Officially launched in Lomé (Togo) on 27 September 2013, the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) has already got ten years in implementing its mandate. To recall, RAAF mandate is to ensure technical implementation of regional programmes and investment plans contributing to the operationalisation of the Regional agricultural policy (ECOWAP) by relying on regional institutions, organisations, and players with proven skills. Members of the RAAF Strategic Orientation Committee had the opportunity to assess this journey at their eleventh meeting, held in Lomé on 25 April 2024.

Over the past ten years, RAAF has been able to coordinate and supervise the implementation of ECOWAP projects and programmes in accordance with its mandate. Several achievements can be seen in the growing number of projects and programmes in its portfolio.

According to the ten-year capitalisation report presented to the members of the Advisory Committee, significant progress has been made in promoting agricultural development and food security in West Africa. Through strategic partnerships with Member States, technical institutions, and development partners, RAAF has facilitated the exchange of knowledge, resources and best practices, empowering stakeholders to address the multifaceted challenges facing the agricultural sector.

Areas for attention include human resource management, cumbersome and complex administrative processes, funding, and over-dependence on donors. Necessary resources should also be made available to RAAF to facilitate improving its communication on the results and impacts of the projects it coordinates.

In the current context of multiple shocks facing agriculture in the region, the role of RAAF is becoming more crucial in developing a more resilient agricultural sector capable of meeting future challenges. This will involve, among other things, strengthening partnerships with external donors and fostering greater collaboration with regional stakeholders. Building on the lessons learned, the successes and, above all, the partnerships forged, RAAF will have to work towards a shared vision of a prosperous and food- and nutrition-secure West Africa, in order to bring about significant change and have a lasting impact on the populations benefiting from its actions.

With rising security issues in the region, RAAF needs to strengthen its visibility and impact by reflecting on the conditions for more effective integration of targeted agricultural policies for the region’s development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Founder and Medical Director of CHILD Accra, Dr. Juliette M. Tuakli, has been awarded a lifetime achievement award at the 4th Africa Healthcare Awards and Summit (AHAS) for her tireless efforts and passion for improving healthcare and the lives of children and families throughout Africa. 

The awards gala was the culmination of the summit, hosted by Zenith Global Health, and took place at the prestigious Accra International Conference Centre April 22-24. 

Highly acclaimed pediatrician and reproductive health specialist Dr. Tuakli, who is the international charity Mercy Ships’ Diplomatic Ambassador for Africa, was the first African woman clinical professor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical/Children’s of Boston. In her Mercy Ships role, she supports the charity’s strategic partnerships with governments, diplomatic entities, communities, and social organisations that build awareness and engagement.

Mary Akangbe, President and Founder of Zenith Global Health, said: “It gives us great pleasure to celebrate Dr. Juliette Tuakli by presenting with a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony. Dr. Tuakli has an exemplary professional life that spans across public, private, and intergovernmental agencies across the world. Presently, she is the diplomatic ambassador at Mercy Ships. Dr. Tuakli was the first African woman clinical professor in Paediatrics at Harvard Medical /Children’s hospital of Boston. She has impacted many lives as a mentor and role model.” 

Under the theme “Advances in Population Health – Tackling Inequalities and Access: A One Health Approach,” AHAS 2024 brought together healthcare professionals, policymakers, innovators, and stakeholders from across Africa to discuss pressing issues in healthcare and foster collaboration for sustainable solutions. 

“We are honored to celebrate the achievements of healthcare professionals and organizations making a difference in the lives of people across Africa,” said Dr. Imane Kendili, President of Africa Global Health, Morocco. “The Africa Healthcare Awards showcase the dedication and commitment of individuals and institutions working tirelessly to improve healthcare outcomes and promote wellness in our communities.” 

As the first female Rotary president of the premier Anglophone club in Ghana, West Africa, Dr. Tuakli promoted legislation to protect those with disabilities, orphans, and vulnerable children. Her work was hailed by the African Union in 2016 and she was elected to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. 

In 2022, Dr. Tuakli retired from United Way Worldwide, where she was Chair of both the Membership and the Governance Committees before becoming the first female Chair of the International Board of Trustees.  

As a highly respected social philanthropist, she has served on the Mercy Ships International Board for over 10 years and also on the the Mercy Ships UK board. Dr. Tuakli co-founded MOREMI Girls Leadership and has served as an Advisor to Nestle, the African Union, and other international organizations. She is a Board member of Zenith Bank and the Global Virus Network.   

In May 2022, Dr. Tuakli officially christened the Global Mercy™ during special inaugural ceremonies for Mercy Ships’ newest hospital ship, during Africa celebrations hosted by the HE President Macky Sall in Dakar, Senegal.  

