The President of the DR Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, recently met with a delegation of the British telco Vodafone on the sidelines of the UK-Africa summit. As part of their partnership which aims to give a new face to the Congolese telecom sector, Vodafone announced new investments to boost financial inclusion in the country. Vivek Badrinath, Vodafone's CEO for the Africa, Middle East, Asia, and...

Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics Enterprise wants to make the dry port of Modjo the main logistics hub of the country. The project valued at $150 million will be funded by the World Bank. The dry port of Modjo, situated in the centre of the country 76 km from Addis Ababa, will be completely transformed into a logistics center over the next five years, says Ewnetu Taye, Deputy Managing...

US-based venture fund Lateral Capital, which operates in sub-Saharan Africa, has achieved a $20 million first close for its fund dedicated to promising startups in the focus region. Called Lateral Investment Partners I Fund, the new facility will support early-stage and growth-stage startups with investment of between $250,000 and $5 million. The company also announces six new...

The Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF) has approved $4.7 million for seven new projects across the continent. In Mozambique, the Facility will support a syntropic farming strategy to improve the resilience and adaptation of vulnerable communities in the country's coastal and marine ecosystems. In Sudan, the supported project will foster resilience of women and young farmers by boosting...

Ugandan telecom operators have until 30 January 2020 to formally notify the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) of the type of licenses they wish to acquire under the new regime's entry into force.   New categories include the license of National Telecom Operator (NTO), valid for 15 years, which gives the right to establish and provide telecom infrastructure and services; the...

Turkey plans to increase its trade with Algeria from about $4 billion currently to $5 billion “very soon,” Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (pictured) reported. The announcement was made during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a revitalization of Turkey's economic relations with its African partners, notably Algeria where it is the leading...

The government of Burkina Faso will recruit civilian volunteers for counter-terrorism activities. The law approving the measure was adopted unanimously by the Parliament last week. The new recruits, aged at least 18 and living in recruitment areas, will first be trained by regular army officials over 14 days before they receive small arms and communication and vision tools. Called “Homeland...

The government of Nigeria plans to mobilize $1 billion from international banks to finance agricultural mechanization, agriculture Minister Sabo Nanono reports.  Lenders include the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Deutsche Bank (DB) and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). The loan will be channeled through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and will be repaid over a period of 15...

The government of Senegal is seeking to update its “Digital Senegal 2025” strategy and set a framework for its implementation. The subject will be discussed during a 3-day workshop organized by senior officials of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Telecommunications, from January 27 to 29. According to the Ministry, the Digital Senegal 2025 strategy must now align with the new...

Many African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia, are taking preventive measures against the highly contagious Corona Virus currently hitting China (Africa’s leading trade partner), which has already killed 26 people.  “We have sent an alert to all the 47 counties. We have also heightened surveillance at all points of entry and screening has started,” said...