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 <img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299421/original/file-20191030-17901-1fi03vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip" />
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 For Africa’s urban populations, new cities might not be the surest solution.
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/astrid-r-n-haas-215011">Astrid R.N. Haas</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/international-growth-centre-2530">International Growth Centre</a>

By 2050 an estimated <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-world-urbanization-prospects.html">2.5 billion more people</a> will be added to urban areas, with 90% of this growth taking place in Africa and Asia. According to Nobel Prize winning economist, Paul Romer, this will mean the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/10/should-we-build-cities-from-scratch">building of more urban areas</a> in the next 100 years than currently exist today.

If managed effectively, Africa’s cities will drive the continent’s economic growth, and thereby help reduce poverty. To date, however, Africa has yet to realise the positive gains of rapid urbanisation experienced elsewhere. Instead, increasingly concentrated populations have become a major stress on the limited infrastructure and services, such as housing, employment, health, education, and safety.

Retrofitting cities, where cities already exist, can be up to <a href="https://www.lincolninst.edu/sites/default/files/pubfiles/regularization-informal-settlements-latin-america-full_0.pdf">three times more expensive</a> than planning for infrastructure in advance of settlement. Therefore, some leaders see the construction of whole new cities as the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/10/should-we-build-cities-from-scratch">overall solution</a> to overcome the pressures on existing ones.

The idea of constructing new cities to solve urbanisation challenges is not new. In Africa, for example, the first post-independence wave came with some governments deciding to move their capital cities. 

The motivations for this varied. In the case of Yamoussoukro, which was declared the capital of Côte d’Ivoire in 1983, the move reflected the desire of the then president Houphouët-Boigny to have the <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2004/03/what-drives-a-country-to-switch-its-capital-city.html">capital</a> located in his home town. 

Nigeria, on the other hand, Abuja became the new capital in 1991 to relieve population pressures in Lagos. The choice of the site for Abuja was motivated by the fact that it was located in the centre of the country. It is also <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/68c28016-bb16-11e3-948c-00144feabdc0">more ethnically neutral</a> as it was located between the country’s northern, majority Muslim population and southern, largely Christian population. The creation of the city of Abuja, therefore, was also to help bridge the divisions in the country in <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/04/why-capital-city-relocation-might-not-be-such-a-bad-idea-after-all/522321/">terms of politics as well as economic opportunity.</a> 

The fortunes of Yamoussoukro and Abuja offer important lessons for current planners of new cities – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/10/should-we-build-cities-from-scratch">120</a> are being built in 40 countries. 

Although some people were attracted to Yamoussoukro by the prospect of a newly constructed international airport, and even the <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190125-video-revisited-ivory-coast-yamoussoukro-abandoned-capital-houphouet-boigny-crocodiles">world’s largest church</a>, most stayed away. While it continues to be the country’s administrative capital, most government institutions remain in Abidjan. On top of this, Abidjan is still the vastly more popular city. It is the economic hub of the country, with an estimated population of <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/ivory-coast-population/cities/">close to 4 million</a>. Yamoussoukro’s population is approximately <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/ivory-coast-population/cities/">200,000</a>, making it only the 6th largest city in the country.

Any new city takes time to grow. Abuja, though still much smaller than Lagos, which remains Nigeria’s economic hub, has, however, already experienced rapid population growth since it was founded. In 1987 its population was only <a href="http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/founding-of-new-cities/the-founding-of-abuja-nigeria/">about 15,000 people</a>. Today, it has a <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/abuja-population/">population of over 3 million</a>. 

Although not without <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/nigeria-clearing-locals-abuja-capital-180408072143042.html">its own challenges,</a> there were two major advantages of Abuja. Firstly, at the time of its conception, the Nigerian government had a <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/nigeria-clearing-locals-abuja-capital-180408072143042.html">large amount of petrodollars</a>. This meant that major investments in its infrastructure, such as water lines, could <a href="http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/founding-of-new-cities/the-founding-of-abuja-nigeria/">largely be made in advance of people settling</a>. 

In addition, unlike Yamoussoukro, major government institutions were moved to Abuja. This spurred initial population movement, as the government civil service had an incentive to move there.

<h2>The myth of smart cities</h2>

The current wave of new city building is largely focused on leap-frogging economic development and moving Africa’s cities directly into the age of futuristic, technologically advanced, so-called ‘smart cities’. Plans for these types of cities are sprouting up across the continent; from <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-china/kenya-secures-666-million-from-china-for-tech-city-highway-idUSKCN1S21KG">Kenya,</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/23/story-cities-48-ebene-cybercity-mauritius-vision-africa-smart-future">Mauritius</a> and <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1352926/will-senegals-diamniadio-city-solve-dakars-problems/">Senegal</a>. 

Leading the way is Nigeria with five current on-going new city projects, which, when completed, are set to cover a landmass of <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1461626/eko-atlantic-diomniadio-tatu-africas-new-billion-dollar-cities/">25 million square metres</a>. The agenda of new city building is not only being pushed by governments, but by a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/10/should-we-build-cities-from-scratch">vast array of construction, real estate and technology companies</a>, who stand to profit from the city construction boom, as well.

Yet these new cities will want to avoid pitfalls of places like Cyberjaya, Malaysia. <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/malaysia-cyberjaya-silicon-valley-smart-cities">Cyberjaya</a> was the Malaysian government’s attempt to emulate Silicon Valley and pioneer such a hub in Asia.

Cyberjaya was built on <a href="http://www.cyberjayamalaysia.com.my/about/the-story">2,800 hectares of undeveloped land, 40km south of Kuala Lumpur</a>. The idea behind the city was to create a space where intelligent minds from across the globe could reside comfortably and just concentrate on innovation. Malaysia hoped that its first mover advantage in the smart city arena would attract investors. They also believed that Cyberjaya could be a model for the city of the future.

Yet <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10225706.2012.659192?journalCode=rage20">Cyberjaya has failed to live up to its reputation</a>. In particular, a fundamental design flaw was the lack of understanding that people move to cities not only for the infrastructure but also the amenities, as well as to build networks and to integrate into existing networks. In conceptualising Cyberjaya, the Malaysian government largely ignored this. 

Rather the city <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10225706.2012.659192?journalCode=rage20">was envisaged</a> only for the highly educated elite, who, it was assumed, did not require many further amenities outside a suitable work environment. As a result of the failure to understand the human aspect of cities, <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/malaysia-cyberjaya-silicon-valley-smart-cities">many parts of Cyberjaya have remained vacant to date.</a>

Many of Africa’s upcoming “smart cities” exhibit similar conceptualisation flaws. Senegal’s futuristic city Diamniadio, a core part of <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1352926/will-senegals-diamniadio-city-solve-dakars-problems/">President Macky Sall’s 2035 plan</a>, is meant to be a “city of knowledge”. It will comprise an industrial park with entertainment facilities and residential areas. However, when the city is completed, which is intended to be by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senegal-building-2-billion-futuristic-city-inspired-by-nature-2018-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">2035</a>, it is unlikely that the majority of Senegalese <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1352926/will-senegals-diamniadio-city-solve-dakars-problems/">will be able to afford to live there</a>.

An estimated <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1461626/eko-atlantic-diomniadio-tatu-africas-new-billion-dollar-cities/"> US$100bn</a> is being invested in new city projects across Africa; Diamniadio alone will cost the Senegalese government <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1352926/will-senegals-diamniadio-city-solve-dakars-problems/">an estimated US$2bn</a>. The assumption is that these investments will pay off. The logic is that these cities will attract the best and the brightest. In turn this should drive productivity increases that ultimately will repay the large loans. 

In addition, as the new city of Eko Atlantic City in Nigeria has shown, <a href="https://www.propertypro.ng/blog/land-price-in-eko-atlantic-now-sells-for-1720-per-square-metre/">land prices may increase substantially</a>. So, if the government can capture these through land based taxes, this can help recoup costs too. 

But failure invariably comes with large debt bills that African countries cannot afford, and may leave large, unfinished ghost cities in its wake. 

