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Integral (www.Integralsande.com), Nigeria’s leading sports marketing and management company, has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on free-to-air television.

This sub-license deal from Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company and the IOC&#39;s exclusive rights holder for free-to-air distribution rights in Sub-Saharan Africa, is in addition to Integral’s existing Premier League sub-license free-to-air media rights agreement on NTA.
The exclusive package includes TV broadcast of live events as well as repeats and highlights from the Olympics. Integral will once again work with Nigeria&#39;s most popular broadcaster the NTA Network, to deliver all content on its free-to-air-platform.
Over 200 hours of content will be available on the NTA Network with 6 to 9 hours of daily content throughout the period of the Games from July 23rd to August 8th, 2021
Christophe Van Rothem, Infront Associate Director Media rights said: “Our objective is to maximize the reach of the Olympic Games 2020 and this partnership with our trusted partner Integral, will ensure we are able to bring this unique and thrilling event to millions of households in Nigeria.”
Speaking on the deal, the Managing Director of Integral Abimbola Ilo: “Following our partnership for the Premier League free-to-air rights, we are pleased to be working with Infront again to deliver high-quality sports moments to Nigerians. This is an important avenue to showcase the talents and tell the stories of exceptional athletes as they compete on the world’s biggest stage in Tokyo”.
Also speaking on the deal, Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, the Director General of NTA stated: “As Nigeria’s most popular broadcaster, we are committed to delivering quality content to our viewers and proud to be partnering with Integral again on what promises to be yet another exciting sports event. With this partnership, we will once again be bringing the best of premium sports to the widest distribution in Nigeria”.
Chichi Nwoko Integral’s Associate Director, Sports Rights and Media Partnership added: “We are happy to partner with Infront to bring another exciting major sports event to passionate Nigerian fans. As we add to our growing media rights catalogue, Integral is delighted to be at the centre of delivering live sports content to Nigerians yet again”.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Integral.
For more information, please contact: Deolu Lamikanra deolu@integralsande.com

About Integral: Integral, based in Lagos, Nigeria, is a leading sports marketing and management practice. Known for its high standards of delivery, the company has varied expertise and works in all aspects of the industry – events, corporate hospitality, sponsorships, media rights and athlete representation. Integral’s track record includes hospitality experience specific to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, 2014 FIFA World Cup™ and more recently, as exclusive sales agent in Nigeria of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 ™ Official Hospitality Programme delivering first class solutions to a variety of individuals and blue-chip companies in Nigeria. Integral is the current rights holder of the Premier League sub-license free-to-air media rights in Nigeria.


About Infront: Connecting fans and consumers to the greatest sports events, Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, offers everything an event or commercial partner needs to be successful. With a team of over 1,000 experts working from 45 offices across more than 16 countries around the world, Infront is equipped to tackle any challenge – be it innovative digital solutions, world-class event operations, international media rights distribution, sponsorship sales and activations or cutting-edge media production. Headquartered in Switzerland, Infront is passionate and AllAboutSports. @infrontsports www.infront.sport.

Integral Secures Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Exclusive Free to Air Media Rights Package from Infront

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The first United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) passenger flight, which is managed by the United Nations World Food Programme, has touched down at Tigray’s Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle today.

It is the first passenger flight into the region since commercial flights were halted on 24 June and carried more than 30 employees from multiple humanitarian organisations working to deliver urgently needed assistance to conflict-affected communities across Tigray.
“WFP and our fellow emergency responders on the ground in Mekelle are all enormously relieved to see this UNHAS flight arrive today, bringing in colleagues who are all essential in our collective efforts to scale up the humanitarian response and for WFP to reach 2.1 million people with life-saving food assistance,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
From today, the UNHAS flights will operate twice a week, facilitating the regular movement of humanitarian personnel into and out of Tigray. However, the humanitarian response in the region continues to be challenged by a lack of sufficient food and other humanitarian supplies, limited communication services and no commercial supply chain.
With conflict escalating in surrounding regions, including Afar, the safe and secure passage for convoys to move humanitarian supplies into Tigray remains a primary concern for WFP and the humanitarian community, particularly after a WFP convoy was attacked on the morning of July 18 while attempting to move essential humanitarian cargo into Tigray.
Another WFP-led convoy of over 200 trucks containing food and other essential humanitarian supplies is currently on standby in Semera and expected to depart for Tigray as soon as security clearances are assured. 
“Famine is preventable and the power to avert it is in the hands of all parties concerned. WFP is calling for all parties to agree to a ceasefire so the humanitarian response can be rapidly scaled up and all routes can be used urgently to reach those most in need,” added Dunford.

 	Despite the numerous challenges, WFP has managed to deliver food to over 730,000 people in parts of the south and north west in the past month (under Round 2 distributions). This includes 40,000 people in Zana who were reached with food assistance for the first time. 	WFP hopes to reach an additional 80,000 people in the north west in the coming days. Once this is completed, food stocks are likely to run out.   	WFP and its nutrition partners are working together to ensure nutrition supplies are reaching the families most in need. In June, WFP reached over 185,000 people with nutrition support but progress in early July was much slower due to security concerns with 30,000 people reached so far. WFP is now delivering nutrition support in areas previously unreached throughout the conflict, including those with high malnutrition rates. 	There is currently 7,500 metric tons of food inside Tigray stored in WFP’s warehouses in Mekelle and Shire. WFP recently added an additional 13 trucks to its fleet within the region and plans to move in 30 more as soon as it is guaranteed safe and secure passage to do so. 	WFP is providing logistics capacity to the Joint Emergency Response (JEOP, a consortium of NGOs funded by the United States) by transporting urgently needed food to those communities which haven’t yet been reached, particularly in rural areas in central zone. 	The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis in June projected that over 400,000 people would be suffering from catastrophic levels of hunger from July onwards. Across Tigray, 4 million people—70 percent of the population— have high levels of acute food insecurity and need emergency assistance. 	Across Ethiopia, WFP aims to reach 11.9 million people in 2021 with food, nutrition and cash support and delivering activities to boost communities’ self-reliance and capacity in order to be food secure. 	WFP needs US$176 million to continue to scale up its response in Tigray to save lives and livelihoods to the end of the year. For all activities under its Country Strategic Plan, WFP has a funding shortfall of US$377 million. Additional funding is vital to allow WFP to keep saving and changing lives in Ethiopia. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).