The AHAS summit featured panel discussions, keynote presentations, and interactive side sessions focused on addressing the challenges of population health through a holistic approach. Topics will include healthcare financing, manufacturing and supply chain management, community engagement, and the role of technology in improving healthcare access and delivery. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

For more Information about Mercy Ships, contact:
Sophie Barnett
Mercy Ships International PR Manager
sophie.barnett@mercyships.org

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ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:  
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact. 
Each year, more than 3,000 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical, obstetric and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit MercyShips.org.  

While Rwanda is commemorating 30 years of genocide, many Africans know all too well what can happen when media outlets single out certain groups of people and Individuals for constant attacks. Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines instigated the hate. “The Namibian” newspaper has become the Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines of Namibia with their hate fill rhetoric and xenophobia. Africans understand how demonisation cultivates hatred that leads to death on a horrifying scale.

From the moment we honored late President Hage Geingob, the AEC and its leadership and board members became the number one enemy of “The Namibian”. “The Namibian” does not represent the views Namibians have of Africans and the Oil and Gas industry. Namibians are good people.

This hate and the xenophobia from “The Namibian” is abhorrent, detestable, beyond humanity, and must be condemned by all. We all need to come together in solidarity in standing up to the evils of white supremacy, Xenophobia and intolerance of all forms. Such bigotry should have no place in our society. History will not judge them well.

In a free-market society, international energy companies will choose to operate elsewhere if corruption and human rights violations make a country too expensive and too risky for operations. That will result in missed opportunities that African countries cannot afford to lose.

Opportunities to strategically harness our petroleum resources to grow our economies and bring about a better, safer quality of life for Africans. Opportunities to minimize energy poverty. And opportunities to lay a strong foundation for a successful energy transition.

To build a better future for Africans, we cannot be lackadaisical about addressing corruption, violence, and unacceptable treatment of men, women, and children. In addition to being wrong on every front, the devastation these activities cause today also rob Africans of a better future.

“The Namibian” wants to know who invited the AEC to the energy Conference.

Mickey Mouse, Elvis Presley, Jesus, Tupac and the Pope. It will be good to know who invited similarly over 1,000 delegates who were present at the conference, including “The Namibian”.

OPEC and Namibia

Conversations between governments and international organisations are private. The AEC did not participate in a bilateral meeting between OPEC and Namibia and can not comment on the content or substance of those meetings.

Namibia has a role to play in addressing climate change and energy poverty in Namibia and Africa. It continues to show this leadership role globally and working together with others to advocate for an all-inclusive solution to the twin challenges of energy poverty and climate change which is key.

OPEC’s Declaration of Cooperation is a unique platform that facilitates cooperation between 23 oil-producing countries based on mutual respect, trust, and dialogue. They share information and lessons learned by other energy states. We urge everyone to listen to the speech by the OPEC Secretary General at Namibian International Energy Conference as well as do some well-informed journalistic work on these issues rather than being drawn into gossip inuendo and slander .

OPEC has expanded its dialogues with China, India, Russia, and the US, as well as with international organizations and global corporations. The majority of OPEC members are African. Working with others states in a cooperative manner provides the much needed stabilizing force in the energy markets and saved the energy industry from collapsing and in returned paved the way for energy companies to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to explore for energy offshore Namibia with some amazing results.

For the African Energy Chamber, the criticism, consistent slander and repetition of gossip from “The Namibian” newspaper does not have any merit. We really do not care about the hit jobs you seek to carry out on your new found hate figure because we know “The Namibian” newspaper has an obsessive love affair with the AEC and its leadership. If these criticisms were objective and more even-handed, they probably could keep people more against our leadership or the AEC. Our 4 million strong membership continues.

Personal and Xenophobic Attacks on foreigners

“The Namibian” newspaper has made it a point to drive a xenophobic agenda which we find dangerous. These undertones that are not good. We condemn it. We know that this is not a representation of “The Namibian” people.

At the AEC we believe racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, immigrant-bashing, or gay-bashing is wrong. You know, black bigotry is just as bad as white bigotry and God is not interested in any of that. The oil and gas industry is not a place for xenophobia and we will not condone this kind of behaviour.

At a time when we all should be focused on Namibian Content and inclusive women participation in the oil and gas industry, “The Namibian” has decided to focus on demonising even Namibians that mean good and have defied the odds to make it in a mostly white male dominated industry. We believe women should be drivers of the oil sector in Namibia. We all will be better if that happens and we have to work towards that goal.

Using wrong photos and without apologising

To confuse the face of a dark skin black man and light skin black man explains the quality of the writing and the publication. It takes us back to the era of “blacks are no good and they are all the same”. To confuse the names also further explains the height of their vindictive agenda. Anytime a person who is lumpenproletariat moves up to a position no one expected, they will always be subject to envy and personal attacks.

Knowledge Katti should be recognised for his extraordinary work in the energy sector in empowering Namibians through his philanthropy, investments, and advocacy for racial and economic justice for all Namibians. Through his work, new opportunities are being created for Namibians. No western companies in the same industry have endured such attacks in a similar fashion. It is of no interest to “The Namibian”. The attacks by this tabloid comes from the cheap seats. They are mad because they didn’t participate in the oil investment and knowledge took the risk more than 10 years ago and it paid off. The envious bystanders will continue their smear campaigns.

