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Category: INVESTMENTS

  • Unveiling SEZs role in Africa’s Industrialization

    Unveiling SEZs role in Africa’s Industrialization

    USD2.6 billion Invested,60 million Jobs Created

    …. As AU-AEZO Symposium ends in Abuja

    Story: Mohammed Abu

    The 5th African Union Commission(AUC)Symposium on Special Economic Zones(SEZs) and the 7th Annual Meeting of Africa Economic Zones Organization(AEZO) ended recently in the Nigerian capital of Abuja with an expression of interest by President Bukhari to collaborate with SEZs in Africa to benefit from the AfCfTA.

    The Nigerian President also commended the AFZO for bringing Free Zone Operators in Africa together through the event which was held under the theme, “African Special Economic Zones: Engine for Resilience and Acceleration for Sustainable Industrial Development”

    In his opening statement, secretary general of AEZO Ahmed Bennis, hailed the development of SEZs on the continent as drivers of economic development.

    “Over the past five years, 60 million jobs have been created in agro-processing, industrial fields, and services and more than $2.6 billion has been invested in the development of SEZ projects in the continent,” he said.

    In a recorded statement for the event, the president of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, argued SEZ can help change that. “The role of SEZs is to accelerate sustainable industrial value chain development,” he said.

  • Rwanda’s Kigali Green City, the first of its kind to be built in Africa

    Rwanda’s Kigali Green City, the first of its kind to be built in Africa

    An international team has been appointed for the implementation of the Kigali Green City project in Rwanda. The team was appointed by the UK headquartered Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, which won an international design competition for the project.

    The FCBS team comprises the local architects Light Earth Designs, A Studio Space, and Studio FH Architects, as well as Turner & Townsend. The team also included Grant Associates, AKT II, and Atelier Ten

    Top of Form

    In addition, the East Africa leading planning, design, architecture, and engineering firm, FBW Group, was appointed to offer the key services of architecture and structure. The FBW Group will also offer civil engineering services, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering

    The company’s initial roles will involve supervising local compliance, making suggestions for local material suppliers, and maintaining environmental standards. It will also be involved in dealing with and receiving submissions from stakeholders.

    Implementation of the construction phase of the 16HA Kigali Green City project 

    The FBW team will be taking part in the planning for the construction phase of the 16HA pilot scheme as the project goes on. FBW Group is delighted to be a team player on what looks to be a revolutionary development. This was revealed by the Group’s director, Antje Eckoldt.

    The pilot project will lay the foundation for the development of high-quality, resource-efficient, low-carbon housing types suitable for a range of sizes and densities. It will also make way for future sustainable urban development.

    It is said that one of the project’s goals is to show that the urban environment has everything it needs to sustain its community. The urban environment can also enable people to live sustainably. This is through combining proper technologies, forward-thinking ideas, and local skills and materials.

    She continued by saying that they are currently exploring local low-carbon construction ways. According to her, they are also exploring materials and how they can be used to the best effect.

    Project Overview

    The Kigali Green City will be built on 620 hectares of land. The site is located approximately 16km from the Rwandan capital. More precisely in Kinyinya, in the district of Gasabo. The sustainable city is expected to consist of 1,749 housing units built on a total of 18 hectares. It is set to feature clean technologies, electric vehicles, electric bicycles, and motorcycle lanes.

    Moreover, it will have renewable energy, sustainable waste treatment, biogas plants, and urban forests, among others. Construction will mainly use local building materials. As a result, these will make houses more affordable and environmentally sustainable. The government of Rwanda is also planning to build commercial establishments and offices to accommodate “innovative green enterprises”.

    The project, the cost of which is US $5bn will be implemented in phases. The first phase (“Cactus Green Park”) will comprise a housing development with multiple green aspects.  This will act as a pilot to lead the way for further scaling up of green building and green urban planning projects. As part of this phase, 410 houses will be developed by Horizon on a total of 13 ha.

    The second phase will be developed by RSSB on 125 ha. The next phases will be developed subsequently. These will include commercial and office buildings attracting “Innovative Green Businesses”.

    Kigali Green City reportedly aims to demonstrate that green building is a necessity, not a luxury. This will be achieved by working to change the stereotype that sustainability is expensive. Living in resource-efficient housing will significantly reduce electricity and water bills for a population that often spends up to 20% of its income on utilities.

    Summary 

    Name:                 Kigali Green City

    Location:            Kigali Rwanda

    Type:                  Sustainable Urban Development

    Credit:(Construction Review Online)

     

  • Untitled post 1478
    Ghana: African Development Fund approves $27.9 million grant for Savannah Agriculture Value Chain Development Project (SADP)
    The grant will increase the climate-resilient production of maize, rice and soybean, support the poultry value chain, and generate employment for women and youth

     
    ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, November 23, 2022/ — The Board of Directors of the African Development (https://www.AfDB.org) Fund has approved a $27.9 million grant to Ghana for the development of agricultural value chains in the Savannah region. The grant will increase the climate-resilient production of maize, rice and soybean, support the poultry value chain, and generate employment for women and youth. It will increase the incomes of farmers and support household nutrition, especially in more vulnerable women-headed households.

