General News
Trade Integration Key to Reduce Poverty & Support Growth in Africa- Brewer
Africa continues to remain vastly unexplored, and making Africa’s most remote regions accessible for trade will not only promote prosperity in those regions, but also elevate the continent’s continued growth path.
This is according to Charles Brewer, managing director of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, commenting on “The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty1” report recently released by the World Bank Group and World Trade Organisation.
Explaining the role that international trade plays in development and poverty reduction in Africa, the report states that the value of trade is measured by the extent to which it delivers better livelihoods, measured through higher incomes, greater variety of choice and a more sustainable future, among others.
“While countries need to continue to establish better trade relations with international partners, enabling trade routes within the continent can yield numerous benefits for the region and its people,” said Brewer.
Having entered the African market in 1978, when the continent was still relatively ‘unknown’, Brewer said that DHL has explored the remotest of regions in Africa and witnessed these areas transform; both economically and socially, simply due to access to new services.
He points to Cape Verde, situated off the northwest coast of Africa, as a good example of this.
“Cape Verde is a small country consisting of 10 islands, and as a result, the quickest and most reliable way of transporting goods to and from the country is by air,” he said.
“Currently, there are three commercial airlines operating in the area and given that commercial airlines offer priority to passenger baggage, offloading of cargo from these planes was a regular occurrence. In order to better service the area, we introduced a DHL flight which operates between Senegal and Cape Verde weekly. This dedicated flight route provides various trade opportunities and greatly improves connectivity in the region.”
To effectively reduce poverty, growth needs to be inclusive, and poor people aren’t often located where growth takes place.
The World Bank and The World Trade Organization estimate that one billion (15%) of the world’s population remain in extreme poverty, and that of this number, 415 million are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The report states that extreme poverty in many countries is predominately a rural phenomenon, and that an estimated 75% of the extreme poor in Africa live in rural areas.
Dr Jim Yong Kim, World Bank Group President, says that beyond expanding trade, more must be done, such as building roads that connect farmers to markets: “We must always connect the poorest to trade opportunities.”
Brewer said that connecting rural areas to trade opportunities is a key focus for DHL Express in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We have made great progress in making the global market and the world at large more accessible and connected by increasing the number of points where customers can access DHL and our global network. We now have over 4,500 retail outlets across Sub-Saharan Africa offering DHL services. This allows anyone – from a student to a small business –access over 220 countries and destinations that we serve,” he added.
The report paints trade as a key enabler of facilitating growth in developing countries and highlights that lower trade costs and fewer barriers between countries is vital to eliminating extreme poverty.
“Trade plays an essential role in driving private sector-led growth and job creation and can be a powerful force in reducing poverty and increasing incomes,” says Dr Kim2. The World Bank3 has already implemented measures to facilitate trade by approving a US$100 million Development Policy credit to help the governments of Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire reduce trade and transport transaction costs.
“There needs to be a collaborative effort between the public and private sector to work together to ease doing business across borders. We work very closely with the government and custom authorities in each country on solutions to make doing business easier. There is ongoing progress with a number of successful trade blocs in place focusing on better connecting the region, and we look forward to seeing Africa continue on its growth path in years to come,” concluded Brewer.
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. DHL’s family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management.
With more than 325,000 employees in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, they connect people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows.
With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including e-Commerce, technology, life science and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
The Group generated revenues of more than 56 billion euros in 2014.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has launched a digital platform to attract local and international investors to Nigeria’s sub-national infrastructure projects and close the country’s estimated $100 billion annual financing gap.
Unveiled in Abuja, Investopedia will serve as a transparent “one-stop shop” for investment opportunities across Nigeria’s 36 states, said the forum, offering detailed project information and clear entry points for prospective investors.
NGF chairman and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, described the initiative as a “strategic tool to unlock Nigeria’s full potential by mobilising global and African capital for critical infrastructure”.
He stressed that the platform should be seen as more than an investment catalogue, but a gateway that combines opportunities with guidance and institutional oversight.
Investopedia is backed by partnerships with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).
NGF director-general, Abdulateef Shittu, hailed the launch as a “new dawn” for sub-national investment readiness, noting that Nigeria attracted only $1.87 billion in foreign direct investment in 2023, well below Africa’s average.
By curating a pipeline of bankable projects, he said the platform would boost investor confidence and expand Nigeria’s global visibility.
Shittu added that beyond financing, the platform would foster technical partnerships, capacity-building, and risk mitigation, laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth.
“This is about more than funding, it is about actionable, bankable projects that will drive jobs, inclusive growth, and long-term prosperity,” he said.