WFP Sends First Humanitarian Passenger Flight into Tigray, as Famine Edges Closer in the Region

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In the final report from the Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free initiative, UNAIDS and partners* warn that progress towards ending AIDS among children, adolescents and young women has stalled and none of the targets for 2020 were met.

The report shows that the total number of children on treatment declined for the first time, despite the fact that nearly 800 000 children living with HIV are not currently on treatment. It also shows that opportunities to identify infants and young children living with HIV early are being missed—more than one third of children born to mothers living with HIV were not tested. If untreated, around 50% of children living with HIV die before they reach their second birthday. 
“Over 20 years ago, initiatives for families and children to prevent vertical transmission and to eliminate children dying of AIDS truly kick-started what has now become our global AIDS response. This stemmed from an unprecedented activation of all partners, yet, despite early and dramatic progress, despite more tools and knowledge than ever before, children are falling way behind adults and way behind our goals,” said Shannon Hader, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme. “The inequalities are striking—children are nearly 40% less likely than adults to be on life-saving treatment (54% of children versus 74% of adults), and account for a disproportionate number of deaths (just 5% of all people living with HIV are children, but children account for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths). This is about children’s right to health and healthy lives, their value in our societies.  It’s time to reactivate on all fronts—we need the leadership, activism, and investments to do what’s right for kids.”
Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free is a five-year framework that began in 2015, following on from the hugely successful Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive. It called for a super Fast-Track approach to ensure that every child has an HIV-free beginning, that they stay HIV-free through adolescence and that every child and adolescent living with HIV has access to antiretroviral therapy. The approach intensified focus on 23 countries, 21 of which were in Africa, that accounted for 83% of the global number of pregnant women living with HIV, 80% of children living with HIV and 78% of young women aged 15–24 years newly infected with HIV.
“The HIV community has a long history of tackling unprecedented challenges, today we need that same energy and perseverance to address the needs of the most vulnerable—our children. African leaders have the power to help us change the pace of care and should act and lead until no child living with HIV is left behind,” said Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General of the Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases Division of the World Health Organization.
Although the 2020 targets were missed, the 21 focus countries in Africa made better progress than the non-focus countries. However, there were major disparities between countries, and these countries still bear the highest burden of disease: 11 countries account for nearly 70% of the “missing children”—those living with HIV but not on treatment. There was a 24% decline in new HIV infections among children from 2015 to 2020 in focus countries versus a 20% decline globally. Focus countries also achieved 89% treatment coverage for pregnant women living with HIV, compared to 85% globally, but still short of the target of 95%, and there were huge differences between countries. For example, Botswana achieved 100% treatment coverage, yet the Democratic Republic of the Congo only reached 39%.
“While we are deeply distressed by the global paediatric HIV shortfalls, we are also encouraged by the fact that we largely have the tools we need to change this,” said Angeli Achrekar, Acting United States Global AIDS Coordinator. “So, let this report be a call to action to challenge complacency and to work tirelessly to close the gap.”
The report outlines three actions necessary to end new HIV infections among children in the focus countries. First, reach pregnant women with testing and treatment as early as possible—66 000 new HIV infections occurred among children because their mothers did not receive treatment at all during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Second, ensure the continuity of treatment and viral suppression during pregnancy, breastfeeding and for life—38 000 children became newly infected with HIV because their mothers were not continued in care during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Third, prevent new HIV infections among women who are pregnant and breastfeeding—35 000 new infections among children occurred because a woman became newly infected with HIV during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
There has been some progress in preventing adolescent girls and young women from acquiring HIV. In the focus countries, the number of adolescent girls and young women acquiring HIV declined by 27% from 2015 to 2020. However, the number of adolescent girls and young women acquiring HIV in the 21 focus countries was 200 000, twice the global target for 2020 (100 000). In addition, COVID-19 and school closures are now disrupting many educational and sexual and reproductive health services for adolescent girls and young women, highlighting the urgent need to redouble HIV prevention efforts to reach young women and adolescent girls.
“The lives of the most vulnerable girls and young women hang in the balance, locked into deeply entrenched cycles of vulnerability and neglect that must urgently be interrupted. With the endorsement of United Nations Member States, the new global AIDS strategy recommits us all to address these intersecting vulnerabilities to halt and reverse the effects of HIV by 2030. We know that rapid gains can be achieved for girls and young women; what is needed is the courage to apply the solutions, and the discipline to implement these with rigor and scale,” said Chewe Luo, United Nations Children’s Fund Chief of HIV and Associate Director of Health Programmes.
UNAIDS and partners will continue to work together to develop new frameworks to address the unfinished agenda. New targets for 2025 were officially adopted by United Nations Member States in the 2021 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: Ending Inequalities and Getting on Track to End AIDS by 2030 in June this year, providing a road map for the next five years.
“It is clear that ending mother-to-child transmission requires innovative approaches that support the whole woman throughout the life course, including intensified primary prevention efforts, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), access to comprehensive reproductive care, and focused attention on adolescent girls and young women. The Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free report includes new the new targets for 2025 that, if met, will propel a new era of HIV prevention and treatment for women, children and families. This is not the time for complacency, but rather an opportunity to redouble investments to reduce and eliminate mother-to-child transmission,” said Chip Lyons, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
*The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, UNAIDS, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization, with support from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

New Report Reveals Stark Inequalities in Access to HIV Prevention and Treatment Services for Children–Partners Call for Urgent Action

