Africa has the potential to generate 400 gigawatts of gas-generated power with Tanzania, Mozambique and Nigeria accounting for 60 percent of the capacity, indicating limited penetration of gas in non-gas producing African countries.
The share of gas in electricity generation was 14 percent in 1990, growing to 21 percent by 2000. By 2010, nearly a third of electricity generation was sourced from gas, which increased to nearly 40 percent by 2018.
Presenting a paper on Energy Transition, Regulation, Finance and the Private Sector at a side event of the ongoing seventh Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, Yohannes G. Hailu, an Economic Affairs Officer with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said Africa should tape into gas which has become more attractive, and could replace more expensive fuel sources, and in the process reduce the cost of energy on the continent.
Gas can ease Africa’s energy challenges
African governments urged to pay attention to impacts of conflict, climate change and COVID-19 on food systems
Africa, as a food producing continent can produce enough to feed itself and the rest of the world. But instead of being the food basket of the world, the continent is facing increasing hunger and malnutrition due to factors such as the impact of climate change, conflict and COVID-19, described as the ‘Triple Cs’.
These challenges are not only threatening future food production prospects but they are also rolling back achievements in Africa’s food systems.
At a panel discussion held virtually as a side event of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), the discussants gave vivid images of the threats posed by the ‘Triple Cs’ and made recommendations on fashioning out appropriate responses to dealing with the issues.
According to Dina Saleh of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the interactions between conflict, climate change and COVID-19 negatively impact the food system as well SDGs and Agenda 2063. She urged African countries to build resilient food systems to address the challenges.
In his contribution, Chimimba David Phiri, the FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and FAO Representative to the African Union, noted that there was no better opportunity to discuss Africa’s food systems than now.
Citing incidents of droughts and floods, Phiri said what used to occur every 10 years in the past, now occurred every two years.
‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’
As part of its celebration around International Women’s Month, Facebook announced the launch of ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’, a collection of beautifully inspired stories & life advice from 19 women who are breaking boundaries in fields such as media, entertainment, politics, education and business.
Available for free in digital and physical formats, the book provides inspirational real-life stories for future generations and young leaders. Each chapter focuses on a personal experience and life lesson around how these women have navigated their path to success, alongside the challenges they have had to overcome along the way. ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women’ is aimed at encouraging, inspiring and guiding the reader – no matter the background, age or ambition.
‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women’ follows on from the successful 2020 launch of ‘Inspiring #Changemakers: Lessons from Life and Business’ in South Africa. This 2021 book is further brought to life through a series of beautifully illustrated artwork specially commissioned from four female artists from across the continent – Massira Keita from Côte d’Ivoire, Lulu Kitololo from Kenya, Karabo Poppy from South Africa, and Awele Emili from Nigeria.
With over 5,000 copies printed, the book will be provided for free to a number of Facebook’s local training partners including She Leads Africa, Fate Foundation, DigifyAfrica, Siyafunda, Smart Ecosystems for Women and cCHub. These will be distributed across 15 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Senegal and Kenya – in schools and to beneficiaries of training(s) offered by Facebook partners.
Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa, said: “At Facebook we know that African women are at the helm of shaping the future of our promising continent – they are changemakers, mothers and CEOs. This book is a celebration of just some of the exceptional African women who in their own right are trail-blazers, motivating and inspiring people and advocating for good across Africa, and the world. We’re excited about their individual stories, inspired by challenges they’ve endured and how they’ve risen above these, and importantly how they’ve turned these into important life lessons to help inspire others.”
This March marks the three year anniversary of Facebook’s #SheMeansBusiness programme in Sub-Saharan Africa, an initiative designed to inspire, empower and train female entrepreneurs across the continent to build, grow and start their own businesses. As part of this, Facebook is launching a new training component on business resiliency through financial education in Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal, with the additional modules aimed at improving female business owners’ financial management skills, whilst addressing challenges that women entrepreneurs face, such as access to capital.