IHS Nigeria has partnered with the Osun State Government on Osun Teacher-Shift 2025, a programme aimed at transforming technical and vocational school teachers into digital-ready educators capable of driving innovation in classrooms.
The IHS Nigeria sponsored initiative, implemented by Focus Teens Foundation in collaboration with the Osun State Board of Technical and Vocational Education, targets about 200 teachers across the State’s nine technical colleges. The training will run in batches over a two-day period, with participants expected to acquire modern skills, and innovative teaching techniques.
Speaking at the opening ceremony which held in Osogbo yesterday, Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria, explained that the project was developed to prepare teachers for the opportunities and challenges of a fast-evolving world.
She said, “Today is not just the launch of a programme — it is the beginning of a movement. This is more than training, it is a mindset shift. It is about rethinking how we prepare teachers, students, and our communities for the opportunities and challenges of a fast-evolving world.”
Oguntuga emphasised that teachers remain at the centre of national development but face increasing demands to inspire creativity, nurture innovation, and equip young people with practical and technology-driven skills.
She noted that the initiative also reflects IHS Nigeria’s four sustainability pillars — ethics and governance, environment and climate change, people and communities, and education and economic growth.
The IHS official said, “education remains the strongest catalyst for national development. But we cannot achieve this without empowering the people who will empower the next generation. With this programme, teachers and beneficiaries from the nine technical colleges will begin to think more innovatively and incorporate new systems that support STEM for the advancement of our nation.”
Oguntuga added that each school would be given routers with one year subscription.
Adedapo Ademola-Adesina, Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical and Vocational Education, noted that the State Government believes in private sector collaboration to achieve its goals for technical and vocational education, leading to the partnership with IHS Nigeria.
“We must begin by changing the mindset of our teachers. They are the ones who shape future leaders. That is why we tagged the program “Osun Teacher-Shift 2025” — shifting from the old ways to new digital teaching”, he said.
Also speaking, Sunday Eluwole, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, acknowledged that the training was both timely and necessary, saying; “this is the 21st century, and Nigeria cannot be left behind. Our schools, teachers, and classrooms must be digitalised. Teachers must first be trained in digital methods before they can pass the knowledge on to students.”
Eluwole added that Osun State, which has the highest number of technical colleges in the Country, is committed to making its schools models of digital and vocational learning.
Earlier, Muritala Jimoh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said that Osun State teachers are ready to shift. Jimoh noted that Governor Ademola Adeleke is prioritising teachers’ welfare in the state, hence their readiness to embrace the shift.
He called on teachers to reciprocate government’s efforts by making their minds flexible to change.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed all airlines operating in the country to ensure that passengers completely switch off their mobile phones during aircraft take-off and landing.
Michael Achimugu, director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCCA, disclosed the directive in a post on X on Tuesday.
He said the measure was part of a harmonisation of existing rules on the use of electronic devices onboard.
“Henceforth, the regulation per phones and other electronic devices in Nigeria has been unified: ALL PHONES MUST BE SWITCHED OFF DURING THE CRITICAL ASPECTS OF TAKE-OFF AND LANDING,” Achimugu wrote.
“All airlines must amend their security programmes to reflect this if different in their current programmes. No more airplane mode until regulations are reviewed to reflect evolving technological situations.”
The directive means that all airlines will have to adjust their operational manuals and cabin crew instructions to enforce the policy.
Reactions to the announcement have been mixed on social media, with some Nigerians questioning the relevance of the rule in light of advances in aircraft technology and onboard connectivity.
Kaspersky, SMEDAN to Support SMEs in Nigeria with Cybersecurity Knowledge
NGF Launches Digital Platform to Bridge $100bn Infrastructure Gap
TD Africa Secures AI ISO Certifications
Data Is Life: Why MTN Wants You to Get Smarter with Your Data
Paradigm Initiative Equips Prosecutors for the Digital Age of Crime
Telecom3 days agoNCC Claims to Have Eliminated Unregistered SIMs from Telecoms Networks
Telecom3 days agoAliyu Aboki Applauds Broadband Mapping as About Expanding Opportunity in Africa
Telecom2 days agoFG Scraps 5 Percent Telecom Excise Duty Under New Tax Law
Telecom3 days agoMTN Group Restructures Executive Team, Appoints Toriola VP for Francophone Africa
E-Financial3 days agoUBA Secures N5Bn BoI Fund to Boost Women Entrepreneurs, Others
- News3 days ago
Telcos See Biggest Growth Post-COVID – ALTON
General News3 days agoVirtual Reality in Healthcare: Nigeria’s Untapped Opportunity for Training, Patient Care, and Medical Innovation
News3 days agoNITDA, Bauchi State Partner on Digital Literacy and Skills Framework