<h2>Not easy</h2>

As the case of Cyberjaya and other failed new city projects globally demonstrate, successfully designing new cities from scratch is not easy. Cities are complex systems. They require the necessary infrastructure to function. <a href="https://www.governing.com/columns/mgmt-insights/Hope-to-Be-the.html">Silicon Valley has been successful</a> as the infrastructure and regulatory environment has meant firms have clustered and learned from each other, spurring innovation.

But none of this matters without people being willing to live there. And what attracts people into cities are opportunities for social interaction and the socio-economic networks. In the case of Silicon Valley’s success, for example, it’s clear that the entrepreneurs employed by the firms themselves care about the business environment as well as the <a href="https://www.governing.com/columns/mgmt-insights/Hope-to-Be-the.html">quality of life for themselves and their families</a>.

Building new smart cities, in the hope people will follow, may be a higher-risk gamble that most African governments cannot afford. A surer bet is to study where people are already moving, which means where <a href="https://marroninstitute.nyu.edu/programs/urban-expansion">future urbanisation is likely to happen</a>. Laying the foundations for this urbanisation to happen in an orderly and well-managed fashion, such as delineating basic road systems and investing in basic infrastructure before settlement takes place, as was done in Abuja, will go a long way to harness the potential of Africa’s urbanisation.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126099/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/astrid-r-n-haas-215011">Astrid R.N. Haas</a>, Senior Country Economist (Cities) and Manager of Cities that Work, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/international-growth-centre-2530">International Growth Centre</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/building-new-cities-to-meet-africas-rapid-urbanisation-is-a-risky-bet-126099">original article</a>.

Urbanisation_shutterstock

Here’s why building new cities to meet Africa’s rapid urbanisation is a risky bet

Africa’s largest mobile operator by subscribers said in a quarterly update on Thursday that certain conditions related to the transaction had not been met, which led to the company’s decision.



Chief Financial Officer Ralph Mupita said on a call with reporters that the bid for MTN’s stake in the business had been unsolicited, and it was for now no longer being held for sale.



“In the longer term, if somebody came with a very attractive offer for the business, we’ll apply our minds then,” he said.



A 15 billion rand ($1.00 billion) divestment plan is making “steady process”, Mupita said, adding that the company was in advanced discussions around the disposal of a 49% holdings in ATC Ghana and ATC Uganda, which it values at 7 billion rand and 8 billion rand, respectively.



MTN is reviewing a raft of investments under a three-year plan that includes shedding loss-making e-commerce assets and exiting countries where it has no prospect of reaching the top-two spots in terms of market share.



It is aimed at slimming the company down and honing its focus on high-growth markets on the continent and in the Middle East after clashes with regulators in Nigeria, Uganda and elsewhere crimped growth.



It said on Thursday its service revenue for the nine-months to Sept. 30 rose by 9.6% year-on-year, buoyed by strong performances from its Nigeria and Ghana operations.



However, in its home market South Africa, where a sluggish economy, high unemployment and rising living costs have hurt consumer finances, service revenue over the period was flat.



($1 = 14.9979 rand)



Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Rashmi Aich

MTN has cancelled $300 million stake sale in Mascom Wireless Botswana, here’s why

KAMPALA (Reuters) &#8211; Uganda has ordered telecoms operators in the country to list on the local bourse, part of a move to encourage local ownership of the sector, the regulator said on Wednesday.



The country’s operators, which are nearly all foreign-owned, have been given two years to list at least 20% of their shares. Firms include a local unit of South Africa’s telecoms giant MTN Group and a subsidiary of India’s Bharti Airtel.



President Yoweri Museveni has said the move could conserve the country’s scarce foreign exchange as a portion of the firms’ dividend payouts would remain in the country.



Ibrahim Bbosa, spokesman for the regulator Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), said they are now using a new licensing policy and existing operators would be issued with fresh licences with new conditions.



“In 60 days we want to have issued new licenses and then two years from then all the players should have listed at least 20% of their shares on the Uganda Stock Exchange (USE),” he said.



Under the new conditions, companies will have to share infrastructure such as fibre optic cables, which the regulator says will eliminate duplication and lower the cost of the internet and other services.



Uganda’s information and telecommunications sector has expanded rapidly over the last decade, fuelled by favourable policies and a young population hungry for online services.



The sector’s potential has drawn interest from American giants Google and Facebook who have both laid cables in the country.



Statistics from UCC show the country of 43 million now boasts an estimated 24 million mobile subscribers and 21.6 million internet users.



Bbosa said some telecoms firms were worried the local bourse might not be able to absorb a large volume of shares so rapidly.



“We told them they should discuss that with the exchange and see whether there’s a solution for that,” he said.



MTN Uganda has previously indicated it would prefer to sell a stake directly to a local pensions fund to meet local ownership demands rather than having to list shares.



USE is a small bourse of 18 companies and had its most recent listing in September last year after going six years without a single IPO.



“Considering especially MTN and Airtel are highly profitable companies &#8230; they would draw more than sufficient interest from both retail and institutional investors in an IPO,” said Enock Twinoburyo, a Ugandan economist based in Kigali, Rwanda.



Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Omar Mohammed and Alexandra Hudson

Why Uganda says telecoms operators must list on local bourse

MAPUTO, Oct 29 (Reuters) &#8211; Mozambique&#8217;s main opposition party Renamo on Tuesday appealed the result of the Oct. 15 general election, calling on the country&#8217;s top court to annul incumbent President Filipe Nyusi&#8217;s victory.



Nyusi and his ruling Frelimo party won big in the election, which was hoped would calm tensions in Mozambique, soon to become a top global gas exporter. Instead, the contested result has stoked divisions as opposition parties have cried foul.



&#8220;We want the election results to be annulled because they were not elections. They were a caricature, a circus show,&#8221; Venâncio Mondlane, a Renamo representative, told Reuters by phone.



&#8220;Today we filed the appeal to the Constitutional Council (CC) against the deliberation of the National Election Commission, which we do not agree with. We demand that the CC annul the election results,&#8221; Mondlane said.



It was hoped the election could set the seal on a fragile peace pact, designed to put a definitive end to four decades of violence between Frelimo and Renamo.



The two fought a 16-year civil war that ended in a truce in 1992 but have clashed sporadically since.



Renamo had wanted to win control of a number of provinces in Mozambique&#8217;s centre and north but came away empty handed. 



(Reporting by Manuel Mucari; editing by Grant McCool)

Mozambique’s main opposition party plans to appeal election result

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maurice-soudieck-dione-831524">Maurice Soudieck Dione</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-gaston-berger-3991">Université Gaston Berger</a>

Earlier this year Senegal’s president, Macky Sall, embarked on his second term as president <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2019/04/senegal-macky-sall-starts-term-call-dialogue-190402170119221.html">pledging</a> “constructive” dialogue with the opposition. This followed tense elections in which Sall was <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47400711">accused</a> of preventing some of his main rivals from running.

In principle, political dialogue is essential. But in Senegal it’s often used as a way to manipulate public opinion and provide breathing space for a government under fire for its authoritarian tactics.

Throughout Sall’s tenure it has given cover to multiple encroachments on Senegalese democracy. This includes <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/791019/politique/senegal-controverse-apres-le-desaveu-de-lue-sur-le-systeme-des-parrainages/">tampering with the rules of the electoral system</a>, empty promises of dialogue and violations of the <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/04/19/au-senegal-une-manifestation-reprimee-l-ancien-premier-ministre-idrissa-seck-interpelle_5287772_3212.html">rights and freedoms of the opposition and government opponents</a>.

These tactics threaten national cohesion, progress and stability in the country. 

<h2>Broken promises</h2>

On taking office in 2012, President Sall cast aside a charter of structural reforms for national governance, the <a href="http://www.assisesnationales.org/?ans=doc">National Conferences Charter</a>, that he himself had signed. 

