To promote trade and foster economic growth in Africa, IFC today announced trade finance facilities with seven Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) (www.Ecobank.com) subsidiaries operating in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, and Togo.

IFC’s $140 million trade finance guarantee facility will help strengthen the participating affiliates’ trade finance operations and leverage ETI’s wide-spanning footprint in Africa to assist in developing new trade partnerships for businesses in these countries. Strengthening Africa’s trade lines will help reduce the continent’s reliance on imports and contribute to economic development.

The trade line is part of IFC’s $1 billion African Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (ATRI), which is supporting Africa’s regional trade development. IFC’s trade finance facility for Ecobank was announced at the Africa CEO Forum, which convenes business leaders, policymakers, and investors to discuss economic and social issues and opportunities across the continent.

“Our partnership with IFC is a testament to our strong relationship with an important and longstanding partner. Establishing the Global Trade Finance Program supports Ecobank’s goal to boost trade within Africa and help small and medium-sized businesses engage confidently in cross-border trade,” said Alain Nkontchou, Chairman Ecobank Transnational Incorporated. “By removing financial barriers, we will leverage Ecobank’s borderless payment platform and solutions to help businesses take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area single market.”

“IFC’s renewed partnership with Ecobank Group will facilitate access to finance for businesses in Africa, support economic growth, and boost job creation,” said Sérgio Pimenta, IFC’s Vice President for Africa. “Partnering with the Ecobank Group will enable IFC to support small businesses, many operating in environments where securing trade finance can be challenging.”

Under this partnership, IFC will also provide advisory services to Ecobank and its subsidiaries, with a focus on helping the banks boost their support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and increase access to finance for businesses owned or run by women.

IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) extends and complements the capacity of banks to deliver trade financing by providing risk mitigation in new or challenging markets where trade lines may be constrained. Under the program, IFC has issued guarantees worth more than $100 billion globally to date. In financial year 2023 alone, IFC issued $9.1 billion, of which $3.5 billion was in Africa.

IFC and Ecobank have a longstanding partnership supporting trade, business growth, and entrepreneurship dating back to 1993.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.

In Kigali:
Hawa Seydou Diop
Phone: +221 77 515 08 12
E-mail: hdiop1@ifc.org

Christiane Mbimbe Bossom
Phone:  +228 22 21 03 03
E-mail: groupcorporatecomms@ecobank.com

About IFC:
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.IFC.org  

Stay Connected with IFC on social media (https://apo-opa.co/4bIWCBO)

About Ecobank Group (or ‘Ecobank Transnational Incorporated’ or ‘ETI’):
Ecobank Group is the private pan-African financial services group with unrivalled African expertise. Present in 35 sub-Saharan African countries, as well as France, UK, UAE and China, its pan-African platform provides a single gateway for payments, cash management, trade and investments. The Group employs over 15,000 people and offers Consumer, Commercial, Corporate and Investment Banking products, services and solutions across multiple channels including digital, to over 32 million customers. For further information, visit www.Ecobank.com

UN Women Deputy Executive Director (DED) Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda carried out a six-day mission in Kenya, where she saw UN Women’s work first-hand, and met with women’s rights organizations and partners, to strengthen partnerships, represent UN Women at the CSO Forum and galvanize action for gender equality and women’s empowerment in the country.  

The mission took place as the Deputy Executive Director joined the UN Civil Society Conference, held on 9-10 May in Nairobi, Kenya, and as she is concluding her first 100 days in office.

DED Gumbonzvanda led the UN Women team at the UN Civil Society Conference, which brought together more than 4,000 delegates from the civil society, the governments and the UN to create space for multi-stakeholder engagement ahead of the Summit of the Future and as a venue for civil society to participate in the preparations process.

Leading the discussion on Beijing +30, DED Gumbonzvanda highlighted that 2024 and 2025 will mark milestone moments in the journey of multilateral commitments to gender equality.

“Summit of the Future and Beijing+30 present an opportunity to look carefully at hard-won gains and ensure they are not reversed. A lot remains to be done and more than ever implementation of these commitments is critical,” noted Ms. Gumbonzvanda.

Speaking at the interactive dialogue Ms. Gumbonzvanda called for gender equality and women’s rights to be at the core of the Pact for Future. “As a woman living with a disability myself, I see the Pact for Future to be about inclusion and non-discrimination, investing in human security and public services, and putting women and gender equality at the front and center of our common agenda,” she said.

The engagements of the Deputy Executive Director in Kenya underscored the country’s progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment, while also providing an opportunity to share recommendations to further strengthen Kenya’s efforts in safeguarding women’s rights.

