Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 04 December 2024

Wed Dec 4 14:58:39 CAT 2024

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Major International Business Headlines Brief:::  04 December 2024 

 <https://www.firstcapitalbank.co.zw/> 

ü  Angola: Biden to Visit U.S-Financed Angolan Rail Hub

ü  Uganda's Oil and Gas Sector Fuels Economic Growth

ü  Nigeria: Billions Lost, As Fire Razes Market, Shops in Yobe, Kwara, Taraba

ü  Angola: President Biden Visits Lobito Atlantic Railway to View Copper Exports to the U.S.

ü  Lesotho: 'Fighting a Giant' - the Chef in Lesotho Taking On the Agro-Industrial Complex

ü  Tanzania: How an App Transformed Farming for Rural Tanzanian Women

ü  Nigeria: How Nigeria Can Benefit $3.4 Trillion Trade Opportunities in AfCFTA - Maritime Experts

ü  Namibia's Trade Deficit Widens to N$7.8 Billion in October

ü  Nigeria: TCN Restores Electricity to Bayelsa - Official

ü  Telegram U-turns and joins child safety scheme

ü  Supermarkets 'putting profits above human rights', MP says

ü  India taxi service sorry for driver's gunpoint robbery

 <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> 

Angola: Biden to Visit U.S-Financed Angolan Rail Hub

Luanda/Lobito — U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday headed to a U.S.-financed African development project that weaves together his personal love of railroads with his desire to leave a legacy on the continent that will outlive his administration.

The Lobito Corridor is a 1,300-kilometer rail line stretching from copper-rich Zambia to the port of Lobito in the southwest nation of Angola. The network will form a "strategic economic corridor" under the Biden administration's Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment - an initiative meant to counter China's well-established, sprawling Belt and Road initiative. So far, the Biden administration says it has committed nearly $4 billion towards the project.

Biden, in Angola's capital on Tuesday, cast the project through his love of passenger rail. As a U.S. senator, he commuted to Washington from Wilmington, Delaware - logging, he said, nearly 340 kilometers on every trip.

"I must tell you up front, with American press here, I'm probably the most pro-rail guy in America," Biden said Tuesday in Angola's capital, to laughter from the audience gathered to hear him speak at the nation's slavery museum.

Same, or different?

Senior administration officials said this rail line will, by the end of the decade, be extended to its full length, stretching from Africa's Indian Ocean coast to the Atlantic port. Initially, it will transport critical minerals like cobalt and copper from the continent's deep interior to the coast. When the corridor is completed, a journey that now takes more than 40 days by road can zip across the continent in 40 hours.

"The premise behind the corridor is to be able to take American support and financial capabilities that are limited, and to focus them more deeply in one area, versus spreading that financial support and effort across many countries," said a senior Biden administration official, who was not identified as is common practice when briefing reporters.

VOA asked the official whether this repeats the age-old colonial narrative of exploiting the continent's rich, raw resources while not adding value and providing steady work for local populations. A burgeoning youth population on the continent has created an urgent need for jobs, putting strain on many African governments.

"I disagree with the premise that this is for raw products," the official replied. "Right now, only raw product is coming out. But I think what this rail does - in order to get to higher value products, you need a few things. One of them is affordable and reliable and abundant energy. So the build out of the energy system allows you to then build the value added."

And others questioned whether this U.S. effort, coming more than a decade after China launched its ambitious Belt and Road initiative, can compete.

"Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a mimic of China's playbook, one that tacitly acknowledges that Washington lags behind Beijing in terms of its investments in Africa but does little to fill the void that exists in China's footprint," said Chris O. Ògúnmọ́dẹdé, an editor, consultant, and analyst of African politics, security, and international relations.

Wang Peng, a researcher at Renmin University of China, published on a Chinese state thinktank, International Cooperation Center, that Western international projects like the Lobito Corridor don't pose a challenge to China's initiative because the United States "can't provide sufficient funds and material conditions to truly implement its ambitious global infrastructure plan."

Wang Peng also noted the U.S. could undermine it by exerting diplomatic pressure on host countries to force them to tear up cooperation agreements with China; exaggerate the negative impact of the "Belt and Road" project on the local ecological environment and water resources.... and hype up the so-called "debt trap" issue."

Mounting Chinese debt among African nations is something Biden also mentioned indirectly in his remarks Tuesday, in seeking to cast the U.S. as a reliable partner.

"We've also pushed to ensure that developing nations do not have to choose between paying down unsustainable debt and being able to invest in their own people," he said.

But, as Biden also said, his time is running short as he prepares to leave office, for president-elect Donald Trump. Analysts say this project may be well received by Trump, as it suits his more transactional approach to the continent, and appeals to one of Trump's biggest backers, billionaire Elon Musk.

"The money has been earmarked already after all," said James Murphy of Clark University in Massachusetts. "Continuing the Lobito project is a smart idea - Trump does not have to own it except in the sense that it gives him a talking point about our strategic/resource-driven interests in Africa, particularly as a strategy to acquire minerals essential for Elon's Teslas, as it were."

Paris Huang contributed to this report.

VOA.

Uganda's Oil and Gas Sector Fuels Economic Growth

Kampala — Uganda's oil and gas industry is reshaping the nation's economy, presenting unparalleled opportunities for local businesses and individuals. However, stakeholders emphasize the need to tackle challenges in taxation, technology, and skills development to unlock the sector's full potential.