He also backtracked on his <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2016/02/17/macky-sall-ira-finalement-jusqu-au-bout-de-son-mandat-de-sept-ans_4866925_3212.html">oft-repeated</a> <a href="https://www.voaafrique.com/a/senegal-president-senegalais-renonce-a-reduire-son-mandat-en-cours/3193669.html">commitment to reduce his term in office</a> from seven to five years. 

Then, despite opposition and in a very short timeframe, in March 2016 he organised a <a href="https://www.pressafrik.com/Referendum-du-20-mars-C-est-parti-pour-sept-jours-de-campagne_a147321.html">constitutional referendum.</a>. 

But the proposed changes – which would have led to the balance of power being distributed more evenly, thus <a href="https://www.financialafrik.com/2018/08/03/senegal-une-exception-democratique-a-lepreuve-de-lhyper-presidentialisme/">streamlining</a> the country’s extremely top-heavy political system – failed to generate a strong consensus. In the end, no serious reforms <a href="https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/201711220787.html">were ever implemented</a> that would temper the president’s political, legal and institutional supremacy over executive and judicial power. 

<h2>Opposition persecution</h2>

As a way to demonstrate his commitment to inclusive government, Sall then <a href="http://www.chinafrica.cn/The_Latest_Headlines/201605/t20160520_800057264.html">launched a</a> national dialogue on May 28 – the day after the referendum. This brought together representatives of the political class, civil society, the private sector, trade unions and religious and traditional leaders. Some members of the opposition took part in good faith. 

The talks led to the quick release, <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/336456/politique/senegal-gracie-macky-sall-karim-wade-parti-qatar/">through presidential pardon</a>, of Karim Wade, the son and former minister of ex-President Abdoulaye Wade. 

But Wade’s release shouldn’t be interpreted as signalling that the dialogue initiative was effective. 

A year earlier, Wade had been <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/03/23/senegal-karim-wade-condamne-a-six-ans-de-prison_4599445_3212.html">sentenced to six years in prison</a> for mis-appropriation of funds, by a special anti-corruption court. Established in 1981, and revived by Sall in 2012 after a long period of dormancy, the special court has been <a href="https://www.fidh.org/fr/regions/afrique/senegal/15499-senegal-la-crei-une-juridiction-d-exception-qui-ne-garantit-pas-le-droit-a">heavily criticised</a>.

The <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/FR/Issues/Detention/Pages/WGADIndex.aspx">UN stated</a> that <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/FR/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16997&amp;LangID=F">Wade’s imprisonment was arbitrary</a> and the West African States Community Court of Justice <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/172087/politique/enrichissement-illicite-la-cedeao-recadre-dakar/">found that</a> constitutionally, as a former minister, he should have been brought before the Senegalese High Court of Justice. 

Sall therefore had no choice but to free Wade. But he also clearly took this opportunity to force Wade – a strong contender in the presidential elections – into <a href="http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20180114-senegal-avenir-s-assombrit-karim-wade">exile</a> in Qatar. 

Khalifa Sall – then mayor of Dakar and another leading opposition contender – was then arrested in 2017 for allegedly embezzling US$3 million in public funds. Critics accused Macky Sall of making up the charges to remove him. Khalifa <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49873340">was released</a> on a presidential pardon last month. 

Sall’s government has also continued its authoritarian tactics with <a href="http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20140420-senegal-interdictions-manifestations-multiplient-dakar-libert%C3%A9s-publiques-macky-sall">systematic bans on opposition protests</a>.

Furthermore, Sall’s promise to institutionalise political dialogue failed to materialise: there was just one round of talks during his first term. 

<h2>Crisis of confidence</h2>

Parliamentary elections, held in July 2017, are seen to have contributed to the crisis facing the country. There were accusations of <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/07/30/au-senegal-les-elections-legislatives-se-sont-deroulees-dans-une-relative-confusion_5166696_3212.html">major irregularities</a>. And after the chaotic elections Sall <a href="https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/201901020554.html">refused</a> the opposition’s request for a non-partisan Minister of the Interior. The position is meant to be free of party affiliation, as it had been for <a href="https://www.lequotidien.sn/deces-du-general-lamine-cisse-fin-de-mission-dun-soldat/">about</a> 20 years. 

Sall then <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/560940/politique/senegal-les-parrainages-de-la-discorde/">pushed through a reform introducing electoral sponsoring, without consultation</a>. This requires all candidates standing in presidential elections to collect the signatures of at least 1% of the registered voters before being validated. This made it much harder for candidates to run.

<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/04/19/senegal-la-loi-sur-le-parrainage-votee-dans-un-climat-de-forte-contestation_5287952_3212.html">Opposition protests were subject to crackdowns</a> and their leaders were arrested. 

This new sponsoring law proved to be a boon to the government during the 2019 presidential elections because it limited the number of candidates. 

Candidates <a href="https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/senegal-nous-voulons-des-elections-fiables-30-12-2018-2282538_3826.php">did not have access to the electoral roll</a> to confirm the validity of their sponsor signatures and thousands of sponsor signatures were invalidated on the false claim that they were not registered to vote. <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/698797/politique/presidentielle-au-senegal-pourquoi-19-dossiers-de-parrainage-ont-ete-ecartes/">As many as 19 electoral hopefuls had their applications rejected</a> by the Constitutional Council. In the end <a href="https://www.bbc.com/afrique/monde-46863956">only five candidates were able to run</a>.



Today national dialogue is at a standstill, and it’s not surprising given the political manoeuvring that undermines it. This presents a worrying future scenario for Senegal. 

Translated from the French by Alice Heathwood for Fast ForWord.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124380/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maurice-soudieck-dione-831524">Maurice Soudieck Dione</a>, Enseignant-chercheur en sciences politiques, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-gaston-berger-3991">Université Gaston Berger</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/senegals-president-uses-political-manoeuvres-to-mask-authoritarian-tactics-124380">original article</a>.

Is Senegal’s president using political manoeuvres to mask authoritarian tactics ?

NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Tanzania’s economy grew by 7.2 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2019, up from 6.1 percent in the same period a year ago, buoyed by growth in construction, mining and communications sectors, official data showed on Sunday.



In the first quarter of 2019, the East African nation’s GDP grew by 6.6 percent, according to the state-run National Bureau of Statistics.



Reporting by Fumbuka Ng&#8217;wanakilala; Editing by Maggie Fick

Tanzania’s economy rises by 7.2 % in Q2

Press Release



Now in its third year, the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index evaluates financial market development in 20 countries across the African continent and the improvements show the progress being made within the financial markets.



Apart from the progress shown in the overall score, the biggest improvement was in ‘legality and enforceability of standard financial markets master agreements’, where the average score jumped to 55 from 47.



‘The steady improvement across African countries is partly a testament to the impact that our Index is having across the continent,’ says George Asante, Head of Global Markets for Absa Regional Operations. ‘The Index is putting the right level of peer pressure on policy makers across Africa and we are seeing a concerted effort to react to the findings. The Index is becoming a powerful barometer for policy makers and playing a role in building an Africa which is able to fund itself.’ An excellent example of this is Ethiopia, which announced plans to launch a stock exchange in 2020, a sure sign of the significant potential for improvement in the coming year.



We welcome these vital signs of improvement in several African countries,’ says David Marsh, chairman of OMFIF. ‘The launch of new products or regulatory improvements prove that the African continent is moving in the right direction, and our index is now a piece of important evidence for tracking progress in the region’.&nbsp;



For more visit &gt;&gt; https://www.absa.co.za/corporate-and-investment-banking/news-and-events/events/absa-africa-financial-markets-index1/

Here’s how Absa is planning to take you further into Africa than ever before

By Dr. Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele is the Former Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organization and Dr. Richard Mihigo is the Immunization and Vaccines Development Program Coordinator at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. 



In the current outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic
Republic of Congo a promising new investigational vaccine is proven pivotal in
controlling this <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ebola/drc-2019">much-feared
and often fatal disease</a>. The innovative solution was
first tested in the West Africa Ebola outbreak in complementarity with other interventions.