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Global credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has affirmed the African Development Bank’s (www.AfDB.org) credit rating at ‘AAA’, with a stable outlook.
Fitch said the triple-A rating was driven by the ‘extraordinary support’ of the Bank’s shareholders.
Fitch views the Bank’s risk-management policies as ‘conservative’ and assesses them as ‘excellent’, in line with AAA-rated peers. “Concentration risk is &#8216;low&#8217;, with the bank’s five largest exposures accounting for 32% of total banking portfolio at end-2020.”
Bajabulile “Swazi” Tshabalala, Vice President for Finance and Chief Finance Officer of the African Development Bank, said: “The affirmation of the Bank’s triple-A ratings by Fitch, recognizes the very strong shareholder support our institution benefits from, as well as its strong capitalization and risk management capabilities. The affirmation also speaks to the importance of the Bank’s public policy mandate, particularly during these very challenging times.”
The global ratings agency assesses the Bank’s overall exposure to risks as “&#8217;Low&#8217;, balancing &#8216;Moderate&#8217; credit risk with &#8216;Excellent&#8217; risk management policies, &#8216;Low&#8217; concentration, and &#8216;Very Low&#8217; equity and market risks.”
Responding to the Fitch ratings report, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “The African Development Bank welcomes the affirmation of the Bank’s ‘AAA’ rating, with a stable outlook, despite enormous challenges posed by Covid-19. The Bank will continue to enhance its policy and fiscal relevance in support of regional member countries, as they contend with the global and regional repercussions of the pandemic. While helping African economies reposition their economies in a Covid-19 environment, we will also maintain our prudential ratios and adequate buffers.”
The African Development Bank was recognized by Global Capital in 2020, for its highly successful $3 billion Fight Covid-19 social bond, one of the Bank’s many initiatives to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on African lives and economies
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Gershwin Wanneburg Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: g.wanneburg@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina named #AABLA2019 African of the year

Fitch affirms Triple A-rating of the African Development Bank, Outlook stable

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The leading pan-African banking group, Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com), in partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn, GitHub and Ecobank Academy is set to provide training to equip Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across sub-Saharan Africa. This training will provide SMEs digital skills and knowledge to succeed in today’s digital world.

SMEs have been significantly impacted by the COVID19 pandemic with its attendant lockdowns and disruptions to supply chains, plummeting sales, lost revenue and operational challenges. In response to feedback from our customers, Ecobank through its Commercial Banking Segment is helping business owners close the digital skills gap within their chosen fields and improve the digital capabilities of their employees.  

Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Group Executive, Commercial Banking for the Ecobank Group said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has turbocharged the shift towards digital. It is essential that businesses adapt so that they are able to compete effectively in today’s rapidly changing landscape. Ecobank’s Commercial Banking is committed to supporting SMEs across our pan-African footprint. Through this partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn, GitHub and Ecobank Academy we are offering training to equip business owners and their employees with the digital skills that they need to stay connected to their customers. We are intent on ensuring that our SME customers remain relevant, grow and succeed in the post COVID-19 era.”

SMEs have been invited to register here (https://bit.ly/3iEspdc)for the upcoming webinar taking place on July 26. The Global Skilling initiative program is available on an online portal where SMEs can register, and start their learning journey for any of the 10 in-demand skill sets (Customer Services; Digital Marketing; Financial Analysis; Graphic Design; IT Support/Help Desk; Project Management; Sales; Data Analysis; IT Administration; And Software Development). They can complete the virtual programme at their own pace and at times that work best for them. The programme runs until 31st of December 2021.

Ibrahim Youssry, Regional General Manager, Middle East and Africa – Multi market region at Microsoft said, “we are committed to building digital talent pipelines to support the workforce of the future, and our Global Skilling Initiative is an important part of this process. But beyond the future workforce, digital talent will also support more local innovation, as developers and entrepreneurs are empowered to create locally relevant solutions that best address the challenges and needs of African countries. Startups and SMEs play a critical role in innovation, economic growth and job creation, and expanded access to digital skills is one of the key steps needed to foster a successful economic recovery.” 

The Global Skilling Initiative is just another example of how Ecobank wants to help SMEs reach their full potential and play a vital role in driving Africa’s economic resurgence. Other support initiatives for SMEs include:
 	The Ecobank Marketplace eCommerce solution for businesses to grow their sales on digital marketplaces 	And the Ellevate programme to provide women-led/owned/focused businesses with loans, cash management solutions, training and mentoring opportunities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ecobank.
Media Contact: Christiane Bossom Group Communications Manager  Email: groupcorporatecomms@ecobank.com Tel: +228 22 21 03 03 

About Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’ or ‘The Group’): Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs over 14,000 people and serves about 29 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking license in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. ETI is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan. For further information please visit www.Ecobank.com

About Microsoft: Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. For more information, news and insights from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft&#39;s global and regional news center via http://news.Microsoft.com and Middle East&#038;Africa News Center (www.Microsoft.com)

Ecobank Group and Microsoft Upskill Africa’s Small and Medium Enterprises to Succeed in a Digital Economy

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Today, Audiomack (www.Audiomack.com) presents the Swahili Radio podcast, a new show highlighting the musical talents hailing from East Africa. Hosted by certified on-air personality Lil Ommy, also known as the King of Interviews, Swahili Radio will feature live performances, exclusive interviews with the country’s hottest musicians, and much more.

Tune in to the premiere episode featuring an intimate one-on-one with the multi-award-winning Tanzanian singer Nandy (bit.ly/2V19n8Q). The self-proclaimed African Princess (bit.ly/3hWwsm7) sits down with Lil Ommy on the heels of her latest Taste EP (bit.ly/2UzuGyk) to do a deep dive into her artistry and let listeners into her creative world.
Join us every Monday for a new episode and be sure to follow Swahili Radio on Audiomack so you never miss the opportunity to connect with your favorite East African artists.

 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Audiomack.
About Audiomack: Audiomack is a music streaming and discovery platform that allows artists, labels, and distributors to share unlimited music, and fans to discover new artists, songs, albums, mixtapes, playlists, podcasts and more. Breaking the best and hottest new music through a mix of real-time trending, top charts, and expertly-curated playlists, Audiomack showcases music’s up-next stars.

Download the Audiomack app from the Google Play Store or the App Store

Audiomack Announces ‘Swahili Radio’ Podcast

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The Bank of Tanzania (BOT) has issued an approval in principle to Cellulant (www.Cellulant.io) Corporation to operate as a Payment Solution Service Provider in Tanzania having satisfied all the necessary requirements.

