In a significant move to advance the rights and welfare of children in Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This partnership aims to leverage media’s influential power to promote and protect children’s rights across the nation.

The collaboration will focus on advocacy and awareness campaigns, capacity building for journalists, shared research, recognition of impactful media contributions, and influencing policy to support children’s rights. The MOU underscores a commitment from all parties to work collectively towards a society that upholds and advances the welfare of its youngest members.

“This partnership with the Nigerian Guild of Editors and DAME harnesses the media’s immense potential as an advocate for the welfare of children. Media not only informs public opinion but also influences those in power to enact changes that favour children’s rights. By joining forces, we are setting a course to transform how children’s rights are reported and addressed in the media, ensuring every child’s rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled.” Said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, highlighted the role of media in societal change, saying, “Media has the profound capacity to shape perspectives and effect real change. Through this MOU, we are pledging to uphold the integrity of journalism by focusing our collective expertise on sensitive and impactful reporting concerning children’s rights. We are committed to working together to build a robust framework that supports this cause.”

The Trustee of DAME, Lanre Idowu, emphasized the importance of excellence in journalism, “Recognition through awards plays a crucial role in elevating journalistic standards. By focusing on issues such as child rights, education, and health, we aim to spotlight and incentivize the media to cover stories that can lead to substantial social impact. This partnership is not just about awarding excellence, but about creating a movement for meaningful media engagement on issues that affect the most vulnerable in our society.”

The MOU which is for a period of two years, outlines cooperation to enhance public advocacy and awareness of children’s rights through media campaigns and journalistic content focused on education, health, nutrition and protection. It includes developing training programmes for journalists to improve reporting on vulnerable populations and sharing up-to-date research to enrich media content. Additionally, it promotes awards recognizing outstanding journalism that aligns with UNICEF’s priorities and uses media influence to drive policy changes that benefit children’s welfare.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Nigeria.

The forum gathered leaders in government, finance and business from across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They unpacked ways that investment can improve farming and food security across West Africa.

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) hosted the event in Lome, Togo, from 4 to 5 April.

Togo Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah Dogbé opened the forum, held under the theme ‘Transforming ECOWAS Communities in a Challenging Environment’.

She emphasized the need for a wide range of investment across human capital, energy, the digital economy, and infrastructure.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), spoke by video about how regional integration can strengthen investments.

Simon Tiemtore, President of Vista Group Holding, and Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) stressed the importance of collaborative efforts and innovative strategies to advance investment priorities.

Discussions during the forum addressed crucial topics such as food security, fortifying agricultural supply chains, and enhancing security in West Africa.

Panellists proposed strategies for tackling challenges in agriculture, underscoring the significance of cooperation and innovation for sustainable development.

They underscored major challenges around access to finance, which seriously affects small businesses, particularly for agribusinesses and young entrepreneurs. Among the solutions discussed were ways development finance institutions such as EBID could make facilitate access to loans.

This is one of the issues that the International Trade Centre (ITC) addresses with the ECOWAS Commission through the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP).

WACOMP facilitated the participation of nine investment promotion agencies from West Africa. These agencies showcased investment projects in their countries. The delegates engaged with business leaders on investments in critical areas such as agriculture, infrastructure development, support to small businesses, energy and climate change.

Participants deliberated on concrete projects and investment opportunities, with a focus on fostering employment, financing infrastructure, and embracing climate-resilient energy solutions. Along with  ITC and the ECOWAS Commission, the delegation met with EBID management on how to strengthen collaboration to support the inflow of investment in the region.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

From April 17 to 19, 2024, the U.S. Embassy introduced residents of Douala and surrounding localities to “America in 3 Days.” The 3-day outreach event, which was hosted at Institut Universitaire de la Côte (IUC), provided valuable insights into the resources and opportunities offered by the U.S. Embassy and drew nearly 2000 attendees including students, professors, civil society leaders, and businesspeople. This marked the second edition of the America in 3 Days program, building upon the success of its inaugural edition at the University of Yaoundé I in 2022.

During the opening ceremony, U.S. Embassy Branch Office (EBO) Director Michael O’Bryon emphasized the importance of the collaboration between the United States and Cameroon in a variety of sectors, including education. O’Bryon underscored that “[the U.S. Embassy] is dedicated to supporting higher education in Cameroon to help prepare the next generation of citizens for success in the modern world.” Participating guests at the opening ceremony included the Divisional Officers of Douala V and Douala VI.

The EBO Director, representatives from the American Corner Douala, and recent recipients of U.S. government grants also took advantage of the opportunity to showcase the Embassy’s existing initiatives in Douala.

The EBO Director, representatives from the American Corner Douala, and recent recipients of U.S. government grants also took advantage of the opportunity to showcase the Embassy’s existing initiatives in Douala.

Embassy personnel conducted a series of presentations, informing attendees about professional and academic exchange programs, English language learning resources, student visas, grants for community projects, opportunities for studying in the USA, and more. U.S. government exchange alumni facilitated workshops focusing on career development and entrepreneurship skills, introducing participants to resources from the U.S. State Department’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) network.

Reflecting on the positive response to “America in 3 Days,” the U.S. Embassy looks forward to continued engagement and collaboration with the people of Douala and beyond.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Cameroon.

The Job Fair 2024 of Chinese-Invested Enterprises in South Africa organized by the South Africa-China Economic and Trade Association (SACETA) took place in Johannesburg on April 16, 2024. Around 2 800 job seekers attended the fair, with many securing placements.

Opening the fair, Chargé d’affaires Li Zhigang said the job fair was an important step towards implementing the consensus reached by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping in their State meeting in South Africa in 2023. “China is ready to work with South Africa to help create jobs and promote development, so that the bilateral relations will bear more golden fruits in the golden era,” he said.

South African Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu and Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Maropene Ramokgopa thanked SACETA for meticulously planning the event, and expressed their readiness to deepen exchanges and cooperation between China and South Africa in fields such as the economy, trade and social development. 

Head of SACETA Zhang Chaoyang, and representatives of Chinese-invested enterprises in South Africa and local employees also addressed the audience. 

Humile Mashatile, wife of deputy president, Paul Mashatile, also attended the fair.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of South Africa.