In a report released during 41st Annual World Tourism Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, independent provider of strategic market research Euromonitor has disclosed that arrivals of foreign tourists in Africa have increased by 6.5% in 2017, to reach 18.55 million, against 16.35 million in 2012.  Euromonitor attributes the increase to various factors including “the digital integration and...

Mining firm Predictive Discovery signed with Canadian Progress Minerals a Joint-Venture (JV) agreement over its gold exploration permits in Burkina Faso. In effect, the JV aims at developing a mine on Predictive’s prospects. The JV aims to advance towards a future multi-pit mine development on Predictive’s gold prospects. Under the agreement, Progress Minerals can acquire a stake of up to...

The West African Development Bank (BOAD) will grant a $14 million (FCFA7.4 billion) loan facility to the Société d’hôtellerie, de restauration, et de loisirs which is owned by Lebanese-Beninese business mogul Ghaby Kodeih, to build and operate Mariott Hotels & Resorts, a five-star hotel, in Cotonou. The related agreement was signed last Wednesday by the two parties.  The...

In order to identify and secure State domains used illegally, Guinea’s minister of Land development and Town planning, Dr. Ibrahima Kourouma (photo), held last Friday a work session with the prefect and regional directors of his department. “The goal of the government and the President of the Republic, is to provide decent living standards for all Guineans. And this can be done only by...

In its recent report entitled “The 2017 DATA Report: Financing the African Century”, Ngo ONE revealed that in 2016, global official development aid stood slightly above $140 billion, rising 7.4% compared to 2015. This amount represents 0.31% of the revenues of donor countries.    The rise, according to the Ngo, is mainly due to the fact that many donors, in Europe mostly,...

To tackle various land challenges and regulate the sector, Benin plans to adopt a law on developed properties. This was announced by Noukpo Jean-Paul Houndeffo, information secretary of the National Order of Architects and Urban Planners, on TV channel ORTB. “The law will oversee conditions to use and occupy lands in the Republic of Benin. Real estate development is quite on the rise in Benin...

Development bank of Namibia (DBN) raised N$291 million ($21.99 million) during its first fundraising campaign on local financial markets. DBN, whose major shareholder is the Namibian government, is satisfied with the results as their expected target was between N$200 and 300 million. This fundraising received 26 subscriptions offers from 13 Namibians and South African investors. The bonds whose...

Soon, Mauritius will have the Indian Ocean’s biggest oceanarium. According to lexpress.mu, the news website that revealed this, the infrastructure will be built by the Eclosia group and be located in Caudan, a seafront which hosts Port Louis’ Marina.  Construction of the project which is valued at 500 million Mauritian rupees (about $15 million), will begin in January 2018 and...

On September 12, 2017, Senegal hosted the 32nd meeting of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Médias Post reports. The meeting’s topic was “Land Use and Occupation: Atlas of Sahel and West Africa’s landscapes”, a tool for planning and help in decision-making process.       “It is imperative to find pertinent and...

Trump’s administration issued a visa restriction order for citizens from 4 countries worldwide, including three in Africa. These are Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The law entered into effect since September 13, 2017. The United States blames those countries of not cooperating in the framework of repatriation of their citizens living irregularly in the US. According to Washington,...