Since the Final Investment Decision (FID) in February 2022, TotalEnergies EP Uganda's workforce has grown from 3,200 to over 10,200, including contractors. Deputy General Manager Mariam Mbowa highlighted that 3,500 residents have secured jobs at Tilenga, underscoring the sector's significant community impact. TotalEnergies has also invested $10 million in training Ugandans, contributing to in-country value creation of $718 million by Q3 2024, with 270 local companies actively engaged.

Similarly, CNOOC Uganda Limited has trained 1,342 individuals in technical skills and supported 505 SMEs through supplier development programs. The company employs 2,507 Ugandans at the Kingfisher Development Area.

These milestones were celebrated at the 5th National Content Conference, themed "Advancing National Content in the Oil and Gas Sector: Three Years After FID," held at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The event, organized by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) and the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum (UCMP), emphasized progress while addressing gaps in taxation, capacity building, and technology transfer.

PAU's Director of Economic and National Content Monitoring, Peninah Aheebwa, noted that projected investments of $2.9 billion in 2024 and $2.3 billion in 2025 would lay the foundation for an additional $15 billion over 15 years. Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa stressed the need to translate these investments into tangible benefits through employment, enterprise development, and skills transfer.

Currently, 14,451 people are directly employed in the sector, with 90% being Ugandans. Communities hosting oil and gas operations account for 4,483 of these jobs. The sector is projected to employ approximately 160,000 people at its peak.

Economic contributions are expected to surge as foundational infrastructure, such as the export pipeline, refinery, and processing facilities, is completed. The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) projects the refinery to add $3.4 billion annually to GDP, while the Kabalega Industrial Park is anticipated to contribute $4.9 billion annually, creating 32,000-35,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Taxes remains a big headache

However, challenges persist. UCMP CEO Humphrey Asiimwe called for an equitable tax regime, urging that Value Added Tax (VAT) be collected only upon payment to contractors to ease cashflow pressures. Pamela Natamba, Vice Chairperson of UCMP's Governing Council, stressed the importance of addressing skills gaps, regulatory hurdles, and capacity limitations while prioritizing joint ventures and technology transfer.

The UCMP is also exploring partnerships with emerging markets like Namibia and Mozambique to enable Ugandan companies to share expertise in local content development and regulatory compliance, fostering sustainable industries across Africa.

The conference concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing excellence in national content promotion. The launch of the Joint Qualification System (JQS) was another highlight, promising to streamline contracting processes and expand opportunities for Ugandan businesses.

Independent (Kampala).

Nigeria: Billions Lost, As Fire Razes Market, Shops in Yobe, Kwara, Taraba

Properties worth billions of naira have been lost in Yobe, Kwara and Taraba states after a fire incident razed down a market, shops and a lounge.

In Yobe State at least 200 people lost their means of livelihood, after fire razed 46 shops at Bayan Tasha Market in Damaturu Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The inferno, which started at about 2:30 am affected several shops in the market before the intervention of the state fire service personnel who later put out the fire.

Daily Trust gathered that lack of access roads within the market hindered rescue efforts before the intervention of firefighters.

The deputy governor of Yobe State, Hon Idi Barde Gubana, inspected the scene of the fire outbreak and attributed the cause of the midnight fire to an electrical fault.

"Preliminary investigation attributed this incident to electric fault. The total number of shops burned was 46 in number, 38 were permanent shops while 8 were temporary shops and over 200 people lost their means of livelihood.

"We thank God, no life was lost, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has directed me and other relevant stakeholders to critically analyse items lost by every individual, the government will do needful to assist them", he said.

At Ita Amodu market, Old Yidi road, Ilọrin properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

The inferno, which occurred on Tuesday affected residents and traders that deals in mattresses, carpets, gum and other materials.

Speaking on the incident, the PRO of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, said they encountered a massive inferno, which originated from a lorry overloaded with mattresses when they arrived.

"The fire destroyed the lorry and spread to a nearby building containing 47 rooms and 19 shops.

"Despite the intensity of the blaze, our swift efforts to contain it prevent further destruction. 12 shops and 31 rooms were saved while 7 shops and 16 rooms were unfortunately affected", he stated.

Adekunle said "Investigations revealed that the fire originated from a lorry overloaded with mattresses that collided with a high-tension wire, causing a spark that ignited the mattresses.

Meanwhile, in Taraba, properties worth over a billion naira were said to have been destroyed during a fire incident at Duchess Lounge located opposite Jolly Nyame Stadium Jalingo.

Daily Trust gathered that the actual cause of the fire could not be ascertained however eyewitnesses said fire may have started as a result of sudden power surge and worsen by the harmattan wind.

The entire first floor of the lounge, comprising of the general club, VIP and VVIP sections were destroyed by the fire.

The owner of the lounge, Professor Joseph Albasu Kunini told our correspondent that the place has just undergone a comprehensive overhauling preparatory for the third anniversary on 30th of December.

Daily Trust.

Angola: President Biden Visits Lobito Atlantic Railway to View Copper Exports to the U.S.

