The International Year of Light 2015 is a worldwide initiative of the United Nations to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health. Among the event's founders are the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society. Read More »

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa severely disrupted the economies of both Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to a survey released on Sept. 30 by GeoPoll, a mobile survey platform, and FHI 360, a human development organization.From January to June of this year, a survey was distributed via SMS messages throughout every district in both countries. Still, both nation's citizens remain optimistic about their nations' abilities to bounce back in the near future. Read More »

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Senegalese Ministry for Water Resources and Sanitation will roll out a $54 million program to make water and sanitation accessible in rural areas.  The water and sanitation program to be implemented in Senegal is in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals' (SDG) No. 6 pledge, which mandates that water and sanitation be available for everyone.  Read More »

The World Bank Group endorsed a Country Partnership Framework (CPF), a World Bank lending program of up to US$1 billion and a International Finance Corporation (IFC) financing of up to US$1 billion, for Côte d’Ivoire on Sept. 29. Due to years of stability, the World Bank Board extended the CPF to the Ivory Coast in order to modernize the economy and efface the disparities that were created from years of struggle. Read More »

Kiribati and Senegal recently made their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), controlling emissions in the energy, maritime and coastal sectors, in the face of the upcoming Paris Climate Change Conference that will take place between November and December. Senegal and Kribati are two of 81 countries that have officially submitted their INDCs, which will also go into a report. Read More »

The LRA will soon commence a major enforcement initiative aimed at recovering the country's real estate tax debts. The tax recoveries will be enforced by placing liens on non-compliant properties and encouraging property owners to visit local LRA offices to ensure they are up to date on their real estate taxes. Read More »

Bloomberg and the Ghana Fixed Income Market (GFIM) recently launched the Bloomberg E-Bond Trading and Market surveillance system, a new electronic trading system for Ghanaian government bonds, which Bloomberg began operating in August. For participants in Ghana’s USD 7.7 billion fixed income market, the Bloomberg E-Bond system provides electronic trading and market surveillance tools. Read More »

Nigeria's Rivers State Government will partner with the Navy as well as other security entities to ensure that its waterways are safe. A collaboration was discussed Wednesday, when Nigerian Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Atiku Abdulkadir visited Gov. Nyesom Wike at the Government House in Port Harcourt. Abdulkadir also asked the government and the people to help them fight against waterways crime. Read More »

MTN Business recently began offering Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute, a service that provides businesses with access to network and cloud services, to its Africa-based clientele. MTN customers can use Azure ExpressRoute for access to a security-enhanced, SLA-backed network connection to Microsoft Azure. The service will also give customers connectivity access to additional services on its platform. Read More »

Sierra Leone was represented at this forum by Omrie Michael Golley, Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Having as its theme "Overview of the Past and Outlook on the Future," the forum explored Korea's diplomatic and business relationship with African countries and sought to explore ways in which this relationship could be nurtured and sustained in the future. Read More »

Nigeria’s immediate past communication technology minister, Omobola Johnson, announced at DEMO Africa 2015 that she has joined TLcom Capital LLP as partner. TLcom Capital is a London- and Nairobi-based venture capital firm investing since 1999 in telecom, media and technology companies. It is a venture capital that does early stage venture and later-stage venture investments. Read More »

The Hershey Co. announced a new Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action to train 7,500 farmers in Ghana on improved agronomic practices, empowering them to supply local commercial markets with safe and high-quality peanuts to produce Vivi, a vitamin and mineral-fortified nutritional supplement distributed to school children in Ghana. Read More »

Summit to bring together nation's top investors, economists and academics to discuss Nigeria's future. Read More »

The Abuja Light Rail construction project, which involves setting up a light rail system in the Nigerian capital, is to be complete by October next year. The project, whose worth has been indicated as $792 million according to reports, will be undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. Read More »

Macfarlanes, LLC said Sept. 28 that it advised Heineken in the Brassivoire joint venture with distributor of brands CFAO to produce beer in Cote d'Ivoire. Heineken owns 51 percent of Brassivoire while CFAO owns a 49-percent stake. The new brewery will incorporate the newest technologies and be located in the new PK24 industrial zone to the north of the city of Abidjan. Read More »

Access Bank, Plc, the full service commercial bank with headquarters in Nigeria and operations across Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.K., announced its audited results for the first half ending on June 30. The bank recorded a strong performance in the first half of the year, reasserting its capacity and resolve to deliver strong returns in spite of a tighter operating environment. Read More »

African financial institution Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) reaffirmed its position as a leading global brand following its recognition for good corporate governance at the 2015 African Business Awards held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23-24. The African Business Awards, now in its seventh year, was launched by African Business magazine. Read More »

Media and content group Vivendi announced plans to open 10 live-performance venues in Central and West Africa under the name CanalOlympia. The first CanalOlympia halls will be in Conakry in Guinea, Cotonou in Benin, Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo and Dakar in Senegal. CanalOlympia halls will offer artists a chance to perform and will create a network of venues where tours can be organized. Read More »

RESOLVE President and CEO Stephen D’Esposito joined Chelsea Clinton and other leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York on Sept. 27 to announce a new CGI Commitment to Action, “ReGrow West Africa: Post-Ebola Private Sector Recovery.” ReGrow West Africa was selected for its “exemplary approach to addressing a critical challenge.” Read More »

Luxembourg-based gold producer La Mancha has announced it is combining its Côte d’Ivoire assets with Endeavour Mining to create a leading gold company in Africa. Read More »