Amid growing violence in concession areas, Liberia's National Investment Commission (NIC) said Oct. 18 it will institute a new program to proactively prevent disputes between residents and foreign investors. The Free Prior Informed Consent Process will be required to obtain consent from Liberians living in an area of proposed development before NIC is allowed to open it to investors. Read More »

The AfDB welcomed 160 young entrepreneurs and techies from around West Africa to its headquarters in Abidjan Oct. 9 to 11 for its Innovation Weekend. A major focus of the meeting was to generate tech-based solutions in order to bring more women and young people into the workforce. Approximately 60 percent of unemployed people in Sub-Saharan Africa are between 15 to 24 years old. Read More »

Frost & Sullivan finds that Sub-Saharan Africa is primed for renewable energy investment. South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria and Ethiopia are all ripe for investment in grid-tied solar, wind, and geothermal projects. Frost & Sullivan cited International Finance Corporation's Scaling Solar Programme as an example of solutions addressing the funding gap. Read More »

Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra announced recently that it was launching a number of new vehicles in partnership with Ghana-based Svani Limited. Read More »

Seasoned British diplomat Guy Warrington was recently named the British High Commissioner for Sierra Leone. Warrington has been working with the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1986. The appointment to Sierra Leone will be his 10th foreign mission, with previous stints in Singapore, New York, Geneva, Seoul, Dubai and other locations around the world. Read More »

Telecommunications company Millicom will cash in its equity in Helios Towers Africa for 24 percent of the company's shares. Helios Towers Africa is one of the largest telecommunications towers companies in Africa. In 2010, a group of companies owned by HTA acquired 2,450 towers owned by Millicom who kept an equity stake in the towers that are now being traded in. Read More »

A permanent office of Export Development Canada was opened in Johannesburg Thursday. The export credit agency, which has to date put into motion more than $7.4 billion worth of business between African and Canadian companies over the past five years, is focusing its efforts in Ghana. EDC offers financing to sub-Saharan corporations, project owners and banks willing to doing business. Read More »

The African Union heads of state and government will host the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa Week from Nov. 12 to Nov. 17 in Abijan. Since the African Union launched PIDA, they are still working to fulfill the goals of the strategic initiative. PIDA Week will be observed to promote PIDA within the private sector as well as to bring awareness to PIDA's projects. Read More »

Organic Potash Corp. (OPC) will build multiple production facilities and change its funding practices as it works with strategic partners in major West African cocoa producing nations. Additionally, OPC's board announced the resignation of director Michael Galloro as well as the termination of the subscription agreements and financing contracts with three three Chinese companies. Read More »

Trade finance agency Export Development Canada (EDC) opened a permanent representation in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday. Over the past five years, EDC has brought more than $7.4 billion to African and Canadian businesses; $235 million of it in Nigeria. EDC extends financing to sub-Saharan corporations, project owners and banks that seek business with Canadian companies. Read More »

Bamboo Finance and agribusiness leader Louis Dreyfus Holding will establish and manage NISABA, a $50 million impact investment fund. The fund's focus will be on small- and- medium-sized agribusiness ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa. The $10 million needed to launch the fund will be provided by Louis Dreyfus Holding. The fund will be supported by a network of local expertise. Read More »

Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi was named joint special representative for Darfur and head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) Tuesday. In this role, Uhomoibhi, who is Nigerian, will also be African Union-United Nations joint chief mediator.He succeeds Abiodun Oluremi Bashua of Nigeria. Uhomoibhi has had a long career in international forums. Read More »

Educators and science professionals from African Union states gathered Wednesday at the Meeting of Senior Experts of the First Specialized Technical Committee on education, science and technology. Taking place at the AU Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr. Mahama Ouedraogo said the main goal of the meeting was to bring together the commission's departments. Read More »

The U.S. Agency for International Development appointed Andrew Karas as their mission director in Ghana Oct. 23. Working closely with the government of Ghana to help establish its middle class, Karas will be responsible for USAID's agriculture, governance, economic growth and education programs in Ghana. Karas served as USAID's deputy mission director in Ghana since December 2012. Read More »

Guinness Nigeria Plc honored its distributors Wednesday at the 2015 national Distributors’ Conference and Awards Night for best-in-class performance and responsible marketing of its alcoholic beverage brands. At the conference, Guinness representatives announced new trade incentives and received input from distributors from across the country. Dr. Edmond Okafor was also honored. Read More »

Training workshops were established at eight points of entry in Ghana to educate port officials on Ebola preparedness. The workshops were for officials at the Tema and Takoradi ports; Kotoka international airport; and the Elubo, Aflao, Paga, Hamile and Sampa border crossing points to prepare them to include EVD and other communicable disease surveillance in their daily routines. Read More »

Magnus Nmonwu, regional director for Sage West Africa, recently expressed that it is imperative for businesses in West Africa to invest in products that will help them digitize their processes. Nmonwu insisted that enterprises that fail to keep abreast of technology will face major disadvantages. Nmonwu advised keeping up with mobile web, e-commerce and social media solutions. Read More »

Humanitarian service organization Rotary International contributed $6.9 million Monday to help Nigeria remain polio-free.  The funds will be used to increase immunization availability and activities overseen by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This year, the World Health Organization removed Nigeria from its list of countries experiencing polio endemics. Read More »

Africa Finance Corp. has made three key appoints with Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, Oliver Tunde Andrews and Sanjeev Gupta in order to change its organizational structure this year. A Harvard Law School alumnus, Akin-Olgubade has spent more than 30 years in the financial and legal sectors. Dr. Akin-Olugbade has now been named executive director and Chief Operating Officer of AFC. Read More »

The World Health Organization removed Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries Monday. While Nigeria has not has reported positive test for wild polio virus in 15 months, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries that remain. A ceremony took place to celebrate Nigeria's removal from the list and was attended by the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health. Read More »