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<p>In Rwanda, the country has recorded two death from Covid-19, at a time when the Government has eased the lock-down that had been in place for a month and half by opening up almost all sectors of the economy though with a number of precautionary measures to keep the virus in check. At the same time a French court ordered the Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga to be handed over to a United Nations tribunal for trial. CNBC Africa is joined by Hudson Kuteesa, Journalist with the Newtimes.</p>


Rwanda’s Central Bank to reinstate mobile money charges

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<p>Today is a very important day for both Africa and the United Nations. It saw the first day at work for the first African head of the United Nations Global Compact. Her name is Sanda Ojiambo of Kenya and from today she will run the UN agency that was conceived  20 years ago in the third year of the reign of the late former secretary general Kofi Annan. The United Nations Global Compact focuses on private business around the world and this celebrates its 20th birthday.</p>


UN Global Compact’s CEO Sanda Ojiambo on how business can help economies recover from COVID-19 crisis


<p>Given the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa could be facing an economic crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Although the peak of the epidemic has not yet hit the continent, all economic indicators are currently flashing red as a result of preventive measures such as lockdowns and national border closures across most of the continent.</p>



<p>Why should we be so concerned with what is happening across the Mediterranean? Because if the growth dynamic recorded in Africa over the past several decades stalls, it is Europe that will suffer the consequences in a later stage. Everything that has been undertaken with the help of development aid and the setting up of structuring partnerships at the economic level as well as at the health and education levels is at risk of being reduced to nothing. For example, more than 8 million children have been enrolled in primary and more than 160,000 in secondary education in Africa as a result of EU-funded interventions in 2013-2014. This ambitious partnership needs to continue on an ever-stronger footing. Needless to also say that a new wave of migration would also have an impact on our societies: the looming economic crisis would be coupled with a real political crisis that would undoubtedly give populist parties the upper hand in the next elections.</p>



<p>As European politicians, Africa is one of our priorities. Sceptics need only remember the first trip made by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; her first official trip, just a week after taking office, was to Addis Ababa, to the African Union&#8217;s headquarters. Two months later she went back, along with 20 of the 27 European Commissioners, a sign that Africa and the EU have a real “common destiny” and an ambitious partnership to rebuild.</p>



<p>We need to think, and fast, about how we can help our African partner in the race against time as it faces the predicted economic disaster in the wake of the global covid-19 pandemic. Let&#8217;s ask ourselves the right questions: what works in Africa, what are the factors for development and growth? One is undoubtedly Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), since Africa had more than 400 million Internet users in 2018 – that’s 20% more than in 2017. Mobile phones are the preferred means of accessing the Internet (used three times more than computers) and the United Nations estimates that mobile phone operators are major job creators today. Before the crisis, it was predicted that the mobile phone industry would generate 7.9% of GDP and create 3.45 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa by 2022.</p>



<p>As Co-Chair and Vice-Chair of the soon to be established RUMRA &amp; Smart Villages Intergroup in the European Parliament, we know how important access to a good Internet connection is as a factor for growth. The intergroup aims to “promote the integrated development of European territories in all their diversity”. And what is true for Europe is all the more true for Africa! ICTs facilitate access to education, they contribute to increasing business productivity, and they represent real added value in the agricultural sector, for example by giving family farmers access to targeted information on techniques to improve their yields.</p>



<p>In light of these facts, there is an urgent need to support the companies operating in the ICT sector that are working on providing Internet access and deploying fibre optics on the African continent, such as Vodafone, Orange, or Huawei Northern Africa. Huawei for instance provides 200,000 kilometers of optical fibre network coverage on the African continent, and owns 50% of the 3G and 4G networks. Orange invests 1 billion euros every year in network development in Africa and Vodafone now has more than 170 million mobile customers across eight African countries, with 4G networks launched in many African markets. These groups are engines of growth and potential solutions to the impending crisis. In this process we need to make sure not to single out any of these companies for geo-strategic considerations that should have no place in our economic considerations. As free marketeers our decisions need to be based solely on merit and the ability of any given company to provide the ICT solutions needed.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Without complicity, without naivety, we have to think about what will impact us positively in the short, medium and long term. Our fear is that our reluctance to move towards greater connectivity will impact our economies, and those of our neighbors, and Africa first and foremost. So let&#8217;s be responsible, let&#8217;s be political, and let&#8217;s take responsibility for our choices. ICTs are one of the ways out of the crisis caused by Covid-19, so let&#8217;s not deprive anyone, and especially not Africa!</p>