Such findings highlight the stark improvement and
expansion that has occurred to African immunization services in the last 40
years. There is however, still need for more robust policies for immunization,
featuring sustainable programs funded on a country-by-country basis. Our global
imperative is to bridge the vaccination gap prevalent around the world, our
focus is, however, on Africa. 



The Addis Declaration on Immunization of 2016 – was an
important stepping-stone towards our end. It brought together all 54 African
countries to recognize the need to accelerate progress on the goals of the <a href="https://www.who.int/immunization/global_vaccine_action_plan/GVAP_Introduction_and_Immunization_Landscape_Today.pdf?ua=1">Global
Vaccine Action Plan</a> for the
2011-2020 Decade.&nbsp; 



This Declaration represents a drive toward meeting a
key UN Sustainable Development Goal, namely universal health coverage. Ongoing
investment in vaccine research and development – and in large-scale
immunization programs – is essential for preserving individual health and
population security. 



Only through high-level leadership, increased
resources and a continent-wide commitment can we expect to achieve the
ambitious immunization goals we have set out for ourselves.



How to turn this crusade into reality? How best to
leverage our existing immunization infrastructure and establish long-term
public-private partnerships. We hereby propose the following steps, all
potentially transformative, to maintain our hard-earned momentum.



First, we should anchor immunization within primary
healthcare. Vaccines should be regarded as key interventions, whether for pneumonia, diarrhea, cholera or typhoid. Immunization can also serve as
a platform for treating neglected tropical diseases such as malaria and
helminthiasis. Creating integrated management protocols would drive efficiency
system-wide. It would represent a long-overdue shift from a disease-specific
approach and help bring about universal healthcare.<a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a>




Next, we should guarantee the funding required for immunization. This is an absolute imperative.
Preferably funds would come from national governments and respective partners,
rather than from individual households making out-of-pocket payments. Already,
for example, eight countries in the region<a href="#_ftn2">[2]</a>,
fully finance their own immunization activities. Every country should develop
its own immunization financing plan, whether through taxes, special levies,
loans, insurance premiums, or some combination thereof. Ultimately, the source
of funding is vastly less important than sustaining it.<a href="#_ftn3">[3]</a>




Demand for vaccination needs to be created
too. Key organizations involved should mount concerted national efforts to
educate communities to appreciate and seek out immunization. So recommended the
2017 Assessment Report of the Global Vaccine Action Plan. It called for “ongoing
community engagement and trust-building, active hesitancy prevention, regular
national assessment of vaccine concerns, and crisis response planning.”<a href="#_ftn4">[4]</a>.
It is vital to remember the warning from the World Health Organization about vaccine
hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of
vaccines – namely, that it’s a threat to global public health<a href="#_ftn5">[5]</a>.&nbsp;



Bridging the gap in access to vaccines between
locations and populations is essential as well. Data can help target those most
in need. Integrated strategies and sustained funding should minimize the
inequalities in immunization service delivery &#8212; disparities in access,
coverage and geographic diversity, as well as cultural and economic bias – so
widespread over the last two decades. Programs should be tailored for given
communities – for example, by collaborating with managers to plan health
services around extreme weather events or humanitarian crises. 



Likewise, it is vital to strengthen the
micro-planning processes for local officials and communities in order to
maximize access to immunization services and ensure future success. Precisely how
our services are delivered – and how well – will matter more than ever. Case in
point: &nbsp;As in Rwanda and Tanzania, community
health workers are deployed to connect target populations with the services
needed and prevent individuals from being left behind. 



Throughout all these steps, we
must keep innovating, collaborating and learning from each other. In the
process, we should focus support on those most responsible for delivering
immunization services in Africa. Make no mistake: business-as-usual approaches
will no longer drive the improvements so desperately needed. 



Lastly, technology and digital
communications will have to be harnessed to enhance services, accuracy and
accountability. At the moment, mobile telecommunications in Africa hold promise
but remain desperately underused. Bringing in new technology – such as Geographic Information Systems – can limit over-reporting, identify new
settlements and improve vaccine storage facilities, among numerous
other advantages. 



These
concrete, forward-looking actions should guide our agenda to reimagine – and in
so doing, reform &#8212; immunization policy in Africa over the next 10 years. Only
then can we do the job we are supposed to do and keep preventing, controlling
and even eliminating diseases. Only then will we fulfill our humanitarian
purpose to raise immunization rates, protect communities and save the lives of
children and other vulnerable populations across the continent. 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<a href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> World Health
Organization. Working Together: an integration resource guide for immunization
services throughout the life course. WHO 2018. <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/276546/9789241514736-eng.pdf?ua=1">https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/276546/9789241514736-eng.pdf?ua=1</a>



<a href="#_ftnref2">[2]</a> Algeria, Angola,
Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mauritius, Namibia, and South Africa



<a href="#_ftnref3">[3]</a> Saxenian H, et al.
Overcoming challenges to sustainable immunization financing: early experiences
from GAVI graduating countries. Health Policy and Planning (2015); 30(2):
197–205, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/30/2/197/622945">https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/30/2/197/622945</a>



<a href="#_ftnref4">[4]</a>
Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. Geneva: World Health
Organization; 2017. License: CC BYNC-SA 3.0 IGO.



<a href="#_ftnref5">[5]</a> World Health
Organization. Ten threats to global health in 2019. WHO 2019. <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019">https://www.who.int/emergencies/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019</a>

Op-Ed: Reinventing immunisation in Africa

ACCRA, Oct 23 (Reuters) &#8211; The United States has cancelled $190 million in grants to Ghana under the &#8220;Power Africa&#8221; initiative in response to the Ghanaian government&#8217;s termination of a contract with a private utility provider, the U.S. embassy said.



The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government foreign assistance agency, agreed in 2014 to provide $498 million in funding to Ghana&#8217;s power sector to help stimulate further private investment.



The financing was the largest by the United States under Power Africa, which was launched in 2013 by then president Barack Obama and aims to bring electricity to tens of millions of households in Africa.



One reform under the agreement involved handing over operations at state-run Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in March to Ghana Power Distribution Services (PDS), a consortium led by Philippine electricity company Meralco.



But Ghana&#8217;s finance minister informed U.S. officials on Saturday that the government was cancelling the 20-year concession it had signed with PDS, saying payment guarantees provided were not satisfactory.



In a statement on Tuesday, the U.S. embassy said the decision to terminate the contract was unjustified and that the MCC was therefore cancelling $190 million in grants.



The remaining $308 million will still be disbursed.



&#8220;The United States underscores the importance of contract sanctity as essential to a conducive investment climate and a pre-condition for inclusive economic growth,&#8221; it said.



Ghana&#8217;s Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. announcement did not represent &#8220;a crisis of confidence&#8221; between the two governments.



&#8220;It has been a difference in opinion which we have mutually agreed to respect,&#8221; he said.



Meralco did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 



(Reporting by Christian Akorlie; Writing by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Aaron Ross and Jan Harvey)

This West African country has lost $190 million U.S. grant over cancelled power contract

By: Mateus Magala, Vice-President of Corporate Services and Human Resources at the African Development Bank



Economic reforms, a burgeoning middle class and regional diversity against the background of the new African Continental Free Trade Area &#8211; are making Africa’s Portuguese-speaking countries a hotspot for investor interest. Additionally, new tools – such as the Development Finance Compact for Lusophone Africa – give investors and lenders more comfort to enter into these markets.



The six African countries called “PALOPs”, their
Portuguese acronym – Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea,
Mozambique and São Tomé e Principe – are very diverse. They range from
Equatorial Guinea, Africa’s richest country per capita, to lower income economies;
from Angola’s and Mozambique’s populations of over 30 million to Cabo Verde’s
and São Tomé’s, of less than one million; and from southeastern Africa to the
northwest of the continent.



These states also share important traits. They have a
common heritage and language. As independent states, they have fostered trade ties
with Portugal and Brazil, among others.&nbsp;
And, most importantly for our current consideration they have all
recognized that they must do more to unleash the potential of the private
sector in their countries.&nbsp; The private
sector here faces constraints, ranging from lack of affordable financing to
difficulties in project preparation. The good news is that the PALOP governments
are determined to tackle these issues – with the help of their partners, such
as the African Development Bank. 