Payment Solution Service Providers make up the underlying e-Payment infrastructure in Tanzania. Banks, Online Merchants, payment processors, merchants, state governments, and consumers connect to PSSPs to meet their digital payment needs.
This approval makes Cellulant one of the top Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSP) in Tanzania endorsed by the BOT to provide digital payments solutions across the nation. 
Cellulant is a leading Pan-African financial technology company providing a one-stop digital payments platform. Cellulant uses technology to connect people and their resources, making it easier to do business across Africa.
Edwin Kiiru, recently appointed Country Manager for Cellulant Tanzania, stated that this approval will enable the company to extend its payment solutions across all spectrums of Tanzania’s payments ecosystem.
Cellulant provides a single digital payments platform &#8211; named Tingg- addressing the complex payments needs of businesses. Tingg makes it easy to collect and make payments across multiple payment methods in different currencies, with the best customer experience for any business looking to digitise their payments. 
‘‘Cellulant is a critical component of Africa’s Payments ecosystem and a key actor in delivering seamless payments solutions. This approval sets Cellulant into a select group of few payment aggregators that operate as PSSPs in Tanzania and will help add millions of economically active but financially excluded Tanzanians into the digital payment ecosystem.  We are bringing to Tanzania the same top-level performance and seamless payments solutions that have made Tingg, Africa’s most preferred payments platform,” added Mr Kiiru.
Founded in 2002, Cellulant provides a single digital payments platform that runs an ecosystem of consumers, retailers, merchants, banks, mobile network operators, Governments, and International Development Partners. Today, Cellulant’s payments platform hosts 154 payment options across 34 countries; and is connected to 220M consumers on a single inclusive network allowing for interoperability that has eluded numerous players in the payments space.
Cellulant has an office presence in 18 African countries.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cellulant.
For further information contact: Andrew Lala media@cellulant.io W: www.Cellulant.io

Cellulant Gets Approval from Bank of Tanzania to Become a Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP)

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OCHA says that while there are improvements in access within Tigray, the last entry point open to Tigray, the road between Afar and Tigray region via Semera city, remains blocked due to security reasons, preventing movement of humanitarian personnel, food stock, fuel and other humanitarian goods from entering the region. 

The UN Humanitarian Air Service’s first regular flight is scheduled to begin on 22 July. 
Meanwhile, humanitarian stocks are rapidly depleting inside Tigray. As of 19 July, the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners will only have enough food stock to feed about 1.9 million people with common food baskets for one round. Despite challenges, at least 167,000 people were reached with food and nutrition support last week.
Shortages of fuel and cash, as well as a communications blackout, are significantly hindering the resumption and preventing the scale-up of humanitarian response. Non-governmental organizations and UN agencies are running out of cash and are unable to pay staff or suppliers. Unless fuel, cash, supplies and aid workers are able to enter Tigray in the coming days, some humanitarian programmes will not be able to continue. 
The UN continues to call for the restoration of electricity, communications, commercial flights and the banking system to prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Daily Noon Briefing Highlights: Ethiopia

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As part of its Community Violence Reduction (CVR) projects, MONUSCO has handed over to local authorities two agricultural feeder roads and three bridges located in the villqge groupings of Zadu and Baviba, 60 kilometers from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. To build these infrastructures, MONUSCO called on a local workforce of some 1,500 at-risk youth, including ex-combatants and community members.

The first road, located in the villqge prouping of Zadu, is nine kilometers long and links the locality of Kagaba to that of Ngasu Odje. The work included building a new road, placing culverts and building a 45-ton capacity bridge over the Ofi River. This bridge is in addition to the 30-ton capacity Tiniya bridge built on the same stretch of road and inaugurated a few months earlier, again by MONUSCO.
The second road is located in the villqge grouping of Baviba. It is an 11-kilometer stretch of road linking the villages of Olongba and Songokoy. In addition, two bridges have been built, one over the Ati River and the other over the Adjiri stream, as well as six culverts. This road runs through about eight villages where the inhabitants used to experience the worst difficulties in evacuating their farm produce and obtaining basic necessities.
 &#8220;Thanks to these works, entities which for a long time zere isolated qre now opened up Vehicles can pass thanks to the bridges built, the population of Walendu Bindi is very happy because their only option before was to carry their goods on their heads,&#8221; said Daniel Masumboko Ndrudro, the vice president of civil society in Walendu Bindi.
Giving youth an alternative to armed groups
The two community violence reduction (CVR) projects also provided temporary work for some 1,500 at-risk youth, including ex-combatants and community members. These individuals were selected in several villages in the Walendu Bindi chiefdom as laborers for road building and rehabilitation.
These actions by MONUSCO are therefore also aimed at reducing violence in the area by using local youth in projects of this type to prevent them from being recruited into armed groups, by offering them work and occupation.
Several youth report that they are now able to meet the needs of their households, including food and schooling for their children. Other youth report that they have initiated agricultural and livestock farming projects to ensure the survival of their families in an area where unemployment is very high, a situation that drives many youth to join the armed groups active in the area.
Justin Makambo, a young man from Gety, speaks of the benefits in terms of security that come this infrastructure. &#8220;It has changed our lives and it also contributes to security. People spend less time on the roads, which was not the case before because you had to walk from one place to another, which increased the travel time and therefore the risk of being ambushed by militiamen. 
Strengthening social cohesion
Finally, these MONUSCO projects &#8211; totaling nearly $300,000 &#8211; have also helped strengthen social cohesion between the demobilized and the local community, who have worked together on various projects for the development of their entity, which has been facing armed conflict for two decades.
The challenge was not won from the start, given the reluctance of some community members to accept the return into the community of some of their brothers and sisters from armed groups. These MONUSCO projects have strengthened the ties between former enemies who are now members of the same development project.
Finally, MONUSCO also hopes that these actions will contribute to the stabilization of this area, which has long been scarred by armed conflict. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l&#8217;Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).

