By Mxolisi Msutwana All around the world, governments are trying to encourage cashless payments. Their reasons for doing so are multiple, including expanded financial inclusion and transparency, wanting to formalise the informal economy and drive economic growth and innovation. Nigeria is no exception. By the end of 2022, the move towards a cashless policy to eradicate cash was high on the government’s agenda in Nigeria. In early 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bid to introduce new banknotes and lower cash withdrawal amounts led to a severe cash shortage. Unfortunately, there were not enough new notes in circulation to…
Author: NLM writer
An appraisal of the Equalization Fund By Abdiqani Ismail and Mohamed Billow Kenya’s history of regional marginalisation and extremely unbalanced growth is widely documented. The Kenyan government’s direct and indirect systematic policies influenced the discrimination of particular regions. According to the Kenya Integrated Household Budget survey report on the health of the Kenyan economy, the share of the population living below the absolute poverty line was lowest in Central Kenya, followed by Rift Valley, Nyanza, Eastern, Western, and Coast regions. Due to distance and inaccessibility, residents in marginalised communities are often disconnected from the national development axis. To rectify this…
As Egypt announces a 10-gigawatt wind farm, the continent is witnessing a considerable rise in wind power installations in both established and newer markets By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency In 2019, Kenya unveiled what was then Africa’s largest wind power project, the Lake Turkana Wind Power Farm, with a capacity to dispense 310 megawatts (310 MW) of clean and sustainable energy. Barely five years later, that project is dwarfed by a new project on the continent, while wind installations are seeing a surge in established and nascent markets. Egypt is set to host the continent’s next largest wind project…
A groundbreaking study conducted by Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC), a leading iGaming brand, has shed light on the detrimental effects of excessive screen time and online gambling on individuals’ well-being. The survey, carried out over the course of a month, aimed to raise awareness and enhance interventions for responsible online gambling practices. The results unveiled a troubling connection between health conditions and prolonged screen/device use among online gamblers, with 41% of respondents reporting experiences of anxiety or depression. The May 2023 research focused on the health repercussions stemming from excessive screen use, including stress, anxiety, headaches, depression, neck and back…
Africa’s passenger transport and logistics sector is attracting investors looking to boost eco-friendly alternatives for commercial fleets – and is riding a growing wave of investment, as a result. Seth Onyango, bird story agency Africa’s transport and logistics sector is becoming a magnet for investors, pulling in US$1.4 billion in funding in the last four years, making it the third largest by deal value behind fintech and energy. According to the startup funding database ‘Africa: The Big Deal,’ passenger transport ventures, such as ride-hailing and mobility and financing platforms, have received 48% of the sector funding, with Moove, Swvl, and…
Conservation farming Kenyan farmers are turning to regenerative farming to counteract the harmful effects of climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss by planting endangered native tree seedlings on farms for a stabler climate Okwi Okoh, bird story agency At Joan Wandegi Nthiga’s family farm in Embu, a county in eastern Kenya, she and a small group of friends have gathered to discuss the weather, a common topic of conversation these days, and its impact on their area. “The geography has changed dramatically since we started cultivating here over 40 years ago,” Nthiga said. Like many other parts of the…
CityBlue Hotels, one of Africa’s fastest-growing local hotel chain, on Tuesday signed a management agreement to signal the commencement of operations from July 2023 of the CityBlue Panorama Hotel & Suites, Juba, South Sudan and Urban by CityBlue, Masaki, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The CityBlue Panorama Hotel & Suites in Juba is a 72-key property upscale mid-market property located in the airport zone in Juba, South Sudan while Urban by CityBlue in Dar es Salaam is a boutique 65-key lifestyle property with a rooftop restaurant. Andat Ghidey, director of the development company owning the CityBlue Panorama Hotel & Suites, said…
The company has demonstrated remarkable resilience and achieved profitability, solidifying its position as a leader in African entertainment. Multichoice’s FY2023 financial resultshave announced the entertainment Group’s return to profitability, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey. MultiChoice attributes its turnaround to its dedication to telling African stories and its ongoing investment in local content, which has been a driving force behind its success in a highly competitive sector. “Our industry has faced numerous challenges in recent times,” said Fhulufhelo Badugela, Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Africa. “However, we have risen above these challenges, leveraging our strengths to overcome them,…
Chairmanship will henceforth will be on a one-year rotational basis with the member states assuming office in alphabetical order. The rotation will be done at the assembly summit every 12th of June. The Intergovernmental Authority for Development on Monday adopted a new treaty that will see the agency fully operate under a set of rules like other regional economic communities. The new treaty replaces the agreement that gave birth to IGAD in 1996. This makes the crucial bloc a rules-based organization fully aligned with other regional economic communities, enhancing its reach further. Among other things, the chairmanship will see member…
Medical negligence An unqualified nurse at the Equity Afia clinic in Lodwar, acting on instructions from a pharmacist, injected seven-year-old Letisha with concentrated potassium chloride, killing her almost instantly. A distraught family in Kanamkemer Village in Lodwar, Turkana County, has written to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council to urgently look into the death of its kin, a minor who reports say died due to medical negligence. On Friday, June 2, seven-year-old Leticia Adipo was taken by her grandfather, Pastor William Emase, to the Equity Afia Clinic in Kanamkemer, Lodwar, for what he thought would be a pre-emptive diagnosis…