In November 2017, Bank President Akinwumi Adesina
visited Lisbon for discussions on how Portugal and the Bank could work in a more
integrated manner. Out of this meeting emerged a vision for a new partnership,
one that is open to other partners: the Development Finance Compact for
Lusophone Africa.&nbsp; Signed at the November
2018 Africa Investment Forum, its goal is very simple: to accelerate the
diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth of the private sector in the six
PALOPs. And it is completely focused on transactions to deliver practical
results on the ground. 



How does the Lusophone Compact propose to do this? Put simply, it is
results-based and focused on two types of interventions: financing and risk
mitigation from the partners for specific private sector and public-private
sector partnership (PPP) investments in the PALOPs; and technical assistance
projects that enable the private sector or specific investments, such as project
preparation and access to finance. It is operationalized through
country-specific Compacts, with concrete targets, that have been signed for
each PALOP. 



For its part, Portugal
has made available €400 million in guarantees in 2019 to back Bank financing
for private sector and PPP projects in the PALOPs.&nbsp; And the Bank is contributing its own
financing as well as resources for the administration of the Lusophone
Compact.&nbsp; Additionally, it is important
to stress that the PALOPs themselves are equal partners in this initiative:
they have a responsibility to work on enabling the private sector investments
in their countries, and the Compact also seeks to leverage intra-PALOP
investments and sharing of best practices.&nbsp;
Finally, we are encouraged that other states and development finance
providers want to join or partner with the Lusophone Compact.



This brings me back to
the initial point: now is the time to invest in Lusophone Africa. 



Angola and Equatorial
Guinea have both embarked on ambitious programs to diversify their economies
away from natural resources. Mozambique, which is beginning to receive massive
investments related to the natural gas sector, also recognizes the need to grow
sectors like agribusiness and industry, to increase employment.&nbsp; Cabo Verde, already a middle-income country,
is seeking to diversify its economy too – attracting new types of tourists
while also growing its fishing and agribusiness sectors. São Tomé e Principe
and Guinea-Bissau, members of the Alliance of Small Island States, seek
sustainable investments that both promote growth and deal with their exposure
to climate change, including through the so-called “blue economy”.&nbsp; &nbsp;



All of these countries
are determined to increase trade, both among themselves and within their
regions, which include Africa’s largest economies. 



That is why the PALOP’s
are eyeing the 2019 Africa Investment Forum – the unique investment marketplace
for regional investments, pioneered by the African Development Bank last year.



A specific panel on Investing
in Lusophone Africa at this year’s Forum will shine the spotlight on these
opportunities. And, just as last year, numerous Board Room sessions will
involve projects in the PALOPs – including at least four that are eligible
under the Lusophone Compact. 



The African Development Bank is proud to be part of
this new dawn for the continent’s Portuguese-speaking economies. And we invite
you to join us.

Op-Ed: It’s time to invest in Portuguese-speaking African countries, here’s why

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/tom-huddleston-jr/">Tom Huddleston Jr.</a>



The NBA kicks off a new season on <a class="" href="https://scores.nbcsports.com/nba/preview.asp?g=2019102228">Tuesday night</a> with the defending champion <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/30/how-much-money-the-winners-of-the-nba-finals-could-take-home.html">Toronto Raptors</a> taking on the New Orleans Pelicans.



That game will feature one of the NBA’s ten highest-paid players — Toronto’s Kyle Lowry — while two more will face off later on Tuesday in Los Angeles when LeBron James and the Lakers tip off their season against Paul George and the Clippers.



The average NBA player salary is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/players.html" class="">$7.7 million</a>&nbsp;for the season that starts on Tuesday and will run through June 2020. That number is up from an average salary of almost $6.4 million for the previous season, according to Basketball Reference.



NBA salaries continue to rise year to year, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/06/stephen-curry-is-the-highest-paid-player-in-the-nba.html" class="">highest-paid player’s</a>&nbsp;earnings are no exception, as the Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s earnings for the 2019-2020 season are ticking upward to $40.2 million from $37.5 million for the previous season.



Here are the ten highest-paid NBA players for the league’s new season, starting with Curry, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/cash/" class="">Spotrac</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Stephen Curry, 31, Golden State Warriors: $40.2 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1053195934-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348277" width="709" height="499" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1053195934-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1053195934-594x594-300x211.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1053195934-594x594-100x70.jpg 100w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px" /><figcaption>OAKLAND, CA &#8211; OCTOBER 24: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to the crowd chanting &#8220;MVP&#8221; during their game against the Washington Wizards at ORACLE Arena on October 24, 2018 in Oakland, California. Curry finished the game with 51 points. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



The former MVP, who has won three championships with the Warriors since 2015, signed a five-year contract&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/11/steph-currys-money-outlook-helped-him-score-a-200-million-contract.html" class="">worth $201.2 million</a>&nbsp;with the team in 2017. The deal pays Curry an average annual salary of more than $40 million, with the annual value eventually increasing to more than $45 million by 2021.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tied &#8211; 2. Russell Westbrook, 30, Houston Rockets: $38.5 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1181957587-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348279" width="478" height="717" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1181957587-594x594.jpg 396w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1181957587-594x594-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1181957587-594x594-280x420.jpg 280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px" /><figcaption>MIAMI, FLORIDA &#8211; OCTOBER 18: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets in action against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on October 18, 2019 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Houston acquired Westbrook in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in July. The All-Star guard had previously signed a five-year, $206.8 million contract extension with his previous team in 2017 that leaves him tied for the second-best annual salary in 2019 behind Curry, according to Spotrac.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tied &#8211; 2. Chris Paul, 34, Oklahoma City Thunder: $38.5 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="594" height="396" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-698880584-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348280" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-698880584-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-698880584-594x594-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NY &#8211; JUNE 20: Athlete and designer Chris Paul attends the FIVE FOUR x Chris Paul Launch Dinner at Catch on June 20, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for FIVE FOUR)</figcaption></figure>



<a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/02/what-houston-rockets-chris-paul-did-with-his-first-big-nba-check.html">Chris Paul</a>&nbsp;finds himself tied with Westbrook for second on the ranking of the NBA’s highest-paid players for the second year in a row. In fact, Paul and Westbrook will switch teams for the new NBA season, as the two players were traded for each other in the mega-deal between Houston and Oklahoma City over the summer. Paul’s four-year, $159.7 million contract expires in 2022.



<iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ieWGlA-gysI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tied-4. James Harden, 30, Houston Rockets: $38.2 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-494742496-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348282" width="710" height="447" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-494742496-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-494742496-594x594-300x189.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px" /><figcaption>HOUSTON, TX &#8211; OCTOBER 28: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets calls a play during their game against the Denver Nuggets at the Toyota Center on October 28, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Another former league MVP, Harden is entering his 11th season in the NBA and the first year of a four-year, $171.1 million contract extension he signed with the Rockets in 2017 (the new deal extends a previous contract he signed in 2016 that paid him an average annual salary of $29.5 million).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tied-4. Kevin Durant, 31, Brooklyn Nets: $38.2 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-849622772-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348284" width="709" height="511" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-849622772-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-849622772-594x594-300x216.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-849622772-594x594-324x235.jpg 324w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-849622772-594x594-583x420.jpg 583w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px" /><figcaption>SAN FRANCISCO, CA &#8211; SEPTEMBER 19: NBA Player and Durant Company/Thirty Five Media Partner Kevin Durant speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 at Pier 48 on September 19, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch)</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/29/what-kevin-durant-has-learned-about-investing.html" class="">Durant</a>&nbsp;left Golden State to sign a four-year contract worth $164.3 million with the Nets in the 2019 off season despite the fact that he’ll&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/12/kevin-durant-injury-is-changing-the-nba-and-moving-wall-street-stocks.html" class="">miss the entire upcoming season</a>&nbsp;due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered during the 2019 playoffs. He’s set to make over $42 million in the final year of the contract, which expires in 2023.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tied-4. John Wall, 29, Washington Wizards: $38.2 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1083516606-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348285" width="709" height="473" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1083516606-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1083516606-594x594-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px" /><figcaption>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; DECEMBER 16: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards dribbles against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Capital One Arena on December 16, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Wall is also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/john-wall-injury-update-wizards-owner-ted-leonsis-says-guard-probably-wont-play-next-season-due-to-torn-achilles/" class="">expected</a>&nbsp;to miss the entire upcoming season due to injury (he also tore an Achilles tendon). Regardless, the Wizards’ All-Star point guard will rank among the league’s highest-paid players for the foreseeable future, thanks to a four-year, $171.1 million contract extension he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/washington-wizards/john-wall-agrees-four-year-extension-wizards" class="">signed in 2017</a>&nbsp;that will eventually pay him more than $47 million annually before it expires in 2023.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. LeBron James, 34, Los Angeles Lakers: $37.4 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1066599734-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348286" width="710" height="546" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1066599734-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1066599734-594x594-300x231.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1066599734-594x594-546x420.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px" /><figcaption>LOS ANGELES, CA &#8211; NOVEMBER 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his three pointer during a 104-96 win over the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on November 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