Celebrating the Life and Literary Legend of Gash Abera Lemma
By Eyob Asfaw Gemechu
On 28 February 2021 HoHe awards showcased a webinar on the life and success of Gash Abera Lemma . The event was hosted through Gash Abera’s physical presence, the moderation of Yezina Worku and discussants of Associate Professor Zerihun Asfaw & Yeshaw Tesema. Down the line of the event his young compatriots cherished him ‘Gash’. Indeed it was one of the rare event in which HoHe awards engages in such a prestigious moment to celebrate success of an accomplished author in his presence before passing to eternal rest. To his credit, he himself often never mention other legendary authors such as Bealu Girma and Tsegaye Gembremedhin without referring them ‘ Gash’ to show reverence for sincere seniority .
His integrity and heart and hope on the youth is indisputable which many mature authors lacks it. Born in 1943 e.c in Fitche district and attending Kotebe teachers college, AAU and his career as a journalist chartered his contours of life and determined his eventual track record in literary works. Authorship, journalism, coordination, leadership of writers association has penned his life. At the moment, Abera is the sole member of Norwegian Authors association who yet engages to author in his vernacular language. Once he was also credited as a ‘priest of War zone’ cognizant of he wrote extensively on the war undertaken in the Northern era during the Dergue regime. The moderator-Yezina Worku applauded his recent award of certificate by Ethiopian Television for lifelong service within the sector of journalism.
Upon his commentary, Associate Professor Zerihun Asfaw remembers Abera’s intellectual humility back in his school days before some forty years. By then, Zerihun reminisces as Abera was an emerging author after publishing ‘Hiwot ena Mot’ ( to mean ‘Life and Death’). Zerihun remembers how it was tempting to teach an author. Perhaps, reportedly what Zerihun faced Abera’s throughout class undertakings totally negates his earlier timid about the perceived threat of Abera’s popularity. Indeed, Gash Abera produced several lifetime literary products which included ‘Shebet (1974 E.C.)’to mean ‘Grey hair’, ‘Mogedegnaw Newte (1976)’ to mean ‘The violent Newte’, ‘Yemaleda Sink’ (1980 e.c) to mean ‘morning breakfast’, and others.
His initial work with the genre of novella has reincarnated what was ceased for the moment after ‘Fikre Tolossa’s’, ‘Paulos Gnono’ and others. In its feature, he technically used hybrid forms of narration, both explanatory and plain narrative. In his characterization, Abera representatively characterizes both urban and rural folks through demonstrating for readers through making humour on how the later faces urban life. Interestingly, the characters also face strong agony of life. Notwithstanding with the character’s inability to cope with the urban life struggle the
In his turn, Yeshaw Tesema on the event shared his commentary to the audiences as he himself often used the poems in his class for literature students. In Yeshaw’s assessment, much of Abera’s poetry resembles more personification other than allegory. Perhaps, ‘Fendishaw’ to mean ‘Popecorn’ is one of the exceptions. In their resemblance, according to Yeshaw, much of the Gash Abera’s poems relents to lamentations other than humor.
Later on the proceedings of the webinar Abera, On his part, shared the rare impression which inspired how some of his literary works made to life. In one instance he recounts the personal encounter and inspiratory event which led him to author the poem named ‘Ferhat ( to mean ‘fear’). The poem was an epic poem with 20 lines of stanzas found on walls of every household. Originally, he commemorated an escaped armed soldier and personified social fear. By then he recorded the rampant popular uncertainty of the conflict affected Ethiopia. He asked the troop and the troop replied what justifies his retreat from his lost battle to his homeland. Within that day of impression, he gaze the poster picture in his office which eventually midwifed the poem ‘Ferhat’. Lastly, he shared his tale as how he audaciously done to publishing the poem- ‘Ferhat’ in the face of fierce threat of censorship.
In sum, Gash Abera proved to led his uninterrupted career in literature neither fiercely challenged by his engagement in journalism nor tempted by living in exile. His personality examined closest friends to prove his heart to share his experience and solicit debate on his works. For sure, the literary family wishes from heart long life for Gash Abera. Days are affront to harness Abera’s talent, productions and insights extensively. Good week!
