A timely regulatory overhaul of Africa’s fledgling electricity sector will attract private sector investment and ensure energy security on the continent, stakeholders meeting at an electricity dialogue, have agreed.
More than 600 million Africans have no access to electricity and Africa generates only 4% of the global energy. Despite vast opportunities in the development of the electricity sector in Africa, there is low private sector investment in energy infrastructure and service delivery, participants at the recent High-Level Public-Private Dialogue on Private Sector Investment in Electricity and Infrastructure Development in Africa, heard.
The two-day dialogue, hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the RES4Africa Foundation brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including policymakers, international organizations, and decision-makers working in energy and infrastructure. They discussed the changes needed in policy and regulatory frameworks to ensure adequate openness, attractiveness, and readiness of African markets to private investments.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), its multilingualism partners and the Permanent Missions in Ethiopia, celebrated International French Language Day on 30 March 2023, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Commemorated on 20 March each year – in reference to 20 March 1970, when the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation was created, which later became the OIF – the day was postponed this year due to the holding of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The theme of the 2023 edition, “321 million Francophones, billions of cultural contents”, aimed to promote creative imagination, Francophone artistic creativity and cultural diversity.
Opening the session, ECA’s Acting Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro, highlighted the link between multilingualism and peace, stating that cultural diversity is at the centre of dialogue between people and cultures. Language and daily experiences serve as fertile ground for understanding, tolerance, crisis management and peace.

From 5 to 8 October, the great event organised by FederUnacoma and dedicated to the agricultural supply chains of the Mediterranean area will be back on stage in Bari. New features of the 2023 edition include a large space for gardening and landscaping, and an exhibition area dedicated to robotics for agriculture, as well as several initiatives being planned. Simona Rapastella: “the fair talks about the crucial challenges of this important geographical area”.
More than 8 thousand models of machines and equipment for agriculture, gardening and related components, dozens of conventions and meetings on technical and economic-political topics, an exhibition area of more than 30 thousand square metres (80% already occupied and the remaining 20% to be sold out in the coming weeks).
These are the figures for the 2023 edition of Agrilevante, the major exhibition of technologies for typical Mediterranean area agriculture, organised by FederUnacoma, held in Bari from 5 to 8 October and presented this afternoon on the opening day of Agriumbria.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ethiopia recently completed a successful three-year program to identify, treat, and cure people living with tuberculosis (TB) in urban areas in Ethiopia, while increasing the capacity of local health organizations to serve TB patients. USAID/Ethiopia’s $4 million (over 215 million Birr) Urban TB Local Organizations Network activity worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa City Administration, Dire Dawa City Administration, the Harari Regional Health Bureau, and seven community-based organizations.
Over the past three years, this efficient and effective USAID TB treatment activity reached over 235,000 people in urban areas of Ethiopia with TB testing and other services. As a direct result of the project, over 14,300 people were tested for and diagnosed with TB, treated, and completely cured of the disease. USAID’s Urban TB Local Organizations Network activity worked alongside USAID’s ongoing Eliminate TB project, which is striving to end TB in Ethiopia entirely by 2030.