On November 3, 2016, Siaka Minayaha Coulibaly, Director of Cabinet of Ivorian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has revealed at the Africa Agri Forum the functions of the coming Rural Land Agency (AFOR) recently announced by President Ouattara after the referendum campaign that just ended in Cote d’Ivoire. Expected to be operational in January 2017, the agency should help...

The members of the Union des Associations et Coordination d’Associations pour le Développement, la Défense des Droits des Démunis (UACDDDD) at a press conference held last Sunday strongly reaffirmed their determination to countering “land predators”. The Malian civic society organization has in sight three main issues it wants to tackle: first is the announced demolition of Bamako’s...

In its report on the economic outlook for the sub-Saharan region updated in October 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Cote d’Ivoire, except a last minute turn of event, would record the highest growth rate in the region between 2016 and 2018. The West African nation should thus fare better than Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Senegal over the period considered. According to...

Mining company Teranga Gold plans to proceed to a fundraising for AU$65 million (about $49.9 million) to advance the Banfora gold project which it recently acquired in Burkina Faso. To raise the funds, the firm signed an agreement under which it will issue 62 million shares at AU$1.05 a share. Of this volume, 32.5 million shares will be issued on a bought deal basis through a syndicate of...

Tanzania’s government expects its economy to grow by 7.5% in 2017 and 7.9% in 2018, up from 7.2% in 2016, Minister of Finance and Planning, Philip Mpango, said on November 2. “The macroeconomic objectives of the government are to attain gross domestic product growth (GDP) of 7.5 percent in 2017, followed by 7.9 percent in 2018”, Mpango told parliament. He added that the government...

Singapore’s maritime transport firm Pacific International Lines has commissioned on October 31 a logistics centre it has established in Egypt. Situated in Cairo, at the Al Tajamouat industrial park, the centre which covers 20,000 m² was commissioned as Singapore’s President, Tony Tan Keng, was officially visiting the Egyptian capital. Opening the centre which is equipped with advanced...

The African Development Bank (AfDB) provided Algeria a $1 billion loan to help it deal with deficit caused by slump in oil revenues. The funds will partly be used to support the government’s efforts regarding the mobilization of internal resources, in addition for investments aiming to improve business environment, which is to boost energy efficiency and promote renewable energies to be...

On November 2, 2016, Ngo Search for Common Ground has organized in Bujumbura a land-related experience-sharing workshop between Congolese and Burundian officials. Aspects discussed during the session include land-related innovations and the reform of land legislation in Burundi. “The aim is to gather State and civic society actors so they work in synergy on land. In Burundi, we want to boost...

Thirty (30) billion dollars. That’s how much the initiative in favor of the Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA) plans to raise to fight global warming. Launched by Morocco, this initiative wishes to mobilize this sum during the COP22. According to the COP22’s team of media advisers, all African nations have factored agriculture in their national efforts to fight global warming. As the...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) plans to join forces with the Republic of Niger on the purchase of crude oil for supply to the Kaduna refinery. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Maikanti Baru, revealed this after a meeting with Niger’s Minister of Energy and Oil, Foumakoye Gado, in Abuja. According to Baru, NNPC also plans to partner with Niger as regards the sharing...