Ituri: MONUSCO Provides Temporary Work for 1,500 At-Risk Youth, Including Ex-Combatants

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While many people know what it is like to be tested for COVID-19, only a few people know what happens to the samples once the swab has been taken.

Due to the recent surge in cases in Namibia, staff from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Namibia have been volunteering to assist the Namibia Institute of Pathology Limited (NIP) laboratory team at Windhoek Central Reference Laboratory (WCRL) to sort the samples received from testing sites across the country. The NIP lab is open 12-16 hours a day, seven days a week, and the pressure on the permanent staff has been immense. CDC’s practical support has helped to ease the burden, allowing team members to have time off while not compromising testing turnaround times.
Samples come to the Windhoek NIP lab from clinics and hospitals across the country. When they arrive, the first step is to unpack the boxes. Inside are samples, accompanied by the case information forms. The forms are checked for any that are urgent and organized into alphabetical order to speed up the process of re-matching the forms to the samples. Each sample is then matched to its form to check that all documentation is in place. This is done because sometimes some samples can arrive without forms, or some forms can arrive without samples. Any urgent samples are quickly identified and prioritised for testing.
The sorting process is simple but is laborious and takes time. Once each sample is matched to the corresponding form, the sample is manually labelled with the unique patient information number on the form. The samples are then organized into a sample tray, ready to be loaded into the testing machine or for manual extraction.
NIP receives between 1000 and 3000 samples each day. Even if it takes just one minute to sort each sample, this still means it will take 16 and half hours to sort just 1000 of all the samples received if this job was being performed by a single person. This is why having sufficient personnel is critical to ensure the results can be processed in a timely fashion.
“The laboratory staff are working long hours, every day of the week testing the COVID-19 samples. These people are unsung heroes,” said Tuku Ndevaetela, one of the CDC Namibia volunteers assisting with the sorting of samples. “I am in awe of the laboratory staff who have been working in the COVID-19 laboratory for the last 18 months”.
Every week, Namibia is testing over 20,000 COVID-19 samples. At the start of July, around 40% of the samples tested each day were positive. While this does not mean that 4 in 10 people in the community have COVID-19, (the testing has a strong bias given that many samples are due to contact tracing from known COVID-19 positive cases), the number of positive results is still worryingly high, indicating that the virus is spreading unchecked in the communities.
“We must stop the spread of the virus,” says Dr. Suzanne Beard, Laboratory Team Lead for CDC Namibia. “We need to wash our hands, wear a mask, avoid gatherings and get vaccinated. In the laboratory, we are seeing an increase in samples, and an increase in the proportion of positive results. We are also seeing an increase in the number of urgent requests for patients who are hospitalized. We can see just how serious the situation is and we know what needs to be done. But we do not know if the public will take the steps needed to stop the virus from spreading. The laboratory technicians are delivering the results day after day, and the healthcare providers are caring for the sick, day after day. We need the public to stop the spread of the virus, day after day too. We all have to do our part to end this pandemic”.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, like many countries in the world, Namibia did not have any capacity to test for the novel corona virus. Eighteen months later, the country is meeting the testing demand despite an exponential third wave that has seriously challenged the country. The fact that Namibia is successfully keeping up with the demand for COVID-19 testing during this third wave is one of the success stories of the country’s response. People are getting tested and receiving their results, often within 24 – 48 hours. This makes it much easier for people to know whether or not they have COVID-19 and to make the right decisions on the next steps they should take.
“Namibia’s success in testing for COVID-19 is one of the reasons why the country will see an end to this third wave,” said Jessica Long, who leads the U.S. Embassy as Chargé d’Affaires. “We are able to understand how quickly the virus is spreading and the country can adjust its public health regulations accordingly. The laboratory technicians across the country are playing a behind-the-scenes role in helping us to reach better times. Namibia cannot fight this pandemic without them.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Namibia.

Coronavirus – Testing Times: Sorting Samples in the COVID-19 Laboratory in Namibia

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On Tuesday, July 20, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced new funding to create research and innovation centers in Liberia and Guatemala. Subject to availability of funds, USAID plans to provide $30 million over the next five years for this initiative. In Liberia, the center will use research and build training capacity to address health system challenges. In Guatemala, a series of centers will focus on economic growth innovations, entrepreneurship, training, and capacity building to increase livelihoods and address the root causes of migration. These two new awards add to the growing Higher Education Solutions Network portfolio at USAID focused on strengthening research systems in USAID partner countries.

As part of the Bringing Research to Impact for Development, Global Engagement, and Utilization (BRIDGE-U) program, Yale University, the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences, and Vanderbilt University will create the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) in Liberia. This $15 million project establishes a public-private-academic hub for research utilization in the Liberian health sector. Devastated by civil war, the Ebola epidemic, and now COVID-19, Liberia’s health system has dealt with severe resource constraints, shortages in healthcare workers, and other systemic challenges including gaps in evidence-based medical training and practices. Through partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders, CTLI will advance evidence-based training for the health workforce, patient care, and health policy. It will also build local research capacity and advance the understanding for how and when research can be effectively translated into programs, policies, and practice in the health sector.
As part of the Building Research and Innovation for Development, Generating Evidence, and Training (BRIDGE-Train) program, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), and the Guatemalan AGEXPORT association will expand the network of innovation and technology centers and launch the Achieving Sustainable Partnerships for Innovation, Research, and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE) project. This $15 million project will establish new innovation centers at two rural UVG satellite campuses. The Sololá campus in the Western Highlands serves Guatemala’s indigenous community, which also faces acute poverty and migration pressures. Working together with the private sector, through AGEXPORT, ASPIRE will build capacity and capability to strengthen livelihoods, increase local innovation, and youth entrepreneurship and employment, and through these efforts address one of the root causes of migration. Further, the award will work to connect research and policy to shape the enabling environment for such activities and act as a model for this approach throughout the region.
USAID has a long history of working with higher education institutions and these new projects continue that tradition by investing in partnerships between higher education institutions in the U.S. and in USAID partner countries. USAID helps strengthen local scientific and research capacity and establish higher education institutions in USAID partner countries as local sources of knowledge and innovation. Through partnerships with private and public sector partners, these programs improve the use of research in decision-making, empowering local actors to address local development challenges using evidence-based solutions.
For more information on the BRIDGE programs, visit: usaid.gov/research.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

USAID Announces $30 Million for Research and Innovation Centers in Central America and Africa

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International Mandela Day, which is on the 18 of July every year, celebrates the life of former South African president, Nelson Mandela.