    This would be achieved through the facilitation of private sector investment in sustainable value chains associated with commercial maize, soybean and rice production, with an integrated poultry value chain, which will primarily involve women and youth. The Savannah Agriculture Value Chain Development Project will be implemented by Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture from 2023 to 2027. Overall, the project will benefit at least 150, 000 people indirectly and 50,000 directly. It will add to the production of at least 8,000 hectares of new rice, maize and soybean, which will improve feed availability for the poultry industry.

    This grant aligns with the Bank’s medium-term development framework for 2022-2025, which seeks to provide conditions for the private sector to boost growth and create abundant employment opportunities, especially for the youth by transforming agriculture and industry. It is also aligned to the Bank’s priority area focusing on the development of agro-ecological zones, especially the Savannah regions of Africa and creating opportunities for the continent’s youth.

    The Bank’s Acting Vice-President of its Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, said building local capacity, would help reduce imports and help Ghana to mitigate the negative impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global food systems. It would also alleviate the impact of climate change, in line with the Bank’s African Emergency Food Production Facility, she noted.

    “This builds on Bank’s earlier investments in the savannah areas of Ghana, putting 20,000 hectares of maize and soybean under production using conservation agriculture practices and technologies. This project has come at a time that Ghana seeks to enhance domestic production and reduce imports. These are the key objectives of Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy,” said Martin Fregene, the Bank’s Sector Director of Agriculture and Industry.

    The grant will support farmers with farm inputs to produce climate resilient rice, maize and soybean. It will also support the production of certified seeds by commercial farmers and work closely with the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute, to support smallholder farmers with equipment to improve planting and crop husbandry. This support will include the enforcement of community by-laws and promote the use of hybrid seeds, good agriculture practices and sound water, climate resilience and adaptation and integrated pest management.

    The project will also enhance the capacity of Micro and Small-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and offer skills development for youth and women through sustainable entrepreneurship and mentoring programs, especially in the poultry value chain.

    On the approval of the project, Eyerusalem Fasika, Ghana Country Manager of the African Development Bank said “the approval of this project is a significant addition to the Bank’s active agriculture portfolio in the country with immense potential to contribute to sustainable food systems in Ghana. Furthermore, the project’s approval is an opportune time for the Bank to support the Government in its efforts to produce enough basic commodities to meet food security challenges and support industrialization.”

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Contact:
    Amba Mpoke-Bigg
    Communication and External Relations Department
    email: media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

     

  • Sharjah Chamber successfully concludes trade trek in Kenya and Uganda

    Sharjah Chamber successfully concludes trade trek in Kenya and Uganda

    SHARJAH, 20th November, 2022 (WAM) — The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by the Sharjah Export Development Centre (SEDC), concluded its business mission to Uganda and Kenya, heading a delegation that included private sector representatives and a host of prominent manufacturers in Sharjah and the UAE.

    The six-day mission was a hit for the SCCI as it helped explore new areas of commercial and industrial cooperation with Kenya and Uganda in such many vital domains as energy solutions, technology, food security, iron and steel, and agriculture, as well as exploring new opportunities for available investments, in addition to introducing the abundant economic advantages of Sharjah, promoting the facilities granted by the emirate to foreign investors, promoting the ‘Made in UAE’ tag, and providing the SCCI’s associates with the chance to discover new and promising markets, as well as promoting the emirate’s exports.

    The first leg of the trade tour, which was in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, witnessed a Sharjah-Kenya business meeting, during which Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, SCCI Chairman, underlined the fact that the business tour led by the SCCI is in line with the UAE strategy to reach out to more and more international trade partners, and open up more to all friendly countries across the world in order to facilitate the growth of businesses. He pointed out that the Republic of Kenya is the UAE’s sixth trading partner in non-Arab Africa, and that the volume of non-oil trade in 2021 amounted to about US$2.2 billion (AED8.2 billion), which translates into a growth of 20 percent compared to 2020. Al Owais spotlighted the bilateral agreements and the upcoming comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which is the first of its kind between a GCC country and an African nation.

    Richard Ngatia, President of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, and Industry (KNCCI), called on Kenyan businessmen and investors to further ties and build partnerships with the Emirati business community, and benefit from the efforts of the official authorities in Kenya and the UAE to take the bilateral relations to broader horizons.

    The trade tour’s second stop was in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, and witnessed a business meeting between Sharjah and Uganda, which highlighted the investment opportunities on both sides, as well as introducing the exceptional advantages that the Emirate of Sharjah possesses, and the emirate’s investment-stimulating legislations and other attractive incentives that contribute to the flow of investments to the region’s markets.

    Al Owais pointed out at the meeting that the UAE is a major trading partner for Uganda, serving as a linkage between the African nation and the Middle East and an important hub for Ugandan exports to the Americas, Europe, Asia, China and Japan. He also underscored Uganda’s role as a major gateway for the UAE exports to Africa’s Great Lakes region, nothing that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries increased from US$1.8 billion to US$3.8 billion in 2021.

    Jessica Alupo, Ugandan Vice President, said that the mission is a key station for [UAE] businessmen in various economic sectors to learn more about the investment opportunities in Uganda and establish fruitful investment partnerships with their Ugandan counterparts, noting that her government is keen to facilitate investments for the Emirati investors and overcome all the challenges they face.

    Amjad Saleh/ Lina Ibrahim

    Credit(WAM)