<p><strong>Franc Bogovic</strong>, Member of the European Parliament from Slovenia in the centre right group of the European People&#8217;s Party &amp;</p>



<p><strong>Engin Eroglu</strong>, Member of the European Parliament from Germany in the liberal Renew Europe Group</p>



<p>For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a></p>


Op-Ed: Supporting the ICT sector in Africa as a cure for the economic crisis


<p><em>By Siddharth Chatterjee</em></p>



<p>Sexual and reproductive health and pandemics might seem to be unrelated topics, but large and dense populations are drivers of the high velocity transmission of COVID-19, and there are lessons to be learned for the future.</p>



<p>Gains made in women’s sexual reproductive health and rights just took several steps backward in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to contraceptives has been interrupted, resulting in an increase in unintended pregnancies. With schools closed, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriages are rising. Globally gender-based violence has risen exponentially, as people are advised or required to stay home, and women and girls may not be able to leave an unsafe or violent situation.</p>



<p>The United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) Executive Director, <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/press/women-girls-health-workers-must-not-be-overlooked-global-covid-19-response">Natalia Kanem</a> has said, “the world needs to do much more to ensure that the most intimate, yet essential, needs of the world’s women and girls are met while we battle COVID-19.”</p>



<p>Among the chief immediate concerns is severely reduced access to sexual and reproductive healthcare while the pandemic rages on. But diminished women’s rights and services have even greater long-term implications for the outbreak and spread of future epidemics.</p>



<p>Africa has yet to see the devastation from COVID-19 that most developed countries are facing in terms of infections and deaths, but the virus is already wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of millions on the continent. With travel bans, curfews and lockdowns, for countless who depend on daily wages and small informal businesses, are facing hunger and destitution. Unlike richer nations, most African countries have little wriggle room in their budgets to afford meaningful stimulus packages and have social safety nets.</p>



<p>Some forecasts suggest that in the absence of a considerable fiscal stimulus, COVID-19 could see Africa’s GDP decline by <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/04/16/figures-of-the-week-the-macroeconomic-impact-of-covid-19-in-africa/">over 5% in 2020</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>So how can the world–and the African continent in particular–better prepare itself for the next pandemic?</strong></h2>



<p>A good place to start is with the root of recent pandemics. Zoonosis is the transmission of a disease from animals to human. COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are all coronaviruses, and all originated in bats, which are a natural reservoir for viruses.</p>



<p>Such jumps from animals to humans are on the rise for reasons that include unhygienic and close proximity to animals, bush meat consumption, wet markets and–crucially–human encroachment into wilderness and wildlife habitats.</p>



<p>One of the main drivers of such encroachment is the exponential population growth.</p>



<p>We are exploiting forests at a calamitous rate, eating away into the traditional buffer zones that once separated humans from animals, and from the pathogens that they carry. Forest destruction also drives climate change and soil erosion. In turn, growing urbanization means higher population densities, providing a ready route for the rapid and extensive spread of disease.</p>



<p>Long-term preparation must begin with the acknowledgment that runaway population growth is a driver of modern pandemics.</p>



<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres observed on the <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/press/secretary-generals-message-world-population-day">2019 World Population Day</a>, “for many of the least developed countries, the challenges to sustainable development are compounded by rapid population growth as well as vulnerability to climate change.”</p>



<p>Most African health systems operate in a constant state of struggle and crisis. There is <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/middle-east-and-africa/tackling-covid-19-in-africa">only one doctor for every 1,000 people in Africa</a>, and each must serve overwhelmingly young, poor and unemployed patient populations.</p>



<p>Family planning and sexual health services are only patchily available, and cultural pressures mean girls and women may find it difficult to access them even where they exist. Too often the result is large families living in poverty and ill-health, and a worrying predominance of early pregnancy.</p>



