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Standard Chartered Donates $11.8M for COVID-19 Relief Efforts Across Africa
Standard Chartered has announced donations totalling USD11.8 million to the Red Cross, UNICEF and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Government Partners providing emergency relief in countries across Africa and the Middle East impacted by COVID-19.
The donations will contribute to programmes providing urgent medical support and the protection and education of vulnerable children, as well as other efforts to ensure the health, safety and protection of communities across Africa and the Middle East.
To ensure donations are allocated on the ground where they can provide rapid and targeted impact, Standard Chartered has:
-Pledged USD3,55 million of funding to the Red Cross for urgent medical support in nine markets across Africa. Funding will support activities such as the provision of primary and secondary health care, communication of protection measures, provision of personal protection equipment (PPE) for Red Cross staff and the distribution of food, care and education packages for those impacted by COVID-19.
-Pledged USD3,25 million of funding to UNICEF for the immediate protection and education of vulnerable children in Pakistan and across eight markets in Africa.
Funding will support activities such as the provision of remote education via TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and child protection measures including: alternative care arrangements and family tracing services for children separated from their families due to COVID-19; training for social workers to conduct home visits to vulnerable children for mental health support; and alternative care and protection services for children of parents or caregivers affected by COVID-19.
These donations are part of Standard Chartered’s USD10 million pledge USD5 million to Red Cross and USD5 million to UNICEF – to support COVID-19 emergency relief activities across its markets in Asia and Africa.
On top of USD6.8 million donations to the Red Cross and UNICEF in the region, Standard Chartered has pledged a further USD5 million for local NGO and Government partners across Africa and the Middle East to bring the total committed to USD11,8 million.
Commenting on the donation, Sunil Kaushal, Regional CEO, Standard Chartered Africa and the Middle East said: “Ensuring the health, wellbeing and stability of the societies in which we are present, is paramount. We are proud to be able to contribute to Red Cross and UNICEF programmes that reach the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“Standard Chartered’s purpose is rooted in our communities as we strive to create sustainable prosperity in the markets where we operate. By working with Red Cross and UNICEF, we can support those affected by this crisis and together, overcome the adversities we currently face.”
Dr Simon Missiri, Regional Director for Africa, at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said:
“Thanks to Standard Chartered’s generous donation, Red Cross Red Crescent Societies can support local communities now facing increasing challenges due to the pandemic.
“Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are the front-line responders, and these funds will help address some of the most urgent health and socio-economic impacts faced by the most vulnerable people across our country. Thanks to the vital donation from Standard Chartered we can continue to support more people facing the devasting effects of Coronavirus.”
Gary Stahl, Director, UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division, said: “In any crisis, the young and the most vulnerable suffer disproportionately. This pandemic is no different. With the majority of the world’s children living with some form of pandemic-related movement restrictions and 1.3 billion children around the globe affected by school closures, UNICEF’s work for children has never been more critical than now.
Thanks to this donation from Standard Chartered, UNICEF will be able to support remote education via TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and child protection measures for vulnerable children across the world.”
In addition to the donation, Standard Chartered has also put in place a comprehensive support programme for our clients including USD1 billion of financing for companies that provide goods and services to help the fight against COVID-19, and those planning the switch into making products that are in high demand to fight the global pandemic; and a comprehensive support scheme for retail and business customers, including loan repayment holidays, fee waivers or cancellations and loan extension facilities.
Accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could increase Africa’s GDP by up to 4% over the next decade, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In a report released on Tuesday, titled Africa Can Grow Faster With AI—If It Moves Now, economists from the IMF’s Africa Department say current levels of AI adoption and utilisation are expected to contribute just 0.2% to the region’s GDP over the next 10 years.
However, the report says stronger adoption, supported by the right infrastructure and policies, could raise the economic impact to about 4% by extending AI beyond today’s digitally connected firms.
Martin Schindler and other IMF economists say: “AI adoption in sub-Saharan Africa currently lags well behind every other region. If richer economies race ahead while African firms and governments lag, the productivity gap between the region and the rest of the world will only widen.”
Early signs of AI adoption are emerging across Africa, with countries including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria developing AI strategies.
Telecommunications operators, including Vodacom, Econet, Africell and MTN, are also integrating AI into their operations and networks.
Other examples include chatbots supporting teaching and learning in Nigeria and the South African Revenue Service’s use of data analytics for targeted tax audits.
However, the IMF says AI adoption must extend beyond these early use cases to deliver meaningful economic benefits.
“For the region, AI’s main promise is not about replacing office workers, but boosting productivity across the economy—helping informal firms manage inventory, enabling farmers to increase yields, and supporting mid-sized firms to transition to formality and export readiness,” the report reads.
The IMF is urging governments to prioritise investment in reliable electricity, affordable broadband, data infrastructure and digital skills to support wider AI adoption.
Many African countries, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, continue to face electricity shortages, while broadband services remain costly and coverage is uneven.
The Fund believes stronger investment in power, connectivity, regional data infrastructure and digital skills would help unlock AI’s economic potential.
National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system to strengthen legal identity management and improve demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja on Tuesday, Mr Afolabi Yori, federal commissioner representing Kogi, said the initiative became operational nationwide on July 1, through the VitalReg platform.
Yori described the development as a landmark in Nigeria’s civil registration system, noting that it would modernise birth and death registration through a technology-driven platform that meets international standards.
He said the digital platform would improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria was accurately documented and securely stored.
According to him, civil registration is more than an administrative process, as it provides reliable statistics that support public policy formulation, resource allocation and national development planning.
“Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of births and deaths remain unregistered.
“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner said that the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure prompt documentation of vital events through the VitalReg platform.
Yori said the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, and reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel.
He disclosed that the platform was being operated under a Public-Private Partnership with Barnks-forte Technologies Ltd. as the commission’s technical partner to ensure system availability, cybersecurity and continuous technological improvement.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support the initiative by encouraging the prompt registration of births and deaths.
Earlier, Samuel Omonakpeme, director in Kogi, NPC State, described the commencement of the digital registration system as another milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
Omonakpeme stated that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for all.
He appreciated the Federal Government, the leadership of the commission, UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
The state director also urged parents, guardians, health institutions, community leaders, religious organisations and the media to mobilise public support for the timely registration of all births and deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that ICT personnel of the commission, led by Ehimoni Kolawole, conducted a live demonstration of the digital birth registration process using the VitalReg platform.
The demonstration showed that the registration process captures the biodata of both parents, while at least one parent must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) to complete the registration of a newborn.
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has alerted its customers to a fraudulent message circulating on social media, falsely claiming that electricity consumers can receive an additional 20 per cent bonus units when recharging their prepaid meters through unofficial channels.
In a statement issued by the company’s management on Monday, YEDC described the claim as false and urged customers to disregard the misleading information, stressing that it did not originate from the company.
According to the statement, YEDC does not offer bonus electricity units through individuals, agents, personal bank accounts, phone numbers, or social media contacts.
The company advised customers to purchase electricity tokens only through approved cashless payment platforms, including the YEDC Pay App, OPay, Interswitch, and other authorised vending channels, or to visit the nearest YEDC office for assistance.
YEDC also cautioned customers against sharing their meter details or personal information, or making payments to unauthorised persons claiming to represent the company.
The company further urged customers to rely exclusively on information disseminated through its official communication channels to avoid falling victim to fraud.
The management thanked customers for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to serving them.
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