President Bio welcomes Hajj pilgrims, calls for peace and support for Feed Salone

On Friday, July 12, 2024, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone welcomed Hajj pilgrims and observed the first Juma prayers at State House in Freetown. Chief Imam Shiek Kutubu Konneh delivered a sermon urging pilgrims to act as agents of peace and ambassadors of nation-building by practicing the good deeds they learned in Mecca. He also encouraged support for the government's "Feed Salone" initiative to ensure food sufficiency in the country. Read More »

Nigerian blockchain organization: Ongoing detention of Binance employee 'could lead to a withdrawal of support from international partners'

The Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BICCoN) has expressed concerns over the Nigerian government's detention of Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent and current Binance employee. BICCoN issued a statement on June 24 warning that this action could undermine international support for Nigeria. Read More »

Access Bank secures N442 billion capital through syndicated tier II facility

Hague, Netherlands – July 16, 2024: Access Bank PLC, sub-Saharan Africa's largest bank by customer base, has entered into a significant partnership with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO). The agreement involves a syndicate Tier II Facility of USD295 million (approximately N442.5 billion), marking over two decades of collaboration between the institutions. Read More »

ECOWAS launches support programme for providing equipment to disabled children

On Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Department of Human Development and Social Affairs, through its Directorate of Humanitarian Affairs, organized a workshop in Lomé, Togo, to launch the activities of the ECOWAS support programme for providing functional equipment to disabled children in Togo. The aim of this activity is to assess, together with stakeholders, particularly the Ministry in charge of social inclusion, associations and federations of disabled people and partners, the urgent needs for functional equipment that ECOWAS could acquire and offer to disabled children to... Read More »

ECOWAS reaffirms commitment to strengthening partnership with UNIDO

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has reaffirmed ECOWAS' determination and commitment to strengthening its ongoing partnership with UNIDO, particularly in the areas of industrialization and regional integration. This statement was made on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the ECOWAS Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria during a meeting with Ms. Fatou Haidara, Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations. Read More »

HSC addresses concerns over recent overseas medical referral updates

Recently, the Health and Social Care Portfolio (HSC) issued a letter updating patients identified for overseas medical referral on the status of their referrals. However, some recipients have misunderstood the contents of this letter, leading to miscommunication in the public domain. The HSC aims to address these concerns and provide an update on overseas medical referrals. Read More »

ECOWAS Commission president presents 2024 work programme report

On July 11, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, presented the general report on the state of implementation of the Community’s 2024 work programme to the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria. This presentation followed the opening of debates by the President of the Parliament, H.E. Mrs. Memouna-tou Ibrahima, in accordance with Article 32 of the Additional Act relating to the reinforcement of the prerogatives of the ECOWAS Parliament. The act stipulates that “At each ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament, the President of the Commission shall... Read More »

Corgentum chief compliance officer on Binance employee detained in Nigeria: 'it is urgent that he be released'

Jason Scharfman, the Chief Compliance Officer of Corgentum Consulting, stated it is "urgent" for the Nigerian government to release Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance employee detained since February, due to Gambaryan's deteriorating health. Scharfman shared his statement in a July 16 post on X after Gambaryan appeared in Nigerian court in a wheelchair. Read More »

President Bio addresses DEPAC meeting on global peace ahead of UN Security Council presidency

State House, Freetown, Thursday 18 July 2024 – His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio addressed the Development Partnership Committee (DEPAC) meeting, reiterating his commitment to global peace and security and making democracy purposeful in the region. He also reminded attendees of Sierra Leone’s forthcoming presidency at the United Nations Security Council from August 2024 to 2025. Read More »

ECOWAS holds workshop on revising personal data protection act

On July 15, 2024, the ECOWAS Commission commenced a workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, focused on revising the Supplementary Act on personal data protection and building capacity for data harmonisation and cross-border data flows. The workshop, hosted by the ECOWAS Commission, saw participation from representatives of Member States' ministries responsible for ICT and the digital economy, Data Protection Authorities, the African Union, the European Union, DPSE, and GIZ. Read More »

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