the future.

Your Excellencies,

There is an urgent need to unleash the potential of the youth. Today, over 75% of the population in Nigeria is under the age of 35. This presents a demographic advantage. But it must be turned into an economic advantage.

Nigeria must create youth-based wealth.

We must move away from the so-called “youth empowerment programs”. Youths do not need handouts. They need investments. The current banking systems do not and will not lend to the youth. Special funds, while palliative in approach, are not systemic and are also not sustainable.

What’s needed to unleash the entrepreneurship of the youth in Nigeria are brand new financial ecosystems that understand, value, promote and provide financial instruments and platforms for nurturing business ventures of the youth at scale.

The African Development Bank and partners including Agence Francaise de Developpement and the Islamic Development Bank launched the $618 million I-DICE program to develop digital and creative enterprises. They will create 6 million jobs and add $6.3 billion to Nigeria’s economy.

Your Excellencies,

The African Development Bank is currently working with Central Banks and countries to design and support the establishment of Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks. These will be new financial institutions, run by young, professional, and highly competent experts and bankers, to develop and deploy new financial products and services for businesses and ventures of young people.

Several African countries plan to establish Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks.

Nigeria should establish the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank.

Your Excellency, Mr. President-elect,

Nigeria’s economy needs to soar!

You have an opportunity to make history.

History by building a resurgent Nigeria.

A united and prosperous Nigeria.

It is Nigeria’s turn!

I wish you all the best for success.

May God bless—and help you.

And may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

SOURCE
African Development Bank Group (AfDB)



Sunday, May 7, 2023

Who is the New Shining Star in Nollywood?


Who is the new shining star to watch out for in Nollywood?


Uti Nwachukwu, the handsome unique  style icon, TV personality, actor and the co-host of the Nigerian show Jara was the Shining Star to watch in the first edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series published in 2013. And he has become a true shining since then. 

In 2023, the New Shining Star in Nollywood is a black and beautiful young actress who featured in an international award winning film. 

Who is she? 

You will see her in the third edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series. Definitely a collector's edition.

#Nollywood

#star

#actor

#2013

#2023

#editor

#collector

#awards

#film


#series

 





Wednesday, March 15, 2023

International Women’s Month 2023: Abidjan-Based Women Investment Champions Share Their Journeys with Africa Investment Forum

Africa Investment Forum Senior Director Chinelo Anohu ( 5th from left, poses with US Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire Jessica Davis (fourth from left) and women businesses leaders, March 8 2023 Abidjan.

PRESS RELEASE

International Women’s Month 2023: Abidjan-Based Women Investment Champions Share Their Journeys with Africa Investment Forum

They also opened up about their expectations of AIF as a catalyst and facilitator of financing for women

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 15, 2023/ -- The Africa Investment Forum (https://www.AfricaInvestmentForum.com/) marked International Women’s Day by hosting a special evening session for African women business leaders and innovators under its “Women as investment Champions pillar”.

Founded in 2019 by the African Development Bank and seven other founding partners, the Forum is a fully transactional, multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary platform dedicated to advancing private and public partnership deals to financial close.

The intimate dinner gathering was held March 8, as a prime opportunity to “sit and dine with each other, learn from each other and hear from those who are taking on the world,” Africa Investment Forum Senior Director Chinelo Anohu told the attendees in welcoming remarks.

“I am gratified to see the champions in this room. Women who are doing marvelous things, who are doing big things; women doing small things in a big way, and big things in an even bigger way,” she said.

Chinelo, underlined the support which the Africa Investment Forum has given to women following the launch of the Women as Investment Champions pillar in 2019.

“This pillar seeks financing that will accelerate women’s businesses and discover their particular needs and also encourage their innate strengths to ensure that they do the businesses they do,” Anohu said.

“The AIF stands ready to assist everyone in this room and to learn from everyone in this room. Together we can lift each other up and support each other,” she said.

Expressing support for the AIF women’s pillar, special guest, United States’ Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Jessica Davis, said her nation understood the importance of investing in women.

“As for the United States we are there to support women, to encourage them, to form partnerships, to learn from them and also to exchange with them and to see how we can better open US markets to them and to encourage investment into Cote d’Ivoire and the region,” Davis said. “Because investing in women brings empowerment which brings prosperity in families, communities, countries and the world.”

Only in December last year, the Africa Investment Forum garnered strong support in the U.S. during the US-Africa Business Summit convened by President Biden to help advance key infrastructure projects for the continent. Three founding members of the Forum signed memoranda of understanding worth over $1 billion with the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) to expand American trade and investment in Africa.

Swazi Tshabalala, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group said the occasion was opportune for her to “talk to women entrepreneurs, hear their stories, understand their needs which I think will help us to better support them in growing their own businesses and pursuing their own passions.”

At the end of the evening, she expressed admiration for women involved in training other women for entrepreneurship and leadership roles. “I think that’s a very underrated part of the work that we need to do for women and as women,” she said.

As the businesswomen shared their journeys, triumphs and challenges, they also opened up about their expectations of AIF as a catalyst and facilitator of financing for women. They voiced their optimism and expectations of how much further women can go with more resources.

Kadi Fadika, CEO& partner, Hudson &Cie, a financial company specialized in intermediation, the stock market industry, brokerage and investment management spoke of the firm’s new project which enables it to support women-owned small businesses. “It’s not our only goal, but we offer women financing customized to their current size and growth,” she added.

Young women leading a new generation of female entrepreneurship

Three outstanding young female entrepreneurs spoke passionately about their businesses, which have raised the bar in innovation for Cote d’Ivoire: Salimata Toh, CEO of Agribana, which transforms banana tree trunks into biodegradable bags, Edith Kouassi, CEO, EcoPlast Innov  a recycling plant which turns plastic waste and used tires into granules and building materials and Ahoua Touré, CEO Maison Manjou, founder of a gastronomic company which celebrates African heritage through culinary works to “highlight the richness of the continent.”

Other guests at the event included, Laure Gondout, former minister of Foreign Affairs in Gabon, Patrica Pokou-Diaby , Founder and CEO of Plot Enterprise Ghana Limited, a major cocoa processor, Oumou Coulibaly, CEO of Ivoire Win, Jane Feehan, head of West and Central Africa, European Investment Bank, Massogbé Touré, Founder and CEO of the SITA Group which produces, processes and exports Cashew nuts and Roselyne Chambrier Chalobah, Country Representative, Arise RCI. The veteran manager of infrastructure and logistics projects, is also owner of the San Pedro Multipurpose Industrial Terminal Project and Manon Karamoko, President of WIC Capital an investment fund dedicated to financing women-owned businesses.

Also in attendance from the African Development Bank were Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Beth Dunford and Esther Dassanou, Coordinator of the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), which is bridging the finance gap for women in Africa.

The Africa Investment Forum’s partners are the African Development Bank together with seven other founding partners, namely Africa 50; the Africa Finance Corporation; the African Export-Import Bank; the Development Bank of Southern Africa; the Trade and Development Bank; the European Investment Bank; and the Islamic Development Bank.

To learn more about the Women as Investment Champions pillar of the Africa Investment Forum, click here (https://apo-opa.info/40azztS).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:

Amba Mpoke-Bigg,
Communication and External Relations Department,
Email: media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:

The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org.

SOURCE

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)