The mission was also a chance to review progress achieved since Kenya, in 2021, became a global co-lead of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on ending gender-based violence. Under this Action Coalition, the Government of Kenya pledged twelve concrete commitments on ending all forms of violence against women and girls, and the Government has since developed a five-year road map to achieve the commitments along with partners.

In a productive meeting with Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya, DED Gumbozvanda called for a renewed commitment to Generation Equality, the support for two-thirds gender principle and increased budget for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

In a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage of Kenya, Hon. Aisha Jumwa Katana, Deputy Executive Director commended her for her leadership in promoting gender equality, particularly the work on #GenerationEquality, funding opportunities for women through dedicated funds such as women enterprise fund and affirmative action on procurement and business opportunities, the national care policy and the two-thirds gender principle.

One of the highlights of the visit was DED Gumbonzvanda’s vibrant meeting with graduates from the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI). The initiative, supported by the Government of Belgium, is empowering more than 2000 young girls across Africa to become computer programmers, creators, paving the way for future careers in ICT.

Young women shared their experiences, accomplishments, as well as the challenges they have encountered.

“The AGCCI challenged my assumptions of computer science. My parents are proud of me in pursuit of bringing change in the society. The lessons I gained, ignited my interest in ICT. I was fortunate to acquire a scholarship and as we speak; I have joined hands with my mentor to train women and girls at home,” said AGCCI graduate Betty Mwende, a second-year student at United States International – Africa, and the Vice-Chair of the Persons with Disability Club.

DED has also shared some good insights with AGCCI participants: “To all the beneficiaries of the African Girls Can Code Initiative and Triple Threat Joint Programme: Thank you for sharing your stories. They will inspire and challenge decision-makers. The UN Charter begins with ‘we the people,’ embodying the spirit of UN Women,” said DED Gumbozvanda.

In a meeting with women’s rights organizations, the Deputy Executive Director discussed the state of women’s movement building in Kenya, Generation Equality commitments and progress of implementation, CSW68 outcomes and other top gender equality issues in Kenya. More than forty feminists, women’s rights activists and advocates from across Kenya had a unique opportunity for a candid discussion with Ms. Gumbonzvanda and commended UN Women for supporting their initiatives and amplifying their voices.

UN Women Kenya enjoys strong partnerships with development partners in the country and is considered a critical player in the gender space and a thought leader in gender equality and the empowerment of women. Meeting with UN Women’s development partners, DED Gumbonzvanda appreciated their consistency in funding UN Women programs globally and in Kenya. Through their support, Kenya has witnessed significant strides in the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women; this has been particularly evident in programs and interventions on women’s political participation and leadership, ending violence against women and girls, women’s economic empowerment, and inclusion and participation of women in peace and security efforts.

“Funding of gender equality and women’s empowerment is critical now more than ever, especially since gains achieved so far risk being reversed if funding for gender is reduced. Your unwavering support will help us continue to deliver for women and girls in Kenya and in the region,” said Ms. Gumbonzvanda.

The meeting with development partners offered a valuable platform for participants to exchange strategic insights on UN Women’s work and share recommendations to accelerate the achievement of gender equality.

Development partners, including the EU, Finland, Sweden, Italy, USAID, and Ireland, echoed UN Women’s dedication to gender equality. They appreciated the support provided by UN Women and highlighted the importance of continuously formulating effective strategies for the execution of programs and commended UN Women for successfully delivering on its mandate.

UN Women Deputy Executive Director also met with staff of UN Women Kenya and the Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, commending colleagues for their steadfast and strong contributions to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

DED also attended the East and Southern Africa Representatives Retreat and provided strategic guidance on key global priorities and vision for UN Women, to deliver at scale for women and girls in the region.

Concluding the mission, Ms. Gumbozvanda confirmed UN Women’s commitment and strong support as the country continues to advance women’s leadership and participation in decision-making.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

Jolting hammer blows, the sounds of iron bars under a workman’s blowtorch, the odor of fresh cement: at the foot of the three-storey building rising in the Bacongo district of the Congolese capital, a sign tells visitors that a “National Data Centre Construction Project in Brazzaville” is happening here.

Financed by the African Development Bank, the futurist building will soon be the nerve centre for storing and processing the digital data of the Republic of Congo. In addition, it will house the various applications developed or acquired here in the heart of the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest “green lung”.

“Congo will soon be the only country in Central Africa to have its own data centre,” says Michel Ngakala, coordinator of the Central Africa Fibre-Optic Backbone project, which includes Congo. “Ultimately, the videoconferences we run here will no longer go through a server in Europe, America or elsewhere before coming back to us. Everything will happen right here.”