The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, visits the Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Lobito, Angola today, where he will watch the arrival of a train operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), transporting copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The copper will then be loaded onto a vessel bound for New Orleans, in the United States, highlighting, once again, the strategic role of the Lobito Corridor in linking Southern Africa and international markets.

Nicolas Gregoir, Director of Operations (COO) at LAR, will present to President Biden and other guests the progress of the concession awarded to the company, which includes the integrated management of the Lobito Corridor railway line and the Lobito Port Mineral Terminal. This concession has demonstrated efficiency, sustainability and positive impact on the export of critical minerals, promoting regional economic development and the integration of Angola, DRC and Zambia into global trade.

President Biden's visit to Angola highlights the relevance of the Lobito Corridor as a model of logistical excellence and sustainable economic development, making it possible to highlight LAR's commitment to transforming this infrastructure into an indispensable pillar for global trade and the energy transition, by ensuring the efficient supply of strategic minerals such as copper needed for the energy transition.

About LAR – Lobito Atlantic Railway

A 30-year concession was granted to the joint venture of the LAR - Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, comprising Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry, Mota-Engil, an international infrastructure construction and management company, and Vecturis SA, an independent railway operator.

Since January 2024, LAR has operated, managed and maintained the railway line that extends for 1,300 km in Angola, between Porto do Lobito and Luau, in the East, and which connects with the railway network managed by Sociedade Ferroviária Nacional from Congo (SNCC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kolwezi, the heart of the Copper Belt.

LAR also operates the Porto do Lobito Mineral Terminal, which connects to the railway line, providing faster and more efficient service in one of the most uncongested ports on the Atlantic coast.

LAR currently employs more than 650 employees, divided between the company's Administration and railway and port operations. These workers are mostly from CFB - Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela and Porto do Lobito and are expected to grow significantly in number due to the increase in the concessionaire's activity.

This railway enabled the existence and operation of a faster western route for transporting minerals and metals produced in the Congolese Copper Belt. The modernized rail line will also help bring vital goods and resources to the region and support business development and commercial activity along the way.

The LAR consortium is the concessionaire for the operation, management and maintenance of the Lobito Railway Corridor, which connects Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo. A separate pre-feasibility study, supported by the US and EU, is underway for the extension of the Lobito railway line to northern Zambia.

Lesotho: 'Fighting a Giant' - the Chef in Lesotho Taking On the Agro-Industrial Complex

In a time of climate breakdown, corporate capture, and unhealthy diets, can the humble food of Lesotho show us the future?

Over the past few years, the notion that all cuisine can be boiled down to four simple elements - salt, fat, acid, and heat - has gained widespread popularity thanks to a bestselling cookbook by chef Samin Nosrat. This philosophy is alluring for its sheer simplicity. Yet it's arguably still a little over-complex when applied to the minimalism of Lesotho's traditional food.

Take Likhets'o, which takes barely two ingredients (pumpkin and water) and three instructions (cut, boil, scoop) to make. Or Nyekoe, which combines sugar beans and wholegrain sorghum - plus a little cooking oil, water, and salt - to make what can be a full meal. Heat? Absolutely. Salt, fat, acid? Maybe sometimes.

For many, this degree of plainness may sound a little uninspiring. But for Basotho chef Ska Moteane, simple is beautiful. "That's what we've always been like, using clean, clean, clean flavours," she says. "What's unique about our cooking scene in Lesotho is that we really don't have any complicated things that would require, say, lots and lots of spices."

Moteane learnt to cook many of these national recipes about 15 years ago after she moved back home from South Africa where she'd be working. Realising that she'd never be taught how to make the traditional dishes that have been a staple for generations - and finding the recipes nowhere despite scouring bookshops and the internet - she travelled the country collecting stories and instructions. She complied them in her self-published 2012 cookbook Cuisine of the Mountain Kingdom: Cooking in Lesotho. To her surprise, it won the prestigious Gourmand Cookbook award for best African cookbook that year.

Since then, Moteane's celebration of traditional Basotho dishes - and, with them, the beans and legumes that grow so well in the small mountainous kingdom - has only become more salient. In the last few decades across Africa, there has been a sharp rise in the consumption of ultra-processed and fast food. In southern Africa, imports of soft drinks increased by 1,200% between 1995 and 2010. Fast food outlets and the proportion of processed items in supermarkets have exploded.

As in the Global North, this trend has had a direct and negative impact on health. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of overweight children in Africa nearly doubled between 1991 and 2016, from 5.4 million to 10.3 million. Recent studies around the world meanwhile have drawn links between diets high in ultra-processed foods and a global rise in cancer among under-50s. Africa today is facing a so-called "double burden" of malnutrition whereby it is simultaneously contending with undernutrition and issues linked to overnutrition such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

These trends in Africa have been attributed to a number of factors such as urbanisation and lifestyle changes linked to shifts in forms of employment. Another big part of the puzzle is trade liberalisation and the arrival of "Big Food" multinationals and their local imitators. In countries like Lesotho, ultra-processed food are becoming both cheaper and ever more ubiquitous, in urban spaces, supermarkets, and through online advertising that portrays Western-style fast food culture as aspirational.

For Moteane, who has become a campaigner for "slow food" and a champion of Lesotho's healthy local fare, the battle for the country's stomach is akin to David and Goliath.

