Off-Grid Solar Firms Raised $42 Million In The First Month Of 2015
February 10, 2015 Only one month into 2015, private equity firms, venture investors and development banks have poured $42 million into off-grid solar companies working in developing countries. That represents two-thirds of all off-grid investments closed in 2014. The money was disbursed in four different rounds for companies in solar lighting, solar electronics charging and pay-as-you-go
Women and youth: The hope for Africa’s future
February 7, 2015 The Francophonie summit was one of the latest conferences to draw attention to the importance of women and youth in Africa’s future. Stephen Williams reports from Dakar, Senegal. At the end of November, in Dakar’s brand new international conference centre, the International Organisation of La Francophonie met for a two-day Heads of
Why do some people remain stuck in poverty: their bad luck?
February 4, 2015 When I was visiting rural Nepal last year, I stopped in a village with beautiful houses lining both sides of the road. A few motorbikes passed by as I sat at the local kiosk drinking a masala tea. It seemed to me to be a perfectly prosperous village. But just a 15-minute
16 Most Powerful Militaries In Africa
February 3, 2015 When it comes to the military strength of all African countries, the keywords to consider are “not enough information.” The Global Fire Power ranking, or GFP, measures countries’ military strength and assigns a power index number in order to compare them to other countries. Many factors are taken into consideration, and smaller
A revealing map of the countries that are most and least tolerant of homosexuality
January 31, 2015 The Pew Research Center, as part of a fascinating new report on global attitudes toward homosexuality, asked people in 39 different countries a deceptively straightforward question: “Should society accept homosexuality?” People could answer yes, no or decline the question. The “yes” answers are mapped out above. In red countries, less than 45
Nigeria Announced It Will Boost Power Grid With 220 Megawatts
January 28, 2015 Nigeria’s power sector is getting a much needed boost. The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, announced that 220 megawatts of power would soon be added to the Egbin thermal station, Lagos. “What we have added newly to this plant is so huge that it is the President himself that can tell
Petrol subsidy rises to N3.64 per litre
January 27, 2015 A week after the Federal Government announced the reduction of the pump price of petrol, subsidy on the product has increased to N3.64 from the N2.84 stated on January 16, 2015, statistics obtained from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency have shown. The PPPRA, whose website is now wearing a new look
Africa’s Top 10 Fastest Growing Economies
January 23, 2015 In the past ten years, African countries have experienced unprecedented growth rates, with seven of the top ten fastest growing economies in the world being those of key African countries this year. Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Nigeria, have all seen levels of economic growth recently that
Lower Oil Prices Could Dent Beer Consumption In Nigeria – SABMiller
January 23, 2015 SABMiller Plc (SAB) expects beer volume growth to decelerate in Nigeria this year as lower oil prices dent consumption and African markets become more competitive, said Mark Bowman, managing director of the brewer’s Africa unit. The company, which has forecast beer volume growth in Nigeria of about 8 percent a year, may
The Deloitte Consumer Review Africa: A 21st Century View
In this report, Deloitte assesses how the African market has developed, how perceptions of Africa have changed, and how consumers are responding to a period of rapid economic growth. We also make the case for seizing the opportunities within the continent. Download the report Introduction At a time when many emerging economies are slowing, Africa