With the project’s funding of €66.55 million (€52.47 million from the African Development Bank and €14.50 million from the government of Congo) 600 kilometres of fibre optic cable on the major interconnecting routes with Cameroon (341 km) and the Central African Republic (281 km) via the Congo River will be laid  and the data centre built. This is a remarkable feat, according to the Bank’s country economist in Congo, particularly considering the sub-river section for the Congo-Central African Republic connection via the Sangha River. Some €13.8 million of the total has been allocated to build and run the data centre.

“As part of the Congo component of the Central Africa Fibre-Optic Backbone Project, we received funding from the African Development Bank to build a data centre, and now we’re constructing a three-storey building that can be extended to include a basement,” explains the coordinator, providing a tour of the various areas of Congo’s future data centre.

The three levels will have server rooms, monitoring and supervision rooms, and meeting and conference rooms, as well as locations for the energy and air-conditioning equipment the centre needs to function correctly, which should be delivered by December 2024, according to Ngakala.

“All the data produced in Congo has to be stored somewhere,” he continued. “At the moment, this data is stored abroad, so we have Congolese domain names that often end in “.fr” or “.com”, whereas Congo’s domain name is “.cg”. From now on, we’ll be able to host all public data in the data centre, as well as that of telecoms operators, banks, insurance companies and other private firms that want to have it hosted here, including back-ups of any primary storage sites they use.

“This project will cement the country’s digital sovereignty, because we cannot claim to be sovereign when our data, even the most sensitive data, is stored outside our territory, in foreign countries, with real risks of misuse, violation or massive leaks.”

Samatar Omar Elmi, Chief ICT Specialist at the African Development Bank and project manager for the Bank, shares his thoughts: “The issue of data location has been gaining momentum across Africa in recent years, especially where sensitive data is concerned. The availability of locally produced data will pave the way for a virtuous circle of local value creation that will benefit the entire digital ecosystem (public, private, etc.) in our countries. These are the initial stages of a digital circular economy that will contribute to the low-carbon development of our continent.”

In addition to boosting digital sovereignty, this project will “help improve the competitiveness of Congo’s economy in terms of factor costs, because communication is a major factor in economic development,” points out Sié Antoine-Marie Tioyé, the Bank’s country economist in Congo.

This is a major contribution to the development of Congo’s digital economy and Ngakala sees the initiative as a way for his country to strengthen its digital security by taking control of its data. “It’s easy to hack into data when it’s outside your territory – with this data centre, it will be easier to control data processing and access within our country,” he vows.

Ngakala offers the example of the Postal and Telecommunications Ministry, which is in the process of implementing a digital identification project for the entire Congolese population. It will generate an astronomical amount of data that will be stored nationally rather than abroad. Other Congolese partners in other segments are positioning themselves in complementary ways to amplify the impact of this project.

Once the work is finished, the data centre will be managed by a delegate (public or private), who will be responsible not only for managing but also for marketing and infrastructure maintenance as well.

The African Development Bank Group is Congo’s leading partner and the country’s top infrastructure financing institution.

In addition to laying the fibre-optic cable and building the data centre, the Bank has funded several road infrastructure projects in Congo. In particular, it has financed corridors and integration projects such as the Ketta-Djoum Road on the Yaoundé-Brazzaville corridor, involving the construction of a 505-kilometre asphalt road between Ketta in Congo and Djoum in Cameroon (189 km in Cameroon, 316 km in Congo) and the initial section of the Ndende-Dolisie road linking Congo and Gabon. The Bank is also providing financial backing for studies on the construction of access roads to the road-rail bridge that is to link the two Congos, separated by the Congo River. It has been providing leadership in marshalling resources.

As of April 2024, the Bank Group’s active portfolio in Congo comprised 11 projects, all in the public sector, for a total commitment of $411.62 million. The sector breakdown is as follows: transport (32.7%), governance (29.8%), farming (21.3%), telecommunications (13.7%), social (2.4%), water and sanitation (0.1%).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) in partnership with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health and Medical societies provided more than 760 scholarships of one-year Post-Graduate Diploma and two-year Master Degree in Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity and Weight Management to doctors from 52 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

These 760 scholarships are part of the total 1810 scholarships Merck Foundation provided to doctors from 52 countries in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties such as Oncology, Sexual and Reproductive Care, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Embryology&Fertility specialty, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Emergency and Resuscitation Medicine, Critical Care, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Neonatal Medicine, Advanced Surgical Practice, Pain Management, General Surgery, Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases, Internal Medicine, Trauma&Orthopaedics and many more.

