Author: NLM Correspondent

By Olalekan Moyosore Lalude Africa’s transition from a continent of colonial protectorates to independent states has been met with developmental and political challenges. From the 1960s, the political trajectory of Africa witnessed many regimes, regimes that have made their mark on the continent. The struggle for the legitimacy of state power between the African people and the regimes whose policies have shaped the political history of the continent oscillated between nationalistic interest and arbitrariness, at a time when the newly independent states needed a definite political direction. For instance by 2002, the nationalistic government of Robert Mugabe had left Zimbabwe…

Communications strategies during litigation: what impact can PR have on a legal case? By Alex Felton Where did all this begin? In April 2018, The Sun newspaper published a column by their executive editor Dan Wootton, entitled “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”. The offending words that piqued Depp’s litigious interest were the accusations in the headline of domestic abuse towards his ex-wife, the actress Amber Heard. A bona fide Hollywood A-lister, Johnny Depp sued News Group Newspapers (NGN, publishers of The Sun) over the column,…

There exist deep connections between Indigenous governance systems, Sacred Natural Sites and traditional seeds. By Carlotta Byrne Across Africa, a network of Earth Jurisprudence Practitioners is accompanying traditional and indigenous communities in the revival and enhancement of their Earth-centred customary governance systems. In Kenya, Uganda, Benin, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Cameroon, communities are reviving traditional knowledge and practices, restoring sacred natural sites and associated rituals, re-establishing indigenous seed diversity and food sovereignty, and strengthening ecological governance systems derived from the laws of the Earth. These civil-society-led initiatives to re-establish Earth-centred governance on the continent are founded on Africa’s rich…

Standard legal procedures have become almost unrecognisable from their state a year ago. What elements in commercial contracts are now receiving greater attention? By Jean-Marc Pettigrew For many businesses, existing commercial contracts came under sharp focus with the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020. With such a big shift in our day to day lives, some businesses who had previously been trading well suddenly faced a great drop in revenue and were quickly looking for ways to cut costs across the board, which meant taking a closer look at the long-term agreements they were locked into. Having drafted, reviewed, and…

The specific application of force majeure in the context of a pandemic is new and untested territory. As we all navigate the uncharted territory of the coronavirus, in the world of contracts the force majeure clause has come to the fore. By John Warchus You’d be forgiven for assuming a global pandemic counts as a force majeure, but this isn’t necessarily the case: not a single reported case law or English law authority exists on the operation of force majeure clauses in the context of epidemics or pandemics. Not that a well-drafted force majeure clause can’t be relied upon, but…

By David Onjili In November 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Diesel Mobile Units (DMU) to help ease the dependence on vehicular transport into Nairobi. In December 2020, the Ministry of Transport launched DMUs plying the central business district to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) route. A passenger going to the JKIA has to board at the Nairobi Central Station to Embakasi Village, a 25-minute trip and, from there, take a BRT bus to JKIA, a 10-minute journey. The introductory fare was Sh500 one way from the CBD, a figure that did not go well with many Kenyans. Many opined…

The global community should create a non-profit remittance platform to provide a one-stop solution to keep remittances flowing and leverage them for development financing. By Dilip Ratha Remittances—money sent by migrants to families back home—provide a financial lifeline to millions of households. Remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries reached $550 billion in 2019, surpassing foreign direct investment and official development aid. These are only recorded flows; the true size—including those through informal channels—is even larger. Remittance flows to sub-Saharan Africa were recorded to be $48 billion in 2019, but the true total is likely to be significantly larger. Nigeria…

The pandemic has taught us new lessons about why PPPs are even more critical to the continent’s post-pandemic resilience bY Edem Adzogenu Beyond the staggering tragedy that is the death and illness of thousands of people the world over, the COVID-19 pandemic has also brought unprecedented economic disorder, decimating economies and the livelihoods of citizens in rich and poor nations alike. The International Trade Centre projected that, globally, 1 in every 5 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will go bankrupt in 2020 – an alarming number considering that, in Africa, this category of business provides nearly 80 percent of…

In recent months, Ukheshe has ramped up efforts to establish and enhance key partnerships in Africa as the continent shifts towards digital channels. In an initiative that will see the growth and development of payment services within the East Africa region, leading digital fintech platform provider, Ukheshe, has announced the conclusion of a new agreement with the Kenya-based lender KCB Bank Kenya. Through the agreement, KCB will sponsor Ukheshe’s Bank Identification Number (BIN) number, which will allow Ukheshe to immediately issue both physical and virtual cards across East Africa where KCB has an extensive footprint. According to Victor Ndlovu, Vice…

Higher debt levels, weaker debt affordability, and low buffers pose significant challenges given limited institutional capacity The negative 2021 outlook for Sub-Saharan African (SSA) sovereigns reflects the severe economic challenges the region will grapple within the fallout from the coronavirus shock, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report last month. SSA sovereigns’ growth recovery will be slow, with far-reaching implications for already weak revenue generation. Lower overall economic growth and revenue, coupled with higher government expenditure, will also lead to wider fiscal deficits and higher debt for the region. “Most Sub-Saharan African governments’ debt burdens will stabilise at materially higher…