<p>Africa is the most rapidly urbanizing region in the world, with 50-70% of urban dwellers living in slums. Uncontrolled population growth, crowded and unhygienic conditions, and destruction of natural ecosystems combine to create a perfect storm for the next pandemic, whose speed, scale and virulence may well surpass COVID 19.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Urgent action needed now</strong></h2>



<p>In such circumstances there is a central need for bold global leadership. That is why policymakers, led by the US, must reconsider the Mexico City policy, often known as the <a href="https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/mexico-city-policy-explainer/">global gag rule</a>. The recently expanded global gag rule now applies not only to comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare and safe abortion, but also to programmes that include HIV, water, sanitation and hygiene.</p>



<p>In Kenya we are already seeing the domino effect of the global gag rule <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20190306133032-t3xz2">with increased teenage pregnancies and a spike in unsafe abortions</a>. Almost <a href="https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2017/03/teen-mothers-kenya-become-powerful-advocates-change/">one in five girls aged 15-19</a> is either pregnant or already has a baby. Adolescent girls in the worst affected parts of Kenya have lost their ability to make informed choices. &nbsp;It is a crisis of health, education and opportunity, made far worse by COVID 19.</p>



<p>It should concern all leaders that reduced resources for such programmes have led to more poor women suffering the effects of unplanned pregnancies, contributed to higher rates of maternal mortality and to an increase in unsafe abortions. Goals for programmes such as the <a href="http://www.familyplanning2020.org/about-us">Family Planning 2020</a>(FP 2020) launched by Melinda Gates, which includes giving 120 million more women and girls access to contraceptives by 2020, will remain unfulfilled as the deadline approaches. FP2020 is based on the principle that&nbsp;all women, no matter where they live, should have&nbsp;access to lifesaving contraceptives.</p>



<p>Today, Africa has the world’s highest fertility rates. On average, women in <a href="https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2016/04/changing-narrative-fertility-decline-africa/">sub-Saharan Africa have about five childrenover their reproductive lifetime</a>, compared to a global average of <strong>2.5 children</strong>. Africa’s population is expected to grow from the current 1.1 billion to 2.3 billion people by 2050 while the global population is expected to reach 10 billion at that time.</p>



<p>If Africa accelerates structural reforms, some believe the continent can emulate China’s rapid rise of the last 50 years. <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/africa-global-growth-economics-worldwide-gdp/">McKinsey predicts $5.6 trillion in African business opportunities by 2025.</a> If Africa succeeds, it could be a poster child for Sustainable Development Goal 1-ending poverty by 2030, as well as become a stable and prosperous economic partner for the rest of the world.</p>



<p>At the top of the reforms must be safeguarding the primacy of reproductive health and rights. With a median age of 19 years, for Africa to benefit from the <a href="https://demographicdividend.org/">demographic dividend</a> its youthful population could offer, family sizes must fall drastically. Smaller households link directly to improved health, education and living standards, which in turn translate into investment, employment, and economic growth. This can only happen if programmes that increase access to family planning are widely available.</p>



<p>We must look at strategies to stabilize the global population with renewed urgency. Political and religious, globally must show courage, responsibility and vision through a robust commitment to ensuring that every person, everywhere, has access to affordable contraception and is able to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.</p>



<p>To help stave off the havoc of the next pandemic, the world must unite behind UNFPA’s mission “to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.”</p>



<p><strong><em>Siddharth Chatterjee is the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Kenya. </em></strong><strong><em>He has served in various parts of the world with UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, UNOPS, UN Peacekeeping and the Red Cross Movement. A decorated Special Forces veteran, he is an alumnus of Princeton University. Follow him on twitter-</em></strong><a href="https://twitter.com/sidchat1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor"><strong><em>@sidchat1</em></strong></a><strong></strong></p>


A pregnant woman in Kenya’s North Eastern Province with one of her children. Overpopulation in the area contributes to poor maternal health. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

Why reproductive rights must be a critical part of our arsenal to fight pandemics