The four-time MVP took his talents to the Lakers in 2018, signing a four-year deal worth $153.3 million overall. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/02/lakers-deal-will-make-lebron-james-highest-career-earning-nba-player.html" class="">CNBC Make It noted</a>&nbsp;at the time, James will have earned more than $387 million in total salary over his career by the time his current contract expires in 2022, which will give him the highest all-time contract earnings in NBA history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Kyle Lowry, 33, Toronto Raptors: $34.9 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-952246314-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348287" width="710" height="473" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-952246314-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-952246314-594x594-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px" /><figcaption>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; APRIL 27: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors reacts against the Washington Wizards in the second half during Game Six of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Lowry and the Raptors are entering the new season fresh off the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship. The veteran point guard will also see his salary jump a few million dollars from&nbsp;<a class="" href="http://www.espn.com/nba/salaries/_/year/2019/seasontype/1">the $31 million</a>&nbsp;he earned in the 2018-2019 season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Blake Griffin, 30, Detroit Pistons: $34.5 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1039562198-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348288" width="711" height="474" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1039562198-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1039562198-594x594-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px" /><figcaption>DETROIT, MI &#8211; SEPTEMBER 24: Blake Griffin #23 of the Detroit Pistons poses for a portrait during Media Day at Little Caesars Arena on September 24, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/26/photos-nba-star-blake-griffin-selling-la-mansion-for-11-million-dollars.html">Griffin</a>&nbsp;was traded from the Clippers to the Detroit Pistons in January 2018, more than a year after he signed a five-year, $171.2 million contract extension that will expire in 2022.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Paul George, 29, Los Angeles Clippers: $33 million</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1177984879-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-348289" width="711" height="503" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1177984879-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1177984879-594x594-300x212.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gettyimages-1177984879-594x594-100x70.jpg 100w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px" /><figcaption>PLAYA VISTA, CALIFORNIA &#8211; SEPTEMBER 29: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers speaks to the media during the LA Clippers media day at Honey Training Center on September 29, 2019 in Playa Vista, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



The Clippers acquired George in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder in July, taking on the All-Star’s four-year, $136.9 million contract in the process.



Missing from this list of the 10 best-paid NBA stars are both last season’s MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Clippers’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/10/toronto-raptors-kawhi-leonard-drove-97-chevy-tahoe-94-million-contract.html" class="">Kawhi Leonard</a>, who was crowned the NBA Finals MVP in June after winning a championship with Toronto.



Leonard, 28, just missed cracking the top 10, as he’ll make $32.7 million this season from a new three-year contract (worth $103 million overall) he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/kawhi-leonards-shorter-contract-could-mean-short-reign-clippers" class="">signed</a>&nbsp;with the Clippers in July.



Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Antetokounmpo will make $25.8 million in the upcoming season (making him just the 41st highest-paid player in the NBA, according to&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/cash/">Spotrac</a>) as part of a four-year, $100 million extension he signed with Milwaukee in 2016. He’ll be a free agent in 2021, and Antetokounmpo is already&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://www.si.com/nba/2019/07/01/knicks-free-agency-failures-2021-cap-space-giannis-antetokounmpo">expected to be highly sought after</a>&nbsp;and could land a new deal that would make him among the league’s highest-paid players.



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/22/highest-paid-players-in-the-nba-right-now.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/22/highest-paid-players-in-the-nba-right-now.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

gettyimages-1066599734-594×594

These are the highest paid players in the NBA right now

GABORONE, Oct 22 (Reuters) &#8211; Botswana polls opened on Wednesday for a general election that is expected to provide the first genuine challenge to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in its five decades of dominance over southern Africa&#8217;s wealthiest and most stable nation.



Whichever party wins will have to move swiftly to transform the economy, which since independence from Britain in 1966 has grown at 8% a year to become one of Africa&#8217;s most successful, but now risks coming unstuck because of over-reliance on a single commodity &#8211; diamonds.



Campaigning on promises to drive that economic transformation, Duma Boko, leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, is hoping to unseat the BDP of President Mokgweetsi Masisi. He is backed by former president Ian Khama, who handed over to Masisi last year but has since fallen into a bitter power struggle with him.



&#8220;We remain resolute and confident that we are going to win this election,&#8221; Boko told a news conference on Monday night before warning of possible fraud.



&#8220;I can only accept the result if the election is free and credible,&#8221; he added, raising the spectre that Botswana, which has only known one-sided elections, could witness its first rancorous dispute over a tight result.



Of Botswana&#8217;s population of 2.2 million people, 924,000 registered voters will elect 57 national assembly and 490 local government representatives.



The winning party&#8217;s candidate then becomes president.



Polls open at 6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) and close at 7 p.m.



Masisi is standing on his record on tackling corruption, such as making a declaration of assets obligatory for public sector officials, and slashing bureaucracy for small businesses.



Khama, the son of founding president Seretse Khama, quarrelled with Masisi over cabinet posts and the new president&#8217;s controversial scrapping of an elephant hunting ban in May, which Khama had enforced four years earlier. Elephants, however, have not been an issue during the campaign.



The main concerns for the Batswana are unemployment hovering at around 20% and stark inequalities despite equitable state spending on health and education. To tackle either, the winner will need to do more to diversify the economy.



Mbakisi Gopolang, 25, waiting in line to cast his vote at a primary school in the capital Gaborone, said he was disappointed by the last decade under the governing BDP.



&#8220;The last ten years have been regressive, so I don&#8217;t want continuation of that. I am voting for a party that will drive economic growth, empower citizens and get rid of corruption and bring about transparency.&#8221;



Diamond mining has fallen to a fifth of GDP in 2018, compared with half in the 1990s, but it still makes up three quarters of foreign exchange earnings, even as banking and tourism grab a greater share of output. 



By Brian Benza 



(Editing by Tim Cocks, Editing by Ed Osmond &amp; Simon Cameron-Moore)

Botswana polls open in first real challenge to ruling party

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 22 (Reuters) &#8211; Crisis-hit South African power company Eskom was handed an additional 59 billion rand ($4 billion) lifeline by parliament on Tuesday, prompting criticism from opposition parties who described it as a &#8220;blank cheque&#8221;.



The special bill passed by parliament to grant the funding was first proposed by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in July as Eskom struggled to service its ballooning 450 billion rand debt pile and keep the lights on throughout 2019 as its creaking fleet of coal-fired plants buckled.



Eskom unleashed another bout of nationwide blackouts last week following repeated power cuts in February and March, which dragged the economy into contraction.



Mboweni said in July that the bailout Eskom should adhere to strict conditions to receive the bailout, including assurance that it would be used only to service debt and not for operational costs.



The multi-party Standing Committee on Appropriation, responsible for oversight of the bill, failed to agree on the conditions and early in October opted leave the Finance Minister&#8217;s draft bill unchanged.



