Author: NLM Correspondent

By Newton Arori The payment of bride price is a prerequisite for customary marriages across many Kenyan communities. Traditionally it was justified on grounds that it was compensation to the bride’s family for lost labour. This made sense in the traditional African setting where the bride would leave her family to join the groom’s extended family and henceforth assist in chores. In the modern setting, most couples live away from both their families in a jointly owned home and share household responsibilities. There is therefore no reason for the groom or his family to ‘pay’ the bride’s family or vice…

BY Emilia Onyema Throughout my career arbitrating on disputes between companies and governments outside the courts, I’ve noticed a growing number of claims made by Africans. But at the same time, I’ve seen a limited number of African colleagues acting as international arbitrators on the panels that rule on these claims. Official statistics back this up. Between 1998 and 2007, a total of 472 parties from Sub-Saharan Africa arbitrated their disputes before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). But over the same period, only 64 arbitrators from the same region were appointed by the ICC. North Africa fared slightly better with 225…

BY Dinusha Mendis In the last few years, the use of 3D printing has exploded in medicine. Engineers and medical professionals now routinely 3D print prosthetic hands and surgical tools. But 3D printing has only just begun to transform the field. Today, a quickly emerging set of technologies known as bioprinting is poised to push the boundaries further. Bioprinting uses 3D printers and techniques to fabricate the three-dimensional structures of biological materials, from cells to biochemicals, through precise layer-by-layer positioning. The goal is to replicate functioning tissue and material, such as organs, which can be transplanted into human beings. We have been mapping the…

BY Ignacio Torterola Bethel Kassa Africa has continued to attract foreign investments from across the globe. In 2018, foreign investment in Africa increased by 6 percent with Egypt and South Africa receiving the largest shares of the investment. Foreign investment in Egypt increased by 7 percent with real estate, food processing, oil and gas exploration, and renewable energy taking the major share of investment. South Africa reported the next highest foreign investment in mining, petroleum refining, food processing, information and communication technologies, and renewable energy. In West Africa, Ghana received the largest foreign investment and Ethiopia took the highest share…

When a man died by suicide in 2016, a friend found an unsent SMS on his phone: Dave Nic you and Jack keep all that I have house and superannuation, put my ashes in the back garden with Trish Julie will take her stuff only she’s ok gone back to her ex AGAIN I’m beaten. A bit of cash behind TV and a bit in the bank Cash card pin 3636 MRN190162Q 10/10/2016 My will Following a dispute between the man’s widow and his brother and nephew, the Supreme Court of Queensland decided the message was a valid will. The case represents…

A technological ecosystem is simply a community of interacting devices. By David Onjili Staying ahead of the curve is tough. It’s tough in any business, but it seems to be especially taxing in the construction industry. Because, as you’ve read or experienced by now, in construction, “ahead of the curve” is often code for “abreast the latest technological trends” (in most instances). And, in a market known for creeping down the technology road rather than accelerating, staying abreast wasn’t nearly as difficult, even five years ago, as it is today. An ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and…

For investors, there is potential to unlock significant opportunities for growth in an economically dynamic and technology-driven environment By Oliver Stacey As Africa’s data demands grow, so the opportunities for those investing in the market’s infrastructure. In recent years, overseas investors have begun to consider seriously the opportunities presented by the African multi-tenant data centre (MTDC) market. The continent is home to over 50 countries and a population of more than one billion people, of which a large proportion is below the age of 30. Population is on the increase with sub-Saharan Africa’s population expected to double over the next…

Global trends are creating ever-larger winners and losers. We live in an era of disruption in which powerful global forces are changing how we live and work. The rise of China, India, and other emerging economies; the rapid spread of digital technologies; the growing challenges to globalization; and, in some countries, the splintering of long-held social contracts are all roiling business, the economy, and society. These and other global trends offer considerable new opportunities to companies, sectors, countries, and individuals that embrace them successfully—but the downside for those who cannot keep up has also grown disproportionately. For business leaders, policy makers,…

Adapting to a digital age will require organizations—and not just employees—to equip themselves with new capabilities. By Bryan Hancock What story will people tell about your organization over the next ten years? Will they celebrate an enthusiastic innovator that thrived by adapting workforce skills and ways of working to the demands of the new economy? Or will they blame poor financial or operational results, unhappy employees, and community disruption on a short-sighted or delayed talent strategy? Predictions show that by 2030, up to 30 to 40 percent of all workers in developed countries may need to move into new occupations or…

Markets have shifted toward more monopolistic structures, giving rise to higher economic rents. By Zia Qureshi The digital revolution is transforming economies. Potential economic gains from digital technologies are enormous, but with new opportunities come new challenges. Within economies, income and wealth inequalities have risen as digitization has reshaped markets and the world of business and work. Inequalities have increased between firms and between workers. The distribution of both capital and labour income has become more unequal, and income has shifted from labour to capital. Technological change, however, is not the sole reason for the rising inequalities. Policy failures have…