"I see my role as a chef as being to say let's these nutritious crops onto our plate, but we have a big problem because the big corporations have so much money for adverts on TV and the internet to promote this poison," she says. "We are fighting a giant, but it doesn't mean we'll stop."

Through local partnerships and with the support of networks like Slow Food International, Moteane engages in online and in-person educational campaigns around Lesotho extolling the virtues of traditional dishes and warning of the health dangers of ultra-processed foods, especially targeting young people. The conversations are not always easy.

"People will tell you healthy food is boring, that it doesn't taste good, that it's more expensive," she says. "But I tell them to think about what it's doing to their health in the long-term. We are really getting sick because of all the chemicals we're ingesting, and healthy foods are no more expensive especially if you think about the thousands you'll spend going to the doctor in the long run."

As well as its impact of health, Moteane is also well aware of the effects of these food cultures on the environment and the climate. Shifts in behaviour around the consumption of food are part of a more general expansion of globalised food systems in Africa, including how food is grown.

For many years, farmers networks, civil society groups, and environmentalists have attempted to push back at increasing industrialisation of the continent's agriculture. They have urged governments to resist importing a model that relies on super farms using monocropping and vast quantities of chemical inputs. Instead, they say that countries should help farmers use agroecological methods that work with nature to replenish the soil, increase biodiversity, and prioritise local supply chains. Many argue for a shift from a focus on food security - whereby people have enough calories but potentially on somebody else's terms - to a focus on food sovereignty - whereby people control their own food systems.

This too, however, is a battle waged against much better resourced opponents. The vast wealth of agribusiness and agrichemical multinationals gives them the ear of officials in poor countries like Lesotho. Moteane describes confusion and disappointment at her government's agricultural policies.

"They are part of the problem, but I don't think intentionally," she says, citing their provision of subsidies for chemical inputs. "If you talk to these people individually outside the office, they agree 100% with what we are saying, but once in office it's a different story."

The deepening climate crisis only makes the efforts of campaigners like Ska more urgent. The global food system accounts for around one third of all greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to many factors including the production of chemical inputs, the degradation of soils, deforestation, transportation, and packaging.

In turn, the effects of climate change have devastating effects on agriculture, especially in highly vulnerable countries such as Lesotho.

"We're not sure if winter is still winter," says Moteane. "We're not sure anymore what we can get in what season. Sometimes we do not get any rain. We need to start working on adapting to the current climate while unlearning all the bad habits that are destroying our planet."

For the chef from Lesotho, the intersecting crises of health, climate and food sovereignty may be deeply complex, but the solution to them ultimately lies in the wisdom that has always been contained in the country's traditional cuisine: Simple is beautiful. Simple can nourish. Simple is already more than enough. Many scientific studies have come to the same conclusion. Prioritising plant-based diets, regenerative farming, and local supply chains would do wonders for health, livelihoods, and the environment.

"Sometimes we tend to go after the things that other nations are doing, thinking our own is not good enough," says Moteane. "What Lesotho can teach the rest of the world is what you have in your own space is enough. It is good. Appreciate it."

James Wan is the Managing & Climate Editor of African Arguments. He is the former Acting Editor of African Business Magazine and Senior Editor at Think Africa Press. He has written for Aljazeera, New Humanitarian, BBC, The Guardian (UK) and other outlets. He is a fellow of the Wits University China-Africa Reporting Project and former member of the African Studies Association-UK council.

Read the original of this report, including embedded links and illustrations, on the African Arguments site.

Tanzania: How an App Transformed Farming for Rural Tanzanian Women

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania — In the sun-scorched soils of Moshi, where every drop of rain counts, two female farmers have defied the odds through technology. Mwajuma Rashid Njau and Mumii Rajab, once locked in a daily struggle to survive, have found a mobile phone their best ally.

For years, farming was a way of life they struggled to master. Their fields, a patchwork of red earth and wilting crops, symbolized hardship rather than prosperity. Pests came with the seasons, the soil quality deteriorated, and their harvests barely provided enough to feed their families. But now, a simple app--Kiazi Bora--has changed everything.

On a sweltering afternoon, Njau was out in the field, staring helplessly at the rows of wilting sweet potatoes ravaged by pests, when he realized things could be different. She had no idea how to stop it--until she opened the Kiazi Bora app on her phone.

"This app has changed everything," Njau, 38, says with a tired but hopeful smile. "I didn't know where to start, but now I can check my phone, and it tells me exactly what to do."

The Kiazi Bora app, designed specifically for small-scale farmers like Njau and Rashid, focuses on helping them grow nutritious orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) to feed their families and earn income. The app offers simple instructions on planting and pest control to farmers with little education.

The app, Kiazi Bora ("quality potatoes" in Kiswahili), wasn't just another farming tool--it was powered by cutting-edge AI voice technology. And for the first time, it spoke their language.

Creating Kiazi Bora wasn't easy. Kiswahili, a language spoken by over 200 million people, presented unique challenges for AI developers. The problem? There simply wasn't enough high-quality voice data to train the technology.

"One of the biggest challenges has been the availability of diverse, high-quality data," said EM Lewis-Jong, Director of Mozilla Common Voice, a global project dedicated to making AI accessible to speakers of underrepresented languages.

"Kiswahili is a diverse language with many regional variants, and our tools are primarily designed for English, which complicates things further."

