In Senegal, the deadline set by the telecom and posts regulatory authority (ARTP) for telecom operators to identify and verify identity of their users passed last Nov. 11. After the operation, the regulator found out that they are four million unidentified SIM card users for a total of 15 million subscribers. However, instead of cutting off the unregistered as it threatened earlier, ARTP gave...

In partnership with GARF Private Investors, Beya Capital, the Global Environment Fund and many other philanthropic institutions, Morocco has launched the Marrakech Investment Committee for Adaption (MICA). The $500 million Fund will be first that the government develops with private investors. The launch took place on the sidelines of the Climate Finance Action Summit 2016 whose topic was...

Facebook wants to connect to the internet the 4.1 billion people who are still not. That is the firm’s major long term goal for the next decade, its chief of technology officer Mike Schroepfer revealed at the Web Summit 2016 which ended in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 10. Facebook aims to make the make the “world more open and connected”. To achieve this, it must therefore boost...

In Algeria, the Industrial dairy production group (Groupe Industriel des Productions Laitières –GIPLAIT) announced it would increase its production capacity from 300,000 litres daily to a million litre. The move aims to fully meet the needs of Algiers’ population as well as that of those of its neighboring wilayas such as Tizi Ouzou, Blida and Tipaza. It comes after it was discovered that...

Falling into the steps of Ivory Coast, Namibia has decided to deny foreign nationals access to its lands. The government has proposed last Thursday in parliament a law in the Land Bill of 2016 to ban foreign land ownership. The bill, if adopted, should help secure the agricultural lands of the country. According to estimates from the Land Minister, Utoni Nujoma, out of 12,000 farms spread...

Junior Graphex Mining has got a mining lease over its Chilalo graphite project in Tanzania. “Securing the mining licence is a significant step towards our objective of commencing project development and commercial production at Chilalo. It confirms Chilao’s position as one of the most advanced graphite projects of any company listed on the ASX,” said MD Phil Hoskins. Mr. Hoskins added...

Government of Mauritius relies on wind energy to meet its internal demand for power. It has launched via the Central Power Council (CEB) the construction of a second wind plant which will generate 29.4 MW yearly. Estimated to cost 2.4 billion rupees ($67.2 million), the infrastructure which will be built in the central part of the island, at Mare aux Vascoas, will have 14 turbines and start...

In Mozambique, less than two months after liquidity crunch and bailout of Moza Banco, the country’s fourth largest bank, the Central Bank of Mozambique has ordered the closure of private bank Nosso Banco for failing to overcome the difficult financial situation in which it was. The Central Bank said in a statement released on November 13, 2016, that Nosso Banco was poorly capitalized even...

Prices of fruits and vegetables in Egypt have soared by about 20% as transportation costs also increased by 50% after the government decided to suspend subsidy on gasoline fuel and diesel fuel. FreshPlaza,  recalling that transportation accounts for about 35% of total transportation costs of the commodities, said the price increase differs from one product to the other. It explained that a...

SDX Energy in its operational update on activities at its South Disouq and Meseda concessions in Egypt announced that the initial evaluation of the 3D seismic data at the concession was positive and identified potentials for both oil and gas bearing prospects. According to the company, additional interpretation of the data has shown several Abu Madi and Kafr El Sheikh prospects exhibiting strong...