The African Union Commission and the African Minerals Development Centre launched a new program to back small-scale miners as well as public entities and communities operating in the low-value minerals and materials sector. The initiative was spearheaded by the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States and funded through the European Union and United Nations. Read More »

The African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) has set its annual conference for Nov. 15 to Nov. 17 in Johannesburg. With the theme of "Africa Evermore: Growth for Sustainability," the conference will be hosted by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the continent’s largest exchange. ASEA oversees 25 securities exchanges including those in Nigeria and Ghana. Read More »

With the signing of an exclusive five-year contract, Golar LNG Limited has become the provider of Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) services for West African Gas Limited (WAGL). The services are necessary to support West African Gas' Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import operations in Ghana. WAGL has the option to extend the contract for an additional five years. Read More »

The United Nations Foundation recognized the Africa Against Ebola Trust with its 2015 Global Leadership Award Nov. 3 in New York City. The Africa Against Ebola Solidarity Trust fights against the Ebola disease. The Trust and AU have partnered to contribute $30 million to the cause and to deploy more than 850 healthcare workers to affected areas in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Read More »

This year's event, titled "Intellectual Property for an Emerging Africa," was attended by Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Senegal Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne and World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry. The three leaders highlighted how crucial intellectual property is to spurring innovation and creativity on the continent. Read More »

Bankers, bank employees and bank stakeholders from across the continent attended a banking services and Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) consultation workshop Nov. 4 in Abuja. The event was organized by the Department of Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Read More »

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union convened its 549th meeting on Oct. 9. At the meeting, the organization reviewed information from its recent Retreat on Enhancement of Cooperation, during which its members worked alongside representatives of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RMs). Read More »

The Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa has been set for April 16 to Apr. 17, 2016 and the chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has been confirmed as the event's keynote speaker. The Tana Forum takes place each year in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Its goal is to gather African heads of state, government leaders and organisations. Read More »

Ministers of finance from the continent called for an "agricultural transformation" at the Feeding Africa Conference Oct. 23.   Christopher Mvunga, deputy minister of finance for Zambia, said commercially borrowed funds could be best used for updating agricultural infrastructure. Zambia has spent $250 million of the $1.5 billion it has accrued from international sovereign bonds. Read More »

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization recently partnered to promote international food trade and safety. Graziano da Silva pointed out the partnership would help the world's nations stay on track toward sustainable development. The 10th WTO Ministerial Conference will take place in Nairobi Dec. 15 to Dec. 18. Read More »

A Liberian review mission by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wrapped up Oct. 30. Carlo Sdralevich conducted a review of the Liberian government's economic program, which is backed by the IMF, and conducted its Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement. The mission also revealed that the nation is still feeling the economic strain caused by the Ebola outbreak. Read More »

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization compiled and released new guidelines Tuesday to help governments with their agricultural censuses that are set to launch in 2016. The guidelines, which are updated every 10 years, are customized for the needs of individual countries. The censuses are used to evaluate the overall structure and conditions of the agriculture sector. Read More »

The Nigeria Energy Calculator, a web tool that will predict energy supply and demand as well as carbon dioxide emissions in Nigeria, was unveiled Oct. 28 in Abuja. King also expressed his eagerness to witness Nigeria's gains in green power. A focus of the UN Conference will be rising global temperatures and heads of state will discuss legal agreements that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Read More »

A joint press conference of the United Nations Security Council took place Tuesday in Dakar for a resolution on women, peace and security. Conference attendees included Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chief of the United Nations Office of West Africa; Diana Ofwona, UN WOMEN regional director for West Africa; and Aminata Dibba, director of the ECOWAS Center for Gender Development. Read More »

Sage International launched Sage HR Management (HRM) in Lagos Tuesday. HRM's target market is mid-size and large enterprises in the manufacturing, distribution, services and healthcare industries. Sage HR Management can be purchased as a standalone product or as a module that features Sage X3. The technology allows businesses to take control of workforce costs. Read More »

The inaugural meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology took place at the AU Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The meeting brought together experts from the fields of education, science and technology as well as ministers and development partners. Highlights included a Pan- African Conference on teacher development and an exhibition. Read More »

West African Resources Limited released a report on its 100 percent-owned and earning gold and copper projects, both located in Burkina Faso, West Africa, for the quarter ending Sept. 30. Hyde said permit approvals for the projects will likely come in early 2016, after Burkina Faso's elections on Nov. 29. Resignations were submitted by Jean-Marc Lulin and Colin Jones. Read More »

Alderman Alan Yarrow participated in a breakfast meeting with business leaders in Accra to discuss ways to grow Ghana's capital markets, which are seen as ripe for development, with the assistance of the government, private finance and better collaboration between business sectors. Ghana's Alternative Exchange was mentioned as one particular resource moving forward. Read More »

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said there are fewer children in fewer countries than ever living with the polio virus on Oct. 23. The announcement was made the day before World Polio Day, an international holiday aimed at raising awareness about the virus and rallying efforts to stamp it out. UNICEF pointed to Nigeria as an inspiring example of the trend toward eradication. Read More »

Best Western Hotels & Resorts opened two new hotels in Nigeria last month, bringing the company's total operations in West Africa to 11. The Best Western Meloch Hotel is a three star hotel marketed toward business travelers. It has several amenities, such as an on-site restaurant, complementary breakfast, air conditioning, free wireless Internet, a pool and cocktail lounge. Read More »