Gender equality could have a significant impact on rural electrification moves in sub-Saharan Africa, new data suggests. Fenix International, which sells off-grid solar kits in Uganda and Zambia, has uncovered a gender difference: Although only 20 percent of its kits are purchased by women, they bring in more new clients than...
Internet penetration is creeping up in Africa, bringing the prospect of digital dividends to a continent long marked by digital divides. "Africa has reached a penetration which has broken the barrier of 15 %, and that's important," says Nii Quaynor, a scientist who has played a key role in the introduction...
SENEGAL - Senegal’s new International Blaise Diagne opened early in December, will improve regional connectivity, drive down costs of transportation, grow and transform the economy, co-funders of the project- African Development Bank said. A statement issued by African Development Bank said, "With a 42,000m2 (square meter) passenger terminal and a 12,800m2 cargo...
ZAMBIA has been touted as the favourite destination for investors. In an effort to improve the business environment, Government has set out to make the country more attractive by enhancing infrastructure development. That’s why the country in 2017 made infrastructure development central to its vision to attract investors. As the year comes to...
Global trade is unravelling. Most recently, the World Trade Organisation biennial trade talks ended with no new agreements, with the WTO calling on members to do some “soul searching”. But amid the doom and gloom, Africa is proving to be one of the arenas for moving regional trade negotiations forward....
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is taking the lead in facilitating the takeoff of one of Africa’s largest infrastructureproject − the $5-billion Nacala corridor rail and port project, supporting the project with $300-million from its private sector window. After years of financial structuring, a signing ceremony presided over by the Mozambican...
The decision to end finance to upstream oil and gas marks a turning point for development assistance. At the One Planet Summit in Paris last week, the World Bank Group announced that, from 2019, it will no longer finance upstream oil and gas. This reflects the Bank’s decision to realign its...
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has signed a US$200mn three-year term loan facility, to be used for general corporate purposes, including facilitating trade. Mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners on the facility were First Abu Dhabi Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Rand Merchant Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. KfW Ipex-Bank...
The African Development Bank disbursed more than €71 million for the construction of a 714 km high voltage power line. The infrastructure which will link N’Zérékoré (Guinea) and Sanankoroba (Mali), will enable the electrification of 201 villages and provide a better access to electricity. Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbadé, assistant general manager of the AfDB in...
The Board of the African Development Bank has approved a US$153 million loan for Namibia to upgrade a 210 km stretch of railway in the west of the country. The support will also finance the upgrade of a section of the road from the capital of Namibia, Windhoek, to its international...