Our team has always had the honour of celebrating this day at the Tour de France each year, most famously during our debut Le Tour when Steve Cummings on Mandela Day in 2015.
To commemorate the day, we add a splash of orange to our livery, as orange is the official colour of #MandelaDay and also the colour of harmony. This year Mandela Day fell on the final stage of Le Tour, and so for the first time ever, we got to celebrate it on the Champs-Elysee, in Paris!
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka NextHash.

International Mandela Day – Significance – Team Qhubeka NextHash Tour de France 2021

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The Government of Denmark through the Danish Embassy in Uganda has extended a grant worth 5 billion Uganda, Shillings, to the Government of Uganda through the World Health Organization (WHO) towards the implementation of the COVID-19 Resurgence Response Plan developed by the Ministry of Health.

The one-year project will support coordination of the COVID-19 response through: strengthening national and district coordination of the COVID-19 response, strengthening COVID-19 detection, reporting, and response in the community schools, and closed settings. In addition, the project will also support the strengthening management of severe and critical COVID-19 cases.
The grant will be managed by WHO but implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health and District Health COVID-19 Response teams.
The agreement signing was witnessed by the Minister of State in Charge of General Duties, Hon, Hanifa Kawooya who appreciated the Government of Denmark and WHO for the support to Uganda in the COVID-19 outbreak. 
“The grant from the Danish Government is going to be a great contributor to our efforts towards managing the outbreak and vaccinating our citizens”, she said. Hon Hanifa also implored development partners to support Uganda to acquire vaccines to safeguard the lives of Ugandans. 
The Head of Cooperation at the Danish Embassy in Kampala, Mr. Henrik Jespersen acknowledged the good partnership WHO has, not only with the donor partners but most significantly with the Ministry of Health and district health offices. While signing the grant, he thanked WHO and the Ministry of Health who are the lead institutions in the COVID-19 response.
&#8220;We are optimistic that this additional financial support will contribute towards improved national and district coordination of COVID-19 responses and the lifesaving facilities will minimize avoidable COVID-19 infections and deaths”, said Henrik Jespersen.
While speaking at the signing ceremony, the WHO Representative in Uganda, Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam expressed appreciation to the Government of Demark for the financial contribution towards COVID-19 management and prevention in Uganda. He noted, “the support from the Danish Government is a much needed, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.”
“Partners like the Danish Government have been instrumental in disease outbreak responses, and we, yet again, recognize their immense support in the COVID-19 response. Coordination is a core part of any outbreak response and WHO, working with the Ministry will use this support to boost the already existing structures”, he added.
The grant is in addition to roughly UGX 9.3 billion, which was granted in April 2020 for the Emergency Response to COVID-19 outbreak in Uganda. 
The resurgence plan was developed by the Ministry of Health in line with global guidance and the WHO’s April 2020 COVID-19 Strategy Update and intends to provide a framework for a robust response to an acute and gradual but sustained rise in the number of cases, mitigate the risk associated with COVID-19 resurgence and to strengthen sustainable structures for emergency response in the country.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Coronavirus – Uganda: Danish Government Extends Additional Financial support worth over 5 Billion Shillings Towards the COVID-19 Resurgence Response in Uganda

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Sonangol has officially been confirmed as the primary sponsor of the upcoming Angola Oil and Gas (AOG) 2021 conference, taking place in Luanda on the 9th-10th of September 2021; As Diamond Sponsor, Sonangol is the official sponsor of the AOG 2021 gala dinner, an exclusive, invite-only networking event that unites private sector executives, oil and gas leaders, and government representatives; The national oil company represents AOG 2021’s latest VIP confirmation, with several industry leaders having already committed to the most exclusive energy event of the Angolan calendar; With Angola seeking to diversify its energy portfolio and attract further investment across the entire energy value chain, Sonangol’s sponsorship and participation is set to enhance energy partnerships and drive critical deals across Angola’s sector. 

Energy Capital&#038;Power (ECP) is proud to announce that Angola’s national oil company Sonangol has been confirmed as the official diamond sponsor of the country’s premier energy conference, Angola Oil and Gas (AOG) 2021. Taking place at Centro de Convenções de Talatona (CCTA) in Luanda on the 9th-10th of September 2021, the second edition of AOG 2021 unites oil and gas industry leaders, international stakeholders, and regional governments in one comprehensive platform. Sonangol represents AOG 2021’s primary event sponsor and exclusive diamond sponsor, with the company hosting an elite, invite-only gala dinner as a form of prelude to the two-day conference.

Representing the third largest company in Africa and one of the continent’s leading national oil companies, Sonangol is expected to drive an Angola-focused narrative, reiterating the value of new and existing projects, showcasing the abundant opportunities present across the entire value chain, and promoting Angola as the premier destination for international investment. Responsible for the management, operation and marketing of Angolan oil and gas exploration, production, manufacturing, transportation and marketing, Sonangol is focused on the sustainable and harmonious development of the country’s energy sector, driving economic growth and industrialization country wide.

As a key participant at AOG 2021, Sonangol will present an update on the company’s regeneration program – which aims to restructure the company in a bid to increase profitability and transparency, and position Sonangol as an internationally competitive oil major. Focusing on the company’s core oil and gas activities, Sonangol will present attendees with an overview of current operations, potential investment opportunities, and overall objectives. What’s more, Sonangol’s participation is expected to drive a discussion on the various upstream opportunities available in Angola. With the company unveiling an ambitious plan to fast-track the sale of eight offshore blocks in June 2021, Sonangol is actively seeking partners to advance Angola’s oil and gas sector, driving new exploration&#038;production activities in a bid to spur socio-economic growth and energy independence.