To solve this issue, SEE Africa, the nonprofit behind Kiazi Bora, turned to Mozilla's Common Voice platform. Unlike other AI data collection methods, which often rely on scraping the web or underpaid gig workers, Common Voice harnesses the power of community. "We use a crowd-sourced model where people voluntarily contribute their voice data," explained Lewis-Jong. "This ensures that the data reflects the true diversity of the language, including different accents and dialects."

This community-driven approach has already seen tremendous success. In Tanzania, the Kiazi Bora app is now used by over 300 women, empowering them with knowledge on how to grow and market their crops. "These women are learning in Kiswahili, their first language, which makes a huge difference," noted Gina Moape, Community Manager for Common Voice. "We've seen firsthand how access to information in their own language improves both their nutrition and their ability to participate in economic activities."

But Kiazi Bora is just one example of how voice-enabled technology can make a real impact.

For Mozilla, these projects reflect a broader vision: democratizing AI so that it serves everyone, not just speakers of dominant languages. "If data creation is left to for-profit companies, many of the world's languages will be left behind," said Lewis-Jong. "We want a world where people can create the data they need, capturing their language as they experience it."

That's why Mozilla's Common Voice is not just a tool but a movement. Its open-source platform allows communities to collect and contribute voice data that anyone can use, fostering local innovation across Africa. "We're particularly excited about the potential for African languages," Lewis-Jong added. "Our long-term vision is to integrate more African languages into global voice recognition technologies, and Common Voice is a critical part of making that happen."

For Rashid, 42, who had once lived in uncertainty, the app was a useful tool. "Before, I felt powerless," she recalls. "When pests attacked, I would just watch as my crops withered. Now, I can fight back. I know what to do."

Both women have honed their skills and improved crop yields. The app taught them how to manage soil health, optimize planting schedules, and handle pest outbreaks.

Their orange-fleshed sweet potatoes stand out in contrast to the dusty earth, a sign of resilience and renewal.

The duo, who were entangled in a cycle of poverty, now speak with pride about their success.

"We've learned to control our future," Njau says.

Through Kiazi Bora, Njau and Rajabu have unlocked opportunities to improve their livelihoods and break free from poverty.

Njau, who had to drop out of school when her family moved to a remote village, calls the app her "teacher." She explains, "I never completed school, but this app has taught me everything I need to know about farming. It's like a teacher that's always there when I need it."

The voice-enabled Kiswahili features make it user-friendly. "The app speaks to me in a language I clearly understand," Njau says.

Through the app, Njau and Rajabu learned how to process potatoes into flour and pastries, which fetch a higher market price.

Rajabu explains, "I didn't know you could make flour from sweet potatoes or that you could sell it for more money. Now, I have customers who buy the flour because it lasts longer than fresh potatoes." This new skill has allowed them to diversify their income.

In just a year, their income increased from zero to USD 127 per month. The extra income has enabled them to take care of their families, reinvest in their farms, and secure a better future. "With the money I've made, I've been able to send my children to school and even save some for emergencies," says Njau.

The potatoes, which are rich in vitamins, have helped them fight malnutrition in their communities. While neither Njau nor Rajabu had children with malnutrition, they both knew families who struggled with it. Thanks to the app, they now understand the importance of incorporating OFSP into their daily meals to ensure their children stay healthy.

Rajabu was quick to share the app with her relatives. "I told my sister about it, and now she's also growing OFSP. Her children are healthier, and she's even making money from selling sweet potato flour," she says proudly.

For both women, the app has empowered them as farmers, businesswomen and community leaders. "I feel confident now," Rajabu says. "This app has changed my life, and I know it can help other women like me."

Both Njau and Rajabu see immense potential for Kiazi Bora to help other rural women. They advocate for expanding the app beyond OFSP farming to include other crops like vegetables and edible roots, as this could further diversify their income streams and enhance food security in their communities.

"Women in rural areas need this technology," Rajabu emphasizes. "We need to make sure that we can feed our families and earn better incomes."

IPS UN Bureau Report

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IPS.

Nigeria: How Nigeria Can Benefit $3.4 Trillion Trade Opportunities in AfCFTA - Maritime Experts

A number of experts in the Maritime sector including: Maritime Consultant Dr. Kayode Farinto; Deputy Registrar, Liberian Maritime Authority, Dr Anthony Onoharigho; Maritime Security Expert, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa; among others, presented rationales that would help Nigeria and other African countries benefit from $3.4 trillion trade opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.

They spoke at the second edition of the Maritime Reporters' Association of Nigeria, MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture, MAMAL themed: "AfCFTA: Dismantling Barriers, Navigating Regional Trade", held in Lagos.

In his keynote, Farinto said that, giving accurate information was one of the factors that can make the AFCFTA a success, adding that the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS must play a pivotal role by ensuring that trade is facilitated, even when there is a pressure in the area of revenue generation.

He said: "One of the problems that may be a stumbling block to the successful implementation of this AFCFTA is our usual Nigerian habit of concealing information, and pretending that all is well when we know that is not true. Nobody expected a hitch fee take off but we should stop pretending and deceiving all Nigerians as if all is well, we are all aware of the controversy surrounding the first shipment under AFCFTA,

"Giving out accurate information is one of the factors that can make the AFCFTA a success (through information management).

