Liberian cocoa market opens up

Deregulation of the cocoa market in Liberia has opened the door for more buyers and increased competition among them. This is one of several changes since the ending of the civil war in 2003 that have improved business opportunities for smallholder cocoa farmers. Their bargaining power has been strengthened and they obtain a larger share […]

Scatec, Africa50 invest in Nigerian solar power plant

Scatec Solar, Norwegian solar power giant, has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Africa50, an African Infrastructure Fund, securing investment into the 100 MW (DC) Nova Scotia Power plant located in Dutse in the Northern Nigerian state of Jigawa. The project has the potential to significantly contribute to the plan of the authorities of the State […]

Swedish economy still strong

Sweden demonstrates continued economic strength, with positive and stable growth, reduced unemployment and substantially strengthened public finances with a surplus also this year. This is the message from Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson as she presented the Ministry of Finance’s latest economic and public finances forecast on Tuesday. “The forecast shows a growth rate of […]

Benin aims to attract $15 billion investment

Benin is a country on the rise led by a newly elected businessman–cum president, Patrice Talon. Last week, the President Talon launched a five-year program that is aligned to Benin’s Vision 2030 that places Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) at the core. The program sets out a strategy to attract US$15 billion of investments and to stimulate growth from […]

Liberia elections 2017: “My vote is power”

The most important power one has as a voter is the power of his or her vote. It is the power you have as voters to hold all elected and appointed individuals in various positions of power, including the presidency accountable. This power is guaranteed under the Liberian Constitution. This is your undisputable power and […]

Sweden to promote market for green bonds

The Swedish Government has appointed an inquiry to identify ways to promote the market for green bonds. Mats Andersson, former CEO of the Fourth Swedish National Pension(AP) Fund, is Inquiry Chair. “There is a great deal of demand for investments in green bonds. We want to look into how the market can be developed to facilitate investments […]

Support grows for year of tourism

Only few weeks ahead of the official launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, set to take place on the 18 of January 2017 in Madrid, Spain, representatives from various tourism industries and beyond have joined UNWTO to support the celebrations of this important event. The United Nations 70th General Assembly […]

Hollande calls for greater openness in government

French President Francois Hollande has called for greater openness in government to serve as a countervailing force to rising authoritarianism and receding civic space in many parts of the world.  He made the call on Wednesday when he officially opened the  4th Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit on Wednesday, December 7, 2016  in Paris with over a […]

Sirleaf says British partnership is strategic

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has described the continued partnership of the British Government in helping Liberia’s development as strategic. Speaking Friday in London, the UK, President Sirleaf  also made a critical critical push for the UK to absorb the $20 million funding gap in the proposed Ganta to Saclepae (Nimba County) stretch of the country’s […]

Cameroon a route for ‘conflict diamonds’

Cameroon is allowing conflict diamonds from the Central African Republic to cross over its borders and into the legal supply chain due to poor controls, smuggling and corruption, Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) said in a report published today.The report, From Conflict to Illicit: Mapping the Diamond Trade from Central African Republic to Cameroon, investigates the failure […]