<p><em>By Paul Polman, Siddharth Chatterjee and Myriam Sidibe</em></p>



<p>The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that now is “a defining moment for modern society.&nbsp; History will judge the efficacy of the response not by the actions of any single set of government actors taken in isolation, but by the degree to which the response is coordinated globally across all sectors for the benefit of our human family.”</p>



<p>Governments, the private sector, and development institutions need to come together in innovative ways not just to flatten the curve of infection and mitigate the economic disruption, but also to prepare for the new normal of the post-Covid world in Africa and the rest of the world. &nbsp;Greater partnership between the public and private sectors is going to be critical. The fight to flatten the coronavirus curve is an acid test for stakeholder capitalism and especially for multilateralism.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1110" height="640" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya-1110x640.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368286" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya-1110x640.jpg 1110w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya-300x173.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya-768x443.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya-696x401.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya-1068x615.jpg 1068w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kenya.jpg 1378w" sizes="(max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px" /><figcaption><br><br><strong><em>Kenyan nurses wear protective gear during a demonstration of preparations for any potential coronavirus cases at the Mbagathi Hospital, isolation centre for the disease, in Nairobi. Photo Quartz Africa March 2020</em></strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>As Covid-19 continues to spread sickness and death, Africa has so far escaped the worst effects.&nbsp; The continent’s lagging health care infrastructure, however, makes it highly vulnerable if the virus reaches the high-velocity community transmission we have seen in Italy, Spain and New York.&nbsp; Not only are health systems delicate, but crucial medical supplies are far from sufficient, and social protections as a whole are weak.</p>



<p>With the health crisis also becoming an economic and soon a social crisis, the continent is under siege.&nbsp; Many companies are struggling through the economic slowdown, with tourism and smaller enterprises the most challenged.&nbsp; With bankruptcy and job losses looming, many families are already reducing spending and consumption.&nbsp; In the absence of significant fiscal stimulus &#8211; which few African countries can afford anyway &#8211; some projections are cutting the continent’s GDP growth in 2020 by as much as eight percentage points.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="471" height="476" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sid-chat.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368287" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sid-chat.jpg 471w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sid-chat-297x300.jpg 297w" sizes="(max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px" /><figcaption><strong><em>L to R: The co-authors Myriam Sidibe, Siddharth Chatterjee, Paul Polman join the First Lady of Kenya, Ms Margaret Kenyatta, in Nairobi, Kenya at an event. Photo UNFPA Kenya, 24 Jun 2016</em></strong></figcaption></figure>



<p></p>



<p>No one knows for sure what is ahead, with scenarios changing daily as new information comes through.&nbsp; Many firms are focused on business continuity, employee safety and simply survival and lack the luxury of assisting external stakeholders.&nbsp; But it’s time for an all-hands-on-deck response, both to flatten the curve of infections and keep businesses resilient, and to be ready to restart as physical distancing ends.&nbsp; More than ever before, the private sector needs to deploy its full capabilities to innovate and bring positive, sustainable change – to help secure strong markets in the future.</p>



<p>There are several areas where private sector support is essential.&nbsp; Current priorities include unified communication platforms to enable populations to practice the needed preventative behaviours (washing hands, wearing masks, and practicing physical distancing), as well as managing stocks of essential materials, test kits, ventilators and oxygen and PPE. Support would also include protecting the most vulnerable people from the economic effects of the pandemic, especially where curfews are enforced.</p>



<p>This is also a unique opportunity to challenge sceptics, in both the not-for-profits and for-profit sectors, with a new blueprint of collaboration.&nbsp; The World Health Organisation has issued guidelines on engaging the private sector as part of a whole-of-society response to the pandemic and has signed an iconic partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce.&nbsp; The African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have also launched a public-private partnership known as the Africa Covid-19 Response Fund, which raises resources to prevent transmission and support sustainable medical responses.</p>



<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In Kenya the national government has led the charge in fighting Covid-19 by rapidly scaling up a large array of public health interventions and putting into force social interaction rules. &nbsp;To complement the government’s preparedness and response efforts for the next six months, the United Nations, together with humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations launched a flash appeal seeking over US$267 million to respond to the critical needs of 10 million of the country’s most vulnerable people.&nbsp;</p>



<p>So far the pandemic has not been the finest hour for international cooperation.&nbsp; But the role of the UN and the private sector has never been more critical as an enabler of multisectoral partnerships for deliveries, and also to keep the focus on the most vulnerable that these partnerships need to reach. &nbsp;</p>



<p>In Kenya, and under the leadership of the Government, the UN has built a model to catalyse public private action: the SDG Partnership Platform. It is a tested instrument for engagement that has brought together a variety of private players in previous initiatives to co-create and rapidly deploy with government large-scale shared-value solutions to address the challenges our societies and planet are facing.&nbsp; It is through such a mechanism, for example, that the UN mobilized the private sector to carry out a maternal mortality reduction campaign in Kenya’s north-eastern counties, one that was recognised as a global best practice.</p>



<p>Kenya’s<a href="https://www.covid19businessresponse.ke/"> National Business Compact on Coronavirus</a>, a gathering of companies aimed at accelerating local action and supporting governmental efforts against the pandemic, got successfully off the ground with the help of the UN SDG Partnership Platform, and champions from private sector and civil society. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The Kenyan model of cooperation could take shape all over Africa.&nbsp; Such models allow governments to foster an ecosystem of purposeful partnerships; to amplify private-sector philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and policy advocacy for national mitigation; and to accelerate shared-value partnerships.&nbsp; It also allows the UN to play its role as a neutral broker, and steer a much-needed balance between lethargic action on one hand and misdirected reactions on the other.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This may well be the blueprint needed to fight the next global pandemic, whose speed and fury could surpass what we are witnessing now.</p>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/PaulPolman"><strong><em>Paul Polman</em></strong></a><strong><em> is </em></strong><strong><em>co-founder of IMAGINE, Chair of the International Chambers of Commerce and former CEO of Unilever</em></strong><strong><em></em></strong></p>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/sidchat1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor"><strong><em>Siddharth Chatterjee</em></strong></a><strong><em> is the UN Resident Coordinator of Kenya</em></strong></p>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Myriam_Sidibe"><strong><em>Myriam Sidibe</em></strong></a><strong><em> is a Senior Fellow at Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School</em></strong></p>


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Multilateralism through Public-Private partnerships are Key to Flattening the COVID-19 Curve

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<p>Developing nations need an additional $2.5 trillion on top of recently announced stimulus measures to fight the economic blow from the coronavirus. That’s according to a United Nations report launched today. The report outlines ways in which that money can be raised. Richard Kozul-Wright, who was part of the research, joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


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Developing nations need $2.5trn to fight COVID-19, here’s how the money can be raised

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<p>In the headline, as the impact of the coronavirus outbreak continues, manufacturers, producers and importers in Rwanda are seeking alternative sources of raw materials with China’s production and export capacity expected to slow down. In other news – a new report from UN Economic Commission for Africa has indicated that the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area could help the Eastern African countries earn about $1.8 billion and revive the region’s intra trade. Finally, Rwanda proceeds with the preparation of the Commonwealth Forum despite the outbreak of the coronavirus. CNBC Africa is joined by Hudson Kuteesa, Journalist of The New Times for more.</p>


Rwanda cancels concerts

Rwanda cancels concerts, sports tournaments due to coronavirus

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According to a report by the International Monetary Fund it will take the more than 95 years to bridge the financial economic gap between men and women at the current pace, but could we get there faster? CNBC Africa&#8217;s Arnold Kwizera talked to UN Women representative in Rwanda, Fatou Lo for more.</p>


Fatou Lo on how to bridge the gender pay gap

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According to UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, there is worry that there may be a second round of desert locust invasion. In what is emerging as a new cycle of infestation, experts say significant numbers of hatchlings have been spotted along migratory paths that had already suffered a first round of incursion. Dr. Muo Kasina, Chair of Entomology Society of Kenya, in the country’s Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Desert locust invasion threatens food security in Kenya

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All members of the United Nations (UN) have recognised that the orphanages don&#8217;t protect children but in a world that is often affected by disaster, the role of orphanages has been praised by others. So can we really do away with the orphanages? CNBC Africa’s Arnold Kwizera spoke with the CEO of Hope and Homes for Children, Mark Waddington for more.</p>


How Rwanda is moving towards becoming Africa’s first free orphanage country

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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) have signed a Technical Cooperation Project aimed to digitalize commerce in agricultural value chains. Dr. Gualbert Gbehounou, FAO Country Representative of Rwanda joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


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Rwanda moves to digitise its agricultural value chains to increase productivity, revenues

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<p>Yesterday the United Nations (UN) announced that 2020 to 2030 is declared the &#8220;Decade of Action for Global Goals&#8221;. Last year the UN Secretary General called on all sectors of society to mobilize on three levels; global action, local action and people action, the latter including civil society, the media, private sector, unions, academia and of course, Youth. Natalie Robi Tingo represents a panel of youth that&#8217;s launching today in response to this call. 12 young activists from 12 countries around the world are pledging to rally and mobilize. Kenyan Activist and only member of East Africa, Natalie Robi Tingo joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Here’s how African youths are bracing themselves for UN-endorsed “Decade of Action for Global Goals”

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<p>Extreme flooding has devastated South Sudan, with the UN reporting that some one million people have been displaced, and Oxfam reporting that the floods have caused livestock and crops to be destroyed; and schools and health clinics to be closed. Analyst, Akol Dok joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


An assessment of the impact of floods in South Sudan

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<p>The United Nations says eliminating violence against women and girls is key to achieving gender equality and women empowerment – it is also vital to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, explore solutions to issues affecting the Nigerian girl-child, Founder of Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), Kemi Dasilva-Ibru joins CNBC Africa.</p>


WARIF Founder Kemi Dasilva-Ibru on tackling gender-based violence in Nigeria

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<p>On the side line of Youthconnekt Africa Summit 2019 – on how a young girl can seize opportunities and live up to her full potential, CNBC Africa’s Zwena Bachoo spoke to Deputy General Regional Director of UN Woman in Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Zebib Kavuma.</p>


Zebib Kavuma on empowering the girl child

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<p>UN estimates that there are over 226 million people aged between 15-24 in Africa, making it the most youthful continent – however, this has come with challenges, such as high unemployment rates currently estimated at about 60 per cent. The President of Rwanda inaugurated the 3rd edition of the YouthConnekt Africa Summit that will this year, look into ways to understand the potential of the continent’s youthful population. CNBC Africa’s Zwena Bachoo has more.</p>


Youth encouraged to ‘take the lead’ ahead of YouthConnekt Africa Summit

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<p>At last week&#8217;s UN Youth Climate Summit, Ghislain Irakoze, Founder of ‘wastezone’, an e-waste recycling company was one of the 100 young people selected to find solutions on climate change. On the dangers and opportunities the e-waste industry provides, he joins CNBC Africa&#8217;s Arnold Kwizera for more.</p>


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United Nations

Rwanda’s Central Bank to reinstate mobile money charges

UN Global Compact’s CEO Sanda Ojiambo on how business can help economies recover from COVID-19 crisis

Op-Ed: Supporting the ICT sector in Africa as a cure for the economic crisis

Why reproductive rights must be a critical part of our arsenal to fight pandemics

Multilateralism through Public-Private partnerships are Key to Flattening the COVID-19 Curve

Developing nations need $2.5trn to fight COVID-19, here’s how the money can be raised

Rwanda cancels concerts, sports tournaments due to coronavirus

Fatou Lo on how to bridge the gender pay gap

Desert locust invasion threatens food security in Kenya

How Rwanda is moving towards becoming Africa’s first free orphanage country

Rwanda moves to digitise its agricultural value chains to increase productivity, revenues

Here’s how African youths are bracing themselves for UN-endorsed “Decade of Action for Global Goals”

An assessment of the impact of floods in South Sudan

WARIF Founder Kemi Dasilva-Ibru on tackling gender-based violence in Nigeria

Zebib Kavuma on empowering the girl child

Youth encouraged to ‘take the lead’ ahead of YouthConnekt Africa Summit

Young entrepreneurs turning trash into cash in recycling drive

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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