"If African continental free trade agreement must succeed, then the NCS must play a pivotal role on this and one of the things that must be done is to ensure that trade is facilitated, even when there is a pressure on the area of revenue generation. It is not out of place for NCS to roll out her standard operating procedure (SOP), for AFCFTA.

However, NCS, for once seems serious about facilitating good trade, I rely on the recent circular released to her officers to ensure that issues of alerts are not only streamline but its incessant be addressed where every deputy comptroller in charge of revenue has been given a marching order to ensure compliance by its officers. What is only needed to be added is sanctions for non-conformist officers, if this is achieved, the major monster that can kill the AfCFTA has been successfully eliminated.

On his part, Onoharigho described transportation and logistics as key sectors that would help the country achieve the AfCFTA objectives.

He said: "The transport sector is undermined. To move goods within the country is a problem and now thinking about Africa, so we need to make things seamless by removing barriers. We have a competitive advantage by being producers of oil in the country but the constraint also is that we do not have vessels to move the oil outside the country."

In his remark, Member, United Nations Committee on Trade and Transport Location, Dr Alban Igwe, said Nigeria has all the opportunities to be a logistics hub if all barriers were removed.

Igwe said there was a need to dismantle everything that was pulling the country back so that it could get its share of the global cake.

"Nigeria is under a global threat, other African blocs are doing well, but she is struggling," he said.

Speaking, Executive Director, Operations and Technical Services, Tantita Security Services, Nigeria Ltd., Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, noted that with AfCFTA, a future exists for manufacturers.

Enisuoh urged manufacturers to start thinking about Carbon Registry, adding that if Nigeria could organise themselves for this, they could have a National Carbon Credit to their benefit.

A Maritime Security Expert, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, advised the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to ensure Customs duty on vessel acquisition was removed, instead of focusing on National Shipping Line.

Maiguwa said: "We cannot trade in Africa using our roads successfully and so the need to make acquisition of vessel to be cost effective, all barriers hindering the acquisition of vessel should be eliminated".

Earlier, Chairman of the occasion/President, Nigerian Ship-owners Association, Mr. Sola Adewunmi, questioned Nigeria's preparedness to trade on AfCFTA.

Adewunmi lamented that people are losing money due to bad policies, inadequate funding: "Incentives must be given for Nigeria to be a shipping nation."

In his welcome, President, MARAN, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, said that by breaking down barriers hindering AfCFTA and fostering closer economic ties, the country would pave the way for unprecedented opportunities, growth and prosperity.

"The theme is apt as it explores how the country can collectively tackle challenges, leverage opportunities presented by AfCFTA, and position Nigeria and Africa at large to benefit from the estimated $3.4 trillion trade opportunities.

"To maximise the benefits of AfCFTA, Nigeria must address critical requirements such as improved trade infrastructure, efficient procedure, capacity building, investment in maritime assets and leveraging technology and innovation to facilitate trade.

"Intra-Africa trade currently stands at just 10 per cent, with AfCFTA, there are projections to raise this to 20 per cent and for this happen, we must ensure free and efficient movement of goods across borders through vehicles, railways, ships and trucks," he said.

Vanguard.

Namibia's Trade Deficit Widens to N$7.8 Billion in October

Namibia's trade balance worsened in October, with a widening deficit of N$7.8 billion, driven by higher imports and a slight decline in exports.

The country was a net importer of both food items and beverages during October, with trade deficits of N$166 million and N$262 million, respectively.

This was revealed by statistician general Alex Shimuafeni in the 'Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin' for October 2024.

He said live chicks were the commodity of the month.

Shimuafeni revealed that the country imported chicks worth N$1.4 million, mostly from The Netherlands, South Africa and Zambia.

"However, no export of the same commodity was recorded in October 2024," he said.

According to the bulletin, Namibia's export revenue during October stood at N$8.7 billion, a slight decrease of 3.8% from the N$9 billion recorded in September 2024.

The import bill stood at N$16.5 billion, an increase of 11.5% from the N$14.8 billion recorded during the preceding month.

"The above translates to a trade deficit of N$7.8 billion during October 2024 compared to a trade deficit of N$5.8 billion recorded in September," the statistics agency says.

Namibia's cumulative exports were N$94.1 billion in October 2024, higher than the N$80.7 billion recorded during the same period last year.

The cumulative value of imports amounted to N$131.2 billion in the current month, higher by N$22.4 billion than that of the same period in 2023.

During October 2024, the export bill dropped by 3.8% from N$9 billion recorded in September 2024, and increased 27.9% compared to N$6.8 billion registered in October 2023.

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) says imports for the same period stood at N$16.5 billion, the largest figure recorded over the year, translating into an increase of 11.5% month on month, and 45.4% year on year.

The manufacturing sector had the largest export of goods valued at N$4.8 billion, making up 55.8% of the country's total exports in October 2024.

Exports from this industry increased by N$579 million compared to the previous month.

The mining and quarrying sector came second, accounting for 39.5% of total exports in October 2024. However, exports of goods from this industry decreased by N$940 million when compared to the previous month.

The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector ranked third, contributing 4% to total exports.

The import bill stood at N$12.5 billion in October 2024, an increase of 15.2% from September 2024. The mining and quarrying industry came second at N$3.5 billion, a decrease of 2% compared to the preceding month.

