The African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council's theme of "Natural Resources and Conflicts in Africa" marked its 575th meeting Feb. 11. Speakers emphasized the value of natural resources and the role they play in Africa's economy, pointing out that bad management and less-than-equal distribution of those resources could mean financial troubles and conflicts on many levels. Read More »

The IOM, GIS and Brong Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council recently established an MIC in Sunyani, Ghana. The goal of the center is to serve as a place where migrants or those considering migration can get information on legalities and necessary documents. The project was funded by the European Union as part of the Ghana Integrated Migration Management Approach project. Read More »

Samuel Adjei was promoted to managing director for the company's CESA region. “I have spent the last 25 years of my life, contributing to and helping to build this great institution of ours – Ecobank," Adjei said. "But the real credit goes to the many great men and women alongside whom I have worked in Ecobank Ghana, the West African Monetary Zone region and Ecobank overall." Read More »

To ease the strain on Burkina Faso, officials recently urged its food producers to take advantage of the World Bank's Agricultural Productivity and Food Security Project, a matching grant program. The match from farmers can be made through land preparation and other community services. The World Bank is encouraging women in particular to make use of the program. Read More »

During a recent visit to the NNPC, Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and NNPC Managing Director Ibe Kachikwu announced the corporation's plans to partner with Nigeria's National Assembly on modernizing and streamlining Nigeria's petroleum industry. This joint venture will help NNPC launch additional retail outlets so petroleum products are more readily available. Read More »

Gryphon Minerals Ltd. has extended the option on several permits granted last October to Algold Resources Ltd., including two projects in Mauritania. For the extension, Algold transferred 300,000 common shares of Algold stock to Gryphon. The option will allow for Kanosak Barbados Inc. to acquire exploration licenses for the Tijirit and Akjoujt gold projects in Mauritania. Read More »

In an effort to collect and maintain better statistical information on labor statistics, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Wednesday. An MoU is a non-legal document outlining plans for a collaboration or partnership. Read More »

The Port of Houston Authority in Texas achieved a milestone Friday, with its inaugural regular direct container service to West Africa from the authority's Barnours Cut Container Terminal. The Port of Houston Authority is the largest container port in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico; its workers handle approximately two-thirds of all the gulf's container traffic. The carrier used for the historic launch was Grimaldi Lines. Read More »

The Bamako Forum in Mali, set for Thursday through Saturday, will focus on the theme "Africa: Between Chaos and Emergence." The Bamako Forum brings together leaders for the opportunity to discuss new and innovative ways to make Africa a stronger player in the global marketplace. Topics to be covered include migration, security and religion between Africa's nations and its citizens. Read More »

Farmers in West Africa's developing countries can make their farms even more productive and sustainable if they have access to agricultural biotechnologies. To educate farmers about those technologies and ways to obtain and use them, representatives from FAO hosted a symposium dubbed "The Role of Agricultural Biotechnologies in Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition." Read More »

To help educate government officials on best practices for implementing universal health care in Africa, a five-day workshop kicked off Monday in Accra, Ghana. Dubbed the Africa Regional Peer-Learning Workshop on Country Approaches to Risk-Pooling for Attaining Universal Health Coverage, the event, is bringing together representatives from a number of African nations. Read More »

Digital banking platform TagPay recently received the Kalahari Award for Best Technology Enabler Platform during the Remittance and Mobile Money Expo in Lagos, Nigeria. The Kalahari Awards honor organizations that have made a positive impact on Africa's remittance services and mobile financial services sector. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of expert judges. Read More »

Huawei G-Power is now available through online shopping site Jumia Nigeria. Huawei, an android smartphone and accessories provider, developed the Huawei G-Power device to help Nigerian smartphone users charge their devices as well as extend battery life. The device also includes memory for document and file saving and a high-quality camera that comes with a free Bluetooth Swan speak. Read More »

GTBank Gambia was honored by Global Banking & Finance Review as Best Commercial Bank and Best Internet Bank. According to Kingsley Mobolaji Ayodele, the awards were the result of a staff that delivers high-quality financial services to the people of Gambia. He also thanked GTBank's customers for "their unflinching loyalty to the bank" and the bank's board of directors and management. Read More »

Resource estimates are in for a deposit that is part of a joint venture gold mining project in the West African nation of Mali. Canadian company IAMGOLD Corp. owns the Siribaya project, a joint venture with Merrex Gold Inc. Each company owns 50 percent interest in the project. The estimate reports are a requirement of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). Read More »

Fatma Samoura officially began her tenure as United Nation resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative in Nigeria Friday. In this role, Samoura will oversee the coordination and implementation of UN programs in Nigeria. Samoura hopes to work on poverty eradication and humanitarian pursuits. Samoura will work closely with the Nigerian government to achieve SDGs. Read More »

IOM recently provided business assistance to fishermen. Typically, fishermen in this region use trafficked children to help them fish. Consequently, in addition to providing funding, IOM representatives showed 12 fishermen, who agreed to release trafficked children, how they could earn additional income producing cash crops or working in animal husbandry instead. Read More »

The Ivory Coast became the 23rd nation added to the amended Convention on the Limitation Period on the International Sale of Goods as well as the 30th participant in the unamended Convention. The Convention has been in place since June 12, 1974, and puts in place rules about the time period in which any legal proceedings connected to an international sales contract must begin. Read More »

In an effort to introduce more businesses to its products and services, CaseWare Africa will host forums in February in Nigeria and Kenya. Company officials hope leaders and associates of businesses looking to upgrade their software solutions will attend the forums, which will include sessions geared toward accounting and auditing practitioners and business financial professionals. Read More »

Foreign Office Minister for Africa James Duddridge visited the West African nation of Senegal Monday and Tuesday. During his visit, Duddridge met with Senegalese President Macky Sall to discuss a number of issues, including border and interior security and economic growth in the region and opportunities for business partnerships between entities in the United Kingdom and Senegal. Read More »