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AfDB, EU Ink Agreements to Co-Finance Road Projects in West Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Commission have signed five co-financing agreements to support road infrastructure projects in West Africa.
The total cost of the 5 projects co-financed by the Bank and EU is 652 million Euros (428 billion CFA francs). Of this, the Bank contributes 350 million Euros in loans [and grants], the European Commission 105 million Euros in grants (close to 70 billion FCFA), with the remaining amounts financed by other partners, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the concerned West African countries and other donors.
The agreements were signed by Stefano Manservisi, European Commission Director General for International Cooperation and Development, and Charles Boamah, AfDB Senior Vice-President, during the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum, held in Abidjan. The presidents of the Economic Community of West African States and of WAEMU, West African transport ministers and several donors were present at the signing ceremony.
The cooperation agreements form part of a historic framework agreement known as the Pillar Assessed Grant or Delegation Agreement (PAGODA) between the Bank group and the European Commission (EC) on September 25, 2017. They include blended finance instruments to mobilize grant resources to contribute to the implementation of the Bank’s priorities: light up and power Africa, feed Africa, integrate Africa, industrialize Africa and improve the quality of life for people of Africa.
As the continent’s premier financial institution, the Bank is playing a leading role in meeting the financing needs of African countries. The signing of the PAGODA partnership agreement and of these 5 specific infrastructure projects showcases AfDB’s role in leveraging partner institutions to achieve greater development impact.
According to Boamah, the signing of the delegation agreements “demonstrate the strong partnership between the Bank and the European Commission. We are on the right path and I am convinced that our cooperation will continue to grow. For the Bank, PAGODA goes beyond a simple financing framework. The stakes are much higher: we must fulfill our commitment to fight poverty by mobilizing additional partners and resources for greater results and impact.”
The PAGODA accords will help fund the rehabilitation of the Lome-Cotonou road, studies and measures for trade and transport facilitation on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, road development and transport facilitation on the Bamako-San Pedro corridor between Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the construction of the Rosso bridge between Mauritania and Senegal, and the rehabilitation of the CU2a community road section in Burkina Faso near the border with Niger.
The AfDB and the European Commission are committed to financing development projects focusing on poverty reduction by investing in critical infrastructure to promote seamless connectivity of transport, energy and ICT.
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Prof. Aliyu, AI Practitioner to Keynote ABoICT 2024
CommunicationsWeek Media Limited, a certified global ICT company with over two million online subscribers, is delighted and proud to announce Prof. Yakub Aliyu, as the keynote speaker at Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture series 2024.
Aliyu, will be speaking on the theme: Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated”, this leans heavily on the fact that AI changing our lives– we just need to know where to look today.
This year’s rebranded Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series is slated for Saturday, May 25, 2024 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
The event is the most prestigious annual event that brings together captains of industry in both technology and financial worlds.
According to Ken Nwogbo, CEO, Communication Week Media Ltd, organisers of the ABoICT Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series, “the choice of Prof. Yakub Aliyu is deliberate because of his exceptional career in Artificial Intelligence (AI)”.
He added that, AI is considered to have the potential to instigate a fourth industrial revolution,1 and is dramatically changing people’s patterns of interaction and economic activities.
“The traditional factors of production and physical capital and labour may no longer promote substantial economic growth. It is generally believed that AI will be one of the most important factors determining future economic growth,” he said.
A professor of microelectronics and a scholar-practitioner in artificial intelligence and deep machine learning for industrial applications and high-speed application processors. His research interests include Multimodal AI models for high-efficiency industrial robot applications and Human AI interactions.
He also has adjunct academic professorships at five African, USA, and UK universities. Holds a BS in Applied Physics Electronics from Karlsruhe and A Bello Universities in Germany and Nigeria, an MBA in International Business Management from the University of London, an MSEE (Master of Engineering, Electronics), and a Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering from the University of Wales.
Prof. Aliyu is the global quality director for Bourns Inc., Riverside, California, USA, an electronics system, and components manufacturer. I oversee quality functions in 21 factories worldwide.
He has also held quality and operational management leadership positions at National Semiconductors, Bell Labs-Lucent Technology, Texas Instrument, Global Foundries, and Roper Technologies USA.
Authored and coauthored over 30 Advanced Technology United States-issued patents in High-Speed Application Processors and Contributed to over 40 international impact Journals, chapters, and conferences; FASI, SMIEEE USA, MIEE UK, M. Inst pf Physics Chartered Phys and C Eng UK.
Past lecturers included Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Uche Orji, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodu Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited; Peter Adedayo Arogundade, managing director and chief executive officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Dr. Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Prof. Isa Pantanmi, minister of Communications and Digital Economy; Dr. Seyi Akindeind, co-founder, Digital Encode; Dr Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Director, Africa Data Centres.
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Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
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