The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry occupied the third position with imports valued at N$382 million during the month under study.

In October 2024, Namibia witnessed trade surpluses of N$1.1 billion with Botswana, France (N$897 million) and Belgium (N$493 million), while trade deficits were recorded against South Africa (N$3.7 billion), China (N$1.4 billion) and Peru at N$965 million during the period under review.

Petroleum oils contributed the most to the country's trade deficit, having recorded a deficit of N$1.8 billion.

In second place was copper ores and concentrates, with a deficit of N$908 million, followed by civil engineering and contractors' equipment with a deficit of N$869 million in third position.

The country's trade surplus on non-monetary gold stood at N$1.5 billion, followed by uranium and precious stones (diamonds) in second and third positions, with trade surpluses of N$1.3 billion and N$1.1 billion, respectively. - email: matthew at namibian.com.na

Namibian.

Nigeria: TCN Restores Electricity to Bayelsa - Official

The TCN said the restoration was achieved at 08:03 hours on 30 November.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Tuesday announced the restoration of bulk power supply through the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV transmission line.

The TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, in a statement on Tuesday, said the restoration was achieved on 30 November.

Ms Mbah said this follows the successful reconstruction of collapsed towers and restringing of vandalised conductors by TCN contractors.

"The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announces the restoration of bulk power supply through the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV transmission line at 08:03 hours on 30 November 2024," she said.

Earlier in August, the TCN said two transmission towers, T98 and T99, along the Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kV line in the Igbooghene community of Bayelsa, were destroyed by vandals.

At the time, the TCN said the incident caused the collapse of both towers, cutting off the power supply to Bayelsa, including its Yenagoa Substation and the Gbarain Power Station.

On Tuesday, Ms Mbah explained that a final inspection of work was conducted on 28 November by a team of TCN engineers, led by the Port Harcourt Region General Manager, Emmanuel Akpa.

"The team verified the integrity of the 20 newly erected towers (Nos. 48-64 and 97-99) that were destroyed in a series of vandalism incidents on 29 July and 12 August 2024. After confirming that all work met required standards, the line was cleared for energisation," she added.

On the other hand, she said discussions are underway with stakeholders in Bayelsa and Rivers States to implement a comprehensive community engagement programme.

This initiative, she said, seeks to educate local communities traversed by the transmission line on the consequences of vandalism and theft of power infrastructure.

Additionally, she noted that the programme will involve appointing community representatives to oversee the security of power equipment in their areas.

"This approach aims to foster a sense of local ownership and accountability for the infrastructure. These efforts are part of broader measures to prevent future incidents of large-scale vandalism, which left Bayelsa State in total blackout since 29 July 2024."

She further explained that the economic losses incurred by residents, as well as the significant financial burden on TCN to restore the towers, have been substantial.

TCN appealed to the public to support the nationwide campaign against the vandalism of power infrastructure.

"Collective action is essential to safeguarding the country's electricity assets for sustainable development," the TCN said.

Premium Times.

Telegram U-turns and joins child safety scheme

After years of ignoring pleas to sign up to child protection schemes, the controversial messaging app Telegram has agreed to work with an internationally recognised body to stop the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is used by major online services to help them detect and remove CSAM, and prevent its spread.

Telegram had repeatedly refused to engage with it or any similar scheme.

But, four months after its founder Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris for Telegram's alleged failure to moderate extreme content, the platform has announced a U-turn.

The IWF has described Telegram's decision as “transformational” but warned it was the first step in a “much longer journey” for the app.

“By joining the IWF, Telegram can begin deploying our world-leading tools to help make sure this material cannot be shared on the service,” said Derek Ray-Hill, Interim CEO at the IWF.

'Dark web in your pocket'

Telegram is used by around 950 million people worldwide and has previously positioned itself as an app focussed on its users' privacy rather than the policy norms prioritised by other global social media companies.

But reporting from the BBC and other news organisations highlighted criminals using the app to advertise drugs as well as offer cybercrime and fraud services and, most recently, CSAM.

It led one expert to brand it "the dark web in your pocket."

In August, its billionaire owner was detained at an airport north of Paris.

Mr Durov is accused of a failure to co-operate with law enforcement over drug trafficking, child sexual content and fraud.

French judges have barred the 40-year-old from leaving France pending further investigations.

The company maintains that his arrest is unfair, and that he should not be held liable for what users do on the platform.

Nonetheless, Telegram has since announced a series of changes to the way it operates, including:

Announcing IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate its rules will be handed over to police in response to valid legal requests

Disabling features like “people nearby” which it admitted had issues with bots and scammers

Publishing regular transparency reports about how much content is taken down – a standard industry practice it had previously refused to comply with

Mr Durov has also vowed to “turn moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise”.

The partnership with the IWF appears to be the latest step in that process.

The IWF is one of a few organisations in the world that is legally able to search for child sexual content to get it taken down.

Its ever-evolving list of known abuse content is used by websites to detect and block matches to stop it spreading.

Telegram says that before becoming a member of IWF it removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of abuse material each month using its own systems. The IWF membership will strengthen its mechanisms, the company said.

The app is marketed as a fully end-to-end encrypted messaging service - meaning only the sender and recipient of a message can read it - like WhatsApp and Signal.