Meanwhile, with the company’s established Strategic Goals defined for 2018-2022, Sonangol is redirecting its focus towards strengthening the company’s presence in the oil value chain, enhancing human capital across the entire sector, and increasing its technical capacity. The national oil company’s primary mission is to “contribute to the sustainability and growth of the national oil industry, in order to guarantee a greater return to the Angolan State, supporting the participation of companies and national staff in the sector’s activities for the socio-economic development of Angola.” Accordingly, backed by Angola’s premier energy conference, AOG 2021, Sonangol is committed to ensuring natural resources reap tangible benefits for Angola.
Sonangol’s diamond sponsorships emphasize the company’s objective to build stronger relationships among regional and international oil and gas industry operators, foreign investors, and the local government. AOG 2021 provides the most effective platform for companies such as Sonangol to establish long-term and sustainable energy partnerships with key stakeholders.

&#8220;We want to ensure that current and future investments are adequately exposed to favorable business opportunities. The Angola Oil and Gas Conference 2021 is an ideal platform to connect investors with stakeholders and to stimulate foreign direct investment in the oil and gas industry,&#8221; states Joao Gaspar Marques, International Conference Director for Energy Capital and Power (ECP), the organiser of the event.

Under the theme Angola Oil and Gas Industry: The Roadmap to Regeneration&#038;Growth, AOG 2021 will address current government reforms within the industry, the country’s tax incentive packages, and the recent licensing round announcement for onshore blocks in the Lower Congo and Kwanza basins – which has already attracted several bids from both regional and international oil and gas operators.

Sonangol’s commitment to and support of AOG 2021 reiterates the value of the event, further positioning the conference as one of the most highly anticipated energy events to take place, not only in Angola, but in Africa in 2021. AOG 2021 is exclusive, transformative, and sector advancing, providing a platform for networking, deal-making and investment partnerships that will drive Angola energy sector growth and success. Organized by ECP, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Petroleum, AOG 2021 is committed to accelerating Angolan energy progress in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&#038;Power.
To register for the AOG 2021 virtual networking platform, please visit www.AngolaOilandGas2021.com.
To learn more about Angola’s energy investment opportunities, and to find out more information regarding sponsorship opportunities at AOG 2021, visit www.AngolaOilandGas2021.com or contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Enhancing Partnerships: Sonangol’s Diamond Sponsorship Reaffirms Angola Oil and Gas 2021 as the Country’s Premier Energy Conference

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Pan-African human capital advisory firm, Africa People Advisory Group (www.AfricaPeopleAdvisory.com) has released the findings from a recent Pan-African study into “New Ways of Working”. The goal of the study was to understand organisational responses to the impacts of COVID-19 whilst at the same time understanding how organisations are responding to the continued impact of 4IR and technology. What makes the study and the findings unique is that the study gathered responses from multiple countries and industries across Africa, and represents a true African view, unlike so many studies of this nature.

Says Deon de Swardt, Managing Partner at Africa People Advisory Group, “This was a very exciting undertaking for us, not many firms have been able to gather data across the continent on such an important topic.”

The study identified six trends, which should be important for CEOs and Business Leaders alike in planning their employee and people response to the issues covered.

The first finding highlights the reality that Africa is likely to adopt hybrid working models into the future. This means that employees would be able to work remotely or from an office. This will also require a new set of skills to be built for leaders to be effective.

Says Janene Schwartz, Managing Partner at Africa People Advisory Group, “Leaders really hold the key to unlocking “New Ways of Working”. But at the same time, we should not assume the leaders of the past have the skills to drive the change. Skills such a digital literacy becomes important for leaders to lead effectively into the future.”

The second trend highlights a concern that not many organisations are thinking about the impacts of the 4IR and technology on their business and structures. Organisations should be thinking about what new roles are needed to enable them to adjust to a new work reality. Despite this observation, many organisations have been quick to pivot their learning and development functions to deliver learning in a whole new way.

Trend number three shows us that there is a heightened risk for employee burnout and that organisations need to refresh their employee wellness strategies and programs. It is encouraging to see that many organisations have adjusted their strategies, especially so during COVID-19.

One of the most critical of all disciplines in the organisational structure has been the function of Human Resources over the past year. “HR professionals have been stretched and challenged in ways we have never seen before”, says Deon de Swardt. 

Against this backdrop we uncover the fourth and fifth trend. The fourth trend focuses the attention on the skills of HR professionals and identifies the need for HR functions to build a new set of skills. Skills such as HR Metrics and Analytics becomes key in helping the business solve people challenges. There is a gap in where HR needs to function and where the function is right now. 

The fifth trend indicates that our continent is lagging as far as implementing global best practices in Human Resources. “To be globally competitive, Africa based organisations need to start focusing on implementing best practice. Placing the employee at the centre of the organisational universe, through concepts such as employee experience (EX) will go a long way in delivering value”, says Janene Schwartz.  

The final trend suggests that Diversity&#038;Inclusion (D&#038;I) efforts are not getting the right level of attention, and to truly make progress the discussion on D&#038;I should be elevate to the Boardroom.

The full report provides some guidance and recommendations for organisations to address some of the issues identified. “It is our hope that senior leaders will take heed of the recommendations in the report to enable a smooth transition for their organisations to “New Ways of Working”, says Deon de Swardt.
Africa People Advisory Group (APAG) is an advisory firm that unlocks business growth through people insights while serving clients through nurturing long-term relationships, understanding local context and placing people at the heart of the business. APAG provides a range of human resource solutions focused on rewards, organisation effectiveness and talent management.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa People Advisory Group.
For media queries: deon@africapeopleadvisory.com

New Ways of Working in Africa

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The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a loan of $4.25 million to the Lesotho Revenue Authority to provide digital tax services, including e-taxation and e-payment, that will broaden the country’s tax base and boost government revenue.

