The IAEA Director General was in Nigeria this week to help increase access to vital nuclear technologies for cancer care, in his first official visit to the country since taking office.

Rafael Mariano Grossi was invited by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu to to speak at the High-level Regional Seminar on Promoting Cancer Awareness and Advocacy Programmes for the member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

During his opening address, the Director General said: “Every day 2000 Africans die of cancer. Around 80 per cent of Africans do not have any access to radiotherapy. Any at all.

“The IAEA is about concrete projects,” Mr Grossi continued. “It is about giving you the technology, it is about training your doctors, your oncologists, your radiotherapists, so that they are able to provide these services to your people. And this is what we are going to be doing with Rays of Hope.”

Many of the first ladies who spoke at the event mentioned their countries’ partnerships with the IAEA, and how these were helping drive progress towards health goals. Both the First Lady of Gambia Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow and First Lady of Sierra Leone Dr Fatima Maada Bio said they appreciated the support from the IAEA in working towards the first radiotherapy centres in their countries.

Dr Maada added: “Our agenda now is to make sure we have our own facility in Sierra Leone – where we can treat our own people in our own country.”

Before the cancer seminar, Mr Grossi visited the National Hospital Abuja, alongside Minister of Health Dr Tunji Alausa, to speak with medical staff and view firsthand the issues they face maintaining key radiotherapy equipment and hiring trained experts.

The Director General was shown a Linear Accelerator radiotherapy machine that had already treated 50 patients that day, but was out of order regularly due to ongoing maintenance issues. He also saw a brachytherapy machine for providing internal radiotherapy, which is the only one available to treat 60 million people in the area. Nigeria has asked the IAEA to coordinate an imPACT review this year to help improve its cancer control programme.

At the end of his visit, Mr Grossi said: “It is very clear that Nigerians need more access to cancer treatment than is currently available. We need to amplify the support. You can count on us.”

Dr Emmanuella Nwachukwu, Head of the Radiotherapy and Oncology Department, agreed: “We were immensely pleased to receive the Director General and take him on a tour of the facility, showing him how we have put to good use the various benefits we received from the IAEA in the last two decades, while sharing our challenges, as well as our requests that we need to improve radiotherapy services and cancer care at the National Hospital Abuja.”

During his two-day visit, the Director General also met with senior members of the government, such as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, to discuss cancer care and other development priorities, including sustainable energy.

Nigeria is currently planning its own nuclear power programme, with the IAEA’s support. Mr Grossi told Mr Akume that this is “a logical move for a country of your size and importance.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Spiro, the largest electric vehicle company in Africa, is pleased to announce it has signed heads of terms for US$50 million debt facility with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com). 

This landmark agreement was signed in Kigali, Rwanda during the Africa CEO Forum, highlighting Spiro’s commitment to enhancing sustainable transportation on the continent. The official signing ceremony featured Spiro’s CEO, Kaushik Burman, and Madame Kanayo Awani, Intra-African Trade and Export Development Bank, Afreximbank. 

Spiro is the largest electric vehicle company in Africa, with over 14,000 bikes, over 9 million swaps in five countries. Operating across multiple African nations, Spiro’s mission is to reduce environmental impact and enhance urban mobility, build an integrated EV ecosystem in Africa with multitude of partners and establish a wide range of charging infrastructure which include battery swapping and direct charging. 

Afreximbank, known for its role in stimulating a consistent expansion and diversification of African trade, has been instrumental in fostering economic development across the continent. The bank’s support for Spiro not only highlights the potential of green technologies in Africa but also aligns with its broader strategy to facilitate environmental sustainability and economic resilience. 

“This partnership with Afreximbank is a pivotal development for Spiro,” stated Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro. “The $50 million USD debt facility will significantly enhance our operational capabilities and help us expand our footprint to more African countries. It’s a testament to the confidence in our business model and our contribution to sustainable development in Africa.” 

Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development Bank, Afreximbank expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “This partnership affirms our commitment to fostering sustainable innovation and green technologies in Africa. We are happy to support Spiro through this facility which will in turn accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and enhance transportation across Africa. This collaboration reaffirms our belief in the power of innovation to create a better world for future generations.”