&#8220;The bill as it stands is a blank cheque that will blow up the deficit,&#8221; the main opposition Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday, echoing objections of other parties.



Speaking at the parliamentary debate on Tuesday Mboweni did not directly address the matter of conditions but hinted that Eskom&#8217;s management would come under closer scrutiny.



&#8220;One of the key issue we need to solve is to appoint the right people to run Eskom. Appoint the right board of directors and a competent management team,&#8221; he said.



&#8220;Then we must be in a position to hold that board of directors and management team accountable. The problem at Eskom is not just financial.&#8221;



Eskom has been without a permanent chief executive since Phakamani Hadebe resigned in May, citing unbearable pressure.



Hadebe was the 10th CEO in a decade to quit the state company in what has proved something of a revolving door of top executives and board members as treasury and presidential inquiries into graft and mismanagement deepened.



The special appropriation bill will go to parliament&#8217;s second house for approval before being sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa for his signature and enactment.



(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and Wendell Roelf Editing by David Goodman)

What you need to know about South Africa approving $4 billion bailout for debt-laden power utility Eskom

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/karen-gilchrist/">Karen Gilchrist</a>



Billionaire entrepreneur <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/jack-ma/">Jack Ma</a> founded <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=BABA">Alibaba</a> — one of <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/china/">China’s</a> most successful technology companies.



But even he would have a tough time securing a job there today, he said.



And it’s not just Alibaba. The e-commerce visionary said he and most of the other founders would struggle to pass the initial screening for many of the world’s most desirable companies.



“People like me, today, if I tried to apply (for a) job in Alibaba, it’s almost impossible,” Ma said at the Forbes Global CEO Conference in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/singapore/" class="">Singapore</a>.



That’s because of a flaw in the international employment system, which places too much emphasis on academic results and unfairly pits out-of-box thinkers against traditional ones, he said.



“People judge you by your diploma,” said Ma. “They would think ’hey, we’re got a group of people from <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/search/?query=Harvard%20University">Harvard</a>, we’ve got people from <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/search/?query=Stanford%20University">Stanford</a>, and you are from nowhere.”



Ma — who struggled through school and was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/09/lesson-alibabas-jack-ma-learned-after-being-rejected-for-a-job-at-kfc.html" class="">famously rejected from 30 jobs</a>&nbsp;before he started Alibaba in 1999 — said he’d encountered numerous highly capable people who were rebuffed from good jobs simply because they failed to perform academically.



“I’ve found a lot of entrepreneurs like me,” said Ma, noting two former colleagues, now founders of Alipay and Taobao, who failed to get into MBA courses because they did not pass the math exams.



Such academic checklists are becoming increasingly irrelevant in the fast-evolving digital age, he said.



“In the industrial (era), you had to remember faster, you have to remember more, you have to calculate faster. These are the things machines can now do much better than you,” said Ma.



“That is something I worry about. 20, 30 years on, our kids will never be able to survive because of the education we teach,” said Ma.



The 55-year-old, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/10/jack-ma-steps-down-as-alibaba-baba-chairman-history-of-the-company.html" class="">retired as Alibaba’s executive chairman</a>&nbsp;last month, said he now plans do philanthropic work in the education sector to better prepare the next generation for the shifting landscape by encouraging greater independent thinking.



“We (have to) teach our kids how to be innovative, constructive and creative so they can survive in the AI (artificial intelligence) period. I want to do more things about that,” said Ma, <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/20/working-as-a-teacher-taught-alibabas-jack-ma-this-business-skill.html">a former English teacher.</a> 



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/21/why-jack-ma-says-hed-never-get-a-job-at-alibaba-today.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/21/why-jack-ma-says-hed-never-get-a-job-at-alibaba-today.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Why Billionaire Jack Ma says he’d never get a job at Alibaba today

<figure>
 <img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297305/original/file-20191016-98640-mycz1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip" />
 <figcaption>
 One in five children in sub-Saharan Africa live in poverty.
 Shutterstock
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/keetie-roelen-240413">Keetie Roelen</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sussex-1218">University of Sussex</a>

<a href="https://ophi.org.uk/childrens-multidimensional-poverty-disaggregating-the-global-mpi/">Two-thirds of children</a> in sub-Saharan Africa face all manners of hardship. These include poor living conditions, low educational outcomes, high levels of malnutrition and often high risks of exposure to different forms of violence. <a href="https://www.unicef.org/publications/index_92826.html">One in five children</a> in sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to grow up in extreme “monetary” poverty, meaning they live in families without adequate incomes to make basic ends meet.

Growing up in poverty has long-lasting adverse consequences for children and the societies that they live in. <a href="https://marlin-prod.literatumonline.com/pb-assets/Lancet/stories/series/ecd/Lancet_ECD_Executive_Summary.pdf">Poverty undermines children’s immediate wellbeing as well as biological and cognitive development</a>. In the long-run, this untapped potential hampers economic and social progress.

As the world marks the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/events/povertyday/">international day for the eradication of poverty</a> it’s worth trying to identify answers and evidence in the fight against child poverty.

A recently published <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/putting-children-first/9783838213170">book</a>, “Putting Children First: New Frontiers in the Fight Against Child Poverty in Africa”, offers insights based on evidence in support of more effective policy initiatives that can address child poverty in Africa in all its different dimensions. 

The book follows an <a href="https://www.theimpactinitiative.net/event/event-putting-children-first-identifying-solutions-and-taking-action-tackle-poverty-and">international conference in Addis Ababa in October 2017</a> that brought together researchers, policy makers and civil society to share lessons learned and identify new efforts in tackling child poverty in the region. Main themes included the measurement and analysis of child poverty, the use of social protection in addressing child poverty, and opportunities and obstacles for children as they transition into adulthood. The book includes contributions on these themes based on research from across sub-Saharan Africa.

Across the range of diverse and rich research, we can distil two key messages in moving forward. 

The first is that child poverty has strong psychosocial and relational dimensions that are frequently overlooked. They deserve more attention. This holds in relation to both measurement of child poverty and efforts to reduce it. 

The second is that policies need to address the complex nature of child poverty – not simply one or two dimensions. 

<h2>The psychological and the social effects</h2>

<a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg1">Sustainable Development Goal 1</a> (SDG1) stipulates that poverty should be ended in all its forms. It also calls for the reduction of poverty in all its dimensions for all children. Against this backdrop, it is now widely accepted that different measures lead to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41287-017-0082-7">differential estimates of poverty</a>. Each identifies different groups of children as being poor. 

Nevertheless, current quantitative understandings of poverty overlook important psychosocial and relational issues that are core components of children’s experiences of living in poverty.

The <a href="https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/poverty-reduction-strategies-humiliation-by-keetie-roelen-2017-11">importance of the psychosocial </a> side of poverty – also for children – is gaining acknowledgement. It is increasingly reflected in efforts to measure and understand child poverty. For instance, this includes a greater focus on the experience of shame and stigma in relation to poverty.

For example, children in Uganda experience the shame of poverty at home, in school and within the community. <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/YoungLivesOxford/shame-stigma-and-childrens-development-dornan-for-slideshare">Such experiences</a> may in turn hold children back in their development. Incorporating these issues in the study of child poverty is crucial for understanding the complex realities of children’s lives. 

Acknowledgement of the psychosocial side of poverty is also important for formulating policies that more adequately respond to children’s multifaceted needs and vulnerabilities. This is shown in research that highlights the importance for relations and social connectedness. 

In South Africa, research found that young people who were engaged in a programme that aimed to reduce social isolation and to improve social relations <a href="https://www.socialconnectedness.org/synergos-social-connectedness-programme-overview/">gave</a> them a sense of energy, discipline and a more positive attitude. In turn, this increased their chances of getting a job.

<h2>No quick fixes</h2>

Policies need to address in all the complexities of child poverty. 

