Director General of the World Nuclear Association (WNA) Dr. Sama Bilbao y León will speak at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) forum in Paris this May, unpacking unprecedented opportunities in southern Africa’s energy sector. 

The WNA is an international organization that promotes nuclear power with the goal of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050 to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. On the African continent, South Africa is currently the only country with an operational nuclear power plant – the 1,860 MW Koeberg Nuclear Power Station – which accounts for approximately 5% of power generation. Last December, the country’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced plans to procure 2,500 MW of additional nuclear capacity and is in the process of seeking bids to commission new projects.

Organized by Energy Capital&Power, IAE 2024 (https://apo-opa.co/3UMOOtQ) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 14-15, 2024 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Following the discovery of large uranium deposits in eastern Uganda, the East African nation is forming a joint venture with South Korea and Russia to construct two nuclear power facilities totaling 15,000 MW. Burkina Faso is partnering with Russia’s Rosatom to construct a nuclear power plant, while Ethiopia and Zimbabwe have also signed agreements with Russia to cooperate on nuclear technology and infrastructure development. Rwanda is developing a nuclear reactor pilot project in-country, expected to be operational by 2026.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

The United Nations in Somalia recently hosted a career fair attended by more than 200 Somali students and members of the civil society.

Organised by the Human Resources Working Group (HRWQ), the career fair aimed to raise awareness about job opportunities and career pathways within the UN system.

Dr Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Head of United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), addressed the students highlighting the fairs significance in capacity-building and opening doors to UN careers.

“This is a good step towards capacity building, opening doors and helping you to understand how you can navigate the system to access job opportunities within the UN to serve Somalia, and beyond,” said Dr Kacyira.   

She urged the students to utilise the forum to explore available career opportunities within various UN entities in Somalia, reaffirming the world body’s commitment to a successful transition process, including additional investment in expertise and capacity-building efforts.

“In the end, we are serving one community, which is Somalia. Feel free to ask, engage and interact, and I believe this is only one step into our adventure together,” added Kirabo.

The event was attended by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Catriona Laing; UN Women Representative in Somalia Dr Syed Sadiq; World Food Programme Country Director, El-Khidir Daloum among other representatives from the UN agencies, Federal Government of Somalia, and civil society.

Acknowledging the remarkable progress in Somalia’s state-building, Ms Laing reiterated the UN’s dedication to supporting Somali youth to help better their lives.

“One career route is through working with us at the UN, and there are many routes into that. There are many agencies, funds, and programs all of which are represented here today, which are going to talk and inspire you,” said Ms. Laing.

She emphasised the significance of prioritising careers for individuals aspiring to work for the UN and contribute immensely to the nation’s development progress.

“I look forward in future years to one of you standing here and addressing your colleagues,” added Laing, who also welcomed the role played by national staff in implementing the UN’s mandate in Somalia.

Somalia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs representative, Hodan Omar Mohamed, affirmed that the UN in Somalia has provided platforms with exciting opportunities earmarked for national staff.

“We are here to encourage you to pay attention to these opportunities that the UN is giving you in this event today,” said Hodan.

She added that the ministry strongly supports the UN agencies’ mandate in the country and actively collaborates with them on diverse projects focusing on labour and social protection.

Somalia’s UN Women representative, Dr Syed Sadiq, described the event as a golden opportunity for the women to take advantage of and apply for the available job opportunities in the UN agencies.

Reiterating the UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutterres’ vision for gender inclusivity, Sadiq welcomed the role played by the UN Women in promoting women’s empowerment to bridge the gender gap through equal participation of women in the job market and other disciplines.

“There should not be any restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in every capacity under conditions of equality in the system principles subsidiary organs,” said Sadiq, who virtually opened the second day of the event.

Youths from various tertiary institutions including Hormuud, Zam Zam, Hope, Horseed, Jamhuriya, SomBridge, Salaam, University of Somalia and Mogadishu University were oriented on the UN’s recruitment modalities, competencies, vacancy announcements, applications processes, as well as interviews and selection methods among others.

Maryan Ali, a graduate of Mogadishu Aviation College said the career fair had broadened her knowledge and understanding of UN careers and how to improve one’s chances of being employed by various agencies.

“I have learned a lot, including how to build my resume, networking with agencies and explore career opportunities, as well as interview techniques. I look forward to contributing to the development of my country,” stated Maryan, who dreams of being a flight operator.

Participant Abdi Aden Mohamed, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and public administration at Hope University, urged the UN to hold similar events in other towns to enable more youth to participate.

“The programme is important because it creates job opportunities and provides the platform where students and the community interact in promoting social development.”

The two-day event, which involved both physical and virtual sessions, provided an opportunity for representatives of various UN agencies to interact with the students and members of the civil society.

“The UN has different tools and principles like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Convention on the Persons with Rights to Disabilities, which are great tools that support PWDs (People Living With Disabilities) within the world,” said Mohamed AbdiSalam Diriye, the Chairperson of the Somalia Disability Empowerment Network (SODAN).

In his closing remarks, Mohamed Abdullahi, the National Staff Union President urged students to be proactive in seeking job opportunities offered by the UN.

“Let us work together and learn, keep applying and learning, do not lose hope.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).

On 18 and 20 April 2024, the Royal Thai Embassy together with the Thai Students’ Association in Cairo under the Royal Patronage organised workshops on “Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel”. The workshops were organized according to the curriculum prepared by Microsoft (Thailand) and ThaiMOOC. The students learned how to prepare, analyze and share data using tools such as pivot tables and graphs. There were 52 students participated and passed the test, and received a certificate from Microsoft/ThaiMOOC.

The said workshops are part of a Digital Skills Training program aimed to improve digital skills of Thai students and prepare them for the world of work.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Royal Thai Embassy, Cairo, Egypt.

The Ministry of Agriculture conducted an assessment of activities from April 16 to 19, focusing on the first quarter and the five-year strategic plan. These meetings took place in the Central, Anseba, and Gash Barka regions and were attended by over 400 individuals including the Minister of Agriculture, regional administrators, senior officials from the Ministry, and agricultural experts.

During the meetings, reports were presented that centered on the key elements of the five-year strategic plan. These included land development, natural resources management, crop development, livestock development, integrated and sustainable agro-business, and human resources development.

Regional heads from the Ministry of Agriculture also delivered reports on various topics such as human resources deployment at all levels, water and soil conservation, the construction of micro-dams, development of vegetables and fruits, health of livestock and crop seeds, agricultural inspection, research and trials, and controlling locust invasions.

Participants engaged in extensive discussions on the presented reports and adopted several recommendations. These recommendations aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability, producing liquid fertilizers from organic waste, providing training to farmers, strengthening surveillance and control of desert locust invasions, and introducing solar-powered irrigation systems, among others.

The regional governors emphasized the need for effective land management and usage, encourage young agricultural experts to increase their involvement in improving agricultural outputs, and highlighted the importance of intensifying water and soil conservation efforts.

Speaking at the events, Mr. Arefaine Berhe, Minister of Agriculture, highlighted ongoing initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural production through exemplary farmers, small and integrated family agricultural programs, and small to medium agro-businesses, noting that these initiatives were yielding encouraging results.

Minister Arefaine pointed out that integrated water and soil conservation, the development of household poultry farms, cultivation of sweet potatoes, beekeeping, and the expansion of improved crop seeds, as well as the use of organic fertilizers, are crucial for ensuring nutritious food availability for everyone. He also urged ministry members, agricultural experts, administrators, and the public to regularly hold assessment meetings to review their activities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.