We at the AEC are happy Namibians will not be fooled. They will not be victims of plantation climate politics. Namibians are not going to be the battered wife for “The Namibian”. Namibians will rather walk naked than wear their wretched dress and their dangerous lies. Their immoral xenophobia does not represent who Namibians are.

Energy poverty and local content

Many black professionals in Namibia thought if they study hard and get good grades, they would follow the same professional track as their white counterparts, and reach for that Namibian dream—only to find out it was a nightmare. This has to change and the oil and gas industry is an amazing opportunity for young Namibians to be trained and get well-paying jobs.

There is a tradition of fighting against the odds and we are going to continue pushing for a Just Transition, making energy poverty history and local content in the oil and gas industry. Our position of speaking truth to power is not non-negotiable. We are not backing down on our support for Namibia’s right to develop its oil and gas sector.

The Europeans and the Americans are doing it. What is wrong for Namibia to develop its oil and gas and improve the living condition of its people. We urge Namibians to produce every drop of Hydrocarbons they can find in Namibia and use the resources to industrialise their country.

We will push our training programs for forty Namibians across Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea) in oil and gas companies. This will allow them to be ready for energy jobs in their country. Our focus will continue to encourage investments into Namibia and promoting growth as we have done all over Africa. If we want oil companies to do more business with us, we must use the time-honored strategy of providing incentives. Incentives such as levying reasonable taxes and royalties, reducing red tape, and implementing fair profit-sharing contracts and local content policies.

Fair, wise, and balanced local content guidelines, for example, foster ongoing investment here while making sure Namibian people, communities, and businesses reap the benefits of African natural resources now and going forward.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

The 18th Islamic Development Bank Global Forum (https://IsDBInstitute.org) on Islamic Finance has been successfully held on the sidelines of the IsDB Group Annual Meetings and Golden Jubilee Celebration in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In his opening remarks, IsDB President, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser, called for nurturing a generation of entrepreneurial leaders who can help propel the world toward a future rooted in ethical principles and sustainable development.

Under the theme “Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership in Islamic Finance”, the forum attracted an array of thought leaders, policymakers, financial experts, and major stakeholders in the Islamic finance industry who deliberated on how entrepreneurship can advance sustainable development.

Dr. Al-Jasser highlighted the impact of entrepreneurship on both individual and global economies, citing examples of enterprises that have created immense value for people worldwide, such as Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. He noted that the combined current market value of these companies is almost US$12 trillion, which exceeds the economic output in 2023 of the UK, France, and Russia combined.

He also pointed out the disparity in new business creation rates between high-income and low-income economies, and stressed the need to address this gap by fostering a conducive environment that supports and nurtures entrepreneurship. The President suggested that initiatives such as microfinancing, tailored to comply with Islamic financial principles, could be pivotal in this respect.

Dr. Al-Jasser also linked the spirit of entrepreneurship to the realm of Islamic finance, noting that Prophet Muhammad (SWA) himself was a successful entrepreneur, embodying the qualities of trustworthiness, risk-sharing, and a commitment to the betterment of society. “When financial institutions are grounded in these principles, they can effectively promote ventures that contribute to sustainable growth and empower potential entrepreneurs,” he added.

H.E. Dr. Stephen Groff, Governor of the Saudi National Development Fund, and Engineer Mutlaq H. Al-Morished, Board Member of Saudi SME Bank, also delivered keynote speeches highlighting how to synergize Islamic finance principles with entrepreneurship for sustainable economic development.

These were followed by the award presentation to the winner of the 2024 IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics, Professor Mehmet Asutay, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Political Economy&Finance at Durham University. The award was presented by IsDB Vice President (Operations), Dr. Mansur Muhtar, on behalf of H.E. the President, Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser.

The forum featured the launching of a new IsDBI report titled “Catalyzing Social Entrepreneurship through Islamic Finance”, which explores the potential of Islamic finance to support social entrepreneurship and impact investing.

In a panel session, experts explored the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in advancing sustainable development, particularly within the Islamic finance paradigm. Panelists in the session were Dr. Zeger Degraeve, Executive Dean of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College (MBSC); Mr. Morrad Irsane, CEO and Founder of TAKADAO; and Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General of the IsDB Institute.

The second session showcased the Smart Stabilization System, a patent-pending algorithm to enhance stability in financial markets, being developed by the IsDB Institute and implemented by the blockchain company SettleMint. Mr. Matthew Van Niekerk, Founder&CEO of SettleMint, and Dr. Hilal Houssain, Associate Manager of Knowledge Solutions Team, IsDBI, gave a presentation highlighting the key features of the system and its potential to support the financial industry.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).