Merck Foundation has released the First Animation films “Mark’s Pressure”, and “Sugar Free Jude”, which are adapted from their Children storybooks with the aim to raise awareness about early detection and prevention of Hypertension and Diabetes (which are corelated) and to Promote Healthy Lifestyle, amongst children and youth in Africa and beyond.

Pan African TV Program “Our Africa” released by Merck Foundation addresses  Social and Health Issues such as Diabetes&Hypertension and promote Healthy Lifestyle in Africa through “Fashion and ART”, conceptualize and directed by Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Click here to watch the Episode on Promoting Healthy Lifestyle: https://apo-opa.co/3ue38jH

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks ‘World Hypertension Day 2024’ together with Africa’s First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Medical Societies and Academia, through their “Nationwide Diabetes&Hypertension Blue Points Program” by providing scholarships for young doctors to transform the patient care landscape in the fields of Hypertension, Cardiology, Diabetes and Endocrinology, and by raising awareness in communities in Africa and beyond.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation stated, “At Merck Foundation we mark “World Hypertension Day” by improving access to quality and equitable Hypertension, Diabetes and Cardiovascular preventive care, which are all co-related, in Africa, Asia&Latin America.

Together with our Ambassadors – The First Ladies of Africa, and partners like Ministries of Health, Medical Societies and Academia, we have till today provided more than 760 scholarships to doctors from 52 countries, of One-year PG Diploma and Two-year Master degree in Preventive Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity&Weight Management, and also a special 3 month Diabetes Mastercourse in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

These scholarships have been provided to the young doctors to form a strong platform of experts nationwide, and not only from capitals or big cities.”

Merck Foundation has in total provided more than 1810 scholarships to doctors from 52 countries in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties.

Senator, Dr. Kelej further added “We recently launched new Fellowship Programs of One-year Clinical Cardiovascular care and One-year Clinical Diabetes, onsite training programs in India for African doctors. These programs will help us to further improve cardiovascular, Hypertension and Diabetes care in Africa and other developing countries.”

Dr. Victoria Mumbo, Merck Foundation alumnus from Kenya shares, “I have completed the post-graduate degree in Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, provided by Merck Foundation. I would like to extend my gratitude to Merck Foundation for this life changing opportunity. After the completion of this course, my approach towards patient management has changed. It has helped me to also educate the community about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.”

Merck Foundation in partnership with African First Ladies have released  a children’s storybook and adapted animation Film “Mark’s Pressure” with an aim to focus on the causes of the early onset of hypertension and raising awareness about its early detection, prevention and management.

Through our new animation film “Mark’s Pressure”, we want to encourage our communities to reduce salt, stop sugar, exercise regularly, eat healthy and stop smoking, this is the only way to prevent and manage hypertension and diabetes, which are predominant risk factors for the development of several serious complications and diseases”, says Senator Rasha Kelej.

Watch the “Mark’s Pressure” Animation Film here: https://apo-opa.co/3QFrf26

Merck Foundation’s pan African TV program “Our Africa”, that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and features African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness about social and health issues, has episodes dedicated to raise awareness about Diabetes and Promoting Healthy Lifestyle.

Watch the Episodes here:

https://apo-opa.co/3ue38jH

https://apo-opa.co/49B40Pn

The show will be broadcasted on KTV in Kenya, every Saturday at 5:00 pm and repeated every Thursday at 6:30 am.

It is also currently on social media handles of Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/48Jpjxo), Instagram (http://apo-opa.co/3St4oc8), Twitter (http://apo-opa.co/3Ss45yo) and YouTube (http://apo-opa.co/3vE1SqC)) and Merck Foundation (Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/47HPK5u), Instagram (http://apo-opa.co/494Vib1), Twitter (http://apo-opa.co/3U8RG3y) and YouTube (http://apo-opa.co/4apQjCh)).

Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies, also launch annually, the Awards for Media, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, Musicians/ Singers, and new potential talents in these fields from African countries to Promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

1. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

2. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

3. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

4. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

Entries for all the awards are to be submitted via email to:

submit@merck-foundation.com

Click on the icon below to download Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/4ddoe3L

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

More Images: https://apo-opa.co/3UHGGsR

Media contact:
Mehak Handa 
Community Awareness Program Manager 
+91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669  
mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com 

Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard!
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Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com

About Merck Foundation: 
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website.  Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook: http://apo-opa.co/47HPK5u, Twitter: http://apo-opa.co/3U8RG3y, Instagram: http://apo-opa.co/494Vib1, YouTube: http://apo-opa.co/494wHn4 and Flickr: http://apo-opa.co/3UfoOVU.