A case in point is social protection policy. SDG1 specifically refers to social protection as the policy measure to address poverty. In the last decade, social protection has become a central part of global and national development agendas. It is now <a href="http://www.endchildhoodpoverty.org/publications-feed/2017/11/1/9v61mcxy3mw336oilgamomko1p12it">widely recognised</a> as one of the foremost policy interventions for fighting child poverty.

A wide evidence base <a href="https://www.odi.org/publications/10505-cash-transfers-what-does-evidence-say-rigorous-review-impacts-and-role-design-and-implementation">provides testimony</a> that social protection – and cash transfers in particular -— can increase school enrolment, reduce child labour and improve access to health services. 

Notwithstanding these positive effects, research also increasingly points to the limitations of a cash-only approach. Malnutrition is a poignant example. Cash transfers, which have led to improved food security and dietary diversity among families and children, <a href="https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/782-cash-transfers-and-child-nutrition-what-we-know-and-what-we-need-to-know.html">have done litte </a>to reduce malnutrition.

This lack of impact has given rise to the call for interventions that combine cash with complementary support and services. Such <a href="https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/915-how-to-make-cash-plus-work-linking-cash-transfers-to-services-and-sectors.html">‘cash plus’</a> approaches combine regular cash transfers with benefits such as food supplements; information provision and coaching; or referral to other services. New initiatives also integrate insights from behavioural science, which seek to make it easier for people to make positive change. 

In Madagascar, for example, women engage in <a href="https://www.ideas42.org/blog/cash-plus-goals-help-families-invest-in-their-childrens-futures/">goal-setting activities</a> that allow for more careful planning on how they spend their cash transfers. Early feedback suggests that women felt better being able to prioritise their spending, particularly in relation to children.

<h2>Looking forward</h2>

The reality is that many children and their families continue to struggle to make basic ends meet. It is therefore imperative that we find new ways of addressing child poverty that build on and extend successes from the past. 

Lessons learned and a wealth of research allow us to cast a way forward. New frontiers in the fight against child poverty must move beyond singular responses. They must consider children’s multiple needs and vulnerabilities, including relational and psychosocial ones.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125385/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/keetie-roelen-240413">Keetie Roelen</a>, Research Fellow, Co-Director, Centre for Social Protection, Institute of Development Studies, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sussex-1218">University of Sussex</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-go-beyond-singular-responses-in-the-fight-against-child-poverty-125385">original article</a>.

Child_Poverty_Shutterstock

Here’s what needs to be established in order to fight against child poverty

(Reuters) &#8211; Barrick Gold Corp said it had reached a deal to settle a long-running tax dispute between Tanzania and mining group Acacia, which Barrick bought in a $1.2 billion transaction approved by a British court last month.



The tax deal includes the payment of $300 million to settle outstanding tax and other disputes, the lifting of a concentrate export ban, and the sharing of future economic benefits from mines on a 50-50 basis, Barrick said in a statement on Sunday.



&#8220;Barrick is definitely back in Tanzania,&#8221; Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow told reporters in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital on Sunday.



&#8220;A true partnership can only be described when you have 50/50 and our joint venture with the government of Tanzania is exactly that &#8211; a committed partnership to develop Tanzania’s gold assets for the benefit of all stakeholders,&#8221; said Bristow.



A new operating company named Twiga Minerals will be formed to manage the Bulyanhulu, North Mara and Buzwagi mines after a review by Tanzania&#8217;s attorney general, the statement added.



Under the agreement, the Tanzanian government will also buy a 16% shareholding in each of the mines.



&#8220;This company has been registered in Tanzania and it will be headquartered in Mwanza, Tanzania,&#8221; Palamagamba Kabudi, Tanzania’s foreign minister said.



Kabudi, speaking at the news conference, said the deal marked a new partnership with Barrick under the new Twiga Minerals name.



&#8220;Twiga will make our new partnership an example to other mining ventures who are investing in Tanzania and who want to invest in Tanzania.&#8221;



He said details of the deal would be submitted to the country&#8217;s attorney general for review and he expected that to be completed by November 15.



An Africa-focused international dispute resolution framework will also be established as part of the agreement, Barrick said.



The deal comes days after the Canadian company fell short of analysts&#8217; estimates for third-quarter gold production due to low output at its North Mara mine in Tanzania.



(Reporting by Sabahatjahan Contractor in Bengaluru and Nuzulack Dausen in Dar es Salaam Editing by David Holmes and Jane Merriman)

What you need to know about Barrick Gold’s deal with Tanzania over Acacia Mining

By Patience
Koku, Nigerian farmer, owner of Replenish Farms and member of the Global Farmer
Network



When food
systems are supplied by rain-fed agriculture, changes in rainfall can throw not
only farming, but also food security, into complete disarray.



This is
what farmers are experiencing in Nigeria, where the rains come much later now
and stop earlier than they once did. Whilst some areas of the country deal with
unseasonably wet periods, other areas contend with prolonged and more frequent
droughts.



These
changes have put unprecedented pressures on Nigerian farmers, with many of them
finding it difficult to cope. 



Thankfully,
Nigerian farmers can learn lessons from food producers elsewhere, who have also
coped with changing conditions, and one proven solution is the adoption of
“no-till” farming.



No-till
farming is the practice of growing crops without disturbing the soil through
tillage, which allows the soil to breathe, naturally maintaining its moisture
and reducing &#8211; or even eliminating – the risk of soil erosion.



What is
needed now is nothing short of a no-till revolution, a new period of Nigerian
farming that will build resilience for farmers across the country, helping them
contend with new climate pressures. 



But to
scale up the practice of no-till in Nigeria, we must overcome three fundamental
barriers.



Firstly,
many farmers are reluctant to adopt new practices that could help maintain soil
health, even in the face of extreme droughts. 



Nigerian
farmers, like those anywhere, tend to be very cautious when changing what they
do on their farm, which are already beset with risk. 



These
practices, known as agroecology, are essentially <a href="http://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/415959/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming practices designed to make
the most of nature’s resources</a>
whilst limiting the negative effects in return, but have yet to make a stamp in
the country.



Yet, we
have evidence from New Zealand, Argentina and many other countries of the
benefits of these approaches. Our colleagues in New Zealand, for example, have
shared stories about the impact no-till farming has had for them, including the
ability to <a href="https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/6230-new-zealanders-benefit-from-no-till?v=preview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant seeds
within days of a harvest</a>
or <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&amp;objectid=12143141" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eliminating
soil erosion entirely.</a>



These types
of stories have the power to convince farmers of the need to work much more
closely with natural processes, since farmers more likely to adopt a new
practice once they can be sure it will work. 



Secondly,
even if farmers were willing to take on new practices, many are missing the
necessary funding and finance needed to help put these new techniques into
practice. 



At
Replenish Farms in Nigeria, I am working to solve this by encouraging farmers
to share resources. Crop farmers are giving their harvest residue to
pastoralists, for example, in exchange for manure that can be used to naturally
fertilize crops. 



This means
less pressure to use mineral fertilizers, lower costs and more support towards
increasing the organic matter in soil, which provides optimum conditions for
plant growth. 



Lastly,
when it comes to farming with minimal disturbance of the soil, specialised
planting machinery in Nigeria is often expensive or not suited to our soils. 



My company,
1Hectare1Family, is addressing this by working in collaboration with a number
of partners to find cheaper, more efficient tools. 



<a href="http://www.crossslot.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cross-Slot</a>, a New Zealand-based company, is one of these
partners. They make the right equipment for efficient no-till farming in New
Zealand and are advising us on how to achieve this in Nigeria. 



We are also
attempting to forge a collaboration with the Registrar of the National Soil
Science Institute, in the hope that we can provide smallholder farmers with
both the right training and equipment to be able to convert their practices to
no-till.



In the
first year of adopting no-till at Replenish Farms, just one per cent of
production used it. In the following season, that was quickly scaled up to
around 10 per cent. 



Next
season, we will be expanding it to more than 50 per cent &#8211; evidence of just how
successful no-till has been. 



But my farm
is not unique. The potential of Nigerian farming is huge when we embrace the
lessons of elsewhere and adapt them to help us meet our needs.

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