The funds, to be sourced from the African Development Fund, the Group’s concessional lending window, will go to support the Supplemental Financing of the Lesotho Tax Modernization Project. The project follows the Lesotho Tax Modernization Project (LTMP) approved in November 2017, and for which the African Development Bank Group provided $7.09 million, in financing.
Specifically, financing will be used to procure and install e-taxation, e-payment, and e-invoicing software and hardware and to integrate financial institutions and mobile money providers into e-payment systems.
“The project will allow broadening of the tax base through simplifying and streamlining the tax regime and procedures for the small business and informal sector.” said the Bank’s Director of Governance and Financial Management Coordination, Abdoulaye Coulibaly. “A strong revenue base is imperative for Lesotho to finance the spending needs on public services, social support, and infrastructure as set out in the National Strategic Development Plan II.”
Lesotho’s economy has been negatively affected during the past two years, by sluggish global growth including in South Africa, a major trading partner, as well as political instability and the Covid-19 pandemic. Revenues from the Southern Africa Customs Union, accounting for 50% of total revenue, have fallen below their historic average, threatening fiscal stability and development planning and investment.
The project, which will also update and consolidate legal and institutional tax collection frameworks, will benefit taxpayers as well as the Lesotho Revenue Authority. The Authority, which has launched a successful reform and modernization program to reduce the burden and cost of tax compliance, has introduced VAT and improved border management processes.
The Bank’s portfolio in Lesotho, equivalent to $79m, comprises 8 projects across the water and sanitation, energy, and ICT sectors, with nearly one-third of projects being multisectoral.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Olufemi Terry Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: o.terry@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: j.mp/AfDB_Media.

Lesotho: African Development Fund extends $4.25 million loan to modernize tax collection, boost revenue

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Nesta Challenges is today announcing the launch of the Afri-Plastics Challenge (http://Afri-Plastics.Challenges.org). The Challenge will involve a public competition that will reward the best solutions from across sub-Saharan Africa to addressing marine plastic waste in developing countries in a way that promotes gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

The competition&#39;s first strand, Accelerating Ideas, invites entrepreneurs from across sub-Saharan Africa to showcase their best innovations designed to improve plastic waste management in a socially and environmentally responsible way, and to reduce the presence of marine plastic litter across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Challenge calls for applications from registered non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) that have proof of concept and the ability to scale nationally or regionally to reach a high target number of people, particularly engaging women and girls.
Over 17 million tonnes of waste are generated by sub-Saharan Africa annually, and only 12% of plastic waste is recycled. The Afri-Plastics Challenge seeks to find innovators with scalable and sustainable solutions to prevent plastic waste from entering the marine environment in sub-Saharan Africa. While not limited by gender, the Challenge encourages women and girls to participate by submitting their solutions.

Over 220 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year across the world, and much of it ends up in oceans and other water bodies. In many African countries, approximately 12% of waste plastics are recycled and the rest are disposed of, burned or buried.

Constance Agyeman, Director of International Development, Nesta Challenges said: “The drive for home-grown innovation in Africa has led to a major rise in African entrepreneurs developing solutions that are effective and contextual to their environments. This in turn has attracted several global firms and tech hubs to the continent. We are looking for founders, innovators and entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa with exciting concepts to alleviate the negative impacts of plastic pollution, to help protect marine environments.”

“As Africa begins to recover from COVID-19, innovation remains vital to economic growth, competitiveness and health. SMEs are an important part of the solution because they are constantly innovating, pushing the boundaries of what is possible under much pressure and often with limited resources. We are excited to hear from African entrepreneurs about the ways that their initiatives meet the Afri-Plastics Challenge.”

The Challenge will directly distribute CA$14,500,000 in financial support and CA$1,000,000+ in nonfinancial (capacity-building) support to the winning innovators across the various strands of the Challenge.
Innovators interested in participating in the Challenge can learn more about the criteria and process for application by visiting: http://Afri-Plastics.Challenges.org. Applications close Wednesday 15th September 2021 12PM BST. The Afri-Plastics Challenge is funded by the Government of Canada, and delivered by Nesta Challenges. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afri-Plastics Challenge.
Media Contact: Media in Africa Africa Communications Group Brian Leputu, brian@africacommunicationsgroup.com, +2772 525 3472 Ayomide Ibironke, ayomide@africacommunicationsgroup.com, +2761 326 4765
Media outside of Africa Seven Consultancy Emma Harvey, emma@seven-consultancy.com Andrew McKay, andrew@seven-consultancy.com, +44 (0)20 7753 3610
About Nesta Challenges: Nesta Challenges, based in London, in the United Kingdom, was launched in 2012 to increase understanding and practical evidence about challenge prizes as an innovation method to encourage more governments, charities and businesses to use competitions to make a tangible, positive impact on society.
About Government of Canada: As part of the commitment to reduce marine plastics globally, the Government of Canada has launched a project aimed at improved plastic management in sub-Saharan Africa; the Afri-Plastics Challenge, aims to reduce marine plastics in Sub-Saharan African countries by developing and scaling innovative solutions to plastic mismanagement. The Afri-Plastics Challenge places particular emphasis on promoting gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. While not limited by gender, the challenge encourages women and girls to participate by submitting their solutions.
Constance Agyeman has over 20 years’ experience in the voluntary sector developing national and international programs which engage communities in addressing the issues that affect them. She has designed and delivered programs with the USAID, the World Bank, the UK’s Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Cabinet Office and the Government of Canada. Constance provides strategic innovation guidance and has delivered over 25 challenge prizes in fields such as agriculture in South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, social innovation across Europe, UK prizes focused on waste reduction and aging populations, as well as youth-focused digital enterprise challenges

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Integral Secures Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Exclusive Free to Air Media Rights Package from Infront

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Coronavirus – Uganda: Danish Government Extends Additional Financial support worth over 5 Billion Shillings Towards the COVID-19 Resurgence Response in Uganda

Enhancing Partnerships: Sonangol’s Diamond Sponsorship Reaffirms Angola Oil and Gas 2021 as the Country’s Premier Energy Conference

New Ways of Working in Africa

Lesotho: African Development Fund extends $4.25 million loan to modernize tax collection, boost revenue

Nesta Challenges Launches $14,500,000 Afri-Plastics Challenge and Seeks African Innovators in Plastic Waste Management

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