But in fact the majority of communication is done with standard encryption, raising questions about how secure from hacking and interception it is.

Mr Durov, who was born in Russia and now lives in Dubai, has citizenship in Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island nation of St Kitts and Nevis.

Telegram is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet Union states as well as Iran.-bbc

Supermarkets 'putting profits above human rights', MP says

Supermarkets in the UK that appear to be selling products linked to slave labour in China may be “complicit in putting profits above human rights”, a Labour MP has said.

Sarah Champion’s comments come after a BBC Eye Investigation found that tomato puree sold in four leading UK supermarkets appeared to contain tomatoes produced using harsh and coercive forced labour in Xinjiang.

Some of the products have “Italian” in their name others have “Italian” in their description.

All the supermarkets whose products were tested previously disputed the BBC's findings, while China also denies it uses forced labour in its westernmost province.

In an urgent question in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Champion described the UK’s product labelling as “weak and confusing"

The chairwoman of the International Development Select Committee also called for consumers to be given more information on which countries the product ingredients come from and stronger legislation to effectively ban the importing of products made with forced labour.

Champion said UK supply chains are "awash with Uighur forced labour products" because human rights due diligence is "optional" for British companies.

"To supermarkets, I say, all of you are complicit in putting profits above human rights and I hope the British public do the right thing and make their mark with their pocket, in their wallet," she said.

BBC Eye's Blood on the Shelves investigation found that a total of 17 products - most of them own-brands sold in UK and German retailers - are likely to contain Chinese tomatoes - testing commissioned by the BBC World Service shows.

Most Chinese tomatoes come from the Xinjiang region, where their production is linked to forced labour by Uyghur and other largely Muslim minorities.

The UN accuses the Chinese state - which views these minorities as a security risk - of torture and abuse.

China denies it forces people to work in the tomato industry and says workers’ rights are protected by law. It says the UN report is based on “disinformation and lies”.

Also commenting on the BBC Eye investigation was former Conservative party leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who echoed Champion's call for an effective ban on such products backed by criminal sanctions.

Business and Trade Secretary Douglas Alexander responded to the questions in the House of Commons by saying he was concerned, the government was reviewing the Modern Slavery Act and would “approach the company in question to try to establish more clearly the exact facts that underlie those deeply worrying reports”.

Alexander added “we need to send a clear and unequivocal signal that no company in the United Kingdom that operates under the existing statutory framework should have any forced labour whatsoever in its supply chain”.

Monday's calls for new legislation comes after the Parliament Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Baroness Hayman of Ullock said Defra was “looking at labelling as a way to better inform consumers”.

Map showing the route most Xinjiang tomatoes take to Italy - beginning in Urumqi and ending in Salerno 

-bbc

India taxi service sorry for driver's gunpoint robbery

An Indian taxi aggregator service has apologised after a customer said she was robbed at gunpoint by one of its drivers near the capital, Delhi.

The 30-year-old woman said she was travelling in a BluSmart taxi with her six-year-old son on Saturday when the driver pulled out a gun.

In her police complaint, she said he forced her to transfer 55,000 rupees ($650; £513) to him through an app before forcing her out of the car. The driver has since been arrested.

On Tuesday, BluSmart said it was "deeply saddened and disturbed" by the incident and had apologised to the woman's family.

BluSmart is a popular ride-sharing app in the capital and its suburbs. It was founded in 2019 and its fleet is 100% electric vehicles.

The service has many loyal customers who say they prefer these taxis as they are newer and cleaner than those used by other services. Many said they were shocked by the news of the robbery.

The customer said she had taken the BluSmart to travel from a mall in Gurugram, an upscale suburb of Delhi, to her house a few kilometres away.

She alleged that after she transferred the money to him, the driver forced them out of the car and fled the scene with her suitcase, a spokesperson for Gurugram police said.

The driver was arrested a day later after the woman shared the taxi's registration number. Police said the accused was produced in court and remanded to police custody for further investigation.

In a post on X, BluSmart co-founder Anmol Singh Jaggi said the incident felt "personal".

"Safety is our foundation," he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Jaggi said the company's "exhaustive documentation process" and swift action from its "Quick Response Team" had ensured the driver was caught within 24 hours of the incident.

"We have stringent onboarding processes, including mandatory background checks, face-to-face interviews, and driving tests," the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

BluSmart said its platform had facial recognition to verify driver identities as well as a safety helpline for customers.

The robbed woman's husband, however, told Indian Express newspaper that "she did not get time to sound an alarm as the driver suddenly pointed the gun” at her.

BluSmart said it was taking steps to strengthen its safety protocols and providing additional training to drivers.

The company added that it was committed to providing the affected family with "all necessary support".

Police said investigation was on to recover the stolen money and the firearm allegedly used by the accused.-bbc

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DISCLAIMER: This report has been prepared by Bulls ‘n Bears, a division of Faith Capital (Pvt) Ltd for general information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for any securities. The information contained in this report has been compiled from s believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than the securities of more established companies. Neither Faith Capital nor any other member of Bulls ‘n Bears nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this report or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Recipients of this report shall be solely responsible for making their own independent investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of any companies referred to in this report. Other  Indices quoted herein are for guideline purposes only and d from third parties.

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