Côte d’Ivoire’s Coffee and Cocoa council (CCC) will launch a grubbing-up operation covering 300,000 ha of cocoa farms infested by Swollen shoot virus, over the next 3 years, a senior source at the organization told Reuters. This program which aims to improve cocoa output will however be followed by a decrease of 150, 000 tons in the country’s yield, over the related...

Tanzanian government should soon start the third stage of its rural electrification program, resulting in the electrification of about 4,000 villages. The information was stated at National Assembly by the deputy energy minister, Subira Mugambo. “There are a few projects that had been worked on. I can confirm that some of the projects in Geita and Mwanza have been completed and the...

Over the global population of 7, 593 billion people, there are now more than 4.021 billion using internet, according to the “2018 Global Digital” report released by We Are Social and Hootsuite. Out of this, Africa recorded the most significant increase in 2017. 435 million connected over 1, 272 billion Africans. This is 73 million new users or 20% more than the year...

Senegalese government will soon establish a roadmap to stop small ruminants’ plague (PPR). This information, announced by Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye (picture), minister of livestock and animal production, was relayed by Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (APS). The project valued at CFA12 billion will run for six years with as main objective to eradicate, by 2025, the viral disease...

Randgold Resources plans to set a new peak of production at lower costs on its gold complex Loulo-Gounkoto in Mali, Chiaka Berthe, manager of the company’s West African operations, said on Monday at an update conference on quarterly activities. He said that the complex, which had produced 707,116 oz of gold in 2016, is on track for better performance. The global year’s figures will...

Mining company Toro Gold announced Monday the entry into production of its Mako gold mine, in Senegal. First gold pour (41.2 kg) occurred last Jan. 26, two weeks ahead of schedule. “We are glad to announce the achievement of this milestone for the company earlier than expected and below budget,” commented Martin Hogan, the CEO. He added that the production of this first gold...

Rwandan authorities are working on a policy to facilitate land access in order to attract investors in special economic zones, Kigali in particular. The information was announced byVincent Munyeshyaka (photo), minister of trade and industry, as reported by Panor Actu. “Investors looking to set up factories in special economic zones, will now have easier access to land, under a...

In 2015-17, nearly 6, 000 customers opened accounts at Coris Baraka, the agency for Islamic financing of the Burkinabe subsidiary of Coris Bank International. The information was revealed by Diakarya Ouattara, managing director of Coris Bank International Burkina Faso, during a ceremony on Jan. 27. However, he did not provide details on the volume of deposits collected, or outstanding...

In Mali, while many media had discussed uncertainty about the firm selected to broadcast DTT signals in the country, TNTSAT Africa contacted Ecofin Agency to clarify the matter. The company sent us a press release concerning the authorization received from High Authority for Communication (HAC), Mali’s audiovisual regulator, making it the only DTT’s distributor and broadcaster...

International Finance Corporation, World Bank’s subsidiary dedicated to private sector funding, will inject $9 million (CFA4.7 billion) in housing sector’s development in WAEMU area. The institution indicated this in a statement released Jan. 26, 2018. The grant will be directed to the Union’s Regional Mortgage Refinancing Fund (HRRC) charged to facilitate access to housing loans for...