The funds will be utilized to further expand Spiro’s network of automated swap stations and introduce new electric bike models, enhancing the accessibility and convenience of green mobility solutions. As Spiro continues to lead the charge in transforming Africa’s transport ecosystem, this collaboration with Afreximbank marks a significant milestone in the journey towards a greener future.

Anish Jain, Group CEO of Equitane, expressed his support for this new venture, stating, “This partnership with Afreximbank marks a significant milestone in Spiro’s journey. As part of the Equitane Group, Spiro embodies our commitment to pioneering solutions that promote sustainability and economic growth. We are proud to see Spiro take this remarkable step forward, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future in African transportation.” 

Last August, Spiro announced a $63 million debt funding round with Societe Generale, in a deal designed to expand the company’s footprint in Benin and Togo. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

About Spiro: 
Spiro is the largest electric vehicle company in Africa, with over 14000 bikes, over 9 million swaps in five countries. Operating across multiple African nations, Spiro’s mission is to reduce environmental impact and enhance urban mobility, build an integrated EV ecosystem in Africa with multitude of partners and establish a wide range of charging infrastructure which include battery swapping and direct charging. 

About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$104 billion between 2016 and 2023. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

About Equitane:
Equitane is a dynamic conglomerate deeply invested in fostering progress in Africa and beyond. The company is all about spotting opportunities and turning them into big projects that make a real impact. From infrastructure, power and gas, electric vehicles, renewable energy, textiles, agribusiness, healthcare, to sustainable mining, Equitane incubates the potential in their subsidiaries to encourage growth across a wide range of sectors and geographies. Their mission is straightforward: to help countries grow economically and socially. That means creating jobs, training young people, and teaming up with governments to achieve their goals. Equitane is focused on economic growth and passionate about building a better future. Through smart investments and teamwork, they are tackling today’s challenges while laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s successes.

South Africa and the Western Cape in particular, is a destination of choice for many respected and market-leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. Many of these businesses base some of their global operations here in the Western Cape, where they employ, train and upskill tens of thousands of local South Africans to provide world-class professional business services to clients across the world.

According to CapeBPO, the Western Cape’s strategic business partner responsible for the growth and development of the BPO industry, for every offshore BPO job based in South Africa, R350 000 of foreign revenue is injected into our economy.

“This means that for the approximately 100 000 BPO jobs country wide, the majority of which (approximately 60 000) are right here in the Western Cape, R35 billion goes into our national economy. The value that our talented people contribute on the world’s stage is impressive,” explained Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger.

“The growth of the BPO sector in the Western Cape is a testament to the hard work and perseverance put into the promotion and mobilisation of the industry by our private and public sector stakeholders. The investment in skills development has created a steady and world-class supply of talent to cater to the clear international demand, supported through our agile public/private partnership between our local and provincial government partners (the City of Cape Town and Western Cape Government) and our Operator community. Based on our shared vision to enable  meaningful careers, we are tackling the challenge of unemployment head on, with each job created contributing to a solution we as proud South Africans want to see manifested,” added CEO of CapeBPO, Clayton Williams.

The Western Cape Government’s (WCG) ambitious economic plan of action, ‘Growth for Jobs’ is focused on enabling the private sector to grow and create jobs.

“As the WCG, we are immensely proud to partner, through our dedicated programmes, with the determined and dedicated people investing in the BPO sector. BPO is a thriving and growing industry that must be nurtured if we are to enable the private sector to establish, expand and – critically – employ many more hundreds of thousands of South Africans. At the end of the day, this is why we do what we do – to give more South Africans, and particularly our young people, the opportunities they need to live up to their full potential,” concluded Minister Wenger.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities, South Africa.

The U.S.-Nigeria Air Transport Agreement, which has been provisionally applied since 2000, entered into force on May 13, 2024. This bilateral agreement establishes a modern civil aviation relationship with Nigeria consistent with U.S. Open Skies international aviation policy and with commitments to high standards of aviation safety and security. The agreement includes provisions that allow for unrestricted capacity and frequency of services, open route rights, a liberal charter regime, and open code-sharing opportunities.

This agreement with Nigeria is a step forward in liberalizing the international civil aviation sector in Africa and further expands our strong economic and commercial partnership, promotes people-to-people ties, and creates new opportunities for airlines, travel companies, and customers. With this agreement, air carriers can provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient air services to travelers and shippers, which in turn promotes tourism and commerce.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria.