VC4A research proves founder teams are key to startup success in Africa

The 2017 release is based on data collected from 1866 ventures from 41 African countries and 111 Africa-focused investors from 39 countries around the world

Data from VC4A’s new ‘2017 Venture Finance in Africa’ research (www.VC4A.com/research) proves that a strong team of founders is the key driver of startup success in Africa. In this year’s study VC4A (https://VC4A.com) aims to better understand the critical success factors for African startups and identify the key ingredients that…

Thoughts on the African data ecosystems

During the one-day workshop, which took place on July 19 at the Accra International Conference Centre under the theme, “The Role of Open Data in The Africa Data Revolution”, Eromosele John, who leads the open data team at the Edo State ICT Agency in Nigeria said there’s a serious problem of data user-friendliness in Africa

Ahead of the 20 July launch of The Africa Data Revolution Report (ADRR2016) in Accra, stakeholders attending the Africa Open Data Conference (AODC17) spent several hours assessing the state of African data ecosystems at national, sub-regional and continental levels. During the one-day workshop, which took place on July 19 at…

Several African Fruit Producers and Exporters Come Together to Create "AFRUIBANA", the First Pan-African Association in Defence of Their Interests

AFRUIBANA is an association established under Cameroonian law and gathers several representatives of producers and exporters from different sub-Saharan countries, notably Assobacam, the Cameroon banana industry association, and OBAMCI, an Ivory Coast organisation of producers and exporters of bananas, pineapples, mangoes and other fruits

AFRUIBANA, an association of fruit producers and exporters from Cameroon, the Ivory Coast and Ghana was officially launched in Brussels during a visit by Cameroon Trade Minister, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, to European institutions on Wednesday, 19 July. As representative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)…

Northeast Nigeria: Bringing aid before the rains

Around 40,000 inhabitants and displaced people living in the area will have no assistance unless it is deployed in advance

Teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are scaling up assistance in anticipation of increasing humanitarian and medical needs in hard-to-reach areas of Borno state, Nigeria. The onset of the rainy season will render some locations impossible to reach, as the countryside transforms into muddy swamps and roads disappear under water.…

Ambassador Nikki Haley Delivers Remarks at a UN Security Council Meeting on Peace and Security in Africa

Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered remarks today at a UN Security Council Open Debate on peace and security in Africa. Ambassador Haley highlighted the nexus between humanitarian crises, human rights, and international peace and security on the continent.  “More than 14 million people are…

Kenya Joins UNCTAD’s Empretec Network

The official launch of the Empretec programme in Kenya takes place today in Nairobi

Kenya is poised to join a United Nations-led programme that helps promote entrepreneurship by building capacity for small businesses around the globe.   The official launch of the Empretec programme in Kenya takes place today in Nairobi, in the presence of UNCTAD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the Minister of Industry,…

Customary land managers share lessons & experiences with Africa's land commissioners

The Land Commissioners, senior government officials and other land experts visited the Gbawe and Kwabenya Community Lands where elders and paramount chiefs explained these sensitive issues and others related to community land rights

The regional workshop for Africa’s Land Commissioners focusing on securing community land rights continued today with participants visiting two prominent communities to learn first-hand how local communities and land owning groups in Ghana manage their lands, secure land rights, interface with government agencies and deal with conflicts associated with land…

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon visits Ghana

The visit reaffirmed strong Commonwealth links in free trade and democratic values

Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign Office Minister for the Commonwealth and the United Nations travelled to Ghana for the first time in his new role to reaffirm the importance of Ghanaian-UK relations, and reenergise the Commonwealth, ahead of the Commonwealth Summit meeting in April. This follows the Foreign…

UN and partners call for nearly $24 million in emergency aid for the Congo's Pool region

People in the Pool are also vulnerable to attacks, threats, sexual violence, loss or family separation, OCHA said, stressing the need for protection

United Nations, the Republic of Congo's Government and humanitarian partners today appealed for $23.7 million to aid Congolese in the area of southern Brazzaville known as “the Pool”, where fighting and insecurity has displaced one out of every three people. “The most pressing humanitarian needs are related to food security,…

Libya tops agenda at EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels

The main topic of discussion was recent developments in Libya and the EU’s reaction

On Monday, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels. The main topic of discussion was recent developments in Libya and the EU’s reaction. Prior to the Council, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said in a statement: We must give more on-site aid in the countries…